Brian Rooney Pleads Not Guilty to the Murder of Michelle Gardner-Quinn
Brian Rooney was the last person seen with Michelle Gardner-Quinn alive as surveillance videos captured. Brian Rooney has a past of sexually allegations against him. Prosecutors have stated that they have strong DNA evidence linking Brian Rooney to Michelle Gardner-Quinn. So what did Brian Rooney plead in Court with regards to the strangling and murder of Michelle Gardner-Quinn … not guilty of course.
Rooney, 36, is charged with aggravated murder in the Oct. 7 death of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a University of Vermont senior who turned up dead six days after disappearing while walking back to campus after a night out with friends.
“We’d like to remind people that Brian is presumed innocent, and he’s in fact innocent,” said attorney David Sleigh. “We intend to test the strength of the state’s case in a court of law.” (Times Argus)
Let’s just cut to the chase and stop the drama. Yes, people are innocent until proven guilty … let’s make a prediction here … GUILTY. Why do all these excuses sound so familiar from case to case?
Rooney, who told police he was intoxicated the night he met Gardner-Quinn, said when he was arrested on unrelated sex charges that he didn’t remember what happened that night and must have blacked out, according to the affidavit released Wednesday.
“I honestly don’t know what I did that night. If I did it I deserve to die,” he said, according to the affidavit. (Times Argus)
Unfortunately, VT does not have the death penalty. Rooney only faces life without parole if convicted.