Retrial granted for man who police say killed Kent State student, sister and mother

A memorial swing for former Kent State fashion design student Taylor Pifer can be found on front campus near Rockwell Hall. This swing was placed on campus as a memorial in 2018, almost a year after she was killed. 

On June 10, 2017, George Brinkman Jr. police say killed Taylor along with her mother, Suzanne Taylor, and sister, Kylie Pifer, in Cuyahoga County. That day he texted Suzanne asking to see her but insisted Taylor nor Kylie were there, court documents stated. In the texts sent between Brinkman and Suzanne that day, he stated he knew Suzanne was mad at him. Brinkman claimed he went over to tell Suzanne he was leaving town and leaving $800 in cash for each of the girls for college, but no cash was found at the scene, court documents stated. 

He then traveled to Stark County to kill Rogell John and his wife, Roberta John, and is currently on death row at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution for the killings.

Taylor was attending Kent State when she, her mother and sister were killed. Before she attended Kent State, she played softball where she met one of her friends, Katelyn Ashley, in 2013.  

“We started out as teammates and as we built a relationship on the field, our moms built one on the sidelines,” Ashley said. 

Ashley was the closest with Taylor but their moms became friends and then they all became very close and she even bonded with Kylie later on, she said. 

“We then took our friendship and went to concerts together, the mall and even spent almost every holiday having parties together,” Ashley said. “Our moms even coached our team together in later years.” 

Brinkman was arrested and originally pleaded not guilty. However, during a pretrial, he pled guilty, waived his rights to a jury trial in Cuyahoga County and was sentenced to death. 

This was until Brinkman was granted a retrial July 21, 2021, for the killings of the mother and daughters. The Ohio Supreme overturned Brinkman’s conviction because of the lower court’s failure to inform Brinkman of his right to question witnesses during his plea hearing in Nov. 2018. 

The new trial has brought Ashley mixed emotions. 

“One side of me wants to believe the justice system must be fair and that everyone should receive the rights the law states they do,” Ashley said. “On the other hand, the outcome will be the same. Him being retried doesn’t mean that he didn’t kill them. It doesn’t mean he’s innocent. And it certainly shouldn’t mean that he deserves anything less than death.” 

Due to the pending trial, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement and declined to answer questions on the case.  

“This is a very unfortunate ruling that will cause additional trauma for the families of these victims,” Spokeswoman Lexi Giering said. “We emphasize with them and share their frustration and disappointment. We remain committed to ensuring that this defendant is held accountable.”

Brinkman’s defense attorney did not return a request for an interview. 

Ashley went to Brinkman’s original sentencing in 2018 and this new trial makes it feel like she’s living the nightmare again, she said.

“Going to the original trial made me relive the moments of being told what happened to begin with,” Ashley said. “It being five years since their death and four years since his original trial, I still haven’t found closure because the news articles and court dockets never end. This case needs to end for the peace of their family and friends.”

Brinkman’s trial is set for Jan. 11, according to the court docket. Brinkman waived his rights on Aug. 15, 2022, to a speedy trial for this case to be continued from July 18, 2022, to July 3, 2023.

“Taylor, her mom, and her sister were the nicest people who would give the shirts off their backs to help the ones they love,” Ashley said. “I miss them three more than anything and I pray for closure and justice.”