Bryant Lamont Kemper, age 26, pled guilty to breaking and entering and the malicious wounding of William Edward Janowski on January 4, 2007.

Officers of the Lynchburg Police Department responded to 1314 14th Street just shortly after midnight for a fight in progress. Upon arrival the officers located Kemper and another individual attempting to leave the residence. Inside, officers found the victim of this offense, William Janowski, unresponsive and lying in a pool of blood in the laundry room of the residence. Officers were able to observe that Janowski had suffered three severe lacerations to his skull and his ear was slashed into several pieces. Nearby, a bloody vacuum cleaner was found by officers and identified as the weapon used to beat Janowski.

During an interview with Investigator Robert Moore of the Lynchburg Police Department, Kemper admitted that he and the other individual had gone to the residence at 1314 14th Street in order to confront Janowski about an incident that had occurred earlier in the day between Janowski and a female tenant of the residence. Kemper told Investigator Moore that Janowski had pulled a knife on him during the confrontation but that he was able to get the knife away from Janowski after being stabbed one time in the abdomen. Kemper then told Moore that he hit and kicked Janowski until he was “put to sleep.” Janowski was transported to Lynchburg General Hospital that night where he remains in the care of the Skilled Care Unit suffering from long term brain injury. Blood spatter analysis indicated that Janowski had been struck at least seven times with the vacuum cleaner during the altercation.

A witness would have testified that before she left Kemper at the residence she observed him kicking in the door to Janowski’s room which was found lying on the floor when officers arrived.

Kemper will be sentenced on September 7, 2007 by Judge Mosby G. Perrow III in the Lynchburg Circuit Court after the trial of his co-defendant.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys, Gretchen Hutt and Rebecca Wetzel.