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Stephen Briller, seen in court in June, declared his innocence Wednesday at his sentencing for murder. Photo by Clint Karlsen.

Thursday, August 08, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Habitual criminal sentenced to life in girlfriend's death

Victim's mother cries after longtime lawbreaker declares innocence

For nearly two years, the mother of slaying victim Teri Roberts has had to deal with the fact that a habitual criminal, Stephen Briller, was behind her daughter's death.

In court Wednesday, Briller caused Toni Foyer more pain by turning to her during his sentencing hearing and proclaiming his innocence, sending Foyer into sobs.

"I loved this girl," Briller told Foyer. "I loved your daughter. I would never do anything to hurt her."

Briller, who was cut off by District Judge Donald Mosley, then predicted his impending sentence.

"I know what kind of man you are," Briller told Mosley. "You are going to sentence me to the maximum.

"But I want you to know that I'll be back," he said, using an obscenity to describe his conviction.

Mosley did not disappoint, sentencing Briller to two consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole for the March 2000 murder of Roberts.

Briller, 41, was convicted in June of first-degree murder and other charges in his girlfriend's death.

Shortly before her death, according to trial testimony, Roberts was threatening to tell Briller's family that he had blown most of a $150,000 inheritance on gambling and narcotics.

Roberts' body was found in the apartment the couple shared. Authorities said Briller remained in the apartment with the corpse for weeks after the killing.

He fled to Maryland, where he was apprehended after being featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted."

The cause of Roberts' death could not be determined, but a jailhouse snitch testified at Briller's trial that Briller bragged of strangling Roberts.

On Wednesday, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Owens told Mosley that Briller deserved to spend life in prison for the crime. Owens said Briller had been convicted of at least 11 prior felonies dating to 1979.

The charges included arson, burglary and sexual abuse. Owens said Briller was convicted in another state for participating in a prison gang rape of a fellow inmate.

In a rambling statement, Briller then told the judge that he was innocent.

"The cause of death was undetermined," he said. "There was no proof."

Outside of court, Roberts' mother said her daughter was a kind and caring woman, and she praised the judge's decision. She and her family came to court, she said, because "we wanted to make sure he doesn't do this to somebody else's daughter."