BETHALTO, Ill. — The Madison County State’s Attorney Office announced new information pertaining to a 2019 triple homicide in Bethalto.
Brittany McMillan, 30, has pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder for the 2019 murders of Shari Yates, her son, Andrew “A.J.” Brooks, and John McMillian.
Nearly two years ago, on Dec. 19, the victims' bodies were found in a home on Mill Street. Bethalto police discovered the bodies while responding to a request from the Hazelwood Police Department to do a welfare check at the residence at around 11 p.m.
McMillan was arrested at a motel in Hazelwood, Mo. with 41-year-old Brady Witcher. Both were charged with nine counts of first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery, and one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking.
The couple is from Alabama, where they were already wanted for capital murder and kidnapping. They were also wanted in Clarksville, Tennessee for shoplifting, aggravated kidnapping, and theft of a motor vehicle.
The multi-state crime spree culminated in the triple homicide in Bethalto because the victims refused to trade a car for drugs and cash, a search warrant in the case said.
McMillan will serve a life sentence, the maximum available under Illinois law. Witcher is set to stand trial in Madison County in January.
“These terrible murders shocked the entire Madison County community,” State's Attorney Tom Haine said. “Our prayers today are especially with the family of the victims, who suffered so much loss and acted with incredible dignity and strength. We hope that the defendant’s guilty plea will begin to provide some closure as we continue to aggressively pursue justice against her co-defendant as well.”
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis investigated the three deaths.
