Chesco Man Held For Court in Fatal Beating Of Former Girlfriend

CHESTER COUNTY —A deafening silence cloaked a Chester County district courtroom as a prosecution team showed black-and-white videos of 31-year-old LeRoy Brahm fatally beating his former girlfriend in his mobile home in East Vincent Township.

Chester County Detective Christine Bleiler narrated as Assistant District Attorney Kate Wright showed videos taken from a security system video recorder of the Dec. 4 fatal beating of 21-year-old Annabel Meenan.

The team also showed videos of three prior beatings of the victim in which Brahm was stomping and punching the victim.

The victim’s family members filled the courtroom, wearing purple ribbon pins, symbolizing domestic violence and held back tears during a three-hour hearing before District Judge John Hipple, who ordered Brahm held for trial.

Surrounded by security officers, Brahm, wearing a white-T- shirt, showed no emotion as he watched videos of himself in a white T-shirt assaulting his former girlfriend. He is charged with first- and third-degree murder, strangulation and related charges.

First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Dr. Gary Collins, a forensic pathologist, testified Meenan died as a result of cardiac arrest following physical assault while intoxicated and on cocaine.

Collins said that his decision included a review of the surveillance videos.

Meenan had a blood-alcohol content of .118%, according to Collins. In Pennsylvania, an individual is considered legally impaired with a blood-alcohol content of .08%

Chester County Coroner Sophia Garcia-Jackson testified the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Brahm’s lawyer, Scott McIntosh, asked the magistrate to dismiss some of the charges, arguing that the death was the result of cardiac arrest, not the assault.

Wright countered that the victim’s cardiac arrest was triggered by the assaults.

“He continued to stomp on her and punch her while she was not moving,” Wright said. “He cleans up the mess. He lies to the police, and he leaves her lifeless body on the floor.”