Jury finds Haynes GUILTY: Life without Parole

By Leesa Teale,

LPR Publisher                                                            

     Bryan Robert Haynes was found guilty in the Capital Murder trial brought against him stemming from the June 2020 shooting deaths of 18-year-old Klayton Manning and 16-year-old Landin Robinson. Both the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments on Wednesday, April 30. The jury, consisting of six men and six women, left the courtroom at 10:42 a.m. to begin their deliberations. After spending approximately six hours weighing the evidence, they returned around 4:45 p.m. with a verdict: Guilty of Capital Murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting deaths of Manning and his cousin, Robinson. 

    After the jury returned to the courtroom, Judge Schneider asked if they had a verdict, “We do, your honor,” the man answered. The verdict was passed to the judge and read. 

    During the trial the jury heard testimony for eight days from both the defense and prosecution presenting their cases. The prosecutor’s case consisted of strong evidence including the autopsy photos of the two victims.  The photo of the bodies of the two boys, originally discovered by a passing motorist, displayed a gruesome account of what the boys encountered the night of their deaths. 

     Two medical examiners from Travis County conducted the autopsies due to the severity of the crime. Dr. Leisha Wood conducted the nearly 8-hour long autopsy of Robinson who sustained 38 gunshot wounds to his torso and head. Her conclusion was that all the wounds contributed to his death. 

     In Manning’s autopsy, Dr. Jennifer Dierksen found that most of the wounds he received were inflicted from behind resulting in his death being ruled a homicide. 

    The prosecution continued with their case calling up ballistic evidence presented by Ranger Lieutenant Brent Barina. 

    Photos of the ATV displayed the damage and drew a better picture of the crime scene. Barina explained that the photos depicted a scene of the shooter’s position and that the boys appeared to be running away from the shooter as he attacked. 

     Texas Ranger Reid Rackley recounted the hours of negotiations that took place to apprehend Haynes within 48 hours of the incident, after a standoff with law enforcement at his father’s home.

     Haynes former fiancé and mother of his child, Vanessa House, gave her testimony, describing that in the months leading up to the murders, Haynes’ behavior had changed drastically.     From explaining how he was watching various disturbing conspiracy videos to buying canned foods, medicine, etc. House gave crucial evidence on Haynes’ mind set leading up to the murders. 

   House stated Haynes did not come home the night of the murders but did contact her the next day to meet at their Georgetown property. When she arrived, he instructed her to turn off her phone and to drive to her apartment but then changed the route to go to his father’s home. As House drove, Haynes ripped up a shirt, pants and had a Clorox spray bottle that he threw out the window along the route. The next day the spray bottle was recovered by a Texas Ranger retracing the steps of the event. 

     Last week’s testimony concluded with jurors hearing the defendant himself in a conversation with retired Capt. Jeff Ferry in December 2021 that lasted over two hours. When Ferry took to the stand, he explained his visit with Haynes was from a direct request from the defendant. The video gave visual to the mindset of Haynes. His main complaint to Ferry was that he was falsely indicted for capital murder saying, “I don’t think I committed a crime.” When Ferry reminded him that he had shot two kids, he stated, “That doesn’t make me guilty. I’m being held against my will.”

   Haynes later gave details stating that if he was in Caldwell County the day of the murders, he may have been under duress as people were trying to kill him even stating that the individuals killed might have committed a crime by lying about the facts. 

     Ferry continued the conversation to Haynes that they had the correct guy in jail because he had killed two people. Haynes replied a simple “perhaps.”

    After multiple opportunities to give more information about the alien attributes, Haynes did not reply but described the victims as people to Ferry.  Cross examination by the defense showed through follicle testing, there were no drugs in Haynes system. 

    In late 2024, Haynes was found competent to stand trial for the murders. The defense however presented two expert medical witnesses stating he should be found guilty by reason of insanity. Haynes does not deny the killings, but his defense aims to prove he was legally insane at the time. 

     Following the reading of the guilty verdict and sentencing, family members took the opportunity to present their impact statements to the court, sharing their emotional experiences and the profound effects the case has had on their lives. As the proceedings unfolded, Haynes remained stoic, showing no visible reaction to the statements or the sentence handed down. However, as he was escorted out of the courtroom, he turned to wave at his brother, who was in the court room, showed a brief moment of connection amidst the gravity of the situation.