Brian McManus has been convicted of his wife’s murder. (Houston County District Attorney)
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – A Georgia jury has convicted a former London police officer and Warner Robins resident of the murder of his wife.
Prosecutors say 57-year-old Brian McManus tried to stage his wife’s death as a suicide to stop her from possibly divorcing him over an affair with a woman in Florida.
What we know:
Authorities say their investigation began on Nov. 24, 2023, when McManus called 911. He told officers that he had gone for a walk and came home to find his wife, 63-year-old Lucille Ann McManus, dead.
Officers found the woman lying naked on the bed with a head wound. There were no gun or shell casings near her body.
“The defendant gave multiple statements to police where he appeared to show no concern at all for his wife, showing emotion only when he spoke about being the prime suspect,” the Houston County district attorney said.
Investigators say that McManus had entered the United States on a visa after being let go by the London police after multiple women stated “they felt sexually threatened by him.” His first marriage ended after he was arrested for domestic violence.
Three months after meeting Lucille Ann McManus on Tinder, the couple were married. They lived in the home with the victim’s granddaughter and two great-grandchildren. At the trial, multiple witnesses testified that the marriage was to allow McManus to obtain a Green Card.
Dig deeper:
Officials say that McManus went on fake business trips to Florida to meet with his mistress. The affair was discovered when he accidentally sent his victim a text to the victim meant for the other woman. Following the discovery, the victim reportedly told McManus that she was going to go to the authorities and tell them their marriage was “a sham.”
On the morning of the murder, investigators say McManus hit his wife with an object while she was leaving the shower and then strangled her. He then washed off and took his dog for a walk.
Security footage from the neighborhood showed McManus walking to a nearby drainage ditch where police later found a rubber mallet and cell phone.
Once back at home, McManus promptly undressed and put his clothes and shoes in the washing machine before calling 911.
Authorities say McManus had attempted to blame the victim’s granddaughter and her boyfriend for the murder, but cell phone data showed that they were miles away from the home at the time of the crime. A similar attempt to blame the murder on a break-in turned out fruitless, with investigators finding no security footage showing anyone entering the home other than McManus.
What they’re saying:
“Miss Ann was a lonely woman, and the defendant used that to his advantage. He used her to abuse our immigration system and then, when he got caught, brutally killed her,” Assistant District Attorney Ada Duane said. “No one deserves to die like that. McManus is a serial liar and con man who attempted to hide the fact that he murdered his wife by tampering with evidence and blaming others. He is a textbook narcissist who thinks he is the smartest man in the room. I am glad that the jury saw him for what he was – a monster – and grateful that the victim’s family finally has some answers.”
“This was a brutal and calculated murder carried out by an evil sociopath who views the women in his life as disposable. Brian McManus was not only willing to exploit our immigration system and manipulate a vulnerable woman into a sham marriage—he was willing to kill her when she became inconvenient. And then he tried to cover it up, pin it on her family, and walk away without consequence. He failed. Because of the work of the Warner Robins Police Department, forensic experts, and ADAs Justin Duane and Lauren Fletcher, the truth won out,” District Attorney Eric Z. Edwards said. “Miss Ann’s voice was stolen, but her story was told—and her killer will never have the opportunity to silence anyone again. As our community launches a renewed initiative to prevent domestic violence homicides, this case serves as a gut-wrenching reminder of what’s at stake. This office will never hesitate to bring the full weight of the law down on abusers who mistake silence for weakness.”
What’s next:
McManus is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon.
The Source: Information for this story came from a release by the Houston County District Attorney.