In a recent press briefing, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the indictments of two brothers for a series of heinous sexual assaults dating back to the 1980s. According to information obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, the suspects, 59-year-old Jeffrey Briney and 62-year-old David Briney, were arrested last month following a breakthrough in the cold cases facilitated by DNA analysis.

The indictment stems from incidents where men forcefully entered homes to quickly then commit robbery and rape. Notably, one such attack took place on Briarwood Road in what is now Brookhaven on March 28, 1986, where five students fell victim, and two young women were raped. Another assault occurred roughly a mile away on Buford Highway in October 1986, ending with two women raped and bound. The Briney brothers are being held without bond as they face multiple charges including rape, kidnapping, and aggravated assault, 11Alive reported.

The Georgia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force, a program launched in 2018, played a pivotal role in reviving the cold cases, as it seeks to address untested sexual assault kits. This effort is part of a larger, federally funded project to tackle unresolved sexual assaults nationwide. Boston highlighted that recent developments in genetic testing helped link the Brineys to the decades-old crimes. A sexual assault kit from the October incident provided a DNA match to Jeffrey Briney, and a separate DNA match linked David Briney to additional assaults in Cobb County and Fulton County.

Boston pointed to the limitations in DNA testing before 1998 as a key reason for the delayed justice. Prior technology required a suspect for comparison, leaving many cases unresolved. In 2023, improved DNA testing allowed some 2,500 kits to be outsourced for analysis, with 74 originating from DeKalb County. This effort led investigators directly to the arrest of both Briney brothers, Boston said in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta.

With dozens of other cases potentially connected to the same perpetrators, the DeKalb County DA's office has set up a Cold Case Tip Line. They are urging the public to come forward with any information that could to help bring additional co-conspirators to justice. Individuals possessing knowledge about the Brineys or potential accomplices can call 404-371-2444, as reported by 11Alive.