VA Man Pleads Guilty To Killing His Lorton Landlord In 2021

LORTON, VA — A Virginia man charged with killing his Lorton landlord in 2021 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder this week, according to officials.

Brian G. Sayrs Jr., 27, confessed to killing Emily Lu, 72, who was last seen alive on the night of June 3, 2021, according to officials.

Sayrs, who police had viewed as a suspect in the case, eventually led them to her body on July 23, 2021, about seven weeks after her disappearance. Lu's body was found in a wooded area near the intersection of Dudley Drive and Laurel Crest Drive in Lorton.

Lu’s body was found badly decomposed, and an autopsy report listed the cause of her death as “inconclusive.”

Sayres, who rented a room in Lu’s home, faces up to 32 years in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12.

“Two summers ago, Lorton resident Emily Lu disappeared and wasn’t found for over 50 days, after a weeks-long search that devastated our community,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement. “To this day, we still don’t know exactly how she was killed, but we know that the individual who was responsible will face accountability for his actions.

READ ALSO: Former Tenant Charged In Killing Of Lorton's Emily Lu: Police

Descano said he hopes Sayrs’ guilty plea “provides a measure of healing for her family and loved ones.”

Lu disappeared on June 3, 2021, after a trip to an Aldi grocery store in Woodbridge. She was reported missing the next day when she did not show up to her job. Her car was found at her home in Lorton, with her items still inside.

Police said they believe Sayrs killed Lu at her home in the 9200 block of Davis Road in Lorton and then transported her body less than two miles away to the wooded area.

After Lu's disappearance, Sayrs moved to Prince William County. Fairfax County police detectives spoke with Sarys several times during their investigation into Lu's disappearance before he contacted them on July 23, 2021, and then led them to her body.

“She’s the kindest, most generous woman who would do anything to help others,” Jenny Ball, Lu’s daughter, told NBC News during the search for her mother.

Lu, a native of Taiwan, moved to the United States in the 1970s after marrying a serviceman stationed overseas.

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