Where is Charles Bryant Now? – The CBS News show “48 Hours” episode “The Murder of Jackie Vandagriff” explores the gruesome murder of 24-year-old Jacqueline “Jackie” Vandagriff, whose burnt and mutilated body was discovered in Grapevine Lake on September 14, 2016. Despite signs of a scuffle and her being confined, medical examiners were baffled about how she died. Charles Dean Bryant did not speak to the authorities until many days after the murder, during an interrogation, when they began to obtain information. Let’s revisit Charles after some time has gone and determine his current status.
Who Is Charles Bryant?
Charles Dean Bryant, a Haslet native, worked as a personal trainer and bartender at the Urban Cowboy Saloon in Fort Worth, Texas, until his arrest on September 18, 2016. He was caught that day, but not for Jackie’s terrible murder. Later diagnosed as a narcissist, Charles was arrested for regularly stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin Mathis, in violation of a restraining order she had secured against him. She had called the University of North Texas police, but he still came up to her dormitory.
Charles was already arrested, so law enforcement officials did not have to wait long to get him to talk about Jackie. Eventually, they realized that Jackie was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the night she went away, September 13, 2016, she met Charles in a college pub for the first time. Jackie had no idea what he was planning when they departed. An expert on violent crime asserts that Charles had already determined to kill that day because he was so devastated by his rejection and that he encountered Jackie, who resembled his ex-girlfriend Caitlin.
Where Is Charles Bryant Today?
In 2018, when Charles Bryant was on trial for murder, his statement that he had mutilated and burned Jackie’s body after falsely claiming that she had died during “kinky” sex gone wrong was a key piece of evidence. Charles and Jackie were both adults at the time of Jackie’s death. According to Charles’s attorney Glynis McGinty, they indulged in consensual rough sex in Charles’ car in a park while using zip ties for autoerotic asphyxiation.
Then, out of panic, Charles attempted to conceal the body. The prosecution argued that the murder was premeditated despite the absence of proof. After over two and a half hours of deliberation, the 12-person jury found Charles guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Charles was convicted of capital murder, but instead of receiving the death penalty, he was sentenced to life in prison + 20 years to be served concurrently.
He has not been charged for the suspected child pornography on his phone or the harassment of his ex-girlfriend. Charles Dean Bryant is currently spending time in the William P. “Bill” Clements Unit in rural Potter County, Texas, due to his age of 34. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Charles’s parole date is September 18, 2046.
Must Read: Jackie Vandagriff Murder Case