A roadtrip by a team from the Brazos County district attorney’s office to northwest Arkansas uncovers a Bryan man’s 25 year history of sexual and physical assaults of six women.
One of those women was a victim of family violence assault in Bryan last August.
After two days of a jury trial this week, the husband admitted to pushing her over in a chair, injuring her back.
48 year old Brian Vancleave was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Prosecutors say the length of the punishment was due to Vancleave being declared a habitual officer with his record in Arkansas of 12 arrests and four stints in prison.
Additional information from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
Brian Vancleave, 48, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after switching his plea to guilty following two days of trial in the 361st District Court.
On August 27, 2019, Bryan Police were dispatched to a call from the defendant’s 17 year old step-son, who reported to authorities that the defendant had pushed his mother over in a chair, injuring her back.
When the defendant’s stepson attempted to summon help, the defendant slapped the phone out of the his hands to prevent the call.
When police responded, they found the victim clearly in pain from landing on her back, and arrested him for Assault Family Violence.
A criminal history search revealed arrests out of Arkansas for similar behavior, but did not indicate the results of those cases.
After being subsequently arrested for violating his bond conditions, the District Attorney’s Office reached out to law enforcement in Springdale, Arkansas who were able to provide information that Defendant had been arrested twelve times for domestic violence charges in Arkansas, involving six different victims.
The defendant had been sentenced four times to prison in Arkansas for this abuse, including sentences of two years, four years, and six years.
A team from the District Attorney’s Office, including a prosecutor, investigator, and a victim assistance coordinator traveled to Arkansas and, together with local law enforcement, tracked down these prior victims and their responding police officers.
The District Attorney’s Office uncovered a history of physical and sexual abuse of the Defendant’s prior wives and girlfriends that spanned twenty-five years.
The District Attorney’s Office used the information they uncovered to charge the defendant with the third -degree felony of Assault Family Violence with a Prior Conviction and enhance his punishment
range to that of a habitual offender.
This case was investigated, prosecuted, and prepared by Jessica Escue, Maritza Sifuentez-Chavarria, Michael Johse, and Melissa Carter of the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office and members of the
Bryan Police Department.
This case was also assisted by the Springdale Arkansas Police Department, Washington County, Arkansas District Attorney’s Office, Madison County, Arkansas District Attorney’s Office, Bentonville Arkansas Police Department, and Pulaski County District Attorney’s Office.