A 19-year-old Colorado man was arrested for allegedly killing his grandmother after pieces of her body were found near Sterling on Monday, Reuters reported.
Brendan Lee Johnson and his girlfriend are accused of killing both his grandparents so they could steal $20,000 from their checking account, CBS Denver reported. The couple appeared in Logan County court on Wednesday where they were informed of the charges they face, including first-degree murder and aggravated robbery.
"These are the charges they are being held on and not necessarily the formal charges," Sterling Police Chief Tyson Kerr told Reuters. "Some of these charges may be filed as crimes against an at-risk adult."
Johnson's 70-year-old grandmother, Shirley Severance, had been missing since her husband Charles Severance,70, was found dead inside his home last week. The causes of death have not been determined pending an autopsy.
Police found a part of Shirley Severance's body at a reservoir less than 20 miles outside of Sterling on Monday night, Reuters reported. Another part was found in the bordering state of Nebraska.
"Investigator teams are processing both crime scene locations where the remains were found," Sterling police said in a statement obtained by CBS News. "One of the locations is at the Prewitt Reservoir, which is located approximately 18 miles southwest of Sterling along Highway 6. The second location is several miles west of Lorenzo, Neb."
Johnson and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Cassandra Ann Rieb, allegedly planned to wait until the couple fell asleep before smothering them to death with pillows, according to arrest affidavits obtained by CBS Denver.
The grandson and girlfriend intended to wipe out the couple's bank account and move into the house, according to the affidavit.
The scheming duo is to appear in court again on June 18 where they could officially be charged with murder, robbery, forgery and theft. The two are being held at Logan County jail without bond.
© 2025 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
