Killer of Indiana University student Jill Behrman to be released from prison June 15

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The man convicted of killing Indiana University student Jill Behrman in 2000 is scheduled to be released from prison in two weeks because of health problems related to COVID-19.

John Myers was convicted in 2006 of killing Behrman and sentenced to 65 years. In April, Myers asked to be released early, saying that the medication he takes weakens his immune system and makes him more susceptible to the coronavirus.

Behrman disappeared May 31, 2000, while riding her bike. Her remains were found three years later.

Myers’ request was granted May 29, and he is scheduled to be released Jun 15. He will live with his mother while he waits for a decision on an appeal in his murder case, according to a story by Fox 59.

A U.S. district court judge had ruled Sept. 30 that Myers got ineffective counsel from his attorney during the 2006 trial and should be released. The Indiana attorney general's office said it is reviewing options to appeal the early release order.

Behrman’s brother, Brian, took to Instagram to criticize the appeals process, saying, “Nobody from our family was able to speak for Jill.”

Brian Behrman wrote that the system “silences victims. It silences those who care for those who are lost.”

View this post on Instagram

This is my sister Jill. The picture was taken just before her freshman year in college. On May 31, 2000, Jill went for a bike ride as she often did. This time she never came home. . . For almost three years Jill was missing. In March of 2003 her remains were found by a hunter in Morgan County. She was killed by a contact shotgun wound to the back of her head. I will never forget looking at her remains in a small basement room on the campus of UIndy. . . In April of 2006, police arrested John Meyers in the abduction and murder of Jill. In October of 2006, Meyers was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 65 years in prison. . . Why do I bring this up today? I just got off the phone with my mom. She shared with me that Judge James R. Sweeney II of the US District Court issued a ruling based on a recent appeal. In his ruling, Meyers will be released after a quarantine in jail of 14 days. . . This appeal is based on the fact that Meyers received inappropriate counsel in his trial in 2006. The lawyer, Patrick Baker, is still practicing law in Indiana. He was censured by the state bar as a result of his work in Jill's case. How does he still gets to practice in this state? . . But the most upsetting part? Because of the way our system works, nobody from our family was able to speak for Jill. I'm not going to lie. The case was circumstantial. There was no DNA. There was no murder weapon. But there was a wide variety of evidence that led a jury of 12 peers to find Meyers guilty. Once again, our system silences victims. It silences those who care for those who are lost. My sister didn't get to be present for my wedding. My children will never know their Aunt Jill's voice or laugh. And the system doesn't allow anyone to speak for her at this time. . . I write this from a place of anger and hurt. I just had the biggest cry I've had in a LONG time. I hugged my kids in a way that they couldn't understand. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There are many things I love about the life I have and the place I live. But time and again, I have seen victims be treated as less than. It sucks. Jill doesn't have a voice anymore, but I can be a voice for her.

A post shared by Brian Behrman (@bbehrman) on May 29, 2020 at 4:02pm PDT