MORROW COUNTY, Ohio — A man who confessed to fatally shooting two people in Morrow County over two years ago was sentenced to at least 23 years in prison.
The charges against Brian Lee stemmed from the shooting deaths of Linda Vannatta and Brandon Petty in 2021. Two other people were injured in that shooting.
In an exclusive jailhouse interview with 10TV News reporter Kevin Landers in May 2021, Lee confessed to the murders and said they happened in self-defense because he was threatened.
Lee told 10TV that he went to a home to confront a man who he said crashed his truck the night before. Brandon Petty was inside the home and he didn’t expect him to be there. Lee added that they had confronted each other in the past.
After shooting Petty, Lee claimed he then shot Vannatta because she had a gun and had threatened to kill him.
Lee was arrested in the backyard of a Columbus home following a manhunt where he reportedly drove at high speeds of up to 120 mph to avoid arrest.
Court records from the Morrow County Court of Common Pleas state that Lee could be considered for parole after serving 23 years. Lee has already served more than two and a half years which will count toward his sentence.
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