Crime & Safety

Former Tenant Charged In Killing Of Lorton's Emily Lu: Police

The body of 72-year-old Emily Lu of Lorton has been found, and a Woodbridge man has been charged by police with second degree murder.

Brian George Sayrs Jr., 25, of Woodbridge was charged with second degree murder and felony concealment of a body. He is being held in jail without bond. Sayrs Jr. was a tenant at Emily Lu’s home at the time of her disappearance, police said.
Brian George Sayrs Jr., 25, of Woodbridge was charged with second degree murder and felony concealment of a body. He is being held in jail without bond. Sayrs Jr. was a tenant at Emily Lu’s home at the time of her disappearance, police said. (Fairfax County Police Department)

LORTON, VA — The body of 72-year-old Emily Lu of Lorton has been found, and a Woodbridge man was charged by Fairfax County police with second degree murder and felony disposal of Lu's body, the Fairfax County Police Department said Saturday.

Brian George Sayrs Jr., 25, was a tenant in Lu’s residence in Lorton at the time of her disappearance in early June, the police said. Lu was last seen on June 3, shopping at an Aldi store in Woodbridge. Her car was later found at her home in Lorton, with her items still inside.

Sayrs is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

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Fairfax County police said Sayrs called them on Friday night and asked to meet. He then led them to an area of Lorton where detectives found her body.

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Fairfax County Police Maj. Ed O'Carroll, who serves as commander of the Major Crimes and Cyber and Forensics Bureaus of the police department, said at a news conference Saturday that it had been 50 days since Lu disappeared.

"Last night, we broke the case," O'Carroll said. "We don't have a motive at this point."

Lu's body was found in a wooded area near the intersection of Dudley Drive and Laurel Crest Drive in Lorton.

O'Carroll said Sayrs killed Lu at her home in the 9200 block of Davis Road in Lorton and then transported her body less than two miles away to the wooded area.

After Lu's disappearance, Sayrs moved to Prince William County. When he contacted Fairfax County detectives Friday night, Sarys was near a community center ballpark in Prince William County sitting on a bench, according to O'Carroll.

At the news conference, O'Carroll said detectives had spoken with Sarys several times during their investigation into Lu's disappearance.

"Why did he call us last night? That's a great question. And hopefully we'll know the answer to that," Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at Saturday's news conference.

Sayrs had become the person of interest in the case, but the police department still did not have probable cause to charge him in the murder of Lu until he called the detectives Friday night.

The case has largely been turned over to the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Office, although the police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lu's death, O'Carroll said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Fairfax County Police Department's Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), or by text by typing “FCCS” plus the tip to 847411.


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