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Authorities: Missing Chili Teen Was Homicide Victim

Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn, Undersheriff Drew Forsythe, Dan and Barbara Sullivan
Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn, Undersheriff Drew Forsythe, Dan and Barbara Sullivan

Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office say they realized early on in the investigation of Brian Sullivan that it was not a missing person case, but a homicide investigation.

Sullivan went missing in 2007 and Undersheriff Drew Forsythe says their prime suspect in Sullivan's death, Derrick Murray, recently died.

Forsythe says they are asking for people who know what happened to come forward.

"People in the Murray family, know what happened to Brian.  And the purpose for us being here today is to not discuss the overall investigative techniques that we've utilized throughout the nine years, it's to bring Brian home." he said. "Our plea is to those people to come forward and give us the information we need so Barb, Dan and Brittany Sullivan can properly bury their son."

Barbara Sullivan says no one will be charged if they come forward with information on their son.

"We're asking, begging, for the community, whoever knows. Like we said you're not going to get in trouble, just help us bring Brian home," she said.

Undersheriff Forsythe says this is still an open investigation, and they believe Derrick Murray was responsible for the death for Brian Sullivan, but he says they won't stop until Sullivan's remains are returned to his family.

Undersheriff Forsythe says Sullivan and the chief suspect in his death, Derrick Murray, knew each other: