Former London police officer convicted of killing his wife to allegedly stop her from divorcing him

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (TCN) -- A former London police officer was recently convicted of killing his wife in Georgia, reporting her death as a suicide, and trying to "pin it on the victim's family."

The Houston County District Attorney's Office announced in a July 16 news release that a jury found Brian McManus guilty of murder in the 2023 death of his wife.

According to an earlier social media post from the Warner Robins Police Department, in November 2023, officers responded to a home after McManus reported a possible suicide involving his wife. Police found 63-year-old Lucille Ann McManus deceased with an apparent head injury. Authorities discovered her naked on a bed, but there was no gun, and officers didn't find any shell casings nearby, WAGA-TV reports.

The defendant reportedly provided multiple statements but "appeared to show no concern at all for his wife, showing emotion only when he spoke about being the prime suspect."

Investigators determined Brian McManus killed his wife to allegedly stop her from divorcing him over an affair with a woman in Florida. According to WAGA, on the day of the victim's death, McManus struck his wife with an object as she was exiting the shower, and then he strangled her. He then allegedly cleaned up and took the dog out for a walk.

Police purportedly obtained security footage of McManus walking to a local ditch, where authorities later recovered a rubber mallet and cellphone. McManus allegedly called law enforcement after returning home and placing his clothes and shoes in the washing machine.

According to WAGA, McManus tried to pin the blame on his wife's granddaughter and her boyfriend, but they weren't in the area at the time of her death. McManus also allegedly tried to blame his wife's death on a break-in that turned out to be false.

McManus reportedly came to the United States on a visa. According to WAGA, he was let go as a police officer in London after numerous women allegedly said, "They felt sexually threatened by him."

The defendant purportedly married the victim three months after they met on Tinder, and they lived with Lucille Ann McManus' granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.

Witnesses testified and alleged that the couple was married so that the defendant could get a green card.

In a statement obtained by WAGA, Assistant District Attorney Ada Duane said, "Miss Ann was a lonely woman, and the defendant used that to his advantage. He used her to abuse our immigration system and then, when he got caught, brutally killed her."

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