JEFFERSON COUNTY — Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter released his findings in a December 2023 death investigation that occurred on Telegraph Hill Road in rural Jefferson County involving a mother and three children.
On Dec. 12, 2023, shortly after 4 p.m., emergency personnel responded to a home located in the 1600 block of East Telegraph Hill Road near Madison. Upon arrival, first responders observed that the house was on fire.
Fire department personnel were able to enter the burning structure where four bodies were located. Despite life saving measures, all four individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene. The fire was extinguished, and detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post were called to the scene to lead the investigation.
Multiple investigators from the Indiana State Police worked closely with the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office, Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office, Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Madison Police Department throughout the investigation, state police said.
The four deceased individuals were identified as Naomi Briner, 35, Adelia Briner, 12, Leland Briner, 8, and Iyla Briner, 6. Naomi Briner was the biological mother of the three children.
All four of the deceased were transported to Hamilton County, Ohio where autopsies were performed by a forensic pathologist. Based on the results of the autopsies and the evidence in this case, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Officer ruled the manner of death of the three children to be homicide. The autopsy reports showed that all three children sustained gunshot wounds, which were contributing factors in their deaths. The coroner’s office listed the manner and cause of death of Naomi Briner to be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was presented to the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Today, Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter released his findings that the evidence indicates that Naomi Briner was responsible for the deaths of the three children and herself.
“This was a tragic case that has been heartbreaking for the community and all who have been involved in this investigation. My heart goes out to the involved families for the tragedy that they have endured. I commend the Indiana State Police detectives and the other agencies that have assisted in this case. At this time, I am not requesting that investigators pursue any additional leads in this case,” the prosecutor said.
