A Mississippi-based brother and sister duo have been handed down prison sentences for their attempt to hire a hitman to assassinate their stepfather, with the intention of claiming his life insurance money. Joshua Druid Bryan, 29, and his sister, Regan Emily Bryan, 30, received their sentences on Tuesday. Regan Bryan was given a 65-month sentence, equivalent to nearly 5 ½ years, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Joshua Bryan, on the other hand, was sentenced to 120 months, or 10 years, in prison after being found guilty in December 2023.
Regan Bryan testified that in November 2020, she and her brother had discussed the possibility of killing their stepfather. Joshua Bryan had suggested that she reach out to one of her criminal acquaintances to see if they knew anyone who could “handle the problem”. This information was revealed in an order that denied Joshua Bryan’s motion for acquittal.
The court documents also revealed recorded conversations between the siblings. In one such conversation on December 8, 2020, Regan informed her brother that a recently released felon was coming to visit. Joshua instructed her to make a “proposal” to the felon. When Regan did so, the felon reported the incident to the FBI and began recording his interactions with the siblings.
On December 10, during a conversation in a parking lot, the informant asked Joshua for his approval to proceed with the plan. Joshua responded by telling him to “do what he saw fit”. The informant then recorded a conversation with the siblings discussing alibis and payment methods for the hitman.
On December 30, Joshua wrote a message on a piece of paper during a recorded meeting, showed it to the informant, and then burned it. The informant testified that the message read, “Tell your boy to come on. I’ll make sure he gets paid handsomely.” On January 7, Regan met with the informant and an undercover agent posing as the hitman, and wrote notes detailing the plan for the hit. These notes were also later destroyed.
Later that same day, the siblings were recorded complaining about their stepfather and the ongoing legal disputes between them. Joshua expressed his hope that everything would be resolved soon. Regan then informed her brother about her meeting with the informant and the supposed hitman. Joshua responded by wishing the hitman safe travels.