Canton man indicted in Jorelys Rivera slaying

By Andria Simmons

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Cherokee County grand jury this week indicted Ryan Brunn in the brutal beating, rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl whom he is accused of abducting from a park inside a Canton apartment complex in December.

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Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com Ryan Brunn is escorted into the courtroom of judge Frank Mills wearing a bulletproof vest Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. Brunn is accused of murdering 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera.

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Family photo 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera of Canton.

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Brunn, a 20-year-old maintenance man at the complex, faces 13 felony counts in connection with the Dec. 2, 2011, slaying of Jorelys Rivera, including murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated child molestation, false imprisonment, enticing a child for indecent purposes, sexual exploitation of children, making false statements and abandonment of a dead body.

The indictment also indicates that Brunn had sexually explicit photographs of a young girl in his possession.

Cherokee County District Attorney Gary Moss said he will announce whether or not he will seek the death penalty at Brunn's arraignment, which has not yet been scheduled.