PHOENIX — Bryan Patrick Miller has been found guilty of two kidnappings and murders along Valley canals that took place nearly 30 years ago.
Miller was charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault.
This verdict has been years in the making due to Miller and his attorneys pleading an insanity defense.
Miller has been found guilty of killing Angela Brosso in November 1992, on the eve of her 22nd birthday, and 17-year-old Melanie Bernas in September 1993.
Brosso and Bernas both disappeared while riding their bicycles along the Arizona Canal in north Phoenix, according to authorities.
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Police believe Miller knocked Brosso off her bicycle, stabbed her, and dragged her off the trail. Her body was found near a bike trail.
Ten months later, police said Bernas' body was discovered floating in the canal. Bernas' bicycle was missing.
Authorities said DNA evidence collected in the aftermath of both crimes showed the attacks were linked to the same suspect, and Miller was arrested for the murders in January 2015.
According to police, Miller denied any involvement, although he acknowledged living in the vicinity of the killings at the time and said he rode his bike on paths in the area.
It took years before Miller was found mentally competent to stand trial.
Miller was convicted of the killings on Tuesday and a sentencing date hasn't yet been announced.
VIDEO: Verdict is read in court by judge
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell released the following statement immediately after the verdict was read:
This verdict in the murders of Angela Brosso and Melanie Burnas took decades of work by law enforcement and prosecutors. After more than two decades of anguish, the families of these women now have someone held accountable for their heinous murders.
