Wilkes-Barre woman's killer admits guilt as 'walls were closing in'
Aug. 7—WILKES-BARRE — Just days before he was scheduled to go on trial for the fatal shooting of Brittney Reynolds, Zien Nathaniel Council took the unusual step of pleading guilty to a count of first degree murder.
Council, 20, appeared before Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas on Friday, joined by public defender Joseph Yeager, saying nothing when Lupas offered him the chance to speak to the court.
Council had been facing a count of criminal homicide along with two theft charges stemming from Reynolds' death, which investigators believe occurred on Dec. 17, 2019. His trial was set to begin with jury selection on Monday, but the Times Leader learned on Thursday that he would be appearing before Lupas for a hearing which did not appear on the county court schedule.
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino indicated that Council had come to an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to a count of first degree murder, with prosecutors agreeing to withdraw the other charges he had been facing.
Before Council entered his plea, Ferentino listed the facts of the case. According to Ferentino, Reynolds, 26, had picked up Council from his Philadelphia home, before eventually bringing him back to her Wilkes-Barre apartment.
Then, at the home, Council put a pillow over Reynolds' head, shooting her once in the back of the head with her own handgun, before stealing her car and fleeing back to Philadelphia, Ferentino said. Reynolds' death was discovered on Dec. 20, 2019, by an officer conducting a welfare check after Reynolds' family had not heard from her for days.
Council was taken into custody by Philadelphia police on Dec. 21, where he was found to be in possession of both Reynolds' .380-caliber handgun and her 1999 Toyota Camry, which led to the now-withdrawn theft charges.
According to Ferentino, Council initially seemed shocked when investigators told him of Reynolds' death, but he eventually changed his tune.
"I don't want to misquote him; Mr. Council said, 'Believe it or not, it was an accident,'" Ferentino said.
Lupas accepted Council's guilty plea before moving to immediate sentencing. In Pennsylvania, a conviction of first degree murder carries a mandatory sentencing of life in prison, meaning that the sentencing was mostly a foregone conclusion, but Lupas allowed a series of victim's impact statements before making the sentence official.
Reynolds' mother, Leslie Hynoski, tearfully condemned Council, saying he robbed Reynolds of the opportunity to enjoy life, to eventually get married, become a mother or anything else.
"Brittney was our heart and soul," she said, before tearfully adding, "She was nothing but good to you."
Lupas seemed at a loss for words in the face of the tragedy, saying that no real justice can be offered to Reynolds' family unless time could somehow be turned back.
"There doesn't seem to be any sense to any of this," he said. "There's no winners or losers here today."
Lupas sentenced Council to spend the rest of his life in prison, without the possibility of parole. He was ordered to pay costs of prosecution, along with numerous fees associated with the investigation. Lupas gave Council credit for the time he had already served in prison, but this does nothing to shave any time off his sentence.
After the hearing, Ferentino acknowledged that it is unusual for a defendant to plead guilty to a count of first degree murder, theorizing that Council likely felt the walls closing in.
"It's not typical in a case where the death penalty isn't charged that you would get this result," he said. "But our team worked really hard ... the walls were closing in on Mr. Council.
"Rather than put the family through the trial, we discussed with the defense team the possibility of resolving the case with first degree murder," he said. "Mr. Council has accepted responsibility ... It is rare for someone to accept that degree of responsibility."
Ferentino said that, while Council's motive that day is largely shrouded in mystery, there is no question that he is the one who "executed" Reynolds.
Council, though, said nothing to reporters while being led from the courthouse. He will await assignment to a state prison.
