Man Admits He Killed Girlfriend Missing For 7 Years, Leads Cops To Remains In Lake

“The person who was supposed to look out for her hurt her,” says the sister of 19-year-old victim Danice Day, a mother of two.

Danice Lea Day was murdered by her boyfriend in 2002. She is shown wearing a red button down shirt. She has long blonde hair.

Danice Lea Day was murdered by her boyfriend in 2002.

Photo by: Discovery Inc [screenshot via S4 E45 of "Disappeared" on ID]

Discovery Inc [screenshot via S4 E45 of "Disappeared" on ID]

By: Aaron Rasmussen

Friends and family of a 19-year-old woman who vanished without a trace in 2002 had to wait seven years before her killer admitted he was guilty of murder and finally brought to justice.

Danice Lea Day was last seen alive on the afternoon of Jan. 9, 2002, when she was leaving her waitressing job at Dos Rios restaurant in Monte Vista, Colorado.

Day returned to her home, where she lived with her boyfriend, Victor Braun, their daughter, Kaylie, and her son from a previous relationship, Joshua.

According to reports, Day allegedly told Braun, then 26, she was planning to go out with a male friend that evening and the two got into an argument.

Day disappeared, leaving behind her personal possessions, including a wallet, keys and phone, and her family reported her missing three days later.

Before the teenager vanished, family said, she had turned her life around after a troubled past, and she was planning to leave Braun and move out of the home they shared.

Authorities got a break in the case when Braun was arrested in 2009 and faced charges related to burglary, drugs and motor vehicle theft.

While incarcerated at the Rio Grande jail, he agreed to a plea deal that allowed him to admit guilt to reckless manslaughter in connection to Day’s death in exchange for telling investigators the location of his girlfriend’s body.

That June, the dive team found charred bones in a welded-shut oil barrel at the bottom of Lyman Lake in Arizona — around 400 miles from where Day was last seen. DNA analysis confirmed the remains belonged to Day.

Forensic pathologist Leon Kelly testified in court that the nearly 1000 bone fragments and femur found in the barrel revealed “the extent to which the perpetrator went to disfigure the body.”

At sentencing, defense attorney David Jones asked for a mid-range sentence, citing Braun’s alleged crack addiction and other extenuating circumstances.

The judge, however, sentenced Braun to the maximum punishment allowed by law for the manslaughter charge — 12 years behind bars, a $1,000 fine, and three years of mandatory parole, the Monte Vista Journal reported.

The judge called Braun’s deal a “bargaining chip” prosecutors offered only as the result of the “years of non-closure” for Day’s family.

In a victim impact statement, Jacqui Flint noted her younger sister was “my best friend, a big part of my life.”

“I tried to watch out for her, but I couldn’t. The person who was supposed to look out for her hurt her,” Flint told the court. “I can’t comprehend how you could hurt someone like that… Her kids don’t have a mom. They’ve lost their mom and a lot of their father… It’s incomprehensible. It’s just not fair.”

“Think of her legacy through her children,” the judge reminded Day’s loved ones. “When they smile, you will see her smile; when they hug you, she will be hugging you.”

You can watch this episode of “Disappeared” titled “Daddy’s Girl” on discovery+.

Disappeared Podcast

The official Disappeared podcast from ID, dives into stories of missing people and the chilling details of their disappearances. On every episode, you’ll hear direct audio from episodes of the hit TV series Disappeared — and now, you can uncover the mystery while you’re on the go.

Listen on Apple, Spotify and Audible.

Next Up

Walmart Surveillance Captured The Moments A Man Stepped Into Danger’s Path

25-year-old Christopher Gray had plans to spend the night with his friends, so it took his family more than a day to realize he was missing.

Man Attacked Two Girlfriends Under Eerily Similar Circumstances — But Only One Survived

“Someone had to die for the truth to be known, and that’s heartbreaking,” says the survivor about her life being turned upside.

A Florida Man Used COVID-19 To Hide The Murder Of His Ex-Wife

David Anthony first told police that his ex-wife was on the run because she had discovered alleged financial crimes on the part of her employer, but police had surveillance tape, digital trails, and witnesses to refute his lies.

Man Convicted Of Killing Couple, Their 2 Sons, 10 Years After Family’s Skeletal Remains Found In Desert

ID’s 'Two Shallow Graves' explores the controversial murder trial of Charles “Chase” Merritt.

A Florida Man Was Free For A Year Before He Killed — Again

Eric Pierson had already done two stints in prison — one for attempted murder and one for second degree murder — when Erika Verdecia went missing.

Authorities Raced To Identify A Mystery Woman Caught On Video Near A Strange Murder Scene

When 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson was found murdered in a Florida condo, investigators zeroed in on a suspicious woman seen lurking around the neighborhood.

Texas Man Murdered Woman After He Took Her Out On Date To Concert

Erika Andrea Gaytan appeared happy when she posted on social media from the event in El Paso.

A Florida Nightclub Owner Taped His Own Homicide

Investigators trying to figure out who was responsible for a triple homicide in Miramar, Florida, got a very lucky break when they discovered a home surveillance system hidden at the scene of a 1994 murder.

An Arkansas Real Estate Agent Went To Show A Home And Was Never Seen Alive Again

On Sept. 24, 2014, Beverly Carter received a call from a man who said he and his wife were interested in seeing a property but when she went to show them the home, horror ensued.

Headless, Handless Body Found In 1980 Was Finally Identified Over Four Decades Later

On March 20, 1980, police in Fishkill, New York found a decapitated and handless body. 42 years later, the body was identified as 44-year-old Manhattan woman Anna L. Papalardo-Blake.