Naman Shrestha
In September 2020, the police received a distraught call about the body of a 16-year-old girl named Cypress Noonan in a room at the Forest Motel in Ridgeland, South Carolina. What followed was months of investigation and years of chasing justice until the perpetrator was caught and convicted for the gruesome murder. The demise of Cypress not only struck her family and friends with grief but it also sent shockwaves across the entire community. The episode titled ‘Killer Cried Wolf’ of A&E’s ‘Murder at the Motel’ covers the entire case in a detailed manner, providing all the intricate details through exclusive interviews with the victim’s loved ones and the officials directly or indirectly linked to the case.
Cypress Noonan Was Found Dead in a Ridgeland
On September 19, 2003, in the city of Beaufort, South Carolina, Brandie King and Gregory Noonan gave birth to their little bundle of joy and named her Cypress Noonan. Growing up with five sisters — Raven Johnson, Paige Johnson, Taylor Cowherd, Desiree Noonan, and Morgan Noonan — and a brother, Gregory M. Noonan, Cypress turned out to be a momma’s girl and dad’s little boss. At only 16 years of age, she had already made a significant impact on her family and the community. She also began dating a man named Brian Jemal Redding, a guy 16 years older than her.
According to reports, from early 2020, the couple had started living together. With so much life left to live and experience and so many dreams to realize, the 16-year-old girl’s life was cut short when she was found dead in the room of the Forest Motel in the town of Ridgeland, South Carolina, on the morning of September 6, 2020. When the authorities arrived at the crime scene, they found her body slumped over on the bed with the fatal gunshot wound on her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The police secured the premier immediately and began searching for any kind of evidence in and around the body.
When there did not seem to be any development in the case, her sisters vocalized their feelings. Paige told WJCL, “It’s tearing us up, ‘Why’, and this is our reality.” Her other sister, Taylor Cowherd, stated, “I haven’t been able to go back to work, how can you? It’s where Cypress used to come to my job and talk to me.” Paige added, “This is a small town and this is where we’re raised. Anywhere you go, you can’t do anything but think of her.”
Someone Close to Cypress Noonan Was Responsible For Her Murder
When the news of Cypress Noonan reached her family and friends, they mourned her demise on social media and also seemed to suspect who the perpetrator might be — her 32-year-old boyfriend, Brian Jemal Redding. As the detectives interviewed the victim’s loved ones, they learned that the relationship between Cypress and Brian was far more than healthy. It was reported to be quite toxic as the latter was known to be controlling of the teenager’s decisions as well as movements. Also, her close ones claimed that Cypress had changed after she moved in with her boyfriend at the motel, which resulted in him becoming more aggressive towards her.
As Brian became a person of interest in the eyes of the police, they dug deeper into his rap sheet and learned that he had run-ins with the law previously, including convictions for driving under suspension in 2013, possession of cocaine or methamphetamine, and possession of marijuana. What made him more suspicious is the fact that he was the one who called 911 on September 6 after he found his girlfriend’s dead body in their motel room. Soon, the investigators brought him in for questioning, and he claimed that he had left the room on the fateful day around 6 am to give rides to some of his acquaintances. According to Brian, when he returned to the room after 9:45 am and found Cypress unresponsive, he dialed 911 and reported the same to the police.
During the call, he mentioned an altercation between the victim and a woman at the nearby Siesta Motel, which could have something to do with the murder. When asked about his whereabouts, he told them that he had a busy morning that day as he picked up and dropped a woman at work. After that, he picked up a cousin and returned to the hotel around 8 am while his girlfriend was still sleeping. Then, he drove all the way to Pineland, and on his way back, he tried calling Cypress many times, but she never picked up. However, when the authorities linked Brian to the same type of firearm as the one that was shot at Cypress, they arrested him on November 10, 2020. Brian was charged with the count of murder, possession of a weapon in a crime, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and held without a bond.
Brian Redding is Incarcerated at a South Carolina Prison
About two years after Cypress Noonan was murdered in the room of Forest Motel in September 2020, Brian Redding’s trial for the same commenced. During the trial, the prosecutors’ arguments turned out to be more influential and concrete as compared to the defense’s claims. Thus, considering all the evidence at hand, on August 14, 2022, the jury returned with a guilty verdict for Brian and convicted him of killing his teenage girlfriend at the motel in Ridgeland. He received a 48-year imprisonment sentence, including five years for each weapon charge against him. Currently, he is serving his sentence behind bars at Turbeville Correctional Institution at 1578 Clarence Coker Highway in Turbeville, South Carolina.
