William Bryant, who made national news as a 16-year-old for fatally shooting a man during the 1984 World Series celebrations, is today a free man.
William Bryant (Photo: Department of Coirrections)
The Oct. 14, 1984 killing of 27-year-old Ypsilanti microbiologist Raymond Dobrzynski, which happened outside the Lafayette Coney Island amid a large, unruly crowd of celebrants, made national headlines. William Bryant was charged as an adult and sentenced in 1986 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Because of the 2012 Supreme Court decision in Miller v. Alabama, which held that mandatory life sentences are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders, Bryant, now 53, was resentenced on Nov. 19, 2020, to 40 to 80 years in prison by Wayne Circuit Judge Shannon Walker.
Bryant became eligible for parole on Nov. 25 and was released five days later, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz said.
Bryant was not a model prisoner during his incarceration, accumulating 184 misconduct citations, including "theft, sexual misconduct, assaulting staff, smuggling, threatening behavior, insolence, disobeying direct order (and) possessing dangerous contraband," according to Gautz.
Dobrzynski's family is not pleased with the decision. Raymond Dobrzynski was apparently shot in the back as Bryant tried to pull him from his car. A Detroit News story from the time said the victim was found with a bag of coney dogs on the seat next to him.
Bryant was released to Arizona, records show.
