Troy man arrested, charged with manslaughter and sexual assault

A 55-year-old Troy man has been charged with the June 14 death of 38-year-old Troy woman Brandi Novotny.

Brian France was charged with 12 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault, one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawful restraint. France was arrested by Troy police and is being held at the Madison County Jail.

Troy officers were dispatched to 532 Wren Hill on June 14 to investigate a report of an unresponsive female. According to a press release from the Troy Police Department, officers discovered that Novotny was dead while trying to provide emergency medical treatment.

"With the use of cell phones forensics, evidence was recovered showing inappropriate sexual acts and the victim being restrained during these acts. The investigation also determined Novotny died in France's vehicle," the press release said.

The Madison County Sheriff's Department and coroners office, and the Illinois State Police crime scene team worked alongside officers from the Troy Police Department in the investigation that ended with France being charged.

"The ability for multiple agencies to work together was imperative in bringing justice for this young girl," Troy Police Chief Brad Parsons said. "Many investigators and officers put in countless hours to ensure a thorough investigation was completed."

Aggravated criminal sexual assault is a Class X felony with a sentence of 6 to 30 years in prison. Criminal sexual assault is a Class 1 felony with a sentence of 4 to 15 years in prison. Involuntary manslaughter is a Class 3 felony of 2 to 5 years in prison. Unlawful restraint is a Class 4 felony with a sentence of 1 to 3 years in prison.

This story was originally published June 23, 2018 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Troy man arrested, charged with manslaughter and sexual assault."