A man who murdered his girlfriend in Volusia County before shooting at detectives during a foot chase in Sanford has been convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to two more life terms in prison.
A jury convicted BRANDON P. McLEAN, 36, of multiple charges on Oct. 15 based on evidence presented at a three-day trial by Seminole County prosecutors Jacob Polk, Richard Babcock and Paul Brill. At sentencing Oct. 20, McLean received the following prison terms for firing at the Seminole County sheriff’s detectives in 2021:
- Attempted first-degree premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer – Life imprisonment.
- Second-degree attempted murder on a law enforcement officer – Life imprisonment.
- Aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer – 15 years.
McLean was arrested by Seminole County deputies April 21, 2021, the day after he slashed and stabbed Amy Humphries 77 times with a box cutter in her new Volkswagen Jetta, then dumped her body near a walking trail in Osteen. The DeLand man reportedly was angry that Humphries, 28, couldn’t buy him a handgun.
Seminole County detectives spotted McLean and the victim’s Volkswagen outside a laundromat on U.S 17/92 in Sanford and tried to contact the suspect. But McLean ran – then turned and fired a handgun at detectives several times as they gave chase. The deputies returned fire and quickly brought down McLean in the backyard of a home.
McLean was tried and convicted of Humphries’ murder in Volusia County in 2023. He was sentenced there to life in state prison without parole.
In Seminole County, prosecutors made the case at trial that McLean was a Prison Releasee Reoffender, ensuring that he could receive maximum prison sentences. At sentencing, Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler ordered that McLean’s life terms for attempted murder be served consecutively, further guaranteeing that McLean will not be released from prison.
McLean represented himself at both trials.
Said Babcock: “We don’t know the extent of the defendant’s malicious intentions, wishes or goals that day in April. But what we do know is this: Through the courageous efforts of Detective Daniel Brown, Detective Spencer Sheldon, Detective Blake Reiss, and Sgt. Kiel Bryant, those desires were extinguished, and the community was protected against any further harm at the hands of the defendant. These deputies didn’t run from danger, but met it head on. Seminole County is a safer place because of their actions that day.”