Today (Jul 23), Brandon BRADLEY (28) was sentenced to life in prison with no parole by Judge Charles Crawford for the murder of Brevard County Sheriff's Deputy Barbara Pill on March 26, 2012.

 

BRADLEY was placed on trial and convicted of First-Degree Premeditated Murder. Subsequently the jury voted 10 – 2 to recommend that BRADLEY be put to death, and on June 27, 2014, that sentence was imposed by Judge Morgan Reinman.

 

Subsequent rulings by the Florida Supreme Court on the legality of non-unanimous death recommendations, and changes to the death penalty statute by the Florida Legislature, required the State to re-litigate BRADLEY’s entire death penalty sentencing phase or allow the current sentence of life in prison to stand.

 

In a written statement State Attorney Phil Archer provided insight as to the decision.

 

“I want to make it abundantly clear that I personally believe Brandon BRADLEY was given and still deserves the death penalty for the brutal execution style killing of Deputy Barbara Pill.

 

However, after lengthy consideration and discussion, the Pill family has requested that we agree to a sentence of life in prison for Mr. BRADLEY rather than seek the death penalty through a new sentencing proceeding. Their expressed desire was to avoid re-living the pain and trauma they experienced in the first trial, as the graphic and disturbing evidence detailing Barbara’s murder was presented for a new jury to consider.

 

I give great weight to the wishes of the surviving family members in these instances and I have agreed to honor their request.”

 

BRADLEY will be transferred to the Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.