A local prosecutor in South Carolina plans to seek the death penalty against a man whose federal death sentence for killing two bank employees was commuted to life in prison by President Joe Biden.
News4JAX reporter Tiffany Salameh gets a walkthrough by local homeowner Bradley Byrd, who recently had a fridge installation go awry, leading to about $700,000 in damages.‘Glaringly negligent’: Jacksonville homeowner sues Costco over $750K water damage from fridge installationAfter wedding venue’s abrupt closure leaves couples out thousands, St.
Augustine salon rallies community to help Read full article: After wedding venue’s abrupt closure leaves couples out thousands, St. Augustine salon rallies community to help– A local prosecutor in South Carolina said Tuesday he will seek the death penalty against a man whose federal death sentence for killing two bank employees in a robbery was commuted toBrandon Council, 40, did not appear in state court in Horry County as prosecutors formally let the court know that if he is convicted of murder they will ask a jury to sentence him to death.State murder, armed robbery and other state charges against Council were dropped in 2019 after a federal jury found him guilty of similar charges and But in December, Biden reduced the death sentences of 37 federal inmates, including Council, to life in prison, saying he feltof the death penalty had to stop and he did not want the next administration to resume executions he had halted. That led Solicitor Jimmy Richardson to obtain new indictments against Council in Horry County in August which open the door to a state death penalty trial.in Conway in August 2017, waiting for a minute before shooting Donna Major as the stunned teller held papers in front of her face trying to protect herself. He then followed manager Katie Skeen into her office and shot her in the forehead as she hid under her desk, authorities said. Council left the bank with $15,000. He was arrested in North Carolina several days later after buying a Mercedes with the stolen money, according to his confession read in court. Families and law enforcement angry at Biden's decision urged local officials to review cases. In Louisiana, prosecutors in Catahoula Parish were able to get a first-degree murder charge refiled against Thomas Steven Sanders in the 2010 death of a 12-year-old girl. That would allow the state to seek the death penalty against him. Richardson said prosecutors had dropped the state charges in case anything ever happened to change the outcome of the federal case, including commuting his sentence. “If there was a bump, we could always come in and try our case. And that’s why we dismissed them. So our powder could be dry,” Richardson told reporters after the hearing.The other inmates who had their sentences reduced are being moved to Supermax prisons “where they will spend the rest of their lives in conditions that match their egregious crimes,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted Bondi called the commutations a betrayal of the families of victims and a stain on the justice system, comments that Richardson echoed when Biden's decision was announced.“The pain and trauma we have endured over the last 7 years has been indescribable,” Turner wrote on Facebook, describing weeks spent in court in search of justice as “now just a waste of time.” “Our judicial system is broken. Our government is a joke,” she said. “Joe Biden’s decision is a clear gross abuse of power. He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.”Attorneys for Council argued at his federal trial his life should be spared because of a troubled childhood, especially after the grandmother who raised him died. They said he showed remorse and cooperated with investigators. After his arrest, Council asked investigators if the women at the bank were still alive and cried when he found out they were dead, investigators said.Horry County had a second inmate have a federal death sentence commuted. Chadrick Fulks was convicted of kidnapping a woman from the parking lot of a Conway Walmart and killing her during a series of crimes across several states. His state charges were dismissed and court records indicate they have not been reinstated.2015 racist killings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME ChurchCopyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
U.S. News Brandon Council Emanuel AME Church Jimmy Richardson Donna Major Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Dylann Roof Thomas Steven Sanders Katie Skeen Pam Bondi Joe Biden Heather Turner
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