Nationwide — Harrel Braddy, a 76-year-old man from Florida who killed 5-year-old Quatisha “Sweet” Maycock and left her physique for alligators, was spared the demise penalty on Friday. A jury as a substitute sentenced him to life in jail for the 1998 homicide and kidnapping of her mom.
Braddy, who was then 48 years previous, kidnapped Quatisha from her mattress in November 1998 after her mom, Shandelle Maycock, rejected his advances. He had recognized the household by their church. Shandelle, then 22, was additionally kidnapped and at one level compelled into the trunk of his automotive.
Throughout the drive, Braddy stopped, pulled Shandelle from the trunk, and beat and choked her till she misplaced consciousness. He left her in a distant space whereas maintaining Quatisha with him, prosecutors mentioned.
Two days later, Quatisha’s physique was found in Florida’s Everglades, in an space known as “Alligator Alley.” She had been bitten by alligators and was lacking an arm. The grotesque discovering shocked the neighborhood and made nationwide headlines.
Based on Individuals, Braddy was first convicted in 2007 of homicide and kidnapping. He was sentenced to demise after an 11-1 jury vote, however the sentence was overturned in 2017 as a result of Florida regulation requires a unanimous jury for the demise penalty. Modifications to the regulation led to a re-sentencing trial earlier this yr.
Throughout the latest trial, Shandelle recounted the terrifying night time of the kidnapping whereas Braddy watched her testify. A former medical expert advised the jury that Quatisha’s cranium had puncture wounds in step with an alligator chunk.
Braddy’s protection centered on his life as a father and church chief, although it didn’t clarify the crime. The jury finally sentenced him to life in jail, closing the authorized chapter of this decades-old tragedy.
