Man who killed BCSO officer in 2012 sentenced to life in prison without parole

Finch Walker
Florida Today

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More than nine years after Brandon Bradley killed Brevard sheriff's Deputy Barbara Pill, he now will serve life in prison without parole.

Bradley was resentenced Friday afternoon at the Moore Justice Center in Viera.

This sentencing follows a June 23 announcement from the state attorney that the state would drop efforts to reimpose Bradley's death sentence at the request of the Pill family. 

Bradley was charged with Pill's shooting death after the deputy stopped suspects of a motel burglary near the intersection of John Rodes Boulevard and Elena Way in Melbourne on March 6, 2012.

Pill, 52, who was the community deputy for Micco and Barefoot Bay, approached the SUV and Bradley opened fire, striking her multiple times, sheriff's officials said at the time. She died of her injuries.

Barbara Pill

It was the first time since 1996 a Brevard law enforcement officer was shot and killed in the line of duty.

During Bradley's trial, his attorneys fought for a life sentence rather than the death sentence, arguing brain damage, child abuse and heavy drug use had played a role in his actions.

When Bradley was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, the jury voted 10-2 to recommend he be put to death. Judge Reinman sentenced him to death on June 27, 2014.

Brandon Bradley appears in a Viera courtroom for his final hearing on Thursday, June 5, 2014.

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 the death penalty sentencing phase of Bradley's trial or let stand a life-in-prison sentence.

State Attorney Phil Archer said in June that Bradley "still deserves the death penalty for the brutal execution style killing of Deputy Barbara Pill."

However, he went on to say that he would be honoring the Pill family's decision and the state would drop efforts to reimpose the death sentence.

Following Bradley's sentencing Friday, state attorney spokesman Todd Brown announced in a news release that Bradley would be transferred to the Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. He did not specify when he would be transferred.

Emily Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or elwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_emilylwalker

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