A South Carolina bank killer's fate takes an unexpected turn following President Biden's recent death row clemency decision.
According to Fox News, Brandon Council, convicted of murdering two bank employees in 2017, has filed a motion requesting "compassionate release" mere days after President Biden commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment.
Council, 38, was found guilty in September 2019 for the double homicide of Conway Bank employees Katie Skeen, 36, and Donna Major, 59. The murders occurred during a bank robbery where Council, who had been on parole for only a month, deliberately entered the CresCom Bank with lethal intentions. He was subsequently sentenced to death by a federal court in October 2019.
Major's family members have publicly voiced their anger and disappointment regarding Biden's clemency decision. During a Christmas Eve appearance on "Fox & Friends," the victim's relatives shared their emotional response to the news.
Major's daughter, Heather Turner, expressed her frustration with the President's unilateral decision:
I was angry. I'm still angry. I am upset that this is even happening, that one man can make this decision without even talking to the victims, without any regard for what we've been through, what we're going through, and completely hurt, frustrated and angry.
Several political figures have also condemned Biden's decision to commute the death sentences of 37 federal inmates. Representative Russell Fry of South Carolina described the action as "shameful" and emphasized its timing during the Christmas season as particularly insensitive to the victims' families.
Council's actions leading up to the murders revealed premeditation. He spent a week observing the bank from a nearby motel, where he watched "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" before executing his deadly plan. During an FBI interview, Council admitted to entering the bank with the intention to kill.
In his recent court filing, Council claims he has endured "severe, unnecessary, and unjustifiable psychological harm" due to solitary confinement since November 4, 2019. His request for compassionate release, a process allowing incarcerated individuals to seek early release under extraordinary circumstances, comes as a surprising development following Biden's commutation decision.
The commutation of Council's sentence occurs amid broader discussions about federal executions in the United States. Since 1927, the federal government has executed 50 inmates, significantly fewer than the combined state executions exceeding 1,500 in the past five decades.
Former President Trump, who oversaw 13 federal executions during his term, has pledged to reinstate federal executions if re-elected. He expressed strong opposition to Biden's commutations through social media, directly addressing the 37 affected inmates with harsh criticism.
The controversy surrounding Council's case highlights ongoing debates about capital punishment at the federal level. His request for compassionate release, following the commutation of his death sentence, adds another layer to an already complex legal and political situation.
Brandon Council, originally sentenced to death for the 2017 murders of Katie Skeen and Donna Major during a Conway bank robbery, now faces life imprisonment following President Biden's clemency decision. His subsequent request for compassionate release, based on claims of psychological harm from solitary confinement, has intensified the controversy surrounding his case.
As the legal process continues, the case remains at the center of broader discussions about federal death penalty policies and victims' rights, with both family members and political figures closely monitoring developments.
