SARASOTA, Fla. — “It’s finally over with,” was the feelings of Amy Thompson after hearing that Brennan Wakey, who was convicted of killing her son, Colton Wright, was sentenced to 25 years in the Florida State Prison on Tuesday.
“Four years and 3 months is a long time to wait for the person that murder your son to get what he had coming to him,” said Thompson by phone from Sarasota.
Wakey, 30, was convicted on Jan. 30 in a six-person jury trial of manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence. He received 25 years for the manslaughter charge and five years for tampering charge. Both sentences will run concurrent and Wakey will receive credit for time served.
The Florida State’s Attorney had sought a second-degree murder charge but Wakey was found guilty of manslaughter, a lesser charge.
“The length does matter,” Thompson said. “If he would have been convicted of second degree murder he would have gotten life in prison. He got the lesser charge of manslaughter.
“A positive thing about Florida, he doesn’t have the opportunity to be up for parole. He will have to serve his time.”
Before Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, his defense team filed a sentencing statement that they were seeking 5 years — a downward departure from the guidelines of 10.5 years in the Department of Corrections.
According to the defense statement, “Mr. Wakey’s defense was self-defense and he maintains that the shooting of Mr. Wright was justifiable as he acted in self-defense, and believed he had no other choice.”
The statement argued for the downward departure, citing Wakey’s lack of prior criminal history, his educational background and a claim that Wright was the aggressor in the incident.
Also before sentencing, multiple members of Wright’s family and several friends addressed the court, including Thompson.
“I have been on pins and needles, so nervous, hoping for the best,” said Thompson, who admitted she barely slept for Tuesday’s sentencing. “It’s been four years of a rollercoaster — up and down — with everything we have gone through.
“To finally have today, done and over with, it’s just a big sigh of relief. It’s like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders.”
Still, Thompson had to pray for strength before giving her victim impact statement in court.
“I finally got to look (Wakey) in the face and for him to see the pain that he has caused me, my entire family and all of Colton’s friends,” she said, remembering that a police officer came to her home that night to notify her of Wright’s death.
Also giving victim impact statements were Wright’s aunts, Cassandra Sue Smith and Lisa Williams, his father, Brian Wright and his stepmother Marcine Marie Wright, along with Wright’s friends, Olivia Spangler and Hillary Wright.
Judge Thomas Krug, who also presided over the trial, did not find a departure as appropriate.
“I denied your motion for this case to be dismissed,” said Krug on a video provided by Channel 7 WWSB of Sarasota, Fla. “We eventually got to trial. You case was presented to a jury and the jury also did not believe in the self-defense. They believed that you did, in fact, commit an intentional act that resulted in the death of Colton Wright.”
Tuesday’s sentencing gave Thompson partial closure.
“I feel like we never really got to grief Colton until we got through this phase completely,” she said. “We had been given instructions that we couldn’t show emotions during the trial. As a parent, whose son was murdered in the most horrible way, it was extremely hard.
“We couldn’t wear a button or a shirt with Colton’s name on it. We couldn’t show his face or say his name. That part has been very hard. The immediate response when it was over, I can finally show emotion.”
Wakey does have 30 days to appeal his sentence.