A sentencing hearing held for 30-year-old Brennan Lee Wakey in Sarasota, Florida, ended in shouting after an emotional family read their victim impact statements. Wakey was convicted of manslaughter after he killed his boyfriend, 24-year-old Colton Wright, in a Florida hotel room in 2021. Wright’s family was given the opportunity to address the court, and they told Wakey “May you rot in hell.”
Killing of Colton Wright
Wakey was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of Wright, but was convicted of a lesser charge, manslaughter with a firearm, in addition to tampering with evidence for trying to delete photos after the killing.
There is no doubt who shot Wright on December 9, 2021. Wakey admitted to killing his friend at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Sarasota, Florida. However, he argued at trial that he did so in self-defense. He claimed that at the time of the shooting, Wright was on methamphetamine and tried to attack him with a glass margarita bottle. From there, he pulled out his gun and fired at the victim.
The State’s Arguments
During trial, the prosecution argued Wakey voluntarily went to the hotel room with a loaded gun and shot the victim. They argue he took steps afterward to conceal the evidence, including the murder weapon, the victim’s electronics, deleting photos, washing his clothes, and leaving the scene without contacting authorities. Investigators have still never recovered the gun.
Defense forensic expert Dr. Barbara Russell testified that Wakey had an acute stress response during the shooting, and prosecutors challenged her statement stating the defendant took deliberate actions to hide and flee.
Victim’s Mother Reads Statement
Wright’s family addressed the court during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, and described the victim as someone who was full of life and “loved by everyone.” Wright’s mother, Amy Thompson, who testified at the sentencing, admitted that “Things started spiraling when he met Brennan Wakey.”
“The immediate vibe I got from [Wakey] was ‘con artist,’” she said. “Every single day of my life, I have to life with the fact knowing that a smug, arrogant, entitled individual thought he could get away with murdering my son, and that he would not be caught or that he would buy his way out of it.”
“Brennan Wakey is not what he loves to portray himself to be. He does not deserve to ever be released from prison.”
Thompson turned to Wakey and spoke to him directly as she began her closing statement. “I would love to know what went on in that sick and twisted mind of yours,” she said. “You are nothing but a little man who will be well-liked in prison. … You are evil, vindictive and conniving. May you rot in hell.”
Brennan Wakey Defends Himself
Wakey’s defense objected to Thompson’s statements, but they were already said, and it was her right to say them. After the hearing, Wakey was given the opportunity to speak on his behalf and he chose to offer condolences and apologies to the family. “I am deeply and truly sorry,” he said. “All I can do is apologize and ask for forgiveness.”
Instead of stopping at an apology, he continued to suggest he was already being punished by the memories from the night of the killing. “In a way, it doesn’t matter what the sentence today is, because even if it was the maximum, even if it was life, it’s not going to change that I have to live with the knowledge that I took the life of somebody I cared about,” he offered.
Sentenced to Life
Wakey’s defense requested that the judge sentence him on the minimum side of the suggested sentencing, which is 10.5 to 30 years, but Judge Thomas Krug denied it. Krug ruled that the defense established competent evidence to support grounds for departure, but that a downward departure was inappropriate given the circumstances.
Wakey was sentenced to 25 years for the manslaughter charge and an additional five years for tampering with evidence. Both sentences are to be served concurrently.
