A South Carolina man convicted in the brutal double murder of two bank employees in 2017 is asking for a "compassionate release" days after President Biden spared his life and commuted his death sentence.
Brandon Council, 28, was convicted in September 2019 in the 2017 double murder of Conway bank employees Katie Skeen, 36, and Donna Major, 59. Council was then sentenced to death by a federal court one month later.
On Friday, Council filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Florence arguing that he deserved a "compassionate release" because he had been subjected to "severe, unnecessary, and unjustifiable psychological harm" that "can only be accurately construed and assimilated as an act of torture," since he was permanently housed in solitary confinement since Nov. 4, 2019, according to records obtained by WBTW.
Several people have openly disagreed with Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences, including Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., who said the decision was "shameful."
"Biden’s move to pardon 37 federal death row inmates - including 3 men from South Carolina who committed unspeakable acts - continues to shock Americans nationwide. This decision is shameful. It is high time to return America to a country of law and order," Fry wrote in a post on X.
Fry added in another post following the announcement that Biden's decision "disgraces victims’ memories nationwide." "Joe Biden’s clemency for death row inmates disgraces victims’ memories nationwide, like Donna Major of Conway and Katie Skeen of Green Sea. This shows shocking disregard for innocent families’ pain, right at Christmas. January 20 cannot come soon enough," Fry wrote in his post on X.
Donna Major, 59, and Kathryn (Katie) Skeen, 36, were killed in cold blood by Brandon Council while he robbed a South Carolina bank in 2017.
Council already had a prior felony conviction at the time and told an FBI agent that he went into the bank knowing he would kill someone during the robbery.
He had been on parole for a month at the time of the murders, which came during his second bank robbery since leaving prison.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the Biden-Harris administration's moratorium on federal executions when he returns to office. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Christmas Day to call out Biden for his commutation decision.
"They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing," Trump's post read. "Also, to the 37 most violent criminals who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ‘souls’ but instead, will say, GO TO HELL!" Trump continued.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/convicted-south-carolina-bank-killer-asks-for-compassionate-release-days-after-biden-commuted-death-sentence/ar-AA1wJ1AA?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=cd573ede6db74298f133da0c66c2d7d8&ei=7
Release him to the victims families for the treatment he deserves:
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Brandon Council, 28, was convicted in September 2019 in the 2017 double murder of Conway bank employees Katie Skeen, 36, and Donna Major, 59. Council was then sentenced to death by a federal court one month later.
On Friday, Council filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Florence arguing that he deserved a "compassionate release" because he had been subjected to "severe, unnecessary, and unjustifiable psychological harm" that "can only be accurately construed and assimilated as an act of torture," since he was permanently housed in solitary confinement since Nov. 4, 2019, according to records obtained by WBTW.
Several people have openly disagreed with Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences, including Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., who said the decision was "shameful."
"Biden’s move to pardon 37 federal death row inmates - including 3 men from South Carolina who committed unspeakable acts - continues to shock Americans nationwide. This decision is shameful. It is high time to return America to a country of law and order," Fry wrote in a post on X.
Fry added in another post following the announcement that Biden's decision "disgraces victims’ memories nationwide." "Joe Biden’s clemency for death row inmates disgraces victims’ memories nationwide, like Donna Major of Conway and Katie Skeen of Green Sea. This shows shocking disregard for innocent families’ pain, right at Christmas. January 20 cannot come soon enough," Fry wrote in his post on X.
Donna Major, 59, and Kathryn (Katie) Skeen, 36, were killed in cold blood by Brandon Council while he robbed a South Carolina bank in 2017.
Council already had a prior felony conviction at the time and told an FBI agent that he went into the bank knowing he would kill someone during the robbery.
He had been on parole for a month at the time of the murders, which came during his second bank robbery since leaving prison.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the Biden-Harris administration's moratorium on federal executions when he returns to office. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Christmas Day to call out Biden for his commutation decision.
"They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing," Trump's post read. "Also, to the 37 most violent criminals who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ‘souls’ but instead, will say, GO TO HELL!" Trump continued.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/convicted-south-carolina-bank-killer-asks-for-compassionate-release-days-after-biden-commuted-death-sentence/ar-AA1wJ1AA?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=cd573ede6db74298f133da0c66c2d7d8&ei=7
Release him to the victims families for the treatment he deserves:
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