Leeland Braley is the only prisoner on Georgia’s death row for a Pike County crime.
Braley was convicted of killing Kelli Hammond during a robbery at her Zebulon insurance agency in September 1998. Braley, whose trial was held in Monroe County, was condemned to the ultimate punishment despite pleas from his lawyer to spare his life.
Defense attorney Tammy Jacobs told jurors, “Executing Lee Braley won’t bring Kelli Hammond back. The death penalty has not stopped senseless killings. Mercy can be yours. My client was never violent before this episode.”
Hammond was the daughter of former county commission chairman Jerry Hammond and well-loved local teacher Cheryl Hammond.
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Sat, May 18, 2013 - 11:43 PM
Another awsome move backwards by our City officials. Hey I have a great idea, lets [...]
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At best the comment by Jacobs is disgusting.
The victim was tortured, mutilated, and slashed for her ATM information. He did have a record for thefts and burglary.
As far as protecting communities & society as a whole, the death penalty does not work. Around the globe, countries that use capital punishment have higher murder rates than those that don't. It's the same way in the U.S. States that use capital punishment have far higher murder rates than those that don't.
Then there's the not so little problem of the more than 100 people in this country who have been taken off of death row in the past 10 yrs after DNA evidence proved conclusively that they did not commit the murder(s) they were condemned to die for. Granted that's a small percentage of the total death row population, but think about it... that's 100 people who would have died for something they had nothing to do with. And those are just the cases where there was some DNA to test. How many others sit on death row who were wrongly convicted and don't have the benefit of DNA to save them? I just don't like the idea of the government killing that many innocent people. I personally find the odds unacceptable.
Having said all of that, I think Brailey is garbage and deserves to die. But if I have to kill 1 innocent man to kill 10 or even 100 Leeland Braileys, I'd rather pay the taxes to lock 'em all up for life.
I'm sure they have his DNA in this day and time but then again he confessed to doing the crime....
I'm sure they have his DNA in this day and time but then again he confessed to doing the crime....
There are plenty of ppl out in the world who was brought up poor. I can tell you that it only made them a better person!! It's those who are brought up by wealth that think " oh Mommy and Daddy, will get me out of this ". This would be the spoiled rich kids, they do as much crime as anyone in a low class. Parents need to stop buying their children out of trouble and let them do the time!! I bet, in the future it will make that kid a better person!!
A Monroe County jury deliberated less than 3 1/2 hours Thursday before recommending the death penalty for Leeland Mark Braley of Lawrenceville in the slaying of Kelli Hammond.
Ms. Hammond, 25, was stabbed numerous times Sept. 2 at the business she operated just north of Zebulon. Mr. Braley was arrested the next day in Atlanta after he used Ms. Hammond's credit cards.
His trial was moved from Pike County to Monroe County because of pretrial publicity in the Zebulon area.
In addition to murder, Mr. Braley was convicted Tuesday of kidnapping with bodily injury, armed robbery and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and 20 consecutive years in prison on those charges.
According to testimony, Mr. Braley went into Ms. Hammond's business to solicit money. When she refused, he returned with a knife and a gun.
Prosecutors said Mr. Braley cut Ms. Hammond's throat and then stabbed her.
I wish I could through some miracle show this Leeland Bastard the birthday parties she did not have, the little babies she could not bring into the world, the visits she has missed with loved ones and the millions of tears and pain her loved ones suffer. You idiots write back and tell me about all the issues I got, bring them on. Bring them on again after you attend the funeral of your BRUTALLY murdered daughter.
Defense attorney Tammy Jacobs told jurors, “Executing Lee Braley won’t bring Kelli Hammond back. The death penalty has not stopped senseless killings. Mercy can be yours. My client was never violent before this episode.”
What mental home did she escape from? Ted Bundy killed 29 people, his death penalty after one would have stopped 28 senseless murders. John Wayne Gacy killed 33, his death penalty after one would have stopped 32 senseless murders, Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17, his death penalty after one would have stopped 16 senseless murders.
Mercy Hell, Tammy. He got mercy when he was able to sit in prison for over a decade. They need to rush this on through before all the seats in Hell are taken.
I truly wish I could see him face to face when he is put to death and tell him how sorry he is.
Money is not the point here, but for the information of the taxpayers. We have paid over $330,000 for this murderer.
And I would like to see his head smoke!
HANG EM HIGH!
I think there should be some sort of torture to put these people through over time so their lives are as miserable as possible.
Yeah, cuz we know without a doubt that everyone there is absolutely guilty of the crime.
Not.
What passes for justice today would be joke if the consequences weren't so serious. We all know that lawyers work hard for their fee and never plead out a case just to stay out of court. We all know DA's are absolutely committed to justice no matter what it costs or where the evidence leads (...remember the Duke University rape case?). And our "brave" LEO's would never ever frame someone for a crime they didn't commit (..anyone else remember Larry Waller and the City of Milner ruining that dude's life for shooting that cop, when he didn't?)
Before you go shouting for blood, make completely sure you have the right one first.
#17 hit the problem on the head. Go to court w/o money behind you while looking for justice, and all you'll find is 'just us', to paraphrase Richard Pryor. Around here, the court system will be glad to give you a 'fair trial' before they hang you. I'm all for the death penalty, but I'd want to know without any reasonable doubt the guy did the crime before executing him. Forensics today are a lot better and a lot more accurate than they were 20 yrs ago.
He has had multiple appeals that supposed to make them look over things again right. He presents his argument, they review the case and if they see anything that is questionable then they look closer into it. Now that NAACP and all of these groups have become present they see the need to re open the case. If he is innocent then so be it. Why didnt they determine this over the last 8 appeals. If this is the case then people that are in charge of appeals (court of appeals) and all of the other people that testified against Davis should have charges brought against them.
WHERE WAS ALL OF THIS SUPPORT AND CLAIM OF INNOCENCE WHEN HE WAS FIRST SENT TO PRISON??
I am sorry but I am not buying that these people just changed their minds. Many down here believe they were paid off or threats where made to them. If they tell anything other than the story that they told at the first hearing they should be prosecuted for purgery. Because either they lied before or they are lying now. You can not convince me that their memory miraculously improved years after the incident.
You don't see the relatives of officer MacPhail out protesting and shoving their faces in any camera that comes their way.
The conviction wasn't all based on witness testimony as the Davis family would have you believe. There was also physical evidence - the bullet pulled from Officer MacPhail. matched the shooting that Mr. Davis was charged with In Cumberland and those bullets matched each other. That sounds like physical evidence to me.
Why does a so called lawyer make an inane statement, such as his did? It appears that is what their law professor told them to say, they were not smart enough to understand the magnitude of the case. The law professor ran and hid behind the hallowed halls afterwards. I wonder why there should be more then one appeal.
Even if it were a relative of mine, if they did something this gastly, they should get the penalty that is put forth for their actions.
And think about it people. What exactly is an attorney in Tammy's position supposed to say at sentencing? "Alright ladies & gentlemen of the jury. You have me. My client is a scary piece of garbage. I'd kill him myself if the State Bar would let me. Please don't take too long to send him to the chair because I've got to get home and fix dinner for my family." Come on people. Quit pounding on Mrs. Jacobs. Any of you would be lucky to have a lawyer who would put as much effort in to your case if you ever needed it.
The quoted comments from the Braley trial were part of a 30-40 minute closing argument, during which I told the jurors what I truly believe -- That putting Lee Braley to death will not bring back Kelli Hammond, or take the hurt away from her family. Lee has a good, decent family, who did everything possible to help him and intercede when things began to go wrong for him. Devestating the innocent Braley family by taking their loved one as compensation to the innocent Hammond family doesn't make sense to me. Further, Lee is not an animal, he is a person whose conviction for this horrendous crime does not equal the sum of who he is.
Holding someone for life without parole is cheaper by far than going through the death penalty process under the provisions that make this country a beacon of fairness and justice in the world. Killing someone without a trial is even cheaper and there are other places where that happens. Not here--and those of you who claim to be patriotic Americans and Christians (or Jews or believers in any Higher Power) should be ashamed of yourselves for calling for blood without due process.
Say what you want about me -- I grieve for the Hammond family, and always will. But I will keep fighting for an America where everyone gets an equal chance in court, and where everyone's Constitutional rights are respected, no matter who they are, what they are charged with and what the evidence may show.