Jamie Michele Bradley-Brun, 40, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to drowning her 6-year-old daughter, Mackay, on May 19, 2023. She also received a concurrent 30-year term for attempting to drown her 8-year-old, who survived after screaming and being rescued by her older sister. Deputies responded to the Saint Helena Island home following a 911 call; prosecutors say the attack was planned and intentional and rejected claims that alcoholism or mental illness excuse the acts.
South Carolina Mother Sentenced To 50 Years After Drowning 6-Year-Old; Tried To Kill Another Child
14th Circuit Solicitor's OfficeJamie Michele Bradley-Brun
Jamie Michele Bradley-Brun, 40, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to the May 19, 2023, drowning death of her 6-year-old daughter, Mackay Bradley-Brun, the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office said in a press release shared Dec. 18. She also received a concurrent 30-year sentence for attempting to drown her 8-year-old daughter, who survived.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
According to the solicitor's office, Bradley-Brun woke Mackay on the morning of May 19, told her to undress and kneel in a bathtub, then held the girl’s hair under the water until she drowned. After Mackay stopped breathing, prosecutors said, Bradley-Brun dressed her daughter in what the office described as a "funeral dress" and placed the body on a bed.
The release says Bradley-Brun then woke the couple's 8-year-old daughter and attempted to repeat the act. The younger child escaped after screaming; her cries alerted the surviving older sister, who intervened and ran outside with the 8-year-old to summon help.
Response and Legal Outcome
Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Saint Helena Island home at about 1:25 a.m. after receiving a 911 call. Bradley-Brun pleaded guilty to murder and accepted the sentences: 50 years for the murder and a concurrent 30 years for the attempted murder of the 8-year-old.
Deputy Solicitor Mary Jones said: "This wasn’t an accident or a mental health crisis. This defendant planned it. She is competent and she knew what she was doing. She placed blame on others and on her alcoholism, neither of which is a legitimate defense in South Carolina. She held her daughter under the water and tried to do the same to her middle daughter. There is no excuse."
Support And Resources
If you suspect child abuse or need help, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free, confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
This account is based on a press release from the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and statements from law enforcement and prosecutors.
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