On Jan. 30, a Florida jury spared 76-year-old Harrel Braddy the death penalty and sentenced him to life for the 1998 abduction and killing of 5-year-old Quatisha "Candy" Maycock. Braddy kidnapped the child and her mother, Shandelle, after the mother rejected his advances; two days later Quatisha's body was recovered in the Everglades' "Alligator Alley" with injuries consistent with alligator attacks. Braddy’s original 2007 death sentence was vacated in 2017 because it was not unanimous, leading to a resentencing hearing this year.
Jury Spares 76-Year-Old Harrel Braddy in 1998 Killing of 5-Year-Old Found in 'Alligator Alley'; Sentenced to Life
Quatisha "Candy" Maycock.J. Pat Carter/AP
A Florida jury on Jan. 30 spared 76-year-old Harrel Braddy the death penalty and sentenced him to life in prison for the 1998 abduction and killing of 5-year-old Quatisha "Candy" Maycock. The case, which has drawn national attention for its brutality and for the legal questions that have prolonged it for decades, returned to court after a previous death sentence was vacated.
Case Background
Prosecutors say Braddy — who had known the family through church — entered the Maycock home in November 1998 and abducted Quatisha from her bed after her mother, 22-year-old Shandelle Maycock, rejected his advances. According to court records and news reporting, Braddy drove away with both mother and daughter; at times he forced Shandelle into the trunk of his car. At one stop, prosecutors say he pulled her from the trunk, choked and beat her until she was unconscious, then abandoned her in a remote area.
Discovery And Evidence
Two days after the abduction, on Nov. 9, 1998, Quatisha's body was recovered in a stretch of the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alley." Her remains bore bite marks and were missing an arm. A former medical examiner testified that brain scans showed puncture wounds consistent with an alligator biting the top of the child’s head, evidence prosecutors highlighted at trial.
Harrel Braddy.Miami-Dade Corrections
Conviction, Overturned Sentence, And Resentencing
Braddy was convicted in 2007 of murder and kidnapping. A Miami-Dade jury recommended death by an 11-1 vote, and he was sentenced to death. In 2017, that sentence was overturned after courts found it unconstitutional to impose capital punishment without a unanimous jury verdict. Changes in Florida law later allowed prosecutors to seek a new sentencing hearing, bringing Braddy before a resentencing jury in January.
Resentencing Trial
During the resentencing trial, Shandelle Maycock testified about the abduction and the trauma she endured; witnesses reported that Braddy stared at her as she recounted those events. Defense attorneys described Braddy as a devoted father and church leader who had suffered multiple family losses, arguing those circumstances affected him. The jury ultimately decided against imposing the death penalty and sentenced Braddy to life in prison.
Note: The case has been reported by multiple outlets, including PEOPLE, NBC Miami, the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.
If you suspect child abuse, 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 and confidential; the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read original reporting from People and local Florida outlets for full trial coverage.
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