The families of two murdered South Carolina bank employees thought they had reached the end of their painful journey through the justice system. After years of trials, appeals, and waiting for justice, they believed the death sentence handed down to Brandon Council would finally close this tragic chapter.
They were wrong.
In a move that has outraged victims’ advocates and conservative leaders alike, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal inmates just days before Christmas, including Council’s. What happened next has left the Conway, South Carolina community both stunned and enraged. Indeed, it has them questioning the very foundations of our justice system.
Council’s Enraging Request
Council, convicted of brutally murdering Donna Major, 59, and Katie Skeen, 36, during a 2017 bank robbery, has now filed a motion demanding his immediate release from prison. He has the nerve to claim that his confinement amounts to “torture.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
“I was angry. I’m still angry,” said Heather Turner, Major’s daughter, in an emotional interview with Fox News. “I am upset that this is even happening, that one man can make this decision without even talking to the victims, without any regard for what we’ve been through.”
The details of Council’s original crime shock the conscience. According to court records, he spent a week watching the CresCom Bank in Conway before entering with murderous intent. He showed no mercy to his victims, shooting Major multiple times before hunting down Skeen in her office. He fled with $15,000 and the keys to both victims’ cars.
“She was shown no mercy at all,” said Danny Jenkins, Major’s husband. “This man walked into the bank, never said two words to her. Shot her three times in total. He went and shot her coworker, Katie Skeen as well, who was totally defenseless and unaware of anything happening.”
Council Claims Prison Is ‘Torture’
Yet now, Council claims in his court filing that his prison conditions constitute “severe, unnecessary, and unjustifiable psychological harm” that “can only be accurately construed and assimilated as an act of torture.” (Yes, you read that correctly.) This latest motion follows three previous failed attempts to escape justice through appeals since his 2019 conviction.
“I wish that, before people would make decisions that had such an effect on all of the hard work, that they would try to think through what effect these decisions are going to have on real lives,” said 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson, who helped secure Council’s original conviction.
The timing of Biden’s mass commutation – announced December 23rd and affecting nearly all federal death row inmates except three – has drawn sharp criticism from conservative leaders. Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) called the decision “shameful” and said it “continues to shock Americans nationwide.”
“These commutations undermine the work of law enforcement, prosecutors, and jurors who ensured these criminals were held accountable for their crimes,” Fry stated. “It also sends a harrowing message to victims’ families, who now face the reality that justice will not be served.”
President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to end what he calls the “Biden-Harris administration’s” soft approach to violent crime, has promised to restart federal executions when he returns to office.
Trump Responds
On Truth Social, Trump delivered a stark message to the commuted inmates.
“They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing,” Trump said.
For the families of Donna Major and Katie Skeen, this latest development reopens wounds that never fully healed. They were denied even a meeting with the federal pardon attorney before Biden’s decision. Now, they must face the possibility of their loved ones’ killer attempting to secure complete freedom through the courts.
As this case continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of how progressive policies can undermine the fundamental principles of justice and accountability that have long served as the backbone of American society. While Council awaits a judge’s decision on his audacious request, Americans must ask themselves: When did we start prioritizing the comfort of convicted killers over justice for their victims?
Key Takeaways:
- Biden’s pre-Christmas death row commutations show dangerous disregard for victims’ families.
- Convicted killer Brandon Council shows zero remorse, demands complete freedom.
- Trump vows to restore justice system and restart federal executions.
- Progressive policies continue undermining traditional criminal justice values.
Sources: Fox News, The New York Post, Live 5 News, WRDW, WBTW
Leave a Comment