Harrel Franklin Braddy: The Alligator Alley Resentencing Trial & Outcome

Harrel Franklin Braddy appeared in court this month and he’d been serving time for a terrible true crime that happened back in 1998. New laws suggested he could be re-sentenced to death. But that didn’t happen. Read on to find out how and why.

The Original Crime

In 1998, Braddy abducted Shandelle Maycock, whom he’d met via his church associates. Sadly, he also took her daughter, Quatisha. During the abduction, Shandelle could have died, but she regained consciousness after strangulation near the Broward-Palm Beach county line. Notably, he left her for dead.

After she sought help, she gave police a full description and named the true crime suspect. Obviously, a crime was committed on the mom, but it was her daughter that grabbed the attention of many people.

Callously, he dumped the kid in “Alligator Alley” in the Everglades. And terrifying for her, she was alive. At least until she was attacked by an alligator. The little girl was just five years old. Well, he went to prison in 2007 to await his execution as he was given a death sentence, per People.

Why A New Trial?

Braddy originally faced the death penalty after his conviction for first-degree murder. But, changes to the law in Florida in 2017 meant that the Florida Supreme Court overturned his death sentence. The changes required a unanimous 12-0 jury recommendation for the death penalty.

Because Braddy’s original jury had voted 11-1, his sentence was deemed unconstitutional under the “Hurst” ruling. However, in Miami-Dade the case reappeared before the court. That hearing started in January 2026. But why did he go back there? After all, it seems that he was a model prisoner.

If that happened to you and you knew the death sentence was over, you might breathe ten million sighs of relief. However, the rules changed once again and put him on the line for execution. Right now it’s important to note that the new 2026 trial had nothing to do with overturning any previous conviction.

Because of changes to the law, the new trial was simply to decide if he should once again, be executed. Pretty much, it was a life or death situation for the now 76-year-old criminal.

The Changing Rules

True crime followers who heard about the latest court hearings seemed full of questions on social media. Actually, it all seemed a bit controversial because of a 2023 change in the law. All it takes now to get the death penalty is a vote of 8-4 in favor.

Prosecutors wanted the death penalty applied for the terrible crime. Notably, Quatisha’s mom Shandelle Maycock also wanted justice and she returned to court to recount the horrible death of her child. The nature of the “heinous and cruel” true crime, the state argued, outweighed any other considerations.

On the other hand, the defense mounted a strong argument that their client was very old, suffered from medical decline, and also became a model prisoner.

Does Double Jeopardy Apply?

On social media, people wondered why double jeopardy didn’t apply. In other words, why was he tried for the same crime twice?

Actually, he wasn’t. The first jury voted for death (11-1). However, while he escaped the death penalty under the 12-0 vote, he was never ever found not guilty and cleared for the crime of murder.

Basically, that left the state of Florida free to look for the same punishment again. After all, the first sentence was overturned on a technicality.

The 2026 Verdict

Old, unwell model prisoner, Harrel Franklin Braddy could so easily have gotten the death penalty with the lower 8-4 vote. However, that never happened. Certainly, it seems that the jury decided a more merciful outcome was better than death. He’s old, and likely to die in prison anyway.

Despite the hard sell for the death penalty, the state now has to be content with him staying behind bars for life without any chance of parole.

What are your thoughts on the outcome? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all our true crime news and updates.

Other Sources

NBC Miami: Jan. 31 – Death Penalty News and Updates (2026).

Yahoo News / Miami Herald: Killer who left girl to be mauled by alligators gets life, not death (Jan. 30, 2026).

Florida Supreme Court: Braddy v. State, 219 So. 3d 803 (Fla. 2017).