The family of a South Carolina bank teller who was tragically killed during a 2017 robbery is expressing deep disappointment after President Biden commuted the death sentence of her killer just days before Christmas. The convicted criminal, Brandon Council, was among 37 inmates whose federal death row sentences were commuted to life in prison by President Biden. This decision has left Donna Major's family reeling through the holiday season, feeling the pain of seeing the mercy granted to the man who showed none to their loved one.
Surveillance footage from the 2017 double murder at CresCom Bank in Conway, South Carolina, captured Council walking in, engaging briefly with Major, and then callously shooting her multiple times. He then proceeded to shoot and kill 36-year-old teller Kathryn Skeen, leaving both families devastated by the senseless violence.
President Biden explained his decision to commute the sentences, citing his opposition to the death penalty at the federal level. He expressed his condemnation of the murderers and empathy for the victims and their families, emphasizing the need to halt federal executions. However, Major's family members expressed their frustration and disbelief at the lack of consultation with them, the victims of the crime, before the decision was made.
Despite efforts by Major's family to have their voices heard, including requesting an in-person meeting in Washington, D.C., they were denied the opportunity. The family feels that their pleas for justice fell on deaf ears, as they were only granted a brief virtual conference to share their story.
While some lawmakers praised President Biden's decision as a display of moral leadership, Major's family members strongly disagreed. They believe that compassion should be directed towards the victims and their families, not towards the criminals responsible for heinous acts.
The only federal death row inmates excluded from Biden's commutations were individuals involved in high-profile cases such as the Boston marathon bomber and the Charleston church shooter. Major's family continues to grapple with the pain of their loss and the perceived injustice of the commutation granted to Council.
