Teen brothers enter plea in gas station murder case
ATLANTA - Two brothers entered a plea on Thursday morning in the 2016 murder case of a 50-year-old man at a Shell gas station. Both brothers and the mother of the victim spoke in court.
Charlie McDaniel, 17, and Isaac McDaniel, 16, were sentenced to 45 years in prison, with 18 years to serve. The McDaniel brothers stood side by side, as they waited to learn their fate. The two brothers entered guilty pleas for the murder of 50-year-old Anthony Brooks.
On November 10, 2016, Brooks confronted at the gas station on Campbellton Road after recognizing them as being wanted in connection to recent car thefts in the area, according to police. That is when the shooting started. Surveillance cameras caught the entire struggle between Charlie and Brooks as the prosecutor described in court.
"You can see the gun in Charles' hand and he drops it. But they are struggling. They move toward dodge charger where Isaac is sitting and as he gets closer you can see where Isaac pulls his gun and begins to shoot," said the prosecutor.
Isaac shoots Brooks twice.
"And while he's laying there, crawling back into the store, Charlie picks up the weapon that he dropped and shoots Mr. Brooks again as he's trying to crawl back in the store," the prosecutor continued.
The McDaniel brothers would later be arrested on charges of murder, participation in criminal street gang activity, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of pistol or revolver by person under 18.
After the sentencing, Brooks’ mother, Ellen Brooks McFarland, said she still saw no remorse from the two teens who took her son's life.
"They said they were sorry, but I didn't see remorse. I didn't see remorse from the family and friends. That's what bothers me," McFarland said.
In the end, Fulton County Judge Shawn Ellen LaGrua sentenced the brothers to 45 years, but they will only have to serve 18 each.
The mother says she is okay with the sentence.
"With a jury, they could have gotten manslaughter. They could have gotten out in 7 or 13. We don't know, but this way they're off the street for 18 years," McFarland said.
The teens were no strangers to law enforcement. They had been arrested 30 times prior to the murder for other crimes, including auto theft and robbery. The district attorney said they looked at the history with the boys when asking for sentencing.
The DA said the brothers did not have an ideal childhood, but he also added the court system failed these brothers. They would be arrested and released. He said the pattern sent a message that if you commit a crime there won't be consequences.
The district attorney asked in the 18th year to serve, the McDaniel brothers are sent to a transition center before their release.
If they are arrested again after their release they will go back to jail and serve the remaining 27 years of the 45-year sentence.