Where is Brandon Pettit now? California man accused of killing his parents in 2013 has conviction overturned
MODESTO, CALIFORNIA: In the early morning hours of August 8, 2013, 59-year-olds Janet and Scott Pettit were found dead in their home, their bodies burned. When emergency responders arrived after receiving a 911 call reporting a fire, they discovered that the couple had been shot seven times in their bedroom and the fire only served to destroy the evidence. Authorities soon realized the suspect was their son Brandon Pettit, now 35, and eventually found him guilty of the crime along with his friend Felix Valverde. The two were arrested and charged with murder on Aug 27, 2013.
According to CBS, police doubted that Brandon sought help from Felix. The doubts became clear when they found several clues such as Janet and Scott's wallets, shell casings, and most importantly, the keys to the couple's home. According to law enforcement's theory, Brandon had paid Felix to commit the crime because he was after his parents' money and, more importantly, his father's 1961 Corvette. The theory came to light when Sarah Wilson, who knew Brandon in high school and with whom both had been in contact online months before the murders, said on the CBS program '48 Hours,' which explores the most intriguing criminal cases, "I had some inclinations that he had a little crush on me. But I didn't pursue anything with him. I didn't give him any hints that I was attracted to him in that way. He had mentioned that his parents were going to buy him a million-dollar home in Georgia. And he said that I can move in with him." She continued, "I got a text out of nowhere saying, 'You're getting a boob job for Christmas, LOL.'" Brandon sent her the text at 10.43 pm on Aug 7, 2013, and just a few hours later, the couple was found dead.
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However, Brandon's sister, Lauren Pettit, defended him and said that he had Asperger's syndrome. She said, "My brother didn't even know the value of a dollar." "I mean, that was just who my brother was … And … if I could, I, you know, could probably think back so many times where he, you know, would tell me, like, these crazy stories. And you're like… 'OK. No'. Words don't make you a murderer," Lauren told '48 Hours' Erin Moriarty. Brandon's former defense attorney, Martha Carlton-Magana, also said the messages exchanged with Sarah shouldn't be considered. The attorney pointed out Brandon's Asperger's diagnosis and how this developmental disorder can affect one's ability to communicate, which comes under autism spectrum disorder, as per CBS.
After a long trial, Brandon got sentenced on January 2021 to two life terms for the murder of his parents without the possibility of parole. However, on October 19, 2022, his conviction was overturned after an appeals court found that his statements to police should not have been admitted at his trial, states CBS.
In a 44-page decision issued last week, the Court of Appeal of California wrote, "We conclude based on all the relevant factors, particularly the nature of the questioning, a reasonable person in [Pettit's] position would not have felt free to terminate the interview and leave, and therefore… the interview was custodial. Accordingly, [Pettit's] statements were taken in violation of Miranda and were inadmissible to prove guilt."
Also, Felix has pleaded not guilty. He was set to be tried alongside Brandon, but a judge found him incompetent to stand trial, according to CBS. After being placed in psychiatric treatment to determine his competency, in August of this year he was found competent. Court records show his trial will begin in February 2023.
Where is Brandon Pettit now?
Following the conviction, Brandon got incarcerated in a California state prison. To be precise, he is at the North Kern State Prison in Delano, Kern County, where he is being held without parole with an additional order to pay more than $1,000 in restitution fees, as per The Cinemaholic.