It was handed down on August, 16 by Gwinnet Superior Court Judge Debra Turner. Judge Turner is known in Gwinnet County for handing out harsh sentences, but some thought it was excessive for someone who is not a preying pedophile or serial killer.
Investigators say Ryan Brant 28, and Jeffrey Kollie 25, forced their way into a Snellville home in October 2005.
They shot the husband, shattering his arm then tied the wife up with duct tape. They found the 6 year old daughter hiding in the closet, held a gun to her head and demanded the couple's ATM card.
A few weeks later they robbed two restaurants in Snellville. In one, Brant and Kollie made the patrons take off most of their clothes, tied them up with duct tape and cord, then went to the bar and had drinks.
“I would not say the sentence was too harsh," said Lewis, who was fired by Kollie when the two had a disagreement. The purpose was to make sure these two never get out of prison.
The assistant district attorney, Lisa Jones, who handled the case said, "I was not surprised at the sentence; throughout the trial they showed no remorse." Wystan Getz, who defended Kollie, said, ”I would be upset if my client did not get a fair trial, but Judge Turner was very fair and even handed during the trial.
Georgia public defender criticized the sentence in his legal blog. "The sentence is unduly harsh," wrote Levin, to shut off all sense of hope for two men who did not kill or rape will do more harm than good. "they will rot in prison at a substantial cost to the taxpayers, who will never see a return on the expense."
Gwinnet Attorney Rick Stepp representing Kollie on an appeal of conviction said the long sentence may be part of his appeal. “A long sentence like this has to be scrutinized, because this sentence is a humdinger."
Brant and Kollie were sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 265 years, the longest sentence in Georgia history by more than fifty years. Before the trial they were offered a plea bargain of 40 years in prison and refused.
