Stand Your Ground hearing in Sarasota hotel murder case set for 2021

A Sarasota man will appear before a judge for what is expected to be his final hearing in the Stand Your Ground campaign, which has dragged on for seven months and was previously postponed in June.

Defendant Brennan Wakey is accused of shooting his friend in a Sarasota hotel three years ago. Wakey appeared in court twice in February for Stand Your Ground hearings. He appeared in court again in June to assert a self-defense claim and attempt to dismiss the charges against him based on Florida's Stand Your Ground law before the judge overseeing the case suddenly stood up and left the courtroom.

The hearing has been postponed and the new date is set for Friday. Wakey's defense is expected to present its evidence during the all-day hearing to prove that the shooting was in self-defense.

Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, a person is justified in using deadly force or threatening to use such force if he or she has a reasonable belief that by using such force he or she can prevent imminent death or great bodily harm or the imminent commission of a violent crime.

The 28-year-old is charged with second-degree murder and altering, embezzling or destroying evidence. He was arrested five days after hotel staff discovered the body of 24-year-old Colton Wright in a room at the Hyatt Place hotel on University Parkway on Dec. 9, 2021, court records show.

Delay:Third hearing in Sarasota hotel murder case 'Stand Your Ground' trial cancelled in 2021

Previously:Sarasota judge rejects bail increase for man involved in fatal 2021 hotel shooting

What happened the night of the shooting?

On the morning of December 9, Sarasota Police were called to the Hyatt Place Hotel when housekeeping accidentally found Wright lying on the floor near the bathroom with gunshot wounds.

The investigation revealed that Wakey was captured on hotel security cameras late in the evening leaving the hotel through a side exit, dragging a black duffel bag on wheels behind him, with a gun protruding from his waistband, according to an affidavit and evidence presented during Stand Your Ground's two previous hearings in February.

The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was not found, according to the prosecutor in this case.

After the shooting, Wakey fled to his father's home in Port Charlotte, where investigators later found Wright's laptop and phone, prosecutors said.

A witness to the shooting, Nick Trail, testified in February and described how Wakey and Wright argued the night of the shooting. Trail had been friends with Wright. Trail said the argument escalated when Wright picked up a glass bottle of margarita mix and swung it at Wakey, who pulled out a gun and aimed it at Wright. The bottle never hit Wakey.

After the shooting, Trail ran from the hotel room and later told investigators he was frightened and in shock, court documents show.

Judge rejects request to increase Wakey's bail

Judge Thomas Krug in June decided against increasing Wakey's bail to $500,000 after prosecutors filed a motion to do so in April.

Wakey's bail was initially set at $250,000 and he has been free on bail since March 2022. As part of his bail, Wakey must wear a GPS ankle bracelet, surrender his passport, undergo random drug testing and have no contact with Trail or Wright's family.

During Wakey's initial bail hearing, he claimed he had close family ties in the community, including his grandmother and father.

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However, Wakey's grandmother died shortly after that hearing and his father, Wayne Wakey, has been missing since May 2023. Assistant District Attorney Karen Fraivillig noted that Wayne Wakey's disappearance occurred “under unclear circumstances” and that he was last seen with his son.

While Wakey also filed a motion to modify his parole to remove his ankle monitor because he cannot afford the $10-a-day fee, the issue was not raised at the June hearing. He argues he has not committed any bail violations since his release more than two years ago.

While Krug acknowledged that Wakey's circumstances had changed, he decided to maintain the current terms of his pre-trial probation.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at [email protected] or at Þjórsárden.

Stand Your Ground hearing in Sarasota hotel murder case set for 2021

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