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Left: Britney Andrus. Right: Tyler Best (Highland County Sheriff).
A Florida pistillate is headed to situation for the remainder of her days for murdering and robbing her husband's 88-year-old great-grandfather truthful she could tally disconnected with her fellow to Michigan.
Britney Andrus, 29, was sentenced connected Wednesday to beingness successful situation for the 2020 beating decease of James Little astatine his Sebring home. She was recovered blameworthy of second-degree murder, burglary and expansive theft of a centrifugal conveyance successful July. Her boyfriend, 25-year-old Tyler Best, antecedently pleaded blameworthy to the aforesaid charges and reportedly testified against Andrus astatine her trial. He was sentenced successful January to 15 years successful prison.
The victim's grandson, Joshua Little, spoke astatine the sentencing proceeding wherever helium said his gramps "loved helping people."
"He was 88 years aged erstwhile his beingness was stolen from him during the aureate years of his life," Joshua Little said, according to a courtroom study from the Highlands News-Sun. "I cognize this is simply a lawsuit of homicide but it is besides astir theft. Britney stole his beingness and his dignity. In his last moments I can't ideate however unsocial helium felt, calling retired for my grandma who was nary longer there."
Andrus' defence lawyer reportedly said his lawsuit has suffered from intelligence wellness issues since childhood, precipitated successful portion by erstwhile she recovered her murdered mother's assemblage astatine property 5.
But authoritative John Kromholz said the lawsuit was not astir her past past but astir her brutally murdering an aged antheral arsenic helium laic successful furniture portion she was precocious connected drugs.
"That's wherefore she's a danger," helium said, per the News-Sun.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Andrus and Best were surviving successful the mother-in-law suite attached to Little's home. Her hubby was successful jailhouse astatine the clip of the murder. In the days starring up to the slaying, Andrus and Best hatched a program to bargain from Little's home, including his car and jewelry that had belonged to his woman who had died conscionable a period earlier, cops wrote successful a probable origin apprehension affidavit. They planned to question to Michigan to unrecorded with her grandmother, cops said.
Shortly aft 1:30 p.m. connected Oct. 22, 2020, Andrus ran to a neighbor's location and claimed she had conscionable recovered Little unconscious successful his bedroom. He was rushed to a hospital, wherever helium died 5 days later.
Although it took a twelvemonth to apprehension Andrus and Best for the slaying, investigators suspected them astir immediately.
Little's chamber was successful disarray with unfastened drawers and missing jewelry boxes. His car and wallet with immoderate $1,500 successful currency wrong besides had been stolen. In addition, determination was a missing harmless that was hidden and that lone adjacent household members would person known about, cops noted.
"Based connected the scene, it was evident the unfortunate was awoken by an intruder(s), was struck aggregate times, and laid wounded successful the residence for immoderate clip earlier EMS and instrumentality enforcement being notified," detectives wrote successful the affidavit.
There was besides "blood evidence" passim the room, the affidavit said. An autopsy concluded Little died of blunt unit trauma to the head. The suspects struck Little 12 times with an chartless entity and near him to dice portion they ran disconnected with his possessions. Best utilized immoderate of the wealth from Little's wallet to bargain methamphetamine.
Detectives cobbled unneurotic surveillance videos of the mates driving astir municipality successful Little's car and spending his money. Investigators besides spoke with immoderate of their friends who said Andrus showed up with humor connected her shirt. Andrus said "I don't cognize what I did" and that the humor connected her garment was not hers. She past stated "It was similar helium was asking for it anyways."
Best testified against Andrus, saying sidesplitting Little was her idea, the News-Sun reported.
"I told her I wanted thing to bash with it," Best reportedly testified. "It was a large argument, I packed a suitcase and left."
The items successful the suitcase were stolen from Little. They past went to a friend's location wherever Andrus admitted to sidesplitting Little, Best told the jury.
"She said, 'I did it, I did it.' I thought she killed this man. I saw humor connected her collar," helium said.
Little's lad told the News-Sun helium was pleased with the result of the case.
"I americium highly gratified by the verdict," helium said. "It was thing the household was waiting for for 5 years."
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