Guilty Plea Saves Brunvand Client From Possible Date with Death Chamber

A Weeki Wachee man accused of three murders, one attempted murder, and two attempts to solicit murder will avoid the death penalty thanks to the work of Bjorn Brunvand.

Christopher Lee Duncan pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of solicitation to commit murder and one count of attempted murder late last month. As a result he will not face a jury and court the risk of a death sentence. Instead, the 28-year-old Duncan will likely spend the rest of his days within the walls of a Florida prison after being sentenced to a term of life last week.

“By entering the plea and making sure that the death penalty is not involved,” explained Brunvand, “that in and of itself will save the taxpayers millions of dollars.”

As of December 1, Florida has executed 95 individuals in the post-Furman era, and over 350 more are sentenced to death and await an execution date. The state has had 27 exonerations from its death row to date, which is the most of any state.

According to county prosecutors Duncan and co-defendant Dora Delgado carried out three killings in Moon Lake in early 2015. They say the pair also wounded a fourth woman in the same encounter, but she survived.

Duncan was subsequently accused of attempting to hire an outside hitman while incarcerated and awaiting trial in the Land O’Lakes Detention Center later that year. The South Carolina native entered a plea of guilty to those charges as well.

In contrast, Duncan’s co-defendant Delgado is soon to face a trial on the three murder and one attempted murder charges. County prosecutors have already advised the court that they are pursuing the death penalty in her trial.

The Law Offices of Bjorn Brunvand have been representing people charged with capital murder, felony drug charges, drunk driving, government fraud, and white-collar crimes for over a quarter century. Contact our office today to discuss your Tampa Bay-area state or federal charges.