He Kidnapped a 5-Year-Old and Let Her Be Eaten Alive by Alligators — and Now Jury Considers His Fate

A Florida man convicted in a decades-old case involving the 1998 death of a 5-year-old girl is once again facing the possibility of a death sentence.

Harrel Braddy, now 76, was found guilty in 2007 of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and additional charges tied to the death of Quantisha “Candy” Maycock and the abduction of her mother, Shandelle Maycock, according to Florida Supreme Court records.

A Miami-Dade County jury originally recommended a death sentence by an 11–1 vote. That sentence was later overturned in 2017 after a change in state law made it unconstitutional to impose the death penalty without a unanimous jury verdict, court records show.

Braddy’s case has now returned to court, where a new jury is again considering whether he should be executed. The Miami Herald reported this week that under a 2023 law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a death sentence can be imposed with an 8–4 jury vote—meaning Braddy could again receive the death penalty even without a unanimous verdict.

According to court documents, the events began on Nov. 6, 1998, when Braddy drove Shandelle—someone he had met through a mutual church acquaintance—home from work. He later agreed to take her to pick up Quantisha, who had been staying with a family friend.

After returning to Shandelle’s apartment, she asked Braddy to leave, later saying she had claimed she was expecting company as a way to get him to go. He refused, insisting they talk.

Court records state that after being told to leave, Braddy attacked her, threatened to kill her, and choked her until she lost consciousness. Shandelle later testified that when she came to, she was still in her apartment, but Braddy again choked her until she blacked out a second time.

When she regained consciousness again, Shandelle testified she was in the backseat of a car parked in her driveway, with Quantisha in the front seat and Braddy driving. Shandelle told her daughter they were going to jump out, but Braddy warned her not to. When Shandelle opened the door, he accelerated around a corner, causing both Shandelle and Quantisha to fall out of the car, according to the documents.

Braddy stopped, forced Quantisha back into the vehicle, and placed Shandelle into the trunk, court records say. He then drove for 30 to 45 minutes before pulling Shandelle out, throwing her to the ground, and choking her again while threatening to kill her. When she regained consciousness, she was alone in a remote area. She flagged down passing motorists, who contacted police.

Investigators said Braddy then abandoned Quantisha along Interstate 75 in Broward County, in an area commonly known as Alligator Alley. Court documents state Braddy told investigators he left the child there out of anger toward Shandelle and because he feared Quantisha would tell others what he had done. He also believed Shandelle was dead—though she survived.

Three days later, two fishermen found a child’s body floating in a canal in the area. The victim was identified as Quantisha.

In testimony cited in court records, the Broward County chief medical examiner said Quantisha’s left arm had been bitten off by an alligator after her death. The examiner also reported “brush burn” injuries consistent with sliding on a hard surface—consistent with falling from a vehicle—and multiple alligator bites to her torso and head while she was alive but likely unconscious. The examiner concluded her death was primarily caused by blunt-force trauma to the left side of her head.

Shandelle testified she initially considered Braddy “nice” and sometimes asked him for help, according to court documents. She said he once made a sexual advance, but left after she threatened him with a knife and later apologized. She testified he did not make another advance before the day of the attack.

Authorities also pointed to Braddy’s criminal history, which court documents say dated back to 1984 and included convictions for attempted murder, burglary, robbery, and kidnapping.