Checks, but No Balances...

Those who read our column on a daily basis are familiar with Brandi Lee Campbell, the Colbert County woman a grand jury refused to indict in the slaying of her brother. Now, Campbell is again wanted by Colbert County authorities. Besides several bad check charges, Campbell has three outstanding warrants for possession of a controlled substance. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of this fugitive is asked to call Shoals Crimestoppers at 386-8685. You may read an account of Bryan Ray Campbell's June 2008 death at this link.

Apparently after the recent fire at Clement Hill Furniture in Muscle Shoals, owners Steve and Darlene Hill are short of funds. Ashley Furniture Inc. is suing the retiring owners for $16,214.00. As of yet, state fire marshals have not made a determination as to the cause of the blaze that destroyed the State Street store.

Our second missing balance has nothing to do with finance, but Mother Nature. It seems once again the City of Florence is attempting to purchase property for a use that cannot be safely or expediently authorized. Several concerned Florence citizens, as well as environmental groups, plan to challenge Florence's announced purchase of the Florence Golf and Country Club. We say bravo to all concerned not only with the aesthetics of the situation, but the impact the extended landfill will have on Cypress Creek and other adjacent areas.


Tomorrow: Some thoughts about our local veterans

Shoalanda

Brandi Lee Campbell Corrections & New Info

First, some corrections:

Family members report that Brandi did not graduate from Muscle Shoals High in 1997, as reported in her MySpace, but she did receive a GED.

They also report that only Brandi Lee and Bryan Ray were Terry's children, their father's other two children are half-siblings.

DHR has already officially placed Brandi's son, Brandon Lee Williams, with his paternal grandparents.

Brandi's most recent domestic violence charge involved an attack on a new boyfriend--not on her mother.


New Information:

Muscle Shoals Police report the vehicle Brandi Lee was driving belonged to her mother, Terry Kiker Johnson.

Staff in the Colbert County District Attorney's office report that Bryce Graham Jr. is following these events closely. With some crimes, a no-bill by a grand jury simply means that there is no immediate indictment, but the charges can be presented with new evidence at a later date. We have not heard anything definite on this, but it may remain a possibility in the death of Bryan Ray Campbell.


Please notify us of any errors in our columns; we will do out best to correct them immediately. Thanks, Shoalanda

The Strange Tale of Brandi Lee Campbell - Part III

Bryan Ray, I miss you more and more each second of every day. - Brandi Lee Campbell

The year 2008 initially brought happiness to the Campbell siblings. Bryan Ray started a new job as a truck driver, and his daughter Madison's leukemia was in remission. Brandi Lee met a new man and promptly fell in love. The fact that he was engaged to another woman didn't deter Brandi in her pursuit of her "soul mate" and she married Charles Thompson in June.

The night of June 18th, 2008, Bryan visited his sister and her new husband at their small house on Annapolis Avenue in Sheffield. Leaving Brandi's son Brandon Lee at home, the three adults decided to celebrate. After a night of heavy drinking, the three returned to Brandi Lee's home a short time after midnight. Realizing he was in no condition to drive, Bryan stated that he wanted to ride Brandon's bike the few short blocks to his mother's.

Bryan had given the bicycle to his nephew, but Brandi refused to let her brother take it. According to all present, the mood soon turned ugly, and Brandi and her husband began to beat Bryan with pool cues. From this point, the stories of the three survivors vary, but they all end the same way: Bryan Ray Campbell lay dead in the dining room of his sister's home.

Brandi stated she shot her brother as he attempted to force his way back into the house after being ejected by her new husband; however, only two empty shotgun shells were found--one on the front lawn and one in the middle of the street sixty-five feet from the front door. A trail of blood stretched across the porch into the house. After examining the scene, police took Brandi Lee in for questioning and formally charged her with murder the next day. Taking her past brushes with the law into account, the arresting officers felt the charge would be easy to prove. Even Brandi's mother announced she wanted justice for her son.

However, after reviewing the forensic evidence and reading the conflicting accounts of Bryan's death, the Colbert County District Attorney chose to charge Brandi with manslaughter, a crime that could bring up to twenty years in prison. Judge Hal Hughston set Brandi's bond at $10,000.00, an amount that would ordinarily be difficult for a hairdresser with no property to obtain. The next morning, Brandi Lee's stepfather, Curtis Johnson, arrived at the jail to post bond.

Family members were shocked by Johnson's actions, as were the arresting officers, but nothing prepared them for the grand jury's ruling. Despite the discrepancies between Brandi's statement to the police and the actual evidence, a Colbert County grand jury refused to indict her in her brother's death. Brandi Lee Campbell had once again escaped her actions unscathed.


To be continued...

The Strange Tale of Brandi Lee Campbell - Part II

I pray every night you will come to me in my dreams so I can make peace with you! - Brandi Lee Campbell

Brandi Lee Campbell and her brother Brian Ray were two of four children born to Terry Kiker and Ray Campbell. After her divorce, Terry Kiker Campbell became the breadwinner for her family, attempting to make the best life she could for her family.

Friends remember both Brian and Brandi as outgoing children, always seeking to be the center of attention. As Brian matured, he began to call himself "Big Daddy" and nicknamed both friends and family, usually including the word "Lil" in the appellation.

Brandi was "Lil Sis" to Brian, but she had big ideas. Pregnant at 17, she managed to graduate from Muscle Shoals High School in 1997 and enroll at Shoals Community College the next year. Brandi Lee lists her major as "Paralegal" and her minor as cosmetology. Networking sites also list her occupation as paralegal, but her only job since graduation was at B & B Hair Salon in Muscle Shoals.

Brian had similar problems in settling on a career, but at the time of his death had become a truck driver, an occupation his friends thought suited his wanderlust. Both married, with Brandi Lee quickly divorcing, and Bryan finding temporary happiness. After the birth of their daughter, Madison, Brian and his wife Angela separated, but remained friends until her death from a drug overdose--a situation that enraged Brandi Lee, the last person to see her sister-in-law alive.

Single again, Brandi Lee began to live her life closer to the edge, often referring to her relationships with gang members. Sources say her penchant for flashing gang hand signals at random ultimately led to the death of a companion who took a bullet meant for her boyfriend. Another boyfriend died minutes after leaving Brandi, a veritable pharmacy in his system. By now, Brandi Lee Campbell was definitely on the local police's radar.

To be continued...

The Strange Tale of Brandi Lee Campbell - Part I

My brother passed away on 6/18/2008. He is missed very deeply by all of us! God rest his soul and I know I will see him again one day. - Brandi Lee Campbell

Brandi Lee Campbell entered the above quote on her MySpace page, the social networking site she opened on June 25, 2008. In reality, Brandi's brother, Bryan Ray Campbell, died around one o'clock in the morning on June 19. Brandi Lee Campbell shot her brother with a .410 calibre pump shotgun, and he was pronounced dead at Helen Keller Hospital later that morning.

Some friends and relatives of Brandi claim she had previously threatened the life of her 32 year-old brother, the single parent of a young daughter fighting acute myelogenous leukemia. Brandi, Brian, and Brandi's new husband, Charles Johnson, were all drinking the night of the shooting, so the truth may never be known, but Brandi claims she killed her beloved brother in self-defense and to protect her ten year-old son Brandon Williams, a witness to the killing.

Sheffield detectives who investigated the shooting were familiar with Campbell-Johnson, who had been involved in three previous death investigations and countless domestic disputes. They wanted her charged with murder, but the only witnesses were her husband and son. Despite her family's sworn statements, Sheffield police initially arrested Brandi Lee Campbell for felony murder, but they weren't prepared for what happened next.


To be continued...