DEAR BAD GUY, WHY DID YOU KILL MY DAD?

The daughter who was six years old when her dad was shot dead, wrote a letter to the cop killer which was read in court after he had been sentenced to death

Jamie Padron, a 17-year veteran Austin, Texas police officer and former Marine, was shot dead April 6, 2012 by Brandon Daniel who had been shoplifting at a Walmart. When Padron arrived to investigate, Daniel tried to flee. He shot Patron during a struggle after he officer had tackled him. On Friday, a jury sentenced the cop killer to death.

BRANDON DANIEL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING OF APD OFFICER
The verdict came late last night following a long day of jury deliberations

By John A. Salazar

Time Warner Cable News
March 1, 2014

A Travis County jury sentenced Brandon Daniel to the death penalty Friday for the murder of Austin police officer Jaime Padron. The jury, consisting of 10 women and two men, returned the sentencing verdict after more than 8.5 hours of deliberations.

Daniel sat emotionless while the verdict was read. When asked if he wished to comment following the jury's decision, he declined, saying "No ma'am," to Judge Brenda Kennedy.

After the verdict, tears filled the courtroom audience. Padron's wife wept. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo cried, and members of the jury wiped away tears while confirming their decision.

During victim impact statements, Jaime Padron’s older sister Linda Diaz took the stand and thanked the jury for its decision.

"You were doing your job. Please don't carry this on your shoulders," she said.

Turning to Daniel, Diaz said, "You are a monster. You may have ripped my brother out of our lives, but let me tell you something. His spirit lives on. It's alive. You don't get to come here, choose to do a crime and then choose your consequence. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Daniel answered again, “Yes ma’am.”

Jaime Padron’s widow, Amy, read letters their two daughters, Ariana and Olivia, wrote to Daniel. They were 10 and 6 years old when their father was killed.

"Dear bad guy, why did you kill my dad? My dad was important," Olivia's letter read. "You deserve to be punished. Please be a good guy now. Circle yes or no. You made me have nightmares."

Crying and at times screaming at Daniel with a picture of Jaime and his two girls next to her, Amy Padron continued to read. The letter from Ariana was 11 pages long.

"Get a life behind bars, you will die behind bars....Why my dad? Why Walmart?" it said. "Drunk or not, how stupid are you?"

Before stepping down, Amy Padron thanked the jury, saying, "I can go home and help rebuild my daughters' lives. You will be their heroes."

Jaime Padron’s brother, Johnny, addressed Daniel for the final time before he was taken into custody saying, "I respect our courts, so I won't speak my mind, but I will tell you I think you're a coward and I hope you rot in hell. Thank you."

Daniel's sister sat behind her big brother, face red, eyes closed, as the court took his prints and the judge turned him over to Travis County. Padron's family cried and hugged.

Six-hundred-and-ninety-three days after their husband, father, brother and son lost his life, the Padron family found the justice it sought.

Daniel's death sentence will be automatically appealed under Texas law. If the appeals fail, Daniel will be put to death by lethal injection.