WASHINGTON (NW) — President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, sparking strong reactions from victims’ families. Among those whose death sentences were commuted was Brandon Council, convicted of murdering two female bank employees during an armed robbery in 2017.
Council was found guilty of killing Donna Major, 59, and Katie Skeen, 36, in a brutal shooting at Crescom Bank in Conway, South Carolina. Prosecutors described the act as cold-blooded and deliberate.
“Katie Skeen and Donna Major died staring down the barrel of that man’s gun. He shot them five times. Five times he put bullet after bullet into their injured, dying bodies,” U.S. Attorney Everett McMillan said during the trial.
The announcement has left the families of the victims stunned and angry. Donna Major’s daughter, Heather, expressed her frustration in an interview with Fox News.
“I’m still angry. I am upset that this is even happening, that one man can make this decision without even talking to the victims, without any regard for what we’ve been through, what we’re going through. I’m completely hurt, frustrated, and angry,” she said.
Heather revealed that the family had been warned in May that the commutation was a possibility and had tried to advocate against it. They sent letters to the pardon attorney and requested an in-person meeting in Washington, D.C., but were denied.
“All we got was a ten-minute virtual conference, and clearly that fell on deaf ears. They did not want to hear our story,” she said.
Donna Major’s husband, Danny, also spoke out, condemning the lack of justice for his wife.
“She was shown no mercy at all. This man walked into the bank, never said two words to her, shot her three times, and then went on to shoot her co-worker, Katie Skeen, who was totally defenseless,” he said. “I can’t even believe this is actually happening—commuting sentences like this. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
The commutations come as part of President Biden’s broader push to end federal executions, aligning with calls from advocates and religious leaders, including Pope Francis, who urged the president to stop capital punishment. While supporters, such as Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), praised the move as an act of “compassionate leadership,” victims’ families strongly disagreed.
Heather Major responded sharply to Pressley’s remarks.
“Compassion? I don’t think that’s compassion. The fact that he didn’t talk to any of us—the victims of this crime? We trusted the judicial system. We sat through court. I watched my mother be murdered; I watched images of her body lying on the ground. He does not have compassion—for who? A criminal? No. I don’t agree with that at all,” she said.
Council’s commutation is part of a growing debate over the morality and effectiveness of the death penalty in the United States. Critics of Biden’s decision argue that it disregards the voices of victims and their families, while supporters frame it as a step toward a more humane justice system. For the families of Donna Major and Katie Skeen, however, the pain and anger remain palpable.
