SARASOTA, Fla. (Court TV) — A man convicted of manslaughter after killing his friend in a Florida hotel room was sentenced to prison following an emotional sentencing hearing.
Brennan Wakey speaks at his sentencing on March 17, 2026. (Court TV)
Brennan Lee Wakey, 30, was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of Colton Wright, 24, but was found guilty by a jury of the lesser charge of manslaughter with a firearm. He was also convicted of tampering with evidence for attempting to delete photos.
Wakey admitted to shooting and killing Wright on Dec. 9, 2021, at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Sarasota, but had argued at trial that he killed the victim in self-defense. Wakey claimed that Wright, who was addicted to methamphetamine at the time of his death, had tried to attack him with a glass margarita bottle, forcing the defendant to pull out a gun and fire…