A Georgia court case ended with a controversial sentence this week.
Brooks Cleary, 22, received 11 years in prison for his actions surrounding the death of his girlfriend, Hailey Johnson, 21.
Hailey tragically died on December 26th, 2022.
Cleary was convicted of charges related to concealing Hailey's death, making false statements to authorities, and tampering with evidence.
A key piece of evidence was the shotgun found under clothes at the scene.
Prosecutors argued Cleary deliberately shot Hailey and hid the weapon while claiming Hailey suffered a seizure.
Sadly the real cause of her death remained undetermined by the autopsy.
Despite the convictions, both the prosecution and the victim's family expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome.
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Prosecutors sought a 25-year sentence, while Hailey's mother, Barbara Johnson, felt the charges and sentence didn't reflect the full picture.
The judge himself acknowledged some ambiguity in the case, particularly regarding the charge of concealing death.
He pointed out that the situation, where Cleary called for help within a short timeframe, differed significantly from more extreme attempts to hide a body.
This reasoning, along with Cleary's claim of being blackout drunk at the time, may have contributed to the lighter sentence.
Barbara Johnson expressed her heartbreak, stating, "She [Hailey] didn't get justice. And what he was sentenced for is not what he did to my daughter."
Hailey's family has also shared remembrances online, describing her as a loving daughter, sister, and caregiver.
The case remains a complex and emotional one, leaving many questions unanswered.
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