Welbaum heard more than an hour of comments from Bedinger and relatives of Haskins, 22, who was gunned down the afternoon of July 8 at his mother’s Troy apartment. More than 40 people filled the courtroom, several wearing buttons featuring a photograph of Haskins.
Troy police said Bedinger shot Haskins seven times and threatened to kill his estranged wife, Kim, before fleeing the apartment with their son, Zane, 7.
That set off a nationwide Amber alert before Zane was dropped off with relatives in Indiana a couple of hours later. Bedinger was the subject of a manhunt that ended the following evening when he wrecked his car following a short pursuit in Sugarcreek Twp., Greene County.
Bedinger pleaded guilty as charged to aggravated murder in September.
Defense lawyer Jose Lopez said Bedinger wanted to take full responsibility for what he had done since the day of his arrest. He said Bedinger had no criminal record and only three traffic tickets before July 8.
“The tragedy is Brandon was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was absolutely blameless,” Lopez said.
Bedinger’s brother, Tom, read a lengthy statement describing their lives. He called it “inconceivable” that the person he knows as his brother would shoot and kill his stepson, Tom Bedinger said.
Jeff Bedinger, dressed in his orange jail uniform, sat at the witness stand to address Kim Bedinger and Haskins’ family. He said Haskins was a good son, a good brother and “a gentle young man.”
Jeff Bedinger said he was not taking his depression medications at the time of the shooting. “There is no explanation or justification for what I did to Brandon,” he said.
Prosecutor Gary Nasal said medication had nothing to do with Haskins’ death, which he called “a premeditated, calculated act.”
Doug Haskins, one of Haskins’ uncles, covered his ears during Jeff Bedinger’s statement. He said later he prayed for the maximum sentence so Jeff Bedinger could not “prey” again on the family.
Kim Bedinger said Haskins was living with her because Jeff Bedinger had threatened to kill her. After killing her son, Jeff Bedinger then pointed the gun at her, saying, “I want you to hurt the way I am hurting,” she recalled.
She thinks that her reminder to Jeff Bedinger that she was Zane’s mother saved her life, Kim Bedinger said.
“Zane and I struggle to feel safe,” she said. “I still hear the gunshots ringing in my ears. I am haunted by the heartbreaking experiences of that day. Jeff not only killed Brandon that day, but he killed a part of me, too.”
Haskins’ father, Keith Haskins, read letters written by his wife and two daughters, Brandon’s stepmother and younger sisters. Keith Haskins said his son was talented in his publishing work and touched hundreds of kids through his involvement at the Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church. “Brandon brought so much joy into people’s lives,” he said.
A woman who identified herself as Brandon Haskins’ grandmother, called Bedinger a liar and egotistical.
Another man, identified afterwards as another uncle of Haskins’ screamed, “Hell, yeah!” when Welbaum issued the sentence. The uncle continued yelling at Bedinger, telling him he hated him, as the uncle was taken from by courtroom by deputies.
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