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Prosecutors waive death penalty for defendant charged in killing of twin brothers

Jullian Cathirell accused of fatally shooting brothers, setting bodies on fire
Jullian Cathirell 2017 mug shot
Posted at 9:16 AM, Mar 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-11 09:27:58-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Prosecutors have waived the death penalty for one of two defendants charged in the deaths of twin brothers whose burned bodies were found in a brush fire in Palm Beach Gardens in 2017.

Assistant State Attorney Lauren Godden on Monday filed a notice that the state is not seeking the death penalty for Jullian Cathirell.

Cathirell is one of two men charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of twin brothers Brandon and Brian Allen.

Their bodies were found wrapped in blankets and plastic in a brush fire along the Beeline Highway on March 15, 2017.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detectives said Cathirell, 24, had been in an ongoing feud with Brandon Allen when he fatally shot the 21-year-old brothers in the West Palm Beach apartment they shared.

Detectives said co-defendant Darin Byrd, 22, prevented Brandon Allen from getting away, blocking the door to the foyer and pushing him to the floor.

After the brothers were killed, Cathirell and Byrd cleaned up the crime scene with bleach and alcohol and hid the bodies in a bathtub until the next night, when they drove the bodies to the Beeline Highway and set them on fire, investigators said.

The trial for Cathirell is scheduled to begin in June.

Jullian Cathirell Notice Regarding Death Penalty by PeterBurke on Scribd