Bryant gets life in prison, no parole for murder

A Brunswick County jury Monday morning found Craig Juan Bryant guilty of first-degree murder in the 2008 killing of Shallotte real estate agent Adam Bradshaw.

He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. Mike Willis, Bryant's attorney, said his client intends to appeal the conviction.

Prosecutors said Bradshaw, 34, was lured to an abandoned property on Watts Road by Bryant's girlfriend, Lora Moultrie, 50.

Bryant, purportedly upset over a real estate deal, then ambushed him. Bradshaw's body was found three days later in the Ocean Isle Beach area. Police said he died from a single gunshot wound.

Moultrie has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Jurors, who several times asked for evidence to be brought to the jury room, began their deliberations late Thursday afternoon following three weeks of testimony from more than 60 witnesses. They reached a verdict quickly after reconvening on Monday.

Bryant listened impassively as the verdict was read and verified, offering a halfhearted wave to friends and family members seated behind him but showing little emotion as the 12 jurors reaffirmed their assurance of his guilt. Bryant was similarly stoic as Willis made a half-dozen motions for a mistrial and a new hearing, all denied by Judge Thomas H. Lock.

On the other side of the courtroom, Bradshaw's relatives huddled together, dabbing their eyes with tissues and clasping hands with quiet relief. Prior to sentencing, Lock allowed three family members to read statements, advising them beforehand that all remarks should be directed to the court, not to Bryant.

But Bradshaw's wife, Shannon, reading from several stapled pages, found it difficult to avoid addressing him directly.

"He should be made to suffer the same fate he has inflicted on his victims," she read angrily, her eyes fixed on Bryant. "Unfortunately, the law will not allow us to blow his head off ... no one deserves to suffer the same fate Craig Bryant has inflicted on his victims – not even Craig Bryant."

In the years since her husband's murder, Bradshaw said she's faced many struggles, including post-traumatic stress disorder, financial troubles and the inability to forgive Bryant for his crimes.

"God teaches through the Bible to forgive," she said. "I will struggle for the rest of my life with not being able to forgive this."

In addition to first-degree murder, the jury found Bryant guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Each of those convictions carries an additional sentence; a minimum of 180 months and a maximum of 225 months, and a minimum of 72 months and a maximum of 96 months, respectively.

Bryant will remain incarcerated until his appeal case, which will most likely take place some time next year, Willis said.

Kate Queram: 343-2217

On Twitter: @kate_goes_bleu