Man drove 600 miles to shoot wife in North Myrtle Beach. He’ll now spend prison time
A Tennessee man who drove nearly 600 miles to shoot his wife was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday, according to the Horry County Solicitor’s office.
Jeffrey Alan Branam, 63, from Knoxville, pleaded guilty between jury selections and opening arguments to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in the 2023 shooting, a release from the Solicitors office sent on Wednesday said. The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Branam was originally facing attempted murder charges after renting a car to drive seven hours from Tennessee to the Crescent Shores apartment complex in North Myrtle Beach to confront his estranged family the day after he was served an order requiring him to keep away from them, according to the release.
The incident took place on the parking deck at the apartment complex, located at 1625 S. Ocean Blvd., around 4 p.m. on July 28, 2023, The Sun News previously reported.
Following a verbal argument, Branam pulled a pistol from his waistband and pointed it at his estranged wife’s head, the release states. His 18-year-old stepdaughter attempted to intervene, trying to knock the gun away from him. Branam turned and fired a shot at her, striking her in the shoulder.
Branam was then tackled by others and held down until police and paramedics arrived, according to the Solicitor’s office.
Cell phone videos taken by the victim’s family would have provided “overwhelming evidence” if the case had proceeded to trial, according to Jim Stanko, a violent crimes assistant solicitor.
