The man accused of murdering Polk County Police Detective and former Chattooga County resident Kristen Hearne during an altercation in 2017 pleaded guilty in Polk County Superior Court on Thursday, bringing Hearne’s biological and law enforcement family one step closer to closure.
Seth Brandon Spangler entered the plea Thursday morning in front of Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Court Judge Mark Murphy and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Polk County District Attorney’s office.
Spangler and Samantha Michelle Roof were both charged with killing Hearne as well as shooting officer David Goodrich while the two officers were investigating a suspicious vehicle on Sept. 29, 2017. Goodrich survived his injuries thanks to his protective vest, but Hearne was not wearing such a vest at the time due to the non-violent nature of the call.
The district attorney’s office stated that the case against Spangler’s co-defendant, Roof, remains pending and it could not comment on her case due to an existing order in the case as well as ethical rules that prohibit public comment from its office.
District Attorney Jack Browning announced soon after Hearne’s murder he intended to seek the death penalty against the Spangler and Roof. Thursday’s plea deal allows Spangler to escape that possibility and instead serve the rest of his life in prison.
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