A Mason City man was sentenced to life in prison without parole today for a shooting in August of 2011. Thirty-two-year-old Jamall Joshua Leslie was convicted of shooting 27-year-old Brandon Crawford of Mason city in the parking lot of a convenience store.
Crawford’s girlfriend, Kaylee Ciavarelli, gave an emotional impact statement prior to the sentencing. Ciavarelli said she wanted Leslie to know he had hurt her, her son and many others by killing Crawford.
“August ninth you took Brandon from me. My son was taken from me straight from there. It took me over six months to prove I was a good parent to get him back.” She says the killing was especially traumatic for her son.
“At age seven my son watched Brandon be murdered, straight from there he was taken away from me, his mom. And had to start a new school. He had to deal with all of this by himself, on his own,” Ciavarelli said. “Every day I live in sadness and pain for the loss of the beautiful life that Brandon had ahead of him and for everybody who lost him, and for everybody who is losing you.”
Ciavarelli said she will not carry anger in her heart and has forgiven Leslie. The judge sentenced Leslie to life in prison after denying a defense request for a new trial.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City