Convicted murderer Brandon P. McLean, known as Florida’s “Box-Cutter Killer,” has been handed two more life sentences for attempting to kill detectives during a 2021 shootout in Seminole County.
The 36-year-old from DeLand was already serving life in prison for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Amy Humphries, in Volusia County. In October, a Seminole County jury found McLean guilty of multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, after a three-day trial.
New Sentences Handed Down
Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler sentenced McLean on October 20, following a guilty verdict issued on October 15. He received:
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Life imprisonment for attempted first-degree premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer
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Life imprisonment for second-degree attempted murder on a law enforcement officer
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15 years for aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer
The judge ordered the life sentences to be served consecutively to his existing life term. Prosecutors classified McLean as a Prison Releasee Reoffender, ensuring the maximum punishment.
The 2021 Attack and Pursuit
The violent encounter with law enforcement occurred on April 21, 2021, just one day after McLean murdered his girlfriend. According to investigators, McLean stabbed and slashed Humphries 77 times with a box cutter inside her Volkswagen Jetta, allegedly enraged that she had refused to buy him a gun. He later dumped her body near a walking trail in Osteen.
The next day, Seminole County detectives tracked McLean and the victim’s car to a laundromat on U.S. 17/92 in Sanford. When they approached, he fled on foot, then turned and opened fire on the pursuing detectives. Officers returned fire, wounding and arresting him in the backyard of a nearby home.
Justice in Two Counties
McLean had already been convicted of murder in Volusia County in 2023 and sentenced to life without parole. Remarkably, he chose to represent himself in both the murder and attempted murder trials.
Prosecutor Richard Babcock commended the detectives for their bravery during the gunfight:
“These deputies didn’t run from danger—they met it head-on. Seminole County is a safer place because of their actions that day.”
With his new sentences, Brandon McLean will remain in prison for life, ensuring he never poses a threat to the public again.
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