‘Evil and hatred.’ Bradenton man sentenced after killing his father, prosecutors say
A 52-year-old Bradenton man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering his father, the State Attorney’s Office announced Friday afternoon.
Matthew Briganti was convicted of second-degree murder after pleading no contest to the charge on March 15, according to a news release.
The maximum possible sentence for the crime was life in prison.
Briganti was set to go to trial on March 18 for killing his 68-year-old father before entering the plea, according to court records.
On July 31, 2021, Briganti called 911 at around 5 p.m. saying that he found his father not breathing or moving, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. Briganti, who was 49 at the time, lived with his dad at Gar Fair Mobile Home Park, 3103 9th St. W., Bradenton.
When EMS arrived after getting a medical call, they found his father dead and determined that he had been dead for hours, according to court records.
It was also found that “the death occurred under suspicious circumstances as there was obvious trauma to the victim’s head,” according to the State Attorney’s Office.
“This was a brutal murder that could only stem from evil and hatred. The defendant’s futile attempt to make his father’s murder appear as an accident served as further proof of his guilt,” Assistant State Attorney Charlie Lawrence said in a news release.
Bradenton man sentenced for killing father
When interviewed by detectives, Briganti told them his father must have fallen, according to a news release.
An autopsy determined the death was the result of being struck in the head several times with a blunt object, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
The medical examiner also said the victim was “intentionally struck at least two times in the head with a heavy object,” according to the State Attorney’s Office.
A blood spatter expert brought on by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office also said the blood patterns found on specific items were additional evidence that Briganti’s father “was struck at least two times in the head with an object,” according to a release.
During the investigation, Briganti provided statements to detectives that were inconsistent with evidence. Video surveillance of his residence showed that Briganti was the only person inside the home after the victim was last seen alive entering the home about 1:45 p.m. July 30, according to an arrest report.
“This crime could not have been solved for what it truly was without the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” Lawrence said.
