Man charged in deaths of Bramblett's allegedly used synthetic urine to fool drug test

[aubiefifty 16,755]

Montgomery Real-Time News

Man charged in deaths of Rod and Paula Bramblett allegedly used synthetic urine to fool drug test

Updated: Jun. 02, 2023, 9:32 p.m.|

Published: Jun. 02, 2023, 9:06 p.m.

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Howard Koplowitz | hkoplowitz@al.com

The man charged in the 2019 deaths of the Auburn announcer Rod Bramblett and his wife, Paula, in a wreck is facing more charges Friday for allegedly using synthetic urine to fool a drug test in an unrelated case, court records showed.

Johnston Edward Taylor, who was 16 years old when he was charged with manslaughter in the deaths of the Brambletts, has been in the Lee County Jail since January for failing a drug test stemming from unrelated child pornography charges.

Taylor, now 20, was granted youthful offender status in the manslaughter cases. Sentences in youthful offender status cases are not made public, although whatever punishment he received carried a three-year maximum term.

On Friday, Taylor “used a bottle of urine that had a hand warmer attached to the bottle,” according to the complaint filed against him in Lee County Circuit Court.

The complaint said the purpose of the synthetic urine was to “defraud an alcohol, drug or urine screening test.”

The drug test was required as a condition of Taylor’s bond after he was charged with six counts of possession of child pornography in June 2022.

Taylor is also seeking youthful offender status in the child porn cases. A hearing is set for July 18 on the request.

His bond was revoked in January after failing a drug test, according to an order by Lee County Circuit Court Judge Russell Bush.

Taylor was 16 on May 25, 2019 when he was traveling south in the outside lane on Shug Jordan Parkway approaching West Samford Avenue in his Jeep Laredo.

The Brambletts, in a 2017 Toyota Highlander, were stopped in the southbound outside lane of Shug Jordan parkway at a traffic light.

The Jeep struck the Bramblett’s SUV to the right of center, according to the crash report. The impact caused the Jeep to hit a pedestrian and a traffic light pole before coming to a final rest.

The Bramblett’s vehicle was pushed into the intersection and through the opposing lanes of traffic before coming to a final rest on the curb.

Taylor’s “blood sample contained THC, which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, and is indicative of recent usage of marijuana at the time of the collision,” records state. The teen was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Paula Bramblett, 53, was airlifted from the scene but had to be diverted to East Alabama Medical Center due to the severity of her injuries. She was pronounced dead in the emergency room from multiple internal injuries.

Rod Bramblett, 52, who was the driver of the Highlander, was airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where he later died from a closed head injury.

At the time of the deadly crash, Taylor was driving 89 mph in a 55-mph zone, under the influence of marijuana, and still accelerating, authorities said, when he rammed into the back of the couple’s SUV.

A judge in April of 2021 granted Taylor youthful offender status in the manslaughter cases.

Lee County Circuit Judge P.B. McLauchlin, a retired judge handling the case, in his order said, “At the time of the accident the defendant was a 16-year-old teenager with no prior criminal history, who had smoked or used marijuana and had been diagnosed with marijuana use disorder,’’ McLauchlin wrote. “None of this justifies what happened; however, it does lend itself to treatment as a Youthful Offender.”

The youthful offender status eliminates a jury trial, if there is a trial, and the range of punishment goes from two to 20 years had he been tried as an adult to zero to three years maximum.

Youth offender cases are sealed, so the outcome of that case is not made public.

[Gowebb11 9,314]

43 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

had been diagnosed with marijuana use disorder

One of the many ‘disorders’ that seems to be reserved exclusively for those from families with money. Our judicial system is a joke. 

[aubiefifty 16,755]

6 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

One of the many ‘disorders’ that seems to be reserved exclusively for those from families with money. Our judicial system is a joke. 

there is just no excuse to get high and drive. drinking as well. this kid was selfish and took something from millions of folks. and he is being an entitled prick like you suggest. they are using that disorder stuff to try and cover up his arrogance.

[I_M4_AU 7,793]

22 hours ago, Gowebb11 said:

One of the many ‘disorders’ that seems to be reserved exclusively for those from families with money. Our judicial system is a joke. 

The real reason for exclusivity is a family that doesn’t hold their children to account from the beginning.  This is similar, but not as egregious as the Murdaugh case in South Carolina, kids will take advantage of a parent’s weaknesses and the parents don’t realize it until something like this happens.  Then the family tries to do damage control.

Edited June 5, 2023 by I_M4_AU

[JerryAU 1,657]

On 6/4/2023 at 10:44 AM, I_M4_AU said:

The real reason for exclusivity is a family that doesn’t hold their children to account from the beginning.  This is similar, but not as egregious as the Murdaugh case in South Carolina, kids will take advantage of a parent’s weaknesses and the parents don’t realize it until something like this happens.  Then the family tries to do damage control.

His family has long known their kid is a degenerate that rebels against any authority.  He failed drug tests when he was on house arrest after killing the Bramblett's and his parents got those cleaned up with his probation officer.  He racked up additional speeding & reckless driving tickets after he killed the Bramblett's and while he was on probation.  Then he was found with child pornography and w/6 counts and finally the Judge refused bond and put his ass in jail in January, how convenient it was after the holidays. 

Now he's been caught with synthetic urine in a drug test, while he's in Lee County jail?  WTH?

 

[I_M4_AU 7,793]

3 hours ago, JerryAU said:

Now he's been caught with synthetic urine in a drug test, while he's in Lee County jail?  WTH?

I would think the only way that could happen is with pull from the parents which would be in line with the parents enabling their kid.  At some point the parents have to realize their kid, as you say, is a degenerate and let law enforcement and the justice system do their job.

[JerryAU 1,657]

50 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

I would think the only way that could happen is with pull from the parents which would be in line with the parents enabling their kid.  At some point the parents have to realize their kid, as you say, is a degenerate and let law enforcement and the justice system do their job.

It appears from the outside looking in that the law enforcement and justice system in Lee County is bought and paid for by the wealthy. 

There's just no other way to explain the numerous second chances and lenient discipline/punishment this degenerate kid has received.   He's currently in Lee County Jail for crying out loud with 6 counts of child pornography and somehow miraculously skirted going to an actual prison after everything he's done.  He should be in Holman/Donaldson or any other Level III prison, at minimum a Level II prison in Bullock County serving hard time, not in Lee Cty Jail where it's convenient for his family to visit. 

Until this guy gets a real taste of prison life, no rehabilitation will get through that thick skull.