Emma Kennedy

ekennedy@pnj.com

A schizophrenic man who told authorities that voices instructed him to kill his mother could be entitled to $50,000 of her life insurance.

Brandon Aydelott was 17 when he beat and stabbed his mother to death on Christmas Eve 2013. He admitted to police that he killed his mother, Sharon Aydelott, a Gulf Breeze teacher, but attorneys spent years going back and forth about whether he was competent to stand trial.

The court in July found Aydelott competent to stand trial. Judge John Simon found him not guilty by reason of insanity after a one-day judge trial in October and ordered him to be committed to a secure state hospital.

Now, attorneys for Aydelott and his father are butting heads over who should receive Sharon Aydelott's $100,000 life insurance benefit from the Santa Rosa County School District.

Attorney Stephen M. Guttman claims in court documents that while his client physically killed his mother, he was found not guilty, which means he is still a valid beneficiary of her life insurance policy. A Florida law cited in the documents states that if a life insurance beneficiary unlawfully and intentionally causes the insured person's death, they cannot claim the insurance money.

Guttman also states in court documents that Brandon Aydelott's father, William Randall Aydelott, has made conflicting requests about the life insurance money. William and Sharon Aydelott were divorced, but he was named the agent of her estate in 2014.

The father submitted one claim requesting that the couple's daughter, still a minor, be the sole beneficiary of the life insurance money, according to the court documents. Another claim requested $100,000 on behalf of Brandon Aydelott.

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William Aydelott's attorney, Jennifer Lee Bushnell, declined to comment on the case. Guttman also declined to comment.

The company behind the life insurance policy has asked to be removed from the case because it cannot determine to whom the money should go.

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In documents filed last week by Reliastar Life Insurance Co., the company stated that because of "competing and rival claims to the death benefit," it wants to be removed from proceedings and to send back the judgment to Santa Rosa County courts.

Jason Richardson, attorney for Reliastar Insurance, did not respond to a request for comment.

Sharon Aydelott's death benefit policy, which is attached in the court files, states that in the event of her death, each child should receive 50 percent of the money, or $50,000 each.

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A court action filed last week by Bushnell stated that William Aydelott had no objection to the insurance company being removed from the case.

If Reliastar’s motion to remove itself from the case is approved, the money would be held by the Santa Rosa County Clerk’s office until the local court reaches a conclusion.

Aydelott is being housed indefinitely at Florida State Hospital until a time when he could prove he is no longer a danger to society. He was ordered to appear in court periodically to assess his status and mental health evaluations.

His most recent status hearing was Wednesday, and the next one will be in October, according to Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen.