Man sentenced to life in prison for murder in St. James City

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

A man was sentenced to life in prison for a 2023 murder in Saint James City.

According to the State Attorney's Office, Brant Dustin Kelling, 35, was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder on Tuesday. This comes after Kelling was convicted of the murder in December 2025 following a five-day jury trial.

The State Attorney's Office said that on Aug. 10, 2023, the Lee County Sheriff's Office responded to a home in Saint James City after a woman had found her friend bloody and unresponsive lying on the lanai of the home. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies noticed a large amount of blood in the driveway of the home and multiple visible injuries on the victim, who was not wearing clothes. Deputies surmised he had been beaten to death.

Deputies began investigating the crime and found that Kelling was the person responsible for the murder, the State Attorney's Office said.

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