DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — A man who was found guilty in March of murdering, cutting up, and burning his mother’s body on Mother’s Day in 2019, now knows his sentence. Chad Brogdon will be spending the rest of his life in jail.
Emotions were high in the courtroom as family members were seeking justice for their family member, Penny Newton, as they wanted to give Newton’s son, Chad Brogdon, the maximum sentence.
Brogdon was headed home to visit his child in Level Plains with his child’s mother on Mother’s Day weekend in 2019.
That was the last time anybody was able to get in touch with Newton.
Then, on May 14, Hartford Police got a call of a burned car over the Choctawhatchee River and opened the trunk to find cut-up body parts.
The body parts were found to be Newton’s.
Police later searched Brogdon’s house, and in the freezer located in the garage, they found blood residue oozing from the freezer. That later was found to be penny Newton’s blood.
Newton was known by family members to be a wonderful and loving person.
In pre-sentence testimony, one of her sisters said Penny, “Had a heart of gold.” and “Never met a stranger.”
They also said that Newton was a crucial part of their family.
A neighbor of Penny Newton’s testified that her son used to look up to Chad and now her child has been robbed of his childhood innocence.
Another of Penny’s sisters testified that Chad did grow up with difficulties in his life, but, “it doesn’t give you the right to do what you did to your mother.”
In court today, other family members said:
“Chad is a danger to society.”
“Please don’t ever let him out.”
“I love you, but I hate you.”
And
“I hope it(the crime) haunts your dreams.”
After hearing from the state’s witnesses, Brogdon’s attorney’s did not send anyone to the stand.
Judge William Filmore asked Brogdon if he wanted to take the stand or if he had any last words before his sentence. Brogdon declined the opportunity.
Brogdon also was sentenced for his abuse of a corpse charge and will have to pay a total of $15,000 in combined fines.
Both of his sentences will run concurrently with one another.