Jamalo Bruner Jr.

Introduction

Jamalo Bruner Jr. is a Tulsa man who was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence that resulted in the death of 22-year-old Benjamin Montgomery — a killing that went unsolved for years until DNA testing produced a profile consistent with Bruner’s and investigators with the FBI and the Tulsa Police Department Homicide Unit reopened the cold case. Bruner admitted the federal offence: on October 10, 2019, he and another armed participant planned to rob a man of marijuana at gunpoint, and in the violent half-hour that followed, Montgomery — who confronted the gunmen to protect the friends inside his apartment — was shot in the chest and killed. United States District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell imposed the half-century term after Bruner’s guilty plea .

Background Information

According to court records, Bruner and another armed participant — both carrying 9mm pistols — waited for Aaron Pritchard at the Bellevue Apartments in Tulsa before confronting him at gunpoint on the night of October 10, 2019, intending to rob him of marijuana. During the robbery Pritchard was struck in the head with a pistol and ordered to take the assailants to an apartment; when he could not locate a key to the intended unit, he went to a neighbouring apartment occupied by Montgomery, and Bruner and his accomplice forced their way inside while continuing to hold Pritchard at gunpoint .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Admitted using a firearm in an armed robbery that killed Benjamin Montgomery; sentenced to fifty years.

As Montgomery’s apartment was invaded, a shot was fired through the front door and into the ceiling. Montgomery was inside with five friends when the armed intruders entered, and in an effort to protect those in the apartment he confronted the gunmen; during the ensuing struggle he was shot in the chest and killed. Bruner and his accomplice fled the scene. Although investigators were unable to determine which participant fired the fatal shot, the evidence established Bruner’s active role in the armed robbery and the firearm offence that resulted in Montgomery’s death — the basis of his admission and sentence . The homicide remained unsolved for several years until the FBI and Tulsa police developed new leads and reopened the case; DNA testing conducted during the investigation produced a profile consistent with Bruner’s DNA, connecting him to the crime and leading to the federal charge to which he pleaded guilty .

Public Reaction and Consequences

At the sentencing hearing, Montgomery’s family members and friends spoke about the lasting impact of his death and the years of grief they had endured, telling the court they were grateful for the work of law enforcement and prosecutors and believed justice had been served . The Justice Department’s announcement preserved the victim’s story in detail: Montgomery had celebrated his 22nd birthday just three days before his death, and family members described him as a loyal son, devoted brother, trusted friend, athlete, animal lover and “a young man known for protecting others and helping those in need” — a description his mother underscored in recalling that he regularly showed compassion to strangers, cared deeply for animals and remained exceptionally close to his family .

Current Status

Bruner was sentenced by Judge Frizzell to 50 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in Montgomery’s death; the sentencing was announced by the Northern District of Oklahoma’s U.S. Attorney’s Office on November 12, 2026 . The armed participant who was with Bruner on the night of the killing has not been identified in the public announcement, and no proceedings against any second participant were noted .

Impact on Their Career/Life

The 50-year term removes Bruner from the community for the remainder of his working life, and the conviction — a firearm offence tied to a death rather than a standalone robbery count — carries the sentencing weight the federal gun statute reserves for crimes that end in killing, even where the evidence could not fix the trigger-puller . The case also stands as a cold-case closure won by DNA: the homicide sat unsolved for years before genetic testing tied Bruner to the scene, a path investigators publicly credited in the announcement . For Montgomery’s family, the record now holds both the loss — a 22-year-old killed three days after his birthday while protecting five friends — and the judicial finding that Bruner’s planned armed robbery was the crime that caused it .

Sources

• “Cold Case Solved, Tulsa Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Planned Violent Robbery That Claimed a Young Life” — U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Oklahoma, 12 November 2026: source