Man gets life in 'Joe Cool' boat slayings

updated 3:40 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2008

MIAMI - Kirby Archer sat stone-faced Tuesday while listening to the families of the four people he killed aboard a fishing boat describe how the slayings ruined their lives.

"Our hell is on earth and it began with you," sobbed Amy Gamble, the half-sister of the boat's captain, Jake Branam.

When the relatives finished their anguished testimony, a judge sentenced Archer to five consecutive life terms. The 36-year-old pleaded guilty in July to first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and hijacking the 'Joe Cool' yacht in September 2007 after it left Miami for the Bahamas. Archer was sentenced to one life sentence for each count of murder and a fifth for the conspiracy count.

He stood up and addressed his victims' families.

"For the family, I wish that, um, I wish I could take back what happened," he said slowly. "I wish I could show a little more emotion. But I'm not built that way."

Guillermo Zarabozo, a second man accused in the slayings, was convicted last month on lesser firearms charges and could face life in prison. A mistrial was declared on 12 other charges, which included kidnapping and first-degree murder with a second trial set for next year.

Theft at Wal-Mart
The story began in January 2007 in Batesville, Ark., when Archer — who was under investigation on child molestation charges there — stole $94,000 from the Wal-Mart where he worked and made a beeline to Florida. He hid out for months and by September, had befriended Zarabozo, an 18-year-old Cuban-American, prosecutors said.

Archer and Zarabozo booked the 47-foot "Joe Cool," at the Miami Beach Marina for a phony trip to Bimini, Bahamas, but intended all along to hijack it to Cuba, prosecutors say. The two men paid $4,000 in cash to go to Bimini.

The boat was owned by 27-year-old Jake Branam. His half brother, Scott Gamble, and a buddy, Sammy Kairy, worked as crew members.

On Sept. 22, Branam's wife, 30-year-old Kelley, dropped off the couple's children — then six months and 2 years old — at their great-grandparents' house so she could go on the trip.

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