Man gets life in 'Joe Cool' boat slayings

Empty boat discovered
A day later, when the boat and crew were overdue, Coast Guard officials found an empty Joe Cool floating in the azure waters some 30 miles from Cuba. Officials found Archer and Zarabozo a few miles away in the yacht's life raft.

They initially told rescuers a tale about being attacked by Cuban pirates who killed the four aboard, but both later admitted it was a lie.

Prosecutors said Archer killed Branam and his wife on the upper decks while Zarabozo shot the two crew members in the cabin. Authorities say their bodies were dumped overboard. Zarabozo at his trial denied killing anyone. Phone and e-mail messages to his attorneys Tuesday for a comment on the sentencing and how it might affect Zarabozo were not immediately returned.

Relatives say they don't have closure, in large part because the bodies were never found.

"The only grave we have is the ocean," said Amy Gamble.

In the months following the killings, an expensive and often contentious custody battle over the Branams' young son and daughter dragged on in family court. Kelley's sister is now caring for the children. Taylor, who is now 3, pretends to phone her mother and ask, "Mommy, when are you coming home?"

No one was surprised, including Archer, that Judge Paul Huck would sentence him to life behind bars.

'I deserve the death penalty'
"There's nothing I can say to fix it or take it back," said Archer, who has grown pale and puffy in prison. "I deserve to sit in jail the rest of my life. I deserve the death penalty, no question about that."

His plea deal precluded him from being executed.

Archer admitted the four aboard didn't deserve to die.

"These people were good people," he said. "They didn't do any wrong to me."

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