In a case that left even the judge in tears, a Hillsborough man is sent to prison for killing a teenager in a fight.
By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published March 11, 2004
[Times photo: Stefanie Boyar]
Alan Thompson Jr. cries while listening to his sister Ashley ask Judge Rex Barbas for leniency on Wednesday. "Please give my brother another chance at life," Ashley Thompson said.
Alan Thompson and Ann Thompson listen as their son, Alan Thompson Jr., is sentenced for the death of 18-year-old Christopher Fannan (right).
Cyndi Fannan and her husband, Tim, react as Alan Thompson Jr. is sentenced for killing their son. Thompson apologized to them in court Wednesday.
TAMPA - Hillsborough Circuit Judge Rex Barbas had tears in his eyes and a quiver in his voice Wednesday as he mulled the fate of a man convicted of killing another with a single punch.
That singular moment presented Barbas with one of the most difficult decisions of his career, he told a teary-eyed and sniffling courtroom audience. Dead was a high school student who told his mother he loved her each day, and standing before Barbas was a former star athlete who had a promising future and a supportive family.
"I feel sorry for you, I do," Barbas told a shackled Alan Thompson Jr., 23, who faced a 15-year prison sentence for killing 18-year-old Christopher Fannan in a parking lot fight. "You have so much potential. I feel more sorry for your parents, your sister, your brother."
Barbas, who had to take a 15-minute recess during the hearing to gather his thoughts, gave Thompson a break.
He sentenced the former Sickles High School student to 101/2 years in prison and four years probation. Thompson was convicted Jan. 23 of third-degree murder and manslaughter by culpable negligence.
During his probation, Thompson must carry Fannan's picture with him at all times and lecture to students about the consequences of making poor decisions.
In handing down the sentence, Barbas said he was struck by Thompson's support network. His younger sister sobbed as she asked the judge for leniency, causing Thompson to hang his head and cry.
"Please give my brother another chance at life," Ashley Thompson said tearfully. "My brother is my best friend."
Thompson's parents and a friend's mother also pleaded for mercy.
"This man is special," his mother, Ann Thompson, told Barbas. "He has so much to give."
They told Barbas that Thompson worked two jobs bagging groceries in hopes of re-enrolling in college and had cared for children in his church nursery for years.
Barbas was impressed.
"I really do believe you have something to give (to society)," he said. "I hope you prove me right."
While crushed that her son was being sent to prison, Ann Thompson said after the hearing that she found solace in Barbas' words.
"The judge saw the true character of a loving person, not a murderer," a red-eyed Ann Thompson said.
She also said she hopes that Fannan's mother, Cyndi Fannan, forgives her son.
"Her own unforgiveness, her own bitterness, that will kill her," Ann Thompson said. "I hope she doesn't die. I hope she finds forgiveness in her heart."
Cyndi Fannan said she understood the judge's decision, and that it was difficult to forgive. "I've never hated anybody in my life," she said. "But this is pushing the limits. It's my only son."
Cyndi Fannan was out of town on business when her son was killed in the early morning hours of May 19, 2002.
Christopher Fannan, a Sickles High School senior, was hanging out with friends at the Steak n Shake restaurant in Citrus Park when they exchanged words with a group of men.
The men returned moments later with Alan Thompson, who delivered the fatal blow.
Thompson was tried once but the jury deadlocked. The second trial ended in a guilty verdict after the jury deliberated for 30 minutes.
Before he was sentenced, Thompson was given a chance to speak. He turned to the Fannans.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fannan, I would like to apologize to you," he said. "It was never my intention to hurt your son."
When the hearing ended, the somber courtroom emptied outside where both families stood at opposite ends of the hall. Supporters hugged them. Their attorneys counseled them. Both mothers cried. Barbas wiped away tears.
Alan Thompson and Ann Thompson listen as their son, Alan Thompson Jr., is sentenced for the death of 18-year-old Christopher Fannan (right). 
