The Waffle House murder

Johnny Max Mount was a former firefighter in Biloxi, Mississippi, whose career ended in 2002 after a devastating traffic accident that left him with a severe brain injury and the loss of a limb. On November 27, 2015, Mount entered a Waffle House in Biloxi shortly after midnight, where longtime server Julie Brightwell was working. Brightwell, known for her kindness and warmth, asked Mount to stop smoking an e-cigarette inside the restaurant. After a brief argument, Mount left but returned moments later with a 9mm handgun. He shot Brightwell in the head as she ducked behind the counter, and she later died at the hospital. Mount stayed at the scene and was arrested, later charged with first-degree murder. His trial was delayed for years as his lawyers argued he was unfit to stand trial due to his prior brain injury. But then, in 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.