Allan found competent in murder trial of daughter of local realtor

A Carson City woman fears there will be no justice for her slain daughter.

Gayle Farley said she is concerned that a lenient criminal justice system will go easy on a Sparks man accused of shooting 23-year-old Kellie Parry in October 1999.

Brandon Douglas Allan, 24, was found competent to aid in his own defense and is scheduled to appear in Washoe District Court in June on a murder charge.

Since his arrest the day of the shooting, Allan has maintained his innocence, saying that he accidentally discharged a .50-caliber handgun in the bedroom of his home in the 5400 block of Slope Drive. The bullet hit Parry in the back.

Farley, a real-estate agent, said she feels responsible for taking up her daughter's cause. The criminal justice system, she said, lets criminals through the cracks, ultimately resulting in catastrophe.

"The way the laws are written now, people are allowed to skate through," she said. "We live in such a liberal society. We aren't making people responsible for their actions."

She further believes that stiffer sentencing could have protected her daughter. Farley said Allan's conviction for aiming and unlawfully discharging a firearm should have resulted in prison time, considering his previous record. "They didn't give this guy anything more than a time-out."

As for her daughter, Farley regrets that she lost her to drugs in the last month, but says she hopes to do right by standing up for her in court.

"It helps me to participate in the process because I am the only one that can be here for Kellie."

Farley questions the legitimacy of Allan's claim that the shooting was an accident. She said she believes the killing was an act of murder fueled by drug use and evidenced by a history of violence.

"My concern is that he will be convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 20 years and then he'll be out in seven," She said. "I don't think that he should ever get out: He shot her in the back."

During questioning by police the day of the incident, Allan said he was sitting with his legs up and the gun resting between his knees. A large knot on his head was caused by the recoil of the pistol.

The .50-caliber "Desert Eagle" handgun is one of the largest and most powerful on the market.

Allan has a long criminal history including violence and drug use.

His first run-in was as a 17-year-old when officials believe he pointed an automatic pistol at his father and threatened to commit suicide. He was committed for mental health treatment as "suicidal."

In 1993, Allan was found to be in possession of two stolen guns. He pleaded guilty to petit larceny and served four hours.

In 1994, Allan pointed a handgun at two teenage girls during a road-rage incident. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and served 6 months suspended, with 100 hours of community service.

In 1997, he once again served six months suspended after admitting to pointing a gun at his estranged wife and then discharging it into the ground.

At his preliminary hearing in Sparks Justice Court in early December, Allan's mother, Maureen Allan-Fry, admitted that she bought the gun for Allan as a birthday present. She testified that she did not consider her son to be violent.

When asked why she bought the gun, she said "Brandon and I, his late father, our entire family have been hunters coming to Nevada for probably 30 years."

Also at the hearing, Allan-Fry described Allan as appearing to be mentally unstable the day of the shooting. When she came over to the house and discovered the what had happened, Allan was rambling.

"He made statements of, 'She should not have did what she did,"'she testified.