ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Cpl. Samantha English vividly remembers walking into Amanda Colley's upscale St. Johns County home three years ago and finding the 36-year-old mother's bullet-riddled body on her bathroom floor.
Colley and her best friend, Lindy Dobbins, 39, were killed by Colley's estranged husband during a shooting rampage on Aug. 27, 2015.
James Colley Jr. was convicted of their murders earlier this month, and the jury recommended last week that he should get the death penalty.
English, who was the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office's lead detective on the case, said she never doubted James Colley would be found guilty.
English testified during the trial and said she prayed the jurors would see what detectives saw and feel what they felt as they investigated the grisly shooting.
“The scene was pretty bad, but it’s just part of the job, so you do it,” English said as she opened up to News4Jax about what the case was like. “They both had young children and family who I’ve gotten to know and love, and that’s particularly difficult.”
English has been with the Sheriff's Office for 11 years but was just one year into her role with the Major Crimes Unit when she was tapped to be the lead on the Colley case.
She said she's worked dozens of murder cases but the Colley case stands out because of the shocking violence, which was captured on 911 calls the victims made. In the calls, both women can be heard begging for their lives in their final moments.
“The suffering of both Amanda and Lindy -- you can hear it in the 911 calls,” English said. “That was very difficult.”
She said she'll never forget the lessons the Colley case taught her. After working homicides, suicides and officer-involved shootings, English said the most grueling aspect of her job is the aftermath.
“Dealing with the survivors and the family left after somebody’s killed (is the toughest part),” English said.
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Despite the job's difficulties, English said she wouldn't change anything because it’s about getting justice -- which is what she feels the jury's guilty verdict gave Dobbins and Amanda Colley.
James Colley is scheduled to be back in court Oct. 2 for a Spencer hearing, when his attorneys will have one final chance to convince the judge to sentence to Colley to life in prison instead of death.