BIG COPPITT KEY, Fla. – A woman from Big Coppitt Key will spend decades in state prison for fatally shooting her boyfriend inside their home in 2023.
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According to the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, Brittany Holbrook, 35, was sentenced Friday to 40 years in state prison. The first 25 years of her sentence are to be served without the possibility of earned gain time.
Holbrook was found guilty of second-degree murder on Feb. 24, 2025, with the jury taking less than an hour to reach their verdict.
According to authorities, the shooting occurred in the early morning hours of June 17, 2023.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and found the victim, Tyler Nulisch, 30, lying on the floor of the living area with a gunshot wound to the back, and Holbrook beside him.
According to an arrest report, the couple had drinks at their house before heading to bed the night of June 16, 2023. Holbrook first told detectives she wasn’t sure what happened next and that “there was a gap” in her memory, the report stated.
Then she claimed Nulisch had been strangling her, according to the report, but “no marks of any kind were observed around her throat.”
The couple’s roommate later told deputies that he had been awoken by Holbrook screaming and exited his bedroom to find Nulisch lying on the floor of the living room and bleeding, the report stated
The roommate told deputies that he “tried to ask Nulisch what happened and Nulisch replied ‘that b---- shot me in the back,’ referring to the girlfriend Brittany Holbrook,” deputies wrote. “Holbrook had no reaction after Nulisch made that statement.”
Nulisch was taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center, where he died, authorities said.
Prosecutors said a 9 mm handgun and a spent shell casing were recovered at the scene.
“This case is a tragic reminder of how quickly domestic arguments can turn deadly,” State Attorney Dennis Ward said in a statement. “We appreciate the jury’s swift and decisive verdict and commend law enforcement and our prosecution team for their outstanding work in securing justice for Tyler Nulisch.”
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant State Attorney David Alvarez, added, “The evidence spoke volumes. Mr. Nulisch’s final words, combined with the forensic findings and lack of physical injuries consistent with Holbrook’s self-defense claim, made the facts clear. We thank the jury for their service and thoughtful deliberation.”