STAPLETON – STAFF WRITER
October 10, 2007 DAYTONA BEACH – A young man facing life in prison for choking his grandmother, then slashing her to death near her Christmas tree, did what some considered the only decent thing he could do Tuesday – he pleaded guilty to the charges.The life sentence Christopher Culp, 21, got for the surprise guilty plea to first-degree murder and robbery may have been no different than if he were found guilty by a jury for the Dec. 15 killing. But it might help a broken family heal.Linda Hummer, 59, loved Culp like a son and did all she could to help him.
Under her Christmas tree, Hummer had already wrapped and stacked up the presents. Many of the gifts were for her grandson, Culp, who had been battling methamphetamine and crack cocaine addiction. To his family, Culp was doing better; he was going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings and working at a car wash.