Quinten Kight, 42, a former Special Forces sniper, has been sentenced to at least 12 and a half years in prison for a drunken boating incident that killed 10-year-old Brooklyn Carroll and critically injured Jennifer Stehle on August 2, 2025. The crash occurred at Shearon Harris Reservoir in North Carolina.
Kight pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, death or serious injury by impaired boating, driving a motor boat while impaired, and operating a boat in a reckless manner. He received a sentence ranging from a minimum of 12 years and six months to a maximum of 15 years and five months as part of his plea agreement.
Investigators found 39 empty beer cans on Kight's boat, which was owned by his girlfriend, Annemarie Flanigan, 56. More than 50 additional cans were later recovered from the lake. Five hours after the crash, Kight's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.17, more than double the legal limit.
Brooklyn Carroll was swimming with friends and family of Jennifer Stehle, a social worker at Carroll's elementary school and the mother of Carroll's best friend. Carroll was pronounced dead at the scene. Stehle sustained severe injuries, including the amputation of her left leg due to propeller damage.
Kight's defense attorney highlighted his client's military career, which included multiple deployments and service as a Green Beret and Special Forces Sniper. The attorney also noted Kight's 2022 diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center before his discharge from the army. CTE, a condition linked to repeated head trauma, can cause behavioral changes, cognitive impairment, and impulse control issues.
Kight has a history of impaired driving offenses, including a conviction in New Mexico in 2010 and a citation for impaired driving in North Carolina in 2023. He also faced charges for a hit-and-run incident in Moore County, for which he pleaded guilty in January and received a prison sentence of five months to one year and three months.
Annemarie Flanigan, the owner of the boat, faces charges including second-degree murder and two counts of death or serious injury by impaired boating. She has pleaded not guilty, and her case is ongoing.
Victim impact statements were shared during the sentencing hearing. Brooklyn's father, Matt Carroll, described his daughter as "our everything" and stated that her death was "not an accident." Her mother, Kim Cannon, expressed the profound lifelong grief of losing her daughter. Jennifer Stehle spoke of her choice to move forward with "faith, grace over bitterness, hope over despair."
Civil lawsuits have been filed by the families of Carroll and Stehle against Kight, Flanigan, and others present on the boat. Kight and Flanigan have invoked their Fifth Amendment right in response to the lawsuits. The civil trials are anticipated to begin next summer.