Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
Reginald Brown, 25 years old, and Jeremy Brown, 20, were found guilty on Monday of the brutal kidnap and murders of two Hamtramck women, 18-year-old Abreeya Brown and 22-year-old Ashley Conaway. The two men are not related to Abreeya Brown. Two other men were allegedly involved in the kidnapping and murder plot; they are awaiting a decision from a separate jury.
The two Brown men, who are cousins, were found guilty of first-degree murder, and were also convicted on charges of unlawful imprisonment, felony murder, and torture. News reports state that both will be sentenced to life in prison. Reginald Brown was also convicted on a felony weapons charge.
The two other men believed to be involved in the plot include 25-year-old Christopher Lee and 27-year-old Brandon Cain, who is Conaway’s ex-boyfriend and believed to be the mastermind behind the plot.
Brown and Conaway’s bodies were discovered on March 25 of this year; they had been buried in shallow graves.
After being abducted, which prosecutors believe occurred in front of Conaway’s stepfather’s home, the two women, who were said to have been stuffed into a car trunk, were able to text family members alerting them that Brandon Cain had kidnapped them. Prior to the alleged kidnapping and murders, Cain had been charged with shooting at the girls along with Christopher Lee in early February. The two allegedly shot at the girls to keep them from leaving a gathering. Police suspect that the kidnapping and murder plot was devised to quiet the potential witnesses about the shooting.
News reports state that Conaway and Abreeya Brown were offered $5,000 by Cain not to testify against him regarding the shootings; when they rejected the offer, he then offered two of the four suspected killers the $5,000 to commit the kidnapping/murders of the two victims.
Michigan criminal defense attorneys realize the impact of a conviction on first-degree murder charges. These young men will likely now spend the rest of their lives behind bars for the crimes they allegedly committed.
The loss of these two young women is certainly tragic, and devastating for their friends and family; however, there are occasions when people are wrongly convicted, and spend time in prison for crimes they did not commit.
If you have been charged with first-degree murder, homicide, or any violent offense, it is urgent that you consult with a seasoned Michigan criminal defense lawyer.