Kevin Brown | Homicide Watch DC

Judge Dismisses Case Against Kevin Brown in the Murder of James Dean

Kristian Hernandez — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:22:50 -0500

Kevin Brown was ordered released from jail Thursday and the murder charge against him dropped when prosecutors asked Judge Rhonda Winston to dismiss the case.

Brown, 31, has been held for nine months on the second-degree murder charge. Prosecutors had argued that Brown shot 19-year-old James Edward Dean in Feb. 2013.

Prosecutors asked that the case be dismissed on Thursday after a Grand Jury did not return an indictment against Brown. Prosecutors have nine months by law, beginning at the date of arrest, to indict a suspect. Without an indictment a case cannot proceed to trial.

"The case was dismissed pending further investigation," said Bill Miller, spokesman at the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Judge Winston dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning the government may re-file the case at a later time. Brown was ordered released from jail.

Brown was ordered held on June 6, 2013, and on July 18, 2013, Judge Ronna Beck found substantial probability that Brown participated in Dean's shooting death.

According to charging documents in the case, police heard five or six gunshots while conducting a traffic stop at around 5 p.m on February 10, 2013. They found Dean unconscious and unresponsive on the sidewalk of the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace, Southeast. He later died at Prince George’s County Hospital.

At the scene, police found seven bullet casings and several surveillance cameras that recorded a male suspect exiting the front passenger side of a black SUV and sprinting out of view, state charging documents.

Moments later, the video captures Dean walking by the camera and a man walking up behind him. The man then shoots Dean multiple times, runs back to the SUV, and the driver speeds away.

Charging documents state police located four witnesses to the shooting. One of them identified Brown from a photo array and told police it saw Brown exit the passenger side of a black SUV and walk up the street out of sight.

A few minutes later, the witness heard gunshots and saw Brown run back to the SUV with a dark object in his hand.

Judge Finds Substantial Probability in Case Against Kevin Brown

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:03:42 -0400

Judge Ronna Beck found substantial probability Friday that Kevin Brown participated in the shooting death of 19-year-old James Edward Dean.

Dean died February 10 after being found shot in front of an apartment complex on the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace Southeast, according to police.

At the preliminary hearing Friday, Detective Hosam Nasr testified that on the evening of Feb. 10, video footage captured a black SUV parking in front of apartment building 3149 Buena Vista Terrace Southeast.

According to the video, seconds after the SUV was parked, a man exited from the passenger seat and sprinted toward the apartment building. The video shows Dean walking past that same building when the man runs toward Dean from behind and begins to shoot. Dean is seen turning around and attempting to dodge the attack before he collapses. The shooter escapes in the black SUV parked several feet away.

Detective Nasr said the getaway car was owned by Brown's friend, who prosecutors identified in open court as Rodney Gardner.

Arrest documents say Gardner, also known as W-4, originally denied knowing anything about the murder, but days after the shooting he named Brown as the man who shot Dean.

According to prosecutors, Gardner told police that he had been smoking marijuana the day of the shooting and that Brown had met him at his house on 21st Place Southeast.

Detective Nasr said that Gardner told police that he drove Brown to Buena Vista Terrace because he thought Brown was going to buy marijuana. He also said he drove Brown away from Buena Vista Terrace after the shooting.

Nasr said Gardner told police that Brown never contacted or talked to him again.

Gardner was killed earlier this month.

On June 5 at approximately 10:20 p.m., Gardner was found suffering from gunshot wounds in his car parked in front of his house on the 1600 block of 21st Place Southeast. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Brown was arrested in connection with the Dean case two days later, on June 7. He is next expected in court Oct. 25 for a status hearing.

Kevin Brown Held in Connection with James Edward Dean Murder

Penny Ray — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:48:45 -0400

Judge Karen Howze ordered Kevin Brown held Friday pending a preliminary hearing in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old James Edward Dean.

Police found Dean lying on the sidewalk in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace Southeast around 5 p.m. February 10; he later died at Prince George's County Hospital.

Arrest documents say that surveillance cameras in the neighborhood of the shooting recorded a male suspect exit the front passenger side of a black SUV and sprint out of view. Moments later, the video captures Dean walking by the camera and a man walking up behind him. The man then shoots Dean multiple times, runs back to the SUV, and the driver speeds away.

A witness to the shooting told police she saw Brown exit the passenger side of a black SUV that evening and walk up the street out of sight. A few minutes later, the witness heard gunshots and saw Brown run back to the SUV with a dark object in his hand.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 28.

Arrest documents are below.

Kevin Brown Charging Documents (PDF)Kevin Brown Charging Documents (Text)