A West Aspect man was given a 20-year sentence on Wednesday for fatally taking pictures his childhood pal whereas on pretrial launch for a federal gun cost.
Marvin Browder, 41, pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide for the 2021 killing of Develle Sprawls earlier than Prepare dinner County Choose Kenneth Wadas, courtroom information present. Browder will serve solely half of that sentence underneath Illinois regulation.
The case towards Browder stretched throughout each federal and state courtrooms. His troubles started in June 2019 when he witnessed a taking pictures within the 500 block of South Lockwood Avenue in Austin.
Federal prosecutors stated surveillance video confirmed him leaving his youngster inside a comfort retailer earlier than working outdoors with a pistol in hand to seek for the shooters. When police arrested him minutes later, they discovered the gun in his pocket.
Browder allegedly admitted the weapon was his and informed detectives he chased the attackers into an alley. When requested if he shot at them, prosecutors stated he responded that he “didn’t get an opportunity to.”
That arrest led to Prepare dinner County prosecutors charging Browder as an armed ordinary felony, a Class X felony. The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace in Chicago later took over the case.
However whereas that case was pending, prosecutors stated Browder shot and killed Sprawls, his childhood pal, on April 6, 2021.
The lads had been hanging out within the West Aspect house Browder shared together with his 91-year-old grandmother when the 2 received into an argument that escalated within the basement, prosecutors alleged. Browder allegedly shot Sprawls, who collapsed after being shot a number of instances. Browder’s grandmother, who suffers from dementia, found him mendacity close to the again door.
Browder ultimately referred to as 911 and reported {that a} man had been shot in his yard. Responding officers discovered Sprawls with a pistol in his hand, however prosecutors argued the gun had no blood on it regardless of Sprawls’ physique and fingers being coated in blood.
Investigators additionally discovered bloody drag marks main from the house, 5 shell casings contained in the kitchen rubbish can, and extra casings within the basement. Detectives famous Sprawls had been shot 14 instances.
Browder claimed the taking pictures resulted from a battle after Sprawls fired a gun at him, however police stated there have been no bullet holes within the basement to help that story.
Relating to the federal gun cost, Browder pleaded responsible final December to illegal transportation of firearms, and U.S. District Choose Martha Pacold sentenced him to 4 years in jail.
