A Caddo District Judge Thursday, November 2, 2017, found a local man guilty of murdering a former romantic partner almost three years ago.
Kelvin Dewayne Brown II, 29, of Benton, faces a mandatory life sentence in prison at hard labor, with no possibility of probation, parole or reduction of sentence when he returns to Judge John D. Mosely Jr.’s courtroom Tuesday, November 7, 2017 for formal sentencing. Mosely ruled Brown guilty of second-degree murder after hearing witnesses, police, forensic experts and friends of victim Alicia West, 33, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 30-31, 2017.
West ended her relationship with Brown shortly before the December 6, 2014 murder. She later was attacked and her throat slashed. She died at University Health.
Judge Mosely articulated a number of reasons for his ruling. He concentrated a great deal on Alicia West’s dying declaration, where the victim stated that “Kelvin Brown” attacked her and that he used “a knife.”
The gallery was filled with many of West’s family and friends, including her mother and father, aunts, cousins, step-father and best friend, who had testified earlier. At one point, West’s mother, Exa Bloomer, fled from the courtroom when Judge Mosely detailed the extent and nature of West’s injuries.
Judge Mosely noted that the murder was especially brutal and that it had come after months of Brown stalking, harassing and frightening West. The judge also noted the volume of evidence against Brown: West’s dying declaration, cell phone records that showed defendant’s location to be near the crime scene and a skullcap left at the crime scene bearing the defendant’s DNA. The judge also noted that the defendant’s alibi of being in a parking lot having sex with a different woman was undercut by that woman’s earlier testimony that she did NOT see Brown on the day of the murder, let alone have sex with him.
“The family expressed great relief that this part of the journey has come to a close,” said Caddo Parish Assistant District Attorney Britney A. Green. She prosecuted the case for the state with fellow ADA Ron Christopher Stamps. Brown was defended by Michelle Andrepont.