INDIANAPOLIS — A teenager has been convicted of felony murder in the 2023 shooting of 18-year-old Bryce Brown in Lawrence, prosecutors announced Thursday.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Derek Reasor, of McCordsville, was found guilty of felony murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, robbery resulting in bodily injury, armed robbery and dangerous possession of a firearm after a three-day jury trial.
Two other people, Quayvon George and Kayjuan Gay, were also charged for their roles in the incident.
George pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and is awaiting sentencing. In June, Gay pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 17 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
The shooting happened May 26, 2023, in the 8000 block of East Louisville Way, near 42nd Street and Franklin Road in Lawrence. Responding officers found Brown inside his car with a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators learned Reasor, George, Gay and another minor planned to rob Brown when he arrived at an apartment complex for a transaction with them, prosecutor said.
"According to witnesses, the suspects tried to use counterfeit money and then attempted to rob Brown and others in his vehicle," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "During the robbery, another passenger in Brown’s vehicle was shot and Brown was killed."
Investigators used social media communications and phone records to determine what happened, along with surveillance footage from a gas station nearby and body camera footage from weeks prior.
"Youth in our community are increasingly making poor decisions, especially when it involves firearms,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “The consequences of this behavior resulted in the tragic loss of life and a murder conviction for a 17-year-old. As a community, we must do our part to empower our young people to be mindful and equip them with the tools to do the right thing.”