'You broke my heart': Man gets 125 years to life, plus 28 years after murdering girlfriend by shooting her 9 times
Jun. 23—Shaunte Spruell recalled Friday how her daughter gushed over her new boyfriend and how he kept her safe.
"You don't ever have to worry about me, Momma," Spruell recalled her daughter, Shavonna Wilson, telling her.
So when the boyfriend Samuel Brown shot Wilson at least nine times in 2020, killing her, betrayal cut Spruell and out emerged a nightmarish depression that landed her in the hospital. Spruell spoke through deep sobs as she relayed her experiences before defendant Brown was sentenced Friday to 125 years to life, plus 28 years in prison by Kern County Superior Court Judge John W. Lua.
"Sometimes it's hard to take a breath or smile," Spruell said.
Brown was convicted in May of first-degree murder, transporting drugs, having drugs for sale, possessing a firearm as a felon, attempted carjacking and assault on an elder. The allegations stemmed from two separate incidents, according to the Kern County District Attorney's Office.
He didn't have a reaction as Spruell spoke to him about her loss.
An unnamed 70-year-old victim and a friend were working on a 3-acre property in the Shafter and Wasco area in June 2020 when Brown drove up to them in a U-Haul truck. Prosecutors have said Brown was trespassing, and the 70-year-old attempted to block him by parking a truck in Brown's way.
Brown pulled the 70-year-old out of the truck and punched him multiple times, a news release from the Kern County District Attorney's Office said. Wilson, who was driving with Brown, crashed the U-Haul into the victim's truck and cleared a path for herself and Brown to leave, a news release said.
In August 2020, Brown shot his girlfriend nine times in a motel parking lot, placed her body in his vehicle and then dropped her off at Kern Medical, prosecutors said.
Bakersfield police found Brown, but he didn't stop, the news release said. It noted a high-speed chase began near Highway 99, continued onto Interstate 5 and ended after officers used a spike strip to stop Brown's car.
He was found with about a pound of methamphetamine and blood stains on his shirt, a news release added.
The death of Wilson left a deep impact on her mother — Spruell noted how she relapsed in her alcohol sobriety. She's on antidepressants and her heartbreak feels like a deep crack in her chest.
"Samuel, you broke my heart," Spruell said. "Samuel, you broke my heart. I trusted you."
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.
