Second man on trial for 2020 Arlington Valley murder of Bloomington resident Damon Brown
Damon Brown, a 26-year-old Bloomington resident, died after being struck in the chest by a bullet amid a hail of gunfire.
The three Indianapolis men who were there that night were charged with robbery and murder.
Under Indiana law, even though just one fired the fatal bullet, they all are equally responsible for Brown's death. That's because he was killed in the commission of a felony, in this case, robbery.
It's unclear who fired the shot that struck and killed Brown.
One, 26-year-old Jamal McFadden, was found guilty and sentenced last month to 56 years in prison. On Monday, a lawyer filed a motion appealing his convictions for murder and robbery resulting in serious injury.
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Another suspect, Malik Brian Bennett, is on the run with a no-bond murder warrant out for his arrest. He disappeared soon after detectives interviewed him about what happened the night of Oct 26, 2020, the night Brown died.
The third, 26-year-old Keshawn Bess, is on trial this week on two charges: murder and robbery resulting in serious injury.
On Wednesday, Bloomington Police Department Detective Chris Scott testified about what officers discovered when they arrived at Arlington Valley Trailer 116 about 8:30 the night Brown was killed.
Medics were treating Brown on the front porch and the suspects had fled on foot.
Security camera footage from a nearby mobile home showed that just 10 minutes elapsed from the time the suspects went in the front door and when they ran from the trailer amid guns firing.
Investigators discovered bullet holes in and around the front door, and also the back door, where a dozen spent shell casings were found. There was a lot of blood in the living room.
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Scott described how detectives tracked the three men using cellphone records and information from witnesses who were present when the shooting broke out.
Some key evidence was left behind at the scene of the crime: McFadden's Chevrolet Impala parked out front and a Louis Vuitton bag containing 10 pounds of marijuana and boxes of THC vape cartridges a fleeing suspect apparently hid by a shed.
Court documents filed in the case say Brown had called his brother earlier that night and asked him to come to the mobile home because he was selling marijuana "to some guys he was not comfortable with."
The brother complied, and said he went into the living room and saw Brown with his arms held up and two men pointing handguns at him. "Just take it," his brother reportedly said, just before one of the men fired a shot that hit Brown.
After that, "a large amount of gunfire" ensued, Scott said.
Monroe Circuit Judge Valeri Haughton is overseeing the cases.
McFadden chose a bench trial instead of a jury trial; Haughton listened to evidence and arguments from both sides for two days in October, and found him guilty. This week, she's presiding over the jury trial for Bess.
Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Keshawn Bess on trial for Arlington Valley murder of Damon Brown
