Two Providence men charged with murder in 2021 shooting death of 24-year-old Warwick woman
PROVIDENCE – Two Providence men have been indicted in the death of a 24-year-old Warwick woman who was shot and killed as she stood on a Providence street talking to a friend last August, public safety officials announced Friday.
Shawn Mann, 31, and Isaiah Pinkerton, 25, are each charged with murder in the death of Miya Brophy-Baermann, a trained speech pathologist who graduated from the University of Rhode Island, public safety officials said.
Brophy-Baermann's death had been a public mystery for more than a year. It sparked outrage, the promise of financial rewards for information leading to an arrest and fundraising for a scholarship in her honor.
After gathering with friends earlier in the evening, Brophy-Baermann was standing along Olney Street at 3:30 a.m. with one of those friends when shots were fired from a car that sped past, according to police. The Providence police have said Brophy-Baermann did not appear to be a target.
Previously in this case: Family of 24-year-old Providence shooting victim remember her as their 'light'
Mann and Pinkerton were indicted Wednesday. The secret indictment was unsealed Friday, and the two men were arraigned in Providence County Superior Court. Both men pleaded not guilty and are being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institution.
“For over a year, this Office and the Providence Police Department have sought justice for Miya and her family, and with today’s indictment, we are one step closer towards achieving that goal,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a press release announcing the indictments.
Investigators say a Polymer80 ghost gun was used to kill Brophy-Baermann. So-called ghost runs were banned in Rhode Island and are especially problematic for police because they don't have serial numbers and can't be traced.
The indictment charges Mann with one count of murder; one count of conspiracy to commit murder; one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, resulting in death; one count of committing a drive-by shooting; one count of conspiracy to commit a drive-by shooting; one count of possession of a ghost gun; two counts of conspiracy to possess a ghost gun; two counts of carrying a pistol without a license; two counts of conspiracy to carry a pistol without a license; one count of assault with intent to commit murder; and one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Pinkerton is charged with one count of murder; one count of conspiracy to commit murder; one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, resulting in death; one count of committing a drive-by shooting; one count of conspiracy to commit a drive-by shooting; two counts of possession of a ghost gun; two counts of conspiracy to possess a ghost gun; two counts of carrying a pistol without a license; two counts of conspiracy to carry a pistol without a license; two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; one count of assault with intent to commit murder; and one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
The indictment also charges the defendants with multiple charges related to the possession of a Polymer80 ghost gun on December 12, 2021, according to public safety officials.
"Our thoughts are with Miya’s family and loved ones today," Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements, Jr., said.
Clements said he was proud of the officers who investigated the case, specifically Detective Sgt. Timothy McGann and Detective Theodore Michael.
Brophy-Baermann graduated from Classical High School in 2015 and magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from URI in 2019. She received her Master's in Speech-Language Pathology from Northeastern University in May 2021. She started her first job as a speech clinician only weeks before her killing.
More: Mother of woman killed in Providence grapples with grief, social media and anonymous reward
"Miya was a selfless person who will be remembered for her infectious and optimistic personality. She made complete strangers feel welcomed and treated everyone equally and as a friend," her obituary said. "She had an unbelievable work ethic for her own goals and the causes she believed in. In her pursuit of social justice, Miya lived the experience many just talk about."
Providence Commissioner of Public Safety Steven M. Paré said, "This senseless act of gun violence has had a profound impact upon so many that were close to Miya, as well as the greater community. The Providence Police Department is committed to achieving justice for a young woman whose life was cut far too short."
He commended the Providence Police Department and the attorney general's office.
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Murder charges for two men accused of shooting Miya Brophy-Baermann
