Man convicted of Killeen murder asks to hold baby for first time | Local News

Mann was booked into the Bell County Jail on May 15, 2023, after being arrested by U.S. Marshals. He was being held without bail Monday afternoon following the sentencing hearing in the 426th Judicial District Court.

“Today I am going to find you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of first-degree murder,” Judge Steve Duskie said during the 15-minute hearing Monday afternoon. “The plea agreement comes with a sentencing recommendation of 35 years and I will honor the agreement.”

After the judge handed down the sentence, Mann's defense attorney asked the judge for one special consideration: that Mann be allowed to hold his child for the first time. Duskie quickly explained that no physical contact with a defendant is permitted once a guilty plea has been accepted by the court.

“This is my policy and I will not change it today,” Duskie said.

On May 8, 2023, around 10 a.m., Killeen Police were dispatched to a shooting that had just occurred at the Star Mart in the 3600 block of Zephyr Drive. Around the same time, a related call was received “indicating that the shooting victims had traveled by private vehicle to a nearby residence and additional officers responded to that location,” according to an affidavit from 'arrest. “Officers learned that three people were suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them (victims) was identified as Brownlow, who suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. He appeared deceased at the scene but life-saving measures were attempted.

Brownlow was taken by helicopter to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Cavazos, where he died.

“Officers reviewed surveillance video from the store that showed Brownlow, Keimari Hughes and Marcquell Gadison-Thomas arriving in a white Nissan, entering the store and approaching the counter,” according to the affidavit. “At the counter, Hughes notices another person who was already in the store and his attitude visibly changes. The three leave the store, get into their vehicle and (start to) drive out of the parking lot.

As the vehicle began to drive away, police said the man inside walked out of the store, pulled out a gun and shot at the vehicle. More than 20 .40 caliber bullet casings were found near the entrance to the store and the car was later found to be riddled with at least 10 bullet holes.

Police used that same surveillance video to determine that Mann was a suspect. The video shows Mann and a woman arriving on foot, leading police to believe they lived nearby. The woman can be heard on the video calling the man “Donovan,” police said.

“Other information received during the investigation indicates that the shooter was a person who lived on Dugger Circle in Killeen, which is close to the convenience store,” police said. “Agents searched databases for people meeting these criteria and discovered that Mann resided on Dugger Circle. Officers obtained a photo of (Mann's) driver's license and he strongly resembled the person in the surveillance video.

The store clerk identified Mann from a photo lineup.

Both men along with Brownlow have been convicted or face unrelated criminal charges. Hughes was sentenced in May to five years in prison for burglary. Gadison-Thomas is expected to appear before a jury in October on two unrelated criminal charges.

Brownlow's mother, Rachel Dees, spoke to the Herald on Friday after Mann pleaded guilty. She had contacted the newspaper because she disagreed with the plea deal negotiated between the state's attorney and Mann's defense attorney.

“I told the DA's office that I wasn't comfortable with the plea deal, but that it doesn't matter what I think,” Dees said. “The charges against Mann are proven by video and audio evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. This is a strong case of premeditated murder of a child.”

During her victim impact statement Monday, Dees — dressed in black — stood at a podium and directly faced Mann, who was seated at the defense table and dressed in an orange prison-issued outfit.

“You asked to hold your child when I will never be able to hold mine again,” Dees said.

Dees began her statement by saying she didn't think Mann felt remorse for the murder of her son, who was 10 days away from turning 17.

“I believe you should be in prison for the rest of your life,” she said. “What you did didn't make any sense because you didn't even know Sonny. You killed him because you didn't like that there was anyone else in that car. Our lives are forever changed. Sonny's future was taken by you and 35 years in prison is not justice for the cold blooded murder of my son.

The Herald contacted the Bell County Prosecutor's Office after Monday's sentencing hearing.

“It is impossible to imagine the pain Sonny’s mother must be feeling,” Bell County Prosecutor Henry Garza said in an email Monday. “No sentence, no matter how long, can compensate for his loss. Each case is evaluated based on the existing facts and circumstances and it is then the duty of the prosecutor to seek justice, which requires a careful and impartial examination of the evidence and facts. In this case, the prosecutor believed that 35 years in prison was an appropriate sentence. This gives finality to the sentence since he has waived his right to appeal and the accused will now be sent to prison.