Man guilty of murder of Eastpointe cousin Zion Foster to be sentenced

DETROIT — A Detroit man convicted of killing his teenage cousin Zion Foster, whom he admitted to throwing in the dumpster in 2022, was to be sentenced Monday.

After deliberating for less than an hour Thursday, May 16, a jury found Jaylin Brazier guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Zion Foster, her 17-year-old cousin. Foster disappeared from her Eastpointe home in January 2022. Brazier admitted the two were together during her final moments at her Detroit home and that he put her body in a dumpster after she died.

Brazier's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, June 3. He faces life imprisonment.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office presented dozens of witnesses during Brazier's trial in May, hoping to prove that Brazier was responsible for Foster's death and not just her disappearance. The defense did not call any witnesses to the stand, but argued there was no evidence that Brazier was directly responsible for Foster's death.

Brazier told police that Foster's breathing became shallow after smoking marijuana and she died suddenly. He also admitted to panicking and driving Foster to a dumpster in Highland Park, where he left her body.

Foster's family reported her missing on January 10, 2022. She was last seen on January 4, 2022, when she was picked up from her Eastpointe home by Brazier.

Police eventually connected Foster's cell phone to Brazier during their investigation, leading them to Brazier.

Brazier's first accusations in this case

Three weeks after Foster's disappearance, police arrested Brazier and accused him of lying to police.

Brazier initially told police she hadn't seen her missing cousin at all, allowing authorities and family members to search for Foster for weeks. Foster's mother said Brazier even helped search for Foster around that time.

Brazier later told police he was smoking marijuana with Foster when she suddenly stopped breathing and died. He later admitted he panicked and threw Foster's body in a dumpster, but insisted he was not responsible for her death.

Prosecutors questioned in March 2022 whether Foster was actually dead when he was allegedly thrown in the dumpster. Authorities searched for Foster's body at a Lenox Township landfill for weeks in 2022 but were unsuccessful and called off the search in October of that year.

—> Court paints picture of missing Eastpointe teen Zion Foster, where her body may be located

Brazier was accused of lying to authorities during their investigation. He accepted a plea deal and was sentenced in 2022 to 23 months to 4 years in prison. He was released from prison in 2023 after serving 10 months.

Brazier later charged with murder

Although Foster's body was never found, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office charged Brazier in June 2023 in connection with Foster's death. Prosecutor Kym Worthy argued there was enough evidence to bring charges against Brazier, even if he didn't have Foster's body.

After hearing significant evidence during Brazier's preliminary hearing in August 2023, a judge ordered Brazier to stand trial on his latest charges.

A jury was impaneled on Monday, May 6, 2024. Brazier's trial began the following Tuesday.

Brazier's attorney, Brian Brown, insists his client is innocent.

Brazier previously admitted to police that he didn't think to call 911 when he noticed something was wrong with his cousin the night they were smoking marijuana together. He told police he was scared and panicked, and not in a good state of mind because of the marijuana, and that he drove her body to a dumpster in Highland Park.

“I don’t know exactly how she died or what caused it,” Brazier said previously. “I know just a minute, she was cool, she was fine. She laid there for a minute, and the next thing I know, she just… she was dead. I don't know what caused it. I didn't cause it or anything like that. I reacted stupidly out of fear and panic like I had never felt before in my life.

In ordering Brazier to stand trial, Judge Kenneth King of the 36th District Court called Brazier a “sick person” and questioned why the man did not call for help for someone he was supposed to love.

A significant amount of evidence was expected to be revealed during Brazier's trial. Click here to view testimony from Brazier's preliminary hearing last fall.