Lene'a Brown killer pleads guilty to second-degree murder, misdemeanor stalking
On a dreary Friday morning, more than a dozen people gathered outside Courtroom 1A of the Townsend Justice Center to witness the end of the prosecution of the killer of 17-year-old Lene'a Brown, who was shot dead near Buckboard Park on May 14.
Most of those hearing attendees wore red in one form or another to support Brown — flannel shirts, hoodies and T-shirts lined the left rows of the courtroom ahead of the trial.
Eavan Castaner, Brown's now-convicted killer, walked into the courtroom at 10:30 a.m. from a right side door. He wore a red jumpsuit, his hair in a slightly overgrown buzz cut. The 16-year-old's shackles jingled quietly as he shuffled to meet with his attorney.
Castaner, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and misdemeanor stalking, the latter of which will be fulfilled as time served. Second-degree murder carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison.
Castaner was initially charged with first-degree murder and stalking, but the charge was amended as part of the plea deal.
Throughout the course of Castaner's brief, 15-minute hearing, the defendant rarely uttered a word other than "yes, sir," as the presiding judge walked him through the proceedings and charges.
The courtroom remained near silent until Castaner's attorney, Ryan Semerad, walked through the events of April and May to confirm the facts of the charges.
As Semerad's questions drew closer to the moment Brown was shot, several members of the gallery began to cry.
Castaner's guilty plea concluded nearly six months of litigation and came after a motion to move the trial to juvenile court that was ultimately never heard.
Brown's May death came as a shock to a Casper community already reeling from the death of another teen, Bobby Maher, who was stabbed to death at Eastridge Mall in April.
The Blue Heart Collaborative, founded in the wake of Maher's death to raise awareness about bullying and youth mental health, also held events to honor the life of Lene'a Brown.
Since Brown's death, she's been memorialized at a public wake that was held in May, in Facebook groups and other, in-person events throughout Casper.
— Dylan Farrell can be reached at 307-441-0496, or on X Love Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.
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