VANCOUVER, Wash. — One of three suspects in the 2021 murder of Clark County Detective Sgt. Jeremy Brown was sentenced Thursday afternoon. Abran Raya Leon was found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting and sentenced to 350 months in prison.
“I'm alone, not one thing in my life remains the same; not my job, not my home, not my health, not my relationships,” said Brown’s wife Jill, who said there are no words to truly describe the loss.
It was an emotional afternoon in a courtroom filled with a law enforcement family and Brown's immediate family up front for the sentencing.
“Jeremy loved fiercely and it was evident in every aspect of his life, none of us are the same without him, our family will never be the same without him. He was the common thread that securely bound a melded family.”
Raya Leon was unemotional but listening to the impact statements before his sentencing on the second-degree murder charge.
Detective Sgt. Jeremy Brown, a 15-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), was 46 years old. During his tenure at the sheriff’s office he worked as a corrections deputy, patrol deputy and was currently assigned as a detective. On July 23, 2021, he was working undercover on a gun trafficking case at a Vancouver apartment complex.
Prosecutors say Raya Leon’s wife Misty Raya was the one who initiated a big gun theft and resale scheme which included her husband and his brother, 28-year-old Guillermo Raya Leon.
Guillermo is the one who prosecutors say snuck up on Brown and shot him as he sat in his unmarked vehicle. But Abran and Misty were both charged with second-degree murder, as accomplices to the crimes, including the effort to get away.
In the courtroom Abran could not get away from hearing about the damage he'd done. Brown’s sister spoke as well.
"Just in the past two years since the incident, Jeremy has missed being the best man at his son's wedding, he wasn't here to walk either of his daughters down the aisle, he wasn't here for the birth of his granddaughter Harlow who was born in December,” said Julie Savolainen through her tears.
Abran was described by the prosecution as unremorseful. He did offer a brief apology before the sentencing, saying in part, “To the family of the deceased who have suffered a great and terrible loss, to the wife I’m sorry for the loss of what was a loved man.”
In the end he heard from Judge David Gregerson, who set the penalty at the top of the range — 350 months or 27 years behind bars.
As for the other two defendants, their trials are set to start later this fall. Misty Raya’s trial is set on Oct. 9, and Guillermo Raya Leon’s trial starts next week. He faces an aggravated murder charge as the alleged gunman.