A man convicted of participating in a home invasion that turned deadly was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday morning by Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Fields.
Heulon Brown, 23, will have to serve at least 25 years before becoming eligible for release.
Brown was convicted of 11 of 12 felony charges in an August 2010 home invasion, including felony first-degree murder. Fields ran his sentences on the less serious charges concurrently with the life sentence.
Brown and Michael White, 20, were two of four masked men who stormed into an East 24th Street duplex looking for marijuana, according to evidence presented by Deputy Pima County Attorney Carolyn Nedder.
Gunfire was exchanged between the masked men and one the victims.
Two of the victims were struck multiple times and survived, including a 14-year-old boy. Brown and White were struck also, and White died from his injuries.
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Brown, Martin Reaves and Ashton Walker were each charged with first-degree murder under the felony murder rule, which says a person can be charged with murder if someone dies during the commission of certain felonies.
Reaves, 22, was acquitted in December. Walker pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison last month.
Brown apologized to the 14-year-old victim and the boy’s mother. He told the boy he’s glad he survived and he prays he will someday be forgiven, although he never thought anyone was going to be hurt that day.
Kim Smith
