News

25-year-old sentenced to life in prison for 2018 Sullivan Park murder

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 5, 2022

A 25-year-old Hendersonville man on Friday was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of a 42-year-old man at Sullivan Park in Green Meadows in the summer of 2018, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced.

Superior Court Judge William H. Coward, handed down the sentence in the first-degree murder trial of Kenneth Mills, who was convicted in the shooting death of Lavoris Jermaine Brown (AKA Breeze). According to court trial records and the sentencing hearing, at around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, a gorgeous day, Hendersonville police officers responded to a 911 call reporting multiple shots fired at the park with a downed victim.Officers and medics arrived on scene within minutes to a chaotic scene with multiple citizens/witnesses around the victim, who had been shot multiple times. Despite the best efforts of the first responders, Lavoris Brown died at the scene. An extensive investigation ensued that included the interviews of many that were at or near the park that day. Hendersonville police detectives quickly determined from the available evidence, including a brief video recording of the shooting voluntarily surrendered by a bystander, that Mills had discharged 10 rounds into the crowd from a semiautomatic handgun and then fled the scene. Officers located Mills four days later riding as a passenger in a car on Four Seasons Boulevard and arrested him.

The investigation by the Hendersonville Police Department led by Detective Kyle Thiel determined a public affray had occurred between two women in their mid-twenties. The two had mutually agreed to meet at the park to settle their argument. A hand-to-hand fight ensued between the two females before both parties went to the ground, with one of the females involved in the hand-to-hand combat clearly gaining control of the fight. One of the females was on her back while the other female had her pinned to the pavement with her weight while pummeling her. The female on her back, who was clearly at a disadvantage and in distress, was Brown’s, girlfriend. Brown attempted to intervene and pull the female, who had his girlfriend pinned to the pavement, off her. At that time another female bystander, Shameil Baker, attacked Brown from behind. When he immediately disengaged and spun around to confront Baker, Brown was instantly gunned down by Mills. The female aggressor was the defendant’s girlfriend. Mills fired 10 rounds at Brown and into the crowd with no regard for the safety of innocent observers, including children. Six of the bullets struck Brown and one bullet struck a bystander that was in close proximity to the deceased. The bystander was rushed to the hospital and survived his gunshot injury.

At trial, the defendant claimed self-defense and testified from the stand that the victim/deceased was carrying a weapon, and that he was fearful for his life and the life of his girlfriend. No other witnesses besides the defendant testified at trial that they actually witnessed the deceased with a weapon on the date of this incident. There is also no indication on the video clip of the incident that the deceased was carrying a weapon. The video did briefly capture the defendant with a .40 caliber Glock handgun raised towards the deceased, followed by sounds of multiple shots being fired and the crowd screaming. Responding law enforcement officers, that were on scene within minutes of the shooting, found no weapons on or near the body of the deceased.

A Henderson County jury of 12 citizens, after hearing all the evidence presented during a weeklong trial, deliberated for an hour and fifteen minutes before returning a unanimous verdict of guilty to first-degree murder.

Assistant District Attorneys Heather Brittain and Beth Dierauf handled the prosecution and sentencing of what Murray described as a horrific and senseless murder. Murray thanked the Hendersonville Police Department officers for their expedient response to a dangerous crime scene, and their thorough and meticulous investigation of a chaotic crime that included a multitude of witness, many of whom were reluctant to become involved.

"Their steadfast commitment to locating and securing a cold-blooded murderer before anyone else could be harmed is commendable," he said. "Their diligence, unwavering commitment to find the truth, and tireless efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of countless other possible victims."