District Attorney Brian Mason Obtains 80-Year Prison Sentence for D’Marcus Jones-Brown; Defendant Murdered Two Men, Shot Police Officer and 8-Year-Old Boy
Brighton, CO —Today, District Attorney Brian Mason is announcing the 80-year prison sentence for D’Marcus Jones-Brown, 31. An Adams County Jury convicted Jones-Brown of two counts of Second-Degree Murder for the murder of Anthoni Readus and Wayne Carter as well as Attempted Second Degree Murder for the attempted murder of Aurora Police Officer Jason Sweeney. Mr. Jones-Brown was convicted of these crimes and various other charges on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, after an eight-day jury trial. District Attorney Brian S. Mason and Chief Deputy District Attorney Tim Twining led the prosecution of the case.
On August 31, 2018, D’Marcus Jones-Brown left work and returned to his Aurora home to find that his wife and her eight-year-old son in their apartment. Jones-Brown expressed his displeasure with his wife and her son having placed stickers on the wall, so he stripped them off in anger. This led to an argument between Jones-Brown and his wife. Jones-Brown’s wife attempted to leave the home with her eight-year-old son, but the defendant physically restrained her from doing so. The young boy attempted to assist his mother, but Jones-Brown shoved the eight-year-old into a dresser. His wife and her son eventually escaped the defendant’s grasp and left the home. She called 911, friends, and family for help.
A short time later, her son’s father, Anthoni Readus, 25, and the woman’s brother, Wayne Carter, 19, arrived on scene, as did Officer Jason Sweeney of the Aurora Police Department. While Officer Sweeney took a statement from the woman, Mr. Carter, Mr. Readus, and her eight-year-old son walked through the apartment complex parking lot. As they were walking, Mr. Jones-Brown confronted them and shot Mr. Carter five times, shot Mr. Readus seven times, and shot the eight-year-old boy one time.
Officer Sweeney heroically rushed toward the gunfire and found Readus, Carter, and the young boy suffering from gunshot wounds. Officer Sweeney immediately encountered the defendant, who opened fire on the officer, striking him in his Kevlar vest near his lower abdomen. Officer Sweeney returned fire and struck Jones-Brown several times. Portions of the shooting were caught on Officer Sweeney’s bodycam. Officer Sweeney and Jones-Brown both survived their injuries. Both Mr. Readus and Mr. Carter died of multiple gunshot wounds. The 8-year-old boy survived a gunshot wound to the leg.
“There are very few nightmares that can compete with the atrocities that D’Marcus Jones-Brown inflicted on his victims on August 31, 2018,” said District Attorney Brian Mason.
“Wayne Carter and Anthoni Readus will never wake up again, and Officer Jason Sweeney will relive this real-life nightmare every time he puts his bulletproof vest back on. And this innocent eight-year-old boy, now 11, will wake up for the rest of his life without his father, without his uncle, and knowing that he himself escaped death after having seen a man he looked up to as a father-like figure gun down two of the people he most loved.
This is one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless crimes I have seen in my career. Mr. Jones-Brown shot two innocent, unarmed men, an eight-year-old boy, and an Aurora Police Officer, and has left their families utterly devastated. It is an incomprehensible crime.”
On May 26, 2021, an Adams County Jury convicted D’Marcus Jones-Brown of nine counts including,
District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.
Go Back On August 31, 2018, D’Marcus Jones-Brown left work and returned to his Aurora home to find that his wife and her eight-year-old son in their apartment. Jones-Brown expressed his displeasure with his wife and her son having placed stickers on the wall, so he stripped them off in anger. This led to an argument between Jones-Brown and his wife. Jones-Brown’s wife attempted to leave the home with her eight-year-old son, but the defendant physically restrained her from doing so. The young boy attempted to assist his mother, but Jones-Brown shoved the eight-year-old into a dresser. His wife and her son eventually escaped the defendant’s grasp and left the home. She called 911, friends, and family for help.
A short time later, her son’s father, Anthoni Readus, 25, and the woman’s brother, Wayne Carter, 19, arrived on scene, as did Officer Jason Sweeney of the Aurora Police Department. While Officer Sweeney took a statement from the woman, Mr. Carter, Mr. Readus, and her eight-year-old son walked through the apartment complex parking lot. As they were walking, Mr. Jones-Brown confronted them and shot Mr. Carter five times, shot Mr. Readus seven times, and shot the eight-year-old boy one time.
Officer Sweeney heroically rushed toward the gunfire and found Readus, Carter, and the young boy suffering from gunshot wounds. Officer Sweeney immediately encountered the defendant, who opened fire on the officer, striking him in his Kevlar vest near his lower abdomen. Officer Sweeney returned fire and struck Jones-Brown several times. Portions of the shooting were caught on Officer Sweeney’s bodycam. Officer Sweeney and Jones-Brown both survived their injuries. Both Mr. Readus and Mr. Carter died of multiple gunshot wounds. The 8-year-old boy survived a gunshot wound to the leg.
“There are very few nightmares that can compete with the atrocities that D’Marcus Jones-Brown inflicted on his victims on August 31, 2018,” said District Attorney Brian Mason.
“Wayne Carter and Anthoni Readus will never wake up again, and Officer Jason Sweeney will relive this real-life nightmare every time he puts his bulletproof vest back on. And this innocent eight-year-old boy, now 11, will wake up for the rest of his life without his father, without his uncle, and knowing that he himself escaped death after having seen a man he looked up to as a father-like figure gun down two of the people he most loved.
This is one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless crimes I have seen in my career. Mr. Jones-Brown shot two innocent, unarmed men, an eight-year-old boy, and an Aurora Police Officer, and has left their families utterly devastated. It is an incomprehensible crime.”
On May 26, 2021, an Adams County Jury convicted D’Marcus Jones-Brown of nine counts including,
- SECOND-DEGREE MURDER (2)
- RECKLESS MANSLAUGHTER
- SECOND-DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER
- FIRST-DEGREE ASSAULT—THREATEN PEACE OFFICER W/WEAPON
- THIRD-DEGREE ASSAULT—NEGLIGENT DEADLY WEAPON
- CHILD ABUSE—KNOWING/RECKLESS BODILY INJURY
- HARASSMENT—STRIKE/SHOVE/KICK
- SENTENCE ENHANCER: VIOLENT CRIME—USED WEAPON
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District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.