The mother of one of two teens shot and killed execution-style in the Palm Bay Compound on Christmas in 2022 says she is heartbroken over what she calls a miscarriage of justice, with a codefendant this week receiving a single 20-year sentence in state prison for the slayings.
“It’s just a slap in the face. It was a senseless crime and all he got was 20 years? That’s pretty much 10 years a child. My son had his whole life taken away from him … I don’t understand,” said Chrisel Brown, whose 14-year-old son, Jeremiah Brown, and Travon Anthony, 16, were shot and killed after riding to the Compound with two other teens charged in their deaths.
The case, says Brown, is far from being settled, even after the April 27 sentencing of Jamarcus Simpson, who is now 19, for second-degree murder. A trial date has not been set for Juan Shuran, believed by detectives to be the person who pulled the trigger and killed both teens.
“This sends a horrible message and doesn’t reflect the impact of our losses. How could you murder two kids and not get a life sentence? I feel like if you take a life, you should have your life taken away, be put in prison,” she told FLORIDA TODAY.
Simpson was indicted along with Shuren, 18, in January 2025 for first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm in connection with the shooting deaths of Jeremiah and Travon.
Simpson was 17 at the time of the shootings, which took place in the notorious, vacant development in Palm Bay called The Compound, a place where several homicides have taken place or been investigated over the years.
Simpson went before Brevard County Circuit Judge Steve Henderson on April 27, receiving the 20-year sentence as part of a long-brokered plea deal.
The deal had been arranged with the state attorney’s office, despite blood evidence and statements that placed him at the shooting. Simpson, described as calm by his defense attorney, apologized for the shooting deaths.
The state attorney’s office did not comment on the case, which for three years led to a complex investigation involving other unrelated homicides and gang activities in south Brevard.
A long history of gun violence in a desolate area
The double slayings also raised concerns about youth and gun violence as detectives culled forensic evidence in the Compound case and the defendants — who share a grandmother — laying blame for the killings on each other and prompting fears of gang-related retaliation across Melbourne and Palm Bay.
Police agencies, from Cocoa to Melbourne to Palm Bay and the Brevard sheriff’s department, continue to investigate cases that appear to be connected to the same group.
“From the outset, our detectives committed themselves fully to this investigation while working tirelessly to gather evidence, follow leads, and ensure those responsible were identified and held accountable,” said Palm Bay Police Chief Jeff Spears, adding news of the sentence was “disheartening.”
“While the judicial process and its outcomes are determined by the courts, we respect that process and remain confident in the thoroughness of the investigation conducted. Our focus has always been, and will continue to be, seeking justice by conducting thorough investigations and holding those responsible accountable.”
The bodies of Jeremiah and Travon were discovered in the Compound on Christmas day, 2022. Travon, who celebrated his birthday earlier in the day, was found first, lying in the tall grass. Police searched the area and later located Jeremiah’s body, records show.
Both teens, who rode with Simpson and Shuren to go shooting at the Compound, were shot to death, police said later.
On Dec. 31, 2022, a Ford Fusion, driven by Simpson, was stopped by Palm Bay police for a traffic violation. Police retrieved a 9mm handgun and found a blood-spattered pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Police and prosecutors obtained multiple warrants, searched through video surveillance footage and talked to a number of non-cooperative witnesses. Court records also showed that Shuren also recorded a rap that seemed to refer to the shootings.
Through it all, Chrisel Brown galvanized supporters in the Palm Bay community and called for justice while also asking unsuccessfully for Palm Bay officials to shut down the Compound.
Now Brown is hoping for a resolution in the case with Shuren, Simpson’s codefendant.
“Jeremiah was a great son — loving, respectful, and full of promise. He loved God, and that faith showed in the way he treated others. He had a passion for football, a bright spirit, and a future that was just beginning to unfold,” she said.
“This would have been the year he graduated high school and turned 18, stepping into manhood with dreams, goals, and purpose. That future was stolen from him, and from all of us who loved him.”
‘Twenty years is not enough time for the life .. taken so brutally’
Brown said she is now contemplating moving her family out of Brevard and remains haunted by the loss of her son.
“To know that the person responsible for taking Jeremiah’s life may only serve 20 years is deeply painful,” she said. “Twenty years is not enough time for the life that was taken so brutally. Jeremiah had a lifetime ahead of him decades of memories, accomplishments, love, and impact that will now never happen. There is no sentence that can truly equal the value of his life.”
Sean Anderson, defense attorney for Simpson, called the case “tragic.”
“But (Simpson) has a chance at life,” Anderson said.
“Hopefully, he’ll take advantage of that and learn a trade.”
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. On X: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Mother calls sentence in Palm Bay Compound slayings ‘a slap in the face’
Reporting by J.D. Gallop, Florida Today / Florida Today
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