The Garden City Telegram
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Man pleads not guilty to second-degree murder
Published 5/29/2009 in Local News : Police
By SHAJIA AHMAD
A Garden City man accused of killing another man has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge and will be facing a late July jury trial.
Lucas Chavez, 24, entered the plea during his arraignment Thursday afternoon at the Finney County District Courthouse.
Chavez is accused of shooting and killing Phillip Maurice Brown, 30, also of Garden City, at 2615 N. Main St., Apt. 6F, during a confrontation between the two men in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
Chavez, who was arrested Feb. 2, also is charged with two counts of felony criminal possession of a firearm, including a 9 mm firearm he allegedly used to kill Brown.
According to testimony from several witnesses during an April preliminary hearing, Brown was shot in the doorway of the apartment following a few hours of argument between him and Chavez. Police said at the time of the arrest that they believed the shooting occurred because Chavez was upset with Brown for making advances toward his girlfriend, Amber Riojas.
Brown was transported to St. Catherine Hospital, where he later was pronounced dead due to a gunshot wound to the brain.
Friends have said Brown moved in April 2008 to Garden City from Chicago to work at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant near Holcomb.
Chavez also owned a .357-caliber firearm, for which he's being charged the other felony criminal possession, law enforcement officials said.
Chavez is represented by a court-appointed public defender, Kristi Cott.
A pretrial conference has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m. June 30. His trial begins July 20. Chavez is being held on a $1.2 million bond at the Finney County Jail.
Found 1 comment(s)!
Ok wow
Ok see i dont understand this but u know what the truth will not be told sometimes i wish i was there i wonder if this woud happen. Phillip was nothing that any of these people describe him as it just wasnt him. Man I miss him so much and his family do to. Around this time he was so happy that he moved and started a new life. He loved his job. Its so many things i want to say that i know about him i dont think it will matter i just have to carry all those good and when he was home sick memories to my hert i wish i could have been there but he told me to stay in school. R.I.P Phillip Brown Love you and always missing you your wife.
Posted by: Lacreasha Williams on 5/31/2009
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