Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Man Who Murdered 2 Men During Crime Spree Sentenced to Life in Prison: DA

By Nicholas Rizzi | June 13, 2016 3:06pm
 Tyrell Brown was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Devon Powell and Kuwan Collins during a 2014 two-day crime spree around Staten Island.
Tyrell Brown was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Devon Powell and Kuwan Collins during a 2014 two-day crime spree around Staten Island.
View Full Caption
Flickr/Joyce A. and NYPD

STATEN ISLAND — An ex-con who went on a two-day rampage — killing two men, carjacking others and almost hitting an MTA police officer — was sentenced to life in prison Monday, District Attorney Michael McMahon announced.

Tyrell Brown, 27, was sentenced by Judge William Garnett for the murders of Devon Powell, 23, and Kuwan Collins, 40, on Staten Island.

He was also sentenced to 25 years in jail for robbery after he stole a 2006 Hummer during the July 2014 spree, McMahon said.

"The people of Staten Island can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their community is now a safer place with this defendant behind bars for life," McMahon said in a statement.

"Mr. Brown’s flagrant disregard for human life resulted in the death of two people, while his brazen actions over the course of a two-day crime spree put the lives of the public as well as Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Officers in danger."

Brown's spree started on July 6, 2014, when he robbed Powell at gunpoint at Arlington Place and South Avenue, taking Powell's State Benefits Card, an insurance card and cash before fatally shooting him in the head, prosecutors said.

Less than an hour later, Brown stole cash from Collins outside 367 Britton Ave. then fatally shot him in the head, prosecutors said.

He then went to 55 Holland Ave. at about 6:10 a.m. and robbed a 29-year-old man at gunpoint for his Permanent Resident card, Social Security card and a silver bracelet before driving off in the victim's black 2006 Hummer, prosecutors said.

He drove to his own 225 Park Hill Ave. home — dropping off his victim's identification cards — then drove the Hummer to Brooklyn.

Brown tried to re-enter Staten Island over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at about 1:20 a.m. the next day and MTA police tried to pull him over, prosecutors said.

He drove the Hummer away, almost hitting an MTA officer who stood in front of the car as officers fired several shots at Brown, prosecutors said.

Brown drove onto the Staten Island Expressway, hit another car as he tried to exit at Narrows Road North, then abandoned the Hummer.

About an hour later, he stopped a cab and robbed the driver at Osgood and Fairway avenues, prosecutors said.

Brown's spree ended when he tried to steal a motorcycle on Walker Street, but failed, then broke into a 2013 Honda Civic on the same block but found it was a stick shift — which he didn't know how to drive — and fled on foot, prosecutors said.

Police finally caught up with Brown near Osgood and Mosel avenues.

He was convicted of two counts of murder for the slaying of Powell and Collins and robbery for stealing the Hummer after a two-and-a-half week jury trial in May.

Brown has been arrested eight times between 2002 and 2009 and was convicted of a robbery in 2009. He was released from prison in 2014, records show.