An honors student is murdered, then his girlfriend is found dead 3 days later In the spring of 2012, fifteen-year-old Brandon Shane Adams, a young man of African-American descent, had been living in New Orleans for about a year and was making his mark. An eighth-grade honors student at KIPP Believe College Prep, he was known for his love of sports like basketball, lacrosse, and football, and was a budding chef, famous for his amazing hamburgers. Brandon was also a fashion enthusiast with a notable collection of shoes, snapback hats, and headbands.
He was a beloved son to Shawan Adams Frank and Brian Frank, and a cherished brother within a large family. He had dreams of attending college after his planned graduation.
On the evening of Friday, April 27, 2012, Brandon went to Sampson Park to play basketball and meet up with his girlfriend, Christine Domonique Marcelin. While at the park, he had a minor confrontation with some other teenagers who suggested he wasn't welcome there. Later that evening, his older brother, Eric Adams, joined him. After leaving the park and stopping at a convenience store, Brandon and his brother were walking home when they were ambushed near the intersection of Montegut and Pleasure streets. Two masked men, also described as black males, appeared and opened fire on the brothers. Both Brandon and his brother ran to escape the gunfire that continued to rain down on them. While his brother was shot in the back and leg and survived, Brandon suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including a fatal one to the head, and collapsed just blocks from his home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The tragedy was compounded just three days later when Brandon's girlfriend, fifteen-year-old Christine Marcelin, was found shot to death on the morning of April 30th on Alcee Fortier Boulevard. Her death was described as an execution-style murder. Investigators believed the two murders were connected. The investigation into Christine's death led to an unexpected suspect: Brandon's older brother, Eric Adams. He was arrested and charged with her kidnapping and murder. Prosecutors built a case around cell phone data and testimony from jailhouse informants. However, after a trial, a jury acquitted Eric Adams of the kidnapping and murder charges. He was, however, convicted of obstruction of justice for providing the police with the wrong cell phone during their investigation and was sentenced to twenty years of hard labor.
Despite the developments in Christine Marcelin's case, the murder of Brandon Adams remains unsolved. The two masked assailants who carried out the fatal shooting on that April night have never been identified or brought to justice. The community was left to mourn the loss of a promising young student, remembered by his family and friends as a happy-go-lucky and friendly young man whose life was tragically cut short. His funeral was held on May 5, 2012, at the St. Bernard Community Baptist Church, attended by a large gathering of family, friends, classmates, and teachers.
