D Angelo Branch, a 28-year-old Black man, was found fatally shot in the early morning hours of January 11, 2017, on a north Omaha street near 36th Street and Laurel Avenue. Police were alerted around 2:30 a.m., and a ShotSpotter activation at about 2:37 a.m. pinpointed gunfire in the area of 3615 Laurel Avenue. He was identified at the scene as officers began canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and surveillance, and news outlets reported his death as one of multiple overnight shootings in
the city.
Within two weeks, detectives secured an arrest warrant and the Omaha Metro Fugitive Task Force took 33-year-old Malik Stelly into custody on January 26, 2017, near 33rd and Franklin Streets. Stelly was booked on first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony in the killing near 36th and Laurel. Police and local reports detailed that the investigation remained active even after the arrest, as officers continued to develop witness statements and collect physical evidence.
At a subsequent preliminary hearing, prosecutors characterized the shooting as execution-style. An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers claimed the shooter did not know Branch and described the killing as target practice. Reporting during the case also noted that Branch was developmentally disabled, a detail prosecutors highlighted in their filings and arguments about the nature of the crime.
Later in 2017, a Douglas County jury convicted Stelly of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In September 2019, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld his conviction and sentence, rejecting his appeal and leaving the life term in place.
