On a cold January morning in 2014, the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, was met with the grim discovery of a young life cut short. Jarvis Long, a 27-year-old Black / African American male, was found dead in the quiet surroundings of Peter Pan Park on January 16th. His death was not of natural causes; an investigation would soon reveal he had been the victim of a fatal stabbing.
The initial discovery sent ripples of concern through the community as police launched a homicide investigation.
Details in the early stages were scarce, but the focus of the inquiry soon led to a significant breakthrough. Law enforcement officials identified a person of interest, and their investigation culminated in the arrest of a suspect.
The individual taken into custody was identified as LaRon Branch. Following his arrest, Branch was charged in connection with the death of Jarvis Long. The charge brought against him was murder, and he was also faced with a charge of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, indicating the violent nature of the encounter that led to Long's death.
Subsequent legal proceedings painted a clearer, albeit tragic, picture of the events that transpired. LaRon Branch was ultimately convicted for his role in Jarvis Long's death. In the fall of 2014, a judge sentenced him to a lengthy prison term, mandating that he serve 60 to 80 years for a conviction of second-degree murder. An additional, consecutive sentence of 10 to 20 years was handed down for the weapon charge, ensuring that Branch would spend a significant portion of his life behind bars for the violent act that ended the life of Jarvis Long.
