In the late hours of a summer evening in Aurora, Colorado, Joseph Roland, a 39-year-old man, embarked on what he believed was a simple transaction to purchase a used car. He and his wife, 40-year-old Jossline Roland, had found a 2017 Toyota RAV4 listed for sale on the online marketplace app, Letgo. The couple, parents to five children, arranged to meet the seller on August 14, 2020, bringing with them thousands of dollars in cash to complete the purchase.
Their meeting point was the
Southlands Mall, where they were introduced to 18-year-old Kyree Brown. The car they intended to buy had been stolen a few days prior by Brown. Upon their meeting, Brown concocted a story, telling the Rolands he had mistakenly brought the wrong vehicle title. He persuaded them to follow him to a residential complex on East Cornell Circle. It was there, away from the public eye, that the evening took a tragic and fatal turn. Brown brandished a 9mm handgun and demanded the money the couple had brought. According to Brown's later confession, Joseph Roland's car began to move, and he grabbed for the gunman's arm. In the ensuing struggle, Brown fired his weapon, shooting Joseph. He also fatally shot Jossline, a shot he would later claim was accidental. Joseph and Jossline Roland were transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead within minutes of each other.
Following the deadly encounter, Kyree Brown fled the scene with the cash. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he drove the stolen RAV4 to the area of Havana Street and East Colfax Avenue, where he doused it in gasoline and set it on fire. In a display of audacity, he even reposted the vehicle for sale on the Letgo app under a different name. Investigators were able to identify Brown by examining the Letgo listing on Joseph Roland's phone, which led them to an associated email address.
On August 27, 2020, thirteen days after the murders, officers from the Aurora Police Department located Brown. A pursuit ensued, ending near 29th Avenue and Central Park Boulevard in Denver, where he was taken into custody. Brown confessed to the police, detailing the events of that night from stealing the car to the deadly robbery. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. In August 2022, a jury found Kyree Brown guilty on multiple counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, theft, and arson. He was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
