In the summer of 2020, the life of 20-year-old Jaionna Michelle Braden was tragically cut short. On the night of June 7, 2020, Braden and a companion, 23-year-old Quavon Shamar Lee, were discovered inside a running vehicle on Bemis Street SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both had been fatally shot. Police were called to the scene just before midnight after reports of gunshots.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to Juan Nico Garcia, a 30-year-old man who had been
dating Braden. Evidence presented during legal proceedings indicated a tumultuous relationship between Braden and Garcia. Earlier on the day of the killings, Braden had reported to the police that Garcia had stolen her phone. Investigators also found a picture on her phone of Garcia, who was on parole and not permitted to possess firearms, lying in bed with a gun.
Initially, Garcia was taken into custody for a parole violation the day after the murders. He was later charged with two counts of open murder, assault with intent to murder, felony firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In June 2022, a jury found Juan Nico Garcia guilty of two counts of first-degree, premeditated murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders. In addition to the life sentence, he received a sentence of 25 to 50 years for assault with intent to murder and additional time for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
