Providence man sentenced to double life for drive-by killing of 24-year-old Miya Brophy-Baermann
Published on Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Providence man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to double life sentences at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for murder and related assault and firearms charges stemming from a 2021 shooting that killed 24-year-old Miya Brophy-Baermann and for the attempted murder of her boyfriend, Sheron Robinson.
At a hearing on March 11, 2025, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced Shawn Mann (age 34) to double life in prison, plus 60 years, the first 10 years of which are non-parolable.
On October 30, 2024, following the conclusion of a nine-day jury trial before Judge Krause, the jury found the defendant guilty of one count of murder; one count of conspiracy to commit murder; one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, resulting in death; one count of committing a drive-by shooting; one count of possession of a ghost gun; one count of carrying a pistol without a license; one count of assault with intent to commit murder; and one count of discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, resulting in no injury.
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that during the early morning hours on Sunday, August 1, 2021, the defendant and a co-defendant, Isaiah Pinkerton, participated in a drive-by shooting on Olney Street in Providence that killed Miya Brophy-Baermann.
On January 26, 2024, Judge Krause sentenced Pinkerton to double life in prison, plus 50 years, following a jury trial.
“Miya’s memory will live on, even as we close the legal chapter on this truly heartbreaking case,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Though Miya’s loss will forever be deeply felt by her friends and family, I hope they feel a sense of peace knowing that justice has been served for both defendants responsible for this senseless crime. I am grateful to our prosecutors, in partnership with the Providence Police Department, for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this complex case.”
On the morning of August 1, 2021, Providence Police responded to reports of a shooting on Olney Street and arrived on scene as rescue personnel were transporting the victim, Miya Brophy Baermann, to Rhode Island Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
In the days following, investigators obtained surveillance footage which showed a dark colored sedan driving past the scene of the crime, opening fire upon Miya and Sheron, and then fleeing. They also recovered two 9mm cartridge cases in the roadway and one fragmented bullet from the victim’s vehicle, all of which were sent to the State Crime Lab for analysis. During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to obtain a combination of surveillance, phone location data, DNA, and ballistics evidence.
Four months later, on December 12, 2021, Providence Police conducted a routine motor vehicle stop of a Hyundai Elantra. In the Elantra, officers located a backpack that was tossed from the vehicle prior to the stop, which contained a ghost gun.
Investigators ran the ghost gun through the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) database, which indicated that the gun was a possible match to the gun used during the August 1, 2021, shooting. After multiple confirmed analyses, experts determined that the spent casings from the scene on Olney Street were expelled from the recovered ghost gun.
“I am incredibly proud of the work the men and women of the Providence Police Department do every day to keep the public safe and hold individuals accountable who commit acts of violence within our community,” said Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez. “I commend the officers who investigated this case, specifically former Detective Sergeant Timothy McGann and former Detective Theodore Michael, and thank the Office of the Attorney General for their continued partnership.”
Special Assistant Attorneys General Stephen Dambruch and Alison Bittl of the Office of the Attorney General, Detectives Sergeant Timothy McGann and Theodore Michael (formerly of the Providence Police Department), Detectives Paul Romano and Thomas Richards, Investigator Ryan Malloy, and Officer Brad McParlin, led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
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