With Family in Attendance, Defendant Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter

By Rachel Benck [former] - January 18, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

As his mother cried in the audience, defendant Brandon Nguyen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Jan. 18 at the D.C. Superior Court.

Nguyen, 24, was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed for the shooting of Brian Ward, 17, on Sept. 29, 2020. The day after the incident, Ward’s family reported him missing to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and an investigation into Ward’s whereabouts ensued. After a two-year investigation, witness testimonies, and multiple interviews with the defendant, the MPD found probable cause that Nguyen was responsible for Ward’s death.

On Dec. 1, 2021, MPD detectives interviewed Nguyen while he was staying in California with his grandmother. During this virtual interview, Nguyen admitted to killing Ward, described the incident in detail, and gave detectives the location of Ward’s missing body.

Nguyen and Ward connected using an online service designed to help people find marijuana dealers. Nguyen, using his father’s car, drove to the 300 block of Allison Street, NW to complete the transaction with Ward, court documents state.

According to Nguyen, Ward got into the car, pulled out a firearm, and declared that he was robbing him. Nguyen wrestled the gun from Ward’s possession, pleaded with him to get out of the car, then discharged the weapon after Ward pulled out a knife and reached for the gun.

Two witnesses, who were also involved in the transaction, were outside the car in an unknown location when they heard the gunshots and saw the car speed off with Ward still inside, according to court documents.

In his virtual interview, Nguyen said he was afraid to seek medical help for Ward. Nguyen left Ward’s body in a stretch of woods on the 6900 block of Contee Road in Laurel, Md.

MPD officers went to the location provided by Nguyen and found skeletal remains 20 to 30 yards into the wooded area with a wallet containing a credit card belonging to one of Ward’s family members.

During his hearing Wednesday, Nguyen pleaded guilty to one lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, through a plea deal drawn up by his defense attorney Mary L. Paloger and the prosecuting attorney.

Paloger requested that D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey R. Brandt sentence Nguyen under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) since he was 22 at the time of the offense. 

Judge Brandt agreed to schedule a sentence hearing far enough in advance for Paloger to set up and conduct an independent YRA study to give the court the information needed to decide if Nguyen would be sentenced under the act.

One of Ward’s family members attended the hearing virtually, and Nguyen’s parents were also present in the courtroom as their son pleaded guilty.

All parties are scheduled to return to court on April 26 for Nguyen’s sentencing.