Man charged in fatal shooting
LOWER MERION » A review of residential surveillance camera footage obtained by Montgomery County authorities culminated in the arrest of a Philadelphia man who allegedly fatally shot his childhood friend on a Lower Merion street.
Sean Jazzare Brown, 19, of the 1800 block of Farrington Road, was arraigned before District Court Judge Karen Eisner Zucker of Narberth on charges of first- and third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime in connection with the alleged Sept. 13 gunshot slaying of Nahray Mumakk Crisden, 19, also of Philadelphia, along Surrey Lane in Lower Merion.
Brown is being held in the county jail without bail while awaiting a preliminary hearing on the charges, tentatively set for 11 a.m. Nov. 20 before Zucker.
The arrest was announced by county District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael J. McGrath.
“The credit for the successful conclusion of this investigation goes to the hard work put in by the team of dedicated investigators from the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and Lower Merion Police Department ,” McGrath said. “They worked tirelessly over the last seven weeks since the senseless killing of Nahray Crisden to identify his killer. We hope this brings some measure of closure to Mr. Crisden’s family.”
The investigation began about 10:43 p.m. Sept. 13 when Lower Merion police responded to a reported shooting in the 1400 block of Surrey Lane in the Wynnewood section of the township. Arriving officers found Crisden, who suffered fatal gunshot wounds to his torso.
An autopsy determined Crisden died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide. During the autopsy, a pathologist recovered several fired projectiles and fragments of projectiles from Crisden’s body, according to court papers.
As they processed the crime scene, county detectives recovered six fired 9mm cartridge casings and a fired projectile with a corresponding bullet strike mark on the pavement beneath Crisden’s body, according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Gregory Henry and Lower Merion Detective Bryn Garner.
Four of the fired 9mm cartridge casings were near Crisden’s body, “consistent with the shooter advancing toward Crisden,” detectives alleged. There was no indication of robbery, detectives alleged, explaining Crisden’s cellphone and other property were found at the scene.
A county ballistics expert determined the six fired 9mm cartridge casings and the projectiles recovered from Crisden’s body and beneath his body were fired from the same firearm, according to the criminal complaint.
A witness in the area told detectives he heard two loud bangs and observed “a male standing in the street and firing a gun in a downward direction” and then fleeing the scene on foot, according to the arrest affidavit.
During the investigation, detectives recovered residential camera surveillance footage that depicted Brown, allegedly holding what appeared to be a firearm in his right hand, and Crisden walking together, approaching the area of the crime scene about 10:38 p.m. Additional surveillance footage captured Brown walking alone east on City Avenue at 10:44 p.m., after the alleged shooting.
Detectives alleged the investigation revealed that Brown fired a 9mm weapon while positioned on the east side of Surrey Lane.
“After Crisden fell onto the sidewalk, Brown approached and fired additional shots striking Crisden as he lay mortally wounded,” Henry and Garner alleged in the criminal complaint.
During a search of Brown’s residence on Sept. 18, detectives seized the clothing that Brown allegedly wore on Sept. 13, court papers indicate. The clothing matched the description of the clothing worn by the male observed in video surveillance footage in the area of the fatal shooting before and after the alleged homicide, according to court papers.
Additionally, a forensic examination of the clothing and face mask allegedly worn by Brown on the evening of Sept. 13 uncovered “particles characteristic of gunshot residue” on some of the items, according to the arrest affidavit.
When detectives interviewed Brown on Sept. 15 he told authorities that he had known Crisden since childhood and admitted he and Crisden were together at a business in the area of City Avenue within three blocks of the murder scene on the evening of Sept. 13, according to court papers.
However, Brown allegedly claimed that after leaving the business he and Crisden went to the home of a friend in Philadelphia where they remained for about two hours and then left separately. Brown allegedly claimed he did not see Crisden again that evening, according to court documents.
Detectives alleged video surveillance footage that captured the movements of Brown and Crisden contradicted Brown’s statement.
Authorities did not reveal a motive for the alleged fatal shooting.
However, the investigation revealed that in November 2019, Crisden was stopped by Yeadon Borough police while allegedly operating a stolen vehicle. During that traffic stop, the front seat passenger fled from the vehicle, according to court documents.
Police recovered a 9mm firearm from the passenger side floor of the vehicle and Crisden allegedly told police that Brown was the passenger who fled during the traffic stop, according to court documents. Court records reflect that the case was scheduled for an Oct. 13 preliminary hearing.