Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘After the Verdict: Sakai’ of A&E’s ‘Accused: Guilty or Innocent?’ delves deep into the 2018 murder case of a young 18-year-old man named Dalvin Brown, who was murdered on school property. The case sent shockwaves across the community and gained national attention as the investigators gathered enough evidence to indict the perpetrator. While the investigation is not covered majorly in the episode, the viewers are informed about the aftermath of the tragedy through interviews with the killer’s family members and lawyer.
Dalvin Brown Was Killed in His School Premises
Born to Annie Marshall around the year 2000, Dalvin Brown was a loving and ambitious young man who dreamed of achieving big things in life. He was an athlete who was involved in quite a few outdoor activities and sports, especially basketball, which he had a great affinity for. At the time of his sudden demise, Dalvin was studying at Canyon Springs High School, where he was a junior. Since most of his attention and interest was towards sports, he was trying to improve his academic grades by working extra hard in the classroom.
Besides his mother, Dalvin was also quite close to his aunt, Alisa Rodriguez. On the morning of September 11, 2018, Annie dropped him off at school just like every other morning, only to realize later that it was the last time she would see him. After telling him that she loved him and to have a good day at school, she left the school premises. Later that same day, in the afternoon, the police were called to report to Canyon Springs High School and investigate the murder of the 18-year-old man, Dalvin Brown.
When the authorities rushed to the scene of the crime, the victim was taken to the University Medical Center, where he was declared dead after succumbing to a gunshot wound to the shoulder near the school’s baseball field. Following the tragedy, Annie questioned the presence of school police at the time of the incident and demanded more school officers for the improved safety of everyone at school. The police began the investigation as Dalvon’s mother pressured them to catch the perpetrator at the earliest. While looking for evidence, they found eight cartridge casings next to where Dalvin’s injured body was found, indicating eight rounds were fired.
A Junior Shot Dalvin Brown to Save His Best Friend
When the detectives asked around and interviewed the witnesses present at the scene, they learned that there was a fight planned involving three students, including Dalvin Brown, beating another student near the school’s baseball fields. As the fight began around 2:35 pm on the afternoon of September 11, 2018, a 16-year-old boy named Sakai Kayin French, who was enrolled as a junior in Cheyenne High School, saw that his best friend since the second grade was the one who was getting stomped and beaten by the three individuals. Upon interrogating one of the students involved in the fight, the investigators found out that Sakai was the shooter who emptied eight clips and landed a fatal shot at Dalvin Brown.
Ten days after the shooting, Sakai was arrested in the 3900 block of Diamond Gem Court, near Alexander and Cimarron roads, and charged as an adult with murder with a deadly weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon on school property. He was booked at Clark County Detention Center and held on $1 million bail. After his arrest, Sakai claimed that he was innocent at first. But later, he admitted to shooting Dalvin Brown to protect his best friend, who was barely hanging on to his life. It was also discovered that he had been carrying a gun since he was 14 years old without letting his family know about it.
Sakai French Remains Behind Bars, Awaiting His Parole Hearing
At first, Sakai French rejected a plea deal, only to change his mind later and plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter. After patiently waiting for about 18 months in prison, Sakai’s trial for the murder of Dalvin Brown commenced. At the sentencing, he confessed to shooting down Dalvin because he was one of the three students beating down his best friend. He was sentenced to a minimum of three years and a maximum of ten years behind bars, with the possibility of parole in 18 months because he had already spent several months in jail.
On the day of the parole hearing, Sakai changed his account of the events and admitted that he shot Dalvin because the three individuals targeted him for trying to break up the fight, and he feared for his life. After less than three weeks, he learned that his parole was denied due to the impact that the incident had on the victim’s family members and the community. Currently, he is incarcerated at High Desert State Prison at 22010 Cold Creek Road in Indian Springs, Nevada, while he awaits his next parole date.
Read More: Jessica Dishon Murder: Where is Stanley Dishon Now?
