Current:Home > MarketsMan gets 43-year prison sentence in death of Detroit-area teen whose body is lost in landfill -Ascend Finance Compass
Man gets 43-year prison sentence in death of Detroit-area teen whose body is lost in landfill
View
Date:2025-04-14 07:30:10
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man convicted of killing a teenager whose body is believed to be lost forever in a landfill was sentenced Monday to at least 43 years in prison.
Zion Foster’s remains were never found during an extraordinary summer search through tons of trash in 2022. Prosecutors built a circumstantial case against her cousin, Jaylin Brazier, who admitted that he had put the body in a dumpster but denied having any role in her death.
Brazier’s “cold indifference and self-absorbed conduct leading up to Zion Foster’s death through today made it clear that (it’s) unlikely that he can be rehabilitated,” Wayne County Judge Donald Knapp said.
Brazier, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He’ll be eligible for parole after serving 43 years in custody.
“I caused all of this, of course. I take responsibility for that,” Brazier told the judge, though he denied hurting Foster.
Foster, who lived in Eastpointe, was a 17-year-old high school senior in 2022 when she disappeared. Brazier said he hadn’t seen her in months but later acknowledged that he had picked her up at night and taken her to his home while his girlfriend was at work.
Brazier claimed to police that Foster suddenly died while they were smoking marijuana. Instead of calling 911, he said, he panicked and drove the body to a dumpster after midnight. The bin’s contents eventually were taken to a suburban landfill.
Experts testified that death from marijuana use was not likely. Assistant prosecutor Ryan Elsey told jurors that Foster probably died while resisting Brazier’s sexual advances.
During a five-month search, police wearing hazmat suits in 90-degree heat looked for any trace of Foster’s remains in a landfill, sometimes in trash as deep as 50 feet (15.2 meters). It was not successful.
Separately, Brazier pleaded no contest to lying to police and served a brief prison term in 2022 while authorities tried to find the body.
veryGood! (51966)
Related
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Biden Pushes Cybersecurity Upgrades For Critical Infrastructure After Recent Hacks
- Olympics Spoilers Are Frustrating. Here's How You Can Avoid Them
- What's so fancy about the world's most advanced train station?
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Jacinda Ardern delivers emotional final speech to New Zealand Parliament: You can be a mother ... you can lead, just like me
- 3 family members charged with human smuggling, forced labor at Massachusetts restaurants
- Sarah Ferguson Shares Royally Sweet Update on Queen Elizabeth II's Corgis
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- King Charles III supports investigation into monarchy's links to slavery, Buckingham Palace says
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Lil Nas X's Cute Slut Moment Is Such a Vibe
- 'Startup Wife' Satirizes Tech Culture And Boardroom Sexism — From Experience
- Fake Vaccination Cards Were Sold To Health Care Workers On Instagram
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Daisy Jones' Riley Keough Reveals Which of The Six She'd Call to Bail Her Out of Jail
- Biden administration blames Trump in part for chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
- A dog named Coco is undergoing alcohol withdrawal at a shelter after his owner and canine friend both died: His story is a tragic one
Recommendation
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
How New Biden Rules Could Make It Easier To Buy Hearing Aids Or Fix Your Phone
China's Microsoft Hack May Have Had A Bigger Purpose Than Just Spying
Remains of Michigan airman killed in World War II's Operation Tidal Wave identified 79 years later
Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
South African pilot finds cobra under seat, makes emergency landing: I kept looking down
Selena Gomez Praises Best Friend Francia Raísa Nearly 6 Years After Kidney Donation
More Than 30 States Sue Google Over 'Extravagant' Fees In Google Play Store