breaks

Man found guilty in Pender County of murder of UNCW student and Army veteran

man-found-guilty-in-pender-county-of-murder-of-uncw-student-and-army-veteran

A man was found guilty in the death of a UNCW student.

A man was found guilty in the death of a UNCW student.

A Pender County jury found Raymond Lee Brooks Jr. guilty in the death of Chris Stewart, a 23-year-old college student in 2020.

Brooks was convicted in Pender Superior Court on charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery with a dangerous weapon.

He was sentenced to serve life in prison, plus 2 to about 4 years, with the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

Brooks, of Bladen County, was one of three suspects charged in connection with the crimes. The others were Brandon Tyrell Chambers, of Willard, and Myasia Morange, also of Bladen County. Morange and Chambers are being held at the Pender and New Hanover county jails, respectively.

The co-defendants’ cases are still pending.

The body of Christopher Duane Stewart, 23, was found at Millers Pond Park, off U.S. 117 South in 2020.

The body of Christopher Duane Stewart, 23, was found at Millers Pond Park, off U.S. 117 South in 2020.

Stewart was found dead in Rocky Point at Millers Pond Park on March 27, 2020. He was a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington working towards a degree in criminal justice.

Before UNCW, he graduated from Pender High School and was a member of the JROTC program. He joined the U.S. Army and served in Afghanistan and continued serving in the reserves. Stewart received many awards for his service.

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Reporter Chase Jordan can be reached at cjjordan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Man convicted in Pender County for murder of UNCW student

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