YOUNGSTOWN An appeals court has upheld the aggravated murder conviction of a man found guilty in the fatal 2021 home invasion and shooting of 4-year-old Rowan Sweeney at his home in Struthers.

The Seventh Appellate District Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed the convictions of Brandon Lee Crump Jr., 26, in a ruling that also upheld his multiple convictions for attempted murder, felonious assault, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and conspiracy.

According to court documents, Crump entered a home on Perry Street in March 2021, demanded money, and then shot four adults before killing Rowan Sweeney, who was asleep on his mother's lap. The child was killed instantly, while the adults survived their injuries.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence, including DNA from a shell casing found at the scene, that matched Crump. They also used his cellphone data, which placed his phone at the scene of the crime at the time of the shooting, as well as videos from his phone that showed him with a large amount of cash similar to what was stolen from the victims.

In his appeal, he also claimed his convictions were against the manifest weight of the evidence and that the trial court did not consider mitigating factors during sentencing.

 

Brandon Crump
Brandon Crump  

The appeals court rejected all of Crump's arguments, finding that his convictions were supported by sufficient evidence and that the photographs were admissible to show the crime scene and the cause of death. The court also ruled that evidence from an unrelated shooting was properly used to help identify Crump as the gunman.

While affirming the convictions, the appeals court did order a partial resentencing. The case was sent back to the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas with instructions to merge Crump's conspiracy conviction with his convictions for aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. This is a procedural step to prevent a defendant from being punished for multiple offenses that arose from the same criminal act.

 Crump, who was sentenced to life in prison with an aggregate total of 52 to 53 1/2 years of incarceration, will remain in prison. The resentencing will not change the overall length of his term.