Sierra Brown was 16 and living in Los Angeles when she and her 27-year-old sister, Uniek Souvinette, were found shot to death in their Westchester apartment on November 17, 2018. Both women had been shot multiple times and the apartment was set on fire in an apparent attempt to conceal the killings. Each sister left behind young children.

Investigators determined the murders were domestic violence related. A 17-year-old who was Sierra’s boyfriend at the time was arrested and charged in the killings. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office under George Gascón elected to prosecute the suspect in juvenile court, which meant he could only be held until age 25 if convicted. The victims’ family, represented by attorney Kathleen Cady, challenged that decision and argued the case should be moved to adult court; a judge ruled for the DA and allowed juvenile prosecution.