Iowa man convicted of killing man accused in brother’s death

court

Waterloo, Ia (AP) — A jury has convicted a Waterloo man of first-degree murder in what prosecutors described as the revenge killing of another man.

The Courier reports that 22-year-old Raymond Birden Jr. was found guilty Tuesday in the 2018 death of 22-year-old Shavondes Martin, who was acquitted earlier that year of killing Birden’s brother in 2016.

Martin had been one of three people charged with the 2016 drive-by shooting of Birden’s brother, Otavious Brown.

Prosecutors said Birden and Martin had been exchanging taunts online following Martin’s acquittal and that Birden enlisted an ex-girlfriend who was also Martin’s cousin to find Martin on May 31, 2018.

Martin was found hours later shot to death in a Waterloo alley.