On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, a Hamilton County judge sentenced 30-year-old Marques Brown to 32 years to life for the May 2024 Colerain Township shooting that killed 30-year-old Devintre Gill. Brown, who was previously tied to a deadly 2012 robbery as a teenager, carried that history into the courtroom, where the earlier killing weighed heavily on how the court viewed his record. The punishment caps a multi-year investigation into Gill’s death and lands Brown one of the longer prison terms recent Hamilton County prosecutors have pursued.
Sentence and Court Findings
Judge Patrick Dinkelacker imposed a 32-years-to-life sentence, and court records list Brown as a repeat violent offender with no chance at parole until he serves the full 32-year minimum, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Records also show Brown was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge prosecutors leaned on as they argued for the lengthy term.
Victim Found Inside Colerain Home
Gill, 30, was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head inside a home in the 2700 block of Niagara Street in Colerain Township in May 2024, emergency crews said, according to WLWT. Colerain police opened a homicide investigation and urged anyone with information to contact detectives as they worked to piece together what led to the deadly shooting.
How the Earlier Case Ties In
Brown was 16 during a separate 2012 robbery that ended in a fatal shooting, a case in which he later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years, court records show, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Prosecutors highlighted that prior conviction, along with later weapons charges, as they pushed to have Brown sentenced as a repeat violent offender in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
What Comes Next
With the 32-years-to-life sentence in place, Brown cannot even be considered for parole until he finishes the 32-year minimum, keeping him behind bars for decades unless a parole board eventually signs off on his release. The decision closes out the criminal case tied to Gill’s death and underscores how long prison terms can stretch when a defendant is formally labeled a repeat violent offender.
