A year after the fatal shooting of Clark County Sheriff’s Detective Jeremy Brown, one of four defendants has received their sentence.
On July 23, 2021, Brown was shot while performing surveillance in connection with the theft of dozens of firearms at an East Vancouver apartment complex.
Lani Kraabell, 49, of Winlock, was sentenced to six years in prison for second-degree manslaughter on June 10. Investigators looking into Brown’s shooting said Kraabell drove three others charged in the shooting — Guillermo Raya Leon, 27, Abran Raya Leon, 29, and Misty Raya, 36 — to the Vancouver apartment near where the shooting took place, and attempted to help sell firearms stolen by Misty Raya from a storage unit in Hazel Dell in June. Initial reports stated 30 firearms and between 20,000 to 30,000 rounds of ammunition, identification documents, credit cards and other belongings totaling more than $5,000 were stolen.
Kraabell pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge as part of a plea agreement. She initially faced charges of second-degree murder and four counts of possession of a stolen firearm during her first court appearance in September.
As part of the agreement, Kraabell must testify against the other defendants in cases relating to Brown’s death. Kraabell’s six-year sentence is higher than the standard range for her conviction which is 31 to 41 months. Had she not accepted the agreement, she faced up to 22 years. If Kraabell breaches the agreement, she could be prosecuted on those initial charges.
Jill Brown, Jeremy Brown’s wife, gave a statement to the court as part of Kraabell’s sentencing.
“There is no way to appropriately convey what has been taken from us,” Brown’s wife said in the statement.
She spoke of the past year of trauma following Brown’s death, who she described as “the common thread that securely bound a melded family,” among other descriptions.
“Jeremy’s life was worth more than six years,” Brown’s wife said.
The three Kraabell drove to Vancouver also face charges ranging from firearms theft to murder, including Guillermo Raya Leon, the man who allegedly shot Brown.
On June 23, Guillermo Raya Leon received additional charges of possession of a stolen firearm, first-degree stolen property trafficking, second-degree burglary and motor vehicle theft. Those were added to his initial charges of first-degree aggravated murder and another count of stolen firearm possession.
Guillermo Raya Leon allegedly confronted Brown, who was sitting in an unmarked police SUV on the street outside of the apartment complex, and reportedly shot Brown. Brown was conducting surveillance in connection to the June firearms theft. The firearm used against Brown was allegedly one of the ones stolen in June.
After the shooting, Guillermo Raya Leon, his brother Abran Raya Leon, and Misty Raya fled the complex in a car that ended up crashing near Interstate 205 and Padden Parkway. Abran Raya Leon and Misty Raya were found in the backyard of a nearby residence after the crash. Guillermo Raya Leon was found two days later by U.S. Marshals in Salem.
Guillermo Raya Leon has a court appearance scheduled for Oct. 13, according to Clark County Jail records.
Abran Raya Leon faces charges of second-degree murder, possession of a stolen firearm and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He was allegedly the driver of the vehicle the three used to flee the apartment complex. He has a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 17, according to jail records.
Misty Raya also faces a charge of second-degree murder, according to jail records, alongside dozens of charges of firearms theft as well as burglary charges. She is scheduled for a court appearance Sept. 1.
