David Marion Jr. was sentenced to 40-60 years in prison for the March 2010 murders of MSU student Darren Brown and his roommate Owen Goodenow Wednesday in Lansing’s 30th Circuit Court. Suzanne Goodenow, Owen Goodenow’s mother, made a statement to the court. David Marion Jr. spoke to the court as well.
It was the end of the road for a double homicide case when David Marion Jr., 22, was sentenced Wednesday morning to a minimum of 40 years in prison. But for the families of the victims, it was only partial closure.
Marion was handed down the sentence for the March 2010 murders of MSU student Darren Brown and his roommate Owen Goodenow on Wednesday in Lansing’s 30th Circuit Court.
He was accused of breaking into Brown and Goodenow’s Lansing home on March 25, 2010, with 23-year-old co-conspirator Benjamin French with the intent to steal money and marijuana from a safe owned by Goodenow.
Brown and Goodenow both were found shot dead in their home later that day by their roommate, Tyler Cole.
Marion admitted to his involvement in the crime and accepted a plea deal March 2. The prosecution dropped all charges against Marion and exchanged them for two second-degree murder charges on the condition he serve a minimum of 40 years in jail, giving Marion a chance at future parole opportunities.
French was sentenced to life in prison without parole Jan. 25 after being found guilty of all charges against him, including two counts of first-degree murder.
Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Bill Crino said the result was a just one for all of the families involved, and the sentence was a powerful end to a tough case.
Marion’s attorney Stacia Buchanan said during the sentencing that Marion accepted the deal because he wanted to spare the families of Brown and Goodenow the pain going through another trial would cause.
“It’s clear that what happened in this case was a tragedy … (Marion) wanted to end that for all families involved,” Buchanan said.
Some of Brown and Goodenow’s family members also offered their views on the sentence to the court before the sentence was handed down.
In a statement addressed to Marion read by Crino, Brown’s brother Daniel Brown said he still misses his brother’s presence every day and savors all the memories he had with the boy he considered his best friend.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better brother — I’m happy that you were here,” Daniel Brown said in the letter.
Addressing the court and the families of the victims during the sentencing, Marion said he never anticipated that the planned robbery would result in the deaths of Darren Brown and Owen Goodenow — men he called his friends.
“I had nothing against those two people,” Marion said. “Those were my friends, and I didn’t want that to happen to them.”
Suzanne Goodenow said during testimony that she did not feel hate toward Marion. She said the healing process finally could begin now that the convicted perpetrators of her son’s death had just punishments.
“I don’t feel any hatred toward you,” Suzanne Goodenow said to Marion as he awaited his sentence.
“You are just the end of this chapter.”
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