Man Sentenced In Crossfire Shooting Death of Camden Girl, 8

A Camden man has been sentenced to an aggregate 51-year sentence in the murder of an 8-year-old girl that took place in 2016, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Tyhan Brown was previously found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, aggravated manslaughter, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a firearm in the death of Gabrielle Hill-Carter. Hill-Carter was the unintended victim of a gang related shooting.

He was sentenced to 28 years for aggravated manslaughter, to be served consecutive to a 16-year term imposed for the attempted murder of Amir Dixon. These sentences are subject to a 40-year, 10 months, 24 day bar on parole eligibility.

He was then given a third consecutive sentence of seven years for possessing a handgun without a permit. This sentence is subject to a mandatory 42-month bar on parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act.

The remaining two counts, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, were merged with the attempted murder count.

Before handing down the sentence, the Honorable John T. Kelley heard statements from Hill-Carter’s family.
Maressa Hill-Phillips stood with her family as her husband read a statement she had prepared, according to the prosecutor’s office. She expressed the overwhelming sadness she and her family suffer every day without Gabby in their lives and noted she misses Gabby’s laugh the most.

Will Phillips then addressed the court and reminded the judge that it was the second anniversary of the shooting. Phillips told the court the loss of Gabby breaks his heart every day and asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence possible.

Carter-Hill was outside riding her bicycle outside her house around 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2016, when she was caught in a crossfire between two groups of people and shot in the head. She was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where she died later that week.

One group of people included Brown, and the other included Dixon. Brown left Camden that night and went to his aunt's house in Sicklerville with his mother and girlfriend. Arrangements were then made by a family friend to fly Brown to Nashville, Tennessee, according to the prosecutor's office.

Camden County Prosecutor's Office detectives determined that Brown opened fire on 8th Street in Camden in an attempt to kill Dixon. The two had been involved in an ongoing dispute, and Brown had threatened Dixon a couple days before the shooting by flashing a gun at him, witnesses told authorities.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) conducted an analysis of Brown's cell phone and was able to determine Brown was in the area of the shooting when it happened. Brown had told authorities he was in Sicklerville at the time, according to the prosecutor's office.

Further analysis showed Brown then traveled to Sicklerville after the shooting, authorities said. Brown was charged on Sept. 21, 2016, and arrested by U.S. Marshals in Clarksville, Tennessee, two days later.

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