(Marion County, FL) Yesterday, June 18, 2026, jurors delivered their verdict in the 2024 murder case of 24-year-old Derrick Lysander Brown Jr. After reviewing compelling evidence and listening to expert testimony presented by the prosecution team, jurors found 23-year-old Blayze Jurrien White guilty of Premeditated First-Degree Murder with a Firearm. Following the verdict, White was sentenced to Life in prison.
“This verdict and sentence reflect the relentless efforts of law enforcement, our prosecution team, and all those committed to seeking justice for Derrick and the Brown family,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “While no sentence can undo this tragic loss, this outcome ensures that the defendant will be held accountable for taking a young man’s life.”
Nearly two years ago, on June 23, 2024, officers with the Ocala Police Department (OPD) were dispatched to a shooting that had just occurred off Northeast 8th Terrace in Ocala. Upon arrival, officers were informed that the victim, Derrick Lysander Brown, was unresponsive on the couch with a gunshot wound to his head. Emergency medical personnel transported Brown to HCA Ocala Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
A witness at the scene reported that while lying in bed, they heard what sounded like gunshots. They then clearly heard a second round of gunshots, followed by footsteps outside their bedroom window. After jumping out of bed and getting two small children to safety, the witness crawled to check on other family members inside the home. Upon entering the living room, they observed the victim on the couch, lifeless, with a gunshot wound to the head.
Officials observed the living room window of the apartment had been shot through multiple times and located spent shell casings outside the apartment below the window. While collecting the casings for evidence, crime scene technicians also observed multiple shoe prints. The prints were preserved for evidence, along with vehicle tire treads located in the grassy area behind the apartment.
Surveillance footage collected during the investigation showed a Hyundai Elantra speeding out of the apartment complex area shortly after the shooting occurred. License plate reader information was obtained, and it revealed the vehicle had been rented by the defendant using the TURO servicing platform. The vehicle was equipped with GPS technology which collected vital information, including trip routes, speed information, and rapid accelerations/braking. A search warrant was conducted on a residence off Anthony Road, where the car had traveled to before and after the night of the murder. At the home, law enforcement located a firearm matching the caliber of the spent shell casings and bullets recovered.
During their investigation, officials learned that the victim was loosely connected to a local gang that was in rivalry with the defendant’s gang. Investigators further discovered that multiple individuals were involved in the planned shooting of the victim. White and two co-defendants were arrested and charged in connection with Brown’s murder.
The cases against the remaining defendants charged in connection with Brown’s death remain pending.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Richard Buxman. The State Attorney’s Office also recognizes the dedicated work of the Ocala Police Department and the victim advocates who supported the Brown family throughout the judicial process.
Published on 06/19/2026.