Murder charges filed in killing of 22-year-old woman at Puyallup park. Three teens held
Two teenagers have been charged in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old Kingston woman earlier this year in Puyallup.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Dae’Meion Carmello Purdy, 17, and Noah Loyd-Branch, 18, with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree attempted robbery, drive-by shooting and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, court records show.
Purdy and Loyd-Branch were arrested Tuesday in connection to the Feb. 25 fatal shooting of Gianna Stone. Puyallup police said in a news release that Stone was killed during an attempted robbery and that it was a random attack.
Purdy is being held at Remann Hall, Pierce County’s juvenile detention facility. Loyd-Branch is in custody at Pierce County Jail, records show.
Another 18-year-old man, Ethan Nordgren, was charged Friday with second-degree murder and other charges. He is suspected of driving the car that fled after the killing.
Pleas of not-guilty were entered on Purdy’s and Loyd-Branch’s behalfs during their Wednesday arraignments at Pierce County Superior Court. Judge Grant Blinn set Purdy’s bail at $1.5 million and Loyd-Branch’s at $1 million.
Stone’s family and loved ones sat in the courtroom gallery during the arraignment wearing shirts that read, “Justice for Gianna.”
Charging details
Purdy and Loyd-Branch were identified as suspects in the fatal shooting through video surveillance, witness statements and cellphone records.
Police were dispatched at about 8:50 p.m. to Sam Peach Park for a reported shooting. A group of people, including Stone, were in a BMW at the park. While parked, two to three people walked up to the BMW and pulled out handguns, according to charging documents.
The suspects demanded the group’s property as the BMW driver attempted to drive away. Shots were fired, and one of the bullets went through the back of the BMW, striking Stone’s head. Her friends drove her to the hospital where she later died, prosecutors wrote.
Puyallup police were dispatched to the park, but there was no one there. They found shell casings and later spoke to Stone’s friends, who said that one of the suspects was wearing a BAPE brand hoodie, prosecutors wrote.
Through video surveillance, detectives discovered a silver Mercedes sedan that was seen driving away from the area following the shooting. Detectives pulled the sedan’s license-plate number. On March 1, a Puyallup police officer attempted a traffic stop on the Mercedes, unrelated to the homicide, but it attempted to drive off, prosecutors wrote.
The driver was identified as an Nordgren in court documents. The passenger was Loyd-Branch. Officers found an empty handgun holster and a picture of Loyd-Branch with his girlfriend, which shows him wearing a BAPE brand hoodie, documents show.
Cellphone records from Loyd-Branch showed that his device was near Sam Peach Park around the time of the homicide. His phone records also allegedly connected him to the route that the Mercedes was seen taking in surveillance footage following the shooting.
Detectives learned that Loyd-Branch was closely affiliated with Purdy. Loyd-Branch’s phone records show him going to Purdy’s residence in Federal Way before driving to Puyallup, prosecutors wrote. Detectives believe that Loyd-Branch and the unnamed suspect picked up Purdy, went to the park and then dropped him back off to his Federal Way residence.
Detectives also found a photo of Purdy with a handgun suspected to be used in the homicide. The photo was taken about two hours before the homicide, prosecutors wrote. He also posted a photograph on Instagram stories that shows Loyd-Branch and him wearing BAPE hoodies.
A witness told detectives that she had been told by a friend that Purdy shot into the back of the car, but the suspects did not realize anyone had been hit or killed.
Prosecutors wrote that Nordgren was the driver of the vehicle because his family said that he does not allow anyone else to drive the Mercedes. His description also did not match the description that witnesses at the scene gave of the other suspects.
It is believed that Purdy and Loyd-Branch were on foot when they went up to the BMW at the time of the shooting. Either Purdy or Loyd-Branch allegedly fired at the BMW, killing Stone. During an interview with Loyd-Branch, he said that he thought Purdy was capable of being the shooter, prosecutors wrote.
This story was originally published June 6, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
