PENDER COUNTY — A jury convicted a man last week involved in the 2020 death of a UNCW student and military serviceman.
Brandon Tyrell Chambers, 26, was sentenced to mandatory life in prison by Judge Bob Cherry. He was charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The jury found Chambers conspired with co-defendants Raymond Brooks and Myasia Moragne to bring 23-year-old Christopher Stewart to Rocky Point park on March 27, 2020. Stewart believed he was meeting Moragne in person after connecting online through a dating app. Upon arrival, he was ambushed by Moragne’s brother, Brooks, and his boyfriend, Chambers.
According to court testimony, a pipe was used to beat Stewart to death. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office gathered evidence that put the three suspects at the scene of the crime, as indicated by Stewart’s cellphone, taken from him during the murder and robbery. It was tracked to an area in Bladen County the defendants were known to frequent.
There was also physical evidence located in Chambers’ vehicle forensically matching Stewart.
Brooks was found guilty for his role by a March 2023 Pender County jury and will serve a life sentence. He also testified against Chambers. Moragne’s case will be addressed later this month.
Both Brooks and Moragne — the latter of whom testified in both trials — described to the jury moments leading up to, during and following the murder. Both explained Chambers’ role in the plot to lure Stewart to the park and kill him.
New Hanover and Pender county district attorney Jason Smith forewarns dating app users to be “hypervigilant.”
“Apps are ubiquitous, but not everyone on the apps is intending to date,” he wrote in a release. “Make sure you know who you are talking to and be cautious when meeting for first time in person. Chris undeservingly lost his life, but this jury’s verdict ensures that his killers were brought to justice.”
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