It was an emotional day in court as family and friends of St. Joseph County Jail Officer Rhema Harris watched the teenager who killed her receive more than 50 years in prison.
Harris’ parents stood up one after the other on Thursday morning to address judge Jeffrey Sanford.
They spoke on how their daughter’s murder in a drive-by shooting at the hands of Braxton Bird in June of 2022 had forever altered their lives. But they also spoke of forgiveness, saying they hope Braxton, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, finds purpose.
“As hard as it’s been, I choose to forgive Braxton Bird for the murder of my daughter. I have to,” Georgia Duncan said. “God requires me too.”
Despite a request from Braxton’s lawyer to have him sentenced as a juvenile, Sanford gave the teen a 58-year sentence, saying Braxton’s criminal history outweighed his young age.
Braxton spoke to both Rhema Harris' family and his own at the hearing, saying he was sorry for the pain he caused and referenced his own upbringing which included him being shot in the arm at age seven and witnessing a cousin killed in a shooting when he was a teenager.
"I want to say I'm sorry. It was not my intent when I went over there," Braxton said. "I can understand what y'all are going through. I, myself, went through it repeatedly more than once."
Court documents and testimony paint an ongoing feud between Braxton and the daughter of one of Harris’ friends as the catalyst for the shooting.
Braxton had previously been convicted of robbery in juvenile court and blamed the girl’s family for him getting caught. Mishawaka police detectives have testified the group traded Snapchat messages which escalated to threats trying to get the girl to fight one of Braxton's female friends.
Braxton then got some firearms and rounded up a group of other juveniles, including his nephew, to drive by the girl’s house on Milburn Avenue on June 26, 2022. The family was having a cookout with multiple people around, including Rhema Harris.
Court testimony found Braxton wielded a rifle during the shooting and fired the fatal shot which struck Harris while she was in the kitchen.
Braxton was on probation at the time of the shooting and was even wearing an ankle monitor. He was charged in July of 2022 and his case was moved from juvenile to adult court and he was found guilty by Sanford in a bench trial in October, though he said he plans to appeal the conviction.
Braxton's nephew Braelyn Rios is also charged with murder as an accomplice for his role in the shooting. Court documents allege Rios fired a handgun in the drive-by but did not hit anyone. Braelyn was 15 at the time.
Multiple St. Joseph County officers were also present for the sentencing, including St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman. Harris served in the U.S. Army before joining the police department as a jail officer in 2021.
