(WXYZ) — The 25-year-old step-cousin of Eastpointe teen Zion Foster has been found guilty of her murder.
Jaylin Brazier found guilty in murder of Zion Foster
Jaylin Omar Brazier was convicted of charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the case.
The 17-year-old's body has never been found.
After the verdict, Zion's mother, Ciera Milton told 7 News Detroit she's "happy that in the end this is justice".
When asked what she'd say to jurors, Milton said tearfully, "Thank you for looking at this and knowing that she can't speak for herself. Thank you for speaking for her."
Zion's father, James Royster said of Brazier, "You thought you was smart. You tried to be slick, but people saw you for what you are."
Milton said of Brazier, "You thought that she didn't matter to us, and you, you were mistaken."
"You set yourself up. Good riddance. My condolences to the family," she added.
What exactly happened in Brazier's home the night of Jan. 4, 2022, is what investigators have tried to figure out.
VIDEO: Prison phone calls, more interrogation tapes highlight day 4 of Brazier murder trial
Police say on January 4, 2022, Zion Foster left her home in Eastpointe and never returned.
Investigators believed early on that Brazier was responsible for her death. Police say after initially lying, Brazier later confessed that the two got high and he panicked after claiming Zion suddenly stopped breathing.
He reportedly said he threw her in a dumpster, prompting a five month-long search by DPD at a Macomb County dump site. Zion's body was never recovered.
Brazier was initially sentenced to 23 months after being charged with lying to police in connection to Zion’s disappearance. He was released in January of 2023 after serving 10 months.
During testimony, the jury viewed and listened to video and audio tapes of Brazier’s interrogations with police.
In an interrogation on Jan. 19, 2022, Brazier said the the two only smoked 'normal' marijuana the night of her disappearance.
Then, in an interrogation on Jan. 20, 2022, he claimed he and Zion smoked marijuana and did LSD. He said she must have had a bad reaction to it.
Then in another interrogation in October 2022, he said he had lied about the LSD and that they'd only smoked marijuana.
Brazier told detectives that Zion became unresponsive after they smoked marijuana at his home for about an hour.
During day two of testimony, the prosecution played his confession tape. During the confession, Brazier told Detroit and Eastpointe police detectives that he panicked and disposed of Zion's body in a dumpster.
VIDEO: Zion Foster's mother testifies at murder trial:
The interview took place Jan. 19, 2022. That's 15 days after Zion's disappearance, which is the night the two hung out together.
In the two weeks leading up to the confession, investigators said Brazier changed his story. At one point, he claimed he hadn't seen her in a long while.
A total of 32 witnesses testified in the case. Brazier was not among them. Instead, he maintained his right to remain silent.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy released the following statement about the case:
This case remains the quintessential example of investigators and prosecutors who refused to give up on her homicide. For 18 months, investigators put together the evidence. Each piece of evidence in this case was examined and linked together Zion’s cousin, Jaylin Brazier, with Murder in the Second-Degree for killing Zion.
Brazier will be sentenced June 3rd.
