Justice for Princess Miya

A Tragic Loss, A Relentless Pursuit

In one of the most unforgettable events of 1997, Princess Diana of Wales was killed in a tragic car crash in Paris, France. She was just 36 years old.

As the world mourned the loss of an icon, the birth of another princess was being celebrated - though on a much smaller scale - in Cooperstown, New York. While her name was not known to millions, her impact was immeasurable to those who loved her.

Miya Brophy-Baermann was that princess. To her parents, she was their world. Over the years, she proved to be a remarkable young woman. Miya spent the first nine years of her life in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, before moving to Providence, Rhode Island.

She graduated from Classical High School in Providence and later attended Skidmore College before transferring to the University of Rhode Island. A hard-working student, Miya juggled multiple jobs and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree. She continued her academic journey at Northeastern University, earning a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology in May 2021.

Described as selfless and full of life, Miya was known for her infectious optimism and the way she made strangers feel like friends. She possessed an unwavering work ethic, driven by her ambitions and the causes she believed in. Then, on August 24, 2021, at just 24 years old, Miya’s promising life was cut short in a drive-by shooting as she bid farewell to a friend in Providence. Authorities believed she was not the intended target, but for her grieving family, the pain of her loss was just as profound.

For months, Miya’s parents, family, and friends desperately sought answers, justice, and closure. Their breakthrough came on December 12, 2021, when Providence police stopped a vehicle for a routine traffic violation. Inside was a passenger named Isaiah Pinkerton.

What seemed like an ordinary stop quickly unraveled into an extraordinary piece of investigative work.

Before police could search the car, a backpack was tossed from the vehicle. Inside, officers discovered a “ghost gun” - a privately made firearm (PMF) with no serial number, making it untraceable through traditional means. However, “ghost guns” still leave forensic evidence, transferring distinct ballistic markings onto discharged ammunition. Investigators submitted the firearm to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN), which pointed the NIBIN Team to a probable match to the fired cartridge case evidence collected from Miya’s murder. Further analysis confirmed it was the murder weapon.

The evidence against Pinkerton mounted. He consented to providing a DNA sample, which was analyzed alongside swabs taken from the gun. The results were damning - his DNA was present on the murder weapon. NIBIN pointed detectives to the firearm, and forensic analysis linked it to Pinkerton. He was charged with murder and firearm offenses, and after a jury trial, justice was served. On March 12, 2025, he was sentenced to two life terms plus 50 years. A second suspect still awaited trial.

Following the conviction, Miya’s mother, Michelle Brophy-Baermann, shared her thoughts in an interview with Channel 12, WPRI. Her words echoed the sentiments of many families of murder victims - grief, gratitude, and relief.

“Right from the beginning, detectives told us there was a possibility that this would never be solved,” she recalled. “I was very concerned at one point that there would not be justice.”

She expressed deep appreciation for the relentless efforts of investigators and prosecutors.

“A lot of times, people are not caught, and parents never know,” she said. “I’m just so grateful.”

Michelle’s words highlight why it is a matter of public policy to fully leverage forensic databases like NIBIN.

The rationale is threefold:

1. Justice for Victims, Resolution for Families – As Michelle emphasized, we must seek justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves. The expectation of relentless follow-up must be upheld by those in positions of power and trust.

2. The Power of Data - Forensic databases grow more valuable over time, linking seemingly insignificant cases to major breakthroughs. Even minor cases can yield critical clues in solving high-profile crimes.

3. Dogged Determination -Justice requires the unwavering persistence of investigators who use every available tool, from NIBIN to DNA to data analytics, to follow every lead and uncover the truth.

Following Pinkerton’s sentencing, Miya’s mother, Michelle, still had one more test of her inner strength to endure, the trial of the second suspect charged in her daughter’s murder, Shawn Mann.

On October 30, 2024, following the conclusion of a nine-day jury trial before Judge Krause, the jury found Shawn Mann guilty of one count of murder: one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and several related firearm charges. The State had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that during the early morning hours on Sunday, August 1, 2021, the defendant and a co-defendant, Isaiah Pinkerton, participated in a drive-by shooting on Olney Street in Providence that killed Miya Brophy-Baermann.

At a hearing on March 11, 2025, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced Shawn Mann (age 34) to double life in prison, plus 60 years.

“Though Miya’s loss will forever be deeply felt by her friends and family, I hope they feel a sense of peace knowing that justice has been served for both defendants responsible for this senseless crime. I am grateful to our prosecutors, in partnership with the Providence Police Department, for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this complex case.”

More than 25 years after Princess Diana’s death, questions and conspiracy theories still linger. But thanks to tireless detectives, forensic technology, and an unwavering commitment to justice, Miya’s case was solved with certainty.

In her name, we are reminded that justice is not just an ideal – society must speak for the victim who no longer can - it is a responsibility we owe to every victim and their loved ones.

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Afterword

Building and sustaining effective crime gun intelligence capabilities that can help bring killers to justice doesn’t happen by chance - it requires a deliberate strategy, commitment. Success in this arena hinges on a three-pronged approach: cross-jurisdictional teamwork, policy-driven investigative practices, and the tactical and strategic use of layers of relevant technologies. This “three-legged stool” of crime gun intelligence stands firmly on a foundation of evidence/intelligence-led operations.

Toward the last days of the 2024, legislative session, the Rhode Island House and Senate had each considered a bill making the comprehensive collection of ballistics evidence from crime scenes and crime guns, and its submission to NIBIN mandatory across all state agencies. The House passed its Bill. The session ended before the Senate acted and the effort collapsed.

Recently, Rhode Island legislators exhibited some relentless follow-up of their own, both houses again submitted NIBIN Bills, H5130 and S0059. If passed during this 2025 session, and signed by the Governor, Rhode Island will have taken the significant step of codifying its expectations for maximizing the use of violent crime solving tools at its disposal.

Moreover, Rhode Island would become the 9^th state that has enacted legislation mandating NIBIN and ATF’s eTrace. Rhode Island would join: New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Save for a short stretch through Pennsylvania, armed criminals operating along the Interstate 95, Northeast corridor from Delaware to Rhode Island will find it harder to escape detection from the fired evidence left behind, as they crisscross from one state to another.

This policy shift underscores the growing recognition of how these tools can transform investigations and help seek justice.

I’m especially excited to highlight the contributions of our own, Pete Gagliardi, who for over 30 years has been pushing and pulling for greater NIBIN usage across the United States and for similar networks in over 80 other countries.

Pete has educated thousands of law enforcement and forensic personnel, prosecutors and judges, and policy makers and legislators, at all levels of government on the critical role of NIBIN as a tool to help solve violent crimes and hold offenders accountable.

The one role that NIBIN plays, that Pete and all of us at the RF FACTOR and beyond are most proud of, is the one that can help seek justice for the victims, resolution for their loved ones, and peace for communities affected by gang and gun-related violence.

The very same one that means the most to mothers like Michelle Brophy-Baermann.