Teen found incapable to proceed in Durham Uber driver’s Johnston County killing
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A judge ruled Tray’vian Brown unfit for trial due to mental health concerns.
- Brown’s charges in Emmanuel Gbedee’s killing were dismissed temporarily.
- Search warrants linked Brown to possibly robbing the Uber driver.
A Harnett County teenager’s charges in the January killing of a Durham Uber driver have been temporarily dismissed.
Tray’vian Tre’vel Brown, 19, of Dunn was arrested Jan. 15 on charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the Jan. 12 death of Emmanuel Kwame Gbedee, 57, The News & Observer previously reported.
Gbedee was found fatally shot in the backseat of his car in Benson early that morning, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said. Brown was arrested three days later after police searched his home, according to court documents.
The teen was committed to Central Regional Hospital’s Butner campus March 24 after his attorney expressed concerns about his mental health, court records show. Brown reportedly showed a “flat affect” and was “virtually non-verbal,” his lawyer wrote; he was transferred to Central Prison from the Johnston County jail after refusing to eat.
Superior Court Judge Keith Gregory ruled Friday that Brown, “by reason of mental illness or defect,” could not assist in his own defense and did not have the capacity to proceed with a trial, according to court documents. That ruling was based on a forensic evaluation from the hospital, the order states.
The Johnston County District Attorney’s Office also indicated Friday it will not seek the death penalty against Brown. Assistant District Attorney Keith Gordon told The N&O on Tuesday that the state could pursue charges against Brown again if his competency is restored.
How police found Brown
Other than describing Gbedee as Brown’s Uber driver that night, authorities have released few details on a possible motive in the killing. Recently released search warrants and Gbedee’s autopsy report indicate Gbedee may have been robbed.
Gbedee’s wife told detectives she’d last seen him about 5:30 p.m. the evening before he was found, according to the search warrant application for Brown’s home. She last heard from her husband about 11:30 p.m. via text message, the warrant states.
Gbedee’s wallet, credit/debit cards and cellphone were not in his car or on his person, according to the warrant. Investigators believe they were stolen.
The initial crime scene appeared to be in the road near the intersection of Holly Grove Road and Denn Field Lane in Benson, just over a mile from where Gbedee’s body was ultimately found, according to search warrants.
Data from Uber showed Gbedee picked up a rider at 11:49 p.m. in that area, and GPS data indicated the rider’s cellphone was moving in tandem with Gbedee’s phone until both phones reached the scene of the shooting, the warrants state. Then, the rider’s phone began moving on its own “back down Holly Grove Rd. toward Denn field Ln.,” according to the warrant.
The rider’s phone last pinged at Brown’s address about 1:45 a.m., according to court documents. Bank data showed the rider paid with a CashApp card registered to Brown.
The sheriff’s office was called to a sweet potato warehouse in the 2500 block of Holly Grove Road about 1 a.m. after the owner saw a “suspicious male” on the security camera, according to search warrants. The State Highway Patrol received a call around the same time when a passerby saw Gbedee’s Nissan Altima against the warehouse with its hazard lights on.
A state trooper arrived first, discovering Gbedee’s body just before 1:15 a.m., the warrants state. His car was “parked at the corner of the warehouse with the emergency flashers activated and doors closed,” with Gbedee dead in the backseat, according to the warrants.
Investigators found the glove box and center console “had been rifled through” and Gbedee’s pants pocket was turned inside out, a search warrant states. A 9 mm cartridge casing was found underneath the passenger seat, with a projectile found in the front door by the rearview mirror, according to Gbedee’s autopsy. He had been shot twice in the head at close range.
Police recovered a 9 mm magazine, a 9 mm handgun and a black ski mask from Brown’s home, according to court documents.
Gbedee, a native of Liberia, was an N.C. Central University graduate who worked as a financial adviser, his obituary states. He was a member of River Church Durham and a number of other community organizations, including Liberia Community of the Triangle.
“Emmanuel was a charismatic and dedicated individual who lived his life with resilience and dedication,” his obituary states. “Emmanuel had a knack for making people laugh, his charm and charisma lighting up any room he entered. He was a beacon of positivity, resilience, and inspiration.”
Gbedee is survived by his wife of 30 years, four children and a host of extended family members, according to his obituary.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 5:15 PM.
