Godfather Charged with Murder in Beating Death of Six-year-old boy
Photo: victim Dayvon Taylor Nicholson
DOWNEY – Police Investigators are hard at work in the investigation of the tragic death of six-year-old Dayvon Taylor Nicholson, who died at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, allegedly from severe injuries suffered at the hands of his Godfather on the day after Christmas.
The Los Angeles District Attorney charged Tyler D’Shaun Martin Brand (dob 11/17/96) of Downey, an LAUSD after-school coach, with murder on 12/30/19.
The 23-year-old supervisor and coach took first-grader Dayvon and other students of Normandie Avenue Elementary School on field trips and to movies. After knowing him for three months in 2018, Dayvon’s mother, Kenya Taylor, asked the man fondly known as “Coach Ty” to be her son’s Godfather – another father-figure in his life.
The parents, who’d separated four years ago, were co-parenting Dayvon and his younger sister. Dayvon’s father, David Nicholson, stated the following on a GoFundMe page:
“My baby boy was only 6yrs old and was killed by a coach on December 26th 2019 the day after Christmas he was the most amazing kid now I need to raise money as his daddy to get him ready for another home its hurts but I got my daughter too that needs things so I’m asking for yall help and support for my baby.”
L.A. D.A. Prosecutors said, “The child, identified in the criminal complaint as Dayvon T., had been in the defendant’s care for several days over the holiday break. The boy died on Dec. 26 after allegedly being severely beaten by Brand at his Downey apartment.”
The Downey LAUSD coach was charged with murder in case VA152459 with one count each of murder and assault on a child causing death.
Brand faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, if convicted as charged. A $2 million bail is recommended.
Deputy District Attorney Colby Cano of the Complex Child Abuse Section of the Family Violence Division is assigned to the case.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to protecting the community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of crime victims’ rights.
