Police Make Arrests in 2006 Shooting Death

After a year and a half of investigation, a new lead allowed homicide detectives for the Berkeley Police Department to make two arrests in connection with the 2006 death of an Oakland man near a UC Berkeley sorority house.

Police have charged Berkeley resident Brandon Crowder, 20, and Richmond resident Nicholas Beaudreaux, 22, with the murder of 23-year-old Wayne Drummond Jr., said Berkeley police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.

According to police, early in the morning on Sept. 4, 2006, Drummond and the two suspects got into an argument outside the Southside restaurant Blakes on Telegraph.

They then walked east on Durant Avenue, where police say Drummond was shot by Beaudreaux.

Some of Drummond's friends then took him to Alpha Omicron Pi sorority at 2311 Prospect Street; Drummond knew the handyman at the house. He died on the steps of the sorority around 2:30 a.m., according to police.

Beaudreaux shot Drummond under the direction of Crowder, Kusmiss said. Drummond, who may not have known he was shot, attributed his stomach pain to alcohol, Kusmiss said.

Drummond and Crowder had previously been acquaintances but both had only recently met Beaudreaux, police said.

According to Christina Starzak, the president of the Panhellenic Council, Alpha Omicron Pi members did not participate in the investigation.

The investigation of Drummond's death was suspended in October 2006 after police were not able to develop any leads.

However, on Dec. 17, 2007, police received more information when Crowder allegedly threatened a basketball player in the Recreational Sports Facility on the UC Berkeley campus.

After Crowder allegedly threatened the basketball player, another individual warned the player that Crowder's threats could be deadly.

"Another basketball player came up to the victim and said, 'Hey, watch out for this guy. Last time he threatened someone they ended up dead,'" Kusmiss said.

After an initial investigation, UCPD Detective Jason Collom forwarded the case to the homicide division of the Berkeley Police Department.

Berkeley police then issued a $50,000 arrest warrant for Crowder for the threats that were made in the RSF, which led to his Feb. 13 arrest.

Police suspected Crowder was involved in Drummond's killing and questioned him after he was arrested for making the threats.

Once he was in police custody, Crowder identified Beaudreaux as the person who shot Drummond, Kusmiss said. Beaudreaux was arrested for the murder of Drummond on Feb. 15. Both are currently being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

"It's not uncommon that a suspect will be arrested for a particular crime and say 'I have information for another case,'" Kusmiss said. "Maybe he thought he would benefit."

Tags: CRIME, WAYNE DRUMMOND, MURDER