Convicted crack dealer gets life sentence for 2011 Kansas City home invasion

A convicted crack dealer was sentenced Friday to life in prison for his role in an August 2011 home invasion that left one man dead and a second victim wounded.

Garron T. Briggs, 30, was convicted of first-degree murder in December.

According to court records, the surviving victim had returned to her home in the 7000 block of East 85th Terrace about 1 a.m. when three men, including Briggs, approached her.

After forcing her to unlock the home’s front door, Briggs forced her to lie on the living room floor while the two other men went into a bedroom and began looking for something.

They repeatedly asked Edward Ewing, the woman’s boyfriend, to tell them where the “stuff” was. Unable to find what they were looking for, Briggs shot the second victim. She survived. Ewing was shot to death in the bedroom.

Briggs also was convicted of assault and two counts of armed criminal action.

In January 2015, Briggs was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a $7.5 million conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Convicted crack dealer gets life sentence for 2011 Kansas City home invasion."