Most of those attending the hearing wore red in some form or another to support the brown – flannel shirts, hoodies and T-shirts lined the rows on the left side of the courtroom before the trial.

Eavan Castaner, Brown’s now-convicted killer, entered the courtroom at 10:30 a.m. through a door on the right. She was wearing a red jumpsuit with her hair in a slightly thick cut. The 16-year-old’s handcuffs rattled quietly as he made his way to meet his lawyer.

Castaner, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and misdemeanor stalking, the latter of which will be served as time is served. Second-degree murder carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

Castaner was originally charged with first-degree murder and stalking, but the charge was amended as part of the plea deal.

During Castaner’s brief 15-minute hearing, the defendant rarely uttered a word other than “yes, sir” as the presiding judge walked him through the proceedings and charges.

The courtroom remained mostly silent until Castaner’s attorney, Ryan Semerad, went over the events of April and May to confirm the facts of the allegations.

As Semerad’s questions drew closer to the moment Brown was shot, several members of the gallery began to cry.

Castaner’s guilty plea ended nearly six months of litigation and came after a motion to move the trial to juvenile court was ultimately never heard.

Brown’s death in May came as a shock to a Casper community already reeling from the death of another teenager, Bobby Maher, who was stabbed to death at Eastridge Mall in April.

The Blue Heart Collaborative, founded in the wake of Maher’s death to raise awareness about bullying and youth mental health, has also organized events to honor Lene’a Brown’s life.

Since Brown’s death, she has been memorialized at a public vigil held in May, Facebook groups and other in-person events in Casper.