CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man who murdered a witness was sentenced Monday to life in federal prison.
Dewayne Dixon, 39, previously pleaded guilty to witness tampering by killing. Dixon lured Branda Mae Delight Basham, 22, to a secluded section of railroad track in Charleston near the 700 block of Breece Street in July 2014, where he murdered her.
Dixon forced Basham at gunpoint to admit working with police to make undercover buys of heroin from him before fatally shooting her several times with a 9mm pistol.
Dixon surrendered to Charleston Police three days later, waiving his Miranda rights and confessing to killing Basham. He later admitted that he intended to retaliate against Basham for cooperating with law enforcement and to prevent her from testifying against him.
At the time of the murder, Dixon had been previously convicted of several felonies.
“Branda Basham’s murder is a horrible tragedy and a stark reminder of the enormous cost of drug crime. I want the Basham family to know that the prosecutors and law enforcement who took part in this investigation join me in sending our deepest condolences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Casto.