Jury finds McGowan guilty of first-degree murder

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – A jury in Linn County has found 18-year-old Keyun McGowan guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Cristian Upah in Cedar Rapids in May of 2023. Both victims were found dead.

The jury also decided that McGowan was responsible for two charges of robbery in the first degree.

During the trial, the prosecution maintained that McGowan, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, intended to rob Upah and his girlfriend, but that instead, he ended up killing Upah when he began to fight back.

Attorneys for McGowan maintained that there was insufficient direct evidence to support the claim that McGowan had shot Upah.

On the 24th of May, a judge has scheduled McGowan’s sentencing. In the state of Iowa, a conviction for first-degree murder results in an automatic sentence of life in prison.