Community calls for justice on what would have been Devon Marsman’s 21st birthday

Devon Marsman would have turned 21 on October 7. His family gathered on Sunday at a Halifax basketball court to celebrate his life and call for justice regarding his five-year-old murder case. Marsman's mother, Theresa Gray, expressed her disbelief at the time that passed since she last saw her son, stating, "He didn't get to live any of his life whatsoever, he was just stripped of everything."

Marsman went missing in February 2022 after attending a party with his older cousin, Treyton Marsman, and another boy. Gray maintained from the beginning that Treyton was responsible for her son's disappearance. On September 17, 2024, police found Marsman's remains and charged Treyton with second-degree murder, indignity to human remains, and obstruction. Four more individuals were charged in 2024, including Casey, Herritt, and the youth, facing indignity to human remains and accessory after the fact to murder charges.

Lisa Fenton, an advocate for Marsman's family, emphasized the ongoing impact of the violence that took Devon's life, urging the community to keep discussing the case and teaching young people there is another way. Due to a publication ban, the current status of the legal proceedings remains undisclosed until the final trial begins in March 2027.

The basketball court on Romans Avenue remains significant to Devon's legacy, and community leaders are working to dedicate the space in his memory. DeRico Symonds, a social justice activist, highlighted the court's importance for the youth in the community, stating, "I lived at 337 Romans Avenue, and this basketball court was the therapist I could afford."

Symonds encouraged the youth present to transcend their circumstances and avoid violence as a solution. Council approved renaming the court in Devon's honor and seven others during a regional council meeting on September 29. Theresa Gray, Devon's mother, vowed to continue fighting for justice in her son's name, ensuring that what happened to him never happens to other families with missing children.