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'Missing part of the puzzle' | Family grieving, fighting for justice after loved one killed in Douglasville

Derrick Lamar Brown was killed on Jan. 28. Months later, his family is continuing to honor his memory and is bringing attention to who he was.

Meleah Lyden, Ron Jones, Ciara Bri'd Frisbie, Darrell Pryor, Gabriella Nunez

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Published: 7:12 AM EDT July 25, 2024
Updated: 7:12 AM EDT July 25, 2024

Derrick Lamar Brown was a warrior -- a protector with a strong spirit and lots of love to give. 

The metro Atlanta man was originally from Monroe, Louisiana, and was one of eight children, his family said. He was the third eldest child and took a leadership role for those around him. The gentle giant, as his family described him, was also known to have a heart of gold and to be the type of person who'd give his shirt off his back to others.

His mother, JoeAnn Brown, said that Derrick was a man of strength, and she could always count on him to help those he loved. The 41-year-old was a mama's boy through and through, she said.

"I'm a mamma bear with all of them," she said about her children. "And Derrick was like the warrior in our family. He was like our protector."

But their fierce-loving protector, the man who completed the puzzle of their family unit, was ripped away from them on January 28. 

And now, the family is still fighting for justice for Derrick and is feeling the void that can never be filled -- that missing puzzle piece -- as they try to live their lives without the man who was an integral part of their unit. 

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