A Madison County grand jury has indicted Brailen Weaver, 19, on two counts of murder, a capital offense, and one count of fleeing and evading, a class C felony, the state attorney general's office has announced.

Weaver will be arraigned in the Madison County Circuit Court on August 20. Weaver was supposed to have appeared in federal court on July 21 to begin a criminal trial based on a federal grand jury's indictments that were returned in May. That date has been cancelled. A status update is now scheduled before federal district judge, the Hon. Claria Horn Boom, on August 5. A spokesperson for the US District Attorney's office in Lexington told The Edge that the federal trial date is likely to change several times before the trial begins.

The federal grand jury indictments included attempted armed bank robbery that resulted in the death of two victims, and is punishable with life in prison, and two counts of causing death with a firearm in the course of a crime of violence.

Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a statement his office intends to seek the death penalty against Weaver due to “the heinous nature of the crime and the loss of life." The indictment from Coleman's office is separate from the ongoing federal case, though state and federal prosecutors are collaborating, according to the statement.

On April 30th, the suspect entered the Berea branch of US Bank on Chestnut Street, then shot to death the newlywed Breanna Edwards, who was 35, and customer service consultant and father of three, 42-year-old Brian Switzer. The suspect then stole about $700 from the teller drawers before fleeing the scene and leading law enforcement on an hours long car and foot chase before being apprehended in Northeastern Fayette County.

Deaths during armed robberies are exceedingly rare. The most recent data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations places them at less than 1% of all armed bank robberies. Because the grand jury found that Weaver premeditated the killings, federal prosecutors are eligible to seek the death penalty against Weaver.

A source familiar with the federal grand jury testimony told The Edge Weaver had been a customer of US Bank, where he'd opened an account after winning a settlement against a foster parent. It is unclear which US Bank branch is where he'd opened his account, but he had previously used the Berea branch before the killings.

The state's deputy attorney general, Rob Duncan, and Rewa Zakharia, chief of the criminal division of the AG's office, presented the case to the grand jury on behalf of the Commonwealth. They, along with Madison County Attorney Jennie Haymond, in her capacity as a Special Assistant Attorney General, and the state's violent crime resource prosecutor, Tom Lockridge, will prosecute the case against Weaver.

The charges in an indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Jemi Chew contributed to this report.
This story was updated with additional information about Weaver's federal case at 2:14pm on Friday, July 17, 2026.