The justices attacked the evidence as insufficient and said that the juvenile trial evidence pointing to a shotgun in Brown's bedroom as the murder weapon supported an equally-reasonable conclusion that it was not the murder weapon. In my 25 years, I believe it was the only one in that area that I can remember.. The trial lasted three days. Then the issue became whether Brown's eventual adjudication hearing (juvenile court trial) should be opened to the public, and whether he should provisionally be released while a decision in that matter was pending. Not only did the individual defendants in this case fail all of us, the institution of policing failed us as well, Alec Wright, an attorney with the OBrien Law firm in Pittsburgh who represents Brown, wrote in an emailed statement. It cost me my job, and what money that I had coming in went into the gas tank and went into things that he needed, Chris Brown said. Within a day, Harvey was cleared as a suspect. ", https://wandervogeldiary.wordpress.com/tag/jordan-brown-innocent/. I remember when this all happened and just read up on everything that has happened since (I had an idea that he was out of prison, but had NO idea that his conviction was overturned based on insufficient evidence). Read that Supreme Court order and realize that this kid was done wrong., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. I mean, you Google Jordan Brown and you get that mug shot picture that pops up, he said. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, was murdered at her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994, along with friend Ronald Goldman. Christopher Brown and his once-partner, Mildred Krause, gladly welcomed Jordan Brown into their lives on August 12, 1997. Brown, who initially was charged as an . [11] After those newspapers decided not to pursue their appeal further, Judge Hodge was directed by another panel of the Superior Court to move swiftly to hold an adjudication hearing. Martin said the autopsy report determined that Houk had been killed with a shotgun and she had a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. "Jordan Brown was a fifth-grader in February 2009 when Pennsylvania police arrived to take him away as the sole suspect in the shotgun slaying of his dads pregnant fiance, Kenzie Houk. Brown was 11 years old when prosecutors said he shot 26-year-old Kenzie Houk, who was eight months pregnant, in the head and then went to school. ". Not long after 11:00 A.M. Lizzie found her father's body and called Bridget for help. The justices attacked the evidence as insufficient and said that the juvenile trial evidence pointing to a shotgun in Brown's bedroom as the murder weapon supported an equally-reasonable conclusion that it was not the murder weapon.[1]. Brown was found guilty of first-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child in connection with the death of his father's fiance Kenzie Houk. They discovered Mrs. Borden's body a short time later. After Brown had spent more than three years in a juvenile detention facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, while Pennsylvania courts deliberated his status, Brown was tried as a juvenile and found guilty of being delinquent by a judge on April 13, 2012. Brown said this week from his western Pennsylvania home that he is studying computer science at a college in Ohio, but taking criminal justice classes with the idea that he might go to law school and pursue a career as a civil rights attorney. Police also confirmed he had been at work during the shooting, so they quickly eliminated him as a suspect. In another allegation, the lawsuit provides a transcript of an interview with a former girlfriend of Browns father, a woman who said at least twice that she was absolutely not afraid of Jordan Brown. Jordan Brown, now 14, was found delinquent by Lawrence County Judge John Hodge - the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict. Wonder what the other children think of it all. Thanks! Inside the family's farmhouse, police had found handguns, rifles, several rounds of ammunition and a child-sized shotgun that belonged to Jordan. Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned. WAMPUM, Pa. -- Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested and initially charged as an adult for the murder of his pregnant, soon-to-be stepmother. Interviewing those involved, with the goal of finding out who killed Jordan and why? And I'll say it. Brown, now nearly 23, said this week he hopes the lawsuit will be the definitive finding of his innocence as well as providing some compensation for his father, Chris Brown, who paid child support, taxes, lawyers fees and expenses to travel more than 100 miles every day to see him while he was incarcerated. The bed was all ready diapers were where they were supposed to be and everything, yeah she was ready.. In an exclusive interview with 20/20, she told her own account of what happened that morning of Feb. 20, 2009, and some of it conflicts with the police timeline. Had to bc this case fascinates me and I was looking for a good discussion on here and this is literally the only one I can find. Under Pennsylvania law, an adjudicated juvenile offender cannot be held in custody past his 21st birthday. Of course a killer is going to say I didnt kill her, and of course a violent man who would kill his pregnant ex would be raised by an equally violent man who would have no problem providing an alibi for his son. Nearly two years after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court cleared him, Mr. Brown is suing an ex-state police commissioner and former troopers. Attorney Katherine Burdick, another member of Browns defense team, discussed her reaction to the decision with local CBS station WKBN. 2016) (In re J.B. III), the Superior Court affirmed the juvenile court, and rejected claims that the juvenile court had improperly reassessed the evidence and made new credibility determinations in ruling on Brown's post-dispositional motions. She stood by her confession and . After researching the case more, in particular the testimony of the 7 year old Jenessa. But, with my years of interviewing people-- he was crying for her.. But that's why I told them.. After Pennsylvania's Superior Court ruled that Judge Motto violated Brown's Fifth Amendment rights, Judge Motto recused himself from the case, and Judge John W. Hodge granted the decertification petition and ruled that Brown should be tried as a juvenile.[6]. But the prosecutions expert witness said that the angle in which the gun was shot could have minimized whats referred to as blowback. They also pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence as reasons for the decision. Dispensary owner Alden Linn said the impact of Brown's death has been felt . It's kind of a bittersweet feeling, you know. The Jordan Brown case involves Jordan Brown (born August 12, 1997), who was initially charged at 11 as an adult in the fatal shooting of his father's fiance, Kenzie Marie Houk, 26, in New Beaver, Pennsylvania, which occurred on the morning of February 20, 2009. Jordan Brown, 11, is pictured following his arrest in the Feb. 20, 2009, shotgun slaying of his father's pregnant fiancee, Kenzie Marie Houk. The lawsuit also alleges that troopers failed to completely and properly investigate Houks ex-boyfriend who had threatened her and her family previously, had recently moved to the same area as her and had found out he was not the father of her youngest daughter. The two of them, plus Browns then-11-year-old son Jordan and Houks two daughters, then-7-year-old daughter Jenessa and then-4-year-old daughter Adalynn, all from their previous relationships, had recently all moved in together in a farmhouse. I also signed up to comment. Now, he was losing his son. It's ridiculous. Police say Brown walked into his father's bedroom, shot his future stepmom with a hunting rifle and then boarded a bus for elementary school. And then, Jordans defense attorneys pointed to the troopers who had said Jordans shotgun smelled as if it had just been fired when they arrived at the house that morning. The 4 year old who is speaking now; she sure does remember some details from a tragic event. "The conflict caused police to reinterview Jenessa, who told police that Jordan Brown had a shotgun covered in a blanket Friday morning and she heard a big boom prior to the pair leaving for school. I guess you could speculate that. Lawsuit claims evidence fabricated in case of man exonerated in pregnant stepmothers murder, Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned, who was exonerated in the 2009 deaths of his fathers fiance and unborn child, Allegheny Co. health officials concerned about possible rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths over next few weeks, New information released on rare inflammatory syndrome affecting kids exposed to coronavirus, Wearing mask while exercising could do more than protect you from COVID-19, local doctor says, VIDEO: Ammunition is getting scarce: Local gun stores slammed due to COVID-19, protests, DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts, Teen kidnapped in Cranberry during armed home invasion; Police believe family was targeted, Woman, man dead after apparent murder-suicide in Penn Hills identified, Man killed in house fire in South Park Township, Target 11 Exclusive: Man accused of impregnating foster child in McKeesport dies, Local mother speaks out after daughters hair allegedly set on fire at Westinghouse Academy. While awaiting trial, Jordan Brown was housed for three years at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, a juvenile detention facility in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Under Pennsylvania Law, those who are under 15 and being tried as an adult are sentenced to life with parole after 25 years. Eleven year-old shot and killed his father's pregnant fiancee, setting off a debate about trying him as an adult or a juvenile. I also thought it was hilarious how uncomfortable the big bald cop in the middle was. That morning of Feb. 20, 2009, Jordan Brown said, was just a normal morning as he was getting ready for school. Last year, Jordan Brown, now 12, was charged with murdering Kenzie Houk, his father's eight-and-a-half month pregnant fiancee while she was asleep. Throughout Jordan Browns stay in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he'd killed Houk. The police asked me if there was anybody out there that I thought would've done something to her. It also mentions that he had a significant motive. Im 100 percent, you know, a whole, clean slate. So that's what I was going to get.. Authorities said they also tested Harveys hands for the presence of gunshot residue and found none. And his father needs to get in the mirror every morning and look in that mirror and say, I am the father of a murderer.. Unfortunately, we cant give him back the years that were lost, but were glad that the courts ruling today will mean that further barriers to his moving forward with a successful life will be broken down.". Now 21, Brown, who spent more than. Its not a weapon that someone's going to carry across the field or carry up a driveway. You took an 11-year-olds childhood away from him. In statements to the police, Jordan Brown claimed to have seen a black pickup truck parked by his home, resembling the one owned by the ex-boyfriend, on the morning of the murder. [18], Brown is currently a college junior studying computer science. Jordan denied to "20/20" doing anything with his guns that morning, saying I never touched them.. The search for her killer ended with the most surprising murder suspect residents of Wampum, Pennsylvania, had ever seen: 11-year-old Jordan Brown, the son of the victim's fianc. I didn't understand what was happening. As time went on they completely abandoned that statement, which would have been the strongest evidence in the case, and rather tried to pursue a prosecution based upon this forensic evidence.. She remembered picking up her mothers phone and answering it. In a later interview, after investigators told her grandparents they believed Brown killed Houk, the girl said she saw him with guns that morning and heard a bang. 2023 Cox Media Group. Kenzie Houk is seen here with one of her daughters in this undated family photo. What happened to me is so horrible, even though when I was young I would say I didnt understand what was happening I look back and see all the blatant injustices, and that angers me, he said. Jordan Brown, who is attending college and studying computer science, is determined to leave his past behind. Jordan battled the fear that she would turn out to be like her mother. In Season Two of Guilt Ryan travels to Waiuku New Zealand in an attempt to . Emily's Death: Died September 18, 1979. Convictions of first-degree murder against a father and stepmother who killed six-year-old Meika Jordan have been upheld by Canada's top court. This is a really interesting case. Alan's death devastated his family. A judge finding a juvenile delinquent is effectively a guilty verdict. And we just sat on the couch in the living room waiting and then Kenzie told us to go because the bus is coming and we're going to be late. TACOMA, Wash. Jordan Brown was killed on March 19 at the World of Weed Cannabis Dispensary during an armed robbery. The system is very, very wrong.. But then I got to the point where it didnt bother me at all. He knew the doors were unlocked. All I remember was they came and got me at 3:00 in the morning, Jordan Brown said. Medical examiners determined early that both people probably had been killed with an ax or a hatchet. Judge Hodge put Brown on probation in the custody of an uncle who lived in Ohio, just across the border from Lawrence County. Brown and Houk had known each other since they were teenagers and were planning to be married soon. She was thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20. The clothing was washed. It was just a bunch of strangers dragging me around.. Jordan Brown, who is attending college and studying computer science, is determined to leave his past behind and prepare for brighter days ahead. Marie Magoon, Spencer Jordan tortured 6-year-old Meika Jordan before death, alleges Crown Spencer Jordan, Meika's father, and Marie Magoon, her stepmother, were originally charged with. Yet we are supposed to believe that an 11 year old kid left no physical evidence while committing a murder and hiding evidence within a few minutes while his sister sits in the other room waiting for him. Police found several rounds of ammunition inside the family's farmhouse. They were saying there wasnt enough evidence. Her mom said she doesnt care what Browns next step is; she believes he killed her daughter. In fact, police said, in his second interview, Jordan changed his description of the black truck and added that there was a person inside with a hat on, ducking down. I think has just ruined us [from] ever having closure and the person who did this, and for the person who actually did this to pay for it.". This case was investigated by some of the finest police officers in this country, plain and simple. Cinnamon Brown, whose sensational 1985 murder of her stepmother at her father's urging was the subject of two books and a television miniseries, is free after serving seven years in a California . In July 2018, the court sided with Jordan Brown, writing that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had failed to prove Jordan Brown guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We must demand to know how the Pennsylvania State Police could establish policies that would allow this tragedy to occur, and, even more to the point, encourage the occurrence of tragedies like this one.. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Houks father, Jack Houk, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he and his wife Debbie, who have raised Houks two daughters since her death, are distraught. Until now. Kids can be evil. I can't even imagine all the pain Jordan Brown and his family went through :/. On July 18, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a 50 decision. They had a warrant for Jordan's arrest. VOLANT Jonathan Krause insists that his nephew is not a killer. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvania's highest court said. I lost it.. - The mother of 16-year-old George Almaraz Jr., who was killed, allegedly after suffering abuse from his stepmother, spoke about her son's brutal death. Simpson Conspiracy Theory That O.J Simpson's Son Jason Be Guilty Of Murdering His Step-mother Nicole Brown And Ron Goldman. They told me that her and the baby were gone, and I remember collapsing in the yard, Brown said. [I'd say,] Jordan, listen, if something happens. We did not get this wrong, McGraw told 20/20. There is not a trooper on scene that day that has lost one second of sleep over this case.. Police arrested Jordan Brown based on the information provided by the girl. When his mug shot was taken, Jordan Brown said he had been crying the whole night. They attempted CPR, but it was too late. And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. She had cheated him of his money and cheated on him by sleeping with another man. They also found a 20-gauge shotgun that belonged to Jordan Brown. Meanwhile, officers also went to Mohawk Elementary School to speak to Jenessa and Jordan. Where is any evidence showing abuses by the son towards his stepmom. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than. But when police pulled him over in that truck the day of the murders, they determined that he could not have made the almost 24-mile drive over to Houks house and back to his neighborhood because snow left on the hood was still intact. Adrian Jones's short, tortured life was spent isolated from outsiders, confined in filthy, mice-infested houses where he was "home-schooled" by the parents who ultimately killed him, according. You know, if something happened, tell me. When he was just 11, Brown was charged with the murder of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk, who was eight months pregnant at the time. Following three days of testimony and legal argument, Judge Hodge issued his ruling on April 13, 2012, that Brown was responsible for first degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and of homicide in the death of her unborn male child. Like he couldnt have parked nearby overnight watching the house then pull up when he went to kill her WITHOUT dusting off his car prior? Two years ago, Howard County State's Attorney Rich Gibson decided not to charge a Woodbine homeowner who shot and killed a drunken man at his door.The stranger had come to the wrong house . The human-rights organization Amnesty International opposed the effort to try Jordan as an adult, citing the mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole penalty as a violation of international law. Emma Tustin, 32, murdered the boy by . I was hard pressed to believe it back then & now Im even more convinced they had tunnel vision. The state Attorney General prosecutor asserted that Houk was killed by a youth-model Harrington & Richardson 20-gauge shotgun, a Christmas gift to Jordan from his father. A young Jordan Brown is seen here in this undated family photo. Justices said in their 2018 decision that prosecutors presented largely circumstantial and insufficient evidence, saying among other things in trial testimony that a 20-gauge shotgun in Browns bedroom was the murder weapon actually supported an equally reasonable conclusion that it was not used in the murder. It's so insane to me how these cops and detectives handled the case. That was a shame., He also did not rule out the possibility of filing a civil suit on behalf of Brown, saying, If I find prosecutorial misconduct, we might find our way to the civil courts., RELATED:Who Is Carolyn Bryant Donham? My biggest hopes for him probably is that he gets a fair shake moving forward, that, you know, people look at this and, for what it is, what it truly is, Chris Brown said. In an interview with New Castle News, Elisco addressed potential problems with how the case was investigated. Jordan. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvanias highest court said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction. He was 75. Jordan Brown juvenile court disposition is treatment. Early in the investigation, a number of people including Chris Brown told police they should look into another person -- Houks ex-boyfriend of six years, Adam Harvey. On November 20, 2010, Renee King, 29, of Macomb County, Michigan, called 911 to say her stepdaughter, two-year-old Lily Furneaux, was unconscious. The tree trimmer called 911. A juvenile court judge later found Brown guilty of first-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child. The farmhouse in Wampum where Chris Brown lived with his fiance Kenzie Houk, his son Jordan Brown and her two daughters, Janessa and Adalynn. It's three feet long., Inside the Browns' farmhouse, police found a collection of handguns, rifles and several rounds of ammunition. She told WKBN that Brown has maintained his innocence from the beginning and expressed hopes for his future. Teen gets new hearing in case of woman's killing. I just did & dont understand the grounds they dismissed her ex as innocent. It was the police. They argue that the particle of gunpowder residue on his shirt and pants could have come from the jacket he had worn to a recent turkey shoot. PROVO A Provo man who police say "groomed" a 13-year-old girl for sex has been charged with multiple counts of rape. Attorney Dennis Elisco told WPXIthat he believes the supreme court made the right call in exonerating Brown, whose record he believes will eventually be expunged. The work on this case like so many unsolved cases was shoddy. Charles . After some research I do believe he killed her. Harvey told police he didnt harm Houk, telling them he was sleeping at home when she was killed. Went to school.. Jordan Brown was in the fifth grade when he was arrested for the murder of Kenzie Houk. I can remember just looking at Jordan and feeling like we had failed him. And the first person that comes to mind was Adam Harvey. By Roman Chiarello Written on Jul 22, 2018. Her unborn son died as well. Now I can see an adult sticking with their story for a long period of time, but a young kid? Bongivengo said police found a spent shotgun shell in the yard. I would not bet that she can recall time and detail to provide evidence for the case. This was way beyond shoddy police work! Trooper McGraw believed Jordan threw the shell to the ground as he was walking to the bus the morning of the murders. He was granted transfer of his case into the juvenile court system. A man has been jailed for 21 years and his partner for a minimum of 29 years over the torture and killing of his six-year-old son, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Though life had taken them in different directions for a while, they reconnected and were getting ready to officially tie the knot, and give birth to a baby boy they had already named Christopher. [2][3] He was subsequently arrested. I thought, you know, it was just some guy there doing work or something. No question.. We had a youth model shotgun in the house that had smelled like it recently had been fired, Martin said. At 9 a.m., tree trimming workers arrived to work around the house. [4] A petition signed by nearly 4,000 people protested what it termed as denial of Brown's fifth and sixth amendment rights. Were ecstatic, we believe professionally and personally in Jordans innocence, Elisco told the station. I went back in the house and I remember a very nice cop had sat me on the chair. Its been a nightmare for nine-and-a-half years, Chris Brown said. This was their first child together a baby boy they had already named Christopher. Shes bawling and crying, Mr. Houk said. "It was Adam Harvey, after all, who had been engaged in a bitter paternity and child-support battle with Kenzie and who, after paying for the support of Kenzies youngest daughter Adalynn for years, discovered through DNA testing that Adalynn is not his daughter afteralland that Kenzie had not been honest with him in more ways than one. I saw a gentleman in front of me that was crying, said Martin. He also claimed he didnt know where Houk lived. Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan serves his father, James, a slice of birthday cake as his mother, Doloris, watches during a party for Jordan's 26th birthday in Chicago, on Feb. 17, 1989. After his February 21, 2009 arrest, Jordan was placed in the Lawrence County Jail, a facility for adults. Judging by 20/20s recreations the house was very small. Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested in the 2009 New Beaver, Pennsylvania, killing of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and her unborn child. Her family says Adalynn shared bits of her story over the years, but its something neither police nor Jordans defense team have ever heard. [I] havent had a chance to grieve properly, Chris Brown said. WAMPUM, Pa. -- Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested and initially charged as an adult for the murder of his pregnant, soon-to-be stepmother. Thats blood-boiling, seeing-red motive. Yes kids will add to their story but that is because of their recollection process but adults do too. And if you go by Adalynns account, this means it all, including the murders, happened long after Jordan and Jenessa had left the house and were on their way to school. He kept talking about a piece of fuzz, and I got it out of my pocket and I threw it. In my opinion, he was focused on the shotgun shell casing that he threw after he left the residence, McGraw said.

Patton's Third Army Roster, Betenbough Homes Lawsuit, Articles W