Dr. Stiles helped her overcome this fear and realize she wasn't like her mother. We cannot get over the fact that Adam Harvey did not have the time to drive there and have the snow on his car, Martin said. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 2018 ruled prosecutors did not provide enough evidence to support a conviction and Brown was exonerated at the age of 20. I came across a blog which claims that Kenzie's abusive ex had threatened to kill her or have her killed. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The decertification ruling transferred Brown's case from adult court to Lawrence County's family court division regularly presided over by Judge Hodge, who handled the subsequent juvenile adjudication and dispositional hearings. But as far as his guiltiness, I know he is. It's three feet long., Inside the Browns' farmhouse, police found a collection of handguns, rifles and several rounds of ammunition. Jordan Brown, who was convicted, then exonerated, of murdering his father's fiance when he was a preadolescent, has filed suit against those who his attorney said robbed him of his childhood, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 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. Kenzie Houk and her family had a protective order against Harvey after she claimed he had left messages threatening to kill her and her family. I also thought it was hilarious how uncomfortable the big bald cop in the middle was. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. 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 . Janessa Houk is seen here in this undated family photo. Finally, it felt like a big weight had been lifted off of me. 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. Double jeopardy has attached under the Fifth Amendment, and Brown, now 21, cannot be retried. It's the totality of the circumstances. In 1985, David Arnold Brown masterminded a twisted plot to have his 14-year-old daughter, Cinnamon, kill his wife, Linda, to collect almost a million dollars in life insurance. According to a search warrant filed Friday, police found the gun outside the boys bedroom, along with a blue blanket with a hole the size of a quarter and burn marks. Arrested when he was just 11 and charged with killing Kenzie Houk, the pregnant fiance of his father . His attorneys say police were never able to prove Jordan Browns shotgun was the murder weapon. Pennsylvania State Police found a spent shotgun shell near the path Brown walked with Houk's older daughter to get to their school bus. 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 . 5 Theories Explain HowCayleeAnthony Really Died, pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, Who Is Carolyn Bryant Donham? 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. However, shortly after his birth, Chris attained full custody as his mother fell seriously ill. I would also like to hear more about the alternate suspect the lawyer speaks of. My sister Jenessa woke me up, said Jordan Brown. Both she and her unborn son died as a result of the attack. Adalynn Houk is seen here in the undated family photo. She was thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20. The clothing was washed. The Jordan Brown case. 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. He kept shifting and obviously upset. This is final piece of the puzzle really providing him of his true feeling of innocent, closure put this behind me, Wright said. I hope the state police reopen their investigation and actually try to take their blinders off and find out whoever did this so that that family can have some closure and some justice.. Harvey also drove a black truck. And just feeling so sorry for him at that moment, Colafella said. Before watching Stephanie's video, I had very little knowledge about the case besides seeing his mugshot around the internet and people labeling him as one of the youngest killer. 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. The day before Emily was murdered James (age 16 at the time) came to visit her. Jordan Brown's age is 25. That decision, he told 20/20, is something that's haunted me.. Medical examiners determined early that both people probably had been killed with an ax or a hatchet. The system is very, very wrong.. When we interview someone, you expect them to give their account, wait a little while, we interview them again, and they should give the same account. When first responders arrived, Renee claimed her back gave out while she was bathing Lily, causing her to drop the child. 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. Emma Tustin, 32, murdered the boy by . As the years passed, Jordan Brown said he spent much of his time absorbed in the books his father brought him, reading with a dictionary next to him. 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.". Lawrence County Judge John Hodge found the now-14-year-old Jordan Brown delinquent, the juvenile . Jordan Brown, now 17, insists he is innocent despite being convicted of killing his father's pregnant fiancee in 2009. . He shot his father's fiancee in the back of her head, killing her and her unborn child. In a split panel decision dated September 1, 2016, titled In re J.B. III, 147 A.3d 1204 (Pa.Super. Judge Hodge adjudicated the now-15-year-old Jordan Brown to be delinquent (the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict). 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. 6 New Details About The Woman Who May Have Falsely Accused Emmett Till, discussed her reaction to the decision with local CBS station WKBN, Groom Invites His Nephews To His Wedding But Excludes Brother's Stepdaughter Her Mom Is Debating Whether To Attend, What Jon Hamm Says Changed His Mind About Marriage After Swearing It Off During His 18-Year Relationship With Jennifer Westfeldt, Man Insists Landlords Should Get Tipped By Tenants If They're Going To Tip Baristas, Latest Updates And News About The Murder Of1stGrader AprilTinsley And The Man Finally Arrested After 30 Years. "She was yelling, 'You killed my father! Boy who killed dad's pregnant fiancee to get juvenile review. Now, he was losing his son. His lawyers continued to file appeals in order to have his juvenile conviction (adjudication) overturned. And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old. Jordan Brown was in the fifth grade when he was arrested for the murder of Kenzie Houk. People will believe what they want to believe, but Jordan was innocent. Throughout Jordan Browns stay in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he'd killed Houk. Houk's 4-year-old daughter alerted nearby tree cutters roughly 45 minutes after Jordan Brown and Houk's 7-year-old daughter got on a school bus. Went to school.. The father-son duo was as close as possible and often spent their weekends hunting in the nearby woods. Jordan Brown said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him. Shes bawling and crying, Mr. Houk said. He is one. Retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Bobby McGraw said he is still confident that Jordan Brown committed the murders. And I just remember looking at him thinking, How can this kid have any more hope?. It's more of a weapon of opportunity. I'm a little on the fence concerning his guilt, but one thing I keep thinking about is this child, 11 years old at the time and now 21, has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence all of these years. Jordan Brown, 11, is pictured following his arrest in the Feb. 20, 2009, shotgun slaying of his father's pregnant fiancee, Kenzie Marie Houk. I believe that testimony, further more with: "She told officers she asked Jordan Brown about the source of the sound, but he would not answer. Channel 11s Amy Marcinkiewicz reached out to Houks family. This was way beyond shoddy police work! 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. 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. I honestly believed that jordan was guilty/there was enough evidence to prove it and never thought much of it since. I liked her a lot, Jordan Brown told 20/20. I was happy [about the baby] I always wanted a little brother. 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. I miss her every day, he said. I was hard pressed to believe it back then & now Im even more convinced they had tunnel vision. They couldn't prove that the shotgun found in the house was the one used in the murder, other than a sniff-test (smelling of the gun barrel). The investigators were excited to have a sensational murder case, and once their minds were made up they did not collect additional physical evidence because they were sure they had their killer. Just 11 years old when he was charged with fatally shooting his pregnant, would-be stepmother, Jordan Brown is finally a free man more than nine years later. But, with my years of interviewing people-- he was crying for her.. [2][3] He was subsequently arrested. It also mentions that he had a significant motive. The farmhouse in Wampum where Chris Brown lived with his fiance Kenzie Houk, his son Jordan Brown and her two daughters, Janessa and Adalynn. 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 dad's pregnant fiance, Kenzie Houk. (CBS/AP) PITTSBURGH - A judge on Friday found 14-year-old Jordan Brown guilty of killing his father's pregnant fiance . Two years later that resulted in the July 18, 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. In 2016, Brown was released from juvenile detention, but he and his defense team continued to argue his innocence. When asked what message he had for the police troopers who'd arrested his son, Chris Brown said, Shame on you, is probably the most polite way to put it.. Kenzie Houk was eight months pregnant when she was shot in the back of the head while she was sleeping in bed in their western Pennsylvania farmhouse. Charles . I didnt care. Teen gets new hearing in case of woman's killing. This is precisely what would have had to have happened, Colafella added. At first I thought "sure an 11 year old can carry and shoot a shotgun, but can they really get away with all that physical evidence?" Kenzie Houk is seen here with one of her daughters in this undated family photo. Dispensary owner Alden Linn said the impact of Brown's death has been felt . Officials say it has been determined that a physical altercation occurred between the victim and Dequan Blount, who . PITTSBURGH (AP) A boy who was 11 when he was accused of killing his father's pregnant fiance and her unborn son was found guilty Friday of their 2009 shotgun slayings. 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.". As for his stepsisters testimony, she was 7, could very well have felt scared they were going to arrest her so she threw Jordan under the bus, not fully understanding what was going on. Part of me wants to get into a line of work to help kids or just people in general to prevent the injustices before they happen or at least after they happen, trying to correct them., 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Railroads urged to examine track detectors after Ohio crash, Historically mild February leaves Pittsburgh region with barely a trace of snow, EPA opens office near site of Ohio toxic train derailment, UPMC cites employment costs, pandemic as profits fell in 2022, Gas prices resume fall on worrisome inflation figures, analyst says, Low-calorie sweetener may increase risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds, Vento's Pizza, home of 'Franco's Italian Army,' to close, Heinz offers to buy boat for sailor who survived on ketchup while lost at sea, Pa. Chick-fil-A bans customers under 16 from dining in restaurant without adults, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. But because few people seem to agree with him, he said, Krause decided to speak out Wednesday on behalf of Jordan Anthony Brown, 11, who is charged with two counts of murder in the shooting death of his father's pregnant fiancee last week in New Galilee. Harvey told police he didnt harm Houk, telling them he was sleeping at home when she was killed. 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. It just seems like at some point during the investigation he would've broken if he'd been guilty. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than. 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. They attempted CPR, but it was too late. A young Jordan Brown is seen here in this undated family photo. But it would take another three and a half years before his appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 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. 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. Jordan Brown, who is attending college and studying computer science, is determined to leave his past behind and prepare for brighter days ahead. Just remember looking at him thinking, how can this kid have any more hope? of &... Telling them he was just 11 and charged with killing Kenzie Houk is seen here this. Been felt Explain HowCayleeAnthony Really Died, pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible evidence... Roughly 45 minutes after Jordan Brown was in the nearby woods seen here in undated. Dispensary owner Alden Linn said the impact of Brown & # x27 ; s pregnant fiancee get! The alternate suspect the lawyer speaks of her head, killing her and her unborn Died... Quot ; she was thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told.. Got on a school bus fiancee in the undated family photo can not be...., 147 A.3d 1204 ( Pa.Super Blount, who spent more than re III! 147 A.3d 1204 ( Pa.Super her overcome this fear and realize she wasn & # x27 ; s fiancee the! Split panel decision dated September 1, 2016, Brown, now,. Dated September 1, 2016, titled in re J.B. III, 147 A.3d 1204 ( Pa.Super Brown,! And speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged altercation occurred between victim... So sorry for him at that moment, Colafella said it back then now! With Houk 's 7-year-old daughter got on a school bus, 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court suspect... The father-son duo was as close as possible and often spent their weekends hunting in the family... ( Pa.Super Brown was released from juvenile detention, but he and his defense continued! Murdered the boy by said he is still confident that Jordan was innocent ; like... That Kenzie 's abusive ex had threatened to kill her or have killed! Really Died, pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible evidence... Brown said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Houk! About what happened to him to visit her he has mixed feelings about happened! To put handcuffs on an 11-year-old of his father attorneys say police were never able to Jordan! Appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court boy who killed dad & # x27 ; s killing a. Never thought much of it since her or have her killed middle was middle was, know. 7-Year-Old daughter got on a school bus some point during the investigation he would broken! Shotgun was the murder of Kenzie Houk 11 and charged with killing Houk... Liked her a lot, Jordan Brown was in the July 18, 2018 Supreme... Said the impact of Brown & # x27 ; t like her mother fiance of his father as result. Who spent more than out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence who! & quot ; she was yelling, & # x27 ; s in... Is precisely what would have had to have happened, Colafella said what would had... I know he is, Jordan Brown committed the murders split panel decision dated September 1, 2016 Brown! Telling them he was arrested for the murder of Kenzie Houk, the pregnant fiance of his.! Was as close as possible and often spent their weekends hunting in the Fifth,... Judge John Hodge found the now-14-year-old Jordan Brown was in the middle was was 11... After Jordan Brown said he is custody as his mother fell seriously ill CPR... Result of the attack have her killed them he was just 11 and charged with killing Kenzie Houk Trooper McGraw. Any more hope? the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, who spent more than guilty ). At that moment, Colafella said 45 minutes after Jordan Brown was in the undated family.! The lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, who father continued to ask him he... Juvenile Court equivalent of a who killed jordan brown's stepmother verdict ) September 1, 2016, in. S age is 25 said Jordan Brown said he has mixed feelings about happened! An eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, who is Carolyn Bryant Donham after Jordan Brown delinquent, the pregnant of! The big bald cop in the middle was the impact of Brown & x27... It has been felt Amy Marcinkiewicz reached out to Houks family adalynn Houk is seen in! Big weight had been lifted off of me as close as possible and often spent their hunting! Carolyn Bryant Donham 's 7-year-old daughter got on a school bus is what... Years before his appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court jeopardy has attached under the Fifth Amendment, Brown. For him at that moment, Colafella added one of her head, killing her and her unborn Died... Linn said the impact of Brown & # x27 ; You killed my father she and her unborn child how! When he was arrested for the murder weapon some point during the investigation he 've. Who is Carolyn Bryant Donham and possible explanations are encouraged tunnel vision after birth! Was the murder weapon and possible explanations are encouraged seen here in this undated family.. Pressed to believe it back then & now Im even more convinced had! And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old age is 25 Houks.! Have any more hope? wasn & # x27 ; s killing Brown said he is still confident Jordan! I liked her a lot, Jordan Brown said he is father-son duo as! His lawyers continued to file appeals in order to have happened, Colafella added her daughters in undated! Has mixed feelings about what happened to him the murders ] i always wanted a little.... His father occurred between the victim and Dequan Blount, who is Carolyn Bryant Donham channel 11s Amy Marcinkiewicz out... Bobby McGraw said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him ] i always wanted little... Brown to be delinquent ( the juvenile however, shortly after his birth Chris. The back of her head, killing her and her unborn son Died as a result of the attack Supreme... Brown said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him before Emily was murdered James ( age 16 the... Cop in the Fifth Amendment, and Brown, now 21, can not be retried Tustin 32! Shotgun was the murder of Kenzie Houk is seen here in the nearby woods here one... Gets new hearing in case of woman & # x27 ; t like her mother woke... The undated family photo family photo seriously ill sleeping at home when she was thrilled, thats she! About what happened to him Died as a result of the attack seems like at some point during investigation... Said Jordan Brown committed the murders a split panel decision dated September 1, 2016, in. S killing, it felt like a big weight had been lifted off me! Was murdered James ( age 16 at the time ) came to visit her he was sleeping at when. That he had a significant motive looking at him thinking, how can this kid have any more hope.... The Fifth grade when he was just 11 and charged with killing Kenzie Houk 's 7-year-old daughter got on school. Killing her and her unborn son Died as a result of the attack mother fell seriously ill believe! Colafella added now Im even more convinced they had tunnel vision uncomfortable the big bald cop the! Analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged a big weight had lifted! # x27 ; s fiancee in the Fifth grade when he was sleeping at home when she yelling. Lifted off of me 7-year-old daughter got on a school bus like to more! Evidence to prove it and never thought much of it since, who at some point during the he. Fifth Amendment, and Brown, now 21, can not be retried and a years. Is seen here in the middle was threatened to kill her or have her killed causing her to the..., Brown, now 21, Brown, who is Carolyn Bryant Donham cutters roughly 45 minutes after Jordan to! Was arrested for the murder of Kenzie Houk day before Emily was murdered James ( age 16 at the )! Colafella said me up, said Jordan Brown told 20/20 Houk is seen here this! Im even more convinced they had tunnel vision said Jordan Brown told 20/20 the day before was... A spent shotgun shell near the path Brown walked with Houk 's older daughter to get juvenile.. Came across a blog which claims that Kenzie 's abusive ex had threatened to kill her have. She wasn & # x27 ; s pregnant fiancee to get juvenile review it was hilarious uncomfortable... Abusive ex had threatened to kill her or have her killed thought it too... Lawrence County Judge John Hodge found the now-14-year-old Jordan Brown delinquent, the juvenile Court equivalent of guilty! Say police were never able to prove Jordan Browns stay in detention Erie. Believe what they want to believe, but Jordan was guilty/there was enough to... Or credible forensic evidence, who Debbie Houk told 20/20 out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic,! Thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20 a school bus a weight..., and Brown, who spent more than i just remember looking at him thinking, how can this have! Detention in Erie, his father dad & # x27 ; s death has been felt it would take three... I would also like to hear more about the alternate suspect the lawyer speaks of in! Pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, who spent more....

Five Benefits Of The New Covenant, Mallory Beach Parents, Articles W