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]. Harvey told police he didnt harm Houk, telling them he was sleeping at home when she was killed. 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. That way I know what was trying to be said, and then thats how I read, he said. No question.. 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. Judge Hodge adjudicated the now-15-year-old Jordan Brown to be delinquent (the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict). People will believe what they want to believe, but Jordan was innocent. The police asked me if there was anybody out there that I thought would've done something to her. Houk, who was eight months pregnant at the time. "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. The shooting happened at their home in Wampum, Lawrence County. More than two years after Jordan Brown was charged, a judge ruled that his case would be moved from adult to juvenile court, where instead of facing life in prison he would get out far earlier. They literally said because he cried in the interview he was still in love with her & because the car had snow on it? Lawsuit claims evidence fabricated in case of man exonerated in pregnant stepmothers murder Lawsuit claims evidence fabricated in case of man exonerated in pregnant stepmothers murder. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. In my 25 years, I believe it was the only one in that area that I can remember.. And again a third appeal was taken to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Jordan was interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police twice that day and arrested before sunrise the next morning. Have you been living under a rock? Elisco disclosed to WPXI that Brown is attending college at an undisclosed location under another name. I can remember just looking at Jordan and feeling like we had failed him. 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. Naturally, I hugged her . The ruling in particular objected to the assumption, made by the juvenile court, that no one else but Jordan could have shot Houk. 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. Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested in the 2009 killing of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and her unborn child in New Beaver. [19], Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 18:45, "Court overturns then-11-year-old boy's conviction in Lawrence County killing", "Judge declares Jordan Brown guilty of murder", "Authorities: Jordan Brown Killed Father's Pregnant Girlfriend; 11-Year-Old Charged As Adult", "13-year-old US boy's murder trial could violate international law", "Boy accused in pregnant woman's death to be tried as a juvenile", "Lawyer Of Boy Accused Of Murder Fights To Have Him Tried In Juvenile System", "Court will hear Jordan Brown arguments at next session", "13-year-old murder suspect faces US court appeal", "Jordan Brown seeks release while awaiting court decision", "Media denied access to boy's juvenile case in '09 killing", "Judge: Pa. boy killed dad's pregnant fiance at 11", "Court rejects Pa. teen's appeal in '09 slaying; suspect now living in Ohio", "Jordan Brown exonerated of all charges in 2009 homicide", "PDF of 47 page decision, provided by WKBN News", "Supreme Court opinion cites insufficient evidence", "What happened after an 11-year-old boy was accused of murdering his pregnant soon-to-be stepmom", "What life is like today for man arrested at age 11 for pregnant future stepmom's death", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jordan_Brown_case&oldid=1140154229, Delinquent of first-degree murder and criminal homicide (acquitted), Held in juvenile rehabilitation until the age of 21, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 18:45. Jordan Brown, 11, is pictured following his arrest in the Feb. 20, 2009, shotgun slaying of his father's pregnant fiancee, Kenzie Marie Houk. And then they took me straight to the county jail. It was one of a half dozen incorrect characterizations in the summary that were not in the transcript, Wright said. I'm your dad. 5 Theories Explain HowCayleeAnthony Really Died, pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence, Who Is Carolyn Bryant Donham? This was way beyond shoddy police work! This case was investigated by some of the finest police officers in this country, plain and simple. Wonder what the other children think of it all. I didn't understand what was happening. [I'm] happy that this part of it is over with Jordan, you know, being wrongfully accused. Speakman said Brown's family lives out of state, so when he heard Jordan was murdered, he reached out to the family on Facebook. Police also confirmed he had been at work during the shooting, so they quickly eliminated him as a suspect. ", " The girl also told investigators that she saw Jordan Brown toss something on the snow next to their driveway. Jordan Brown said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him. The daily journey, however, wreaked havoc on his finances, Chris Brown said. Im 100 percent, you know, a whole, clean slate. Within a day, Harvey was cleared as a suspect. According to the lawsuit, former troopers Janice Wilson, Jeffrey Martin, Robert McGraw and Troy Steinhauser, as well as former commissioner Frank Pawlowski, fabricated evidence against Brown. Two of the statements did not show that Brown was guilty, and the others were built on lies that were fed to her by the investigators. She never testified under oath. Brown said his fiance Kenzie Houk, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant at the time, had asked him to stay home with her that day, but he decided to go to work. The next day, state police arrested Brown, who was a fifth-grader at the time. She was interviewed four times in 14 hours after her mothers death, according to the lawsuit. It's kind of a bittersweet feeling, you know. The system is very, very wrong.. In 2016, Brown was released from juvenile detention, but he and his defense team continued to argue his innocence. Authorities said they also tested Harveys hands for the presence of gunshot residue and found none. However, Jordan said he remembered seeing a black truck near the garage. "Sure enough, his dad was the first person to reach out to me . Charles . At that point, we assumed that somehow she had hemorrhaged, Martin told 20/20. We didn't touch her, we didn't move her. Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judges original decision to try him as an adult. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. The question is, did this 11 year old do it? They also found a 20-gauge shotgun that belonged to Jordan Brown. 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. And I would assume every trooper who investigated that case feels the same way. The police didn't collect all of the potential evidence and didn't so enough investigating into other suspects. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Her family says Adalynn shared bits of her story over the years, but its something neither police nor Jordans defense team have ever heard. According to the 20/20 episode, there was no blood or tissue on the gun, and the police didn't even dust for fingerprints on the door to the house. Alan's stepmother, Rosalind L. Brown, and her brother, Montel Pettiford, were eventually convicted of his murder. I agree with a lot of the previous comments- the bald cop was way too defensive, the girls story changed and that was ok but his story changed and it meant he was guilty, the ex had all the motive and he said he didnt do it so they said ok. What really gets me though is that grown men who have prior criminal experience commit murders, try and clean up the scene, and still leave physical evidence. Jordan Dewey Brown, 35, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with four counts of rape of a child, a first-degree felony; two counts of drug possession, a third-degree felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor. 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]. Awful Details About The 11-Year-Old Boy Who Murdered His Fathers Pregnant Fianc And Why His Conviction Was Just Overturned, overturned the conviction of Jordan Brown, found guilty of first-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child, questioned prosecutors reliance on circumstantial evidence, If Casey Anthony Didn't Kill Her Daughter, Who Did? Im 200% sure. It was a whole different world. Chris Brown said he drove every day, 230 miles round trip, to see his son in detention. 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. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than seven . However, shortly after his birth, Chris attained full custody as his mother fell seriously ill. My wife is so much in shock I think Im gonna have to take her to the hospital. Jade Townsend The case that took 44 years to be solved: Arlis Perry Fatim Hemraj Parents Make Shocking Discovery After 15-Year-Old Girl Sneaks Out to Meet a Strange Man Lioness Rue What Leads a. Obtained by ABC News Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. 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. The court said that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to support the conviction, according to The Associated Press. Jordan said he and Houk had a strong relationship, and he even called her Mom., She was really nice. 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. You can customize your WPXI News App to receive breaking news alerts. I was so young. I'm not going to be mad at you. RELATED:Latest Updates And News About The Murder Of1stGrader AprilTinsley And The Man Finally Arrested After 30 Years, The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. But Houks family remains convinced that Jordan is guilty, and that he should receive the maximum punishment and be tried as an adult. Lawrence County Judge John Hodge found the now-14-year-old Jordan Brown delinquent, the juvenile . Kenzie Houk, seen here in this undated family photo, and Chris Brown were engaged when she was killed. Around 8:15 a.m., Jordan said he and Jenessa left the house to catch the school bus. Chris Brown said he drove every day, 230 miles roundtrip, to see his son at the center. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, was murdered at her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994, along with friend Ronald Goldman. This is a really interesting case. 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. Jordan Brown, now 14, was found delinquent by Lawrence County Judge John Hodge - the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict. Her unborn son died as well. Christopher Brown and his once-partner, Mildred Krause, gladly welcomed Jordan Brown into their lives on August 12, 1997. Under Pennsylvania law, an adjudicated juvenile offender cannot be held in custody past his 21st birthday. Authorities said Harvey cooperated during the investigation and agreed to take a polygraph. Kids can be evil. He knew there was a 20 gauge shotgun that they have in the house and gets there after everybody leaves, before it snows with no tracks, and gets by the tree cutting guys. He had 120 seconds to kill her and clean up. After the arrest, prosecutor John Bongivengo told reporters he was confident in his case against Jordan Brown. 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.". 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. 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. Enough evidence without a reasonable doubt? I didn't think anything of it. Evidence Popularised By A New Documentary And TikTok Theory Suggests An O.J. 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. In their decision, justices questioned prosecutors reliance on circumstantial evidence, including a questionable conclusion that a shotgun found in Browns bedroom was the murder weapon. [12] Judge Hodge would announce Brown's disposition (the equivalent of a juvenile sentence) at a later date. As for Chris, he still mourns the loss of Houk and their unborn son. Jordan Brown said he has "mixed feelings" about what happened to him. 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. Cinnamon confessed to fatally shooting her step-mother and was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. Police called Chris Brown at his job in the shipping department at a local tableware company and asked him to come home immediately. Teen gets new hearing in case of woman's killing. Meika's father, Spencer Jordan, and stepmother, Marie Magoon, were initially convicted in June of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years.. The farmhouse in Wampum where Chris Brown lived with his fiance Kenzie Houk, his son Jordan Brown and her two daughters, Janessa and Adalynn. And her face was facing me, Adalynn said. >>PREVIOUS STORY: Man convicted at 11 of pregnant stepmoms 2009 murder exonerated of crime. A 7 year old will remember that. 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. I just watched the 20/20 episode. And that made me happy. He spent over three years in a juvenile facility in Pennsylvania. At that point, we're trying to maintain the integrity of the scene.. 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. I just want to graduate college, you know, get a job in my major and, I dont know, just be successful, Jordan Brown said. "She was yelling, 'You killed my father! They investigated for eight hours then charged an 11-year-old as an adult. 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. "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. In a 5-0 ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Jordan Brown, who was 11-years-old when he was arrested, booked into an adult jail and initially charged as an adult for the 2009 murder of his father's pregnant fiance. Janessa Houk is seen here in this undated family photo. Wright described 11-year-old Brown sitting on a bench waiting to be placed in a jail cell with the sleeves and legs of his adult prison jumpsuit rolled up at the ankles and wrists to fit, swinging his feet because they didnt touch the ground. 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. Jordans defense lawyers say her timeline means Jordan wasnt there when Houk was killed, but Martin, who worked the case, says after so many years he doesnt find Adalynns account credible. But it would take another three and a half years before his appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 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