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. [4] A petition signed by nearly 4,000 people protested what it termed as denial of Brown's fifth and sixth amendment rights. And that made me happy. And that's when we realized that it was a homicide.. Where are phys reports showing this childs jealousy and hatred for his step mom. I did not know what the sound was, said Adalynn, who was 4 years old at the time and is now 13. However, Jordan said he remembered seeing a black truck near the garage. During his incarceration, Jordan taught himself to play guitar and said he became a pretty good basketball player. She leaned against the Formica island, her sandy blond hair done up in a bulbous, frizzy ball. A young Jordan Brown is seen here in this undated family photo. On May 8, 2013, the Superior Court vacated the finding of delinquency, citing "palpable abuse of discretion" and sent the case back to juvenile court. Finally, it felt like a big weight had been lifted off of me. 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. Its my belief, especially after watching 20/20 that the police had tunnel vision. That morning of Feb. 20, 2009, Jordan Brown said, was just a normal morning as he was getting ready for school. He was granted transfer of his case into the juvenile court system. He spent over three years in a juvenile facility in Pennsylvania. Houk, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, was found dead by her four-year-old daughter in the familys farmhouse in Pennsylvania. [Then] she told me that when she was waiting downstairs for Jordan to come downstairs and go get the school bus like they normally do, she heard a big boom and she identified it as the sound of a gun, added retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Bobby McGraw. As for Chris, he still mourns the loss of Houk and their unborn son. It would be another eight months before Jordan would stand trial for double homicide. On November 20, 2010, Renee King, 29, of Macomb County, Michigan, called 911 to say her stepdaughter, two-year-old Lily Furneaux, was unconscious. And I just remember looking at him thinking, How can this kid have any more hope?. [12] Judge Hodge would announce Brown's disposition (the equivalent of a juvenile sentence) at a later date. Two years later that resulted in the July 18, 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. At that point, we're trying to maintain the integrity of the scene.. They discovered Mrs. Borden's body a short time later. 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. Double jeopardy has attached under the Fifth Amendment, and Brown, now 21, cannot be retried. I just did & dont understand the grounds they dismissed her ex as innocent. [7][8][9][10] Judge Hodge held that Brown's juvenile hearing would not be open to the public or to the news media. Dr. Stiles helped her overcome this fear and realize she wasn't like her mother. Jordan said he and Houk had a strong relationship, and he even called her Mom., She was really nice. Brown was found guilty of first-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child in connection with the death of his fathers fiance Kenzie Houk. [I] went downstairs, got my clothes, went in the bathroom, got dressed. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than seven . My sister Jenessa woke me up, said Jordan Brown. The daily journey, however, wreaked havoc on his finances, Chris Brown said. 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. Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Jeffrey Martin, now retired, says he was one of the first responders on the scene. The Pennsylvania Superior Court rejected an appeal by three area newspapers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and New Castle News) to overturn Hodge's ruling and open the hearing to the public. This is final piece of the puzzle really providing him of his true feeling of innocent, closure put this behind me, Wright said. Jordan freely admitted he knew how to handle a gun, and the gun powder was only found on his sweatshirt, which hed worn on a duck hunt just a couple days before. After the arrest, prosecutor John Bongivengo told reporters he was confident in his case against Jordan Brown. 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 . 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. And with the focus on his sons legal plight, Chris Brown said his grief for the loss of his fiance and their unborn baby had to take a backseat. CLICK HERE to find out how. The rounds struck a victim's vehicle and an unoccupied apartment building. [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. It's three feet long., Inside the Browns' farmhouse, police found a collection of handguns, rifles and several rounds of ammunition. But now Im kind of, like, I go back and forth sometimes, I think, he 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.. Browns hands were swabbed for gunpowder residue and came back clean. 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.. No question.. The Lawrence County District Attorney's Office initially filed the charges in adult court because that is required in Pennsylvania homicide cases, regardless of a defendant's age. I'm your dad. She stood by her confession and . 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. Authorities said they also tested Harveys hands for the presence of gunshot residue and found none. After researching the case more, in particular the testimony of the 7 year old Jenessa. Jordan, who had a bedroom upstairs, had already moved his clothes into that downstairs bedroom. 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.. 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 was interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police twice that day and arrested before sunrise the next morning. 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? A 7 year old will remember that. Kids that age dont just up a kill without there having shown resentment and previous hostility toward their victims. I have never expected to have the murder weapon to be a shotgun, Martin said. Now, he was losing his son. 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. I believe, I always have, that the attorney generals office and state police rushed to judgment, said Elisco. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than. 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. [1] Justice Debra Todd wrote the Court's opinion and noted, "The Commonwealths evidence was, therefore, insufficient as a matter of law to overcome Appellants presumption of innocence, and the juvenile courts adjudication of his delinquency for these serious crimes must be reversed. >>PREVIOUS STORY: Man convicted at 11 of pregnant stepmoms 2009 murder exonerated of crime. Pay for the crime that you did, Deborah Houk said in a phone interview Wednesday. And the first person that comes to mind was Adam Harvey. 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). 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. 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. Jordan Browns lawyers announced they would appeal two months after his conviction. I am very curious to see if the 7 year old step sister will ever speak out on what she saw/heard that morning now as an adult. Emily's Death: Died September 18, 1979. They were saying there wasnt enough evidence. Season Two 21st June 2004, Jim Donnelly goes to work as usual at the Glenbrook Steel Mill, places his lunch on the bench, gets changed into his work clothes - and is never seen again. Eleven year-old shot and killed his father's pregnant fiancee, setting off a debate about trying him as an adult or a juvenile. On May 8, 2013, Superior Court, in the second appeal that came before it in this case, ruled that "the juvenile court committed a palpable abuse of discretion in rendering a ruling that is plainly contrary to the evidence" and vacated the juvenile court's disposition of delinquency. 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.. I can remember just looking at Jordan and feeling like we had failed him. It was a frigid day in Wampum, a small town in Western Pennsylvania. 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. Obtained by ABC News Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. I didnt care. They literally said because he cried in the interview he was still in love with her & because the car had snow on it? But omg! The ruling in particular objected to the assumption, made by the juvenile court, that no one else but Jordan could have shot Houk. And then they took me straight to the county jail. She was interviewed four times in 14 hours after her mothers death, according to the lawsuit. This is precisely what would have had to have happened, Colafella added. They routinely shot on that property. 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 charged Saturday as an adult in the shooting death of 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk, who was 8 months pregnant, Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo said at a news . Police found several rounds of ammunition inside the family's farmhouse. Kenzie Houk is seen here with one of her daughters in this undated family photo. Especially grief-sticken was the younger . I have been on the fence after seeing the 20/20 (originally thought he was innocent). As for the shotgun shell casing police found near the driveway, Colafella said, On that property where they lived on a farm, there were shotgun shells all over the place. 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. And I had no idea where we were going. Jordan Brown (right), seen here with his father Chris Brown (left), was released when he turned 18 in 2015. Wright says more than that, the evidence investigators gave to prosecutors was improperly gathered, mischaracterized or fabricated to support a theory that the then 11-year-old had committed the murder something he would have had to do and clean up without missing anything in the space of about 120 seconds. But authorities transferred him to a juvenile center in March 2009 after his attorneys argued that the adult jail with its three cell blocks couldn't accommodate an 11-year-old boy. 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. 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). I liked her a lot, Jordan Brown told 20/20. I was happy [about the baby] I always wanted a little brother. A never-ending shadow of shock and grief embarked upon the Brown family in February of 2009, after the lady of the house, Kenzie Marie Houk, was shot dead and their 11-year-old son, Jordan Brown, was held accountable for the murder. He lost his entire youth being wrongfully convicted of a crime he didnt commit, Wright said. Houk had a restraining order against Harvey because Houk had claimed Harvey threatened to kill her and her family. Her mom said she doesnt care what Browns next step is; she believes he killed her daughter. Simpson Conspiracy Theory That O.J Simpson's Son Jason Be Guilty Of Murdering His Step-mother Nicole Brown And Ron Goldman. At 9 a.m., tree trimming workers arrived to work around the house. He had 120 seconds to kill her and clean up. But that's why I told them.. 21-year-old Jordan Brown talks for the first time about going to jail as a boy for a crime he says he didn't commit in an interview with ABC News' Juju Chang. 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. Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. Jordan Brown's age is 25. Simpson became the immediate suspect, and seemingly fled from . [I] havent had a chance to grieve properly, Chris Brown said. But then I got to the point where it didnt bother me at all. "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. 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. But what police did discover during their interview with Harvey was that he had recently discovered 4-year-old Adalynn, who was believed to be his and Houks daughter, was in fact, not his biological child at all. In April 2017, when Roy Oliver, a 37-year-old white police officer in Balch Springs, a suburb east of Dallas, shot and killed an unarmed 15-year-old black teenager named Jordan Edwards as he. Elisco disclosed to WPXI that Brown is attending college at an undisclosed location under another name. Department policy says they should have recorded the first interview, not allowed multiple adults in the room, not talked about the case in front of the children and relied on the first interview as the most reliable if additional interviews were absolutely necessary. His disposition order was dated May 18, 2012. 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 farmhouse in Wampum where Chris Brown lived with his fiance Kenzie Houk, his son Jordan Brown and her two daughters, Janessa and Adalynn. I don't think the kid did it and I honestly do think the cops jumped on him and didn't do their homework. The rest of their story: https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. At that time, in March 1997, Krause filed a. 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