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. Naturally, I hugged her . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. "Sure enough, his dad was the first person to reach out to me . Wonder what the other children think of it all. 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. You have to be sure enough to charge him, Bongivengo told 20/20., At a time when headlines called Jordan America's littlest monster, he was at an age where he still believed in Santa Claus. 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. 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. Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judges original decision to try him as an adult. 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. It's the totality of the circumstances. 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. According to The Associated Press, Kenzie Houks ex-boyfriend had a history of threatening her, and Houk and multiple members of her family had restraining orders against him. But that's why I told them.. Thanks! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Emma Tustin, 32, murdered the boy by . 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.". She remembered picking up her mothers phone and answering it. Police found several rounds of ammunition inside the family's farmhouse. 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.. Houk, 26 and about eight months pregnant with Jordans little brother, was found dead in her bed by her 4-year-old daughter on Feb. 20, 2009. And her phone rang.. That way I know what was trying to be said, and then thats how I read, he said. Chris Brown said he drove every day, 230 miles round trip, to see his son in detention. The tree trimmer called 911. 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. Browns hands were swabbed for gunpowder residue and came back clean. On weekends Jordan hunted alongside his father, Chris Brown, who purchased the youth-sized 20-gauge shotgun that state police believed was the murder weapon. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvanias highest court said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction. They also pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence as reasons for the decision. The teen was killed on Tuesday around 12:30 . Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20, Jordan's a murderer. Despite this, prosecutors excluded the ex-boyfriend as a suspect during their initial investigation. I believe, I always have, that the attorney generals office and state police rushed to judgment, said Elisco. I just did & dont understand the grounds they dismissed her ex as innocent. They investigated for eight hours then charged an 11-year-old as an adult. That's where the case took us. The next day, state police arrested Brown, who was a fifth-grader at the time. 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. They told me that her and the baby were gone, and I remember collapsing in the yard, Brown said. By Joe Mandak - News.yahoo.com. Wright says in the lawsuit that state police investigators failed to include any exculpatory evidence that indicated someone else could have committed the murders in their affidavit to charge Brown although he said plenty existed. 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. In 2016, Brown was released from juvenile detention, but he and his defense team continued to argue his innocence. That decision, he told 20/20, is something that's haunted me.. I was hard pressed to believe it back then & now Im even more convinced they had tunnel vision. 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. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvania's highest court said. Jordan Brown, 11, is pictured following his arrest in the Feb. 20, 2009, shotgun slaying of his father's pregnant fiancee, Kenzie Marie Houk. 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. They never said he wasnt guilty. I still love her. Jordan Brown juvenile court disposition is treatment. Its frustrating that they gave up so easily on Kenzies ex, Adam, so quickly. I would also like to hear more about the alternate suspect the lawyer speaks of. Jordan Brown's age is 25. 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. The summary of that interview provided by troopers is changed to claim the woman didnt want her interview used against the boy because she was scared of him. But the prosecutions expert witness said that the angle in which the gun was shot could have minimized whats referred to as blowback. The daily journey, however, wreaked havoc on his finances, Chris Brown 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.. Seriously the alibi for the ex boyfriend that threatened to kill her was he had some snow on his truck still..give me a break. Retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Bobby McGraw said he is still confident that Jordan Brown committed the murders. I have never looked back that we arrested the wrong person, in my opinion. Finally, it felt like a big weight had been lifted off of me. Jordan is the prime suspect in the 2009 murder of his father's 26 year-old fianc, Kenzie Houk, who was also 8 months pregnant at the time of her death. I feel if we win the lawsuit itll shed a light of (my) innocence on people that they cant really ignore, Brown said, noting that even after he was exonerated, people still expressed mixed feelings about his innocence, which hes maintained since he was 11. On May 1, 2011, hours after a meeting of the neo-Nazi group at Hall's house in Southern California, the boy took his father's revolver from the upstairs bedroom where his stepmother was sleeping. I was happy. That day, she said she remembered being woken up by the sound of a gunshot. And just feeling so sorry for him at that moment, Colafella 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. I'm never not going to be your dad. My sister Jenessa woke me up, said Jordan Brown. So we hurry up and went out the backdoor and ran down the driveway. His lawyers continued to file appeals in order to have his juvenile conviction (adjudication) overturned. At that point, we're trying to maintain the integrity of the scene.. He had 120 seconds to kill her and clean up. Janessa Houk is seen here in this undated family photo. It's more of a weapon of opportunity. His disposition order was dated May 18, 2012. 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. And then they took me straight to the county jail. ". I just want to be successful. Houk,. He lost his entire youth being wrongfully convicted of a crime he didnt commit, Wright said. The Mesquite High School student had just left a party . A state police spokesman, Ryan Tarkowski, declined to comment on pending litigation. 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. 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.. I guess you could speculate that. 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. [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. This is my first comment on Reddit. "She was yelling, 'You killed my father! After his February 21, 2009 arrest, Jordan was placed in the Lawrence County Jail, a facility for adults. Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. CLICK HERE to find out how. So that's what I was going to get.. This is final piece of the puzzle really providing him of his true feeling of innocent, closure put this behind me, Wright said. And I went outside, and I had asked the tree men that were cutting down trees, Do you guys know my grandmas number? And they were like, No. she said. Jordan battled the fear that she would turn out to be like her mother. I didn't think anything of it. Sometime shortly after, one of the tree trimmers spotted little Adalynn in the doorway, sobbing and saying her mother was dead. 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.. Under Pennsylvania Law, those who are under 15 and being tried as an adult are sentenced to life with parole after 25 years. And her face was facing me, Adalynn said. 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. Christopher Brown and his once-partner, Mildred Krause, gladly welcomed Jordan Brown into their lives on August 12, 1997. Just a fifth grader at the time, he said he didnt understand of what he was being accused. She had cheated him of his money and cheated on him by sleeping with another man. 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. You dont just win a lawsuit over injustice for no reason.. Jenessa statements to police were never presented at trial, nor did she testify. Houk had a restraining order against Harvey because Houk had claimed Harvey threatened to kill her and her family. Aired on 05/06/1991 | CC tv-pg. It's saying that I have a charge in front of me in juvenile court, and I am finding that you are responsible for that crime, ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams said. I also thought it was hilarious how uncomfortable the big bald cop in the middle was. Now 21, Brown, who spent more than seven . Dr. Todd Grande 1.26M subscribers Subscribe 394K views 1 year ago This video answers the question: Can I analyze the. Houks younger daughter Adalynn, whom tree trimmers found sobbing when she discovered her mothers body, has never spoken publicly about this. In fact, the prosecutions forensics expert had testified that these particles can be transferred. I have never expected to have the murder weapon to be a shotgun, Martin said. 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. Judge Hodge ruled that Jordan would not be released pending that hearing. His father backed up his alibi, confirming Harveys story that he was home with them. It was the police. 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. Officials say it has been determined that a physical altercation occurred between the victim and Dequan Blount, who . I don't think the kid did it. Police also confirmed he had been at work during the shooting, so they quickly eliminated him as a suspect. 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. Arrested when he was just 11 and charged with killing Kenzie Houk, the pregnant fiance of his father . >>PREVIOUS STORY: Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned. And I'll say it. Were ecstatic, we believe professionally and personally in Jordans innocence, Elisco told the station. It used to bother me all the time. As an investigator, you have to look at everything.. 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. Emily's Death: Died September 18, 1979. I'm your dad. She was thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20. The clothing was washed. Investigators interviewed Houks then 7-year-old daughter, only recording the fourth interview. The coroner determined Lily had died at least two hours before her stepmother . A certiorari request for review was made to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which granted an appeal to consider Brown's claims that the evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to sustain the adjudication of the juvenile court, and that its adjudication was against the weight of the evidence. 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 am from the area and so it was odd for me to see this case on the "unresolved" forum. Kids can be evil. And the first person that comes to mind was Adam Harvey. And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old. Homicide, something of this magnitude was very, very uncommon, Martin said. "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. April 13, 2012. Channel 11s Amy Marcinkiewicz reached out to Houks family. 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. Went to school.. 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. I was just going to walk in to wake her [Kenzie Houk] up. It's such a small window and such an unlikely set of circumstances that one, he found out where she lived. PROVO A Provo man who police say "groomed" a 13-year-old girl for sex has been charged with multiple counts of rape. "[15][16] The last words of the opinion then ordered that "Appellant is discharged." Those law enforcement officers who said that they smelled [that the gun] was recently fired, they conceded that they had no expertise or training, said Jordans attorney Dennis Elisco. [1][14] The two Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices who did not participate had previously ruled in Jordan's favor on his earlier appeal while they had served as judges in the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She told WKBN that Brown has maintained his innocence from the beginning and expressed hopes for his future. I miss her every day, he said. I did not know what the sound was, said Adalynn, who was 4 years old at the time and is now 13. Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Jeffrey Martin, now retired, says he was one of the first responders on the scene. [2][3] He was subsequently arrested. Its difficult to charge an 11-year-old with homicide. VOLANT Jonathan Krause insists that his nephew is not a killer. And that's when we realized that it was a homicide.. In my opinion, [it was] jealousy, jealousy of the impending birth, he said. TPD says they have arrested 21-year-old Jordan Brown for first degree murder. It's so insane to me how these cops and detectives handled the case. The report also revealed that Houks ex-boyfriend had learned he was not the biological father of Houks youngest daughter just two weeks before the murder. She said the person on the other end of the line asked to talk to her mother so she went into the downstairs bedroom to get her. It just seems like at some point during the investigation he would've broken if he'd been guilty. If I would read something and come across a word I didnt know, [I would] look it up. The blanket being outside Jordans bedroom is not surprising. He has someone that says that he's at home and from the trooper that interviewed him, who said the truck didn't look like it had been driven and we took photos of the truck, Martin said. It was a frigid day in Wampum, a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were only 10 when they killed that poor toddler. Pregnant Mother's Murder Leads Police to Arrest Her Step-Son Chris Brown and Kenzie Houk had been friends since they were teenagers. ", " The girl also told investigators that she saw Jordan Brown toss something on the snow next to their driveway. The farmhouse in Wampum where Chris Brown lived with his fiance Kenzie Houk, his son Jordan Brown and her two daughters, Janessa and Adalynn. [4] A petition signed by nearly 4,000 people protested what it termed as denial of Brown's fifth and sixth amendment rights. WAMPUM, Pa. A lawsuit has been filed against four former troopers and a former Pennsylvania State Police commissioner for wrongfully convicting Jordan Brown, who was exonerated in the 2009 deaths of his fathers fiance and unborn child. Finally, the truth finally got out, Jordan Brown said. 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