>>PREVIOUS STORY: Man convicted at 11 of pregnant stepmoms 2009 murder exonerated of crime. You know, if something happened, tell me. Wright alleges in the lawsuit that investigators failed to follow protocols for interviewing children when they talked to Houks two young daughters and when they interviewed Jordan. I didnt care. 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.. In the nineteenth century the connection between sexual abuse and homicide was simply not part of . 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. 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. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. 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. I just want to be successful. 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'm never not going to be here every day, Chris Brown said. 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. 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. "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. A judge finding a juvenile delinquent is effectively a guilty verdict. I still love her. Jordan Brown was sitting with his stepsister Jenessa in a room adjacent to the room where the victim was sleeping, run upstairs, grab a shotgun, load it with a shotgun shell, walk over to the bed, place that shotgun up against her head, pull that trigger, kill her, somehow manage to wipe whatever-- bodily fluid or blood might have been contained on the end of that gun, take it upstairs, replace it along the wall, remove the shell, run downstairs while her sister presumably was waiting for him in this very small house All without leaving a single clue., All they really arrested him on, largely, was the statement of Jenessa, Elisco said. But, with my years of interviewing people-- he was crying for her.. Presiding Judge Dominick Motto of the Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Common Pleas Court initially denied decertification and transfer to juvenile court because Jordan would not admit his involvement in the crime. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were only 10 when they killed that poor toddler. They had a warrant for Jordan's arrest. Evidence Popularised By A New Documentary And TikTok Theory Suggests An O.J. Emma Tustin, 32, murdered the boy by . I don't think the kid did it and I honestly do think the cops jumped on him and didn't do their homework. Just 18 hours before, Chris Brown had lost his fiance and unborn child. (CBS/AP) PITTSBURGH - A judge on Friday found 14-year-old Jordan Brown guilty of killing his father's pregnant fiance . "[15][16] The last words of the opinion then ordered that "Appellant is discharged." Trooper McGraw believed Jordan threw the shell to the ground as he was walking to the bus the morning of the murders. And on 20/20 Adalynn said she woke up from a loud noise..she answers her moms phone goes to wake her up..she doesnt wake up..she goes outside & the tree trimmers help.. which would have been around 9am.. the other girl per the police reports said it was an ordinary morning. 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. That decision, he told 20/20, is something that's haunted me.. But it would take another three and a half years before his appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. By Roman Chiarello Written on Jul 22, 2018. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvania's highest court said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction. 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. [He] never changed his story. 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. Simpson became the immediate suspect, and seemingly fled from . But then I got to the point where it didnt bother me at all. A 7 year old will remember that. 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. It also mentions that he had a significant motive. Jordan Brown, now 14, was found delinquent by Lawrence County Judge John Hodge - the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict. The system is very, very wrong.. I used to hate it. They found Houk in the bedroom, he said, and thought at first that shed had a medical emergency. Janessa Houk is seen here in this undated family photo. Interviewing those involved, with the goal of finding out who killed Jordan and why? But still, that side of it, that suffering from the loss and not having any answers, knowing he was falsely accused and the route the prosecutor and investigators took on this, the inadequate investigation. But as far as his guiltiness, I know he is. Its my belief, especially after watching 20/20 that the police had tunnel vision. [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. Meanwhile, officers also went to Mohawk Elementary School to speak to Jenessa and Jordan. Throughout Jordan Browns stay in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he'd killed Houk. [I] went downstairs, got my clothes, went in the bathroom, got dressed. The lawsuit claims the only evidence against Brown was a coerced and fabricated statement of his soon-to-be stepsister, who was 7-years-old at the time. Pay for the crime that you did, Deborah Houk said in a phone interview Wednesday. [I'm] happy that this part of it is over with Jordan, you know, being wrongfully accused. The mother of Kenzie Houk, who was 26 when she was murdered in 2009, and other relatives confirmed Monday's decision by a Lawrence County judge to release Jordan Brown following a juvenile. 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. 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. [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. "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. 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. 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.". 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. His disposition order was dated May 18, 2012. My wife is so much in shock I think Im gonna have to take her to the hospital. The teen was killed on Tuesday around 12:30 . I believe, I always have, that the attorney generals office and state police rushed to judgment, said Elisco. Its difficult to charge an 11-year-old with homicide. 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. ". This was their first child together a baby boy they had already named Christopher. Enough evidence without a reasonable doubt? Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judges original decision to try him as an adult. Police found several rounds of ammunition inside the family's farmhouse. 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. The next day, state police arrested Brown, who was a fifth-grader at the time. Jordan Browns lawyers announced they would appeal two months after his conviction. The trial lasted three days. Its frustrating that they gave up so easily on Kenzies ex, Adam, so quickly. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Jordan Brown is alleged to have shot 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk, who was eight months pregnant, before catching the school bus on Friday morning, according to the Lawrence County district. 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 Brown said he has mixed feelings about what happened to him. Teen gets new hearing in case of woman's killing. No way. Adalynn Houk is seen here in the undated family photo. Thanks! The blanket being outside Jordans bedroom is not surprising. Jordan said he and Houk had a strong relationship, and he even called her Mom., She was really nice. His lawyers continued to file appeals in order to have his juvenile conviction (adjudication) overturned. O.J. ???? 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. >>PREVIOUS STORY: Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned. But in the complaint filed in federal district court Wednesday, Brown and his attorneys say state police investigators manipulated interviews, evidence and procedures to push the narrative that Brown had killed his soon-to-be stepmom. Pregnant Mother's Murder Leads Police to Arrest Her Step-Son Chris Brown and Kenzie Houk had been friends since they were teenagers. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. It was appalling to me that they seemingly just ignored that fact throughout the case.. I'm not going to be mad at you. He kept shifting and obviously upset. Police said she told them she saw Jordan moving his guns that morning. Have you been living under a rock? Jordan Brown (right), seen here with his father Chris Brown (left), was released when he turned 18 in 2015. 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. And her face was facing me, Adalynn said. The court said that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to support the conviction, according to The Associated Press. 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. I can remember just looking at Jordan and feeling like we had failed him. The tree trimmer called 911. But omg! They also found a 20-gauge shotgun that belonged to Jordan Brown. The arrest of an 11-year-old for murder quickly gained wide media attention, and suddenly Wampum, Pennsylvania, a town with a population of roughly 600 people, had millions of eyes on it. She was interviewed four times in 14 hours after her mothers death, according to the lawsuit. 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. And that made me happy. Chris Brown said he drove every day, 230 miles round trip, to see his son in detention. TPD says they have arrested 21-year-old Jordan Brown for first degree murder. 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 . Alan's death devastated his family. In a rare move, the highest court in Pennsylvania ruled that "there was insufficient evidence" to prosecute the case. The state Attorney General said Houk had been killed by a youth-model Harrington & Richardson 20-gauge shotgun that Brown had received as a Christmas gift from his father, with Pennsylvania State Police reporting finding a spent shotgun shell near the path the 11-year-old walked to get to his school bus the morning . -, Press J to jump to the feed. I was happy. 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. 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. 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. I came across a blog which claims that Kenzie's abusive ex had threatened to kill her or have her killed. In a split panel decision dated September 1, 2016, titled In re J.B. III, 147 A.3d 1204 (Pa.Super. Officials say it has been determined that a physical altercation occurred between the victim and Dequan Blount, who . Dara's mother, 64-year-old Linda McAllister, was shot dead in 2017, and the Hodges' daughter, 23-year-old Jordan Hodge, was convicted of the two murders, along with her boyfriend, 30-year-old . This case was investigated by some of the finest police officers in this country, plain and simple. 5 Theories Explain HowCayleeAnthony Really Died. Judging by 20/20s recreations the house was very small. Paula Scarlett-Brown, the widow of Pilgrim Assemblies International founder Archbishop Roy E. Brown, told the New York Post on Sunday that she and Brown's daughter, Tiwana Brown, had a major fight over the minister's body just hours after his death on June 2. Jordan Brown juvenile court disposition is treatment. 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. Being outside Jordans bedroom is not surprising Pennsylvania Supreme court and Dequan Blount, who he 'd Houk... They gave up so easily on Kenzies ex, Adam, so quickly you know being. Mark to learn the rest of the opinion then ordered that `` Appellant is discharged ''. Fought a judges original decision to try him as an adult: //people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/ just... 2016, titled in re J.B. 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