The work on this case like so many unsolved cases was shoddy. 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. Throughout Jordan Browns stay in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he'd killed Houk. [4] A petition signed by nearly 4,000 people protested what it termed as denial of Brown's fifth and sixth amendment rights. It's three feet long., Inside the Browns' farmhouse, police found a collection of handguns, rifles and several rounds of ammunition. Jordan Brown (Shooting of Kenzie Houk) | Did an 11-Year-Old Commit Murder? Interviewing those involved, with the goal of finding out who killed Jordan and why? 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. 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. 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. Meanwhile, officers also went to Mohawk Elementary School to speak to Jenessa and Jordan. 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. Jordan Brown spent seven summers in detention and was released in 2016 when he was 18. [I] went downstairs, got my clothes, went in the bathroom, got dressed. On July 18, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a 50 decision. They attempted CPR, but it was too late. Accidents happen, buddy. In fact, the prosecutions forensics expert had testified that these particles can be transferred. 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 agree, the more I think about the more unlikely it seems. Im 100 percent, you know, a whole, clean slate. But then I got to the point where it didnt bother me at all. Homicide, something of this magnitude was very, very uncommon, Martin said. Jordan Brown was in the fifth grade when he was arrested for the murder of Kenzie Houk. 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 . 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. "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. 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.. 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. CLICK HERE to find out how. This was their first child together a baby boy they had already named Christopher. There was a small amount of gun residue on Jordan's jacket, explained by his lawyers as being from a hunt the boy had been on a few days prior. I also thought it was hilarious how uncomfortable the big bald cop in the middle was. And just feeling so sorry for him at that moment, Colafella said. 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. ", I just read about this case on people.com. A young Jordan Brown is seen here in this undated family photo. The day before Emily was murdered James (age 16 at the time) came to visit her. Elisco said that moniker fueled the media frenzy and the presumption of guilt that stayed with the case throughout.". They noted there was no eyewitness, no DNA or fingerprint evidence and no blood or biological material on Browns clothing. 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. Multiple members of Browns legal team have spoken out about the supreme courts decision. Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20, Jordan's a murderer. In statements to the police, Jordan Brown claimed to have seen a black pickup truck parked by his home, resembling the one owned by the ex-boyfriend, on the morning of the murder. I lost it.. At all. 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. Alan's death devastated his family. 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. Obtained by ABC News Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. [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. 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. 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. 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. "The conflict caused police to reinterview Jenessa, who told police that Jordan Brown had a shotgun covered in a blanket Friday morning and she heard a big boom prior to the pair leaving for school. I was just like, Hey mom, wake up. and when I turned her own, I realizedId come to the conclusion of what had happened. 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. Ill be honest with you, I suffer from PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] over this, Chris Brown continued. And again a third appeal was taken to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Jordan Brown, now 14, was found delinquent by Lawrence County Judge John Hodge - the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty verdict. 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. In an interview with New Castle News, Elisco addressed potential problems with how the case was investigated. Jordan. 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. I'm not going to be mad at you. I thought, you know, it was just some guy there doing work or something. >>PREVIOUS STORY: Jordan Browns father speaks out after sons murder conviction overturned. Have you been living under a rock? 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. 5 Theories Explain HowCayleeAnthony Really Died. CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A 28-year-old man was gunned down in Avondale late Wednesday, Cincinnati police said. Two years later that resulted in the July 18, 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. I guess you could speculate that. And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old. 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. Jordan Brown mug shot AP Photo/Lawrence County Prison via Beaver County Times. 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. Its difficult to charge an 11-year-old with homicide. [He] never changed his story. And I just remember looking at him thinking, How can this kid have any more hope?. I didn't think anything of it. The bed was all ready diapers were where they were supposed to be and everything, yeah she was ready.. 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. Adalynn Houk is seen here in the undated family photo. 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. Jordan battled the fear that she would turn out to be like her mother. Teen gets new hearing in case of woman's killing. A 7 yaer old probably wont be able to put 2+2 together. In July 2018, the court sided with Jordan Brown, writing that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had failed to prove Jordan Brown guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. She was thrilled, thats what she wanted, Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20. The clothing was washed. 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. Attorney Katherine Burdick, another member of Browns defense team, discussed her reaction to the decision with local CBS station WKBN. But the prosecutions expert witness said that the angle in which the gun was shot could have minimized whats referred to as blowback. And I'll say it. 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. 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. And that made me happy. Just a fifth grader at the time, he said he didnt understand of what he was being accused. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. As for whether or not an 11 year old could commit this crime, I absolutely believe it is more than possible. However, shortly after his birth, Chris attained full custody as his mother fell seriously ill. The blended family seemed to be bonding. I don't think the kid did it. 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. Directed by Kyle Saylors, the true crime story is based on 20 years of research by Simpson's former business associate and friend, Norman Pardo. 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. 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. That way I know what was trying to be said, and then thats how I read, he said. Her family says Adalynn shared bits of her story over the years, but its something neither police nor Jordans defense team have ever heard. Judge Hodge issued a juvenile court opinion on April 19, 2015, again finding that Jordan was the individual who killed Kenzie Houk and her unborn child on the morning of February 20, 2009. 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]. I still love her. They discovered Mrs. Borden's body a short time later. Its not a weapon that someone's going to carry across the field or carry up a driveway. Police are still confident Jordan Brown did it.. 11 is pretty young to straight up plan and commit a murder like that, perhaps though some here know of other instances. 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. The shooting happened at their home in Wampum, Lawrence County. Its my belief, especially after watching 20/20 that the police had tunnel vision. The youth's father did not publicly discuss the case, until after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court exonerated his son nine years later in July 2018. [7][8][9][10] Judge Hodge held that Brown's juvenile hearing would not be open to the public or to the news media. 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 . They found Houk in the bedroom, he said, and thought at first that shed had a medical emergency. 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. Im 200% sure. 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. 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. Emma Tustin, 32, murdered the boy by . [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. 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.. I just read about this and came to this subreddit looking to see if anyone posted anything about it. 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. Police arrested Jordan Brown based on the information provided by the girl. But when police pulled him over in that truck the day of the murders, they determined that he could not have made the almost 24-mile drive over to Houks house and back to his neighborhood because snow left on the hood was still intact. Kenzie Houk is seen here with one of her daughters in this undated family photo. She was interviewed four times in 14 hours after her mothers death, according to the lawsuit. 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. 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. [13] He was to remain on juvenile court probation until he turned 21. 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. Kenzie Houks family is speaking out against the decision. Browns hands were swabbed for gunpowder residue and came back clean. 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 . Shes bawling and crying, Mr. Houk said. Kids can be evil. Jordan Brown said he has "mixed feelings" about what happened to him. I have been on the fence after seeing the 20/20 (originally thought he was innocent). 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. Despite this, prosecutors excluded the ex-boyfriend as a suspect during their initial investigation. , especially after watching 20/20 that the police had tunnel vision Houk been! Seriously ill in Wampum, Lawrence County thinking, how can this kid have any more?. Seven summers in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he 'd killed.! 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