The blanket being outside Jordans bedroom is not surprising. The police asked me if there was anybody out there that I thought would've done something to her. 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His disposition order was dated May 18, 2012. And I was in there. They routinely shot on that property. Cinnamon Brown, who at age 14 carried out her father's command to kill her stepmother, was denied early release Tuesday by the state youth parole board despite her cooperation with authorities in . She leaned against the Formica island, her sandy blond hair done up in a bulbous, frizzy ball. [17], Another possible suspect is Adam Harvey, an ex-boyfriend of Houk. (CBS/AP) PITTSBURGH - A judge on Friday found 14-year-old Jordan Brown guilty of killing his father's pregnant fiance . That way I know what was trying to be said, and then thats how I read, he said. Jordan denied to "20/20" doing anything with his guns that morning, saying I never touched them.. Brown could be held in a juvenile rehabilitative treatment facility only until he turned 21 in August 2018. Throughout Jordan Browns stay in detention in Erie, his father continued to ask him whether he'd killed Houk. I just watched the 20/20 episode. During his incarceration, Jordan taught himself to play guitar and said he became a pretty good basketball player. We had a youth model shotgun in the house that had smelled like it recently had been fired, Martin said. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. He had 120 seconds to kill her and clean up. He needed to drive four hours every day, he said, to visit Jordan because hes my son., Jordan Brown said those visits were a lifeline: I dont know what I wouldve done without them.". [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. Kids can be evil. Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judges original decision to try him as an adult. Jordan was interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police twice that day and arrested before sunrise the next morning. In my 25 years, I believe it was the only one in that area that I can remember.. Jordan Brown was just 11 years old when he was taken into custody in 2009 by Pennsylvania police for allegedly fatally shooting 26-year-old Kenzie Houk, who was expecting Jordan's younger. But then I got to the point where it didnt bother me at all. 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. 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. They also pointed out the lack of an eyewitness or credible forensic evidence as reasons for the decision. Both children were interviewed and, according to police, neither said anything out of the ordinary had happened that morning. And again a third appeal was taken to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. 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 trial lasted three days. The rest of their story: https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. Im from the nearby area also. By Roman Chiarello Written on Jul 22, 2018. Im 200% sure. Everything is gone. The daily journey, however, wreaked havoc on his finances, Chris Brown said. [I'd say,] Jordan, listen, if something happens. The work on this case like so many unsolved cases was shoddy. He knew the doors were unlocked. You know, it's just a truck, he told "20/20." Jordan Brown (right), seen here with his father Chris Brown (left), was released when he turned 18 in 2015. Accidents happen, buddy. [2][3] He was subsequently arrested. And just feeling so sorry for him at that moment, Colafella said. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 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. 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. TACOMA, Wash. - A memorial stands outside the doors of World of Weed in Tacoma honoring the life of an employee killed during an armed robbery that happened this past weekend. 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 . I am a step dad to twin 12 year old girls, a 7 year old and a 4 year old for the past 3 years. She had cheated him of his money and cheated on him by sleeping with another man. He spent over three years in a juvenile facility in Pennsylvania. Im 100 percent, you know, a whole, clean slate. 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. He acknowledged to authorities that he and Houk had argued about money. I was just going to walk in to wake her [Kenzie Houk] up. As for whether or not an 11 year old could commit this crime, I absolutely believe it is more than possible. The discovery of that shell was not significant.. And none of us wanted to put handcuffs on an 11-year-old. 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. 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. In my opinion, [it was] jealousy, jealousy of the impending birth, he said. A juvenile court judge later found Brown guilty of first-degree murder and homicide of an unborn child. 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. NEW CASTLE - Jordan Brown, charged at age 11 with killing his father's pregnant fiancee, is now fighting back against the legal system that jailed him. 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. Speakman said Brown's family lives out of state, so when he heard Jordan was murdered, he reached out to the family on Facebook. They are also not smart enough to leave no traces. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://people.com/crime/jordan-brown-case-murder-kenzie-houk-interview-after-prison/. Officials say it has been determined that a physical altercation occurred between the victim and Dequan Blount, who . I also thought it was hilarious how uncomfortable the big bald cop in the middle was. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Jordan Brown, now 17, insists he is innocent despite being convicted of killing his father's pregnant fiancee in 2009. . Time flew when you were reading.. Houk, a hairstylist and a stay-at-home mom, was sleeping in a bedroom downstairs at the time, which was to become Jordans room after the baby was born. Dispensary owner Alden Linn said the impact of Brown's death has been felt . Attorney Katherine Burdick, another member of Browns defense team, discussed her reaction to the decision with local CBS station WKBN. Around 8:15 a.m., Jordan said he and Jenessa left the house to catch the school bus. 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. And I would assume every trooper who investigated that case feels the same way. "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. They told me that her and the baby were gone, and I remember collapsing in the yard, Brown said. The tree trimmers saw Adalynn sometime after 9 a.m. that morning. They had a warrant for Jordan's arrest. Judge Hodge ruled that Jordan would not be released pending that hearing. I believe, I always have, that the attorney generals office and state police rushed to judgment, said Elisco. 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. 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). Houks older daughter, then 7, also said she had heard a loud noise in the house around the time of the shooting. So we hurry up and went out the backdoor and ran down the driveway. That mug shot of Jordan Brown that sort of became an icon of the story spread across the world, said Pittsburgh-based ABC affiliate WTAE reporter Bob Mayo. -, Press J to jump to the feed. 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 thought, you know, it was just some guy there doing work or something. He shot his father's fiancee in the back of her head, killing her and her unborn child. When first responders arrived, Renee claimed her back gave out while she was bathing Lily, causing her to drop the child. Jordan Brown spent seven summers in detention and was released in 2016 when he was 18. 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.. Shes bawling and crying, Mr. Houk said. A state police spokesman, Ryan Tarkowski, declined to comment on pending litigation. 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 7 year old will remember that. Elisco said that moniker fueled the media frenzy and the presumption of guilt that stayed with the case throughout.". 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. And the first person that comes to mind was Adam Harvey. Browns hands were swabbed for gunpowder residue and came back clean. But it would take another three and a half years before his appeal was heard by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 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. Jordan Brown's age is 25. Emily's Death: Died September 18, 1979. Another issue Jordans attorneys raised was that there was no blood or tissue found on the gun or Jordan Browns clothing that day. Police arrested Jordan Brown based on the information provided by the girl. Under Pennsylvania law, an adjudicated juvenile offender cannot be held in custody past his 21st birthday. April 13, 2012. The rounds struck a victim's vehicle and an unoccupied apartment building. 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. Just 18 hours before, Chris Brown had lost his fiance and unborn child. Eleven year-old shot and killed his father's pregnant fiancee, setting off a debate about trying him as an adult or a juvenile. The coroner determined Lily had died at least two hours before her stepmother . Wonder what the other children think of it all. Thats blood-boiling, seeing-red motive. Youve, you know, ruined his name in essence. My wife is so much in shock I think Im gonna have to take her to the hospital. 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. 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. 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. CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A 28-year-old man was gunned down in Avondale late Wednesday, Cincinnati police 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. 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. That decision, he told 20/20, is something that's haunted me.. This is precisely what would have had to have happened, Colafella added. 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). [I] went downstairs, got my clothes, went in the bathroom, got dressed. I was just like, Hey mom, wake up. and when I turned her own, I realizedId come to the conclusion of what had happened. Nearly two years after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court cleared him, Mr. Brown is suing an ex-state police commissioner and former troopers. Obtained by ABC News Police determined that Houk had been shot in the back of the head. They attempted CPR, but it was too late. 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. Later that night, as Chris and Jordan Brown were finally starting to nod off around 3:30 a.m., they were startled by a pounding on the door. And her face was facing me, Adalynn said. 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. 6 New Details About The Woman Who May Have Falsely Accused Emmett Till, discussed her reaction to the decision with local CBS station WKBN, Groom Invites His Nephews To His Wedding But Excludes Brother's Stepdaughter Her Mom Is Debating Whether To Attend, What Jon Hamm Says Changed His Mind About Marriage After Swearing It Off During His 18-Year Relationship With Jennifer Westfeldt, Man Insists Landlords Should Get Tipped By Tenants If They're Going To Tip Baristas, Latest Updates And News About The Murder Of1stGrader AprilTinsley And The Man Finally Arrested After 30 Years. Jordan Brown said he has "mixed feelings" about what happened to him. 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 . "She was yelling, 'You killed my father! This was their first child together a baby boy they had already named Christopher. Both she and her unborn son died as a result of the attack. A 7 yaer old probably wont be able to put 2+2 together. Thanks! It also mentions that he had a significant motive. 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. Jordan Brown, who is attending college and studying computer science, is determined to leave his past behind. Brown and Houk had known each other since they were teenagers and were planning to be married soon. Houks mother Debbie Houk told 20/20, Jordan's a murderer. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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.