But everything changed on the morning of February 20, 2009. telephone call seeking comment Tuesday. Jordan Brown was released from a juvenile detention facility in June 2016, months before his 19th birthday, and ordered to remain on probation until 21-years-old. Pietrandrea said Chris Brown was named in the suit because he is a founding trustee of the trust fund and owns of the Save Jordan Brown website. daughter," she said. The investigators insisted that Jordan's motive must be jealousy over the new baby. Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. AsABC Newsreports, Jordan was confused and unaccompanied as he was taken to the county jail. Chance of rain 60%.. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "Jordan had made a remark in my computer room, the kids play room, that if he had a gun he would pop Kenzie and the two little girls," she said. Their court filing states Janessa was present the entire time Jordan was at the home that morning. That morning, Jordan was awakened by his sister Janessa. These ventures are why the latter bought a youth-sized 20-gauge shotgun for his son, which the police considered the murder weapon. She even had a stepson through Chris in the form of his 11-year-old son Jordan. She was good with people.. Brown continues to proclaim his son's innocence. For Houk's daughters Jenessa and Adalynn, they face a life without a mother. "I know my son. A funeral for Houk and her baby boy, who was named Christopher He and Jordan finally felt vindicated in their assertions that Jordan hadnt committed that terrible crime. The family was interviewed immediately after Houk's death. Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. He said he could not be specific about what they were looking for because he did not want to endanger potential evidence or the investigation. Here, she stated that she had heard what sounded like a gun being fired while waiting for Jordan to get ready and leave the house with her. Right now, Jenessa Houk lives in New Castle, PA. Jenessa maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Kenneth Lauffer, Genevie Kelch, Stephanie Lauffer, Sherri Shaffer and Harold Cross. Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo noting that under Pennsylvania law he had no choice has charged the boy as an adult. Chris had been at his job in the shipping department of a local tableware company when he received the news. The coroner said an unborn baby could survive only minutes after its mothers death. This photo of Kenzie Houk was part of a memorial her family prepared for her in 2009. Jenessa is a cheerleader for football and basketball and plays basketball on an AAU traveling team. Its a hard day for us. But when she was. Live. The two children then got on the school bus at the end of their driveway and went to school. You have permission to edit this article. Brown told "Nightline" he was "heartbroken" and "sickened by the judge's ruling.". It's the same gun that killed my Don't knowingly lie about anyone that is degrading to another person. Keep it Clean. A 20-gauge shot gun shell casing was found next to the familys driveway. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 11-year-old boy who was about to become her stepson. Investigators believed with substantial evidence, that the son of Houks fianc, Jordan Brown, who was 11-years-old at the time, had committed the murder. something on the ground from his pocket before they got on the bus. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. It wasnt that Kenzie was worried about the pregnancy, she was ready to have the baby and had plenty of practice being a mom. It appeared that neither of them had noticed anything unusual that morning. blanket and came back downstairs to Houk's bedroom and shot her in They called 911. Authorities believe the killing was premeditated. An appeal of the Superior Court ruling will be argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court next month. "She has said to me, 'Grandma, I got up that morning, I went down to get mommy, I shook her and she wouldn't wake and she had blood on her back,'" Debbie Houk said. So he was ruled out as a suspect pretty quickly. This recollection was hardly an innocuous detail, it also happened to be something that Jordan had omitted entirely from his own description. person will not be tolerated. Chance of rain 60%. She had a message to relay to the person who noticed her distress: her mom, Kenzie Houk, was dead. In prison, he taught himself guitar and how to play basketball, but it was still a prison. Now 16, Jordan was found to be responsible for the deaths. October 20, 2018 Pregnant woman found murdered, police suspect her fiance's 11-year-old son Twenty-six-year-old Kenzie Houk had been shot in the back of the head, and police arrested Jordan Brown, the son of Houk's fiance, for her murder. An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy blew away his father's eight-months-pregnant fiance - then calmly got on the bus and went to school, police and. However, his lawyers continued to file appeals on his behalf, which resulted in a 50 verdict to overturn his conviction on July 18, 2018, by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. State police arrived just before 10 a.m. and found Houk in her bed with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Her case deserves to be reopened and reinvestigated. Police turned to other suspects. That was her gift. Jordan had even begun referring to Kenzie as mom. He was happy to have a little brother and would even have his own room once the baby was born. For now, it's a life interrupted for Jordan, as his lawyers begin the process of appealing the judge's decision. The killer had shot Houk while she was lying in bed, watching TV, and then cleaned the shotgun and put it back in its place. "He's an average 12-year-old," said Jordan's father Chris Brown. Kenzie Marie Houk, 26, shared the two-story white frame farmhouse on Wampum-New Galilee Road with her two daughters, her boyfriend Christopher Brown and Jordan, his son. As an 11-year-old, Jordan was held at Edmund Thomas Adolescent Center in Erie County, Pennsylvania, until he stood trial. "Not only that, but keep in mind, [he was] 11 years old when this happened, now 12. Winds light and variable. Without any help or treatment, he cant be rehabilitated. Share with Us. Born on August 12, 1997, Jordan Brown and his father, Chris Brown, were a close duo who spent most of their weekends hunting in the nearby woods. We dont celebrate.. Jordan Brown's lawyers seek witness statements, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. She anticipates adding volleyball and track this year. Ignatz said the police investigating the slaying came from Troop D which covers Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties. He believed it had been a work truck and thought nothing of it. The 26-year-old Houk and her unborn baby died Feb. 20, 2009, when she was shot in the New Beaver Borough farmhouse she shared with her daughters, her fianc, Chris Brown, and his son Jordan, then 11. Debbie Houk said she will still observe Adalynns birthday with cupcakes, but there wont be a party for a week or two. He went downstairs, got his clothes out of his soon-to-be bedroom and got dressed. Over the years, Debbie Houk said, she is trying to summon up forgiveness for the boy accused in the death of her daughter and grandson. "To try to explain to a 12-year-old what the rest of your life means it's incomprehensible for him. Christopher and Houk had already established their family: Christopher's son, 11-year-oldJordan Brown,and Houk's daughters, 4-year-old Adalynn and 7-year-old Jenessa. Brown and his dad Christopher lived with Houk and her two small You have permission to edit this article. Defense attorneys are asking that his case be transferred to the juvenile system. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. accounts, the history behind an article. So how and why was Jordan finally exonerated? Debbie Houk said Jordan Brown often gave 26-year-old Kenzie The boy faces life in prison, Bongivengo said, explaining the death penalty is not an option because of his age. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. "Worse thing is losing your daughter," said Houk's mother Debbie Houk. Their motion notes she did not testify at Jordans preliminary hearing March 29. It is not possible that it could have been anyone else.. accounts, the history behind an article. Jordan said he had seen a black truck near his house that morning, but he didn't think anything of it at the time. In all of this time, Chris has sat through hearings as if he does not care. I think the 7-year-old was fearful, Bongivengo continued, but when she started talking, her story was consistent with the circumstances.. Police said they found a spent shotgun shell in the same spot. Our story begins during that pregnancy, on a chilly February morning. But of course, they miss their mother. He gets all the breaks. Although law enforcement officials are not allowed to release the names of juveniles charged with a crime, the state police made Jordans name public because he has been charged as an adult. And his father visited him every single day, making a 230 miles round trip, despite also mourning the loss of his fiance and their unborn son. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Houk is the legal guardian of her granddaughters. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Hes insightful, hes intellectual, hes introspective. More. She said she also wishes things had gone differently between her family and Jordans father. Lamancusa revealed he had provided unspecified legal advice to Jordans father, Christopher Brown. The 4-year-old called out to a team of tree trimmers, telling one of them that her mother was dead. He said Jordan can petition to have his case transferred to juvenile court and he can request bond. Houk was found after her younger daughter alerted a nearby work crew. The 11-year-old New Beaver Borough resident has been charged with criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child after his fathers girlfriend just weeks away from giving birth was found shot to death in her home. He knew the Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. At first, it appeared that Kenzie had some sort of medical emergency related to the pregnancy. Keep it Clean. But everybody put that aside and did their job to the letter.. They had a warrant for 11-year-old Jordans arrest. isolated from the adult inmates, and Elisco has said he will seek Then, after so many years of waiting to hear the verdict in his case, Jordan was found guilty on first-degree murder charges in 2012 (perYahoo News). Per New Castle News, the grieving family's story turned even more nightmarish as Jordan was yanked from his bed in the middle of the night by police officers. Not long after theyd begun working, one of the tree trimmers noticed 4-year-old Adalynn standing in the doorway and crying that her mother was dead. Be Truthful. Be Nice. Jordan, who has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 21, 2009, has never admitted guilt in the shooting. He is in a state of disbelief and shock., Elisco echoed Bongivengos words, saying this is an extremely tragic situation.. David H. Acker and Dennis A. Elisco, Jordans attorneys, describe Janessa as perhaps the most critical witness in this case. For the fifth time, the Houk family has marked the death of their Kenzie Marie and her unborn son. Bongivengo noted there is no law requiring guns be locked up, although obviously thats the smart thing to do, the safe thing to do.. About 8:15 a.m., Jordan and Janessa went out the back door and headed to school. He also didnt seem to know where Kenzie lived. Winds light and variable. Her death was the result of a homicide. Janessa told police that shed recalled seeing Jordan moving his guns that morning before school. (AP Photo/The Houk Family). Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Police say she initially said nothing unusual happened that morning before school. Up Next in news My Son Is Not a Monster October 20, 2018 The bus driver testified that neither child appeared to behave strangely. He was no longer facing life in prison. However, that determination by Lawrence County Judge John W. Hodge has been overturned by the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the case was ordered back to the county. Be Proactive. Millions were watching this small Pennsylvania town. Then, the two siblings sat in the living room until the bus came. PITTSBURGH - An 11-year-old boy accused of killing his father's At around 9 a.m., some tree trimmers arrived to do some work around the house. April 28, 2010 -- The killing of a young pregnant mother, allegedly by the 11-year-old boy who was about to become her stepson, has created a bitter feud between two families that were about to be happily joined through marriage. This petition starter stood up and took action. The broken-hearted father of Jordan Brown is rebuilding his life while remaining strong for his son. The site calls for financial support to provide Jordan with an effective defense. They interviewed 7-year-old Jenessa four times, but only recorded the fourth interview. Be Proactive. Police said what really turned the case for them were additional interviews they conducted with Jenessa and Jordan the night of the murders. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. New Castle News reports that it took merely three days for the judge in the trial to make the controversial ruling. Cloudy skies after midnight. More than two years after he was charged, the now-13-year-old was moved out of adult and back to juvenile court. Its a shame that hes received no help whatsoever.. Roughly 45 minutes later, Kenzie's other daughter, 4-year-old Adalynn, found the body and alerted others. Low around 40F. Its just not fair for the Houks, Jack Houk said. It was Houk's 4-year-old daughter Adalynn who discovered her own mother's body. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Its not unusual for newspapers to look back on major news events when key anniversaries come about. He had changed his story, albeit slightly, but enough that his soon-to-be half-sisters account cemented in their minds that he might be lying. Lawrence County District. At around nine a.m. on February 20, 2009, after Chris had gone to work and Jordan and Jenessa had left for school, tree trimmers who had been hired to do some work around the property came upon a . Human gestation is generally 38 weeks, with two weeks more or less considered to be normal. In this undated photo released by the Houk family shows Kenzie Marie Houk with her daughters Jenessa, left, and Adalynn in Wampum, Pa.. Eleven-year-old Jordan Brown is charged in the shooting . or anything. The 26-year-old shared the New Beaver Borough home with her fiance, Chris Brown, his son Jordan and her two daughters. He spent his weekend in the Lawrence County jail. Bongivengo explained that children between the ages of 10 and 18 normally are treated as juveniles. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Jenessa woke Jordan up, and the two left for school together. He has just been subjected to some awful things in the past 13 months.". That led to the transfer of prosecutorial responsibilities to the attorney general. After nine-and-a-half years, Chris Brown felt as if a great weight had been lifted off him and his family. Be Truthful. accounts, the history behind an article. Shows. (AP Photo/Thhe Houk Family). Bongivengo described Houks older daughter who will be 8 next month as the main witness. Ive never received the answers I want. 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