Of course, Harvey also just discovered that 4-year-old Adalynn, was not his biological daughter as he once believed her to be. For now, it's a life interrupted for Jordan, as his lawyers begin the process of appealing the judge's decision. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. 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. that is degrading to another person. By that point, Jenessa had changed her story. A 20-gauge shot gun shell casing was found next to the family's driveway. They took him to the police station and resumed questioning. Bongivengo noted there is no law requiring guns be locked up, although obviously thats the smart thing to do, the safe thing to do.. Meanwhile, his father kept fighting for his freedom. Jordan assured them that he hadnt touched any gun that morning, but the smell of gunpowder and the youth model shotgun in the home told a different story. Be Truthful. At first, it appeared that Kenzie had some sort of medical emergency related to the pregnancy. Lawrence County Coroner Russell S. Noga and deputy coroner Richard Johnson were summoned and pronounced her dead shortly after they arrived around 10:30 a.m. Houks death had been pretty immediate, Noga said, and estimated she had been dead about three hours by the time he and Johnson arrived. ", Jordan was denied the chance to stay in a juvenile facility where he would be released by the age of 21 as requested by his lawyers. They didnt move her, choosing to preserve the integrity of the scene as they waited for the medical examiner. Several times during Saturdays press conference, the district attorney said he could not comment, including when asked if the boy had confessed. He maintained his innocence the whole time and never changed his story. Especially with the media frenzy surrounding the case. In the meantime, I keep them busy and they keep me busy.. Although not an eyewitness, the district attorney said, she was there at the time of the shooting, she heard it and she saw Jordan with the shotgun. 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 death of the 26-year-old pregnant mother of two. Winds light and variable. Their photos should not be on the Internet., More in TIMELINE: Jordan Brown case (36of59). In it, the girl said she had heard a shotgun blast before she and Jordan had left the house to catch a school bus. That little baby was perfect," Debbie Houk said. Police arrived to find Houk lying on the bed downstairs in a pool of blood. 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 death of the 26-year-old pregnant mother of two. 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. Plus, he cannot be recharged with the same offense, according to the court's ruling, according to New Castle News. 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. According to ABC News, the Supreme Court determined that there was not enough evidence to say with certainty that Jordan had committed the crime. Houk was a 26-year-old mother of two, died yesterday from a shotgun blast to the back of her head. However she was at the courthouse that day, they said, where she was interviewed by members of the district attorneys office and possibly members of the Pennsylvania state police prior to the hearing. accounts, the history behind an article. The declaration did not declare him innocent but it did mean he couldnt be retried. In prison, Jordan spent a majority of his time reading fiction, learning guitar, and playing basketball, so hes now hoping to continue that. Not only that, but Janessa recalled waiting in the living room for Jordan when she heard a big boom echo through the house. The blanket was found at the scene with a singed, quarter-sized hole. Our story begins during that pregnancy, on a chilly February morning. A little remorse on his part would help.. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Chance of rain 60%.. It appeared that neither of them had noticed anything unusual that morning. Im not religious, but this is what were told to do. 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That led to the transfer of prosecutorial responsibilities to the attorney general. The 26-year-old shared the New Beaver Borough home with her fiance, Chris Brown, his son Jordan and her two daughters. She had a message to relay to the person who noticed her distress: her mom, Kenzie Houk, was dead. Be Nice. Police determined that Houk was killed with a single shot in the back of the head with a youth model shot gun. He said Saturday the two girls are with their maternal grandmother. "Jordan had told (my son around Christmas) he was going to pop It would have been expensive and taken all of her time. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The morning of Feb. 20, 2009, workers cutting trees in New Beaver Borough were surprised to . The Houks and police point to overwhelming evidence they say will prove that Jordan is the killer, including gun residue found on his shirt, a fresh shell casting found outside as well as the testimony of Houk's 7-year-old daughter who says she saw Jordan with the gun. That morning, Jordan was awakened by his sister Janessa. In the suit, Houk asked that all reference to Adalynn Houk, 7, and Jenessa Houk, 11, be removed from the website. Brown and his attorneys agreed to that in motion court Monday morning, according to Houks attorney, Peter J. Pietrandrea of Cranberry. After all, she already had two daughters from a previous relationship - 7-year-old Jenessa and 4-year-old Adalynn. I miss her too, said Debbie Houk, who still stops almost every day at Parkside Cemetery, where her daughter and unborn grandson are buried. We dont celebrate.. telephone call seeking comment Tuesday. You have permission to edit this article. The district attorney said he works at Steelite, which is in an industrial park off Pulaski Road in Neshannock Township. But eventually, he noted, the 7-year-old implicated him. It's the same gun that killed my The investigators insisted that Jordan's motive must be jealousy over the new baby. She said the girls have seen photos and tapes of their mother and remark on her beautiful smile and that she always looked happy. or anything. Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. "The case is obviously not over," said Elisco. Elisco has said he had no Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa, who took office Monday after being elected in November, has a conflict of interest. Lawrence County District. racist or sexually-oriented language. 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. Hes insightful, hes intellectual, hes introspective. There were two main theories: either a stranger had broken into Houk's home after the kids left for school and murdered the 26-year-old. a while, the woman's mother said Tuesday. A child's brain isn't fully developed -- especially in area that controls decision making, risk taking and impulse control, according to Steinberg, whose research influenced a Supreme Court case banning the death penalty for juveniles in 2005. or anything. Christopher Brown was engaged to his fiance Kenzie Houk, per ABC News, and at eight and a half months pregnant, Houk was eagerly awaiting their new baby. More. Each day Debbie Houk visits her daughter and grandson's grave while Chris Brown makes the four-hour round trip to visit his son in a juvenile detention center. It had been barely 18 hours since Kenzie was killed and already, Chris had lost his fiancee, unborn son, and his only remaining son. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Their duties included securing the scene overnight, he noted Saturday, adding the troopers are pretty tired.. If convicted, he could become the youngest person in U.S. history to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Your IP: Since he never changed his story and maintained his innocence, his father believed him. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Its not unusual for newspapers to look back on major news events when key anniversaries come about. This story originally appearedFeb. 23, 2009, in the New Castle News. Be Proactive. Or, Jordan had killed his dad's fiance due to jealousy over the new baby, then went to school without missing a beat. experienced hunters at a turkey shoot. She had been shot in the back of the neck. Both follow in their mothers athletic footsteps and both have chosen Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas and their mother as role models. Browns son, Jordan, 14, is charged in her shooting death as well as the death of her unborn baby. person will not be tolerated. Don't knowingly lie about anyone "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. The site calls for financial support to provide Jordan with an effective defense. He said the weapon is believed to be a 20-gauge youth model shotgun. Home. Pa. state senators urge Biden to restart Keysto, Successes despite setbacks veteran and New Ca, Larry Pugh discusses Black history during library event, Anderson, Boice lead New Castle to WPIAL champi, Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Family gathers at cemetery, again, Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Reluctant to comment, prosecutor remains ready, Jordan Brown, Five Years Later: Slaying shocks community; case drags on, Jordan Brown, Five Years Later: What happened and when, Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Defense attorney learns to expect the unexpected, Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Father convinced beyond a doubt of sons innocence, Our Opinion: After five years, Jordan Brown case continues sadly for all, Dollar General plans new Neshannock store, Column by Ron Poniewasz Jr.: WPIAL doesn't disappoint with questionable playoff venues, Two charged in gunfire while driving incident, Man charged for being inside condemned house, County WPIAL teams bidding for berth in state title tilt, Amish buggy crash victim described as good neighbor, Woman accused of stabbing man with scissors, New Castle school administrators getting raises, ROBISON, Linda May 19, 1951 - Mar 1, 2023, MARCEAU JR., William Jul 29, 1956 - Feb 27, 2023, SNIDER, Steven Jun 10, 1983 - Jan 25, 2023. something on the ground from his pocket before they got on the bus. He was no longer facing life in prison. Her death was the result of a homicide. Millions were watching this small Pennsylvania town. accounts, the history behind an article. Christopher left for work that morning, while the kids and Houk got ready for their day. But everybody put that aside and did their job to the letter.. I've talked to him numerous times in depth about what happened and if he knew anything about it, if he was involved, he would have told me by now," Brown said. Jordan Brown, who was 11 at the time, is charged with shooting a pregnant Houk as she lay on her bed Feb. 20. Jenessa Houk is on Facebook. God bless those khakis! Elisco arrived at the state police station before the press conference had ended, in search of the district attorney. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism mitsubishi rpm problem The action you just performed triggered the security solution. But when she was. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Houk is the legal guardian of her granddaughters. Don't knowingly lie about anyone They now had the unfortunate responsibility to contact Chris Brown and tell him that not only was Kenzie been killed, so had his unborn baby. They even found a perfect shotgun shell in the driveway. A motion filed in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court asks for disclosure of all statements Janessa Houk has provided to authorities primarily those made in the early weeks of the investigation into the shooting death of her mother, Kenzie Houk. 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. Keep it Clean. Jordan Brown's lawyers seek witness statements, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Brown and his dad, Christopher, lived with Houk and her two small daughters in a farmhouse in a rural western Pennsylvania town of Wampum, where the father often took his son hunting. Jordan, who has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 21, 2009, has never admitted guilt in the shooting. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Whoever killed Kenzie certainly did something that day, they tore apart what could have been a loving, happy family. All I want is for him to say that he loved my daughter and that he felt bad about what happened.. racist or sexually-oriented language. Bones found in Taylor Township identified as Story, Pa. state senators urge Biden to restart Keysto, Successes despite setbacks veteran and New Ca, Larry Pugh discusses Black history during library event, Live stream: Jordan Brown news conference, Our view | Disorder in the court: Nine years far too long to decide homicide case, Jordan Brown released, but case remains under appeal, Dollar General plans new Neshannock store, Column by Ron Poniewasz Jr.: WPIAL doesn't disappoint with questionable playoff venues, Two charged in gunfire while driving incident, Man charged for being inside condemned house, County WPIAL teams bidding for berth in state title tilt, Amish buggy crash victim described as good neighbor, Woman accused of stabbing man with scissors, New Castle school administrators getting raises, ROBISON, Linda May 19, 1951 - Mar 1, 2023, MARCEAU JR., William Jul 29, 1956 - Feb 27, 2023, SNIDER, Steven Jun 10, 1983 - Jan 25, 2023. She even had a stepson through Chris in the form of his 11-year-old son Jordan. Live. Chance of rain 60%.. Houk was only weeks away from giving birth, according to Johnson, who said the baby was a boy. Threats of harming another Before the murder, there were multiple accounts of Houk being uncomfortable and tormented by Brown. Adalynn said to serve her birthday cake after the memorial service, said Debbie Houk, who shares a birthday with her granddaughter. 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. I mean, I think theway it happened is B.S., Jordan said on 20/20. Im innocent. 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. Last year, Jordan Brown, now 12, was charged with murdering Kenzie Houk, his father's eight-and-a-half month pregnant fiancee while she was asleep. It was a decision that would haunt him from that day on. to get the boy released. I hope they will not forget her. Thats, like, the only thing I really want people to know.. Jenessa Houk was born on 03/16/2001 and is 21 years old. He also indicated there is still work under way. Jordan said he had seen a black truck near his house that morning, but he didn't think anything of it at the time. Share with Us. Their court filing states Janessa was present the entire time Jordan was at the home that morning. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Share with Us. David H. Acker and Dennis A. Elisco, Jordans attorneys, describe Janessa as perhaps the most critical witness in this case. Live. She first said she didn't see anything unusual with Jordan that morning, but by the fourth interview, Jenessa claimed she saw Jordan moving around his shotgun the morning her mom died. But the district attorneys office turned down the request on the grounds nothing Janessa has said had been put down in writing. lot when his Dad wasn't around.". Christopher Brown, Jordan's dad, was working at the time, so he had an alibi (perABC News). When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. In the suit, Houk asked that all reference to Adalynn Houk, 7, and Jenessa Houk, 11, be removed from the website. For the fifth time, the Houk family has marked the death of their Kenzie Marie and her unborn son. Use the 'Report' link on Jordan was arrested by state police around 3 a.m. Saturday, arraigned before District Judge Scott McGrath and placed in the Lawrence County jail without bond. Debbie Houk said, adding that Jordan "just bucked her (Kenzie) a They called 911. But there was another suspect they weren't considering: Houk's ex-partner, Adam Harvey, who Houk was reportedly terrified of and she even had a protective order against him. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. A Bloomington-Normal music teacher has been sentenced to 88 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to sexual as. Kenzies old boyfriend, Adam Harvey was another suspect the police originally liked for the murder. Home. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. 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 . Authorities believe the killing was premeditated. Don't knowingly lie about anyone He spent the rest of his childhood behind bars for a crime he has always claimed he was innocent of, reports the Ellwood City Ledger. The girls receive counseling, she noted, but the family is trying to keep their lives as normal as possible. He said Jordan can petition to have his case transferred to juvenile court and he can request bond. isolated from the adult inmates, and Elisco has said he will seek At around 3:30 am, Chris awoke to the police pounding on his door. On the morning of Feb. 21, 2009, attorney Dennis Elisco met a boy who changed his life. Corporal Jeffrey Martin was one of the first responders on the scene. Kids charged with murder in Pennsylvania are automatically considered adults and only a judge's decision can move the trial to juvenile court. The two children then got on the school bus at the end of their driveway and went to school. You can cancel at any time. Jordans conviction was eventually overturned due to insufficient evidence. the back of the head. We'd love to hear eyewitness "He's an average 12-year-old," said Jordan's father Chris Brown. 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