With his father Chris among the dozens crowding into a Lawrence County courtroom, lawyers for Jordan Brown insist the state has shown very little in the way of evidence against the 11 year old. Atty. David Acker told reporters, "Today hasn't given me any more information," about the case.
Brown is charged in the shooting death, last month, of his father's girlfriend, Kenzie Houk, as well as the unborn baby she was carrying. The murders happened at the farm house they all shared in Wampum, PA.
At Tuesday's preliminary hearing, a state trooper testified that the boy's clothing had gunshot residue on it. Prosecutors only had to show a crime had been committed and that Brown could have done it.
While Brown's case will now continue moving through the legal system, his attorneys say they're willing to let him stay at an adolescent detention facility in Erie, where he's being held without bond. Atty. Dennis Elisco says "he seems to be doing well," adding that the boy's father is able to visit his son six days a week.
Still, the lawyers insist Brown is just a child who doesn't fully comprehend the case against him, telling reporters the boy believes state police are simply angry with him; convinced he's been lying to them. Lawrence Co. DA John Bongivengo insists he will continue to oppose efforts to have this case sent back to the juvenile courts, saying "because if I'm not, nobody is," claiming it's his duty to speak for the victims and their family.
Bongivengo tells us Brown will likely return to common pleas court early next month for a formal arraignment on his murder charges. Then at some point, defense lawyers will file papers to have the boy "decertified" as they call it in Pennsylvania, where they will try to show Jordan's case needs to go to the juvenile system. At this point, if he is convicted as an adult, even though he's only 11, he'll face mandatory life in prison.
