His ability to overcome adversity thats been thrown at him in life is astonishing. For the fifth time, the Houk family has marked the death of their Kenzie Marie and her unborn son. David H. Acker and Dennis A. Elisco, Jordans attorneys, describe Janessa as perhaps the most critical witness in this case. Low around 40F. After nine-and-a-half years, Chris Brown felt as if a great weight had been lifted off him and his family. blanket and came back downstairs to Houk's bedroom and shot her in The girls are the children of Houks daughter, Kenzie Marie Houk, who died Feb. 20, 2009. 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This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 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. Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Victims family coming along, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Browns son, Jordan, 14, is charged in her shooting death as well as the death of her unborn baby. So he was ruled out as a suspect pretty quickly. Houks suit states that names, identities and likenesses of the children are being used for fundraising purposes without the consent of the guardian and in violation of Pennsylvania law.. lot when his Dad wasn't around.". Don't Threaten. Over the following nine years, Christopher visited his son every single day even though the trip was about 115 miles each way bringing him fantasy books to distract him from life behind bars. More. mitsubishi rpm problem He was found guilty of being a juvenile delinquent, which effectively meant he was guilty. Brown told "Nightline" he was "heartbroken" and "sickened by the judge's ruling.". Keep it Clean. "I think the judge's decision in this case is both disappointing, and I think, misinformed," said Lawrence Steinberg of Temple University. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. But in the five years since the shooting, Jordan has not received the help he needs, she said. Chance of rain 60%.. 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. The arrest of an allegedly murderous fifth-grader quickly found its way onto the Internet and onto network news. This has forever ruined her birthday, she said. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. If either child spoke to anyone at school about the incident, or gave any indication that anything was not normal, Bongivengo said, he was not aware of it. However, he noted officers had executed several search warrants, including one Friday that produced what they believe to be the murder weapon. 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. This being rural Pennsylvania, this was not uncommon and neither was Jordan knowing how to shoot. "The boys and girls, the kids that he's with, they're pretty harsh kids. Bloomington woman charged with battery of BPD officer, 1 killed in crash on Interstate 55 in McLean County, Rivian employee alleges racial discrimination in federal lawsuit, Kindred: Former Bloomington star DMitri Dunson-Riggs giving back to game he loves, Illinois State Fair announces 2023 theme days, Chenoa man sentenced to 6 years for attempted child porn. Due to tough-on-crime laws, Pennsylvania has more juveniles sentenced to life in prison without parole than any other state. The family was interviewed immediately after Houk's death. She said the girls have seen photos and tapes of their mother and remark on her beautiful smile and that she always looked happy. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You have permission to edit this article. Chance of rain 60%.. Family and friends gathered at the grave Thursday the fifth anniversary followed by a meal at the family home. On February 20, 2009, 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk and her unborn son, Christopher were murdered. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Then, around 2011, prosecutors chose not to try him as an adult in the fatal shooting, as they had initially planned. 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. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Winds light and variable. Police turned to other suspects. At first, it appeared that Kenzie had some sort of medical emergency related to the pregnancy. Attorneys for a 12-year-old boy charged with homicide are seeking information regarding a key witness. In all of this time, Chris has sat through hearings as if he does not care. 20 A pregnant Kenzie Marie Houk, 26, is killed in the New Beaver Borough farmhouse she shared with her daughters Jenessa, 7, and Adalynn, 4 her fianc, Chris Brown, and . Houk's nephew reportedly heard Jordan make an alarming comment before the murder, which Debbie Houk says was swept under the rug. He pointed out there was no forced entry, no sign of a struggle and no money missing. Lawrence County District. 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. 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. 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. This petition starter stood up and took action. Roughly 45 minutes later, Kenzie's other daughter, 4-year-old Adalynn, found the body and alerted others. "It's a very serious crime, but I think we have an appropriate response that will provide the kinds of services and therapies that have a good chance at rehabilitating him," he said. Be Truthful. 54.38.94.71 Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Chance of rain 60%. Jenessa is a cheerleader for football and basketball and plays basketball on an AAU traveling team. Chris had been at his job in the shipping department of a local tableware company when he received the news. We were encouraged to enroll her in a program where she could compete and be trained by international coaches. Then, the two siblings sat in the living room until the bus came. Cloudy skies after midnight. Stay at Home shutterstock.com Noga attributed the death of Houks baby to anoxia, a lack of oxygen to the bodys tissues. isolated from the adult inmates, and Elisco has said he will seek 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. God bless those khakis! Don't knowingly lie about anyone Without any help or treatment, he cant be rehabilitated. that is degrading to another person. accounts, the history behind an article. Im not religious, but this is what were told to do. When asked if Jordan had any problems in line with the Houks' comments, Brown said no. Use the 'Report' link on After attending court proceedings since Jordans arrest, Jack Houk said he does not think hell go to any more hearings. racist or sexually-oriented language. Im not angry. Police said at least one person was hurt after a car crashed Saturday night into a west Bloomington home and caused a gas leak. Police said they found a spent shotgun shell in the same spot. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Investigators believed with substantial evidence, that the son of Houk . He is in a state of disbelief and shock., Elisco echoed Bongivengos words, saying this is an extremely tragic situation.. In July 2018, Jordan Brown was set free. 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. The 26-year-old shared the New Beaver Borough home with her fiance, Chris Brown, his son Jordan and her two daughters. As soon as the coroner began taking photos, Martin realized that what they were looking at was no complication or accident. He noted he had spent the previous two hours with Jordans father and described him as a mess. By that point, Jenessa had changed her story. 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. After being found responsible for the deaths on April 13, 2012, Jordan was sent first to a juvenile facility in Chambersburg, then to George Junior Republic in Grove City. A funeral for Houk and her baby boy, who was named Christopher Kenzie Houks family is coming along since she was taken from them five years ago. Bongivengo described Houks older daughter who will be 8 next month as the main witness. racist or sexually-oriented language. "So he knew what a gun did. Be Nice. Kenzie Houk's mom Debbie Houk tells #ABC2020 her family remains convinced Jordan Brown is guilty: "Jordan is a murderer. disrespect her,"' Debbie Houk added. Its a hard day for us. 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 . Live. Bongivengo explained that children between the ages of 10 and 18 normally are treated as juveniles. Bongivengo pointed to that information as the reason for the second charge homicide of an unborn child. Low around 40F. Of course, Harvey also just discovered that 4-year-old Adalynn, was not his biological daughter as he once believed her to be. Brown continues to proclaim his son's innocence. She had a message to relay to the person who noticed her distress: her mom, Kenzie Houk, was dead. In the environment that he's in, a child like that is going to break down and his story has not changed from day one. Christopher Brown was not home at the time of the shooting, Bongivengo said, adding police had confirmed he was at work by 7 a.m. He has just been subjected to some awful things in the past 13 months.". Be Truthful. 51K views, 80 likes, 1 loves, 226 comments, 24 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from ABC 20/20: For the first time, Kenize Houk's younger daughter Adalynn describes finding her mother dead inside their. Pietrandrea said Houks request is reasonable. Based on the blood, it appeared as though she might have hemorrhaged somehow and sadly had died because of it. "It's been at least two months that he's made the threats," Be Nice. She anticipates adding volleyball and track this year. But when a tree-service crew showed up at the house at 9, one of the workers observed Houk's 4-year-old daughter crying at the door that her mother was dead. 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. A Bloomington-Normal music teacher has been sentenced to 88 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to sexual as. The worker quickly called 911 and waited for Pennsylvania State Police to arrive. Threats of harming another Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Jordan Brown talks about the confusion he felt for years following his detention in a juvenile delinquency facility for the death of 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk, in an interview with Juju. Keep it Clean. Click to reveal Be Truthful. Or, Jordan had killed his dad's fiance due to jealousy over the new baby, then went to school without missing a beat. Brown and his attorneys agreed to that in motion court Monday morning, according to Houks attorney, Peter J. Pietrandrea of Cranberry. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. We Elisco has said he had no Her daughters Jenessa, 13 next month, and Adalynn, who turned 9 on Wednesday are growing up, Houks parents Jack and Debbie Houk of Shenango Township said. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. to get the boy released. Now 16, Jordan was found to be responsible for the deaths. Please subscribe to keep reading. He is still six months away from turning 12. NORMAL A Normal woman is suing the town's police department in federal court after she said officers used excessive force and arrested her w. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Ive never received the answers I want. a while, the woman's mother said Tuesday. By that point, Jenessa had changed her story. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. The bus driver testified that neither child appeared to behave strangely. The district attorney said he works at Steelite, which is in an industrial park off Pulaski Road in Neshannock Township. Threats of harming another The daughters of Kenzie Houk, Jenessa, left, and Adalynn are shown in a recent photo. (AP Photo/Thhe Houk Family). According to ABC News, the Supreme Court determined that there was not enough evidence to say with certainty that Jordan had committed the crime. A hearing on it is scheduled for Jan. 29. Police determined that Houk was killed with a single shot in the back of the head with a youth model shot gun. They still believe that he should receive the maximum punishment and even that he should be tried as an adult. The graves are decorated for holidays and special occasions, including Kenzies April 20 birthday and the anniversary of her death. Winds light and variable. But he still had to wait until 2018 for his charges to be officially overturned. Houk was a 26-year-old mother of two, died yesterday from a shotgun blast to the back of her head. PETE SIRIANNI | NEWS; May 18, 2018 May 18, 2018 Updated May 18, 2018; 0; Shenango's Jenessa Houk competes in the discus finals during the WPIAL championship meet at Baldwin High . Of course, Kenzies family remains convinced that Jordan is responsible and that he was released on what is essentially a technicality. Chance of rain 60%. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism After all the interviews, police claimed that Jordan had shot his future stepmother, walked out the door, dropped a shotgun shell on the ground, and then hopped on the school bus with his Jenessa (via ABC News). That doesn't seem quite right to me.". Authorities ruled her death a homicide. We'd love to hear eyewitness each comment to let us know of abusive posts. As the result of the investigation, which reportedly included statements from Janessa Houk who was 7 when the shooting occurred Jordan was charged with two counts of homicide in the death of Houk and her unborn child. Christopher left for work that morning, while the kids and Houk got ready for their day. Her statement was very credible. Their court filing states Janessa was present the entire time Jordan was at the home that morning. But when she was. In the suit, Houk asked that all reference to Adalynn Houk, 7, and Jenessa Houk, 11, be removed from the website. Brown is being held at the Lawrence County Jail, in a cell The investigators insisted that Jordan's motive must be jealousy over the new baby. 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. 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. Home. Police arrived to find Houk lying on the bed downstairs in a pool of blood. He said that after the older two children had left for school, she turned on the television and got herself something to eat. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Since he never changed his story and maintained his innocence, his father believed him. He maintained his innocence the whole time and never changed his story. came downstairs with two guns, but returned upstairs after Houk's Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. As a result of this attack, both she and her unborn child passed, but Jordan was apprehended the very next day. But everybody put that aside and did their job to the letter.. Looking back, I wish we had. 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