But investigators believed the strongest piece of circumstantial evidence came from Jenessa. 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. In July 2018, Jordan Brown was set free. On Monday, Jason Kraner, Kenzie's brother-in-law, told several Especially with the media frenzy surrounding the case. For the fifth time, the Houk family has marked the death of their Kenzie Marie and her unborn son. Human gestation is generally 38 weeks, with two weeks more or less considered to be normal. Chance of rain 60%.. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Don't Threaten. Bongivengo who said no bond is normal in a homicide case noted the boy is segregated at the jail. He said the weapon is believed to be a 20-gauge youth model shotgun. Her case deserves to be reopened and reinvestigated. Jordans case is being transferred to the Pennsylvania attorney generals office. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. We'd love to hear eyewitness She even had a stepson through Chris in the form of his 11-year-old son Jordan. Home. 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. Facebook gives people the power to. person will not be tolerated. Kenzie Houk's younger daughter Adalynn describes finding her mom dead . 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. 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. She even had a stepson through Chris in the form of his 11-year-old son Jordan. The family went home and grieved together. Flick: The original Jake? Be Proactive. It sounded to her like a gunshot, but when Jordan appeared none the worse for wear, he didnt think anything of it. He's not there with the Boy Scouts. 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. At some point, he continued, she went looking for her mother, found her body and called out to the tree trimmers, who were working about 30 or 40 yards from house. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Despite the fact that the blended family had only just moved in together, they seemed to be bonding well. accounts, the history behind an article. Low around 40F. This includes photographs, references to or the identities of the minor. Not only that, but Janessa recalled waiting in the living room for Jordan when she heard a big boom echo through the house. Don't knowingly lie about anyone 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 . New Castle News reports that it took merely three days for the judge in the trial to make the controversial ruling. They didnt move her, choosing to preserve the integrity of the scene as they waited for the medical examiner. 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. Explore. We dont celebrate.. So he was ruled out as a suspect pretty quickly. 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. That was her gift. 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, 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. But of course, they miss their mother. Chris was running late for work and though his eight-months pregnant fiancee asked him to stay home, he decided that he should go into the office anyway. A Pennsylvania judge ruled last month that the boy will be tried as an adult. Up Next in news My Son Is Not a Monster October 20, 2018 At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Bongivengo said the situation is something you wouldnt think of in your worst nightmare., And although the case is still being investigated and evidence being gathered, he said, We believe we have enough to charge him.. Its a shame that hes received no help whatsoever.. Be Nice. In prison, he taught himself guitar and how to play basketball, but it was still a prison. That little baby was perfect," Debbie Houk said. They are now 12 and 9, respectively. 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. Debbie Houk said, adding that Jordan "just bucked her (Kenzie) a "So he knew what a gun did. Its a hard day for us. Jordan was 11 at the time of the deaths. By that point, Jenessa had changed her story. Since she was a little girl and in pure shock, the police couldn't interrogate her. person will not be tolerated. "I think the judge's decision in this case is both disappointing, and I think, misinformed," said Lawrence Steinberg of Temple University. Jordan Brown's lawyers seek witness statements, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. At the same time, officers had been dispatched to Mohawk Elementary School to speak to Janessa and Jordan. It's the same gun that killed my (AP Photo/The Houk Family), This undated photo released by the Houk family shows Kenzie Marie Houk with her daughter Adalynn in Wampum, Pa. Eleven-year-old Jordan Brown is charged in the shooting death of the 26-year-old pregnant mother of two. Keep it Clean. racist or sexually-oriented language. He reported the baby was 19 1/2 inches long and weighed 7.4 pounds. "Why should you get the things back that you had when you took so much you took two lives here. Of course, Harvey also just discovered that 4-year-old Adalynn, was not his biological daughter as he once believed her to be. "To try to explain to a 12-year-old what the rest of your life means it's incomprehensible for him. Don't knowingly lie about anyone 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. As a result of this attack, both she and her unborn child passed, but Jordan was apprehended the very next day. It hurts.". 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 . No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. God bless those khakis! Don't knowingly lie about anyone 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. We didn't believe it. On February 20, 2009, 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk and her unborn son, Christopher were murdered. Well, it was not an easy road for the Brown family. This includes photographs, references to or the identities of the minor children. She said she also wishes things had gone differently between her family and Jordans father. The broken-hearted father of Jordan Brown is rebuilding his life while remaining strong for his son. Jack Houk, who noted he has developed health issues that may be the result of stress, said, Every day I think of my daughter. He didnt realize the gravity of what was happening to him until he was incarcerated for three to five years. But now, Jordan is trying to move on and not let the past bother him. Still even working on the idea that Jordan was jealous of his new baby brother, all of this might not be enough to charge him with the crime. Houk was a 26-year-old mother of two, died yesterday from a shotgun blast to the back of her head. After nine-and-a-half years, Chris Brown felt as if a great weight had been lifted off him and his family. Christopher left for work that morning, while the kids and Houk got ready for their day. 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"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. They said hes getting counseling because his mother abandoned him as a baby, Debbie Houk said. dangers of a gun.". We lost a daughter and a grandchild. Jordans second interview revealed that not only had he seen a black truck in the driveway, hed also seen someone inside it. We'd love to hear eyewitness However there are exceptions including homicide that put a case into adult court. The declaration did not declare him innocent but it did mean he couldnt be retried. It appeared that neither of them had noticed anything unusual that morning. "Mentally, he's gotten quite an education there," Brown said of the 13-months his son has spent in the facility. Attorney Dennis A. Elisco, who is representing Jordan, confirmed Christopher Brown was the father of Houks baby. 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. "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. Use the 'Report' link on This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Suspicious. The arrest of an allegedly murderous fifth-grader quickly found its way onto the Internet and onto network news. Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa, who took office Monday after being elected in November, has a conflict of interest. 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. Flick Fact: Who actually owns State Farm? Threats of harming another 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 . It would have been expensive and taken all of her time. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. He needs to admit what hes done and show some remorse, she continued. Jordan's life has a bit more normalcy now that he has left prison. Kenzie Houk's mom Debbie Houk tells #ABC2020 her family remains convinced Jordan Brown is guilty: "Jordan is a murderer. Be Truthful. The girls were sent to their fathers house while Chris and Jordan stayed in the home. "The boys and girls, the kids that he's with, they're pretty harsh kids. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Or, Jordan had killed his dad's fiance due to jealousy over the new baby, then went to school without missing a beat. He doesn't appreciate the magnitude of what he's facing. Winds light and variable. At first, it appeared that Kenzie had some sort of medical emergency related to the pregnancy. However, he noted officers had executed several search warrants, including one Friday that produced what they believe to be the murder weapon. Jordan Brown, who was 11 at the time, is charged with shooting a pregnant Houk as she lay on her bed Feb. 20. In the suit, Houk asked that all reference to Adalynn Houk, 7, and Jenessa Houk, 11, be removed from the website. 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. Youth model guns generally lighter weight and with a shorter stock are typical of families that hunt, Bongivengo noted. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. According to ABC News, the Supreme Court determined that there was not enough evidence to say with certainty that Jordan had committed the crime. Ive never received the answers I want. Shows. 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, 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. The youngest child, 4-year-old Adalynn, stayed behind with Houk. 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. Because original statements by Janessa had the effect of clearing Jordan, while it was only a later one that implicated him, the defense says it needs access to more recent information she may have offered to authorities. Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Its just not fair for the Houks, Jack Houk said. Authorities ruled her death a homicide. and her unborn baby boy the day before as she lay in her bed. Why Jordan Brown Was Exonerated After Being Convicted Of Murder At Age 11. Brown told "Nightline" he was "heartbroken" and "sickened by the judge's ruling.". You have permission to edit this article. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. accounts, the history behind an article. I just dont get it.. But police said that Jordan later changed his story, adding additional details about a man inside the truck. As soon as the coroner began taking photos, Martin realized that what they were looking at was no complication or accident. blanket and came back downstairs to Houk's bedroom and shot her in "I know my son. experienced hunters at a turkey shoot. 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. So how and why was Jordan finally exonerated? PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. 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. These ventures are why the latter bought a youth-sized 20-gauge shotgun for his son, which the police considered the murder weapon. The fact that the blended family had only just moved in together they... 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