Jordan Brown, accused at age 11 of killing his pregnant soon-to-be stepmother in Lawrence County, has maintained his innocence of the crime for nearly a decade.
And after years of legal battles, the state Supreme Court exonerated him in July.
Friday night, Mr. Brown for the first time maintained his innocence in the media, appearing on ABC News’ “20/20.”
“I’m not angry. I mean, I think the whole, like, what happened and the way it happened is B.S.,” Mr. Brown told ABC News’ Juju Chang. “I'm innocent. That's, like, the only thing I really want people to know.”
On Feb. 20, 2009, Kenzie Marie Houk, 26, and her unborn child were shot to death at the family’s home in Lawrence County. Mr. Houk was engaged to Mr. Brown’s father, Chris Brown.
“20/20” interview with Jordan Brown, Part I:
State police arrested Mr. Brown early the next day, citing evidence that included gunshot residue on his clothing and statements from Ms. Houk’s 7-year-old daughter, Jenessa.
“They put me in the back of the car and they took me to the police barracks,” Mr. Brown said. “And I was in there. And then they took me straight to the county jail.”
In April 2012, Mr. Brown was adjudicated delinquent — meaning he was found guilty as a juvenile — by Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge John W. Hodge. And in 2016, state Superior Court upheld the disposition.
But the Supreme Court disagreed, finding that the evidence against him was “insufficient.” The opinion picked apart the evidence, noting, for instance, that experts said the shotgun pellets recovered from Ms. Houk were “consistent” with those in a box of unfired shells found in an armoire, “an unremarkable conclusion.”
The program also had the first public interview of Ms. Houk’s younger daughter, Adalynn, who found her mother’s body when she was 4. Now 13, Adalynn gave an account of the day of her mother’s murder that indicates Mr. Brown would not have been home at the time of the shooting.
“20/20” interview with Jordan Brown, Part 2:
The show examines one other possible suspect in Ms. Houk’s death — her ex-boyfriend, Adam Harvey. Mr. Harvey was not interviewed, and police said they quickly ruled him out as a suspect in the slaying.
Mr. Brown said he remembered seeing a black pickup truck in the driveway the day of Ms. Houk’s murder, and Mr. Harvey owned one. But investigators said Mr. Harvey didn’t even know where Ms. Houk lived.
Chris Brown was featured heavily in the show, and spoke about making the 230 mile round-trip journey each day to visit his son at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center in Erie County.
“It cost me my job, and what money that I had coming in went into the gas tank and went into things that he needed,” Chris Brown said.
Chris Brown, though, said he never doubted his son’s innocence.
“I gave him every opportunity. [I'd say,] ‘Jordan, listen, if something happens. Accidents happen, buddy. You know, if something happened, tell me. I'm not going to be mad at you. I'm your dad. I'm never not going to be your dad. I'm never not going to be here every day,’” Chris Brown said.
“[He] never changed his story. You know, [he] maintained his innocence throughout from day one.”
Andrew Goldstein: agoldstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1352.
First Published: October 19, 2018, 11:00 p.m.
