2009. 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. He spent his weekend in the Lawrence County jail. The 4-year-old called out to a team of tree trimmers, telling one of them that her mother was dead. He said the weapon is believed to be a 20-gauge youth model shotgun. disrespect her,"' Debbie Houk added. Houk is the legal guardian of her granddaughters. The decision was the biggest setback yet for the Brown family. The graves are decorated for holidays and special occasions, including Kenzies April 20 birthday and the anniversary of her death. that is degrading to another person. Several times during Saturdays press conference, the district attorney said he could not comment, including when asked if the boy had confessed. Their duties included securing the scene overnight, he noted Saturday, adding the troopers are pretty tired.. A funeral for Houk and her baby boy, who was named Christopher Jenessa Houk. We'd love to hear eyewitness God bless those khakis! Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa, who took office Monday after being elected in November, has a conflict of interest. He also indicated there is still work under way. Since Jordans adjudication and disposition the juvenile justice system equivalent of a guilty verdict and sentencing Houk family members have been present every six months when Lawrence County Judge John W. Hodge reviews the case. Of course, Kenzies family remains convinced that Jordan is responsible and that he was released on what is essentially a technicality. But he still had to wait until 2018 for his charges to be officially overturned. Authorities ruled her death a homicide. Plus, Harvey drove a black truck, like the kind that Jordan remembered seeing outside Houk's home. Marie Houk a hard time, especially when his father wasn't around. "I think the judge's decision in this case is both disappointing, and I think, misinformed," said Lawrence Steinberg of Temple University. The family went home and grieved together. 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. Keep it Clean. racist or sexually-oriented language. Plus, he cannot be recharged with the same offense, according to the court's ruling, according to New Castle News. He also didnt seem to know where Kenzie lived. I think the 7-year-old was fearful, Bongivengo continued, but when she started talking, her story was consistent with the circumstances.. In the past, Harvey had warned that he would kill Houk, threatening her and her new family after finding out that Adalynn was not his biological child. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Two years after his guilty verdict for the first-degree murder of Kenzie and the criminal homicide of her unborn child was overturned for good, Jordan filed a federal lawsuit against a few former police officials over his stolen childhood. He had changed his story, albeit slightly, but enough that his soon-to-be half-sisters account cemented in their minds that he might be lying. Be Proactive. Explore. 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.. Your IP: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Don't knowingly lie about anyone Millions were watching this small Pennsylvania town. Then, after so many years of waiting to hear the verdict in his case, Jordan was found guilty on first-degree murder charges in 2012 (perYahoo News). But everything changed on the morning of February 20, 2009. Share with Us. They added that America is the only country on Earth where kids can be sentenced to a life sentence without the chance for parole. 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. Elisco has said he had no However, he noted officers had executed several search warrants, including one Friday that produced what they believe to be the murder weapon. The girls receive counseling, she noted, but the family is trying to keep their lives as normal as possible. If he does, the decisions would fall to the judge. Winds light and variable. Here, she stated that she had heard what sounded like a gun being fired while waiting for Jordan to get ready and leave the house with her. Jordan's life has a bit more normalcy now that he has left prison. On the morning of Feb. 21, 2009, attorney Dennis Elisco met a boy who changed his life. AsABC Newsreports, Jordan was confused and unaccompanied as he was taken to the county jail. The 26-year-old Houk and her unborn baby died Feb. 20, 2009, when she was shot in the New Beaver Borough farmhouse she shared with her daughters, her fianc, Chris Brown, and his son Jordan, then 11. He told him, 'Don't you ever That was her gift. Jordan Brown. 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The following years saw Jordan Brown fighting for his freedom and reading the fantasy books his father brought for him. But of course, they miss their mother. Roughly 45 minutes later, Kenzie's other daughter, 4-year-old Adalynn, found the body and alerted others. Be Truthful. There was no shotgun residue found on Harvey's hands, and he still had snow on the hood of his car as evidence he hadn't been driving that day. 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 . This recollection was hardly an innocuous detail, it also happened to be something that Jordan had omitted entirely from his own description. accounts, the history behind an article. Without any help or treatment, he cant be rehabilitated. A hearing on it is scheduled for Jan. 29. 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. Winds light and variable. person will not be tolerated. They are now 12 and 9, respectively. Be Proactive. 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. He needs to admit what hes done and show some remorse, she continued. "When we interview someone, you expect them to give their account, wait a little while, we interview them again, and they should give the same account. This includes photographs, references to or the identities of the minor. Chance of rain 60%.. Winds light and variable. Attorney Dennis A. Elisco, who is representing Jordan, confirmed Christopher Brown was the father of Houks baby. Jenessa woke Jordan up, and the two left for school together. They called 911. Although he said Saturday he did not know who the gun belongs to, Bongivengo noted it was retrieved from Jordans bedroom and is most likely his weapon.. 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. Ellwood City Ledger reports that in order to get to the school bus with Jenessa, Jordan would have had only two minutes to murder Houk, clean the bullet debris off himself, clean the gun, and leave the house. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. to get the boy released. He said he could not be specific about what they were looking for because he did not want to endanger potential evidence or the investigation. And I'll say it." https://abcn.ws/2R0eTRJ 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. Shows. Its not unusual for newspapers to look back on major news events when key anniversaries come about. She was good with people.. told Chris and Kenzie and they didn't believe it," Kraner said. (AP Photo/The Houk Family). 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. So he was ruled out as a suspect pretty quickly. racist or sexually-oriented language. 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. He said Saturday the two girls are with their maternal grandmother. On Monday, Jason Kraner, Kenzie's brother-in-law, told several We were encouraged to enroll her in a program where she could compete and be trained by international coaches. or anything. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. 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. This includes photographs, references to or the identities of the minor children. They still believe that he should receive the maximum punishment and even that he should be tried as an adult. Thats, like, the only thing I really want people to know.. PITTSBURGH - An 11-year-old boy accused of killing his father's At first, it appeared that Kenzie had some sort of medical emergency related to the pregnancy. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Noga attributed the death of Houks baby to anoxia, a lack of oxygen to the bodys tissues. Use the 'Report' link on Chance of rain 60%.. 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. Keep it Clean. Chance of rain 60%. Chance of rain 60%. At around 9 a.m., some tree trimmers arrived to do some work around the house. Houk was a 26-year-old mother of two, died yesterday from a shotgun blast to the back of her head. Be Proactive. Then, the two siblings sat in the living room until the bus came. The boy's attorney, Dennis Elisco, did not immediately return a According to Bongivengo, who called the crime heinous, the 4-year-old didnt hear the shooting. On February 20, 1997, the fifth-grader followed his normal routine alongside 7-year-old Jenessa Houk, his soon-to-be step-sister, and left home at almost 8:15 in the morning for school. Steve Ignatz, a lieutenant with the state police, said there is no law in Pennsylvania calling for the sales of shotguns to be recorded, as is required with handguns. Jordan Brown, who was 11 at the time, is charged with shooting a pregnant Houk as she lay on her bed Feb. 20. or anything. Im not religious, but this is what were told to do. "So he knew what a gun did. Kids charged with murder in Pennsylvania are automatically considered adults and only a judge's decision can move the trial to juvenile court. "When it was addressed, Chris said his son would never say such a word.". (AP Photo/Lawence County Prison via Beaver County Times Lawrence County Prison via Beave Brown. Wampum. Facebook gives people the power to. person will not be tolerated. Their photos should not be on the Internet., More in TIMELINE: Jordan Brown case (36of59). 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. Click to reveal 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). Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. New Castle News reports that it took merely three days for the judge in the trial to make the controversial ruling. Debbie Houk said Jordan Brown often gave 26-year-old Kenzie Jordans second interview revealed that not only had he seen a black truck in the driveway, hed also seen someone inside it. In a criminal complaint released yesterday, Jenessa Houk told police she had just finished putting on her socks and shoes Friday morning when she heard a "big boom." The 7-year-old girl then. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. On February 20, 1997, the fifth-grader followed his normal routine alongside 7-year-old Jenessa Houk, his soon-to-be step-sister, and left home at almost 8:15 in the morning for school. 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. Then, around 2011, prosecutors chose not to try him as an adult in the fatal shooting, as they had initially planned. Roughly 45 minutes later, Kenzies other daughter, 4-year-old Adalynn, found the body and alerted others. The coroner said an unborn baby could survive only minutes after its mothers death. He doesn't appreciate the magnitude of what he's facing. 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