Kenzie Houks family is coming along since she was taken from them five years ago. a while, the woman's mother said Tuesday. It was a decision that would haunt him from that day on. In fact, even though she's shared parts of what she remembered with family over the years, she never opened up about it entirely till '20/20.' As per Adalynn's record, she woke up by the sound of a gunshot but couldn't pinpoint it instantly because she was so young. She first said she didn't see anything unusual with. 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. In the suit, Houk asked that all reference to Adalynn Houk, 7, and Jenessa Houk, 11, be removed from the website. And the murder weapon appeared to be Jordan Brown's child-sized gun. Later though, Jordan recalled seeing a black truck near the garage. It had been barely 18 hours since Kenzie was killed and already, Chris had lost his fiancee, unborn son, and his only remaining son. Jordan Brown. Well, it was not an easy road for the Brown family. He said Saturday the two girls are with their maternal grandmother. disrespect her,"' Debbie Houk added. However she was at the courthouse that day, they said, where she was interviewed by members of the district attorneys office and possibly members of the Pennsylvania state police prior to the hearing. The young man wasnt just a suspect in his step-mothers murder, he was the prime suspect. They say they remember that. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Ignatz said the police investigating the slaying came from Troop D which covers Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties. A funeral for Houk and her baby boy, who was named Christopher 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. telephone call seeking comment Tuesday. At around 9 a.m., some tree trimmers arrived to do some work around the house. Jordan, who has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 21, 2009, has never admitted guilt in the shooting. and her unborn baby boy the day before as she lay in her bed. Meanwhile, his father kept fighting for his freedom. Please subscribe to keep reading. For the fifth time, the Houk family has marked the death of their Kenzie Marie and her unborn son. 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. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. She anticipates adding volleyball and track this year. Stay at Home shutterstock.com came downstairs with two guns, but returned upstairs after Houk's We were encouraged to enroll her in a program where she could compete and be trained by international coaches. 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 death of the 26-year-old pregnant mother of two. Police said what really turned the case for them were additional interviews they conducted with Jenessa and Jordan the night of the murders. Since she was a little girl and in pure shock, the police couldn't interrogate her. Elisco arrived at the state police station before the press conference had ended, in search of the district attorney. 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. Be Truthful. person will not be tolerated. Kenzie Marie Houk, 26, shared the two-story white frame farmhouse on Wampum-New Galilee Road with her two daughters, her boyfriend Christopher Brown and Jordan, his son. Not long after theyd begun working, one of the tree trimmers noticed 4-year-old Adalynn standing in the doorway and crying that her mother was dead. You have permission to edit this article. For now, it's a life interrupted for Jordan, as his lawyers begin the process of appealing the judge's decision. He noted he had spent the previous two hours with Jordans father and described him as a mess. The family was interviewed immediately after Houk's death. About 8:15 a.m., Jordan and Janessa went out the back door and headed to school. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 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. Boy charged with committing murder at age 11 to be tried as an adult. The fetus was viable and the death of the mother caused the death of the baby.. I dont want pity, but sometimes I get so angry.. 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. More. Shows. Low 39F. Jack Houk, who noted he has developed health issues that may be the result of stress, said, Every day I think of my daughter. Three years after Kenzie Houks murder, the trial, held at juvenile court, found Jordan Brown, then 14-years-old, guilty. In 2011, Amnesty International released a statement saying that due to Brown's age, his human rights were being violated, because he faced a lifetime in prison for something he was accused of in childhood. The youngest child, 4-year-old Adalynn, stayed behind with Houk. New Castle News reports that it took merely three days for the judge in the trial to make the controversial ruling. 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. 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. 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. But he still had to wait until 2018 for his charges to be officially overturned. The district attorney said he works at Steelite, which is in an industrial park off Pulaski Road in Neshannock Township. He's not there with the Boy Scouts. Rain earlythen remaining cloudy with showers overnight. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Plus, he cannot be recharged with the same offense, according to the court's ruling, according to New Castle News. The morning of her murder, Houk had asked Browns father if he could stay home from work with her. Each day Debbie Houk visits her daughter and grandson's grave while Chris Brown makes the four-hour round trip to visit his son in a juvenile detention center. After nine-and-a-half years, Chris Brown felt as if a great weight had been lifted off him and his family. His ability to overcome adversity thats been thrown at him in life is astonishing. But the district attorneys office turned down the request on the grounds nothing Janessa has said had been put down in writing. 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. Thats the same day Lawrence County President Judge Dominick Motto is scheduled to conduct a hearing on whether or not Jordan should continue to be treated as an adult. Bongivengo noted Houk, who had been lying on her side, was shot at point blank range. Without any help or treatment, he cant be rehabilitated. So how and why was Jordan finally exonerated? Jordan said he had seen a black truck near his house that morning, but he didn't think anything of it at the time. Then, around 2011, prosecutors chose not to try him as an adult in the fatal shooting, as they had initially planned. A Bloomington native is in the running to be the next face of Inked magazine. He tried. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Jordan Brown Case, Five Years Later: Victims family coming along, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. A little remorse on his part would help.. 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. And I'll say it." https://abcn.ws/2R0eTRJ She anticipates adding volleyball and track this year. Her case deserves to be reopened and reinvestigated. The following years saw Jordan Brown fighting for his freedom and reading the fantasy books his father brought for him. A 20-gauge shot gun shell casing was found next to the familys driveway. person will not be tolerated. Jordans case is being transferred to the Pennsylvania attorney generals office. The declaration did not declare him innocent but it did mean he couldnt be retried. Jenessa is a cheerleader for football and basketball and plays basketball on an AAU traveling team. As for Jordan, he seemed to have no idea what was happening. Suspicious. Pregnant Mothers Murder Leads Police to Arrest Her Step-Son, Man Finds Old Buried Chain, His Gut Then Tells Him To Keep Pulling, Homeless Man Sues Burger King For a Million Dollars, Over 3 Months Spent In Jail Without Proof, She Looked Like She Was Pregnant With 30 Puppies, Then Vet Gives Mom The X-Ray, 10-Year-Old Boys Sentenced To Life In Prison After Child Goes Missing, Daughter Wakes Up To Serial Killer Sitting at The End Of Her Bed, Woman In Coma for 3 Weeks Wakes Up To Learn Her Family Pulled the Plug on Her, Missing Alabama Mother Found In The Woods After Sister Discovers Her Car, NFL Star Murders Girlfriend After Heated Argument Then Pulls Trigger on Himself. Before the murder, there were multiple accounts of Houk being uncomfortable and tormented by Brown. Not only that, but Janessa recalled waiting in the living room for Jordan when she heard a big boom echo through the house. 7-year-old daughter saw him; they believe he then hid the gun in a He has just been subjected to some awful things in the past 13 months.". They didnt move her, choosing to preserve the integrity of the scene as they waited for the medical examiner. 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 . This story originally appearedFeb. 23, 2009, in the New Castle News. Will you do the same? Houk family members said they have been disappointed at how the case has played out and cannot believe it has stretched out for five years without resolution. It wasn't that Kenzie was worried about the pregnancy, she was ready to have the baby and had plenty of practice being a mom. Adalynn, who loves to read, is enrolled in gymnastics and this year began learning basketball fundamentals. pregnant fiance had been making threats about harming the woman for 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. A Pennsylvania judge ruled last month that the boy will be tried as an adult. I hope they will not forget her. Lawrence County Coroner Russell S. Noga and deputy coroner Richard Johnson were summoned and pronounced her dead shortly after they arrived around 10:30 a.m. Houks death had been pretty immediate, Noga said, and estimated she had been dead about three hours by the time he and Johnson arrived. 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. Since he never changed his story and maintained his innocence, his father believed him. Police said they found a spent shotgun shell in the same spot. "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. Both follow in their mothers athletic footsteps and both have chosen Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas and their mother as role models. By that point, Jenessa had changed her story. daughters in a farmhouse in the rural western Pennsylvania town of The girls were sent to their fathers house while Chris and Jordan stayed in the home. Police turned to other suspects. 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