Judge rules 11-year-old to be tried as an adult

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

Jordan Brown, the 12-year-old who’s been incarcerated for more than year in the murder of his father’s fiancee and her unborn son, will stand trial as an adult.

After an earlier hearing on a petition by the boy’s lawyers to have his case moved to juvenile court, Lawrence County President Judge Dominick Motto handed down his ruling Monday.

Brown’s case is now being placed on the common pleas court’s May trial list.

Kenzie Houk, 26, was killed by a shotgun blast to the back of her head Feb. 20, 2009, as she lie in bed around 7:30 a.m. at the rented farmhouse she shared with Brown’s father, Chris Brown.

Her 8 1/2-month-old fetus then died from lack of oxygen.

Investigators say evidence shows Brown shot her with his own youth-model shotgun before catching the school bus with her 7-year-old daughter, Janessa. Her 4-year-old daughter, Adalyn, was left home alone and found her mother’s body. She told tree-trimmers she found in the yard that she thought her mother was dead, and they called state police.

Brown has been at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center in Erie for most of his incarceration since the killing.

He was processed as an adult because under Pennsylvania Law, people older than 10 who are charged with criminal homicide have to face adult charges, at least at first.

In his opinion that accompanied Monday’s ruling, Judge Motto said “a more horrific crime is difficult to imagine.” He said evidence establishes a case against Brown as the killer, and the degree of premeditation involved is significant.

Judge Motto also said he had to consider whether Brown was amenable to treatment or rehabilitation as a juvenile. He said the defendant’s own expert witness failed to show that was the case, and a counselor from the adolescent center acknowledged Brown’s teacher there found it “worrisome” he doesn’t show a lot of emotion, seldom shows remorse for wrongdoing and tries to place blame on others.

His teacher also noted he gets angry quickly.

An expert witness for the commonwealth who examined the boy said he has significant personality problems, that he’s unwilling to take responsibility for his behavior, is not straightforward and is easily angered.

For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator or vindy.com