Jordan Brown, 12, Could Be One of Country's Youngest Murder Defendants to Be Tried As Adult

By: Neil Katz
Topics: Daily Blotter

(AP Photo/Lawrence County Prison)

(AP Photo/The Houk Family)

NEW CASTLE, Pa. (CBS/AP) Jordan Brown was only 11 years old when Pennsylvania prosecutors say he put a bullet in the head of his father's pregnant fianc?e and shot her dead. The unborn child died also.

Photo: Jordan Brown's mug shot from Lawrence County Prison.

PICTURES: Kenzie Houk Murdered

Now a court will decide if Brown at 12-years-old will become one of the country's youngest murder defendants to be tried as an adult. The next hearing is March 12.

Authorities say he shot 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk in their western Pennsylvania farmhouse last February.

A defense psychologist testified Friday that an adolescent's brain does not control impulses in a "mature way."

Photo: Kenzie Marie Houk with her daughter Adalynn.

PICTURES: Kenzie Houk Murdered

Lawrence County Judge Dominick Motto continued the rest of the hearing to allow the prosecution's psychologist to examine Brown. That doctor will testify when the hearing resumes.

Brown's family is standing behind him. According to CNN, they want the case tried in juvenile court and believe the "all-American boy" who loves to hunt with his father Chris Brown and play football, is innocent.

If Brown is tried and convicted as an adult, he faces life in prison. If convicted in juvenile court, he can only remain in detention until he is 21.

MEDIA
PICTURES: Kenzie Houk Murdered

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by RedlawX2 May 21, 2010 7:43 PM EDT: @Newville90:

Look I understand your frustrated, and I concur that this child is quite likely a coldblooded murderer (unless Court room facts dictate otherwise) but lets back up for a moment here. You feel its proper that immature prisoners ought do things to him better left unmentioned? I must respectfully disagree. I know all of us are revolted by this act, and it is very repugnant but lets remember what the purpose of jail is. If a prisoner does this to anyone (and by anyone I mean even people such as OJ Simpson and Charles Manson..) They need to have their sentence enhanced in such a way that it deters future behavior. This is jail after all, not a night at the club and I fault the guards who walk out on this kind of behavior. Just because it occurs doesnt make it right on any level.

Moving back to what to do about this child.. We're going to have to discern what happened, if he executed it with a level of cunning and malice as the evidence seems presently to indicate, and what the full scenario is.

I'd advise we all say a prayer to our respective God regardless of what religion we are (or to ourselves in the event of athiesm. =) ) to pray that he/she/it empowers our Judges and legal system with the wisdom that will be needed to fairely and justly decide this matter, regardless of what that final verdict may be.

Best of luck to the survivors as well, my heart goes out to them.; Reply to this comment


by cidaia February 10, 2010 4:58 PM EST: Why do we even have a distinction between adult vs. child, if we're going to cherry-pick which legal standard applies in any given case?

If we can't apply the law consistently, it's time to change the law. If a 12 year old can be an "adult", then "adult" is the wrong word, and pretending that age or maturity is the standard that we judge by is misleading (worse if we sometimes do, sometimes don't base decisions on age, as it suits us).

Cases like this suggest that we need better definitions of the categories we want to apply. What exactly is it that makes this 12 year old different, and/or this category of crime different? Let's find the correct word to label that difference, and use that word instead of the word "adult".; Reply to this comment

by gthinkfrog February 10, 2010 12:15 PM EST

I've yet to meet the 11 year old that is mature enough or competent to live on their own, drive, vote, etc. It stands to reason then that he could not have acted or thought as an adult at that age and should therefore not be tried as an adult. What he did is awful and he needs both punishment and treatment, but as a child not an adult.

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by newville90 March 30, 2010 1:39 PM EDT: Please don't be stupid. Of course he can't live by his own, he can't drive nor vote so what??? does that justifies what he did??? HE IS A MURDERER. Please don't mention the word "mature", because I don't know many 11 year old boys that kill people. OK he was jealous, but, then, why there are millions of jealous boys out there who CAN CONTROL THEMSELVES, at the point that they don't even dare to insult the couple of their father/mother. I'm not talking about the word "mature" that the attorney used and you are retaking, this is about mental health. Of course, when you are 11 you are 100% CONSCIOUS ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS. Since you are a child, you are taught what is good and what is bad. People that kill go to jail; you know that since you are 5, 6 years old (maybe earlier).
He killed two people, he planned it, and he denies it!!!! OK that's ******* serious. We're talking here about a sick child (that's worse than a sick adult).
He should be treated like an adult because there should not be distinction between an 18 year old killer and an 11 year old killer. Both are killers and both are conscious of their actions.
Why an 18 year old has to spend 60 years of his life in prison and this ************ only 10??? Huh? WHY THE ****?
He is a danger, an 11 year old killer, I can't imagine what he will do when he turns 21. This assassin cannot be released. It is proved that with psychiatric help, this kind of patients become sicker.
THIS PSEUDO HUMAN SHOULD BE TREATED AS AN ADULT, HE NEEDS TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON, HE SHOULD BE RAPED BY "IMMATURE" jailers, he should be beaten everyday and I hope in that way THE POOR IMMATURE BOY REALIZES WHAT HE DID.
**** YOU gthinkfrog, you should buy yourself a brain. . I read the news today and he will be judged as an adult. That?s called JUSTICE. This case has no precedents and you are defending this assassin. If you were that young woman's father would you agree that this ****** spent only 10 years in jail??? OPEN YOUR EYES *******.


by February 10, 2010 11:16 AM EST: TREAT him as an adult. Life in prison sounds fair to me.; Reply to this comment

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