Kenzie Houk Murder: Jordan Brown Faces Adult Trial

by Jordan Yerman | February 10, 2010 at 12:04 pm

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Twelve-year-old Jordan Brown is facing an adult trial for the murder of Kenzie Houk, a pregnant 26-year-old who was found shot in the head in her bed. Jordan Brown is Kenzie Houk's fiancé's son.

This month, Jordan Brown's parents are trying to get the case moved to the juvenile justice system; Jordan Brown pled not guilty to the Kenzie Houk murder last May; at that time he was 11 years old.

In Pennsylvania, there is no lower limit for the age someone can be charged as an adult with criminal homicide. If convicted, Jordan, now 12, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Police say that the kid-sized 20-guage shotgun that Jordan Brown got as a present was the murder weapon.

Prosecutors allege there was tension between Jordan and Houk, who had moved into the father's farmhouse. They say Jordan was jealous of Houk and her two daughters. The unborn child was a boy.

Jordan Brown has no prior record and had never been in any serious trouble before. His family and legal team challenge witness testimony, saying that the then-seven-year-old girl who says she heard the gunshot had not said so during her initial interviews. Police allege that Jordan rown's motivation for the murder was jealousy toward Kenzie Houk's daughters and unborn child.

Prosecutors also allege that there is strong physical evidence linking Jordan to the crime. Police found gunshot residue on Jordan's shirt. A state trooper testified that the gun smelled like it had been freshly fired. His defense team argues that many of Jordan's shirts and guns had residue because he frequently hunted with his father.

Also, police said they discovered a blanket covering the gun with a quarter-sized hole burned into it.

That Jordan Brown is getting prosecuted for the Kenzie Houk murder is a given- the defense's next move is to get him tried as a juvenile, which means that, if he's convicted, he'll face less-harsh sentencing than if he is tried as an adult.

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alawyer (not verified)

at 13:18 on February 11th, 2010

PA has a long history of trying very young children as adults for purported murders, It's a huge, powerful club for prosecutors who can force children into very unwise plea bargains out of sheer terror. The Djiin Buckingham case comes to mind - just last year a 12 year old boy was initially charged as an adult for "murder" because he apparently set fire to his home and a sibling accidentally died. The only evidence linking him to the crime was a "confession" extracted by a state trooper out of sight and hearing of a disinterested adult. More children in PA are serving life without parole than any other state in the Union. In the 1980's PA set for adult trial the case of 9 year old Cameron Kocher who was charged with murdering his neighbor by shooting her off the back of a snow mobile. That case had a lot in common with the Brown case - the parents had taught the boy to shoot hard targets and the boy was purportedly angry when he shot the gun, and perhaps jealous. He claimed not to have seen the snow mobile when he shot from 300 yards away. Kocher ultimately pled to manslaughter. The prosecutor (who was later convicted of sexually assaulting children) was not re-elected and his replacement wanted to end the case. The boy has never been heard from again - he has not re-offended and he never served a minute in jail for the offense. Here, the prosecutor hopes to win headlines to help in his next political campaign - perhaps he wants to be a judge or something more than a prosecutor. He has overcharged the boy from the get-go (assuming even that the boy committed the crime). He knows all too well that the boy lacked the capacity to commit a crime against a "fetus." He also knows that given the extreme youth of the child that he had diminished capacity. This case, like the Kocher case, is manslaughter if the police version is correct. It's about an angry child who brews and stews and picks up an unsecured firearm and kills someone. The prosecutor hopes to win a reputation as honest and fair and decent because he will accept a third degree murder plea. Brown will be too terrified to go to trial - the possibility of life without parole will rule that out. Brown will be confined until his 21st birthday with no chance of release or community based services, which will ensure that he is completely institutionalized and incapable of operating as a normal person. He will be exposed to gang bangers and likely join a gang himself for protection. The "decent" prosecutor will perhaps allow for a lifetime of probabtion afterwards - or he may demand five or six years in an adult institution just to seal the deal and totally destroy the boy. When brown is released, he will be unable to obtain a job because of his adult record. He will be notorious and stories will be written about him upon his release. He will never lead a normal life. Which brings me to my final point. Frankly - I lack sympathy for the dead woman. Her gross negligence in living in a home where small children were permitted to keep firearms under their beds is what led to her own death - and the death of her fetus. She should have refused to live in that home until the guns were secured. Her husband should have been charged with her manslaughter as well for his grossly negligent behavior. If some stranger had been killed because the guns were stored loosely under childrens' beds, the prosecutor would have gone after both parents. The family of the victim would have sued these people on the theory that they were negligent - and like the Kocher case, would have won their home owners insurance and their home. And that's as it should be. The adults here refuse to accept responsibility for loose firearms because they want us to believe that the culture in PA is that people allow children to keep firearms in their rooms. That is not the case - only moronic, negligent, people allow children to keep firearms in this fashion. These people are not deserving of our sympathy - the boy is because had the adults been responsible, he would likely never have been charged with murder. It is time to start charging negligent adults with crimes in these cases. We do it in my state. Why hasn't Dad been charged? Why hasn't anyone raised the "victim's" contributory conduct? I say Dad deserves ten years without parole for this killing.

imisskenzie (not verified)

at 15:25 on February 20th, 2010

first of all, what type of person are you to say that kenzie's family is not deserving of our sympathy? i know the family, and i knew kenzie well. there is no way to justify that what jordan did wasn't wrong. he knew he was doing it. he knew pulling the trigger would kill kenzie. no one in this world deserves to be murdered in the way kenzie did. in point blank range. if you honestly have sympathy for jordan and his family and not kenzie and theirs, i suggest you get psychological help because any normal person would give their reguards to kenzie's family, not the murderer's

Realist (not verified)

at 23:16 on March 13th, 2010

Well thank God someone has some sense here! Well said!

Bulldogg10 (not verified)

at 06:33 on February 12th, 2010

I feel he should be tried as an adult. He knew what he was doing he hunts with his father so he knows if you pull that trigger it kills. this is not just an accident this was premedatated murder. look at the facts he did it before school when people were out of the house and then not only did he shoot her but he shot her in the back of the head while she was sleeping. Come on America we have got to stop being so sensitive.

Jan Fulkerson (not verified)

at 15:01 on March 8th, 2010

To alawyer you are apparently a defense attorney. I say this because you have no sympathy for a 26 year old young mother who was defenseless while she was shot and for an perfectly 7lb 14oz little boy who suffocated in his mothers womb. You should be locked up with Jordan because he thinks like you do.

Gregory Martin Hansen (not verified)

at 09:43 on March 15th, 2010

"When Tragedy Strikes Anyone, An Aftermath OF Negligence!" To all persons which have read down to this point of these comments as I have (at the time which I posted my Reply). Would you believe as explained in the exerpt from the anonymous attorney? It is not my position to decide if you know in your heart what you would believe. Perhaps the author of this reply, (after which I posted as a first reply response) knows she would not believe as the attorney's statement illustrates or perhaps it is the other way around. Here is the exerpt copied, as well as being copied below my response for easy access for all readers: Exerpt Start Her gross negligence in living in a home where small children were permitted to keep firearms under their beds is what led to her own death - and the death of her fetus. She should have refused to live in that home until the guns were secured. Exerpt End Kudos to this portion of his statement! This brings me to an illustration. Please note that the author of the reply which I am responding to is totally devastated as to the outcome of this (negligence of 2 adults). One of these two adults which is alive & the other who's family is devastated as well. Perhaps all readers would have the same reaction to the possible future SAFETY repercussions and many possible tragic outcomes of any adults and minors who read this blog and still approve of any firearm being unlocked under the bed of a minor. The firearm should not be accessed by any adult unsupervised minor IF IT IS UNLOCKED! What has led to the degredation of our society that leads some people to believe that it is acceptable (OOPS I forget that there is the Right to Free Speech) to lock any person up for voicing their opinion? This article responder to the attorney stated her opinion, so now it is time (if she calms down enough to read mine) that she may have a chance at forming a similar point of view about the topic of many types of safety negligence. Boating safety, motorcycling safety and even skydiving safety included. I bet that any insurance company that has a policy of homeowners insurance insured in most states of the USA have an exclusion in their policy stating that any possible outcome including injury or likewise is as follows. Exclusion: Upon satisfactory evidence, any act by a minor which is unsupervised by an adult in the possession or having access to an unlocked firearm shall be an exclusion to any claim of loss insured by the contracted coverages in force for property damage, injury or death sustained by victims and/or policyholders. I know as a fact (in my opinion) that the attorney, (one person which understood his point as well as I did), 1) Does not approve of any person taking the life of another person. 2) Does not believe that Firearms being accessible to unsupervised minors without a trigger lock is for the pupose of (killing any wild game like Wild Boars, Bears, Elk or even Jack Rabbits! day or night). A) Perhaps does approve of the use of Firearm trigger locks in firearms which do not have the exclusive (100% of the time) control of an adult. B) Wishes that the young boy thought the same as he did because if he did this young boy would have gone to his father with his shotgun and said why don't you get a trigger lock for my shotgun so that when you are going to be supervising me when we are hunting you will have the control of THE KEY so you can unlock it for us to enjoy hunting together. Exerpt Start (My Editorial Comment- I second the motion to Kudos to this portion of his statement!) Her gross negligence in living in a home where small children were permitted to keep firearms under their beds is what led to her own death - and the death of her fetus. She should have refused to live in that home until the guns were secured. Exerpt end Thank You whom have taken the time to understand fully the INTENT of my response & OPINION, Gregory Martin Hansen P.S. (I do not own a gun & have received hours of training firing them, which included just as many hours of gun safety even prior to the actual process of firing them). I once had a renter that committed suicide in my home with his 20 guage shotgun. This does not cause me in my emotion of finding about the event to believe that Firearms are unsafe then, now or in the future. He did tell 2 people he was going to kill himself and he did not receive the proper INTERVENTION. This is in a way a different type of negligence (a softer way to put it would be Education Exposure) for not knowing what to do under the circumstance that they both knew he had (A Way And A Means To Commit The Act And He Verbalized Suicidal Ideations). P.S. No. 2- Remember another thing please. When some persons respond to Blogs which can be emotionally stirring, or they are in a hurry sharing what they really mean, it can be written in a form that is too open-ended as far as how other persons can interpret what the author (Originator or Responder) really intended, so thank you for keeping an open mind in our journey which we all share, LIFE. I propose that we all share with each other as some do, in ways which we can help each other grow in understanding, help each other and lift each other up in edification rather than in tearing each other down! P.S. No. 3- I feel that the best learning experience for this tragedy (The person that left her name-) would be for her to have a two year (Public Betterment Project) and start a Non-Profit that would accept Specific Sponsorships of *Purchases of Firearms Locks* as well as the establishment of a database which would prove the effectiveness, State by state of the sales of Firearms Locks vs the Accidents or otherwise intentional use of Firearms by Minors unsupervised by an adult. * * * * * Remember that Negligence Kills, not the Tool, Firearms * * * * * Thank You for reading the THREE P.S.'s with patience, have a great day or if youwant a better day!, Gregory Martin Hansen / Author of this Reply, Titled ("When Tragedy Strikes Anyone, An Aftermath OF Negligence!") MY MagicJack Global Phone, (1- necessary, is 1-408-459-0741) when unanswered, sends a Voicemail to an unidentified email for you to contact me if you wish to brainstorm or support one or both of the honest endeavers such as mentioned in P.S. No. 3. This is a Santa Clara County phone number Prefix in California which will (if you have a MagicJack) be a Gratis Phone Call! If the Homepage field appears with my posting this reply, you may opt to browse my Homepage which I listed. You may benefit in some way. You and I may benefit further if you end up benefitting from viewing my Homepage.

black rifle (not verified)

at 16:05 on March 16th, 2010

I think what Jordan did was admirable.... good job Jordan! You don't have to share Daddy with that awful woman! Jordan shot her so that he could get those half breed kids of hers out of his house and his dad back to himself.WAY TO GO JORDAN! :D

honestly (not verified)

at 20:12 on April 6th, 2010

what you are saying is false. why dont you stop saying hurtful and negative comments about a serious matter

it doesn't matter (not verified)

at 21:16 on April 2nd, 2010

I am in total disbelief to these awful words. "good job Jordan!" OMG we as human race need serious help. I am deeply sad for all the victims involved, the innocent unborn child, the two little girls, Can you imagine being 4 years old and finding your mother shot to death? I feel sorry for this distorted, demented boy who couldn't express his jealousy and rage in a safe and healthy way, who was taught how to use a gun and kill...My heart goes out to the mothers and daughters in the horrible event, I hope they can find peace one day.