Buddy who reported lacking Pennsylvania mom arrested for her homicide: DA

The “supposed friend” and industry spouse of a Pennsylvania mom who used to be discovered useless two weeks next she used to be reported lacking has now been arrested for her homicide, government have mentioned.

Jennifer Brown, 43, of Township Limerick, used to be reported lacking on January 4 by way of Blair Watts when she failed to pick out up her 8-year-old son from the bus cancel, consistent with Bernard Law Montgomery County Prosecutor Kevin Steele.

Watts, 33, reportedly informed police he had evident the mummy the former afternoon and had watched her son that evening right through a deliberate shut eye birthday party together with his 3 kids to “give a break to Jennifer,” Steele mentioned. On the other hand, Brown, described as a being concerned and loving mom, had now not despatched her son’s day by day healing with him for the sleepover, and her son’s mentor may now not achieve her all era on January 4, which used to be “very unusual,” Steele mentioned. .

Brown’s automotive used to be discovered parked out of doors her house and her keys, handbag, pill pc and paintings mobile phone had been discovered inside of her place of abode, despite the fact that her private mobile phone used to be lacking and used to be been silent for the reason that morning of Jan. 4, Steele mentioned.

Brown’s frame used to be discovered two weeks nearest, on January 18, buried in a shallow grave in the back of a cupboard in Royersford, government mentioned. The Bernard Law Montgomery County coroner enthusiastic the reason for demise used to be “homicide by unspecified means” and that Brown had 3 damaged ribs, consistent with the district lawyer’s workplace. She seems to have died of asphyxiation, Steele mentioned.

“While it took over a month to arrest Watts, Montgomery County detectives and Limerick Township detectives feared and suspected early on that this devoted mother to an 8-year-old boy with special needs had been either kidnapped or killed,” Steele mentioned right through a press briefing on Thursday. “And as detectives uncovered evidence piece by piece, the picture of what happened to Jennifer became increasingly clear.”

Right through the investigation, detectives enthusiastic that Brown deliberate to spend money on Watts’ eating place in Phoenixville, Birdies Kitchen, Steele mentioned. Despite the fact that the eating place were gradual to go ahead and on December 28, 3 months next expressing passion in a constituent, one of the vital homeowners informed Watts that he would now not progress forward with a rent, consistent with Steele.

On January 3, two money transfers totaling $17,000 had been constructed from Brown’s pc pill to accounts managed by way of Watts, despite the fact that the cash “never formed part of any written agreement between Brown and Watts.” , the district lawyer’s workplace mentioned in a commentary. The transfers took a couple of makes an attempt and had been made next two-factor authentication used to be disabled, consistent with Steele.

On Jan. 4, Watts confirmed up on the Phoenixville eating place constituent and allegedly informed the landlord he now had cash to take out a rent, the district lawyer mentioned.

Government consider Brown used to be murdered on Jan. 3, ahead of the money transfers had been made, and next Watts “attempted to cover his tracks and dispose of his body before reporting him missing,” Steele mentioned.

The motion of Brown’s private mobile phone and Watts’ mobile phones displays that Watts would have had his telephone till it went idle at 7 a.m. on January 4, Steele mentioned. Brown’s son additionally allegedly noticed Watts retaining his mom’s private cellular phone – known by way of her faculty photograph on her lock display symbol – on January 3, next Watts picked up the kid from the college bus, government introduced.

Mobile phone job and surveillance pictures of Watts reportedly tracked Watts to the segment the place Brown’s frame used to be discovered buried at the evening of Jan. 5, consistent with the possible purpose affidavit. A cadaver canine deployed to go looking two Jeeps recognized to be pushed by way of Watts additionally reportedly indicated the presence of human left-overs within the cars, the district lawyer mentioned.

There used to be no signal of a try inside of Brown’s house, which Watts had received get entry to to by means of a collection of keys, consistent with Steele. Investigators discovered items of plastic within the carpet that they consider matched a plastic hair clip discovered together with her frame, Steele mentioned.

Watts, of Royersford, used to be arrested on Thursday morning for first stage homicide, 3rd stage homicide, theft by way of illegal seizure and get entry to software fraud. He used to be denied bail and is being held on the Bernard Law Montgomery County Correctional Middle pending a initial listening to, consistent with on-line court docket data.

His lawyer, Christopher Mandracchia, denied the district lawyer’s allegations in a video commentary posted to social media on Friday.

“Yesterday the district attorney’s office made a statement. They said my client is a killer. He’s not a killer,” Mandracchia mentioned. “He is here presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

“Their case is circumstantial at best, and we look forward to our day in court,” he persisted.

In an interview with ABC Information, Mandracchia additional disputed the district lawyer’s allegations and mentioned prosecutors had been seeking to “pitch this case to the media.”

“I never heard that he was innocent until proven guilty. I never heard that these were allegations. I heard that these are facts, that he is guilty and he is a killer,” Mandracchia mentioned. “There are rules about it – the prosecutor is not supposed to make such statements. But they violate their ethical rules by doing so.”

Philadelphia’s ABC station WPVI spoke to Watts by way of telephone within the days following Brown’s disappearance. He informed them he didn’t wish to do an interview, however mentioned on the hour he used to be serving to detectives and used to be “stunned” by way of her disappearance, WPVI reported. He mentioned the 2 had been going to unhidden a cafe in combination and he didn’t assume anything else used to be out of the regular the era he disappeared, consistent with WPVI.

Brown’s pals had been surprised by way of her disappearance and famous that she used to be a loyal mom to her son.

“It’s literally like we’re living in a movie that we’re watching on TV, it’s so surreal and amazing,” population spokesperson Tiffany Barron up to now informed WPVI. “Jennifer would never disappear, she would never abandon her son.”