Pennsylvania authorities arrested a “supposed friend and business partner” of a Pennsylvania mom who was last seen in January and discovered in a shallow grave 15 days later.
Pennsylvania mom goes missing
Jennifer Brown, a 43-year-old mom from Royersford, Pennsylvania, was last seen on January 3. She was reported missing by a “supposed friend and business partner,” 33-year-old Blair Watts, on January 4.
On January 18, Brown’s body was discovered partially buried in a field near the city of Royersford, which is about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, People reported.
Brown’s cause of death is currently designated as “homicide by unspecified means,” according to a statement by the district attorney’s office. The report also listed she had three broken ribs.
Police never stopped until suspect arrested
Ever since Brown went missing, authorities never stopped investigating the case in an effort to bring justice to bear.
“For 37 days since this devoted mother was reported missing, detectives have been accumulating evidence, piece by piece, bringing into focus what happened to Jennifer and who murdered her,” said Montgomery County district Attorney Kevin R. Steele. “That picture shows Blair Watts murdered Jennifer Brown on Jan. 3rd, then moved her body and ultimately buried her in a shallow grave.”
On February 9, Pennsylvania authorities arrested Blair Watts on charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking/disposition and access device fraud, according to a Facebook post by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Watts is awaiting arraignment and was arrested while appearing in court on an unrelated case, according to NBC Philadelphia.
“[Watts] is now behind bars at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility,” said DA Steele.
Numerous clues point to the suspect
Authorities say investigators employed a cadaver dog and pieced together cell phone and business records in developing the case against the suspect.
Investigators discovered that the day before Brown was reported missing, two cash transfers were made from her accounts to Watts for a total of $17,000, which were allegedly never part of a written agreement between the two. Investigators found other inconsistencies in Watts statements, including a lease that was never signed by Watts and no money ever been turned over by him. A property owner decided not to rent to Watts, and he threatened to sue. However, he returned on January 4, a day after Brown went missing, having the money to put down on the lease.
Watts also picked up Brown’s son from the school bus stop, telling the 8-year-old his mom was at the supermarket and that he would be sleeping over at Watts home that night.
The boy told detectives he saw Watts with his mother’s cell phone. Cell phone records show Brown’s phone and Watts phones traveling together before Brown’s phone lost signal around 7 AM.
A cadaver dog also indicated human remains inside Brown’s home, as well as two vehicles owned by the Watts family.
Suspect denies all allegations.
“I have nothing to do with anything,” Watts told NBC. “Just because I’m the last person to see her, that does not mean anything.”
