A former enterprise partner of Jennifer Brown, a Pennsylvania mother who was discovered useless final month, has been charged in her murder, the Montgomery County District Lawyer stated Thursday.
Blair Watts, 33, faces prices of first- and third-degree murder in Brown’s dying. She was discovered partially buried in a shallow grave behind a warehouse in Royersford, roughly 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, in January after Watts reported her lacking earlier that month.
On Jan. 4, Watts advised police that Brown, 43, had failed to choose up her 8-year-old son from the college bus after the boy had spent the night time at Watts’ home, prosecutors stated in a press launch. Detectives later found that Watts, who was Brown’s enterprise partner in a deliberate reopening of the restaurant Birdie’s Kitchen, had picked up Brown’s son from the college bus on the afternoon of Jan. 3. Watts allegedly advised the boy that Brown was on the grocery retailer and that the boy was to spend the night time at Watts’ home.
Watts then drove the boy to Brown’s residence and left him within the automobile whereas Watts went inside, in accordance with the discharge. When he got here again, the boy observed that Watts had his mother’s cellphone, prosecutors stated.
Police cadaver canine discovered indicators of human stays inside Brown’s residence and in Watts’ automobile.
Christopher Mandracchia, Watts’ lawyer, stated the proof in opposition to Watts is “circumstantial at finest.”
“My consumer is just not a killer and has not dedicated the crime as alleged,” he stated.
Brown had deliberate to speculate cash in Watts’ Phoenixville restaurant, Birdie’s Kitchen, which was to open on the finish of January, prosecutors stated. The day earlier than Brown was reported lacking, two money transfers totaling $17,000 had been made to accounts managed by Watts.
The house owners of the Phoenixville property the place the restaurant was alleged to open stated that whereas they spoke with Watts final 12 months about renting the constructing, they by no means signed a lease with him, nor had Watts achieved any work to the constructing to arrange the restaurant to open. In December, prosecutors stated, the property house owners advised Watts that they’d not grant him the lease, and Watts threatened to sue. Then, on Jan. 4, Watts went to the property “saying he had cash to place down on a lease,” prosecutors stated.
Whereas Brown was nonetheless lacking, Watts spoke to native media about her disappearance. He advised NBC Philadelphia in January that he had “nothing to do” with her going lacking.
“Simply because I am the final individual to see her, that doesn’t imply something,” he stated. “It looks as if I am being the one poked at. And it is irritating as a result of I am the primary individual that was the one calling the police, attempting to kick down home windows. Looking for my buddy. Attempting to ensure her son is roofed.”