Stepdad convicted of murder of teenage stepson; 9-year-old son was witness (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Oh, but CLARENCE BROWN, SR. was a stepdad, you say. That doesn't count. Well, Brown was also a dad, and he shot the stepson right in front of his biological son, a 9-year-old child. Just goes to show. Though the risk of violence may be statistically higher with stepdads, scum is scum. The victim's DNA status is mostly irrelevant.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/78847537.html

Oxford Circle man convicted in fatal shooting of stepson
By MENSAH M. DEAN
Philadelphia Daily News

deanm@phillynews.com 215-854-5949

An Oxford Circle man was convicted of murder yesterday for fatally shooting his 16-year-old stepson in the family's living room last year.

Clarence Brown Sr., 33, of Agusta Street near Oxford Avenue, was found guilty of third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.

The verdict was handed down by Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart following a four-day, nonjury trial.

When Brown is sentenced Jan. 22, he could receive a sentence of 25 to 50 years in state prison.

On the witness stand, Brown maintained that he accidentally shot Michael Giles-Brown on July 11, 2008, while handling his registered automatic handgun. The boy died later that day of a single bullet to the chest.

Brown's 9-year-old biological son witnessed the shooting and was a key witness for the prosecution.

While being questioned by Assistant District Attorney Bridget Kirn, the boy said that his father had told Michael to put his hands above his head. The boy said that his father shot Michael from five feet away.

Kirn argued that Brown, who had worked as a civilian security guard at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Base, in Montgomery County, told authorities several lies about the shooting, including that Michael had shot himself.

"He told seven different versions about how he shot his son," Kirn said during an interview.

She described the shooting as a case of domestic violence.

Of the verdict, which the judge announced about 15 minutes following closing arguments, Kirn said: "I am absolutely satisfied. What this defendant did to this family is horrible."