Another update to the killer dads and custody list. Though not reported here, this murder took place during the father's summer visitation. The mother lived out of state.
Here are some earlier posts on this case.
Dad is identified as MAURICE BROWN SR.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/26184851/maurice-brown-found-guilty-of-murdering-son
Maurice Brown Found Guilty Of Murdering Son
Posted: Aug 03, 2014 3:09 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 10, 2014 11:19 PM EDT
By Lynnanne Nguyen, Reporter
DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS, Tenn. (FOX13) - It will be at least half a century before Maurice Brown even has a chance at being a free man again.
Prosecutors say Brown must serve a minimum of 51 years of his life sentence for killing his son, Maurice Brown, Jr.
Investigators say Brown beat his three year old son to death in the summer of 2012, and then tossed his body in a dumpster.
The jury found him guilty of all five counts Sunday, including first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
“We do feel justice has been served,” Maurice Brown, Jr’s aunt, Princess Page said, “We still have to deal with the pain of not having Junior, we lost him too soon.”
Prosecutors and investigators celebrated outside the courtroom after the verdict was read, saying getting justice for little Maurice Brown, Jr. was a team effort, from the cell phone records police found pinning Maurice Brown, Sr. to the scene of the crime, to neighbors and witnesses who testified seeing Brown carry his son's lifeless body to the car the night he died.
“We are all delighted across the board, the right thing happened,” Prosecutor Jennifer Nichols said, “I think everyone appreciates the police department, but this is really one the public needs to be aware of, this case would not have been solved.”
But as celebrations and hugs filled the hallway outside this criminal courtroom, elsewhere Maurice Brown was grappling with the prospect of his future.
“Obviously it wasn't a verdict we wanted, so he's upset over a lot of things,” Brown’s Defense Attorney John Perry said, “He's re-lived some things he absolutely regrets, maintains the fact that he loved his son, it's a hard day for him.”
The defense still stands by its story that this was a case of child discipline gone too far.
“He was trying to give an honest version of the facts, the way that it happened,” Perry said of Brown’s testimony.
But family members of Maurice Brown, Jr. say they didn't believe one word.
“Lies, lies, lies. cries, and lies, that's exactly how I felt about everything he had to say,” Page said, “Someone has gotten away with this before, and Maurice was planning on getting away with this.”
It seems the jury didn't believe Brown either, finding him guilty on all five counts.
“Maurice Brown, Jr. is loved, he was loved by his family, our family loved him and we still continue to love him,” Page said, “Junior is watching over us the same way we watched over him those three years he was with us.
Maurice Brown, Sr. was sentenced to life in prison, but will be sentenced on the other four counts he was found guilty of on September 12th.
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A jury has found Maurice Brown, Sr. guilty of first degree murder and has been sentenced to life in prison for beating his three-year old son, Maurice Brown, Jr., to death and tossing his body into a dumpster in July 2012. Prosecutor Jennifer Nichols tells FOX13 Brown will serve a minimum of 51 years before he's eligible for parole.
Brown was also found guilty on four other counts, including aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect, and will be sentenced on those charges on September 12th. The jury deliberated for about three hours before delivering a unanimous verdict.
"It was kind of a relief for me, just to know that justice has been served, the jury did its job, the deputies, the Memphis Police Department, everyone did what they were supposed to do, because I know Maurice (Brown, Sr.) felt he was going to get away with this," Maurice Brown, Jr.'s aunt, Princess Page, said.
Meanwhile defense is sticking to their story, that this was a case of child discipline gone too far.
"Obviously it wasn't a verdict we wanted, so he's upset over a lot of things. He's re-lived some things he absolutely regrets, maintains the fact that he loved his son," Brown's Defense Attorney John Perry said.
FOX13's Lynnanne Nguyen spoke to family members, prosecutors in the case, and Brown's defense attorney and will have a wrap up of the case on FOX13 News tonight at 5 & 9.