The verdict and the sentence
Blair Watts, the former business partner of Jennifer Brown, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday for the murder of Brown in January 2023. Watts was found guilty of first-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime by a jury in September after a four-day trial.
Watts, 38, shot Brown, 36, multiple times in the head and chest at her home in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on January 13, 2023. He then fled the scene and was arrested the next day in New Jersey. Watts and Brown had been co-owners of a cleaning company, but had a falling out over money and business issues.
The motive and the evidence
According to the prosecution, Watts had a motive to kill Brown because he owed her $40,000 and she was planning to sue him. Watts also wanted to take over the cleaning company and eliminate Brown as a competitor. Watts had been sending Brown threatening text messages and had been stalking her for weeks before the murder.
The prosecution also presented evidence that linked Watts to the crime scene, such as surveillance footage, cell phone records, DNA analysis, and ballistics tests. The surveillance footage showed Watts arriving at Brown’s home around 9:30 a.m. on the day of the murder and leaving about 15 minutes later. The cell phone records showed Watts had called Brown several times that morning and had been in the area of her home. The DNA analysis showed Watts’ blood on a glove and a mask that were found near Brown’s body. The ballistics tests showed the bullets that killed Brown came from a gun that Watts had purchased legally.
The impact and the reaction
The murder of Brown had a devastating impact on her family, friends, and community. Brown was a single mother of two children, aged 10 and 12, who were at school when she was killed. She was also a successful entrepreneur who had started her own cleaning company and had several contracts with local businesses. She was described by her loved ones as a hard-working, caring, and generous person who always helped others.
The reaction to the verdict and the sentence was one of relief and justice for Brown’s family and friends. They expressed their gratitude to the jury, the judge, the prosecutors, and the investigators for their work on the case. They also said they hoped Watts would never get out of prison and would suffer for what he did to Brown.
The message and the warning
The verdict and the sentence also sent a message and a warning to the public and to other potential offenders. The message was that murder is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated and will be punished with the maximum penalty. The warning was that domestic violence and stalking are serious issues that can escalate to fatal consequences and that victims should seek help and protection.
The district attorney, the police chief, and the victim advocate all urged anyone who is experiencing or witnessing domestic violence or stalking to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or the National Stalking Resource Center at 1-800-FYI-CALL. They also encouraged anyone who knows or suspects someone is planning to harm another person to report it to the police or the FBI.
