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Thread: Latece Megale Brown - California Death Row

  1. #1
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Latece Megale Brown - California Death Row


    Latece Megale Brown


    Man sentenced to death for raping, murdering teen girl whose body was set on fire in L.A. alley

    By Terri Vermeulen Keith
    City News Service

    An ex-convict was sentenced today to death for raping and murdering a teenage girl whose body was set on fire in a Los Angeles alley nearly nine years ago.

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bob S. Bowers Jr. denied an automatic motion to reduce the jury's recommendation of a death sentence for Latece Megale Brown, calling the Oct. 23, 2003, rape and suffocation of 16-year-old Jacquiese Williams a "cold, vicious murder."

    The "weight of the evidence supports the jury's verdict of death" for the 41-year-old defendant, the judge said.

    Brown -- who weighed somewhere between 450 and 500 pounds at the time -- sat on the girl until she became lifeless and then set her body on fire in an attempt to conceal evidence, according to Bowers.

    Jurors deadlocked on another murder charge against Brown that stemmed from the Feb. 24, 2003, shooting death of 21-year-old Aisha High, but convicted Brown of raping her. Prosecutors are expected to decide within the next few weeks if they want to retry Brown for High's slaying, according to Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman.

    Brown also was convicted April 11 of sexually assaulting three other girls and women ranging in age from 14 to 25 and kidnapping another woman who was able to escape and run across the street to a sheriff's patrol car.

    "I'm glad that justice was served ... I'm glad that I'm alive today," one of the rape victims told the judge, noting that her family could have been in court instead if things had turned out differently.

    The woman who managed to escape also was in court, but did not address the judge. Outside court, she said she hoped Brown "rots in that prison cell."

    The grandmother of the 16-year-old victim told the judge, "I feel justice has been done and I know he will sit a long time on death row."

    Clara Owens said outside court that her daughter travels from Las Vegas to Los Angeles every May 13 to visit the teen's grave.

    Raynard Williams told City News Service that he believed justice had been served for his sister's killer and questioned how Brown could "sit there laughing and smiling after he's committed all these crimes."

    One of the jurors -- who heard the case against Brown and was among a number of the panelists who returned to court for the sentencing -- said it was "painful" to watch him laughing in court.

    "He shows absolutely no remorse," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

    Brown -- who had previously been convicted of drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm -- testified in his own defense during the trial. He admitted he had sex with Williams and High, but denied that he had committed murder.

    "I did not kill either of those two women," he said.

    "Nothing would make me kill a woman," the admitted drug dealer said, telling Silverman at one point during his testimony that he would only answer questions for another 15 minutes and asking at another point if he could go sit down.

    Williams, who lived in Las Vegas but was visiting her father in Los Angeles, was raped, bound and gagged. Her body was then wrapped in a comforter, doused with gasoline and set ablaze in an alley at 151 W. 121st St.

    High, a mother of three, was found dead in an industrial area just to the south of the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles, with two bullet holes in her head, Deputy District Attorney Eric Harmon told jurors.

    Brown -- who admitted joining a gang at age 13 or 14 -- testified that he was disturbed after he found out what had happened to Williams, but denied being the one who killed her. He also said he "had nothing to do" with High's killing, maintaining she was alive and unharmed after the two had consensual sex.

    Silverman told jurors that DNA test results and other evidence linked Brown to both slayings.

    "We definitely felt that this was the appropriate verdict for the horrific crimes that he committed," she said, calling what was done to Williams "pure evil."

    "He's never taken responsibility for any of the crimes," Silverman said.

    http://www.dailynews.com/ci_20908369...ce=most_viewed
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  2. #2
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On December 29, 2015, counsel was appointed to represent Brown on direct appeal before the California Supreme Court.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...doc_no=S203540

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Opening brief filed on the 13th of June 2018.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...5TMCAgCg%3D%3D

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    The prosecution filed its response on the 14th of March 2019.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....5TMCAgCg%3D%3D

  5. #5
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    Brown's direct appeal has been fully briefed before the California Supreme Court since May 29, 2020.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....5TMCAgCg%3D%3D

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