Pennsylvania

Jury deliberates in trial of man accused of killing Montco mom Jennifer Brown

The jury heard closing arguments Tuesday in the trial of Blair Watts, a man accused of killing and burying his business partner, Jennifer Brown, in Montgomery County

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Deliberations resumed Wednesday in the trial of a man accused of murdering his business partner in Montgomery County and then burying her body.

The jury heard the closing arguments on Tuesday and began deliberations in the trial for Blair Watts, 33. He was arrested in February and charged in the murder of Jennifer Brown, 43.

The jury went home Tuesday afternoon and reconvened on Wednesday.

Brown, of Limerick Township, was last seen alive on January 3. Her body was later found in a wooded area behind an industrial facility along the 200 block of North 5th Street in Royersford on Jan. 18.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said that an autopsy found that Brown's cause of death was 'homicide by unspecified means." However, he said that the coroner's office had found that three of Brown's ribs were broken before she died and her death was likely caused by "compression asphyxiation."

Watts, who investigators said was Brown’s “supposed friend and business partner,” was the last person to see her alive. 

In an interview before his arrest, Watts told NBC10 that he had taken her son on the evening of Jan. 3 to sleep over at his house and he claimed Brown never called that night to speak with him or her son. 

Brown was scheduled to pick up her son from the bus stop the following afternoon on Jan. 4 but never showed up, according to Watts.

“I put Noah on the bus the next day,” Watts told NBC10 during an interview in January. 

Watts also told NBC10 he didn't know what happened to Brown between Jan. 3 and the morning of Jan. 4.

“I have nothing to do with anything,” Watts said. “Just because I’m the last person to see her, that does not mean anything.” 

However, if there was a planned sleepover, Watts didn't provide clothes for Brown's son -- who has special needs -- nor did he bring medicine that the boy had to take twice a day, according to Steele.

"This was highly unusual," said Steele.  

The trial of a man accused of killing his business partner and burying her in a shallow grave continued on Friday. The jury heard the reaction of Blair Watts as he learned a cadaver dog picked up the scent of human remains inside the home of Jennifer Brown. The jury also saw the moment police told him they feared Jennifer was dead. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the latest developments.

On February 9, Watts was arrested and charged in Brown’s murder, 37 days after her disappearance. 

Prosecutors accused Watts of defrauding Brown for months and killing her to get his hands on more of her money. 

The two entered a business contract in the summer of 2022 to open Birdie’s Kitchen, a restaurant in Phoenixville, in January 2023 and Brown was to contribute $14,000 to that business plan, investigators said. While that amount was satisfied prior to January 2023, Watts continued to ask Brown for money for other repairs and equipment, according to prosecutors. 

According to prosecutors however, the restaurant had no chance of opening after the location Watts wanted to rent refused to give him a lease. Investigators also said Watts hadn't paid the owners of the building any money to use the space and he had no key to the building.

Watts still repeatedly went to Brown to get money for supplies and painting, according to investigators. Prosecutors said two cash app transactions were made from Brown’s account to Watts’ on the day they believe she died. 

On Jan. 3, Brown's bank records show that $17,000 had been transferred from her account to an account for Birdie's Kitchen, according to investigators. 

Then on Jan. 4 -- a day after police believe Brown was killed -- Watts showed up at the Birdie’s Kitchen location, telling the owners he had the money they needed, investigators said. 

The murder trial of Blair Watts, who is accused of murdering his business partner Jennifer Brown and burying her body, continued on Monday. NBC10's Deanna Durante has the latest on the trial and the DNA evidence that was presented to the jury.

Watts' defense team, meanwhile, said their client was simply an easy target for police and someone else could’ve killed Brown. 

During Watts’ trial, the jury was presented with DNA evidence that was found inside Brown’s kitchen. Witnesses who took the stand accused Watts of giving them the false impression that Birdie’s would open by the end of January 2023. 

The jury also heard from Brown’s boyfriend, Watts' wife and Watts' girlfriend at the time of Brown's murder.

A jury heard from Blair Watts' wife, his then-girlfriend and a police interview in the trial where Watts is accused of killing his business partner, Jennifer Brown, last January. NBC10's Deanna Durante has more.
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