An arrest has been made in relation to the murder of Jennifer Brown. The woman, from Royersford, Pennsylvania, is said to have gone missing after never retrieving her son from a bus stop last month.
33-year-old Blair Watts was the said business partner of Brown and the person to talk to her last. He was arrested on Thursday morning.
Watts is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and other offenses. He is being held without bail.
On Thursday, District Attorney Kevin Steele said detectives think that Watts killed 43-year-old Brown. He then attempted to cover his tracks prior to reporting her missing on Jan. 4.
Brown’s body was discovered in a shallow grave outside a Royersford business on Jan.18.
Steele stated that parts of a broken hair clip were discovered in Brown’s residence and in her shallow grave. This made investigators think that Brown was killed in her residence.
The D.A. stated that the coroner discovered Brown with three broken ribs, and she seemed to have died from asphyxiation. She had no signs of a gunshot or stab injury.
The investigation started after Watts reported Brown missing on Jan. 4, stating that she never arrived home to get her 8-year-old son off of the school bus that afternoon.
The child had been at Watts’ residence overnight, the night before, so that Brown could have “a break,” the DA noted. However, he said that Brown hadn’t packed any of the boy’s belongings or his medication for the overnight visit.
Detectives say that Watts’ picked up Brown’s son from the bus stop on Jan. 3 and told the child that his mom was at the store, and he was staying over.
Watts and the boy went to Brown’s residence while the 8-year-old stayed in the car. Watts came out with Brown’s phone, according to detectives.
Authorities say that the following morning, records revealed that both Watts and Brown’s cell phone traveled out of Brown’s residence and into the location of North Lewis Road and West Ridge Pike prior to Brown’s cellphone going inactive.
As the investigation went on, a cadaver dog showed human remains were in the backseat of both Watts’ vehicle and his wife’s vehicle.
Authorities are still reviewing the matter.
