Trial in Breaw killing delayed
SANDPOINT — The discovery phase of Keith Allen Brown’s murder case is pushing his 10-day trial into the month of December.
Attorneys on both sides of the case filed a joint motion calling for Brown’s trial in July to be rescheduled because discovery, the process by which the prosecution and defense exchange information for their respective cases, has been fraught with unexpected delays and is “more complex than anticipated.”
Brown, 47, is charged with first-degree murder and grand theft by possession of stolen property in connection with the shooting death of Leslie Carlton Breaw at Priest Lake last year.
Brown is pleading not guilty to the charges and has suggested in court filings Breaw’s killing was an act of self defense. He also accused of taking a $56,000 escrow check belonging to the victim, but Brown has stated he was owed the money for doing paralegal work on Breaw’s behalf.
Brown’s 26-year-old wife and alleged accomplice in the case, Tyrah Brea Brown, is also charged with murder and grand theft. She has also pleaded innocent and her trial remains set for August.
Breaw, 48, was shot in the face with a .22-caliber rifle in January 2007, according to sheriff’s officials. The shooting happened while the Browns were living in one of the homes on Breaw’s property in Coolin.
The couple allegedly fled to Florida after the slaying. They were arrested the day after Breaw’s body was discovered in the woods near his home the following March.
A district judge is scheduled to hear a series of defense motions this month which aim to dismiss the charges against Keith Brown and thwart the presentation of evidence at trial.
Keith Brown’s defense team, Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson and Chief Deputy Public Defender Janet Whitney, argue in the filings that there was insufficient evidence at a preliminary hearing to justify trying him. They further contend valuable exculpatory evidence was lost when the home the Browns were living in was razed and other evidence was improperly obtained.