Washington County officials are searching for more than 100 pieces of DNA evidence tied to a 2002 killing in Greenville, despite a court order to locate the items. The evidence is crucial to the case of King Brown Jr., who has been incarcerated for over 20 years after his 2005 conviction for the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl.
In affidavits filed Feb. 18, circuit clerk employees described receiving verbal confirmation that some of the evidence was at the district attorney’s office. An employee from that office reportedly acknowledged being the last to see and possess some of the items. However, the district attorney’s office disputes that claim, stating that no evidence has been handled or viewed there since the 2005 trial.
The evidence includes a sexual assault kit and fingernail scrapings, linked to the death of R.W., who was found in a garbage bin near her grandmother’s home. Brown’s attorneys have argued that if the evidence is lost, his charges should be dismissed and his conviction vacated. They also contend that the case relied heavily on microscopic hair comparison, a method now discredited by the FBI for its low reliability.
On Sept. 16, a judge ordered the evidence to be sent to Bode Technology for modern DNA testing. Meanwhile, conflicting accounts have emerged about the evidence’s whereabouts. Some affidavits suggest the evidence was stored in a box labeled “King Brown,” while others indicate it was not available when investigators attempted to retrieve it in September.
The district attorney’s office expressed openness to a hearing and investigation into the missing evidence. As of Wednesday, neither the judge nor the district attorney’s office has filed further orders or motions concerning the case.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
