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The former business partner of deceased Pennsylvania mom Jennifer Brown has recently been arrested on suspicion of murdering her. The police have identified the “supposed” friend and ex-business partner as 33-year-old Blair Watts.
He was allegedly the one who reported Jennifer Brown missing. Watt now faces several charges, including first-degree murder, and is currently being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed the same through a Facebook post.
Authorities arrested Blair Watts on the morning of Thursday, February 9, 2023, after he appeared in a Chester County court in an unrelated case. He and Brown were friends before they decided to start a business together in August last year.
Former business partner Blair Watts is charged with the alleged murder of Pennsylvania native Jennifer Brown
43-year-old Jennifer Brown was last seen on January 3, 2023. She was reported missing a day later after failing to pick up her son from the bus stop. The Limerick Township resident was then found dead and buried in a shallow ditch near Royersford. Apart from Brown's body, police also found her car parked outside her house.
They further recovered her keys, wallet, and work cell phone at her residence. Brown's son Noah was reportedly at the house of her friend, Blair Watts, that night for a sleepover. Before going to Watts’ residence, they stopped at Brown’s house, while Noah stayed in the vehicle. The son reportedly saw his mother’s cell phone, which is the only personal item that cops couldn’t recover.
What further raised the eyebrows of law enforcement officials was that Jennifer did not provide medicines and clothes for Noah for the sleepover. Watts was also reported to be the last person to see her. According to prosecutors, her phone turned inactive on the morning of January 4, 2023. Steele addressed the facts and said:
“This was highly unusual.”
Finally, almost 37 days after Jennifer Brown’s disappearance, police made an arrest in the case. Her “supposed friend and business partner” Blair Watts is currently charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking/disposition, and access device fraud. He reportedly appeared in court in an unrelated case and was then taken into custody.
DA Kevin R. Steele released a statement, saying:
“For 37 days since this devoted mother was reported missing, detectives have been accumulating evidence, piece by piece, bringing into focus what happened to Jennifer and who murdered her.”
He further added:
“That picture shows Blair Watts murdered Jennifer Brown on Jan. 3rd, then moved her body and ultimately buried her in a shallow grave. He is now behind bars at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.”
PEOPLE reported that Watts and Jennifer Brown allegedly got into a business together last August. Brown invested in a restaurant called Birdies Kitchen that was supposed to open in January in Phoenixville.
Authorities have used cell phone records, business records, and cadaver dogs to find the missing pieces of the puzzle and locate a suspect in the case. According to prosecutors, Jennifer Brown was allegedly murdered the same day two monetary transactions took place into accounts that Watts controlled.
A total of $17,000, in two transfers of $9,000 and $8,000, were made in his account. However, the agreement regarding the restaurant did not include the amount transferred.
Jennifer Brown's death was ruled a homicide by “unspecified means”
An autopsy was performed on Jennifer’s body and ruled her death as a homicide by unspecified means. She reportedly suffered three broken ribs. A cadaver dog sniffed out human remains in two vehicles that Blair Watts drove.
The dog also found broken pieces of a hair clip at Brown’s residence that they traced back to the shallow grave where she was buried. The DA’s office revealed that Watts had an extra key to Jennifer’s house.
Watts spoke to the news outlet and said:
“I have nothing to do with anything. Just because I’m the last person to see her, that does not mean anything.”
Blair Watts has maintained his stance and said that he has “nothing to do with anything” regarding the Pennsylvania mother’s disappearance or alleged murder. He continued:
“It seems like I’m being the one poked at. And it’s frustrating because I’m the first person that was the one calling the police, trying to kick down windows. Trying to find my friend. Trying to make sure that her son is covered.”
Watts is being held without bail. Media outlets tried reaching out to his attorney, but no response has been received yet.
