Philadelphia Man to Stand Trial in 2008 Murder of Tonya Fetrow

By Alicia Cruz
Theblackurbantimes.com

A young couple awoke in the early morning hours of November 9, 2008 to find a White Buick parked in the driveway of their home behind their car. When the man went to investigate, he found a young man asleep inside the car.

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"My boyfriend asked him to move his car," said Jennifer Keller. The sleeping man moved the car, Keller said, but a short time later, he was back knocking at our door saying he was "cold, tired and his cell phone was dying."

Keller testified Monday in Lancaster County Court at the pre-trial hearing of the man she and her boyfriend opened their home to that night in 2008, Kenneth Brown Jr.

The trusting couple had no idea that the sleeping stranger they extended shelter from the cold to was wanted for the senseless murder of the mother of his child.

They let Brown into their home after he said he had been in a bar fight and was cold. They gave him a pair of clean pants to wear and food to eat. After he changed his pants, Keller said Brown wadded up his belongings and put them in a plastic bag Keller had given him then used their bathroom and phone, but hours later, he was still there. He just didn't want to leave and he spent long periods of time in their bathroom. Things quickly went from suspicious to scary.

"He was stalling a lot," said Keller. "He would not leave... and eventually we were irate enough to tell him 'You really have to go.' "

Sometime later, Keller, her boyfriend and Brown noticed a number of heavily armed police officers behind the home. Keller went outside, intending to talk to the policemen about Brown, but an officer told her to go back inside her house.

CLICK HERE FOR LANCASTER POLICE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION PDF

"He was extremely reluctant to leave then (when the police were spotted)," Keller testified. "We said, 'We don't care how you get out, we just want you to go.' "

Finally, around noon, five hours after he arrived on their doorstep, Brown left their home, but he ditched the bag containing his soiled clothing under a chair in the foyer.

As soon as Brown was gone, Keller called the police who arrived within minutes. She testified that she signed a consent form, allowing police to take the bag of belongings Brown's left behind and then picked his picture out of a photo lineup at the police station identifying Brown as the man who had been in her house that morning. It was then that Keller learned the reason behind the sleeping stranger's squirrely behavior: he was wanted for homicide.

Brown was later arrested by police outside of Mountville, Pennsylvania where he was charged with killing his girlfriend, Tonya Jean Fetrow of Lancaster.

Fetrow, 28-years-old, had been trying to end her relationship with Brown. Fetrow was the mother of two children, one, Ava, belonged to Brown.

Fetrow, who was described as a caring, giving woman, had just celebrated her little Ava's first birthday with a big party just before her murder. She told friends and family that while Brown, who worked in Philadelphia (70 miles from Lancaster), visited their daughter every weekend he was becoming " increasingly demanding and violent" and she wanted to end their relationship.

Brown, however, had other ideas.

A witness who was a passenger in the Fetrow's vehicle, told police that she and Fetrow were going out the night of the murder for drinks. Brown insisted on joining them although Fetrow made it clear she did not want him to go. Eventually, Fetrow caved in to Brown's demands and she and the witness picked him up. The evening was tense as the two argued all night and the two women decided to drop Brown off. As Fetrow sat at a stop sign, Brown, who was seated behind her, reached to the front of the car and began choking Fetrow. The witness, Fetrow's best friend, tried in vain to pry Brown's hands from Fetrow's throat.

The witness stated that Fetrow jumped out of the car and began running, but that Brown caught up to her on Fairview and St. Joseph Streets where he began punching Fetrow about the head at least 10 times.

The witness said she then saw Fetrow fall to the ground where Brown commenced to beating, choking and repeatedly stomping Fetrow in her throat. When the witness was unable to stop Brown she called the police.

The witness then saw Brown lift Fetrow's body and throw it "like a sack of potatoes" into the back of the car and drive off. The witness followed behind Brown who was driving Fetrow's vehicle and gave the license plate number to the 911 operator

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Detective Matthew Blake was one of two law enforcement officers who testified at Brown's hearing Monday. He stated that he went to Columbia after dispatchers reported a possible location for Brown where he saw a white Buick Sedan with blood on the driver's side but did not enter the vehicle.

Detective Steve Owens testified that he was able to track Brown's general location by the cell phone calls Brown had made that morning. The calls assisted the detective in narrowing the search to Columbia where Fetrow's body was discovered dumped in the 1400 block of Long Lane in East Donegal Township.

Brown was found walking along Columbia Avenue near Mountville where he was taken into custody without incident. He was placed in the Lancaster County jail with bail initially set at $5 million.

Brown's defense attorneys Patricia Spotts and David Blanck are questioning whether police acted properly in arresting Brown and charging him with criminal homicide, amongst other things.

Assistant District Attorney Todd Brown argued that all procedures were followed properly.

Judge Dennis Reinaker will decide the issues of both sides before Brown's case goes to trial in February.

Brown remains in jail without bail.