GUILTY CA - Lauren Key, 4, thrown off cliff, Rancho Palos Verdes, 8 Nov 2000

[Pepper]

Here is the main reason why I believe he is guilty:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/3489936.html?page=2&c=y


Moreover, Hum raised doubts that a little girl who witnesses said didn't like hiking would have led her father on such an arduous trek without being coerced -- or would even have been physically capable of completing a 3-mile round-trip hike.

"If the defendant hadn't planned to throw Lauren off the cliff, they're only halfway through their hike," Hum said. "The defendant never intended to take Lauren back to the car."

He also questioned why a father who knew his daughter couldn't swim -- especially a man familiar with the ocean -- wouldn't have immediately attempted to rescue her if she had truly fallen from the cliff.

Instead, Brown went to a beach on the other side of Inspiration Point to borrow a cell phone from sunbathers and then had a conversation more than five minutes long with emergency dispatchers before retrieving his daughter's body.

"At the very least he would have gone right to her because he knows every second counts," Hum said. "By his actions the defendant ensures she will be dead before anybody gets to her -- and the defendant knows that."

Hum contended Brown acted more like a man whose "car broke down" than a panicked father -- and for good reason.

"The only reason the defendant took Lauren out there that day was to kill her -- and that's the inescapable truth," Hum said.


:furious: :behindbar :furious: :behindbar :furious:

 

[LaMer]

That must have been a sight to see, CB tethered to the ground by a stake! What did they think, he was suicidal? Maybe things are looking real bad for CB in the courtroom, in comparison to what little we have to read from the dinky Breeze. Maybe huh? That would be a good thing!

At any rate, LE made sure he wasn't going to fall off the end of the cliff.

Also great about the LE vessel/divers too. Hope the jurors noticed. Not a place to take a child, unless......

Why the heck did CB get to ride in a helicopter? Hmm maybe the same reason, maybe he would've jumped! The outdoors guy that he is suppose to be, might not be faring too well in prison eh?

Or maybe it was a bit of MG putting on the dog! MG Swaggers out of the helicopter! LOL He sure didn't rent one to get to the SP verdict! Or even a jet!

Then 5 locales? Where else besides IP? Dang that Breeze, so inept!

Anyone have a guess to how long this jury is going to be out? It IS Friday!

 

[LaMer]

Here is the main reason why I believe he is guilty:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/3489936.html?page=2&c=y


Moreover, Hum raised doubts that a little girl who witnesses said didn't like hiking would have led her father on such an arduous trek without being coerced -- or would even have been physically capable of completing a 3-mile round-trip hike.

"If the defendant hadn't planned to throw Lauren off the cliff, they're only halfway through their hike," Hum said. "The defendant never intended to take Lauren back to the car."

He also questioned why a father who knew his daughter couldn't swim -- especially a man familiar with the ocean -- wouldn't have immediately attempted to rescue her if she had truly fallen from the cliff.

Instead, Brown went to a beach on the other side of Inspiration Point to borrow a cell phone from sunbathers and then had a conversation more than five minutes long with emergency dispatchers before retrieving his daughter's body.

"At the very least he would have gone right to her because he knows every second counts," Hum said. "By his actions the defendant ensures she will be dead before anybody gets to her -- and the defendant knows that."

Hum contended Brown acted more like a man whose "car broke down" than a panicked father -- and for good reason.

"The only reason the defendant took Lauren out there that day was to kill her -- and that's the inescapable truth," Hum said.


:furious: :behindbar :furious: :behindbar :furious:

Pepper, I agree, and put the rest we have learned about CB actions, his denial/lies in being responsible to be Laurens father, his lies about Lauren leading the way up to IP, fighting child support and later wanting visitation to lower his support payments, trying to get Sara deported, CB telling LE 3 different stories about Lauren, lack of emotions when others testified he was an emotional guy, and probably lots more, just can't recall right now. Put him away, far away where he can't hurt another child. And what was he thinking about when the rescurers were working, the presidential elections! :furious:

I guess, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence.

 

[tybee204]

The Jury seeing the Defendent shackled and tethered to a stake IMO is going to raise some concerns on appeal if he is convicted.

 

[Pepper]

Was just listening to John & Ken on KFI. According to Shannon F. (their courtroom reporter) the prosecutor (Craig Hum) did a wonderful job on the closing argument and the rebuttal. J & K referred to Patty as "that strange woman Cameron Brown married who got thrown out of court."

Once again they (J & K) think Geragos joked around too much whereas Craig Hum was emotional, direct, and more believable

Cam Brown has been portrayed as a surfer dude who didn't aspire to be more than a baggage handler for American Airlines, and didn't earn over $30K per year. Sure makes you wonder what Patty, an ENGINEER, sees in this loser.

J & K also read a letter from a former co-worker at AA who said that they all thought he was guilty right after the "accident." No on rallied around him or offered sympathy..

I don't expect verdict until Mon. or Tues. of next week.

 

[jilly]

Jilly, Thanks for the link. I was a little behind.

This is a good sign! If it's not a G verdict, surely it will be a hung jury. Didn't I read where there were 11 women and 2 men?

YW! I don't know who's on the jury but I did read elsewhere today that one juror couldn't stay to deliberate so someone else has taken her place. She did, however, show up to watch the closing arguments.

Everyone seems to be raving about Hum's closing. I thought this part was good:

"Cameron Brown had 3 versions of what happened and what he saw that day:

1. She was just gone;
2. He heard oh, oh and saw her going over the side of the cliff;
3. He saw her left side falling forward over the cliff.

However, none of his versions fit the scenario of his own expert Dr. Yamaguchi, of tumbling. The Defendant never saw her tumble."

 

[LaMer]

YW! I don't know who's on the jury but I did read elsewhere today that one juror couldn't stay to deliberate so someone else has taken her place. She did, however, show up to watch the closing arguments.

Everyone seems to be raving about Hum's closing. I thought this part was good:

"Cameron Brown had 3 versions of what happened and what he saw that day:

1. She was just gone;
2. He heard oh, oh and saw her going over the side of the cliff;
3. He saw her left side falling forward over the cliff.

However, none of his versions fit the scenario of his own expert Dr. Yamaguchi, of tumbling. The Defendant never saw her tumble."

Jilly, from what I read in the Breeze, it appeared Hum had quite an impressive closing argument. Yep!

Thanks for citing the 3 versions, it was the first one which I wasn't aware of, as I kept hearing about 2 others and couldn't figure out the third. :doh:

Good point about the tumble. He more than likely gave her a swift push. I doubt she was near the edge on her own accord, he could have he enticed her to play some kind of a game and purposely set a trap to propell her off the cliff. Just incase someone might have been observing them from afar.

Didn't I read where the jury was to deliberate on Saturday? Maybe tomorrow we will hear something.

I hope some of our posters are from the area and keep us informed. Can't count on the Breezey Weezey for updates, seems to take them two days to get around to an article

 

[katiecoolady]

YW! I don't know who's on the jury but I did read elsewhere today that one juror couldn't stay to deliberate so someone else has taken her place. She did, however, show up to watch the closing arguments.

Everyone seems to be raving about Hum's closing. I thought this part was good:

"Cameron Brown had 3 versions of what happened and what he saw that day:

1. She was just gone;
2. He heard oh, oh and saw her going over the side of the cliff;
3. He saw her left side falling forward over the cliff.

However, none of his versions fit the scenario of his own expert Dr. Yamaguchi, of tumbling. The Defendant never saw her tumble."

Wow...his own stories don't fit his own expert's version of the evidence? Is the defense expert not using the defendant's own version of events?

 

[chicoliving]

J & K referred to Patty as "that strange woman Cameron Brown married who got thrown out of court."

Any idea what this was all about?

 

[Anita Richman]

Any idea what this was all about?

Hi Chico! Apparently Cam's wife was asked to leave the courtroom after she captured the Judge's attention by sighing loudly and shaking her head at different times.

 

[LaMer]

I was wondering why she had been booted. Remember CB's father was kicked out too? LOL and remember when the judge told MG stop yelling at him every time he ruled against him. LOL Great to know this judge was in control!

Well, this case finally hit the LA Times, a two pager too! I found it to be a good review, still no news about the jury tho.


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cliff5aug05,0,6442046.story?coll=la-story-footer

In his rebuttal, Hum pointed out that Brown never told detectives he saw his daughter tumble or roll, so Yamaguchi's simulated analysis was inconsistent with the defendant's own version of what happened.

Even if everything the defense said is true, Hum said, Brown is guilty at least of second-degree murder for bringing his daughter to a clearly dangerous place and then neglecting to safeguard her.

"We were up there; we saw how scary it was," he told jurors, who visited the site Wednesday. "We all know the truth now."

 

[jilly]

Hi Chico! Apparently Cam's wife was asked to leave the courtroom after she captured the Judge's attention by sighing loudly and shaking her head at different times.

Also, at one point CB told the detective that he took off all his clothes except his boots and underwear because he saw it on 'Baywatch'. When this came out in court Patty yelled "he doesn't watch Baywatch" and I think this was the last straw.

J&K have been going on about Patty - like what does she see in this guy? According to the defense Patty wanted CB to adopt Lauren so as to have the child she couldn't or something. She was pestering Cam about it and some believe that CB killed Lauren to be rid of the responsibility and to get Patty off his back. Patty is also paying for the defense. Plus Patty is an engineer and they can't figure out what she's doing with a baggage handler.

 

[jilly]

I was wondering why she had been booted. Remember CB's father was kicked out too? LOL and remember when the judge told MG stop yelling at him every time he ruled against him. LOL Great to know this judge was in control!

Well, this case finally hit the LA Times, a two pager too! I found it to be a good review, still no news about the jury tho.


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cliff5aug05,0,6442046.story?coll=la-story-footer

In his rebuttal, Hum pointed out that Brown never told detectives he saw his daughter tumble or roll, so Yamaguchi's simulated analysis was inconsistent with the defendant's own version of what happened.

Even if everything the defense said is true, Hum said, Brown is guilty at least of second-degree murder for bringing his daughter to a clearly dangerous place and then neglecting to safeguard her.

"We were up there; we saw how scary it was," he told jurors, who visited the site Wednesday. "We all know the truth now."

Ohhhh, thanks for finding and posting this LaMer. I had heard that the reporter was there for the arguments. Now at least, we might get to hear right away about the verdict. Hope, hope.

Good that this reporter picked up on the 2nd degree argument - nobody has mentioned this before.

 

[LaMer]

Ohhhh, thanks for finding and posting this LaMer. I had heard that the reporter was there for the arguments. Now at least, we might get to hear right away about the verdict. Hope, hope.

Good that this reporter picked up on the 2nd degree argument - nobody has mentioned this before.

Jilly, I had been wondering about that too. Might make it easier for the jury to put him away.

Something else has been on my mind too. This business of PB supposedly wanting CB to get full custody of Lauren, well do you suppose Patty surfing on the net inquiring how to get full custody the day Lauren died, was part of their cover-up, and she knew all along what was going to happen to Lauren?

Did they have a master plan, planned together?

I could be way off base here.

Stranger things have happend.

 

[chicoliving]

Hi Chico! Apparently Cam's wife was asked to leave the courtroom after she captured the Judge's attention by sighing loudly and shaking her head at different times.

Ahhh Thanks!

Also, at one point CB told the detective that he took off all his clothes except his boots and underwear because he saw it on 'Baywatch'. When this came out in court Patty yelled "he doesn't watch Baywatch" and I think this was the last straw.

Now how in the heck would this have helped his case?? Insinuating the detective is lying?? Sorry I'm a day late and a few bucks short :crazy:

 

[jilly]

Jilly, I had been wondering about that too. Might make it easier for the jury to put him away.

Something else has been on my mind too. This business of PB supposedly wanting CB to get full custody of Lauren, well do you suppose Patty surfing on the net inquiring how to get full custody the day Lauren died, was part of their cover-up, and she knew all along what was going to happen to Lauren?

Did they have a master plan, planned together?

I could be way off base here.

Stranger things have happend.

I don't know...could be. From what I've read though she may have just been out to harrass and hurt Sarah the same as CB. He hated her. No way in the world, imo that he would have ever got custody. I think he'd only seen Lauren 14 times in her life.

Here's a guy (CB) who tells his daughter (according to Sarah's testimony): "Papa Brown says you're going to go to jail for stealing all his money". So who knows what he was saying to Patty. Listening to him everyday could certainly have a negative effect.

 

[Anita Richman]

I don't know...could be. From what I've read though she may have just been out to harrass and hurt Sarah the same as CB. He hated her. No way in the world, imo that he would have ever got custody. I think he'd only seen Lauren 14 times in her life.

Here's a guy (CB) who tells his daughter (according to Sarah's testimony): "Papa Brown says you're going to go to jail for stealing all his money". So who knows what he was saying to Patty. Listening to him everyday could certainly have a negative effect.

I strongly believe that *IF* he murdered Lauren, Patty had no idea. I have corresponded with her and I believe her to be a very kind person who truly loved Lauren. I also think she believed that Lauren was being abused...if she believed that because of what Cam told her, or hated Sarah because Cam did, I don't know.

I would like to know at what time did Patty access the information about getting custody of Lauren and when was the last time she had contact with Cam before Lauren's death. I personally think it could be a coincidence, and have no relevence to Lauren's death, either by accident or murder.

 

[LaMer]

I strongly believe that *IF* he murdered Lauren, Patty had no idea. I have corresponded with her and I believe her to be a very kind person who truly loved Lauren. I also think she believed that Lauren was being abused...if she believed that because of what Cam told her, or hated Sarah because Cam did, I don't know.

Anita, if Patti and CB believed Lauren was being abused, did either of them notify the authories? Is there some kind of record or is this something which was drummed up after the fact?

I think it is difficult to believe anything CB has to say about anything. It appears she loves CB, so she might do or say anything. Then again, he might have been able to fool her, covering up for himself. Sure sounds like he carried a lot of hate around toward Sarah. He fought being responsible for bringing a child into the world and providing for her. What is there to love about a guy like that?

Also, if either one of them really cared about Lauren, truly loved her, and thought she was being abused, then they would've reported it. I tend to think it was lies, CB is good at that.

I would like to know at what time did Patty access the information about getting custody of Lauren and when was the last time she had contact with Cam before Lauren's death. I personally think it could be a coincidence, and have no relevence to Lauren's death, either by accident or murder.

As far as the timing of PB accessing the info, I do remember reading, CB was unable to reach her when trying to inform her of what happened to Lauren, because she was online researching this exact type of info. I also read where he never called Sarah to let her know what happened to Lauren.

Wasn't his cell phone in his car? Wonder if PB had a cell phone? Doesn't everybody LOL

Well, one other possibility, if PB was adamant about wanting them to get full custody of Lauren and he was not in agreement, this could've been the trigger for CB to get rid of Lauren.

I hope she is a nice and kind person.

 

[katiecoolady]

Personally, I think it's an eerie coincidence that when Cameron Brown was taking his daughter up on that treacherous cliff potentially to throw her off it, his wife was at home researching ways to take her away from her mother.

I don't think Patty Brown was complicit in any homicide and it does appear that she wanted full custody of that little girl for some reason (what kind of "abuse" was there?). Was there any evidence presented that Cam Brown was interested in obtaining full custody of his daughter?

For those who believe unequivocably that he is guilty, how long do you think he was planning to kill her?

I guess what I'm asking is, was Pattys interest in taking the child from her mother, first of all, complicit with Cameron or was it possibly part of the catalyst that helped him feel more "trapped"?

 

[dark_shadows]

Prosecutors say Brown hated the girl's mother, British immigrant Sarah Key. They say he felt trapped by the woman who wanted to stay in the U-S.

They say he had no contact with the child until she was three, and didn't want to pay one-thousand dollars a month in support.news link