In October 1960, 14-year-old Raymond Brown had his mind on sports. Specifically, he wanted football shoes, but he was short on cash. Instead of looking for a part-time job around his home, in Clay County, Alabama, he opted for burglary, selecting the home jointly occupied by his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-aunt as his target. Entering under cover of darkness, Brown moved barefoot through the house, searching for cash. Despite his stealth, a sound roused his great-grandmother from sleep, and she went to investigate. Fearing exposure, Brown picked up a butcher knife, killed the old woman, and went on to murder his other two relatives. Detectives counted 123 stab wounds in the three victims , but Brown had forgotten his quest in the heat of the moment. A purse, containing forty dollars, had been left untouched. It took three weeks, but bloody footprints put investigators on Brown's trail, and he was locked away for thirteen years, using his prison time to learn auto mechanics. Paroled in 1973, he found work in a garage at Ashland, Alabama, and rented a small apartment nearby. Soon after his release, Brown tried to rape the manager of his apartment building, choking her when she resisted, leaving her for dead. This time, his victim lived, and Brown was carted back to prison, his parole revoked. Another thirteen years elapsed, and Brown was once again paroled, in June of 1986. Working as a mechanic in Phoenix City, he met divorcee Linda LeMonte, 32, and they began dating. Brown became familiar to LeMonte's neighbors, dropping in for dinner, spending evenings with LeMonte and her ten-year-old daughter, Sheila. On August 10, 1987, Linda and Sheila LeMonte were found dead in their home, each stabbed numerous times, as if in a frenzy of rage. Detectives speculated that the slayer had assaulted Sheila first, attempting rape, and had been interrupted by her mother in the act. A neighbor told police that Raymond Brown had parked his car outside the night before, and Sherlock Holmes was not required to make the obvious connection. Taking to the woods, Brown managed to elude a sweeping manhunt until August 12, when he emerged to buy a soda and was run to earth by deputies. With double murder charges and another count of violating his parole, it seems unlikely Raymond Brown will ever qualify for leniency again.
In October 1960, 14-year-old Raymond Brown had his mind on sports. Specifically, he wanted football shoes, but he was short on cash. Instead of looking for a part-time job around his home, in Clay County, Alabama, he opted for burglary, selecting the home jointly occupied by his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-aunt as his target. Entering under cover of darkness, Brown moved barefoot through the house, searching for cash. Despite his stealth, a sound roused his great-grandmother from sleep, and she went to investigate. Fearing exposure, Brown picked up a butcher knife, killed the old woman, and went on to murder his other two relatives. Detectives counted 123 stab wounds in the three victims , but Brown had forgotten his quest in the heat of the moment. A purse, containing forty dollars, had been left untouched. It took three weeks, but bloody footprints put investigators on Brown's trail, and he was locked away for thirteen years, using his prison time to learn auto mechanics. Paroled in 1973, he found work in a garage at Ashland, Alabama, and rented a small apartment nearby. Soon after his release, Brown tried to rape the manager of his apartment building, choking her when she resisted, leaving her for dead. This time, his victim lived, and Brown was carted back to prison, his parole revoked. Another thirteen years elapsed, and Brown was once again paroled, in June of 1986. Working as a mechanic in Phoenix City, he met divorcee Linda LeMonte, 32, and they began dating. Brown became familiar to LeMonte's neighbors, dropping in for dinner, spending evenings with LeMonte and her ten-year-old daughter, Sheila. On August 10, 1987, Linda and Sheila LeMonte were found dead in their home, each stabbed numerous times, as if in a frenzy of rage. Detectives speculated that the slayer had assaulted Sheila first, attempting rape, and had been interrupted by her mother in the act. A neighbor told police that Raymond Brown had parked his car outside the night before, and Sherlock Holmes was not required to make the obvious connection. Taking to the woods, Brown managed to elude a sweeping manhunt until August 12, when he emerged to buy a soda and was run to earth by deputies. With double murder charges and another count of violating his parole, it seems unlikely Raymond Brown will ever qualify for leniency again. |
