A key witness in the murder case of Botham Jean is dead after he was gunned down outside his home on Friday. Joshua Brown’s death came three days after former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was convicted of murder in the shooting death of Jean.
Guyger mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment on September 6, 2018. And, believing he was an intruder, fatally shot Jean.
Witnesses to Joshua Brown’s murder
On Friday night, residents in a Dallas apartment complex flagged down police after a gunman fired at Brown and then fled in a four-door sedan.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt says Brown was gunned down as he was getting out of his car. And while reports differ on exactly where Brown was shot, both say he was struck twice.
Despite getting swift medical aid, Brown later died at the hospital.
So far, police say they have no suspects in the case. But the murder of Brown is fueling conspiracy theories about who killed him and why.
Key witness testimony against Amber Guyger
Joshua Brown was a star athlete-turned-entrepreneur. In September 2018, he lived across the hall from Botham Jean when he was shot and killed by Guyger.
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According to Jason Hermus, the lead prosecutor in the Guyger case, Joshua Brown’s testimony was an integral part.
“He bravely came forward to testify when others wouldn’t, ” he said. “If we had more people like him, we would have a better world.”
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Brown testified he was in the hallway on the night Amber Guyger shot and killed accountant Botham Jean.
He said what he heard that night sounded like “two people meeting by surprise.” While he testified he couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, the two rapports of gunfire were unmistakable.
Brown also said he’d only met Jean earlier on the day he was killed, exchanging a few words in the hallway. But Brown tearfully recalled often hearing Botham singing from his apartment.
“Brown’s testimony stood out as a fact witness who was approaching his apartment directly across from Botham Jean’s apartment when shots rang out,” Lee Merrit said. “Brown was still visibly shaken up from the incident when he took the stand to testify on behalf of the prosecution.”
Brown feared for his life
According to Merritt, as a young African American man, Joshua Brown was concerned that what happened to Botham Jean could happen to him.
“Brown lived in constant fear that he could be the next victim of gun violence,” Merritt continued, “either state-sanctioned or otherwise.”
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According to reports, the Jean family filed a civil case and Joshua Brown was reportedly going to testify again. And that has many people floating theories about whether Brown was specifically targeted.
In the days since Brown’s death, many are calling for a swift investigation. And that’s hopefully what happens. The longer a suspicious death remains without answers, the more conspiracy theories will fill the void.