Business partner who reported Pa. mom Jennifer Brown missing charged with her murder

A man identified by prosecutors as the “supposed friend” and business partner of Pennsylvania mom Jennifer Brown was charged Thursday with her murder.

Blair Watts, 33, was the person who reported Brown missing on Jan. 4, Pennsylvania prosecutors said. But they claimed he was just trying to cover up the fact that he killed her.

“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,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

“That picture shows Blair Watts murdered Jennifer Brown on Jan. 3, then moved her body and ultimately buried her in a shallow grave.”

In August 2022, Watts and Brown made plans to launch a restaurant together called Birdie’s Kitchen, according to investigators. But the idea eventually sputtered, and in December the property owners at their planned location pulled out of the deal.

On Jan. 3, two money transfers totaling $17,000 were made from Brown’s bank account to Watts’ account, prosecutors said, adding that there was no mention of such a transfer in their business agreement.

That same day, Watts picked up Brown’s son from school from a sleepover, according to investigators. Watts initially told police that the sleepover had been planned in advance, but the 8-year-old noticed Watts was carrying his mom’s personal cellphone at the time.

The next day, Brown’s and Watts’ cellphones traveled together until about 7 a.m., when Brown’s phone went dark, police said. The personal cellphone was the only item missing when detectives searched her car later that day after Watts reported her missing after she didn’t pick her son up from school.

Police dogs later detected traces of human remains in multiple vehicles used by Watts, prosecutors said. Brown’s body was found Jan. 18 behind an industrial complex in Royersford, about 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The coroner ruled Brown’s death a homicide and noted she had three broken ribs. Steele said she liked died by asphyxiation.

“Their case is circumstantial at best, and we look forward to our day in court,” Watts’ defense attorney, Christopher Mandracchia, said in a social media video.