2012-01-09T18:15:00.001-08:00

This blog has moved to the Movies Based on True Stories Database. Below is an original article on the case.
Click here to go to the Chris Randall Brown page

Chris Randall Brown, Chris Brown, Murdered in Hawaii, Kathy Brown

2008-07-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Miniseries traces woman's fight to find son's killer (Gasden Times Nov 7 1993)

Tonight, Mary Brown and her granddaughter Christy will settle in front of the television to watch "A Matter of Justice," a two part NBC mini-series. But unlike thousands of other viewers scenes from the made for tv movie probably will stir a mix of emotions for these two Etowah County residents. [It] is the story of Mary Brown's fight to see justice served in the Sept 2, 1982 stabbing death of her son, Marine Cpl Chris Randall Brown. The fact based movie will trace the events that led to the murder of this former Etowah High School football player and the trials that eventually ended with the conviction of [his wife Kathy Brown] and Ralph Rocky Jackson, another marine who admitted to stabbing Brown 26 times. During her trial, prosecutors argued that Kathy Brown convinced Jackson to kill her husband in order to prevent Brown from dropping her from his life insurance policy and obtaining custody of their daughter, Christy. "A Matter of Justice" also will chronicle the five month search Mary Brown led to find her son's 2 year old daughter after the child was kidnapped. Mary Brown said Kathy Brown was the first person to be tried in Alabama under a parental kidnapping law passed in July 1983 making the act a felony. Christy, a student at Etowah Middle School, lives with her grandmother, who described the youngster as a "strong" young girl who experienced in her first five years of life what few people face in a lifetime. Christy turned 13 saturday. Mrs. Brown said the decision to have a movie made about the ordeal was not an easy one. "Almost two years ago, I received a call from an attorney in Hawaii who was interested in making a movie. I informed him I was in the process of writing a book and I said, no. They continued to call. And so one year ago, we began negotiations." Mrs. Brown said she agreed to become involved in the project when she realized the movie probably would be made anyway. "I never meant for it to be the subject oa movie. I was just a mother who was shocked to hear that her son was murdered. I was 6,000 miles away dealing with the U.S. Marine Corps....and later the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I don't know what they thought. But it appeared to me that because I live in this small rural community, they relt they could just send this I'm sorry to inform you (message)....But I think most mothers would have felt as I did. That wasn't enough.You want to know who, what and why and you do what you have to do." And what she felt she had to do was to follow her gut feeling and ty to prove that her daughter-in-law somehow, someway-was involved in the murder. "The officials kept saying, I'm sorry, we can't discuss this. I used what knowledge I had to get names, agencies...And what I didn't know, I asked. I like to think that if I ever had to do it again, I would know to go to the top first. I would do it over and over because I felt I owed it to my son--to prosecute all who was involved in his death." Mrs. Brown said all events in the four hour miniseries, which concludes Monday night, did happen but not necessarily in the order portrayed. "The movie also makes it appear that Chris was my only son. He wasn't. I have another son, whom I'm very proud of," she said. "The story is well written, but my life probably is pretty boring, so it's strictly Hollywood. It's hard to capture two and a half years and three criminal trial in two nights. The three trials were combined into one," she said. Mrs. Brown who has worked with the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Etowah County for a number of years, said the movie version was written by Dennis Turner. He came to Etowah County several days last year to interview her. The film is being produced by Leonard Hill, Joel Fields, and Ron Gilbert. Mrs. Brown, who will be portrayed by Patty Duke, is pleased with the cast. It includes Martin Sheen as Jack Brown (Chris' father), Alexander Powers as Kathy Brown and Jason London as Chris Brown. The making of the movie forced Mary and Christy Brown to remember some of the pain from the past, but it also brought some high points. "In July, I went to the set in Kansas and, two days later, we packed and went to California." It was in Kansas that Mrs. Brown met Ms. Duke and the other actors. "It was a very emotional meeting with Patty Duke, who likes to be called Anna. She literally put her heart and soul into the part." When going to California for five days, Mrs. BRown was accompanied by Christy, as well as Karen Owen, her boss who also is director of RSVP. While Mrs. Brown attended press conferences, Mrs. Owen and Christy did the tourist scene in a stretch limosine made available to them by the network. "Christy had the most fun of all. She met other NBC fall sweep and sitcom stars. And she had lunch with Blossom, (Mayim Biaalik of the show "Blossom") and Will Smith of "Fresh Prince of Bel aire."
Copyright 1997-2008

Chris Randall Brown Murder

Chris Randall Brown, Chris Brown, Murdered in Hawaii, Kathy Brown