OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - On Wednesday, October 29, an Oklahoma man entered a guilty plea for first-degree murder and was sentenced for the 2020 killing of his wife.
For the plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to remove the death penalty from consideration if the man, Joshua Brown, 39, would waive his right to appeal. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, FOX35 reported.
The sentence stems from a homicide that took place on September 30, 2020, when police responded to the 4700 block of Woodland Park Terrace in Spencer. Investigators found evidence of a violent struggle inside the home. Video surveillance showed Brown repeatedly beating and strangling his wife, Shawntae Brown, over the course of two days.
He reportedly beat his wife to death with a belt, a shoe, a flagpole, and a handgun. The couple's three children were home during the assault. Investigators said Brown then made the children "clean up the blood and mess" and told them "not to talk to anyone" about what happened, Law & Crime reported.
"The victim's body was covered in bruises, contusions, and lacerations consistent with a severe beating," a probable cause affidavit said. "It was undeniable that a violent crime had happened in that house," Mark Myers, public information officer for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department, said. "It was just a very gruesome scene," he added. "What a horrible, tragic event for these kids to have to go through."
At the time, Brown told authorities that he "went too far" while fighting with his wife and began punching and strangling her in front of their kids, who were seven, 14, and 15. A "large amount of blood" was reportedly found throughout the couple's home, along with holes in the drywall that appeared to be caused by punches or kicks.
"A semi-automatic handgun was recovered, and it appeared that Joshua Brown had beaten the victim with it so severely that the fiber optic front sight had shattered and was caked with blood and hair," the affidavit said. Brown was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center for murder and child abuse, where he was held without bond until accepting his plea agreement in exchange for four life sentences.
At the sentencing, a statement from Brown's youngest daughter said she did not want her father to die, but did not think he should be free. "I know a lot of my family wanted the death penalty," the daughter, Aliesha Brown, said. "It's been a long journey, and I've grown a lot since then," she added. "Obviously, I was a kid, now I'm a young adult, but it's not going to get any easier. Knowing justice has been served and due process has been done, I can finally get some peace."
Prosecutors considered his children's wishes before reaching the plea agreement, according to Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna. "I know this outcome does not ease the pain her family has endured, but it ensures the defendant will never harm another person again. We remain committed to seeking justice for victims and their families, even when the road is long and difficult," Behenna said.
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