Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A mother who testified against her son last month in his murder trial will spend the next 20 to 40 years behind bars.
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Joyce Brown-Rodriguez, 56, will be sent to state prison for her role in the 2020 murder of Christopher M. Wilson, 52, of Philadelphia, in Middletown Township, a crime she authorities said she planned with her son.
The Philadelphia resident entered a guilty plea last December to third-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, among other charges.
During the trial last month, Brown-Rodriguez testified against her son, Kahlill Saleem Brown, 34, of Philadelphia, who was convicted by a Bucks County jury on charges of first-degree murder. LevittownNow.com was the only news organization in the courtroom for the testimony at the trial.
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During the trial, Brown-Rodriguez testified that Wilson was a “good man” and had comforted her when her mother died. She grew close with him amid trouble with her husband. Their affair had ended by the time the murder happened.
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Brown-Rodriguez told the court she was shocked when she learned her son killed Wilson.
Her son’s defense attorney called out Brown-Rodriguez’s lies to police during the investigation and cast doubt on her credibility.
Five daughters of Wilson presented heartfelt statements before Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Finley on Monday at the Justice Center, recounting their father’s dedication and love. One daughter remarked on the unforgettable shock of learning her father’s fate.
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“The day I got that phone call is a day I will never forget,” one of the daughters said in court. “Hearing those words crushed me.”
Credit: Submitted
Despite being previously in a romantic relationship with Wilson, Brown-Rodriguez’s sincerity was questioned by Wilson’s family, especially since she appeared to mourn alongside them after the murder outside the Wheeler Way business where Wilson worked.
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Before handing down the sentence, Finley highlighted the profound impact of this “callous murder” on Wilson’s family and his co-workers, who were present during the homicide.
The investigation revealed the relationship between Brown-Rodriguez and Wilson began in 2018 but ended later. Following the breakup, Brown-Rodriguez was seen contacting Wilson multiple times before showing up at his workplace.
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Both were apprehended following a probe by the Middletown Township police, the Bucks County Detectives, and the Bucks County 20th Investigating Grand Jury.
Brown is set to be sentenced next month. He was found guilty by a jury last month of first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy to commit murder, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of an instrument of crime, false swearing, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
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