Blair Watts: Ex-business partner of slain Pennsylvania mom Jennifer Brown charged with her murder
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: The ex-business partner and supposed friend of slain Pennsylvania mother Jennifer Brown has reportedly been arrested for her murder, less than a month after she was found dead in a shallow grave. Blair Watts, 33, of Hunsberger Drive, was arrested on Thursday, February 9, and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking/disposition, and access device fraud, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office stated.
Investigators are alleging that Watts killed Brown. The slain woman was last seen on January 3. Watts allegedly tried to cover up her murder by reporting her missing on January 4, ABC 7 reported. The 43-year-old mother’s body was found on January 18 partially buried in a field near the city of Royersford, which is about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Her death was deemed a homicide after an autopsy determined that she suffered from three broken ribs and died from asphyxiation, the NY Post reported.
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Why did Jennifer Brown transfer $17,000 to Blair Watts’ account?
District Attorney Kevin Steele stated that Watts and Brown were allegedly friends and were planning to start their restaurant called "Birdies Kitchen" in Phoenixville. "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 the district attorney. "That picture shows Blair Watts murdered Jennifer Brown on Jan. 3rd, then moved her body and ultimately buried her in a shallow grave. He is now behind bars at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility."
The district attorney is also alleging that Watts killed Brown on January 3, the same day she made two cash transfers of $9,000 and $8,000 to his account. The transaction of $17,000 was not a part of their written agreement. Watts originally planned to start the restaurant at the start of this year and had been in touch with the owners of the Phoenixville property since August 2022. However, prosecutors stated that the property owner decided to not rent the property to Watts on December 28, 2022, having waited long enough. This led to Watts threatening to sue them. However, things changed suddenly on January 4 when he went to the owners, unannounced, saying that he now "had money to put down on a lease.”
What helped investigators arrest Blair Watts?
The authorities, investigating Brown’s death, stated that the day she was last seen, Watts picked up her son from the school bus stop and told him that he would be sleeping over at his home for the night. He also told the 8-year-old that his mother has gone grocery shopping when he asked why his mother didn’t come to pick him up. Brown’s son told investigators that he even saw her mother’s cell phone in Watt’s hand when they went to Brown’s residence.
The prosecutors revealed that Brown's personal cellphone, which is still missing, traveled away from her home before returning a short while later. Her cell data also confirmed that Brown’s device and Watt’s device traveled together on January 4 before being switched off forever. The cadaver dog indicated that there were human remains inside Brown's home and in the two vehicles owned by the Watts family. Watts is currently being held at the county jail without bail. He soon will be presented before District Court Judge Richard H. Welsh for a preliminary hearing on the charges.