FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – An ex-Marine charged with first-degree murder in the 2019 death of his stepfather pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him by reason of insanity on Thursday.
Michael Brown, the man who led authorities on a nationwide manhunt entered his plea during his hearing in Franklin Circuit Court.
Brown is charged with the 2019 murder of his stepfather, Rodney Brown.
Michael Brown was on the run for about 18 days after his stepfather’s death prior to being arrested in Franklin County.
During Thursday’s hearing, Brown agreed to a bench trial, meaning it will solely be up to the judge, not a jury, to have the final say on whether or not he was insane at the time of the murder.
Two doctors who performed a mental health evaluation on Brown testified that each of them found that he meets the requirements for an insanity defense in Virginia based on his reports of depression and blackouts, or episodes of dissociation.
However, the first to testify—Dr. Eugene Simopoulos—said he would seriously reconsider his opinion after learning in court that Brown allegedly pointed a gun at his mother after the murder before asking her to give him a three hour head-start.
He also said he would reconsider his opinion after hearing that Brown’s ex-wife called him a psychopath.
“The psychopath preys on people. He manipulates them. He uses them for their selfish gains, which is consistent with the statement that Mr. Brown had reportedly made that he was disappointed in his career because he didn’t get to shoot enough people,” said Simopoulos.
Brown’s attorney, Deborah Caldwell-Bono, revealed in court that Brown said he had been hiding inside the RV that authorities searched then demolished, before he escaped and went on the run.
“They didn’t locate him because he was hiding in the cabinet,” said Caldwell-Bono. “The RV was impounded and he was able to escape from the impound lot.”
During the trial, the Commonwealth painting brown as savvy, pretending to have dissociative episodes at the time of the murder and when writing about it afterwards.
“Does it sound convenient that the things that he can’t remember are the things that would be the most incriminating with regard to killing Rodney Brown?” asked Commonwealth Attorney A.J. Dudley of one of the witnesses, Dr. Sharon Kelley.
“In a way, yes, which is why we’re skeptical of folks who report dissociation at the time of an offense,” said Dr. Kelley, who works at the University of Virginia Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy.
The defense highlighted Brown’s ongoing reports of blackouts and dissociative episodes, as well as the childhood trauma and abuse of Brown, his younger brother and mother at the hands of his stepfather.
“There was significant chronic abuse that Michael suffered,” said Caldwell-Bono.
Also during the trial, attorneys said that Brown reported he did not remember killing Rodney and that he woke up with the rifle on his chest and his mother crying.
His defense team also revealed that Brown has a history of mental health issues in his family and that while serving in the United States Marine Corps, Brown claimed he went AWOL in 2019 to avoid harming others.
His defense team also mentioned that Brown’s mother was in a mental hospital for years and that during that time Rodney raised him and also physically abused both Michael and his brother.
Brown currently faces the following charges:
- First-degree murder of Rodney Wilfred Brown
- Use of a firearm while committing murder
- Breaking and entering with intent to commit a misdemeanor, except assault and battery or trespass, while armed with a deadly weapon
- Larceny of a firearm belonging to Rodney Brown
- Use of a firearm while committing burglary
- Stealing Rodney Brown’s credit card
- Breaking and entering with the intent to commit larceny, while armed with a deadly weapon
His trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, February 23.
