Emma Brown, 20, makes her first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Thursday on charges of rendering criminal assistance to suspects in the death of Ben Eastman III.
Emma Brown, the fiancè one of the Randle siblings charged in the beating death of Ben Eastman III, made her first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Thursday afternoon on charges that she misled detectives during their investigation.
Brown, 20, of Glenoma, was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance. A $1 million arrest warrant was issued, and she reportedly turned herself in to the jail that evening.
Brown was granted $100,000 bail at her hearing Thursday.
Kindra Adamson, 43, of Randle faces the same charges and on Wednesday was granted the same bail amount. Both are scheduled to enter pleas on July 19.
Adamson is the mother of suspects Benito S. Marquez, 16, and Jonathan R. Adamson, 21, who have been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful disposal of remains in Eastman’s death.
Brown is Jonathan Adamson’s fiance, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Wednesday.
Eastman, 16, was reported missing in Randle on June 27. Two days later, investigators found his body in a shallow grave on land belonging to Marquez’ and Adamson’s grandparents, according to court documents.
Brown’s attorney, Jakob McGhie, on Wednesday asked Superior Court Judge Joely O’Rourke to reconsider an earlier ruling from Judge Andrew Toynbee finding that prosecutors had probable cause to charge his client with rendering criminal assistance.
According to court documents, authorities believe that both Brown and Kindra Adamson had knowledge of the homicide almost immediately after it happened, despite telling investigators they had no idea where Eastman was when he was still believed to be missing, and that they had no knowledge of the homicide after his body was found.
Court documents say Jonathan Adamson admitted to detectives that he told Brown about the case “and said she was upset but still loved him.”
McGhie challenged the assertion that Brown was told about the homicide.
“The allegations contained in the declaration of probable cause are for nothing more than a denial of knowledge,” McGhie said.
He first asked for her release on unsecured bail, then for bail no higher than $25,000. Deputy prosecutor Joel DeFazio asked for $1 million bail, the same amount as Brown’s arrest warrant.
McGhie also argued that Brown had been cooperative, and that she was currently breastfeeding a 5-month-old infant and needed to be out of custody.
O’Rourke imposed $100,000 bail, the same amount as Adamson, saying McGhie did not properly file a motion asking for a reconsideration on probable cause.
“I agree with Judge Toynbee’s assessment that there is probable cause,” she added. “I do think bail is warranted.”
