Lauren Sarene Key, late summer, 2000.
Nine years ago today, in the early afternoon of November 8th, four-year-old Lauren Sarene Key ended up dead at the bottom of Inspiration Point, a 120-foot sheer cliff face in Ranch Palos Verdes. That day, Lauren was on a court-ordered visitation with her father, Cameron Brown, who drove her to the Abalone Cove parking lot where they set out on an approximate one-mile hike. To this day, only two people know what really happened to cause Lauren to lose her life in such a dangerous place. Her father, Cameron Brown and Lauren.
Much later that night back at the Sheriff's station, Brown was interviewed by LA Co. Sheriff's Homicide detectives for approximately three hours. According to Detective Jeffery Leslie, Brown gave three slightly different versions as to what happened to Lauren on the southeast section of Inspiration Point. That single interview would be the one and only time Brown cooperated with authorities investigating the death of his daughter.
Brown was arrested on first degree murder charges in 2003. Because of the special circumstances of lying-in-wait and murder for financial gain bail was denied. He's been in the custody of LA Co. Sheriff's ever since. Two hung juries later, (all jurors from both trials agreed that Brown was guilty of something, they just couldn't decide on what charge) Brown is still waiting to find out if DDA Craig Hum will bring this case to trial a third time.
On October 29th, Brown's defense team missed a court ordered date to file motions to argue for Brown to be released on bail and/or to have the case dismissed all together. Judge Michael Pastor ordered a new date of December 17th, 2009, for the filing of defense motions.
People who knew Lauren described her as a bright light who talked up a storm. She enjoyed going to church and being around other people. She was a very sociable child who enjoyed connecting with others. Lauren was a "girly-girl" who also enjoyed playing dress-up and playing with her dolls. She was not a tomboy who played rough-house with other children or knew how to swim. Supposedly, Lauren did not like to go on hikes. Please take a moment to light a candle in remembrance of little Lauren today.
Quick links to T&T's coverage of Brown's retrial.
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6 comments:
So not right, such slow justice. Lauren and her mom deserve better ...
There's a bunch of inmates who really enjoy being housed near child killers. Eventually Cameron Brown will end up there.
No bail, please, Judge Pastor. Though I expect the law will say otherwise ...
The only positive thing is that he's been in custody all this time. Hopefully, the judge will consider that the juries have all thought him guilty of something and only split on the degree. He should not be free ever!
SeniorMoments
I lit a candle tonight.
Not one juror voted for first degree murder. Does that not mean that not one juror believed he threw his child off the cliff? Am I missing something? I believe that the jury split six for 2nd degree murder and six for manslaughter. Does anyone think a third trial would result in a first or second degree conviction? He has been in jail for six years. There has never been a doubt he is guilty of gross stupidity. All those people that were sure he threw her to her death: are they still so sure? I don't know what happened at Inspiration Point. And neither does anyone else except Cameron Brown.
From my understanding, the jurors did NOT sign the verdict forms for 1st degree, clearing him of that charge. Ergo, since they didn't vote and sign forms, no verdict was reached on that count.
I believe the state can still bring a 1st degree charge a 3rd time.
If the first degree charge is off the table, (taking with it the lying in wait and financial gain motive) that would make Brown eligible (I think) for bail.
I still think 1st Degree should be there. Either she was skipping around on top of that dangerous cliff, throwing stones and laughing, or she wasn't. There's no 3rd alternative there that I can see.
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