An Amber Alert led to the arrest of a West Virginia father and convicted murderer who is accused of murdering stabbing his fiancee and her mother in his home, burning the property, and taking his 15-month-old daughter to a friend’s house before escaping. The infant was found uninjured.
In connection with the murders of his girlfriend Britney Brown, 34, and her mother, Irma Brown, 57, Joshua Russell Morrow, 42, faces murder charges. West Virginia State Police have also charged him with first-degree arson.
Police say the sequence of events that resulted in the fire and bloodshed started at 7:54 p.m. on Sunday when a neighbor’s surveillance footage purportedly showed Morrow pulling up to his Wayne County home on Spring Valley Drive and departing 28 minutes later.
The local ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS received the report, which claims that a glow of light emanating from the house after he left was a sign of the structure fire’s growing intensity.
He is accused of dropping his daughter off at a friend’s home in Hamlin at 9:42 p.m., approximately 40 miles northeast of the murder sites of her mother and grandmother.
Witnesses told police that Morrow needed to come to the residence and beg them to watch his daughter because people were trying to throw him in jail, according to a complaint filed by local ABC and Fox station WCHS.
According to the station’s records, he also purportedly claimed that they were all gone and burned to the ground.
When firefighters arrived on the scene at 10:40 p.m., the fire had already been put out when they found the women dead in the debris.
The complaint claims that once police were called to investigate, they found bloodstains and stab wounds on the bodies, concluding that the deaths were homicides.
As soon as possible, Morrow was named as a suspect in the crime. The infant and her father were reported missing to the police by the neighbors.
According to court documents obtained by local affiliate WSAZ, police also found Morrow in a car after he allegedly left the driveway as the fire progressed.
A warrant was issued for Morrow’s arrest in connection with the double murder and arson, and an Amber Alert was issued to find the infant.
The infant was discovered safely at a friend’s house an hour later.
Morrow was taken into custody by police near Huntington, approximately 20 miles north of the location of the incident, before daybreak on Friday.
Local NBC station WSAZ, citing court documents, said Morrow was charged with murder in Kanawha County in 2001 at the age of 18.
In 2017, he was granted parole after entering a guilty plea to second-degree murder and receiving a 40-year jail sentence.
Although investigators said the investigation is ongoing, it is unknown if Morrow, who did not have custody of his daughter, would be charged for stealing her.
Morrow is being jailed without bail at the Western Regional Jail. His court appearance is set for Monday.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.