A 16-year-old girl, home alone with her mother’s boyfriend, reached out to her mom and sister via FaceTime, expressing that the boyfriend was behaving strangely.
Authorities and her sister hurried to the residence in Humble, Texas, just in time to hear gunfire coming from within, as reported by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, Van Henry Brisbon, 62, received a life sentence for the capital murder of 16-year-old Lauren Juma, whom prosecutors allege he attempted to assault.
“This defendant was a predator with a gun, and his choice to hurt a young girl and take her life was senseless and horrific,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. “He not only took a promising young woman’s life, his actions have destroyed a family.”
While Lauren’s mother was away for work, she received a call and instructed her older daughter to go to the house to pick up the Nimitz High School cheerleader, according to prosecutors.
Upon reaching the house, the older sister found Brisbon threatening Lauren with a firearm.
At approximately 1 a.m. on April 29, 2022, Harris County deputies who responded to the scene heard Lauren’s cries for assistance, which were soon accompanied by gunfire.
Following the incident with Lauren, Brisbon left the residence and was taken into custody.
Authorities discovered the firearm linked to the teenager’s death within the residence, along with indications that he had attempted to assault her, as stated by prosecutors.
As Click2Houston reported at the time, Lauren’s pants were lowered to her knees, and Brisbon’s pants were also down.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Warren stated that the bodycam recordings of arriving deputies captured Lauren’s distress, which was difficult to hear, as the jury reviewed the evidence throughout the nine-day trial.
Prosecutors stated that the conviction led to a mandatory life sentence in prison with no chance of parole.