SUNBURY — “Justice has been served today.”
That was the response of the mother of 6-year-old murder victim Jasmine Stoud shortly after the person convicted of killing her daughter 21 years ago was resentenced by Northumberland County President Judge Charles H. Saylor to 50 years to life imprisonment for criminal homicide.
In addition to being resentenced on the homicide offense, Brandon Brown, who is now 36, received concurrent sentences of three to 20 years each in state prison on two counts of kidnapping and five to 20 years each in state prison on two counts of rape. Two counts of aggravated assault were merged for sentencing purposes.
The felony offenses were filed by Coal Township police against Brown, who was 15 at the time, for kidnapping, assaulting, raping and killing Stoud on Aug. 11, 2001, in a wooded area not far from their West Walnut Street homes in Coal Township .
Prior to sentencing, Stoud’s mother, Rebecca Diaz Richards, who currently resides in Vernal, Utah, addressed the court.
Richards, who broke down crying several times, said she believes Brown’s original sentence of life in prison without parole was an appropriate sentence and didn’t see the need to resentence him.
She said the resentencing process has been very difficult on the victim’s family.
“My daughter was unable to come home, so why should he be able to get out of prison and come home?” Richards told the court.
Following resentencing, Richards added, “Justice was served today. I’m very happy with the outcome. Jasmine was a very beautiful little girl. She was loving and caring.”
Brown’s parents and a brother attended the resentencing, but declined comment.
Northumberland County First Assistant District Attorney Robyn Zenzinger, who prosecuted the resentencing case, said, “I respect the decision of the court. It was a very challenging case and I hope the family is able to find some peace.”
Defense attorney James Best reserved comment as did the defendant upon being escorted from the courthouse.
On April 22, Saylor deferred making a ruling during the continuation of the resentencing hearing for Brown that included testimony by a defense psychiatric expert who evaluated the state inmate twice in 2021.
The judge had the option of resentencing Brown to life in prison with or without a chance for parole, granting a new sentence with a minimum and maximum incarceration period, or imposing a reduced sentence.
Brown was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of all charges by a jury in Northumberland County on Jan. 24, 2003. In addition to the life sentence, Brown also was ordered by then-President Judge Robert B. Sacavage to serve a consecutive sentence of 17 to 70 years for kidnapping, rape and other charges.
Brown is temporarily incarcerated at Northumberland County Jail in Coal Township. He is scheduled to be transported back to SCI-Forest in the near future.
He was among hundreds of Pennsylvania offenders sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed as juveniles whose cases are being revisited because of a pair of Supreme Court rulings.
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