A Peoria County jury took less than an hour on Friday to find Brandon Walker guilty of first-degree murder for the death of his 8-year-old son, Navin Jones.
On March 29, 2022, Navin was found emaciated and unresponsive in the central Peoria home that Walker, 42, shared with Navin’s mother, Stephanie Jones. Officials later ruled the cause of death to be neglect and abuse.
Stephanie Jones, 31, pleaded guilty last week to her own charge of first-degree murder in connection with Navin's death.
Attorney disagreements
The fifth morning of Walker’s trial began with resolving legal issues carried over from the day before. The defense, prosecution and the judge disagreed over whether or not a transcript of Jones' guilty plea would be admissible, or if Walker’s attorney, Gary Morris, could even mention that Jones had pleaded guilty to the jury.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge John Vespa sided with the state in finding Jones' guilty plea was not admissible. He said it was irrelevant to Walker’s case. The state also argued the plea was not a conviction until Jones is sentenced, and could be considered hearsay for that reason.
Vespa further reiterated a ruling from earlier in the trial that Jones could invoke her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself when called to the stand without violating her plea agreement.
Before moving onto closing arguments, the prosecution also asked to admit to the record that Morris had not called Navin’s brother to the stand, though he does appear on the defense’s witness list. Morris agreed to this and confirmed it was a strategic decision.
Jury instructions
After settling the disputes, the court moved on to approving the jury instructions. Morris objected to four of the terms. The objections mostly related to questions of personal responsibility and culpability, as well as an inherent parental responsibility to protect a child.
Judge Vespa chose to side with prosecution on all four objections.
Before moving on to closing arguments, Morris made one more attempt to submit Jones’ guilty plea to the record.
“When I said do not let the jury know about Stephanie Jones’ guilty plea, was there something about that that was unclear?” said Vespa, who also denied a motion by Morris for a directed finding that Walker was not guilty.
Prosecution closes
In the prosecution’s closing arguments, Assistant State's Attorney Terry Muench opened with pictures of Navin Jones, apparently healthy months before his death. He then moved on to more photos of Navin captured in the months and weeks just before his death. The child appeared gaunt, his eyes and face sunken.
Muench’s argument also included video of the day Navin was found in Jones and Walker’s home, as well as photos taken by the officials who examined Navin’s body, documenting his extreme state of malnourishment and numerous injuries of varying ages.
“This guy right here,” said Muench, pointing to Walker, “with Stephanie Jones, murdered him.”
Muench juxtaposed these photos and videos by repeating a clip of Walker’s police interview in March 2022. In the clip, Walker tells detectives he had just spoken to Navin within the last few days and he “seemed fine.”
Morris objected after the sixth time the clip was played, calling it repetitive. After a short discussion, Vespa overruled the objection. Still, Muench did not use the clip again.
Muench spent other parts of his closing argument establishing how the legal definitions of first-degree murder and wanton cruelty applied to the case. He told the jury an “act” can include a failure or omission to take action.
Muench argued Walker not protecting Navin — by providing him with food or items like toys and bedding, or moving him to the care of another household away from Jones — constituted a failure to take action.
Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Cruz expanded on this point later in her rebuttal.
“Every day Brandon Walker left Navin Jones in Stephanie Jones’ care, he aided her,” she said.
During his closing, Muench also looked to definitively establish Walker was aware of the inhumane conditions inflicted on Navin. It would be necessary for the state’s additional claim of “wanton cruelty” in the offense. Muench revisited a series of texts between Walker and Jones shown to the jury earlier in the trial.
Among them, Jones tells Walker about plans to tie Navin up, lock him in the basement and “show him what hunger means” after he asks a stranger for food. Elsewhere, she complains about Navin leaving his room in the night to eat pizza crusts from the trash and worries that she might lose her temper and hurt him. Walker generally responds with affirmations to these texts and, on several occasions, calls Navin names.
In another text shown by Muench, Jones stresses the importance of getting their story straight when visited by representatives of the Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS].
Muench wrapped up his closing arguments by pointing out inconsistencies between Walker’s March interview with detectives and his testimony earlier in the trial. These included Walker’s professed desire to get DCFS involved, his belief that he needed legal guardianship to get Navin medical attention, his knowledge about the rope used to secure Navin’s bedroom door shut and the note posted on the door telling Navin’s brother not to bring him food or let him out.
In many murder cases, Muench argued, someone gets in a heated interaction and pulls out a gun and kills someone in a moment of anger.
“This is like the defendant taking out a gun and shooting it every day.” he says, referencing the conditions Navin lived under.
Defense’s closing arguments
Morris, Walker’s attorney, said while it was clear prosecutors believed Jones murdered Navin, Walker was not responsible for her actions.
He claimed prosecutors were asking the jury to “jump to the assertion that my client is legally responsible.”
He pointed out Jones and Walker were not married at any time. Walker had testified that he didn’t sleep in the same bed as Jones, rather sleeping in other parts of the house.
“Are you responsible for the actions of a spouse or girlfriend?” Morris asked the jury multiple times.
Morris argued there was no premeditated plan put together by Walker and Jones, that Jones was “running the show” at their house and acting independently in abusing and neglecting Navin. He went on to claim prosecutors, as part of the state government, work hand-in-hand with the Department of Children and Family Services. He claimed prosecutors are looking to shift blame from the department’s failures.
“Did she do anything?” said Morris, referencing DCFS investigator Cathy Harvey,who testified earlier in the trial and had visited the household in Feb. 2022. “Her job is to protect children,” said Morris.
Morris also claimed Harvey was the originator of Walker’s belief he needed guardianship to get his children medical attention. The defense’s closing ended by saying Walker didn’t have contact with Navin in the 48 hours or so leading up to his death and couldn’t be responsible for his most recent injuries.
“Stephanie Jones is alone,” Morris concluded.
The jury returns a verdict
Judge Vespa read the jury instructions and the jury left the courtroom to deliberate. The jurors returned with a verdict in about one hour.
They found Walker guilty of first-degree murder, and that the state had proven its additional claim of wanton cruelty.
Walker remained still during the reading of the verdict. He sat at the defense table with his hands steepled in front of his mouth and showed little to no reaction. Walker faces a potential life sentence in prison.
Morris requested the jury be polled after the reading and every juror reaffirmed their guilty verdict.
Peoria County State's Attorney Jodi Hoos wasn't in court Friday, but released a statement after the verdict was read.
“My office, this jury, and our community have cared more for Navin in his death than his parents ever did in his life. Good riddance to them," she said.
Post-trial motions and possible sentencing are set for Feb. 28, 2024.
