BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. — The Bradford County man charged with four counts of murder related to a triple homicide that took place in Lawtey Tuesday morning, appeared in court for the first time Wednesday morning.
Johnnie Bernard Brown, 46, made his first court appearance at 10 a.m. The judge who presided over Brown's appearance stated that while the case is pending, he is prohibited from having contact with "the minor victim identified by the initials, KR." The judge said he is prohibited from having contact with the deceased individuals' family members as well.
Brown's next court date is Monday for a pre-trial detention hearing.
Bradford County's first triple homicide
At approximately 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Bradford County Sheriff's Office says several units responded to a home located at 21637 Northeast 17th Ave. in Lawtey in reference to a disturbance. The sheriff's office says an 11-year-old girl called 911 multiple times to report a domestic incident.
When police units arrived at the home, three women were found shot to death inside a bedroom- Quinqune 'Kat' Robinson, 49, Danesha Sims, 27, and Winshay Roddey, 25. The 11-year-old girl is the granddaughter of Robinson, according to Bradford County Sheriff's Colonel Brad Smith; Sims and Roddey were her aunts.
Brown was found in the front yard of the home with a laceration to his upper left arm, and told police that he was the homeowner as he then began receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the incident, his arrest report states. However, his arrest report does not list his address as the home where the shooting took place. The address of the home is listed as Sims and Roddey's.
When asked about the incident, the report states that Brown told police he and Robinson were in an argument which then "escalated into a physical altercation." The report further details him telling police that Roddey and Sims joined the altercation and came at him with knives. Brown then said he retrieved a gun, began firing toward the women, "went mad" and continued to fire shots at them while they were running away.
When Brown was asked by police how his arm was injured, the report states he said, "they" had knives and were trying to cut him.
The report indicates that Sims was found with one knife in her right hand with her arms crossed across her chest in a defensive position. A second knife was found on the floor at the feet of Robinson. And a third knife was found on the floor near the doorway of the bedroom.
Smith told First Coast News Brown and the girl were taken to a hospital in Gainesville for injuries after the shooting occurred; the girl has been released since. The report states a small mark was observed on the girl's shoulder, a slight hole was in her shirt and several metallic fragments were taken out of her shoulder.
Smith also revealed that Brown was in a relationship with Robinson, but adds they were not married.
The sheriff's office says the investigation into the triple homicide is ongoing, as efforts are being coordinated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Medical Examiner's Office.
