Mother charged with tampering with evidence in child’s death case

RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — New details were revealed Tuesday in the homicide case of seven-year-old Jo’zie Brown.

On January 14, Brown was shot and killed. Five days later, Chris’tion Hamilton Jones, Brown’s older brother, admitted to accidentally shooting the child.

Jones, who is 19, was appointed an attorney on Tuesday. He will be back in court on March 5.

Brown and Jones’ mother, Lakisha Shannay Jones was recently indicted and arrested in relation to the case as well.

A Rhea County jury has indicted Jones on two charges: tampering with evidence and false reports.

According to the indictment, Lakisha Jones lied to officers to keep them from locating Chris’tion Jones, who was a suspect in the investigation.

Count one reads:

“Lakisha Shannay Jones … did unlawfully and knowingly make a report or statement in response to a legitimate inquiry by a law enforcement officer concerning a material fact about an offense or incident within the officer’s concern, knowing that the statement or report was false, with the intent to hinder the officer from apprehending or locating Chris’tion Jones, a suspect in the homicide investigation.”

In addition, the indictment says Lakisha Jones hid guns to keep them from evidence in the homicide case.

Count two reads:

“Lakisha Shannay Jones … did unlawfully, and knowing that an official proceeding or investigation was pending or in progress, conceal firearms with the intent to impair said firearms availability as evidence in the investigation of the homicide.”

Just this past weekend, a balloon release was held at Brown’s school, Rhea County Elementary, in honor and remembrance of him.