By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / October 26, 1998

KENNER – A troubled Boutte teen-ager, recently released from a juvenile detention center in Donaldsonville, was found beaten to death in an isolated section of Kenner.

Joseph Brown, of 106 Blueberry Hill Drive, was found Oct. 19 by EastJefferson Levee District workers at 6:40 a.m., according to Sgt. SteveCaraway of the Kenner Police Department.

Brown’s body, dressed only in shorts, was found “pretty much dumped out of a car by the side of the road.” Caraway said it was obvious the murderhappened elsewhere and the remains were dumped where found.

“We’re working closely with Kenner on this,” Capt. Patrick Yoes of the St.Charles Sheriff’s Office said, adding Brown was last accounted for at 10 p.m. the previous evening.Caraway noted the body was “mostly in the road,” approximately 100 yards from the dead-end of Veterans Memorial Boulevard at the St. CharlesParish line.

Brown was last seen in Boutte earlier the previous evening, Caraway continued, and it is not known how or with whom he ended up in Kenner.

“We’re pursuing some leads we’ve developed,” Caraway added.

The Kenner PD spokesman noted Brown had a prior juvenile arrest record for disturbing the peace, but he had few details.

Caraway said Brown suffered seven lacerations to the head, and a bloody plastic bag was found next to his body, suggesting the bag had been over Brown’s head as he was beaten to death. He was identified through hisfingerprints.

There were no apparent clues as to how many people were involved or the motive for the murder.

Brown had recently been released from the St. James Youth Center nearDonaldsonville, his second interment there, according to Caraway.

However, officials at the center refused to provide details, citing his youth.

Rochelle Touchard, spokeswoman for St. Charles Parish Schools, saidBrown’s attendance record “was not good at all.” She noted that on Aug.18, 1997, Brown was placed in a correctional facility and, in September 1997, he was transferred to Orleans Parish until April 1998.

He had re-enrolled at Hahnville High School as a freshman on Sept. 16,1998, and on Oct. 13 was placed in the ADAPT in-school suspensionprogram. However, he did not attend classes at all in the week prior to hisdeath, Touchard said.

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