Family of dismissed murder case speaks out after waiting 8 years for justice

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Six cases were dropped due to alleged misconduct by two Savannah Police Department’s (SPD) officers, who were indicted earlier this year.

We spoke with the family of one victim, Hannah Brown, who has been waiting for justice for eight long years, only to face another heartbreaking setback.

In April 2016, Brown was killed when she arrived home and found herself caught in gang-related crossfire and 60 rounds of ammunition were fired into her car. After eight years of waiting for the alleged killer to be brought to justice, Brown’s family said that the justice system has failed them.

“Even though the justice system failed me, I know God won’t,” Ulesea Jones said, Brown’s sister said.

Brown’s case is one of the six dismissed due to evidence tampering and false statements made by two former SPD officers. The family was informed that taking the case to trial was no longer an option.

“It wouldn’t be a good idea to take it to trial because, you know, tampered evidence and so forth and so on,” Jones said. “And I’m like, excuse me, really? Eight years we waited.”

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson addressed the situation, said that the cases could easily be recharged.

“But the fact of the matter is one detective does not a case make because the evidence is still there,” said Johnson. “The testimony is still there. The scientific proof is still there. And the fact is, these cases could be easily recharged.”

Jones expressed her concerns, wondering how other murder cases in Savannah might be handled if evidence tampering is involved.

“Oh, it really makes me wonder now,” she questioned, “how would the rest of the murders in this city be handled if there’s an issue of tampering? And who else is going to get, you know, to walk away scot-free?”

Despite the heartbreak, Jones said her family will continue to live life to the fullest, just as Brown would have wanted.

“I’m not going to live in fear. I’m not going to be afraid to walk the streets of Savannah,” she said. “I said, I’m not going to be looking over my shoulders. I’m going to live. That’s what I’m going to do. And I’m going to remember my sister as I knew her.”