Brown denied parole for Loudon m

Several months after pleading guilty for her involvement in the death of a Loudon man, LaQueena Deelisa Brown was denied parole for the first time.

Brown appeared remotely at the Knoxville parole office March 18 from West Tennessee State Prison.

“The family was with us,” Robert Edwards, 9th Judicial District assistant district attorney, said in an email correspondence. “This was a safety valve release hearing that brought about a hearing about three years before her regular eligibility. After our comments and the comments of the family members present, the hearing officer recommended parole be denied and that the next hearing take place in three years. The full parole board agreed and issued a ruling to that effect that we received this morning. The reason for denial was stated as she had not yet served enough time to be considered for early release.”

Brown pleaded guilty in September for her involvement in the May 2017 death of James Johnson in Loudon. She received 22 years in jail, with credit for time served, for facilitation of first-degree murder during a felony robbery. She also agreed to offer testimony against Christopher Blake Orr of Ooltewah and Clarence Montrell Porter of Chattanooga, the others involved in the slaying.

Porter and Orr face charges of first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, theft and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Loudon Police Officer Marty Ward arrived at the scene at 3:34 p.m. May 10, 2017, at 201 Hill St., Loudon, for what was initially believed to be a possible heart attack and then thought a possible suicide. Law enforcement later deemed the death a homicide.

Edwards said trials for Orr and Porter are May 4 and June 1, respectively.