Lenoir City Mother Indicted for

On Friday (3.13.20) our office presented to the Loudon County Grand Jury a five count indictment charging Lenoir City resident, Melani Sue Brown (38 yof), with the early Wednesday morning murder of her three year old son, King Brown, at their McGhee Square apartment. The case was presented by LCPD Investigators Lynette Ladd and Jason Smith.

Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, the head medical examiner of Knox County Regional Forensic Center, also testified about the manner of death and autopsy results.

The Grand Jury returned the indictment for first degree (premeditated) murder, two counts of felony-murder based on aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect, as well as one count each of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect. Melani Brown remains in UT Medical Center in serious condition due to self-inflicted knife wounds.

Due to the Tennessee Supreme Court's order released on Friday closing most aspects of all Tennessee courts, as well as the current hospitalization of the Defendant, her being taken into custody and arraigned has not yet occurred, nor has a date for arraignment been set.

Chief: Lenoir City mother charged with murder, suspected of killing 3-year-old son with kitchen knife

Investigators believe the woman killed her young son before attempting to kill herself.

LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. WBIR.com — The Lenoir City Police Department said a mother is being charged with murder, saying they believe she killed her 3-year-old son and then tried to kill herself.

A grand jury in Loudon County indicted 38-year-old Melani Sue Brown for multiple charges Friday, including premeditated first degree murder, felony murder by aggravated child abuse, felony murder by aggravated child neglect, aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect.

Brown is still being treated at UT Medical Center in serious condition, and Chief of Police Don White said they are waiting for her condition to improve before serving warrants and bringing her into the Loudon County Jail.

"It's such a tough thing for our community. This is the worst situation for us as law enforcement as well as the community and family and friends. This little boy was very active in the community that he live in, and it's just a sad situation and it was just a horrific event," White said. "It's been a rough few days for everyone involved. Pray for our community, this was a hard week."

White told 10News the child's grandmother called 911 at about 2:40 a.m. Wednesday, telling dispatchers that the boy was unconscious.

Investigators said she came to McGhee Square apartments, located at 225 Kelly Lane, after she got a call from her daughter, 38-year-old Melani Sue Brown.

"As her mother was questioning her about where her son was at, she got very concerned and drove over to the apartment complex," said Chief White.

When the grandmother arrived, she found Brown in the parking lot and said the two walked inside together, and that's when she found her grandson, King Brown, unconscious on the floor and called 911. The grandmother started CPR at the direction of the 911 dispatcher.

While her mother was trying to save King, White said Brown started stabbing herself.

First responders arrived and pronounced the boy dead and transported Melani Brown to the hospital.

Chief White said they believe the mother cut the boy with a large kitchen knife. They do not believe anyone else was involved.

"All evidence leads to Ms. Brown, Ms. Melani Brown as our primary suspect and who committed this horrific crime against her son," he said. "We just want to know. We just want to know you know what led up to this to this end."

White said his officers and DCS had been called to Brown's apartment several times in the past, and that some of his officers were familiar with King because they'd seen him playing outside.

Neighbors told 10News that Brown was well known in the apartment complex and was often out on his own.

"He was always out. I mean always running, playing, like I said, was telling you he loved his action figures, his Captain America," said neighbor Mike Helton.

"He came over to my son's birthday party and you know had cake and Ice cream and just had a blast. You know, he was just, he wanted to be fit in, loved," said Helton.

"Me and my wife has been crying a little bit this morning. Not something you expect to hear or wake up to," he said.

His mother, Melani Brown, faced prior charges. According to court records, she was arrested in 2017 for driving with a suspended license.

Those records state that an officer pulled Brown over for driving 17 miles per hour over the speed limit. Investigators found that her license was already suspended for failure to pay fines in Knoxville.