A tragic and shocking story has unfolded in Wayne County, West Virginia, where a man is accused of a horrifying crime that left his fiancée and her mother dead. Joshua Russell Morrow, a 42-year-old convicted murderer, allegedly stabbed Britney Brown, 34, and her mother, Irma Brown, 57, before setting his home on fire. After the crime, he reportedly dropped off his 15-month-old daughter at a friend’s house and fled, sparking an Amber Alert.
The chain of events began on Sunday evening. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s camera showed Morrow pulling up to his home on Spring Valley Drive at 7:54 p.m. He was seen leaving the property just 28 minutes later. Soon after, a bright glow was visible on the footage, believed to be the growing flames of a fire inside the house.
At 9:42 p.m., Morrow showed up at a friend’s house in Hamlin, which is about 40 miles northeast of his home. He left his toddler daughter there, claiming people were trying to “put him in jail.” According to witnesses, he also made an eerie statement, saying “they’re all gone” and “went up in a blaze.”
Not long after, firefighters were called to the house on Spring Valley Drive, arriving at 10:40 p.m. They managed to put out the fire but discovered the bodies of Britney and Irma Brown in the rubble. Investigators later found stab wounds and blood on the bodies, determining that the two women had been murdered.
Police quickly began searching for Morrow after neighbors reported that both he and the child were missing. They reviewed the surveillance footage, which showed Morrow driving away as the fire engulfed the house. This information, combined with tips from locals, helped police identify him as the main suspect. An Amber Alert was issued to locate the baby, and a warrant was put out for Morrow’s arrest.
Thankfully, the baby was found safe just an hour later at the friend’s home in Hamlin. Early the next morning, police caught up with Morrow in Huntington, about 20 miles north of the crime scene, and took him into custody.
This isn’t Morrow’s first run-in with the law. When he was just 18, he was indicted in Kanawha County for murder. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and served time before being released on parole in 2017.
For now, Morrow is being held at the Western Regional Jail without bail. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine if he will face additional charges, including ones related to taking his daughter. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. This devastating story has left the local community in shock and mourning for the lives lost.
