Pod Insights Dark Downeast The Murders of Karen Clarke & Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. (Connecticut) About this episode The mother and son had just gotten home from a trip to the store and had no sooner brought their bags into their Bridgeport, Connecticut home when they heard the doorbell ring. As Karen Clarke turned the doorknob to see who was on the other side, she and her son, B. J. Brown Jr., were ambushed and gunned down in their own home.
This case has eyewitnesses, it has clear and critical evidence, it has a strong motive, and I’m here to tell you that it has an ending… But I wouldn’t say it has justice in its entirety. The rug was pulled out from under the feet of Karen and B. J.’s family earlier this year when they learned one of the perpetrators would see the outside of prison walls long before they ever thought possible.
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:01 Kylie Low? Every case starts somewhere. A small town, a missing persons report, a family asking the same questions over and over. But sometimes a story reaches beyond its own community. Its impact extends further, calling for more attention, more conversation, and a wider audience. That's what Crime Junkie does every Monday. Ashley Flowers and Brett Prewat cover the cases you can't stop thinking about, from unsolved murders to missing people to investigations that still need answers. Because every new person who hears the story is another chance to uncover the truth. Listen to Crime Junkie every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:46 Kylie Low? The mother and son had just gotten home from a trip to the store and had no sooner brought their bags into their Bridgeport, Connecticut, home when they heard the doorbell ring. As Karen Clark turned the doorknob to see who was on the other side, she and her son, BJ Brown, were ambushed and gunned down in their own home. This case has eyewitnesses. It has clear and critical evidence. It has a strong motive. And I'm here to tell you that it has an ending, but I wouldn't say it has justice in its entirety. The rug was pulled out from under the feet of Karen and BJ's family earlier this year when they learned one of the perpetrators would see the outside of prison walls long before they ever thought possible.
1:31 Kylie Low? I'm Kylie Low, and this is the case of Karen Clark and Leroy BJ Brown Jr. on Dark Down East.
1:50 Kylie Low? It was around 11:16 a.m. on January 8, 1999, and a coworker of 30-year-old Karen Clark was standing at Karen's duplex on Earl Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut, trying to figure out why the dedicated U-Haul employee hadn't shown up to work. She'd also missed another coworker's going-away party the night before, and none of it made any sense to the people who knew Karen as passionate and punctual.
2:17 Kylie Low? According to an Associated Press report published in the Hartford Current, Karen's coworker stepped into the house to find a devastating scene. At the top of the stairs lay Karen's eight-year-old son Leroy Brown, who went by BJ. He was the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. Just feet away was his mother Karen, who also suffered gunshot wounds. Karen's outstretched arm gave the impression that she was reaching for the phone to call for help when she was gunned down. When police arrived at the scene and the investigation of the double homicide began, they came face to face with the unconscionable reality and apparent motive for these senseless killings.
2:59 Kylie Low? BJ may have only been a second grader, a kid who loved basketball and reading, but he was also expected to play an important role in a pending murder trial. BJ was a key witness, and authorities had reason to believe that this murder was intended to silence the young child's voice. Karen Clark was born in Jamaica on July 30, 1968. According to an in-depth piece written by Joel Lang for the Hartford Current, published in June of 1999, Karen was a teenager when her family immigrated to the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida, where much of her family still lives. Karen later moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut with her cousin Janet Gordon, who says the
3:43 Kylie Low? two were more like sisters. Karen's son Leroy, BJ Brown Jr., was born in Brooklyn on March 27, 1990. At first, he lived with his grandparents while Karen established herself in Bridgeport. The mother and son always had a close bond, and she fought to give him the best life she could. Karen was, above all else, a mother. She worked hard to raise BJ to be the man she knew he could be, and BJ, even at a young age, proved he was destined for all the greatness his mother dreamed for him. By all reports, BJ was a special kid. He was intelligent and mature for his age and a natural leader.
4:25 Kylie Low? Multiple relatives recounted how even at just eight years old, he confidently planned to be America's first black president. Karen's family described her as a go-getter, someone who would achieve anything she set her mind to. She was brilliant and passionate, and always spoke her mind and expressed herself in every way possible. Karen's family credit her hard-working attitude and love for family as the thing that kept them all together. In 1997, Karen had recently been promoted at U-Haul to traffic manager and was excited to build a home with her son and her fiance, Rudolph Snead Jr. They had been together for two years, and she fully planned to marry Rudolph that August.
5:10 Kylie Low? But over the next few years, the dreams they held for all of their lives were ripped apart.
5:17 Kylie Low? In the early 1990s, the city of Bridgeport was almost bankrupt and known as Connecticut's "murder capital." One witness later described his firsthand experience in Bridgeport in the 90s as "addicts robbing other addicts, dealers beating addicts that owed them money, and women selling their bodies for a $10 crack rock. People being stabbed, beaten, or shot was par for the course as I roamed the streets looking for my next hit." It's in the city of Bridgeport where two men, brothers Adrian Peeler and Russell Peeler, started a large-scale drug trafficking operation and began to take over. According to court documents, the Peeler brothers' profits were estimated to be as much as $38,000 per week.
6:02 Kylie Low? In the words of Karen's brother, Oswald Clark, "The Peelers and their operation were well-known by the community and Bridgeport police." Oswald called them "the Untouchables of Bridgeport", and he felt like law enforcement looked the other way. Adrian and Russell's mother, Sheila Peeler, was a prominent Bridgeport police officer, and their aunt worked in the records department. But Sheila died of cancer in 1993 at the age of 43, leaving her son's house and hundreds of thousands of dollars. It has been suggested that the brothers used that inheritance to start their drug trafficking operation.
6:41 Kylie Low? In November of 1995, Adrian Peeler was arrested for narcotics sales. But even being on bond couldn't stop him. On January 19th, 1996, he was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and risk of injury for firing several rounds of a "machine gun" type weapon into an apartment with four children inside. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to concurrent terms of seven years imprisonment with 30 months to be served and three years probation. Over the next few years, the lives of Karen Clark and her son BJ would become entangled in the web the Peelers had woven in Bridgeport.
7:23 Kylie Low? In early September of 1997, Karen Clark's fiance, Rudolph Snead Jr., had been in an apparent ongoing dispute over money with Russell Peeler. On September 2nd, Russell was riding around in a car with three other people when he noticed Rudolph's car in the parking lot of a Bridgeport barber shop. After leaving the barber shop, Rudolph drove to a gas station. He had two seven-year-old kids with him, one of which was his fiance Karen's son, BJ Brown Jr. Russell Peeler waited for Rudolph's car to exit the gas station and then followed him onto the Lindley Street entrance ramp to Route 25 in Bridgeport.
8:06 Kylie Low? As he drove up the ramp, Rudolph, presumably realizing he was being followed, slowed down and pulled off to the side of the road. Russell's car pulled up alongside him. From the passenger seat, Russell pulled out a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and fired several shots into Rudolph's car at him. Rudolph was injured by the gunshots but was still able to drive himself to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport for treatment. While in the hospital, Rudolph and the two boys present in the car were interviewed by Officer Robert Shapiro of Bridgeport Police. Rudolph was able to identify Russell as the man who shot him, and Russell was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
8:50 Kylie Low? In January of 1998, during pretrial discovery in the criminal case for the attempted murder shooting on Lindley Street, Russell was provided with a police report which identified then-eight-year-old BJ Brown as a witness. Now, Russell posted bond on the attempted murder charge, and authorities knew that Rudolph was not safe with the man who shot him, the man who allegedly attempted to kill him, out in the community. So, the following month, an assistant state's attorney filed a motion to hold Russell's trial for attempted murder sooner rather than later because Rudolph had said that he and his family were being threatened. Apparently Rudolph's report of Russell's alleged threats was not good enough, because
9:34 Kylie Low? Russell was out in the community when, on May 29, 1998, he tracked down Rudolph's need at the barber shop a second time to finish what he'd started. The barber shop was busy when 28-year-old Rudolph was shot seven times while talking on the phone. One of the half dozen customers in the shop told police Rudolph called out as he was dying, "It was Russell, yo." But all the witnesses claimed they couldn't see the gunman's face under his hood. According to the Hartford Current, people began to say that only an innocent child would be brave enough to testify against the stone-cold killer. And approximately one
10:15 Kylie Low? week after Rudolph's murder, without prior contact or encouragement from police, Karen Clark brought her son BJ to the Bridgeport Police Station. BJ identified Russell Peeler as the gunman who attempted to kill Rudolph in the first shooting. While no eyewitnesses came forward to identify Russell as the killer in the second shooting, ballistics tests on shell casings retrieved from the murder at the barber shop and the drive-by were analyzed, showing that the shots had been fired from the same gun. So, on June 15, 1998, Russell was arrested and charged with Rudolph's murder.
10:57 Kylie Low? Russell was once again able to post bond, this time with the condition that he wear an ankle monitor and have a 9:00 p.m. curfew. According to court documents from a lawsuit Karen's mother, Perlene Clark, brought against the city of Bridgeport and its police chief at the time, Thomas J. Sweeney, on the day of Russell's release, Bridgeport Police Sergeant Michael Kerwin wrote an internal memo, saying Karen was a witness to her fiancee Rudolph's murder, that the alleged murderer had been released, and he had a history of retaliating against witnesses. The memo stated that Karen's address should be flagged for an appropriate response if she called the police.
11:38 Kylie Low? The next day, by request from the Bridgeport State's Attorney's Office, Bridgeport Police placed police cars in front of Karen and BJ's home to protect them from possible retribution from the Peelers. However, six days later, on July 8, 1998, the police cars were removed because Russell Peeler was sent back to jail. His bond had been increased from $250,000 to $400,000, and he failed to post the additional amount. But it only lasted a few days, because on July 13, Russell posted the higher bond and was once again released. And even though the threat was back on the streets, no police cars were ever again assigned to protect Karen
12:23 Kylie Low? and BJ's home. That same month, the mother and son moved into their new home on Earl Avenue, which happened to be across the street from one of the houses used by the Peeler brothers in their trafficking operation.
12:44 Kylie Low? I'm going all out with holiday decorations this year, because when our family comes over for our Christmas party, I want all the kids to walk into lights and sparkle absolutely everywhere. They're at that age where the magic feels so real, and I want those memories to stay with them. I'm especially excited to get a train to go around the base of our tree, just like I had as a kid. I found the most perfect one, plus ornaments, garland, other tree essentials, all of it at Wayfair. Wayfair makes it easy to find high-quality holiday decorations for every style and budget. Their Wayfair Wayfair Verified Selection helps you find pieces that stand up to real life, and millions of verified customer ratings and photos to help you choose what works for your home. For all things hosting, Wayfair delivers high-quality, customer-trusted products for your home,
13:29 Kylie Low? so you can host and celebrate without the stress. When refreshing your home this holiday season, Wayfair delivers exactly what you need. Head to wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com.
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13:46 Speaker 02 You know that thing where you're scrolling the internet and suddenly you're three hours deep into a celebrity lawsuit?
13:51 Speaker 03 Where you hear a courtroom term and think, wait, what does that actually mean?
13:55 Speaker 02 I'm Eliza Orlands, career public defender.
13:57 Speaker 03 And I'm Taya Johnson, law professor and legal analyst.
14:00 Speaker 02 And on our brand-new podcast, Criminally Online, we break down the law behind the stories you can't stop talking about.
14:07 Speaker 03 No legal degree required, just curiosity. Find Criminally Online wherever you get your podcasts.
14:24 Kylie Low? Prior to the murder of Rudolph Snead Jr., in February of 1998, Russell Peeler's brother, Adrian Peeler, had been released to a residential reentry center in Hartford following his 30-month incarceration for the reckless endangerment and other charges. He then escaped a few months later, in April, and returned to Bridgeport where he immediately jumped back into drug trafficking alongside his brother. That summer, the operation expanded. As of June 1998, the Peelers started selling 24/7 out of a house on Iranistan Avenue. Estimates place their total sales at approximately 1 kilogram of crack cocaine every week.
15:06 Kylie Low? To put that in perspective, today the federal sentencing rage triggered for possession with intent to sell just 280 grams is 10 years to life in prison. And before the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, that penalty was triggered by just 50 grams of crack. Also, at this time, Adrian lived in an apartment on Lincoln Avenue, where the brothers stored not only drugs, but cash and firearms as well. According to court documents, the weapons used in their operation included AR-15s and AK-47s. In addition to the Iranistan Avenue house and the Lincoln Avenue apartment, court records show that the Peelers cooked the crack they sold,
15:47 Kylie Low? converting kilograms of powdered cocaine into cocaine base at a house on Earl Avenue. Meanwhile, it was Karen Clark's goal to buy her first home before she turned 30, and she worked hard to make that dream a reality. According to reporting by Mark Pazniakis for The Hartford Current, during the summer of 1998, Karen bought a duplex on Earl Avenue in Bridgeport. The duplex happened to be right across the street from the house used by the Peeler brothers. Despite being a witness in Russell Peeler's pending trial for the murder of her fiancee Rudolph, Bridgeport Police have claimed that Karen Clark told them she did not want their protection.
16:31 Kylie Low? However, Karen's mother said that wasn't true. A lawsuit claims that Karen only told police she believed marked police cars in front of her home would put her in more danger because they signaled she was cooperating with police, not that she wanted no protection. Karen's mother also stated that Karen made several requests for police protection from the Peelers after the marked police cars were removed in the form of 911 calls that were ignored by Bridgeport Police. As defendants in this lawsuit, BPD argued that this was inadmissible hearsay and claimed to have evidence that she never called 911 after July 8. But based on Karen's own decisions and behaviors at that time, it's obvious she knew that she and BJ were targets,
17:16 Kylie Low? and she was trying to protect herself and her son. In August of 1998, Karen had police arrange BJ's transfer to a different school because Russell Peeler's kids went to the same school he was attending. Now at this time, Russell Peeler apparently still didn't know the state issued a subpoena to Karen and BJ, because during the fall of 1998, he was reportedly speculating on the identity of the state's witness in his murder trial. It was not until December 23rd, 1998, when the state's attorney's office turned over a witness list and witness statements for Russell's murder trial, that he learned BJ and his mother Karen had given the police sworn written statements about the shooting.
18:00 Kylie Low? Although court documents claim the Superior Court ordered the defense counsel not to disclose witnesses' names, Russell somehow found out. Because when Russell learned that BJ's testimony linked him to the Lindley Street attempted murder of Rudolph, and the ballistics evidence connected the shooting to Rudolph's subsequent murder during the second shooting at the barber shop, a target was placed on the backs of the innocent mother and son. Russell reportedly started to talk about killing BJ Brown and Karen Clark before they could testify against him. One of the residents of Adrian and Russell Peeler's house at 200 Earl Avenue, which
18:39 Kylie Low? sat across the street from Karen and BJ's home at 207 Earl Avenue, was Josephine Lee. According to Josephine's future testimony, on January 6th, 1999, Russell and one of his associates were at her house observing Karen's house through the dining room window. Later that day, Josephine witnessed Russell and Adrian talking about something. While in her kitchen, Josephine claims that Russell offered her something like a couple hundred dollars to kill Karen. Josephine testified that she declined and said that she never handled a gun. Russell then turned to his brother Adrian, asking if he would kill Karen. Josephine claimed that Adrian said he'd take care of it.
19:25 Kylie Low? Josephine admitted her role in that day's violence, though. She said she agreed to keep an eye on Karen's house and to call Russell when Karen and her son got home in exchange for drugs. The next day, January 7th, she saw Karen pull into her driveway and get out of the car with BJ. As she agreed to do, Josephine called Russell to let him know. Josephine said that a few minutes later, she saw Adrian Peeler standing in her living room, dressed in all black with a gun in his hand. He greeted Josephine and then left through the front door. Josephine followed him across the street towards Karen's house. Adrian stopped for a moment to talk to an associate who was sitting in a car parked
20:05 Kylie Low? just outside Karen's home, and Josephine testified that she heard Adrian tell his associate that he was going in, and then Josephine was threatened to not say anything. Josephine testified that she and Adrian walked up to Karen's front door, and it was Josephine who rang the doorbell while Adrian hid behind her. She heard Karen call out, "Who is it?", and Josephine responded, "The girl across the street." But as Karen began to open her front door, Adrian pushed past Josephine and forced himself inside. Josephine again followed. According to Josephine, Adrian chased BJ and Karen up a flight of stairs.
20:46 Kylie Low? She heard BJ yelling for his mother while Adrian pursued Karen into an upstairs bedroom. Josephine said she heard Adrian say something about BJ being a witness, and then at least one gunshot rang out from the bedroom. According to court documents, Adrian had to shoot Karen twice because she had made it to the telephone. Josephine said Adrian came out of the bedroom and immediately shot BJ in the head before running out of the house. Court documents show that BJ was shot four times. Josephine said she initially froze after witnessing the murders before running out of the house herself. By the time she stepped outside, Adrian in the car his associate had been sitting in were both gone.
21:28 Kylie Low? Josephine's firsthand account of what she witnessed that night was further corroborated by testimony from Adrian's cousin, Ryan Peeler. Ryan testified that on the evening of the murders, he drove Adrian's brother, Russell's car, which he had borrowed that day, back over to Russell's house. Ryan said he and Russell played video games together for a while, and as they played, Russell told him that he'd been home all day, and his brother Adrian was "doing something" for him. When Ryan left his house, Russell told him to take the car. When Karen didn't show up to work the next day, January 8th, that coworker was sent to her house to check on her.
22:08 Kylie Low? It was this coworker who discovered the scene of the double homicide. After the murders, Adrian reportedly drove to the Comfort Inn Motel in Milford and checked in under a fake name. Over the next few days, he only left to go to the mall in Stamford with two of his associates. He then purchased a round-trip plane ticket to North Carolina under a fake name. Initially, he booked a flight that departed on January 10th, 1999, and returned on January 16th. However, he then changed the dates for departure on January 17th with a return flight on January 23rd. Adrian never actually used the plane ticket, but he was still on the lam when, on January
22:48 Kylie Low? 14th, 1999, police arrested his brother Russell for the murders of BJ and Karen. Soon after the Bridgeport Post ran a story about the arrest, Adrian asked an associate to drive him to New York City, where he booked a train to North Carolina. About a week later, on January 21st, 1999, members of the FBI Fugitive Task Force apprehended Adrian Peeler in connection with the murders of BJ and Karen. He was then charged with two counts of capital felony, one count of murder, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
23:31 Kylie Low? I've been trying to get a head start on holiday shopping this year, and I've realized that some of the best gifts are just really nice versions of things people already use every day, which is why I always turn to my BFF, Quince. I got my daughter the cutest lightweight puffer jacket, which is perfect for layering during these colder months. And don't worry, she doesn't know how to find the podcast app yet, so she won't hear this and spoil her gift. As a New Englander, high-quality outerwear is key, but I can't justify paying triple digits for a jacket that'll fit her for like two snowstorms. Quince is high-quality, everyday essentials, not high prices, because they work directly with factories and cut out the middleman. I know you can find what you're looking for from Quince:
24:15 Kylie Low? cashmere sweaters, organic cotton basics, bedding, luggage, a gift for everyone, and hey, pal, you deserve to treat yourself too. Gold hoop earrings, add to cart. Give the gift of quality this holiday season. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was dark down east. It's the best way to support the show.
24:45 Kylie Low? Picture this: snow falling outside, nowhere you need to be, and you're tucked into bed with a good book. Or in my case, hundreds of pages of court records for a new case, because we all have our ways of unwinding. I've been really intentional about making my bedroom feel like a cozy retreat, and my latest addition is the Dream Comforter from Bowlin Branch. It has this beautiful, relaxed texture that makes my bed look like something out of a boutique hotel, and the layered organic cotton is incredibly soft and cozy without feeling like too much or too heavy. It's the kind of bedding that makes getting out of bed on a cold morning even more difficult. Pros and cons, but mostly pros. It's all one piece, too, which means you're not wrestling with a duvet cover.
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26:05 Kylie Low? According to the Hartford Current, annual reports showed that in 1998, Bridgeport had 36 homicides with no arrests made in 22 of those cases. This reflects a clearance rate of under 40% compared to the 67% in the nearby city of Hartford at the time. It was also common perception at the time that Bridgeport police were indifferent towards violent crime in the minority community, especially when it was connected to drugs. In a victim impact statement, Karen's brother Oswald said, "Karen tried everything to protect herself and her child, but her killers were allowed to roam throughout the Bridgeport neighborhood in full view of law enforcement." End quote.
26:47 Kylie Low? Police Chief Thomas Sweeney somewhat addressed this in an interview at a memorial for Karen and BJ, calling drug and gang-related murders more challenging to solve because killings happen in a cluster. And that defense lawyers could, quote, "almost count on witnesses being eliminated before their cases come to trial because of the gang lifestyle." End quote. Oswald reflected in an interview with Matthew Daly for the Hartford Current that his sister and nephew may have been alive if the state had stronger witness protections in place. What's wild is that prior to Karen and BJ's murders, the state had a budget of just $30,000 a year for witness protection. After the failure of the protection program came to light,
27:32 Kylie Low? then Attorney General Richard Blumenthal estimated that a proper witness protection program would cost millions.
27:39 Kylie Low? On July 8, 1999, then-Governor John G. Roland signed a new witness-protection bill into law that overhauled the existing laws that failed Karen and BJ six months earlier, thus creating the Leroy Brown Jr. and Karen Clark Witness Protection Program. The program increased the state budget for witness protection to $500,000, which was more than 15 times the former budget. And a new law came into play: Witness Intimidation. The new witness-protection law makes it so the chief state's attorney has to provide police protection for high-risk witnesses, and allows judges to issue restraining orders to prevent harassment.
28:23 Kylie Low? It also makes it easier to revoke a defendant's bail if authorities believe they are a risk to a witness, and requires the state to decide within three days whether to overturn a parent's decision to reject police protection for a child. One area of disagreement in this case is whether Karen rejected protection from police following her fiancee Rudolph's murder, like police claim, but Karen's family, as well as elected officials, have disputed this. Now, the new law requires protection for witnesses unless they specifically refuse in writing, so police won't be able to make this claim that a witness refused protection without written proof. The updated law also mandates that any cash bond exceeding $10,000 must undergo financial
29:07 Kylie Low? disclosure to allow authorities to assess whether the money was acquired through illegal means. This is response to the fact that Adrian Peeler's friends showed up to court with $50,000 in cash wrapped in a towel as his bail money. In August of 1999, Adrian and Russell Peeler, as well as four co-defendants, were charged in a superseding indictment related to drug trafficking, so not related to the murders. Throughout the summer and fall of 1999, which was after the murders of Karen and BJ in January of that year, the co-conspirators each pled guilty to count one: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine base.
29:53 Kylie Low? This federal drug trial took place before Adrian Peeler faced trials for charges stemming from Karen and BJ's murders. Now because of Adrian's prior felony drug conviction, the statutory mandatory minimum sentence was increased from 10 years to 20 years. And on November 9, 1999, Adrian entered a plea deal with the government, agreeing to plead guilty to the drug charges. The following week, on November 19, 1999, his brother Russell went to trial for the same count Adrian agreed to plead guilty on. The evidence against him was largely based on testimony from co-conspirators. On March 24, 2000, Russell was sentenced to life in prison for the federal drug charges.
30:37 Kylie Low? Russell had been convicted of Rudolph's Needs murder already and was serving a life sentence, so the new federal sentences would run concurrently to that. Adrian Peeler's sentencing took place after that, on May 30, 2000. At this time, he still had not yet gone to trial for the murder charges for BJ and Karen's killings. The judge made it clear that his sentencing was only for the federal drug conspiracy charges, and she was not considering the pending murder charges in her sentencing. During the sentencing, Adrian moved to withdraw his guilty plea, but the court denied it. However, he was given a two-level adjustment for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in a sentencing guideline range of 360 months to life.
31:22 Kylie Low? Had he not been given acceptance of responsibility, it would have been a mandatory life sentence. The judge imposed a sentence of 420 months or 35 years imprisonment, stating, quote, "I'm not going to sentence you at the bottom of the guideline range. You don't deserve it." End quote. Following the sentencing for the federal drug charges in the summer of 2000, Russell Peeler finally faced trial for the murders of Karen Clark and BJ Brown. He was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as two counts of capital felony stemming from the murder of a child under the age of 16. The other capital felony count relates to the killing of more than one person at the same time.
32:06 Kylie Low? According to reporting by Denise Leroy for The Record Journal, a large part of the prosecution's case was testimony by key witness Josephine Lee, who gave her eyewitness account of Russell asking his brother Adrian to kill Karen and BJ. Other witnesses included inmates and people identified as drug dealers, who said they heard Russell make incriminating statements about the killings. It serves to point out, because I haven't yet, that Josephine was arrested as a co-conspirator in the murders of Karen and BJ. She pleaded guilty prior to Russell's trial as part of a plea bargain, which capped any sentence she might receive at seven years. Josephine later wrote letters wanting to do less time in prison, though,
32:49 Kylie Low? and those letters raised significant questions about her credibility. She wrote that everything she told investigators was a lie, and she did not have anything to do with the murders. So the defense challenged the credibility of Josephine and the other witnesses, but ultimately, the jury found the testimony to be reliable or at least believable. The jury convicted Russell Peeler, and later, he was sentenced to death. However, his sentence was later changed to life in prison, without the possibility of release. Russell's conviction for his part in the murders of Karen and BJ was a form of justice for their families. But whatever beliefs they may have held about that word "justice" would only hold for so long. Because years later, the person they believed,
33:34 Kylie Low? who an eyewitness testified actually pulled the trigger in the executions of the mother and son, would eventually be awarded another chance at freedom.
33:45 Kylie Low? After his federal sentencing, and after his brother was tried and convicted for the same double homicide case, Adrian Peeler went to trial for the murders of BJ Brown and Karen Clark. The star witness of this trial was, again, Josephine Lee, who testified that she was present during the murders, and witnessed the whole thing. Now, during their closing argument, Adrian's defense counsel tried to discredit Josephine, just like they had in Russell's trial, in an attempt to cast doubt on her testimony, specifically pointing to the fact that her story had changed. Initially, Josephine had said in police statements that she saw Adrian flee the scene on foot, while testifying in court that she saw him be driven away.
34:28 Kylie Low? The defense argued that this change in story was only due to the fact that the state received information that Adrian had pre-existing leg injuries, which would have made it impossible to run from the scene of the murders. Josephine herself admitted that she used drugs during this time period, often mixing substances like cocaine and alcohol. She also said she had mental health challenges and sometimes experienced hallucinations and heard voices. Nevertheless, the state's attorney called Josephine a survivor, arguing that if the accused killer had more bullets available, Adrian would have killed Josephine too. But he'd used all his bullets by shooting Karen twice and BJ four times.
35:12 Kylie Low? This was emphasized by testimony from the associate of Adrian's, who was sitting in a car outside the house on the day of the murders. When asked at the trial why they would kill Karen if BJ was the witness they wanted dead, the witness replied, "If God Almighty was in the room, they would have killed him too." Now, according to the prosecution, Adrian had already told on himself in a way when he was arrested. Initially, he chose to remain silent and not give detectives' testimony, but a few days following his arrest, Adrian requested to speak to FBI Agent Mark Razi. He told Agent Razi that his cellphone would clear his name in the murders of BJ and Karen
35:55 Kylie Low? because it would explain his whereabouts at the time of the murders. Yet, when the agent asked about his whereabouts that day, he said he could not recall where he had been earlier than 5:00 PM when he checked into the Comfort Inn. The state's attorney argued that this behavior actually proved that Adrian knew what time the murders were committed, despite the fact that it had not been released to the media. The prosecutor pointed out that if you look at Adrian's cellphone records the days surrounding the murders, the busiest one quarter of an hour on the entire monthly bill conveniently starts right around the time the victims arrived home.
36:33 Kylie Low? When I read this next part in the source material, I truly could not believe my eyes. Despite the evidence the state presented in an attempt to prove to the jury that Adrian Peeler was the killer responsible for claiming the lives of Karen Clark and her young son BJ, the jury did not agree with their version of the case. The jury acquitted Adrian Peeler of murder and capital felony, convicting him only of conspiracy to commit murder. Adrian was sentenced to a combined 25-year state sentence for this charge, as well as charges stemming from his escape from a Department of Corrections Residential Reentry Center and assaulting a Department of Corrections employee.
37:14 Kylie Low? During Adrian's sentencing, the judge did not mince words, saying to Adrian, quote, "In comparison to the two innocent lives lost here, a review of the defendant's life reveals that it is without meaning or merit. It is a list of negatives with no positives. He is an extremely dangerous and cruel and heartless person. Jails were made for people like Adrian Peeler and his brother. Quite frankly, it's difficult to think of him as a person with a soul or with any kind of human feelings. He's a self-centered, self-absorbed coward." End quote. Though his federal trial had taken place before, Adrian would serve his 25-year state
37:59 Kylie Low? sentence for the conspiracy to commit murder conviction first. It was during his incarceration for that conviction when he began applying for a reduction of his federal sentence, connected to the drug convictions, which he was set to start right when his state sentence ended. The state term for conspiracy to commit murder was up on April 9, 2022, at which point he would immediately be transferred to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his consecutive sentence of 35 years for drug-related charges. Now Adrian Peeler was looking not only to shorten his federal sentence, he also wanted to have it changed to run concurrent to his state sentence, meaning he would get credit for the time he'd already served.
38:42 Kylie Low? He filed a resentencing motion twice, once in 2020 and again in 2021. In both cases, he attempted to use the First Step Act, which President Trump signed into law to reduce the size of the federal prison population. In both cases, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut responded by sending the court a government's opposition to the proposed resentencing. The document, obtained through the U.S. Attorney's Office, lays out the reasons why Adrian Peeler's conviction should not be shortened under the First Step Act. Now, the First Step Act raised the threshold for a 10-years-to-life sentence for crack
39:21 Kylie Low? cocaine from 50 to 280 grams, but didn't change penalties for amounts above that. Since Adrian Peeler's operation trafficked multiple kilograms, his probation officer conservatively estimated 8.4 to 25.2 kilograms, the government argued his offense wasn't eligible for relief under the Act. In further opposition to Adrian's sentence reduction, prosecutors emphasized his "extensive criminal history," including leadership in a violent drug ring, his conviction for involvement in the execution-style murder of a mother and her child to silence witnesses, an assault on a corrections officer, and an escape from custody. They argued that he doesn't fit the Act's goal of aiding nonviolent offenders, and that
40:06 Kylie Low? he posed a continued threat to public safety, citing concerns raised by his own psychologist. Victim impact statements reinforced that stance. Karen Clark's sister, Carrie Ann Casanova, described the lasting "trauma caused by the murders and Adrian's lack of remorse." At a 2020 parole hearing, Adrian deflected responsibility, saying he was "only convicted of conspiracy." Carrie Ann said that "in the emotional fallout from the loss of Karen and BJ, her mother's health deteriorated. She fell into a depression and ultimately died of a broken heart due to grief." Carrie Ann questioned a justice system that prioritized offender rights over those of
40:51 Kylie Low? victims. While Adrian cited his "good behavior" and "psychological stability" as grounds for release, the government argued his mental health report showed denial and minimization of his crimes. Adrian referred to the murders as merely "an incident in which he was arrested for murder," without acknowledging his role.
41:12 Kylie Low? Despite the government and loved ones pleading with the court not to resentge Adrian Peeler, on November 16th, 2021, he was resentge to 180 months or 15 years, but still to be served consecutively to his state charge. After receiving the sentence reduction, Adrian went on to appeal his federal drug charge twice in 2024, both of which were denied. However, the multiple rejections of his appeals didn't matter because on January 17th, 2025, Adrian Peeler was one of 2,490 people whose sentence was commuted.
41:57 Kylie Low? I've been trying to get a head start on holiday shopping this year and I've realized that some of the best gifts are just really nice versions of things people already use every day, which is why I always turn to my BFF, Quince. I got my daughter the cutest lightweight puffer jacket, which is perfect for layering during these colder months. And don't worry, she doesn't know how to find the podcast app yet, so she won't hear this and spoil her gift. As a New Englander, high-quality outerwear is key, but I can't justify paying triple digits for a jacket that'll fit her for like two snowstorms. Quince is high-quality, everyday essentials, not high prices because they work directly with factories and cut out the middleman. I know you can find what you're looking for from Quince:
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44:32 Kylie Low? Adrian Peeler, now 48 years old in 2025, was originally sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison between his federal and state convictions. As reported by Edmund H. Mahoney for The Hartford Current, Adrian's federal conviction had already been shortened from 35 to 15 years in response to a federal sentencing reform law. But still, Adrian was not supposed to be released from McDowell Correctional Institute in West Virginia until 2033.
45:02 Kylie Low? However, before leaving office in 2025, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of over 2,400 people. Adrian Peeler was one of those people. With the commutation, Adrian's release date was moved up from October 2033 to this coming July of 2025. According to reporting by the Hartford Current, the White House said the commutations list was "meant to correct racial inequalities in the way law enforcement responded to, quote, 'what was then a crack epidemic,' end quote." The Biden administration sought to shorten the sentences of "nonviolent drug offenders who received an unfairly harsh sentencing due to their race."
45:47 Kylie Low? But why was Adrian Peeler someone with such a violent history? A history of connection to the murder of witnesses in retaliation included in this list? A commuted sentence, by the way, is a form of clemency, but to actually be granted clemency is extremely rare. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney, only 6% of clemency applications submitted during Biden's administration were granted. What did those 6% of applicants have to do to get clemency? Well, it is approved through the pardon attorney, whose job it is to review all the petitions for clemency.
46:28 Kylie Low? The pardon attorney writes a report and recommendation for each case they present to the president. In a justice manual released by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, it explains how the pardon attorney investigates petitions. The manual states that the pardon attorney routinely requests input from the United States Attorney or Assistant Attorney General in the District of Conviction. One of these offices, which would be more familiar with the case than the one attorney receiving thousands of petitions, can then provide comments and recommendations on clemency cases.
47:03 Kylie Low? Dark Down East reporter Jackie O'Brien reached out to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut, and we were informed that the office was not consulted in regard to Adrian Peeler's commuted sentence. And the Connecticut Attorney General's Office told us they have no jurisdiction or involvement in the case. In an effort to find out who, if anyone, was consulted, we also reached out to the US Pardon Attorney's Office, but received no response. Connecticut US Senator Richard Blumenthal, who was the Attorney General when the murders took place, said the clemency appeared to be an oversight. He said in a statement that it seemed like someone "dropped the ball." He went on to say, "This was a really vicious murder
47:48 Kylie Low? that changed our laws. It also highlights how we need to take a look at the pardon system to see how it can be improved." So, on January 25, 2025, Senator Blumenthal released the Pardon Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025. According to Blumenthal's press release, the bill is a direct reaction to President Trump's pardons of the January 6th insurrectionists. However, he made his thoughts clear on the dangers of pardon power in general. His goal with the constitutional amendment is to "cut and curb" the president's virtually unrestricted power to circumvent criminal justice. The Pardon Transparency and Accountability Act would require
48:33 Kylie Low? the president to publish a written explanation with the reasons for granting each clemency, and require the pardon attorney to release a justice impact statement that considers the impact of each clemency on ongoing investigations and prosecutions. It would also give victims a voice by requiring notification for all victims so they can submit their opinions. Had Karen and BJ's family been able to give their opinions, perhaps their words would have had the necessary impact to keep Adrian Peeler behind bars.
49:06 Kylie Low? When Adrian was requesting a reduction in his sentence, Karen's brother Oswald wrote in a victim impact statement that his family endured over two decades of lies, misinformation, demoralization, and generalizations from the very agencies that were designed to protect Karen and BJ. Quote, "We are again reminded and forced to accept the fact that the life of Karen and BJ was only worth 20 years in prison. Adrian Peeler's drug conspiracy charges were 35 years, so his ability to sell drugs to a whole community was considered more egregious and a greater depravity than the life of my sister and my nephew." Oswald has also said, quote, "Their life tragically was interrupted by two murderous monsters
49:49 Kylie Low? that the city of Bridgeport and the state of Connecticut allowed to rampage and terrorize a whole community inflicting harm, threats, drugs, and murder." End quote.
50:02 Kylie Low? Karen and BJ's family has said that BJ saw his mother as a hero, and Karen saw BJ as a hero himself. According to the Hartford Current, BJ became a national hero because he was a child witness. The year of his murder, his picture was shown twice during the memorial segment of the NAACP Image Awards. He was a bright, young child with big dreams. He'd be president someday, he was sure of it, and his mother Karen would be right there beside him, cheering her beloved son on in any endeavor he chose to pursue. She was ambitious and passionate herself, and perhaps most of all, she was proud to be BJ's mother. I want to leave you with the words of BJ's peers.
50:47 Kylie Low? At the Reed School, where BJ was a student, his classmates decided to leave his desk empty after his death. They also created an album in his memory. One classmate's entry read, quote, "The class had a spark when you were here. Now it does not. I wish you would come back, but that will never happen anyway. I hope you are in heaven and having a good time. I'm sorry that you got shot. Whoever shot you is a very bad person. I hope you are an angel." End quote.
51:27 Kylie Low? Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this case at darkdowneast.com. Be sure to follow the show on Instagram @darkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Low, and this is Dark Down East. Dark Down East is a production of Kylie Media and AudioChuck. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve? (growling) In New England, investigations can shift with the tide.
52:12 Kylie Low? And my friend Delia Diambra, host of Park Predators, knows just how the landscape can shape a case. From beaches to national parks around the world, Delia investigates true crime cases as compelling as the places where they occurred. Through her signature boots-on-the-ground reporting, she goes beyond the headlines and speaks directly with those closest to the case. If you're ready to follow the evidence beyond the trail, listen to Park Predators every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.
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