Murdered Pregnant Woman's Family Struggles Through Emotional Testimony

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Ma'am, could you please state your name and spell your first and last name with a board order? [00:00:07] Brandi Moran: Brandi Moran. B-R-A-N-D-I-M-O-R-A-N. [00:00:15] Speaker 1: You heard me say a few minutes ago that you were Jane's aunt and would have been Ivy's great aunt. Is that correct? That's correct. And just so we're clear about the relationship, explain the family dynamics to us. [00:00:34] Brandi Moran: Well, she was my niece, but I was there with my sister the day she was born. I was in the delivery room when she was born. And for lack of not having children of my own for many years, she was like a daughter to me. My sister and I are very close, and so she was more than just a niece to me. And the same with my husband. [00:01:00] Speaker 1: And just to be totally clear, who is your sister? My sister is Bridget Benning-Barks. And so you have known or knew Jane from the moment she was born? It was the first time she took this off. And throughout her life, did you remain in her life? [00:01:25] Brandi Moran: She was like I said, she was like another child or like my only child for a long time. In fact, she was 13 when I finally had my child. And she was less than thrilled that I was bringing someone into the world to take her place, which he never did. But we took her, my husband and I took her to Disney World for the first time. I took her on her first trip to New York. She loved to travel. She was full of adventure. We traveled Europe together. And we were in each other's last one. She had a culinary school. She lived with my husband and I. So we were very, very close. [00:02:10] Speaker 1: And where were you when you learned about the February 25th, 2023 incident? [00:02:17] Brandi Moran: I was at my home in Northwest Arkansas. And I was actually folding laundry. My sister called. And said something's happened with Jane. I don't know what's going on. But we're heading to Nashville. And I immediately had to, well, we talked for a little bit. She was in the car. And in the meantime, my husband and I was in the background, Northwest Arkansas doesn't have a ton of direct flights. And it's a good 10 or 11 hours from here. So he was getting flights for me the earliest that we could get in Kansas City. And we actually drove all night so I could catch a first 6 a.m. flight out of Kansas City to get to the hospital. [00:03:03] Speaker 1: Did you know before arriving in the hospital that Jane was expecting? [00:03:09] Brandi Moran: Oh, yes. Every, I learned that Jane was expecting on November 9th, 2022. Because it was my son's 10th birthday. And she had actually traveled to Arizona. And I was in Scottsdale for work. And my work was wrapping up. And I was flying out my son. And Jane flew out and my best friend so we could celebrate my son's 10th birthday together. And so she arrived at the hotel. And I was extremely excited that my event was over with. And was ready to, you know, relax and, you know, wanted to have a cocktail with her. And she kept refusing. And so she finally had to tell me without everybody being there. But she had gotten me a little bag that said that only the greatest ants become a great ants. And it had a picture of the ultrasound inside. So from then on, every, if you look in our text, every single communication after that was about this baby. [00:04:17] Speaker 1: And so it would be fair to say that you were looking forward to being a great ant. Oh, yes. [00:04:23] Brandi Moran: I had already asked off work to, well, I didn't have to ask off work. I worked remotely. I had already informed my boss that from June, middle of June, through when my son had to go back to school, I would be working remote in Nashville, helping her learn how to become a mom. [00:04:46] Speaker 1: The jury has heard that she was removed from life support. She had to be on her birthday. Is that correct? That's correct. What was that like for you, yourself, going through that? [00:05:05] Brandi Moran: It was probably, I thought, when my mother passed away. A few years prior to that, that was the hardest thing I was ever going to go through. But nothing prepares you for what you see as your family's future going away. And although she wasn't physically my daughter, it was like losing a child. And not in a way that was fair. And especially at a time when my very last text to her was, I'll see you on your birthday to celebrate. And that's what I was expecting that weekend before. I didn't expect to be driving to Nashville. Experience what we experienced. [00:05:43] Speaker 1: From the moment you heard, you got to Nashville and saw what was happening. Has there been a day that's gone by that you haven't had this on your mind? [00:06:00] Brandi Moran: No, no, it's completely changed. We have a small family to begin with. And it's taken away every, I won't say it's taken away happiness. I've done a lot with therapy and grief. And it's never going to go away. But there's never going to be pure joy in the celebrations that we have. Because there's always going to be one of the big pieces of our joy missing. [00:06:27] Speaker 1: And with respect to the family, your sister, Brownie, people we have heard from, have you seen how this has affected them? [00:06:44] Brandi Moran: Oh, it's everything. I mean, it's how we operate in life now. It's even how I allow my son to do things. Because I just, we are a normal family. We, it's just, this isn't anything you ever think you're going to talk about. When I say we were boring, we were boring people. And we liked it that way. And just, you can't let go of the fact that this type of thing now you know really happens to other people. It happens to you too. And it can't happen to you. And so it impacts every decision, every thought. There's just, across the board with my sister, with, you know, our father, with my husband. My, my son was 10 at the time. And just trying to explain to him why somebody that was, you know, just like a sibling to him is no longer here. [00:07:43] Speaker 1: And I was going to ask you about that. And I was going to ask you about that. Who was, Jade and your son would be, what, cousins? They were cousins, but they were closer than that. [00:07:51] Brandi Moran: They fought like brothers and sisters. And she was 13 when he was born. And then she turned into his babysitter. And then, you know, she hit adulthood. And he had a little bit of a problem with her being an adult and not just his cousin, Jay. And so they fought like brothers and sisters. And there's just, it's, it's really hard for me, like I said, because we have a small family. And my husband and I had our son late in life, and we don't have a lot of other relatives, and she was his only cousin. And he's not going to have her now later in life the way I've had my sister. Like I relied on, you know, and she'd watch out for him. She could put him in his place like no other. And just, it, it kills me that I know that he's not going to have that anymore. [00:08:44] Speaker 1: And have you seen that actually affect your son? [00:08:46] Brandi Moran: Oh, definitely. I mean, we've, our entire family has gone through therapy. He had a lot of problems, right, when everything happened in school, just with behaviors. And, I mean, it's, it's impacted every single, every single day since it happened. [00:09:08] Speaker 1: Prior to this was your sister. Family unit, happy. [00:09:16] Brandi Moran: Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, we were, you know, my husband and her husband are good friends. She and I are best friends. And, like, his children, like, we all were just beyond just a happy, like I said, happy but boring, normal family. And, there's just, I think somebody mentioned Jade's light, and that light's on, and there's a dimness over our entire family that I don't ever see us getting back. [00:09:49] Speaker 1: Can you describe, put in words, what you have seen that's due to your sister, to Jade's mother, Ivy's grandmother? [00:10:04] Speaker ?: It's just a destroyer. When she talked about Jade being her life, she was her life. [00:10:11] Brandi Moran: Because every day, and aside from the fear and the hurt enough she has, I've lived with the fear of, like, does she want to be able to get back at us? And, thinking about my sister not being here because she can't live without her daughter has been probably one of the hardest things that I've set and just prayed and hoped that she is strong enough and will be strong enough. Because I can't imagine, I can't, I look at my own child, every mother's day I feel guilty that he's still here, and my sister doesn't have her little cripple anymore. [00:11:00] Speaker 1: Thank you, Ms. Morinan, no further questions. [00:11:04] Speaker 3: Hang on, just a moment. Question? No question. All right, thank you. You can have a seat. Who's the next witness? [00:11:13] Speaker 4: Ms. Browning. [00:11:29] Speaker ?: Do you start a testimony about to give to you the truth or what do you love? Yes, I do. [00:11:48] Speaker 4: Ms. Browning, could you please state Ms. Browning in the right hand? [00:11:51] Speaker 5: Yes, it's Andrea Browning, A-N-D-E-R-E-A-B-R-O-W-N-I-N-G. [00:11:58] Speaker 4: Ms. Browning, what was your relationship? She was my bonus daughter. When did you and Jade's dad get married? 2009. When did you first meet Jade? [00:12:10] Speaker 5: She was about seven years old, which is how old my daughter is now. Our younger daughter, Ava. And can you walk us through Jade's early life? Yes, she was a little spitfire. The first time I met her, I'll never forget, because the life everybody keeps talking about, it's so obvious, and I was just, this girl was so full of life, and so full of confidence. She, she always had a smile on her face, and she was always ready for anything. And she adored her dad and her family. She just, you could see it all over her face, and her body, her whole body, went up. [00:12:47] Speaker 4: And, Ms. Browning, do you have another daughter? She has Ava. How old is Ava? Ava is seven now. She was three at the time. And can you describe Ava and Jade's relationship? [00:12:58] Speaker 5: Yeah, that's tough, because, you know, like I said, Ava has Down Syndrome, and so she's developmentally delayed, and she didn't know Jade, because Jade was in Arkansas when Ava was born, and it was also during COVID, and we were taking lots of precautions about who we were exposing her to. And she finally met Jade in, I believe it was 2021, and they looked into each other's eyes and knew that they were sisters. There was a connection immediately, like it was really eerie, but also amazing at the same time, but having her here was so great for Ava because she got to know her last year, and also the toughest part about it was that that's it. That's all Ava gets up there was just that one year when she was three years old. [00:13:55] Speaker 4: And what impact have you seen on Ava's life since losing Jade? [00:14:00] Speaker 5: It's tough to tell her because she doesn't understand a whole lot about it, especially because she was so young at the time, but she's really into pictures, and she's always pointing sissy out in pictures, and she asks about sissy, sissy, she uses a KAC for communication. And she just randomly hits sissy on her words all the time, and it's got a little picture of Jade, and sissy's always with you, so we can tell her and just keep explaining to her how great and wonderful her sister and how much she loved her, and one of the toughest things I'll have to carry with that is that the Instagram post that Jade made that said, being in Nashville, one of the best things about being in Nashville is getting to watch my sister grow, and they will know her. [00:14:57] Speaker 4: And can you tell us about finding out Jade was pregnant, and how excited the family was? I think I'm so excited. [00:15:06] Speaker 5: I was initially shocked, and she could see that, and I think it was a short conversation, but we were automatically super supportive of her, and super ready to do anything and everything, take her shopping, and help her with decorating, help her with anything she needed help with. And I had just become a mom myself, not that long ago, you know, we talked a lot just about, you know, whatever you need, we've got you, and she just, she didn't ask for much. She had a whole bunch, she knew she could do it, she's got all the confidence in the world. [00:15:43] Speaker 4: And the jury has heard a lot about Jade's support system, and how many people showed up to Vanderbilt, and how many people took action that night. Can you describe for the jury Jade's support system, how many people she has here today, and what it's done to her friends? [00:16:08] Speaker 5: I can't even begin to describe it because, like I said, she had only been here a year, and she was surrounded by people that were local, like, at the end. I mean, obviously everyone from Arkansas came down, but the amount of people that came there that were not from Arkansas that were there because she made an immediate impact on them. And they loved her so much, and they knew that this was going to be a huge loss to everybody. [00:16:40] Speaker 4: And can you walk us through that night of February 25th, and how you found out, and how Jade's dad found out? [00:16:47] Speaker 5: Yeah, I was actually asleep. I had no child at the time. I had put her down a couple hours before, and I knew she was going to be up early, so I was asleep. And once I woke up, I saw the missed calls, and I was in such shock. I honestly don't remember her life, like, who called when, where, how. I know Bridget had several missed calls from her, as well as Dennis. And as soon as I talked to Dennis and got to Vanderbilt somehow on my own, and that drive was awful. I could barely even go and break my legs because I knew there shouldn't be anything wrong with her. [00:17:39] Speaker 4: And Jade was working at your brother's restaurant back in early 2023. Can you describe the impact that her and Ivy's death has had on your brother's staff, your brother, just the restaurant as a whole? [00:17:52] Speaker 5: Yeah, it was devastating. It's been really hard to watch my brother, because he hired her. I mean, he didn't even hire her. He recommended her to the head chef, and it was a no-brainer for her to hire Jade. You know, he just got her in the interview, like, but everyone at that restaurant. Like, and that's the biggest thing is, like, they knew Jade was not doing anything. She shouldn't be doing it. And they were, like, always telling me that, about how great she was taking care of all the things. Hey, give me a correction. [00:18:28] Speaker 3: I'm sorry. Okay. [00:18:32] Speaker ?: Thank you. [00:19:02] Speaker 3: All right, what's your next question? [00:19:12] Speaker 4: He's really devastated. I can't just say that. And Ms. Browning, is Jade's dad Dennis Browning? Yes. And can you walk us through the impact that Jade and Ivy's death has had on you and Dennis? [00:19:26] Speaker 5: It's just been devastating just knowing that Jade is the only sister. And we know that she was always going to be around for her when we were not. And it's, it's, it's, it's, it's ripped us apart. It's brought us closer together. But it's, it's changed everything. We are very much more protective of it, even now. Having experienced what we experienced. And I know that it's, it's just changed everything for, for us. Yes, those are my questions. [00:20:13] Speaker ?: Any questions? [00:20:13] Speaker 3: No questions here. Thank you. All right, who's the next one? Ms. Bridget Burks. [00:20:25] Speaker 4: Do you swear to the testimony you're not to be able to read the truth, so help me God. Amen. Could you please say your name? [00:20:57] Speaker 6: Bridget Bain Burks, B-R-I-D-G-E-T, B-N-N-S-I-N-G, B-U-R-K-E-S. And Ms. Burks, who was Jade the name to be? [00:21:07] Speaker 4: My baby girl. And was Jade your only child? Yes. How can you describe Jade growing up and her light? [00:21:29] Speaker 6: As soon as she walked in the room, you knew. Because she was so full of life. She's known for being very loud. Got in trouble several times for being loud. So, you knew her presence, her loud. [00:21:43] Speaker 4: And Ms. Burks, does Jade have a stepfather? She does. Okay, what's his name? Lynn Burks. And when did Lynn Burks come into Jade's life? She was six. And can you walk us through the impact that Jade's passing and Ivy's passing has had on you and Lynn? [00:22:15] Speaker 6: We also have two boys. And so it just makes it harder. It makes us worry more than our other two boys. That was his baby girl. You couldn't tell him any different. And it's just a void that will always be there. [00:22:43] Speaker 4: Is your day-to-day life different without Jade? [00:22:49] Speaker 6: Most of the time. People are starting to be okay and I always say yes. But behind those doors, I'm fine. [00:22:59] Speaker 4: And did you and Jade talk almost, if not every single day? Yes. And Ivy would have been your first grandchild? Yeah. Can you walk us through the impact of losing Ivy? [00:23:21] Speaker 6: Well, I'm the youngest of all my friends. And I'm the only one that ever, inshallah. So I was excited to be able to say I'm my grandma now. I'll never get that opportunity. [00:23:39] Speaker 4: Because it was taken from me. And is there a day that goes by that you don't think about Jade and Ivy? [00:23:49] Speaker ?: No. Every day. Any questions? Any questions? No questions. Thank you.