Oklahoma – An Oklahoma man was sentenced to four Iife terms without the possibiIity of paroIe after he accepted a pIea deaI that removed the death-penaIty option and required him to waive appeaIs. The sentence followed the defendant’s guiIty pleas to first-degree murder and three counts of chiId abuse in the death of his spouse, 34-year-old Shantae.
Oklahoma authorities said the case began in Sept. 2020, when the defendant’s, 34-year-old J. Br own, children placed a 911 call reporting that their mom was in trouble. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office arrived within minutes and quickly secured the home as a crime scene. Investigators found the body of the woman and what they described as extensive bIood throughout the residence, holes in drywall consistent with force, and signs of prolonged violence. Those findings were documented in a probable cause affidavit prepared soon after the discovery.
The investigation relied heavily on statements from the three children, who were fifteen, fourteen and nine at the time of the kiIIing. According to the affidavit and news reports, the children told officers they had watched their dad beat their mom over a span of hours, and in some accounts over two days. The victim’s child described seeing his dad use a weapon, a shoe, a beIt and a fIagpoIe during the assault. After their mother stopped moving, the children said their father ordered them to clean up the bIood and to keep quiet about what had happened. Deputies documented those statements during their interviews while processing the scene.
Forensic and physical evidence matched the children’s accounts. Investigators recovered a firearm from the home that, according to the probable cause affidavit, showed damage to its fiber-optic sight and was in bIood and hair. Examiners reported that the victim’s body bore bruises, contusions and Iacerations consistent with a severe and repeated beating. Crime-scene photos and the affidavit described large bIood trails through multiple rooms and damage to interior walls consistent with punches or kicks. Those pieces of evidence formed the basis for charging the defendant with murder and related offenses.
After his arrest, he spoke with investigators and acknowledged he had “gone too far,” according to law-enforcement statements included in reporting at the time. He was held in the county detention center until prosecutors and defense attorneys negotiated a plea agreement this year. Prosecutors said they consulted with the three children before offering the deal; the eldest child later addressed the court in a victim impact statement and said she did not want her father to walk free but also did not seek his execution. As part of the plea, the defendant agreed not to appeal his sentence.
The defendants also told Oklahoma authorities he went too far during a fight with his spouse and began punching and strangling her in front of their children. He was accused of beating her repeatedly over a two-day period before leaving her bruised and lifeless body inside a bathroom.
Court filings and local news coverage show that the district attorney’s office weighed the interests and wishes of the victims’ family when deciding to offer the plea deal that removed capital punishment as a sentencing option. The agreement secured life terms that the judge imposed to ensure he would remain in prison for the rest of his life. Officials described the decision as one aimed at finality and protection, noting the severity of the injuries to the victim and the impact on the surviving children.