The Disappearance of Danielle T. Brown

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Sheriff Larry Campbell is obviously being very careful with what he reports to the public concerning the searches and the ongoing investigation. So please understand if this piece reads scattered.


When Danielle T. Brown, age 21, was first reported missing (and for several weeks thereafter), they said she left her home on Springfield Rd. in Leon, Co., FL with her ex-boyfriend Elijah James around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2010. Danielle was allegedly taking Mr. James to his mother’s home on King Post Way located in northeast Leon Co., FL off Miccosukee Rd. The drive to that residence from her home would’ve taken approximately an hour depending on traffic flow and red light stops. To travel from King Post Way to Pavo, Ga dump site would take about another 20 minutes.

Katherine Poole, a long time friend of Danielle, stated that Danielle and Elijah James, age 35, had been friends since Danielle was around 16-years-old and they had lived together in the past.    (Allegedly, and according to court documents, they lived together in 2007 on Sundown Road for six months. The police stopped Mr. James for running a stop sign and they discovered cocaine in his possession. He spent 15 months in jail. ) Miss Poole said he seemed such a nice guy (aren’t they all?) and she was shocked to learn of his arrest. Katherine stated James had been staying with Danielle and her mom but they were not presently romantically involved. Danielle was just trying to help Mr. James get back on his feet after they had released him from jail. They had arrested James for probation violation stemming from a drug charge. The probation violation charge was from back June of 09 when he lived with his sister on King Post Way near their mother, and they released him in November of 09.

Since Danielle disappeared, searches have spanned two states, two refuse dumps and several counties but she has not been found.

The known information on her was that she was in her Buick La Sabre, registered to her dad, when she left her home with Elijah James in the passenger seat. Around 11:35/40 she received a call from a friend (or her cousin) and the two were overheard having a heated argument. Danielle’s phone went dead during that call and any subsequent calls went to voice mail. Three days later the car was found with the license plate missing and one VIN number scratched off, in Pavo, GA at the dump. The interior of the car had been severely burned. Massive searches since have failed to bring her home.

Detectives located Elijah James and on Tuesday, February 9, questioned him about his last known hours with Danielle. He told them Danielle had brought him to his mother’s home and the last time he saw her she was in possession of her car and keys. When asked how he got to Pavo, GA (where he was seen walking near the dump) he stated he’d started walking and was picked up on Miccosukee Road by a white male that only identified himself as ‘Chuck.’

Danielle’s father decided to pursue charges against Mr. James on February 10 since he did not have permission to drive the car and signed approval for LE to search the car. They charged Mr. James with grand theft auto and first degree arson. Mr. James still presumably resides in the Leon Co. jail.

Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell reported during a media update, Feb 25, that Mr. James was seen in possession of Danielle’s Buick in Wacissa and Waukeenah of Jefferson Co. between 1:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. on February 6. ( He also stated she and Mr. James left Danielle’s residence at 11:30 p.m. Feb 5, 2010 - confusing the earlier reports by his spokesman, Sgt. Tony Drzewiecki, and media of the 8:30 p.m. time slot..) Mr. James picked up a friend on Thomasville Road and stopped at a convenience store about 5:45 a.m. and purchased a case of beer. No one saw Danielle Brown with the two men. But her car was seen again in Pavo, Ga., at 8:45 a.m. at James’s sister's house and remained there until 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. James also went to another sister’s house on the 2000 block of North Roberts Street in Pavo and spent the night. On Sunday, February 7, James was seen between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Monticello, and was later seen walking away from the city dump in Pavo where Danielle’s car was discovered burned. How Mr. James got back to Leon Co., Fl. and his mother’s home is at this time unknown.

Besides searching two dumps looking for evidence of Danielle’s whereabouts, over a hundred law enforcement officers and firefighters of all these counties searched numerous areas in Jefferson Co., Thomas Co. and Leon Co., FL. Her cell phone was found, as was a piece of her driver’s license, in Beachton, Ga. on a roadside.    Beachton, Ga. is south of Thomasville. The rest of the DL has not been found. Evidence has also been found at family residence in Pavo and at Mr. James mother’s home, they discovered items belonging to Danielle in the yard. They also removed evidence from the car. And allegedly found possible evidence at one or both the dumps. Also allegedly, at one dump they were searching for a paper or papers and her purse. They did find a purse but it was determined not to belong to Danielle.

I am not saying Mr. James killed Danielle Brown that night or any other night. I am saying I have read of nothing that tells me she would willingly destroy her own DL, discard her cell phone, and leave without her car. And Mr. James is high on my suspect list of assisting in or causing her death and/or disappearance. Mr. James’s friend has on a light-colored sweat in the video picture of him with Elijah James at the Circle K, and it appears either to be very dirty or to have shadows created by lighting. He, the friend, could’ve been completely unaware of Danielle’s demise or whereabouts when he was with Mr. James- The friend hasn’t been charged with any illegal activity in connection with her disappearance or death. But then, neither has Elijah James been charged. I do have my own surmises but at this time, am not going to highlight them.




http://www.tallahassee.com/assets/pdf/CD151827212.PDF
http://www.leoncountyso.com/missing.htm
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100226/NEWS0102/2260327/
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100218/NEWS0102/2180315/1010/news01/Missing-woman-s-friend-James-a-great-guy