WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Memorial Service For Murdered Boy, Mother (Bridgeport-WTNH) _ Family, friends and others from the Bridgeport community gathered outside the home where 8 year old Leroy Brown, Junior and his mother, Karen Clarke, were shot and killed. It happened last Thursday. Brown was a witness to a murder but now he will never be able to testify. News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports. Today Pearl Clarke, Karen Clarke's mother and Leroy Brown's grandmother, joined church leaders in calling on the community to stop killing our children. The attention turned once again to Russell Peeler, the murder suspect who Brown was going to testify against. Incredibly poised, Pearl Clarke stood outside the home where her daughter and grandson were found shot to death last week. She called out to the man she and many in the Bridgeport community suspect is responsible. Pearl Clarke, Victim's Mother: "Peeler - whoever did this to my grandchild and my daughter - there will be no lawyers to testify, no one to vindicate them, they will have to vindicate themselves." Russell Peeler remained in jail today on an illegal weapons charge but Bridgeport police have not named the 26 year old as a suspect in the murders of Clarke and Brown. The child was a key witness scheduled to testify against Peeler this month for the murder of his mother's fiance. Today friends family and even strangers quietly lay flowers in tribute. Evelyn Umpierre was going to take Leroy and her daughter Kristina to to see movie today. Jocelyn: "Important to come here today?" Evelyn Umpierre, Bridgeport: "Oh yeah... I felt like I owed him - you know we were going to do something today - now we're going to dedicate a movie to him instead." Pearl Clarke: "I think and I believe deep down in my heart that my grandbaby and my daughter were sacrificed." Sacrificed for the young people of Bridgeport and around the nation to make a change, Clarke said. To realize that children are valuable - the only hope for the future. Teri Lynn Littleberry, Bridgeport: "My daughter - she's scared you know. I told her he's your age and she had to stop and she thought about it. It's just sad, sad. It's so sad. It's just got to stop." The Clarke family headed back to Florida today. That's where Karen Clarke grew up and where she and Leroy will be buried next week. Meanwhile, Russell Peeler remains in jail on $750,000 cash bond on an unrelated weapons charge he was arrested for just two days ago. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Memorial Service For Murdered Boy, Mother
(Bridgeport-WTNH) _ Family, friends and others from the Bridgeport community gathered outside the home where 8 year old Leroy Brown, Junior and his mother, Karen Clarke, were shot and killed. It happened last Thursday. Brown was a witness to a murder but now he will never be able to testify.
News Channel 8's Jocelyn Sigue reports.

Today Pearl Clarke, Karen Clarke's mother and Leroy Brown's grandmother, joined church leaders in calling on the community to stop killing our children. The attention turned once again to Russell Peeler, the murder suspect who Brown was going to testify against.

Incredibly poised, Pearl Clarke stood outside the home where her daughter and grandson were found shot to death last week. She called out to the man she and many in the Bridgeport community suspect is responsible.

Pearl Clarke, Victim's Mother: "Peeler - whoever did this to my grandchild and my daughter - there will be no lawyers to testify, no one to vindicate them, they will have to vindicate themselves."

Russell Peeler remained in jail today on an illegal weapons charge but Bridgeport police have not named the 26 year old as a suspect in the murders of Clarke and Brown. The child was a key witness scheduled to testify against Peeler this month for the murder of his mother's fiance.

Today friends family and even strangers quietly lay flowers in tribute. Evelyn Umpierre was going to take Leroy and her daughter Kristina to to see movie today.

Jocelyn: "Important to come here today?"
Evelyn Umpierre, Bridgeport: "Oh yeah... I felt like I owed him - you know we were going to do something today - now we're going to dedicate a movie to him instead."

Pearl Clarke: "I think and I believe deep down in my heart that my grandbaby and my daughter were sacrificed."

Sacrificed for the young people of Bridgeport and around the nation to make a change, Clarke said. To realize that children are valuable - the only hope for the future.

Teri Lynn Littleberry, Bridgeport: "My daughter - she's scared you know. I told her he's your age and she had to stop and she thought about it. It's just sad, sad. It's so sad. It's just got to stop."

The Clarke family headed back to Florida today. That's where Karen Clarke grew up and where she and Leroy will be buried next week.

Meanwhile, Russell Peeler remains in jail on $750,000 cash bond on an unrelated weapons charge he was arrested for just two days ago.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.