Death penalty in play for Navy veteran in woman’s death

NORFOLK, Va. – The death penalty is not off the table for a Navy veteran charged with killing a Virginia woman whose kidnapping inspired the creation of an Amber Alert-like system for missing adults.

Eric Brian Brown was arrested last year in connection with the September 2017 kidnapping of 19-year-old Ashanti Billie. Her body was found about 330 miles (530 kilometres) away from Norfolk, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 46-year-old is charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and theft. A murder warrant from North Carolina remains unserved.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney for Virginia’s eastern district tells The Virginian-Pilot no decision has been made regarding whether to seek the death penalty. Brown has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and isn’t currently competent to stand trial.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com