WAYNE COUNTY, WV – A West Virginia man with a prior murder conviction will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found he stabbed his fiancée and her mother to death, set their home on fire, and left their toddler behind before fleeing. The case, which unfolded late last year, drew statewide attention and left a family grappling with lasting loss.
Joshua Russell Morrow was sentenced Wednesday to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the killings of Britney Brown, 34, and Erma Brown, 57. Court records also show he received an additional 20 years for first-degree arson and five years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The sentence follows a Wayne County jury’s decision less than two months ago convicting Morrow on all counts and recommending no mercy during the penalty phase of the trial.
Timeline of the killings and fire
The violence occurred on Dec. 15, 2024, at Morrow’s home on Spring Valley Drive. Surveillance video cited in the criminal complaint showed Morrow arriving shortly before 8 p.m. and leaving about 28 minutes later as a glow from the residence intensified, indicating the fire was growing.
According to investigators, Morrow then drove his 15-month-old daughter to a friend’s home in neighboring Lincoln County before fleeing. The friend told authorities that Morrow said people were trying to “put him in jail” and that the victims were “all gone” and had gone up in a “blaze.”
Firefighters later discovered Britney Brown and Erma Brown inside the burned home. Investigators determined both victims had suffered stab wounds and were killed before the fire was intentionally set.
An Amber Alert was issued for the missing toddler, who was found unharmed at the friend’s home about an hour later. State troopers located and arrested Morrow before dawn.
Prior conviction and courtroom testimony
During the penalty phase, prosecutors introduced evidence of Morrow’s prior murder conviction in Kanawha County. Family members described the lasting trauma caused by the killings, including the impact on Britney Brown’s children, according to the Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney Jason Spears, who served as special prosecutor, called the case “a horrific and heartbreaking case that devastated a family and shocked the community.”
At Wednesday’s sentencing, Morrow maintained his innocence, and his attorney said he plans to appeal, according to WSAZ.
A victim advocate read statements from family members in court, including one from Erma Brown’s son, who said the family would never be whole again and questioned how someone could take the lives of his mother and sister.
After the hearing, Erma Brown’s sister, Lisa McCallister, told WSAZ she was grateful Morrow would remain behind bars for life. Other relatives said they face the difficult task of one day explaining the case to the young daughter Morrow shared with Britney Brown.
