COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a teenager who was killed at a sleepover in Cobb County in May says they are taking matters into their own hands after waiting months for answers.
A spokesperson from the Cobb County Police Department told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that their investigation into the death of 15-year-old Charles “C.J.” Brown is an ongoing investigation and they are working hard to track down his killer.
Brown’s family says they are heartbroken and frustrated, so they have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money to hire a private investigator.
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They say since Seiden last spoke to them in June, they have not heard from detectives.
Brown was spending the night at his friend’s house when he was shot in the face and later died at the hospital.
Cobb police initially responded and called the shooting an accident, but new evidence emerged that prompted detectives to open a homicide investigation.
Brown’s mother, Ashley Heard, claims the investigation has been filled with mistakes since the very beginning.
“I mean, you pull up to a 15-year-old that this man shot. You catch two adults trying to flee the scene, one adult that had fled the scene, and the only person that was left in the home with him was a minor. There’s no weapon there. There’s no signs of forced entry,” Heard said.
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Police are not commenting on the specifics of the investigation.
Last month, Channel 2 Action News learned that Brown’s friend, another 15-year-old in the home, was arrested and charged. Heard says that prosecutors declined to pursue charges because they did not have enough evidence.
The Medical Examiner’s office says they are still investigating his death. Because it is still under investigation, the family cannot get a death certificate and collect life insurance money to help pay medical bills.
“It’s caused like the financial burden,” she said. “Our life insurance won’t pay out because there is no death certificate. He has over $80,000 in medical bills.”
To contribute to the family’s GoFundMe, click here.
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