Jason Derek Brown

Background Brown was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 1, 1969, to David John Brown Sr. He attended Laguna Beach High School. Brown speaks fluent French and has a master's degree in international business. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paris from 1988 to 1990 He had been employed as a toy salesman and golf equipment importer to support his luxurious lifestyle and expensive tastes in such things as cars, motorbikes, and boats. Brown portrayed himself as a wealthy man despite the fact that by 2004 he had defaulted on at least one large loan and racked up tens of thousands of dollars in debt. He would sometimes go to car dealerships, clean shaven and well-dressed, and purchase a car using a false Social Security number and address. He was captured on surveillance tape having a conversation with another man in the hotel lobby. The man is considered a possible accomplice or witness; however, his identity remains unknown. and an arrest warrant was issued on December 4 by Maricopa County Superior Court, charging Brown with first degree murder and armed robbery. Brown was later also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in a federal arrest warrant issued on December 6 by the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Investigators have considered Brown's desperate financial situation as a possible motive. This alerted Brown that law enforcement was pursuing him,

On December 8, 2007, Brown was named by the FBI as the 489th fugitive to be placed on its Ten Most Wanted list. The FBI offered a reward of up to $200,000 for information leading to his capture (the reward was doubled on March 25, 2013). The most recent disclosed credible sighting came in August 2008, near the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. An acquaintance of Brown, someone who went to missionary training with him and accompanied him on his mission to France, recognized him when they were both stopped at a traffic light. Upon their mutual recognition, Brown promptly accelerated through the stoplight and sped away. The witness shared his sighting with the authorities. According to him, Brown had a deeper tan and had longer hair compared to the 2004 photograph on his wanted poster. Brown had previously lived in Salt Lake City and was known to have contacts in the area. Juan Becerra, an FBI special agent in Salt Lake City, suggested that Brown was in Salt Lake City to visit people he knew. "It's very hard for individuals to change the way they live, the way they behave," Becerra said. "This is a guy who stays in shape, likes fitness, likes to look good. We're hoping he's... been seen at a nightclub or fitness club." He stated that Brown was comfortable outdoors, which may have been another reason for wanting to live in Salt Lake City.

Investigators believe that Brown may be hiding in plain sight in the Mormon community under an assumed identity, living with a partner who might not know his real identity, or may have fled the country to live in France, Quebec (Canada) or Thailand.

In the media

Brown's story has been covered extensively in the media on shows such as Dateline and American Greed. This story also inspired writer and director Matthew Gentile with his feature film debut, American Murderer, which was released theatrically in 2022 by Lionsgate and Universal and starred Tom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel, and Jacki Weaver. The film received positive reviews (with praise aimed towards Pelphrey's performance) and topped streaming charts in 45+ countries worldwide.