At 15, She Cleaned Up Her Mother's Blood After Witnessing Her Murder. Then She Reported the Killer — Her Dad By Chris Spargo

It was just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2020 when Aleisha Brown and her two younger siblings made the decision to call 911.

A few minutes after the call came in from the three children — aged 15, 14 and 9 at the time — deputies with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) arrived at the home, which they quickly declared a crime scene.

When investigators started to inspect the scene, they discovered blood on the floors and rugs, holes in the walls and the body of a woman who had been dead for at least a few hours, according to the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

Soon, they identified the female victim as 34-year-old Shawntae Brown, who was also the mother of the three children who had placed the 911 call.

The OCSO said in a news release at the time that there was enough evidence to arrest the victim’s husband, Joshua Brown, 34, and book him into custody on a complaint of domestic assault and battery.

Investigators spoke with the children, and learned all three had witnessed their mother’s murder.

In his interview with deputies, the victim’s then-14-year-old son told investigators that his father had been beating his mother for two days using a shoe, a belt, a semiautomatic weapon and even a flag pole, per the probable cause affidavit.

“The victim’s body was covered in bruises, contusions, and lacerations consistent with a severe beating,” the affidavit said.

After witnessing their mother succumb to her injuries, the affidavit stated that the children said their father ordered them to clean up the blood and never tell another person what happened to their mother.

The couple’s oldest daughter, Aleisha Brown, was 15 at the time.

She is now 20, and on Wednesday, Oct. 29, she appeared in an Oklahoma City courtroom for her father’s sentencing hearing.

Aleisha played a key part in the sentencing of her father, who was spared the death penalty after making a deal with prosecutors.

Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna said that her office carefully considered the wishes of the three Brown children before offering Joshua that plea deal.

Joshua accepted the deal and agreed to enter guilty pleas to a single charge of first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse for his actions.

After the hearing, the judge overseeing the proceedings ordered Joshua to serve four life sentences with the possibility of parole. Joshua also had to agree he would not appeal his sentence or the case as part of that deal.

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An emotional Aleisha spoke outside the courtroom after delivering her own victim impact statement during the closed-door sentencing hearing.

“It’s been a long journey, and I’ve grown a lot since then,” she said, KWTV reported. “Obviously I was a kid and now I’m a young adult but it’s not going to get any easier. Knowing justice has been served and due process has been done I can finally get some peace.”

Aleisha also said that not everyone agreed with the decision to spare Joshua’s life before addressing her own complicated relationship with her father.

“We have a lot of good memories as well as bad memories with him,” Aleisha said.

Joshua also reportedly spoke at his sentencing hearing, expressing his love for his three children.

“I know this outcome does not ease the pain her family has endured, but it ensures the defendant will never harm another person again,” Behenna said in a statement. “We remain committed to seeking justice for victims and their families, even when the road is long and difficult.”