working in shipping at a local tableware factory, engaged to a woman he'd known since his teens, kenzie houk. a hairstylist and stay at home mom, and also a single parent. mother of two young girls, 7-year-old jenessa and 4-year-old adalynn. what made you love her? >> who she was. who she was, a person. >> kenzie was real feisty. she was funny. she always had a beautiful smile, liked everybody and she loved her children. >> that's all she ever said, when you say, "what do you wanna be when you grow up?" "i want to be a mom, i want kids." >> reporter: kenzie and chris and their kids had recently moved in together, to this farm house. the new, blended family seemed to be bonding. jordan even called kenzie "mom." what was your relationship like with your soon-to-be stepmom? >> it was strong. she was really nice. i liked her a lot. >> she bent over backwards for him. >> she had a good relationship with him. >> reporter: and a new sibling was on the way. chris and kenzie were eagerly awaiting a baby together. a boy they had already named christopher. >> she was thrilled. that's what she wanted. i

february 2009, 26-year-old kenzie houk found dead in her rural pennsylvania farm house.-year-old soon-to-be stepson, jordan brown. less than 24 hours later, state police arrested jordan, accusing him of using his shotgun, a hunting gift from his dad, to fire one fatal bullet to the back of her head execution style before getting on the bus for school. >> this is the mug shot that was taken. >> i was crying in the picture. i was crying that whole night. i didn't understand what was happening. i didn't know where i was at, what was going on or anything. >> did you understand what you stood accused of? >> no, i didn't understand. >> what do you see in this mug shot? >> i see somebody who just committed a murder. that's why there's a mug shot. >> reporter: with his son facing life without the possibility of parole if tried as an adult, chris brown began a years long fight to free jordan, driving four hours every day to visit him in juvenile detention. >> we were there over a thousand times. >> and so what made you need to be there? >> he's my son. >> reporter: three years af