Family still waits for justice
Today marks two years since the slaying of a Jim Thorpe woman in Qatar.
But for Jennifer Brown's family, justice for her death has not been swift.On Monday, a Qatar judge called for a travel ban on six witnesses who have repeatedly failed to turn up in court, causing delay after delay in the case.A Kenyan security guard in Jennifer's apartment complex in Al Sadd was arrested in the days following her slaying and, according to Doha News in Qatar, reportedly confessed to killing Brown in her apartment. He faces the death penalty if convicted.Additional problems have also caused delays in the trial, including the security guard having difficulty retaining a lawyer, appearing with yet another defender on Monday; as well as a doctor, who has been summoned nearly a half dozen times, failing to appear in court.Doha News reports that a new panel of judges presided over the trial on Monday.The travel ban set by the judge restricts six of the seven witnesses from traveling until they testify during the court's next session, scheduled for Dec. 7. The seventh, a forensic doctor who conducted Jennifer's autopsy, has not been restricted from travel.The security guard has never been identified by Qatar media outlets.Since Jennifer's death on Nov. 14, 2012, few details have been released by Qatar officials, the United States Embassy in Doha and the Ministry of Interior, to the media and to the family.Brown, the daughter of Robert and Mary Brown of Jim Thorpe, was a former teacher at St. Joseph's Regional Academy in Jim Thorpe and in the Jim Thorpe Area School District before accepting a job in Qatar at the Al Wakra Campus of The English Modern School.Last year, her father told the Times News that he tried to dissuade Jennifer from going, but she was assured Qatar was a safe place.Attempts to reach the family for comment were unsuccessful.