On the evening of March 15, 2001, Aliquippa Police Officer James Naim, a 32-year-old male, was on a routine foot patrol in the Linmar Terrace housing complex. It was a duty he performed as part of his assignment to a police sub-station specifically established to combat the area's struggles with crime and drugs. In an act of sudden violence, an assailant approached the U.S. Navy veteran from behind and fired a handgun, striking him in the head and causing his immediate death.
Officer Naim had only served with the Aliquippa Police Department for about 14 months at the time of his death.
The investigation into the murder of Officer Naim led to the arrests of several individuals. Jamie Brown, then 24, Darnell Hines, 18, and Acey Taylor III, then 18, were all charged in connection with the slaying. The case against Hines, who was described as mentally handicapped, was later altered when charges were withdrawn in exchange for his testimony against the other suspects. Hines had been in jail for a month following the shooting and had given multiple conflicting accounts of the events of that night before ultimately implicating Brown as the shooter.
The legal proceedings that followed resulted in a divided outcome. In a verdict that was seen by many as a compromise, the jury acquitted Acey Taylor III of all charges. However, Jamie Brown was convicted of third-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to a term of 20 to 40 years in prison. Throughout his incarceration, Brown has consistently maintained his innocence.
In the years since Brown's conviction, new information has surfaced, leading to further legal challenges. Evidence that was not presented at the original trial has become a point of contention, prompting a re-examination of the case by higher courts. This includes allegations of a confession from another man, Anthony 'Tusweet' Smith, who reportedly admitted to others that he was responsible for Officer Naim's death. As a result, the state Supreme Court has ordered lower courts to reconsider Brown's conviction in light of this new evidence, leaving the final chapter in the tragic death of Officer James Naim yet to be written.
