Man convicted of attempted murder

Bobby Brown found guilty in Pottstown shooting, awaits sentencing

NORRISTOWN » A Norristown man showed no emotion as a jury determined he shot a Pottstown man with the intent to kill him during an argument about ownership of a motorcycle.

Bobby Brown, 41, of the first block of Lincoln Drive, was convicted on Monday in Montgomery County Court of charges of attempted homicide, aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms not to be carried without a license in connection with the 2:40 p.m. Nov. 1, 2016, shooting of Robert Pfanders inside a garage located at the rear of a res-

idence in the first block of King Street in Pottstown.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated about 2 ½ hours before reaching the verdict after a three-day trial.

Judge Richard P. Haaz deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigative report about Brown. The judge immediately revoked Brown’s bail and Brown will remain in the county jail while awaiting sentencing.

Brown did not comment about the verdict as he was escorted in handcuffs by sheriff’s deputies from the courtroom.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Samantha

L. Thompson argued Brown shot Pfanders three times with the intent to kill him as they argued over the ownership of a motorcycle inside the garage where Pfanders was working. Prosecutors alleged Brown was angry when he came to the garage that day and suspected the motorcycle in the garage belonged to him.

Testimony revealed the motorcycle was not registered to Brown.

“Bobby Brown was angry at Mr. Pfanders,” Thompson argued to jurors during her closing statement, focusing on the sequence of the three gunshots.

“The defendant shot him once at close range,” Thompson argued, adding Pfanders then fell to the ground. “Then the defendant stood over him and fired two more shots

at close range. Ladies and gentlemen, if that’s not attempted murder, what is? This defendant intended to kill Mr. Pfanders.”

Pottstown Detective Thomas Leahan testified at trial that when he arrived at the shooting scene and asked a wounded Pfanders who shot him, Pfanders replied, “Bobby Brown! Bobby Brown from Norristown.”

“The law sees this as an excited utterance. He’s making the statement as he lay dying. There’s an inherent honesty in it,” Thompson argued to jurors.

Testimony revealed a gunshot to Pfanders’ back was life threatening, traveling through his diaphragm, destroying his spleen and damaging his colon. Pfanders also suffered gunshot wounds to the left forearm and left thigh and lost 20 percent

of his blood volume, testimony revealed.

Pfanders was transported to a local trauma center and underwent multiple surgeries during which his spleen was removed. A forensic pathologist testified Pfanders was “fortunate” to have survived the attack.

Brown did not testify during the trial but character witnesses said he had a reputation in the community for being peaceful and non-violent.

Defense lawyer Scott C. McIntosh argued to the jury that there was no DNA evidence, no video surveillance footage of the shooting and that a weapon was never found, nor linked to Brown.

“We’re challenging whether Bobby Brown was responsible for the shooting,” McIntosh argued to the jury during his closing statement, claiming there was reasonable doubt. “There is no gun. Bobby was never caught with a gun.”

McIntosh suggested an eyewitness’s account of the shooting and his identification of Brown as the shooter couldn’t be trusted because the eyewitness, who was working in the garage with Pfanders, was under the influence of drugs at the time of the shooting.

McIntosh suggested Pfanders knew who shot him but framed Brown for the shooting and implied authorities arrested the wrong person.

Testimony revealed Brown wasn’t taken into custody until Nov. 25 when Philadelphia police found him during a traffic stop. At that time, Brown gave police a false name, an act Thompson argued, showed Brown’s “consciousness of guilt.”

A gun never was recovered. But testimony also revealed Brown did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

In addition to witness identifications of Brown as the shooter, there was circumstantial evidence pointing to Brown’s guilt, Thompson argued.

Investigators obtained video surveillance footage that showed a green Jeep Grand Cherokee, allegedly operated by Brown, traveling at a high rate of speed in the area a minute after the shooting. Testimony also revealed that Brown’s right thumbprint was found on a vehicle parked outside the garage, which Thompson theorized Brown touched as he fled from the scene of the shooting.