The Baltimore County teenager charged with murdering his parents and two brothers while they slept is “traumatized” and might have falsely confessed under police pressure, the teen?s attorney told a judge Monday.
“You have a traumatized 15-year-old who gives a confession after hours of repeated denials,” said Steve Silverman, who represents Nicholas Browning, the Cockeysville teen accused of killing his family Friday. “He?s traumatized. He?s absolutely traumatized.”
With moppy dirty blond hair, Browning wore the county jail?s orange jumpsuit during the video bail review hearing in front of Baltimore County District Judge Barbara Jung, who denied him bail.
Browning said little, but responded to the judge?s questions with a clear, direct voice: “Yes, ma?am.”
The court appointed a guardian for Browning.
Silverman referred to his client as an “honors student” at Dulaney High School who played lacrosse his whole life and varsity golf for two years.
He?s a Boy Scout, close to becoming an Eagle Scout, and plays the cello, the attorney said.
“It appears he?s never been in any trouble before,” Silverman said, adding that he planned to request a hearing to have Browning tried in juvenile court.
Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey denied that the teen was pressured into confessing. “We have great confidence in our detectives? practices,” Toohey said.
John Browning, 45, along with his wife, Tamara, 44, and sons Gregory, 14, and Benjamin, 11, were found dead in their Powers Avenue home Saturday around 5 p.m. by Nicholas Browning as he returned home, police said.
John Browning practiced law with the Towson firm Royston, Mueller, McLean & Reid. Tamara Browning was a PTA president.
An eighth-grader at Cockeysville Middle School, Gregory was the cougar mascot at sporting events. Friends described sixth-grader Benjamin as a “happy kid.”
Nicholas Browning, whom classmates said had “a lot of friends,” confessed to the slayings, according to police.
Browning told officers he had argued with his father and used the man?s gun in the killings, police said.
Silverman said Monday that he would not discuss details of the case, including the alleged argument.
Police said Nicholas shot the family Friday night, dumped the gun in nearby bushes and spent Friday night and all day Saturday with friends.
When driven back home Saturday around 5 p.m., Browning went in the house and came back out to tell his friends that his father was dead, police said.
The news shocked classmates, teachers and neighbors, who said Nicholas never exhibited any signs of sociopathic behavior or mental illness. Silverman also said Monday that he didn?t think the teen was mentally ill or took any anti-depression medications.
“He wasn?t on anything that I know of,” Silverman said. “That?s not an issue at this time.”
