Remember Me? Three Years After Franklin Murder, Case Drags On

Above, a screenshot of Brendon Owen testifying via Zoom from Norfolk County Jail on Thursday.

It was déjà vu all over again on Thursday afternoon at Norfolk Superior Court, where former Franklin resident Brendon Owen made yet another court appearance in his long path toward, perhaps, an eventual trial.

Owen was arrested in December of 2021 in the murder of his ex-wife, Shirley Branco and an assault on his mother in law as well as arson of the home he formerly shared with Branco in Franklin, which burned to the ground that same morning. The couple's two children were at school in Franklin during these early morning events.

In addition to numerous hearings and most recently, the completion of a  competency report by Bridgewater State Hospital, a year ago, Owen earned an additional charged for violating a court order and attempting to contact his daughter, the younger of the couple’s two children. Owen pled not guilty and the prosecution convinced the judge to set bail in that matter at $10,000.

Through it all, his court-appointed attorney Neil Madden, has resolutely represented his client's interests but not apparently, to the  satisfaction of Owen, according to Madden, who asked the judge Thursday to let him withdraw from the case. After hearing from Owen about this specifically, and his wish to hire private counsel, though his ability to pay for that seems to be in question, the judge granted Madden's request but Madden noted that there will be a week's worth of work for him to go through his "seven three-ring binders" and  bring the new counsel, whether hired or appointed, up to speed...

Over Owen's strenuous objection, the judge ordered him to appear in person at the courthouse on Feb. 3 at which point his new counsel will be decided and a discussion of competency may also ensue.