James Brown Death Looked Into As Possible Murder By Atlanta D.A.

BY Erika Marie 4.7K Views
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James Brown Death Investigated As Murder
James Brown died in 2006 of heart failure, but in recent years, a woman is sure that someone murdered the music icon.

For years, there have been rumors surrounding the death of James Brown. It was just over 13 years ago that the world lost an icon after the 73-year-old reportedly died of congestive heart failure resulting from pneumonia complications. It seemed rather cut and dry at the time, but a woman named Jacque Hollander has come forward in recent years with accusations that both James Brown and his third wife Adrienne Brown were murdered. Adrienne passed away in 1996 following complications related to recent plastic surgery.

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We reported on Hollander's findings last year after she was highlighted in an exposé published by CNN. At the time, Dr. Marvin Crawford, the man responsible for signing James's death certificate, revealed that he'd changed his mind about the cause of death. "He changed too fast," Crawford said. "He was a patient I would never have predicted would have coded. ... But he died that night, and I did raise that question: What went wrong in that room?" 

Many loved ones of the Godfather of Soul share in concerns that he may have been murdered, and on Wednesday (February 12), Hollander met with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. in Atlanta. Now, according to Howard, no official death investigation has been launched. However, thy have taken the mounds of paperwork gathered by Hollander, will interview witnesses, and weigh the evidence provided before moving forward. An investigation into whether or not a case can be made.

This has been a painstaking effort by Hollander who has reportedly amassed thousands of pages of documentation and interviewed 140 people in connection with the deaths of James Brown and his wife Adrienne. Police have reportedly refused to investigate in the past, so Hollander hopes that the D.A. will find some evidence to inquire further about the beloved legend.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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