Murder Witness, 8, Found Shot to Death

An 8-year-old boy who was the state’s key witness in a murder case was shot to death along with his mother. Leroy Brown Jr. and Karen Clarke, 30, were found Friday at their Bridgeport, Conn., home after Clarke didn’t show up for work. Leroy was to testify against Russell Peeler, 26, who is accused in the May 29 killing of Rudolph Snead Jr., 28. Peeler is free on $900,000 bail. Leroy saw the shooting at a barber shop. Over the state’s objections, a judge recently ordered prosecutors to give information about Leroy, including his address, to Peeler’s attorney, Gary Mastronardi. “Peeler has known for some time where the boy lived. If he was going to kill him, he had plenty of time before now to do it,” Mastronardi said.