The 48 Hours episode “A Death in Payson Canyon” investigates the May 2017 death of teenager Jchandra Brown. The 16-year-old’s body was found hanging from a tree in Utah’s Spanish Ford Canyon. Her death appeared to be a suicide. There was a note and it concluded, “watch the video, it’s on my phone.” A young man named Tyerell Przybycien, 18, was found nearby, crying. He told investigators that he filmed the 10-minute video. They also discovered a text on his phone which was sent to a friend prior to Brown’s death, which read “Seriously im going to help her. Its like getting away with murder!”
In 2018, Przybycien pleaded guilty to first-degree felony child abuse homicide. He admitted to buying the rope and tying the noose for Brown. He also pleaded guilty to an additional child pornography charge after detectives found incriminating evidence on his cellphone during the Brown homicide investigation.
[48 Hours, streaming]
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander quoted letters Przybycien wrote from jail. One mentioned getting a noose tattoo when he’s released from prison. Grunander told the judge at the sentence hearing: “That’s a trophy for him and what he accomplished in helping Jchandra die.” Przybycien’s lawyer asked for a sentence of two years and five years of probation. The judge sentenced him to five years to life. (He was ordered to serve up to five years for the child pornography charge which will run concurrent to the homicide charge.)
This case provoked Utah legislators to pass a law (House Bill 86) that allows prosecutors to seek a felony manslaughter charge punishable up to 15 years in prison if they can prove a person provided “the physical means” for someone to commit suicide. 48 Hours airs Saturdays at 10 pm on CBS.
