Published: May 24, 2007 11:27 pm      

Registered sex offender jailed in Carter murders

Death penalty will be sought; arrest comes after two-week probe involving three states

GRAYSON — A registered sex offender is accused of killing a Carter County woman and her two daughters May 9, police said Thursday.

Kentucky State Police arrested Robert Lee Drown Jr. and charged him in the May 9 triple homicide and arson in Carter County.

Drown, 27, of Kenova, is charged with murdering Jennifer Ison, 31, and her daughters Shannah, 10, and Marissa, 3, and setting fire to their home on Canoe Run Road in Hitchins. Drown also is charged with one count of rape and one count of first degree burglary.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty.

Jennifer Ison was strangled to death, Shannah Ison was killed by blunt force trauma to her head and Marissa died from the fire, according to Trooper Elliott Gollihue.

Drown is also accused of raping one of the children but police wouldn’t say which one.

Police said Drown and Jennifer Ison had a “short term limited relationship,” but would give no other details about the connection or its nature. They also declined to discuss how the fire was started, citing an ongoing investigation.

There is no evidence that drugs were involved or Drown had any accomplices in the crime, police said.

Drown has been jailed in West Virginia for more than a week for allegedly failing to comply with the state’s sex offender registry law. He is in the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville. No information about Drown could be found on the West Virginia Sex Offender Registry.

According to Ohio’s Sex Offender Registry, Drown last registered in that state in January with a Chesapeake address.

He is classified as a sexually oriented offender with his victim identified only as an adult female. No other details were available about his past crime.

Police are awaiting extradition of Drown to Kentucky, which should come in the next few days, Carter Commonwealth’s Attorney David Flatt said. Flatt expects Drown to be arraigned on the Kentucky charges within the next two weeks.

“This is probably the most heinous crime I’ve seen in 22 years as a prosecutor,” Flatt said. He said he plans to seek the death penalty.

The arrest came after a two-week investigation involving three states and the federal government. In addition to evidence found at the scene and from the victims, police said they also conducted hundreds of interviews and seized computer and telephone records.

Agencies involved in the investigation include: KSP, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, West Virginia State Police, Scott County Fire Department, Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s Office, Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office, Kenova Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reach at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.