Leavenworth mom searching for answers after 3-year-old died in neighbor’s care

When Briana Davis received a knock at her door early one morning, one thing that never crossed her mind was the death of one of her four children.

But that knock was her neighbor, who was caring for the child, saying her son wasn’t breathing. Now, Leavenworth police are investigating the death of her 3-year-old son at the troubled apartment complex she calls home.

Police provided The Star reports of at least 20 calls ranging from drug possession to assaults to shootings, which are among nearly 90 pages of reports they say they’ve had at the Woodland Village Apartments in the last two years. At least one other child also died there in the past two years.

Officers were called there again at 4:28 a.m. March 26 for a medical call, according to Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens. Officers and paramedics attempted life-saving measures on the child but were unsuccessful.

EJ’s autopsy was held last weekend, and investigators are waiting on the results, which could take several weeks to return, Kitchens said.

Davis identified the child as her son, E-lah Brown Jr., known by loved ones as EJ.

On Monday, March 24, two days before his death, Davis said she and her son had gone to see their neighbor there at Woodland Village.

EJ fell asleep in her lap while Davis was getting face tattoos at the neighbor’s home, she said. Davis said her son loved to be with their neighbor, whom he called ‘Auntie,’ and he stayed the night and next day with her. Davis left the neighbor’s home at 5 a.m. Tuesday and said she slept for most of the day.

Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, she called her neighbor, and her neighbor’s boyfriend, who also lived with her, answered the phone, stating her son was doing well and was sleeping.

The next contact she received was her neighbor at the door hours later, saying EJ was not breathing.

“They said they came down and tried to wake him up at four in the morning, and he didn’t respond,” Davis said. “Why would you try to wake a 3-year-old up at four in the morning? So I don’t understand.”

EJ’s stepfather answered the door and rushed to the neighbor’s apartment to perform CPR on the 3-year-old. When Davis got to the apartment, she saw her neighbor, whom she said is a registered nurse, performing chest compressions on EJ, who she said was lying on the living room floor.

She felt like she couldn’t help them attempt to revive her child, scared even to touch him. During a phone interview with The Star, Davis spoke in a low tone after just a few days of grieving her son.

The mother got emotional when recalling her last moments with her child.

“I touched his body, it was cold,” Davis said. “His lips were completely purple. I could tell. I knew as soon as I saw my baby, he wasn’t here. He hadn’t been here for a while.”

Davis said she did not see any blood or other substances around her son. Her neighbors don’t have any answers as to how or why her son died in their home. Davis’s neighbor told Davis her son must have gotten sick. However, she said she doesn’t believe her neighbor’s story, calling him one of the healthiest babies she’s ever seen.

Leavenworth police have classified EJ’s death as suspicious because he was a toddler with no known health issues, Deputy Chief Dan Nicodemus said. Police currently have no arrests or charges in the case, but the investigation is continuing.

“A number of pieces of evidence collected during a search of the apartment were submitted to the KBI laboratory for analysis and testing,” Kitchens said in a statement.

Davis is determined to find answers in the death of her son.

“You will solve this, and you will get justice for my baby,” she said. “I’m not letting off. I’m not letting up.”

‘My favorite hero’

EJ, who had just turned 3-years-old on Jan. 4, was Davis’s most affectionate child, his mother said.

Spider-Man was the toddler’s favorite superhero. But he was the star superhero in his mother’s life, she said.

“He was the kid that came and checked on me the most. He was the one that came and messed with me the most. He didn’t leave my side,” Davis said.

“He was my favorite hero.”

Davis said the little boy was eager to go to school and play sports.

“He would have never wanted to see me in this much pain,” she said. “I know my baby is an angel and he’s in heaven, but this wasn’t God’s work. It was the devil’s.”

Residents of the complex, loved ones and community members have showered Davis and her family with support.

A vigil featuring candles, toys, including Spider-Man, and pictures was set up on the next-door neighbor’s porch. Several balloon releases and a celebration of life have been conducted in EJ’s memory with a formal memorial service to be performed next week.

One of Davis’s next-door neighbors, Mackenzy Simanowitz, said her 2-year-old daughter was close with EJ. Simanowitz has seen people who seldom interact with Davis give her hugs and gifts to show their support.

Simanowitz fondly remembers EJ as a lovable boy who always had hugs for loved ones.

“I feel like meeting him was the best thing,” she said. “I come over every day with my daughter. Walk in, I see EJ, and just give him a hug. [He would] tell me he loved me.”

The community support comes at an apartment complex that both residents say is plagued with drugs and violence. Davis said she has seen drugs affect children and shootouts at the complex. Simanowitz said she has called ambulances for strangers who have overdosed on drugs.

Davis also referenced the death of 18-month-old Saraphina Avarose Sanchez, who died at the complex in October 2023.

“This is not safe here,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t wish this place on my worst enemy.”

Questions remain

A week after her son’s death, his mother still has questions for her neighbors, who have told her they don’t know how he died.

“I swear she loves him,” Davis said about her neighbor. “I still believe she does. I don’t know what she did to my baby… I don’t know what they did to my baby.”

Police are also investigating an alleged assault that occurred at the apartment complex a day after EJ’s death. Davis said her neighbor’s boyfriend was assaulted by residents of the complex when he attempted to return to his girlfriend’s apartment.

“I would like to feel some remorse for him, but I don’t know why you try to come back here,” Davis said.

Davis hopes to learn how her son died as soon as possible.

In the meantime, she also hopes to leave Woodland Village Apartments for a new complex to escape the rough environment where her son died, provide better shelter for her family and leave behind traumatic memories of living at the complex, which now include her son’s death.

“I’m not gonna be able to do this,” she said. “I’m not gonna be able to stay next to these neighbors. I’m not gonna be able to stay next to this house where I was. I just can’t.”

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM.