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Brothers discloses he has fifth child

This story originally appeared October 28, 2003

By CHARLES ADAMSON, Californian staff writer
e-mail: cadamson@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Feb 15 2007 4:52 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, Feb 15 2007 4:52 PM

Slaying suspect Vincent Brothers, fighting an increase in child support payments for his daughter, said during a conference on the issue Monday he has a fifth child with a woman whose identity was not disclosed.

Brothers' ex-girlfriend Shann Kern was attempting to get more child support from him for their 14-year-old daughter, Margaret Kern-Brothers.

The revelation of another child came from Brothers' lawyer George Horrigan during a Kern County Child Support Services conference Monday, Kern said. Kern was about to get child support payments raised from $500 to $919 per month.

Then Brothers had his lawyer tell the child support services attorney that he was making payments for another child, Kern said. Under that scenario, he would have to pay Kern $771 per month.

Brothers, vice principal at Fremont School, has 30 days to show proof of his other child and how much he is paying in support.

"I don't know what the future is, but the bottom line is Margaret is still here. Margaret is still living and she has to be taken care of," Kern said. "At this point in both of our lives it's not about him. It's not about me. It's about Margaret."

Police have named Brothers as a suspect in the slayings of the Harper family. The victims included three of his children: Marques, 4; Lyndsey, 2; and Marshall, 6 weeks. The children were found dead in their Third and P streets home July 8 along with the bodies of their mother, Joanie Harper, and grandmother, Earnestine Harper. The family had been shot and stabbed to death.

Kern works as a high school security officer in an Ontario school district. She said she needs to begin saving for Margaret's college expenses.

Brothers earns $85,000 per year as a vice principal. He is on paid leave from his on-campus job, instead doing district work from home. The Bakersfield City School District's Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Barbara Williams said he has been working on several curriculum- and instruction-related projects. She wouldn't give specifics on those projects.

"We go from task to task. As soon as these tasks are completed, I send out new ones," Williams said. "He was working with data. He is keeping busy."

About a week after the discovery of the bodies, Kern filed for sole custody of Margaret to prevent Brothers from visiting. Kern wouldn't give details of the outcome of that case because a judge had issued a gag order on the ruling. But she did say she was pleased with it and that Brothers hasn't seen his daughter since the day of the Harper family funeral.

Brothers and his attorney both declined to comment on Monday.

Bakersfield Police Detective Mary DeGeare said Monday that six to 10 detectives continue to work on the case every day. She said the department had no further comment.