Bakersfield.com: Kern County news, events, classifieds, shopping, & search

Mother maintains son is not guilty of killings

BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jburger@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Sep 27 2007 10:27 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, Sep 27 2007 9:34 PM

Vincent Brothers didn't commit the murders of his wife, mother-in-law and three of his children, his mother said.

Brothers Trial E-mail Alerts

Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the Vincent Brothers mass-murder trial.
Sign up for the Brothers trial e-mail alerts

To view video for this story
please update your Flash player

More Vincent Brothers video:

• 
• 
• 
• 

Photos:

Photo by Henry A. Barrios

Vincent Brothers' mother, Margaret Brothers, speaks to the media outside the courtroom Thursday after the jury in the penalty phase of the trial broke for the weekend.

Photo by Alex Horvath

Margaret Brothers, center, leaves the courtroom after Kern County Superior Court Judge Michael Bush sentenced her son, convicted murderer Vincent Brothers to death Thursday.

Poll

Do you agree with the judge's decision to sentence Vincent Brothers to death?

Yes.
No.

PDF:

• Read Vincent Brothers' probation report

Links:

• What do you think? Blog about it.

"We will find out who done this. And we gonna be surprised who done it, 'cause God is going to reveal it," Margaret Brothers said.

She said the death penalty sentence handed down by Judge Michael Bush on Thursday didn't bother her -- her trust is in God.

However, she said, "It hurts me to sit in the courtroom and see so much injustice done."

Asked how her son was "holding up," Margaret Brothers said she didn't know.

"I haven't seen him. By faith he's doing great. I have to believe that to keep my sanity," she said. "He won't spend the rest of his life in (prison) because God didn't say that. He's going to be delivered."

Margaret Brothers said she loves Margaret Kern, Vincent's only surviving daughter with Shann Kern.

"I love all my grandchildren," she said. "I feel sorry for her. I blame her mother and I'll tell her to her face, she's a sick lady."

Margaret Brothers said she loves the Harpers and will pray for them.

"My family is going through (hardship). They are hurt just like the Harper family. We've been suffering ever since day one," she said. "We are hurting. They are hurting. Bakersfield is hurting. It's not one or two people hurting here. It's the whole community."