The Timeline

Michael Charles Brown is born in Grenada, Mississippi.

Brown is caught shoplifting at Sears in Bakersfield and is arrested. The complaint is filed the next day on July 20.

Brown fails to show up at his arraignment. An arrest warrant is issued.

Brown elists in the Army.

Brown is discharged from the Army.

Arrest warrant from 8/10/93 is inactivated.

Arrested by the Bakersfield Police Department and booked – Case BM5354A

Complaint filed.

Arraignment, arrest warrant issued for failure to appear.

Mary Ann Perkins goes missing

Mary Ann Perkins’ nude body found in backyard on Derrel Avenue.

Brown is arrested for stealing the vehicle of a Hall Ambulance employee. He is also arrested on warrant from case BM5354A.

Brown is admitted to a state prison after spending the last two and a half months in jail. He is sentenced to 2 years, 86 days of which had been served in jail.

Brown is released from prison on parole after serving less than a year of his two-year sentence.

Leslie Dawn Preston is seen for the last time.

Kathleen Heisey seen alive for the last time. Leaves voicemail for Lisa Heisey around 7:45 p.m.

Kathleen Heisey fails to show up to morning meetings.

Leslie Dawn Preston’s nude body found in field off Madison Avenue. It is estimated she had been there two days. Her body is found with stab wounds to her neck, chest, and torso.

Kathleen Heisey’s nude body is found in her bedroom on Raymond Spruance. No forced entry is found. Her body is found with stab wounds on her chest and abdomen.

A 19-year-old woman is sexually assaulted by a stranger who orders her in his car around 2 a.m. at the intersection of 26th and Chester. She is raped in the area of F Street and Golden State Avenue. The stranger tells her he has never done this before, saying he’s doing it “because I wanted you.” He has no weapon but choked her prior to assault until she told him she would cooperate. He tells her his name is Mike.

Ruby Lee Merriweather is seen or heard from for the last time.

Merriweather’s nude body is found in her bedroom on Grace Street with no signs of forced entry. There are 18 stab wounds to the back of her neck and head.

The 19-year-old victim alerts Bakersfield Police that she see the car driven by her rapist and gives the license plate which links to Brown.

The 19-year-old victim picks Michael Charles Brown out of a photo lineup.

Brown is arrested on charges of rape, oral copulation by force, and kidnapping.

In custody since July, Brown is released as the DA’s office dismisses all charges against him.

Prostitute Catrina Pink is last seen by her friend at the Tropicana Motel at 1622 Union Avenue.

Catrina Pink’s partially-nude body is found in a field off McKee Road with her throat slit.

Marcella Feliz is forced into a car by an unknown black man. He rapes her, brandishes a knife, threatens to stab her, beats her, chokes her. She gets away.

Prostitute Billie Bear is found in the bushes in the 2700 block of O Street, partially nude with stab wounds to the neck.

CHP arrests Brown on DUI charges.

DUI charges are filed. Brown agrees to appear on February 22, 2001 and is released from custody.

Brown is sentenced to 1 day in jail. Jail time is stayed until March 22, 2001.

Brown enrolls in DUI class.

Notice of completion of work release filed.

Proof of enrollment in TAASK driving school filed.

Prostitute Patricia Martin is found in the 2100 block of 21st Street, partially nude with her throat slit.

Wendy Kyle is last seen at the VIP Room and the Mint. She is seen with Michael Charles Brown.

Wendy Kyle is found partially nude in the bedroom inside a burning home. She has stab wounds to the back of her neck and head.

Brown completes driving school filed with court.

Josea “Joe” Kent is fatally stabbed outside a home in the 900 block of N street. Four brothers, including Brown, came to the aid of a female friend who was fighting with Kent. No one saw who stabbed Kent. Brown and his three brothers were arrested on murder charges but released later and never charged in court.

Brown is arrested by the CHP for DUI.

Complaint and release for DUI is filed.

Brown to serve 44 days. Stay of execution granted until 5/30/02 and referred to work release.

Completion and discharge notice filed from work release program.

Brown is charged with spousal abuse and failure to appear. Complaint and arrest warrant filed in case BM629587A. Charges are later dropped on 8/29/03.

Brown is arrested.

Arraignment, bench warrant issued.

Brown hits and kills a pedestrian on Union Avenue. He reports his car as stolen but later admits to the hit and run. He tells the officer he is employed by Consolidated Fiber and Glass. Occupation listed as inventory control.

Warrant in prior case served.

Jury convicts Michael Charles Brown.

Brown is sentenced to 9 years. 224 days time served.

Brown admitted to prison.

Brown is released on parole.

Brown is arrested for domestic violence.

Brown is arrested by CHP and bails out.

Brown released on parole and must pay fines.

Glendene Holguin is raped and sodomized. The suspect tells her he’s killed in the past and kept a woman for two weeks in his basement.

Another woman is raped. The suspect threatens to killer her, saying he’s killed others.

A third woman working the Union Avenue area as a prostitute is raped and beaten. She is run over by the suspect’s car. The suspect also threatens to kill her.

A fourth woman is raped and choked into unconsciousness. The suspect tells her “I want to keep you.”

Michael Charles Brown is arrested by Bakersfield Police for driving with a suspended license.

Brown is arrested on rape charges of four women.

Defense counsel is made aware of cold case DNA hit made by the FBI linking Brown to the Ruby Merriweather rape and murder.

Brown is charged with the murder of Ruby Merriweather.

Michael Charles Brown is convicted of sexual assault on four victims as well as the rape and murder of Ruby Merriweather.

Jury recommends deaath as the punishment for Michael Charles Brown.

Judge Kenneth Twisselman upholds jury’s recommendation to sentence Brown to death.

Brown begins serving his life sentence at San Quentin.