Financial issues possible motive in IC woman’s murder

Husband arrested after months-long IC murder investigation-UPDATE

Lang/Hunter

10/28-29/19

An arrest has been made in a months-long Iowa City murder investigation.

Online records show 67-year-old Roy Browning Junior was booked into the Johnson County Jail on a 1st Degree Murder charge just before 7:15 Monday night.

Browning is the husband of 65-year-old JoEllen Browning, who was found murdered in the couple’s Green Mountain Drive home on April 5th.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the couple’s residence for a report of an unresponsive female. Upon arrival, Browning was found stabbed to death inside the residence.

A probable cause affidavit filed Monday alleges Mr. Browning had taken out four high interest loans for $4000 each and funneled the couple’s savings into a personal account, allegedly without his wife’s knowing. Records show the last loan was paid off on April 2nd 2019.

There were discrepancies found between records at the scene of the crime and the actual records of the banks. For example, an account in both names showed an account balance of over $97,800 ending December 31st, 2018, but in actuality, the account had a balance of less than $89.

A review of cellphone and e-mail records belonging to the couple show the victim emailing Browning on April 1st questioning the discrepancies, and requesting that a meeting be set up with the financial institution. On the day before the murder, Mrs. Browning sent Mr. Browning a text informing him of the meeting she ended up scheduling for the couple the following day.

The affidavit alleges that Boy Browning went to a paint supply store on the 4th of April and purchased rubber-palmed nitrile gloves, a package of 6 white towels and was given 8-10 latex gloves free of charge. Investigators have yet to locate those items despite several searches.

The affidavit goes on to say that the meeting would have revealed Mr. Browning’s actions. Ms. Browning was found dead an hour before that meeting was to take place.

A credit card in the victim’s name had a balance of over $17,600 at the time of her death but continued to be used after her funeral on April 11th of this year.

JoEllen Browning was the University of Iowa Health Care Director for Operating Budgets. She had a retirement account and life insurance policy worth over $2 million while Roy Browning was not found to have a revenue source.

The Daily Iowan reports that Iowa City attorney Leon Spies is representing Roy C. Browning Jr.

Spies has previously represented John Bloomfield on first-degree murder charges, and UI lecturer Jeffrey Nock, who was accused of sexual harassment.

Browning faces life in prison, if convicted.