Judge recuses himself in Brown double-murder trial, jury selection halted again

A Bloomfield double-murder trial came to a halt in the middle of jury selection after District Judge Stephen Wayne realized he knew members of Isaiah Brown’s family and stepped aside, delaying a case that had already been years in the making.

Brown, 23, of Bloomfield, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the August 28, 2024 shooting deaths of Stoney Torres, 25, and Jessica Aragon, 28, at a home in Bloomfield. Attorneys had already questioned 66 potential jurors when a prospective juror began naming Brown family members, including Brown’s father, Dion Brown, and relatives Greg Brown and Melissa Brown of Farmington.

Wayne then acknowledged that the family name had not immediately registered because Brown is a common surname. He said he had worked with Melissa Brown years earlier as a legal assistant and had taken an infant CPR class with Greg Brown. After a short recess to consult with attorneys, Wayne concluded that his connection to the family was enough to raise questions about impartiality and recused himself.

The case was then sent through another round of judicial reassignment. District Judge Curtis Gurley stepped aside, followed by District Judge Brenna Clani-Washinawatok and District Judge Brad Dalley. The case was finally assigned to District Judge Bradley Keeler, a McKinley County judge.

The recusal protected Brown’s right to a judge whose impartiality could not reasonably be questioned, but it also added another layer of delay for prosecutors, who have been preparing for a long-running homicide trial, and for the families of Torres and Aragon, who have waited since the 2024 killings for the case to reach a jury.

Investigators have said the killings stemmed from an argument over $80 and fentanyl at a home in the Harvest Gold neighborhood near County Road 4909. Brown and then-girlfriend Ravyn Burns, 19, allegedly fled after the shootings and were arrested the next day, August 29, 2024, after a police standoff in Kirtland.

The case had already survived major pretrial challenges. In February 2026, a judge denied Brown’s motion for a change of venue and a motion to suppress evidence before setting a nine-day jury trial. Brown has also faced additional charges, including armed robbery, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault on a peace officer, attempted murder, arson and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

San Juan County’s size helps explain why the case moved so quickly from one judge to another. The county had 121,661 residents in the 2020 census, while Bloomfield had 7,421 and Farmington had 46,624, a reminder that judges, lawyers and court staff often share the same professional and community circles.