Lawyer Requests FBI Investigation After Vital Evidence Surfaces in James Brown Case

Following James Brown's demise in 2006, his eternal peace remains unsettled. A prolonged feud erupted among his offspring and advisors regarding his immense wealth. One of his daughters affirmed that his crypt was devoid of his remains. Moreover, a court invalidated the legitimacy of his fourth wife. In addition, numerous individuals acquainted with the legendary Godfather of Soul have demanded an autopsy or a criminal investigation into his demise.

The narrative continues to grow more peculiar. Over the past few weeks, the Fulton County District Attorneys Office in Atlanta uncovered potential evidence linked to Brown that had mysteriously vanished for over a year. Additionally, the woman's lawyer, who submitted the evidence, has requested the intervention of the FBI.

The controversy surrounding the DAs office started in 2020 when Jacque Hollander, a former associate of Brown, provided a green plastic bin containing possible evidence. This evidence, including a black stiletto shoe and a handwritten note, was said to support the claim that Brown had been murdered. At the time, Paul Howard, the district attorney, stated that his investigators would interview the six potential witnesses provided by Hollander and then determine the appropriate course of action. However, internal case documents obtained by CNN under the Georgia Open Records Act show no evidence of these interviews taking place.

Howard was defeated in the election that followed by Fani Willis, who ultimately shut down the Brown inquiry in 2021 without any further steps taken. Hollander encountered an enigmatic reply when she reached out to the District Attorney's office, requesting the return of the green plastic bin and its contents.

Assistant Chief of Evidence, William Chris Clark, informed her, "The requested items have been shipped."

Instead of receiving the expected green plastic bin, officials delivered a cardboard box to her. Inside, she found mostly old newspaper clippings, along with two unfamiliar old mobile phones. Despite numerous attempts to inquire about the disappearance of the green bin and its potential evidence, no explanations were provided by either Hollander or CNN. In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, Hollander sought answers from the DAs office regarding the missing items. However, when the DA failed to respond, Hollander proceeded by filing a motion for default judgment. In May, attorneys finally responded to the motion, citing "excusable neglect" as the reason for the delay.

The motion and lawsuit are currently unresolved. According to Hollanders attorney, the DAs office has not yet provided all the requested documents under the Georgia Open Records Act. However, in September, the DAs office did return a green plastic bin and evidence bags containing items to Hollanders attorney. There was no explanation regarding the whereabouts of these items for the past 18 months or how they were discovered. Despite multiple attempts, the spokesperson for the DA has not responded to numerous inquiries about James Brown dating back over two years.

On the day Hollander and her attorney, Michael Iasparro, opened the green plastic bin and began cataloguing the items, a CNN reporter listened in via speakerphone. They observed that the documentation inside the bin indicated that it had remained sealed since February 12, 2020, the day Hollander had handed it over. Hollander remarked, "It is evident that this evidence had never been examined by anyone, not even once."

Some people think Brown was murdered. But the full truth surrounding his death remains unknown

Despite the lack of public explanation from the DAs office regarding the closure of the inquiry without any action taken, Assistant DA Michael Sprinkel revealed in an internal email in 2021 that, after extensively conversing with Jacque Hollander for over 10 hours, he did not possess reasonable suspicion that a crime had taken place.

Iasparro, the attorney representing Hollander, collaborated extensively with the FBI throughout his tenure as a federal prosecutor spanning six years. Upon the rediscovery of the green plastic bin, he sought a meeting with the FBI to discuss Browns death and the actions of the district attorney's office.

According to Iasparro, he met with a supervisory FBI agent on October 10 at the Hinshaw & Culbertson office in Rockford, Illinois, where he currently serves as a partner. During the meeting, he recounted the events and provided the agent with a collection of documents pertaining to Hollander's lawsuit against the district attorney.

"That referrals been made," Iasparro said. "Well see what they do with it."

Jacque Hollander, seen traveling with the Carson & Barnes Circus in Princeton, Minnesota, in 2018.

Melissa Golden/Redux

The CNN reporter inquired with the FBI regarding the meeting and its future implications. In response, Siobhan Johnson, a Special Agent and Public Affairs Officer based in Chicago, stated in an email that due to Department of Justice policy restrictions, the FBI is unable to provide any comments on the presence, absence, or specifics of any ongoing investigations.

Daryl, the son of Brown, and his manager Frank Copsidas have been among those seeking further clarification on Brown's death. Copsidas expressed his belief in a 2022 CNN interview that Brown was intentionally killed, stating that someone had a motive to end his life.

However, it is noteworthy that law enforcement officials have not carried out a comprehensive investigation, and the District Attorney's office has not provided a public explanation for their decision to halt their limited inquiry in 2021 without pursuing an autopsy.

Sandy Monroe, a county attorney representing the DAs office in the lawsuit, spoke to CNN briefly by phone in early October.

"I cant discuss the case with you," she said.

She was asked how the potential evidence had been lost and how it was eventually found.

"I am not at liberty to tell you that," she said.

The complete truth about Brown's death still remains unknown even after all these years.

During a 2017 interview with CNN, Dr. Marvin Crawford, the physician who officially certified Brown's death, expressed his desire for an autopsy to determine the actual cause of Brown's demise. However, the requested autopsy has not been conducted yet.

In a 2018 interview, Deanna, the daughter of Brown, neither confirmed nor denied the presence of Brown's body in the crypt.

In 2020, Andre White, a friend of Brown, passed away, carrying his secrets to his grave, including the undisclosed location of a purported vial of blood that could have potentially revealed the cause of Brown's death.

Almost seven years after she first called CNN to report her suspicions, Jacque Hollanders conclusions remain the same:

"What happened to James Brown is, he was murdered for money."