A Morning That Was Anything But Routine

It was a quiet Monday morning, Nov. 29, 2004, after a busy Thanksgiving weekend at the AMC Theater Multiplex in Ahwatukee, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix. At 10 a.m., employees from the Dunbar Armored Car Service arrived to make their regular Monday morning pick-up. Because it had been a busy weekend, the cash bag was heavy -- weighed down by $56,000 from the box office.

Making the pick-up that Monday morning was 24-year-old armored car guard Robert Keith Palomares, who went by Keith. While his partner followed procedure by waiting in the armored truck, Palomares went about his scheduled pick up of cash and receipts from the theater. But this day, Palomares’ route was anything but routine.

As Keith left the theater complex, a hooded man dressed entirely in black came running with his gun drawn. Then, without speaking a word, police say the gunman started firing at Palomares’ head. In all, six shots were fired, and five hit the driver. Police say the gunman then grabbed the bag of money and took off toward an alley. The hooded fugitive hopped on a bike and fled.

Jason Brown: Not Your Typical Suspect

At least one of the eyewitnesses made a desperate call to 911, begging for an ambulance and instructions on how to help Palomares. It was too late, and Palomares died just outside the movie theater.

Police quickly found the getaway bicycle while patrolling the area. A forensics technician lifted fingerprints from the bike. The prints came back positive for Jason Derek Brown – a man with hardly the profile of a typical suspect.

The 35-year-old toy salesman from Utah had ties to some of California's wealthiest coastal communities. He was known for his money and lavish lifestyle, with a long list of possessions that included numerous cars, boats, motorcycles, jet skis and ATVs. But his superficial wealth masked a mysterious man.

Where In The World Is Jason Derek Brown?

Police say Brown was in serious debt to several creditors and had defaulted on at least one large loan. In November 2004, while living in the Sugar House area of Salt Lake City, police learned Brown purchased a Glock semi-automatic .45-caliber pistol. According to officials, Brown had also taken a firearms class. Instructor Clark Aposhian, who privately trained Brown, described him as "an obnoxious student" who was inexperienced with firearms.

According to records, Brown completed the class in early November but had not yet received his actual permit. Police discovered the type of ammunition used in Palomares’ murder matched the exact type of bullets Brown purchased on the day he bought his Glock.

Police now know Brown had been staying at a hotel located a mile from the murder scene -- he checked in on Thanksgiving Day and checked out that following Monday, the evening of the murder.

Via police interviews, a number of people who work at the mall adjacent to the theater said in the days leading up to the robbery-murder, they observed Brown sitting in a distinctive BMW M3. According to witnesses, he would sit in front of the theater for lengthy periods of time, surveying the area. But now the trail has gone cold.

Following The Trail
Cops know that on the night of the murder, Brown left Phoenix and went to Henderson, Nev., where he checked into a motel. The next morning, Nov. 30, 2004, Brown made a cash deposit of $2,000 into his personal bank account shortly after the beginning of business day. Brown left Henderson and drove to Las Vegas. There, he took a black Cadillac Escalade out of car storage and parked his BMW in its place. He left Vegas in the Escalade. Later that day Brown arrived in Orange County, Calif., where he began a series of short stays (a day or two) with various friends and family members. According to police, he remained in the Orange County area until approximately Dec. 6, 2004.

On Dec. 1, 2004, at 4:35 p.m., Brown deposited $2,300 cash into his personal account at a Wells Fargo Bank in Dana Point, Calif.

On Dec. 6, 2004, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the U.S. District Court of Arizona, charging Brown with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. This marked the last day that anything was known about Brown’s whereabouts. It is believed he left Orange County at this time.

On Jan. 16, 2005, police recovered Brown's black Cadillac Escalade, which had been abandoned nearly a month earlier. Parking lot records showed it had been placed in a long-term parking lot at the Portland, Ore., airport.

Brown shipped a large package to his brother in southern California on Dec. 13, 2004. UPS had an incorrect telephone number for Brown's brother, so it could not be delivered.

The package was then shipped back to Portland until UPS could research to whom it would be delivered. A few weeks passed before it was re-shipped from Portland to Orange County. By this time, Brown's family was cooperating with police and, when they got notified by UPS that the package was on its way, Brown's family informed the FBI. Inside they found a set of golf clubs that belonged to Brown's brother, Brown's laptop, one of Brown's cell phones and nearly all of Brown's warm-weather clothing.

Police are not ruling out that Brown may have fled to someplace warm, such as Mexico, where he vacationed several times. Detectives now believe he could be in western Canada, another of Brown's favorite vacation spots, the areas of Salt Lake City; Redding, Calif.; or Portland, Ore. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are cooperating with Phoenix police and the FBI to look for him.

Wanted For:

• Unlawful Flight To Avoid Prosecution , Phoenix , AZ ; Dec 06, 2004
• Armed Robbery , Phoenix , AZ ; Nov 29, 2004
• First Degree Murder , Phoenix , AZ ; Nov 29, 2004

(Information valid as of January 14, 2010)

Associated Persons:

Unknown Jason Brown Witness
This man may have left the motel with Jason Brown
Wanted for Questioning
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