48 Hours Special features late Twin Falls teen

Jchandra Brown was born in Twin Falls, Idaho. Without question, the death by suicide of the 16-year-old on May 5, 2017 was a tragedy. But was how it happened a crime?

In a 48 Hours Special that airs Saturday April 27th you’ll hear a heartbreaking story of a family, a community and authorities struggling to make sense of a young girl's death by suicide, only to discover that her friend, who had many opportunities to stop her, helped her complete the act instead.

"Jchandra was my world. She was my life," says the teen's mother, Susan Bryan. "When Jchandra died, my heart shattered."

Brown's body was found by a turkey hunter in the woods in Payson Canyon, Utah. To police, the scene initially looked like a clear-cut case of suicide; it was anything but that. There were clues that something wasn't right. Nearby, police found a note.

"It says, 'My name's Jchandra Brown and I hated my life,'" says Utah County Sheriff's Detective Quinten Fackrell. "'Watch the video. It's on my phone.'"

Brown's phone, also found nearby, contained a 10-minute video of her suicide that was recorded by someone she knew. They found two grocery bags as well, one of which had a receipt for rope, purchased with a debit card belonging to Tyerell Przybycien.

KMVT’s Kelsey Souto got a chance to speak with reporter David Begnaud via satellite interview. He’s been working on this story since December. He says southern Idaho meant a lot to Jchandra and her family. .

“Prosecutors believe had Tyrell not been in the picture, Jchandra would still be alive today,” said Beganud. “Jchandra as you know is now buried in Twin Falls Idaho. I expect that Jchandra's family, at least her mother will at some point move back to Idaho. I think in many ways the family would tell you that Twin Falls is where her heart was, but she was starting a new life in Utah. She was trying it out, doing her best and then she met Tyerell Przybycien and that's where prosecutors think everything went wrong.”

The state of Utah now has a law on the books about assisted suicide brought to light by Jchandra’s case.

She is buried in Twin Falls, but Begnaud says unfortunately the family wasn’t able to afford a headstone. Since her death was a suicide that also made them ineligible for a lot of financial assistance. They’re hoping someone can help them properly label her gravesite with dignity.

The hour long special includes an interview with a clinical psychiatrist to talk about childhood depression. The story will provide information to parents about warning signs and things to look for.

You can catch the segment Saturday, April 27th at 9 p.m. on CBS Channel 11.