Man receives life sentence for murder of teenage girl in Humble

A man from Humble has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his girlfriend's teenage daughter. The announcement was made by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg on Thursday.

“This defendant was a predator with a gun, and his choice to hurt a young girl and take her life was senseless and horrific,” Ogg stated. “He not only took a promising young woman’s life, his actions have destroyed a family.”

The convicted individual, Van Henry Brisbon, was found guilty of capital murder by a Harris County jury for the death of 16-year-old Lauren Juma. The incident occurred at their home in Humble shortly after 1 a.m. on April 29, 2022.

Lauren Juma, who attended Nimitz High School, contacted her mother and sister via FaceTime expressing concern over Brisbon's behavior while she was home alone with him. Her mother, who was out of town for work reasons, instructed Lauren’s older sister to go to the house to retrieve her.

Upon arrival, the sister found Brisbon holding Lauren against her will with a firearm. Deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and heard gunshots from inside the residence. Brisbon emerged afterward and was apprehended by law enforcement officers. A 9mm handgun used in the crime was recovered inside the house along with evidence indicating an attempted sexual assault on Lauren.

The trial lasted nine days during which jurors were presented with testimonies and evidence detailing the events of that night. Following their deliberations, they convicted Brisbon of capital murder leading to an automatic sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Warren prosecuted the case alongside ADA Gina Gilmore. Warren commented on the difficulty faced by jurors who had to listen to bodycam recordings capturing Lauren's cries for help followed by gunfire. “We are thankful to the jurors for their service and their verdict because they were able to do what needed to be done: They gave this victim and her family justice,” Warren remarked.

Brisbon is now serving his sentence without eligibility for parole or release.