MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. – As she sat in her living room on Prentis Street Wednesday morning, the mother of the 11-year-old girl shot and killed in Medical Lake on Sunday afternoon, revealed new information about her daughter and her suspected killer’s ongoing battle with mental health.
Lilea “Lilly” Stolworthy, 11, died on Sunday. Her body was found just outside her family’s home on Prentis Street. The Spokane Medical Examiner confirmed Lilly was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Detectives believe her brother, now identified as 31-year-old Jordan Brownlow, shot and killed his sister before turning the gun on himself.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s office, deputies found Brownlow’s body slumped over in the front seat of a car on Graham Road, with a pistol in his hand.
Darel Stolworthy, Lilly and Brownlow’s mother, said her son has been on life support while organ arrangements are made, as he is a certified donor. However, late Wednesday afternoon, Stolworthy told KHQ that Brownlow had officially been declared dead.
In our one-on-one conversation on Wednesday, Stolworthy made it clear that both of her kids, of the 12 she shares with her husband (four of them adopted, including Lilly), had been struggling mentally for a long time. According to her, both Lilly and Brownlow attempted suicide on multiple occasions.
Stolworthy said Lilly had bipolar disorder, and sometimes became violent at home because of it. She was medicated, but her mother said medication without counseling was not enough. The family allegedly was unable to find a good mental health facility for the 11-year-old, either because she declined to go due to the time commitment, or the facility declined Lilly because of her young age.
This, according to Stolworthy, set the family down a long and difficult path. She wanted to thank the Medical Lake School District, however, for their efforts in helping Lilly while she was at school.
Stolworthy recalled her last conversation she had with her daughter, in which she said Lilly told her she wanted to “be done” with life.
Stolworthy said though it was an awful thing to do, she genuinely believes Brownlow thought his actions that day were done to protect their family.
Court documents show that whatever did happen, the man was conflicted. The docs say the suspect sent a group text message to family members that read, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Stolworthy is not sure if her children planned to commit the murder-suicide ahead of time, but she does believe that both of her kids are now at peace.
A vigil is planned for Lilly to be held at six p.m. on Thursday November 30 at Wilcox Park in Medical Lake. It is open to the public, if you would like to attend, to pay your respects. Her mother said Lilly’s mental health struggle should not dictate who she was; she should be remembered as a sweet, beautiful young girl.
The family is unsure if they will be in attendance.
