Skip Hollandsworth: And did you find any evidence that suggested he was not home all night? We dont go down to the Poke and Run and have coffee. (yes, normally it is January abc February but due to the mild winter it was later) It was confirmed on January 15, 2019 that the remains that Gregory found were Tom. Furthermore, circumstantial evidence pointed in different directions. All this damn conjecture I get all the time. Yet those rumors went nowhere. Thomas Kelly Brown was an 18 year old boy from Canadian, TX who went missing in November 2016, and was subsequently found dead in January 2019. Thomas Brown, a teenager in Canadian, went missing the night before Thanksgiving in 2016. Tom Brown's Body is a Texas Monthly production. Not Philip Klein. No items found near the skeletal remains or the Durango that could be attributed to the method of committing suicide. This story is developing. al jarreau wife cause of death; valladolid debate apush; nikto advantages and disadvantages. Rachel Kading: Basically, the discussion was that even though this was going to be an investigational grand jury, that multiple indictments were likely, and that it was not felt that that was the ethical thing to do at this time. There is no way to finish off this post its still ongoing and we hope for justice for Tom. Where Are Tom Browns Mom and Brother Now. Penny has never seen the phone that was recovered but according to the Hemphill County Sheriff, the phone that is now to this day still at the crime lab is Toms. Finally, he came to the part of his presentation about new evidence. One witness told investigators that a few months before his disappearance, Thomas Brown was seeking help with mental health issues. I know the truth about where Chris was. Kading says thats not true. But honestly, the suicide sticks out to me as a huge red flag, especially considering the mans sons debit card was found in the car. Philip Klein: Chris Jones is an integral part in the Tom Brown case. This week, there may be some explanation. When they get out to wherever they were, they remove the blindfold, and Jones testifies that he sees out in front of car, the day after Tom Brown went missing, Tom Brown tied to a chair in front of the cop car. A bit of background on Thomas' case: Thomas was a high school senior when he went missing the day before Thanksgiving in 2016. It is of interest because IP logs and data access logs were blank, Records from Facebook indicate Thomas Browns Facebook page had been removed. Skip Hollandsworth: Theres got to be an answer. That somebodys going to talk? Part of the town thinks he committed suicide. Is that correct? Executive producer is Megan Creydt. Im not going to argue with you to try to change your opinion, because I know at the end of the day, or when I have to look at myself in the mirror at the nighttime, or when I get up in the morning, I didnt do anything to my son. Nathan Lewis showed her that photo and Penny confirmed it was Tom. How does these investigations effect cases they worked on prior, during and after the investigation? I need to show you something thats going to encourage you to play better and win that state championship. In November 2019, a charge of trespassing was filed and an arrest warrant issued for Dr. Malouf Abraham, in relation to the disappearance of two signs taken from a vacant lot at Main and Fourth Streets sometime on October 12, 2019. Produced and engineered by Brian Standefer, who also wrote the music. Chris said that Sheriff Lewis let him go, but made it clear that Chris would be shot the next time he didnt follow orders. Penny Meek texted a witness in January 2017 asking if their child knew the passcode to Thomas Browns phone and clarified it was a four-digit number. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Link copied Jan. 16, 2019, 10:12 PM UTC Skip Hollandsworth: And how many people are we talking about being indicted? In October 2021, the Attorney Generals office announced that the Cold Case Unit would look into Toms case. And because of the bags condition, it didnt provide any clues. I also learned that a couple of hours before Tom disappeared on Thanksgiving eve, he did a Google search on his phone for suicide hotlines. There were no calls indicated from 11:20pm Wednesday to 2:30 am on Thursday. I dont know where it is. Well, what do you want to do next with your life? The Texas Attorney Generals Office (OAG) and the Texas Rangers responded. I know the truth about where he was. . Rachel Kading: No; absolutely no evidence. Or we would discover new evidence, or we would discover there were more witnesses, there were other people we could talk to. Some of the same witnesses have given contradictory statements about seemingly irrelevant facts over the course of the investigation. The mother is right with her intuition. Philip has worked on other high profile cases such as the case of missing child DeOrr Kunz and the case of missing grandfather Michael Chambers. If a grand jury had been called, Kading possibly could have gotten more answers out of Toms family. Were here to figure out how an eighteen-year-old died. What is the countys liability? Whats unethical about that? There was a junior high school football game going on at the stadium. The 18-year-old was described as having a funny and lighthearted personality. 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Chris had just joined the team. ), THOMAS BROWN MURDER THEORIES ARE CIRCLING SOCIAL MEDIA, High school senior Thomas Brown missing from Texas after vanishing over Thanksgiving 2016, Family asking for prayers after remains of missing Texas teen Thomas Brown identified, Where is Thomas Brown? Penny had created a petition on change.org with the following mission: To leave no stone unturned and to bring to bear every resource the State of Texas has to solve the case of Thomas Brown, the petition reads, we respectfully request Hemphill County Attorney Kyle Miller and/or Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis to turn the investigation and subsequent prosecution if warranted over to the Texas Attorney General offices and lets use our tax dollars to find Thomas rather than be an adversary of his family.. You had multiple indictments that could be made. Theres been a lot of discrepancies. On January 9, 2019, human remains were discovered in an area near Lake Marvin Road.. During the investigation, Penny Meek told law enforcement that Phillip Klein had taken down the Facebook account. At the meeting, Toms family sat in the front row. What Chris is saying is that Lewis had told the teenager hed be killed if he didnt move to town and play for the Canadian Wildcats. He asked that they take over the official investigation into Toms disappearance. The remains were found in an area that had yet to be searched by Klein Investigations. Thomas was a high school senior, class president, and state champion football player when he went missing the day before Thanksgiving in 2016. I then asked Kading about Kleins newest theorythat Chris Jones had seen Tom tied to a chair while a deputy sheriff held a gun to his head. And his point is, You know what, I got nothing to lose. The lack of answers in the case has been a point of contention throughout the investigation. Nov. 23, 2016, was the day Thomas Brown disappeared. Skip Hollandsworth: Do you feel like people want you to quit and leave town so people will forget, so Canadian can get past the Tom Brown episode? Go downam I going to go find Rachel in Austin and say, you know, what? From dawn on November 24, people were looking for him. Skip Hollandsworth: Has he said, You know what, Im tired of the public scrutiny, lets get out of Canadian?. It could be the ten-year anniversary. It is the opinion of the investigative team that the Fronks Oil and Gas Video was mishandled, and that Sheriff Nathan Lewis failed to document the collection and loss of this evidence. Blunt force trauma to the skull, but it is undetermined whether this happened before or after death. Tom Brown did not commit suicide. The truck had been abandoned on a dirt road that leads to a water treatment facility. It took the Sheriffs Office almost one hour to respond to the emergency call when Tom went missing. Texas Monthly Is Nominated for Two 2023 Media Awards by the James Beard Foundation. In early 2019, according to Klein's company, his remains were found near Lake Marvin about 19 miles. Money from oil, gas, politics and cattle funnel through the two stoplight town. In a statement released from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, officials say all evidence that has been discovered has been analyzed. Or Hospital Scapegoat? Ready? In August 2019, the Texas Attorney General announced that it was suspending the investigation into the death of Tom Brown. BREAKING NEWS. The phone was in almost perfect condition no scratches, nicks, etc. Chris Samples: Try to get your brain around this one. She told the police that it was possible Tom killed himself but added that he did not seem depressed on the day of his disappearance. He asked Penny for her debit card so that he could put gas in his vehicle. . Thomas Brown was an 18-year old student at Canadian High School in November 2016. James and Michelle Butler: The Senseless Murder of 21-Year-Navy Veteran and Wife. We get out there with our water bottles, and we get our butts out there in the streets and we find out whats going on. Money from oil, gas, politics and cattle funnel through the two stoplight town. This one isthe latest shared by Philip Klein and his team of investigators last night. And one of the questions was, Do you know the current location of his body?. The Canadian River was searched into Oklahoma. Tom Browns Body is a Texas Monthly production. The child began asking friends if they had the passcode. In October 2017, Klein conducted a search around Lake Marvin Road, near where Toms backpack was found. This ended up being the area where Toms car was later found. . Im sorry. The Attorney General suspended the investigation in August 2019, stating there was no viable evidence of foul play in Toms death. Before going any further, Klein made a point of introducing them. According to the Casefile Podcast, the night went something like this: The search for Tom began immediately after he disappeared. No evidence to back these two theories up. And he was like, if you dont do that, he was gonna kill me. Is that correct? At around 6pm, he told Penny that he was going to go and hang out with his friends Kaleb King and Christian Webb. sufficient evidence to say that Tom Brown's death to be a criminal act . Penny further stated that her son was not into guns, and none of the firearms at their home were missing. If you have any information on the death of Tom Brown, please send it to Klein Investigations (and not Nathan Lewis! Tom was a popular student and he had many friends. It could be five years from today. Skip Hollandsworth: And you found yourself investigating to see if that story was true? This included evidence related to manner of death, cause of death, or evidence of a specific suspect. It could be five years from today. Im Skip Hollandsworth from Texas Monthly, and this is Tom Browns Body. Skip Hollandsworth: And he did not take one. Did you ever find out where Chris was? Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). Panhandle radio host Chris Samples spent his entire three-hour morning show lambasting the private investigator. Because of the amount of public interest in this case, the amount of time that has elapsed, and the amount of erroneous information that has circulated around the investigation, we believe it is necessary to be open and transparent about the facts in this case. This data cannot be transferred from phone to phone because it contains internal applications that are connected to the IMEI of the device purchased from Verizon Wireless, The search for a suicide hotline occured at 9:11 p.m. If thats the opinion you want to have of me, then, I guess, so be it. . When Toms backpack was discovered, two months after he disappeared, it took Lewis FIVE days to inform Penny that it had been recovered. The Unit's first case was to assist the Hemphill County Sheriff's Office in the case of Thomas Brown of Canadian. Did they believe Tom had been killed by more than one person? J.K. Nickell is our editor and Paul Knight is our fact-checker. Indeed, as the meeting began, Klein teased that he was ready to reveal everything. The 25-caliber shell casing in the car didnt yield any forensic evidence either. 1010 wins stephanie officer; . Suddenly, the day before Thanksgiving on November 23rd, he disappeared. However, this case spurred the AGs Office to establish a Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit, announced in the last week, that is now the base for the AGs side of the investigation. He was wearing a black pull over with a Oklahoma State University logo displayed on the right upper chest area as well as . So it wasnt a matter of a missing by law enforcement or us at all, it was just a matter of that area hadnt been searched., It has since emerged that the remains were actually found by Pyne Gregory, Hemphill County Sheriffs Office Deputy. At the town hall meeting in October, thats exactly what Klein speculated. Thomas Brown was an 18-year old student at Canadian High School in . Its late October, 2021, and two hundred people are packed into a meeting hall in the small town of Canadian, Texas, to hear the latest news regarding Tom Brown, who mysteriously disappeared nearly five years earlier. And its very important that you guys listen to what I say tonight. Rumors flew that he had run away. and were instructed to turn them over to a Deputy. The investigative team has confirmed that HCSO did not ask the family for the passcode in 2017. Skip Hollandsworth: Theres nothing you can do, right? In early 2018, the states attorney generals office in Austin took over the investigation. Throughout the investigation, evidence has been discovered and obtained by various agencies and thoroughly analyzed. There is no viable evidence that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that foul play led to the death of Thomas Kelly Brown. Could the ruling on cases be over turned? There have been plenty of bombshell revelations in this complicated and tragic story. Please have someone else investigate this other than what Lewis and Gregory did. Please look back to June 2015 when Nathan Lewis was not with Hemphill County Sheriff Office, but stopped Tom and friends while they were walking and made Tom get in the vehicle with him. So, if you're wondering where they might be today, here's what we know! Penny was not made aware of the discovery of the backpack by the Sheriffs office until five days after it was found. Chris Jones: I was like, Im not going to go to school in Canadian. He drove away in his Dodge Durango, apparently headed home. . Sydne Allen, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Canadian, and Cory. Is there a serial killer in Austin, Texas? But as Klein told the crowd all he had done to find out what had happened to Tom, he insisted, over and over, that he had found nothingnot a single piece of evidenceimplicating Penny, Chris, or Tucker. The lack of answers in the case has been a point of contention throughout the investigation. And his story hasnt changed once. He failed to notify the Hemphill County Sheriff Office and was reprimanded for his actions. . 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A window was down and the doors were unlocked. He didn't do it. Our theme music is No Hard Feelings by the Avett Brothers. You might remember that only weeks after that fateful Thanksgiving eve, Penny had asked a couple of Toms friends if they knew the password to Toms phone, which was then still believed to be missing. I will attempt to list the occurrences here in chronological order (please contact our facebook page if you have anything you think needs to be added). Phone records show a plug in/charging event earlier in the evening while Thomas Brown was at his house. The father (Caseltine) kills himself with a 25 CALIBER gun, the same EXACT caliber of bullet casing that was found in the vehicle of thomas brown and the ATM card of MICHAEL Caseltine was found in the vehicle of thomas brown. Nathan Lewis told the family it was suicide. It could be the twenty-year anniversary. Penny Meek: I mean, our hands are tied. The full Klein Investigations & Consulting briefing, as well as the full Office of the Attorney General Investigation Summary, can be viewed through this article. Chris went on to tell Gear that Sheriff Lewis was working for a local gambling ring that wanted Chris to play well in certain games and deliberately throw other games so they could collect big on their bets. Inadequate job with the vehicle and scene. Ill never lose that hope. "The evidence that we found clearly indicts that he did not. Philip Klein has also seen the photo and it was reported to exist in the Houston Chronicle. All in-car camera data was obtained. The overview of the Thomas Brown case and evidence reported by the AGs Office included the following, noted as verified through multiple sources of forensic data: Partial skeletal remains found in January and February 2019, Evidence supporting cause or manner of death. You know, at the end of the day, I know the truth about that. 0. Tom and his family were looking forward to spending time together for Thanksgiving in 2016 when things went awry. Could this discrepancy have something to do with why Nathan Lewis asked for Toms phone passcode before a phone was found? The. Every victim is important, and this case is no different than that. C. Toms Durango was found at 8:45 AM on Thursday. Skip Hollandsworth: Chris Meek, her husband, was asked the same set of questions, correct? At around 6 PM on November 23, 2016, Tom left home in his car to hang out with a few of his friends. The area where the phone was found had been recently mowed and had been mowed several times over the summer. During this search, a cell phone was also found. The 18-year-old was described as having a funny and lighthearted personality. Its fact, okay? A high school seniors sudden disappearance in the small town of Canadian, Texas, led to a high-profile inquiry that had the family and the sheriffs department at odds. Rachel Kading: If they possessed Toms phone after his disappearance. Thomas Brown was a senior at the Canadian High School in Texas. Skip Hollandsworth: Sure is. Last night, coach, Klein Investigations, Philip Klein, the private investigator hired by the. Tucker Brown, Thomas Browns brother, rode with former HCSO Deputy Pyne Gregory from around 4 a.m. until 6 a.m. on the evening of Thomas Browns disappearance. Chris said that next to Tom he saw Pyne Gregory, the sheriffs deputy, with a hat on his head and a gun in his hand. Thomas Brown, a teenager in Canadian, went missing the night before Thanksgiving in 2016. Digital forensic evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the battery case was on Thomas Browns phone the night of his disappearance. . This document is meant to inform the public of the significant and contentious issues surrounding the investigation into the death of Thomas Brown. Skip Hollandsworth: And what would they be indicted for? A search of the vehicle showed that none of Thomas personal belongings were in the car. What is the status of the case that the DA handed to the AG regarding Lewis that is not related to the Tom Brown case? Is there a chance the two had a liaison of some sort and something went wrong? Thomas Brown Murder Theories Are Circling Social Media. The Texas Rangers also have never seen this photo. Skip Hollandsworth: And her answer was registered by the lie detector examiner as deceptive. It showed no signs of damage from rain or ice storms, which meant it had to have been planted shortly before the search began. And he wasnt even close to Chris in any way. Memorial services will be 2:00 PM Saturday, February 2, 2019 in the gymnasium at Canadian High School with Rev. Just about everyone assumed he would announce the names of the teenager and the father who were involved in the parking-lot shooting. Penny told Kading that she was mistaken. And former deputy Pyne Gregory has a gun to Tom Browns head. So you can go get indictments, which are very easy to get, but to not have the trial evidence, its unethical and it doesnt serve the victim. Two Fort Hood soldiers found dead are their cases related? She did not answer the question. Hes been interviewed how many times? However, Tom and his belongings were still missing. Volunteer searchers on Lake Marvin Road allegedly found bones in a bucket (!) Calls and texts to his phone went unanswered, prompting them to drive around, looking for the teenager. The 25 is a semi auto and leaves markings from discharge that would prove from the same gun. I dont know the truth about what happened to Thomas, but I know the truth about where I was. Thats why I came to school in Higgins. Office of the Texas Attorney General. We have theories, obviously. But because the investigation into Toms death has not been officially closed, the attorney generals office says its obligated to maintain possession of Toms remains. I just read on a FB post that the man who committed suicide was killed w a .25 caliber bullet. Is that not the most bizarre thing? . Why wouldnt you let people see what you had? In the days and weeks after Tom disappeared, the water treatment plant where his vehicle was found was drained. I began to wonder if anyone would ever learn the truth about what had happened to Tom. The brothers shared an iCloud account. Thomas Brown declined, according to the witness, their offer to help him get therapy and drive him to Amarillo for confidentiality because he did not want to tell his mother and he was still a minor. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It was not shut off, and did not have power again until it was powered on by the FBI once discovered in October 2017. CANADIAN, Texas (KFDA) - Klein Investigations, the private firm investigating the death of Thomas Brown, says it anticipates moving into the prosecution phase of the case by the end of this year . Had Penny taken the phone from Tom the night he disappeared? While his backpack and cellphone were found later, his remains were discovered in January 2019. As for Penny, she says shes not giving up on her investigation, either. The nearby 63-acre Lake Marvin was surveyed with sonar. Im just wasting my time. TOM BROWN UPDATE. Philip Klein: And were gonna tell you about the manner of death. 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An Instagram murder - Brandon Clark and Bianca Devins, Gannon Stauch Murder Trial - Daily Updates, Jenna Van Gelderen and the missing Egyptian tapestry, The Missing, Murdered and Reunited of Runaway Train, UPDATE: 11 year old Gannon Stauch missing from Colorado Springs - remains have been found in Florida, Murder by Neglect - the deaths of Lacey Fletcher and Valerie Wallach. You know, the same type of bullet found in Toms vehicle.. Sheriff Lewis needs to be investigated. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. Hemphill County received around 26 inches of rain from Nov. 24, 2016 to Oct. 14, 2017. But were not here, like I said earlier, to make you feel good. In the fall of 2016, 18-year-old Tom Brown was the president of the senior class, a stand-out in the drama department, and an offensive lineman on the state champion Canadian Wildcat high school football team. ABC 7 has pored over piles of documents and shows why that hope might be questioned by Canadian teen Thomas Brown's family. Several other witnesses claimed to have seen the video or had credible information about the video, however, the video would not have provided any footage of Thomas Brown getting gas the camera that would capture that view was facing the ground. Pyne Gregory found Thomas Browns skull at around 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2019, not in the middle of the night as some have stated. Skip Hollandsworth: Well, good luck on that. The Hemphill County Sheriff's Office responded to the report, and an attempt to locate Thomas was initiated. Read More: Where Are Tom Browns Mom and Brother Now? Or he had been murdered by one of the friends who had gone cruising with him. I. He was wearing glasses. Philip Klein: Here you go, folks. And when I went to see Penny in October, the day after Kleins meeting, she remained adamant that she, Chris, and Tucker had not moved Toms body. Im the senior investigator from a company called Klein Investigations and Consulting and Texas Professional Bodyguards LLC out of Nederland, Texas. Its interesting the sheriff had the theory about Tom being gay and running off with an older man. Search on Nov. 23, 2016 at 9:11 p.m. for a suicide hotline. Penny Meek: I dont even know where it is, to be honest. He was the one who took Toms brother out to search on the night that Tom went missing (!). Tucker Brown: Every day I think we may not know anything, ever. His remains were found more than two years after he vanished but no cause of death has been determined. Then when the remains were discovered the man committed suicide because he couldnt face the truth coming out. So, lets find out more about what happened then, shall we? In fact, lie detector test results arent permitted in court as evidence. Furious with Klein, some members of the audience let loose. The door is always open at our office for anything that will bring resolution to this case.. Just going to keep teaching school and doing whatever I can to bring answers for Thomas. Penny always thought the photo was taken by a person as it was a close up photo, not dash cam or CCTV footage. On November 24, the car was found parked near the local water treatment plant, but there was no sign of Tom. I hear your pain. The witness name was Chris Jones. I think youre going to need it. You have seen Gregorys name before. Thomas brother Tucker was home for Thanksgiving and the two had been enjoying spending time together. I stared at one of the signs that had been put up there soon after Tom disappeared.