Found Deceased TX - Thomas Brown, 18, Hemphill County, 23 Nov 2016 #2

[inmyhumbleopinion]

According to this Dateline Tweet, Thomas was 6 ft and 195 lb. I think its possible he was killed close to where he was found - but if that was the case, why move his Durango to somewhere it was for sure to be found quickly? Maybe to 'throw off' any searches at Lake Marvin, I guess.

https://twitter.com/datelinenbc/status/1067244871231131648

If the killers had brought along another vehicle, the Durango would have been abandoned in a more remote location. But they didn't. The killers needed the Durango in order to get back to town and get home before sunrise. Under the circumstances there could not have been a better place to drop the Durango inconspicuously yet close enough to their residence.

Or close enough to where they had left their own car.

All great points. There is an apartment community very close to where Tom’s Durango was found. I have heard on a couple of podcasts it’s about 500 yards away, and looking at the map from the first Texas Monthly article and Google Maps, that sounds just right:

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 1: A Pretty Little Place



[Sorry, 901 N 6th Street is where the complex is located. According to its official Facebook page, it consists of five buildings with a total of 64 units.]
Oasis Cove Apartments In Canadian, TX

I wonder if the same camera that showed Tom’s Durango heading east on 6th Street, entering the wastewater area, passing through the “already open gate” and parking, showed anything interesting from between 11:30 PM Thanksgiving Eve and when the Durango first appears on Thanksgiving Day.

 

[OutWest]

I believe I heard it mentioned that OAG did a cell tower data dump, maybe during the private meeting (?). So even if there are not enough towers in Canadian to triangulate position with accuracy, they most likely can determine which cellphones in town (on that quiet Holiday night) were moving occasionally and sending/receiving texts, email, or voice. That may provide an opportunity to narrow down who's phones were "active" through the night; also determine who may live in the proximity of where the Durango was abandoned. The info would not prove anything but may indicate some persons of interest. I feel sure that OAG has whatever cell information was available.

 

[nannymo]

All great points. There is an apartment community very close to where Tom’s Durango was found. I have heard on a couple of podcasts it’s about 500 yards away, and looking at the map from the first Texas Monthly article and Google Maps, that sounds just right:
View attachment 276181
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 1: A Pretty Little Place
View attachment 276187


[Sorry, 901 N 6th Street is where the complex is located. According to its official Facebook page, it consists of five buildings with a total of 64 units.]
Oasis Cove Apartments In Canadian, TX

I wonder if the same camera that showed Tom’s Durango heading east on 6th Street, entering the wastewater area, passing through the “already open gate” and parking, showed anything interesting from between 11:30 PM Thanksgiving Eve and when the Durango first appears on Thanksgiving Day.

BBM I must have missed this! As in the already opened gate that was closed when a couple of people drove by earlier in the night? That is interesting. Who would be opening that gate as such an hour? Wasn't it in the wee hours of morning when they drove by and TB mentioned it was odd the gate was closed? HMMMM?

 

[Meligator]

BBM I must have missed this! As in the already opened gate that was closed when a couple of people drove by earlier in the night? That is interesting. Who would be opening that gate as such an hour? Wasn't it in the wee hours of morning when they drove by and TB mentioned it was odd the gate was closed? HMMMM?

surely investigators could narrow down the list of people who had keys to that gate.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

I wasn't the person who brought up the Durango sightings, but I will throw my two cents in.

I think whatever happened, happened before 2am. I think *someone* not involved with looking for Thomas that night was busy disposing of his body and Durango while everyone else looked. I do not think Tom was moved in his Durango but in a truck possibly.


*edited to add: I think its possible Thomas was put in the back of a truck because of his size. I think it would be somewhat easy to hide a body, in the back of a truck if they had a bed cover over the bed (which are very common up here).

Just a couple of things before I forget:
1. I agree with your timeline. I also think it was “*someone* not involved with looking for Thomas that night (so sure, we may not be talking about the same person ((I am talking about a grown adult here))),” who was involved in getting rid of the vehicle and the body.

2. Speaking of a truck, does anyone know if anything came of this?
“The rest of that fall [2017], Klein continued his investigation. In November, he made yet another appearance on Chris Samples’s radio show to talk about a tip he had received: allegedly, a brown or copper-colored Ford F-250 pickup had been seen tooling around the streets of Canadian at about the time that Tom had disappeared. Klein asked that anyone with pertinent information call his tip line.” (BBM)
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 5: Unusual Suspects

Here is an article from Dec., 2017:
Friday, 15 December, 2017
“The lead investigator in the case of missing Canadian teenager Thomas Brown says they are looking to speak with anyone who was in the downtown area the night Brown went missing and they are also looking for a specific vehicle.

Philip Klein, [...] hired by the Brown family, spoke with KXDJ’s Chris Samples on Tuesday and says they are looking for a white male who drives a dark brown or copper colored Ford F250.

‘When we first got involved in the case we had a tip on our tip line regarding this brown truck and that it was seen in the downtown area at the time of the disappearance. We did some follow up on it, but we didn’t really have enough information to know the make and model and exact color. On Sunday, the tip line rang, and a subject that we previously interviewed reminded us of the truck but also reminded us that he had seen that truck as he had been out searching that night,’ Klein explained.

He said they then went through different models and colors of trucks and Klein said the tipster immediately picked out a Ford F250 with a brownish or copper color.

Click here to hear more from him and Samples.

Another question Samples asked Klein was about the phone that was found during the search near Lake Marvin Road in recent weeks as well as the rumor mill that continues to churn.” (BBM)
Investigative Firm Looking For Specific Information From The Night Thomas Brown Disappeared

 

[8th Bob-White]

Y'all have been bringing up some really good points! Reading the above posts got me to thinking....would the person(s) involved in taking the Durango to where it was found have KNOWN (or was ADVISED) there was cctv monitoring activity on that road? If they knew that, then maybe that's why one person dropped off the Durango & walked out so no other vehicles could be recorded. Then they walked back to where someone else involved could pick them up and take them home. Maybe it was the Brown/Copper Ford F250?

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

All great points. There is an apartment community very close to where Tom’s Durango was found. I have heard on a couple of podcasts it’s about 500 yards away, and looking at the map from the first Texas Monthly article and Google Maps, that sounds just right:
View attachment 276181
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 1: A Pretty Little Place
View attachment 276187


[Sorry, 901 N 6th Street is where the complex is located. According to its official Facebook page, it consists of five buildings with a total of 64 units.]
Oasis Cove Apartments In Canadian, TX

I wonder if the same camera that showed Tom’s Durango heading east on 6th Street, entering the wastewater area, passing through the “already open gate” and parking, showed anything interesting from between 11:30 PM Thanksgiving Eve and when the Durango first appears on Thanksgiving Day.

BBM I must have missed this! As in the already opened gate that was closed when a couple of people drove by earlier in the night? That is interesting. Who would be opening that gate as such an hour? Wasn't it in the wee hours of morning when they drove by and TB mentioned it was odd the gate was closed? HMMMM?

I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear ! And that’s actually what I thought, too (that when “a couple of people drove by earlier in the night,” the gate was closed, but by the time the Durango showed up, the gate was open) until Penny clarified the matter in a post on the Unfound Podcast Discussion Group Facebook page in Feb., 2019. She also discussed the matter during her interview on the podcast in June 2018.
[All of the following information courtesy of our amazing and generous @jellybean96 ]
“Ok, I am going to list the questions that Penny answered from the Unfound Podcast Discussion Group Question Post:

Q: Penny refers to the wastewater plant road as normally gated, but the night Tom went missing, it was open. Was it determined if the gate was opened with a key? Or was the lock broken?

A: Only certain people who have a key to that locked gate. However, there was work going on at the water treatment plant and so the gate had been left unlocked as there were workers in and out.“
Found Deceased - TX - Thomas Brown, 18, Hemphill County, 23 Nov 2016

“9. 5:30 Deputy and Tucker drove close to where Thomas car was found at the baseball complex and his car wasn't there. The area was normally gated but the deputy didn't want to drive over to the gate to inspect. Deputy missed seeing Thomas's car by about 10 min, per mom.”

“13. Christian and her father found Thomas' car where Tucker had been suspicious of the gate being open. East of the baseball field, by the water treatment plant. Car was hidden in a grove of trees.” (BBM)
Found Deceased - TX - Thomas Brown, 18, Hemphill County, 23 Nov 2016 #2

Thomas Brown | Seeds of Doubt | Ep 95

So my understanding is that (and @jellybean96 , please correct me if I’m wrong) the night Tom went missing, Tucker (or Penny) was not aware of the work that was taking place (who did know anyway? ) at the wastewater plant or that the gate was regularly being left unlocked for access by workers. So naturally, this seemed suspicious to him, but instead of simply explaining to him that the gate was unlocked due to the work taking place, the deputy downright refused to drive down that way, telling Tucker he had to go off shift.

By the way, here is where the quote, “already open gate” comes from:
“Then, at 5:56 a.m., the Durango was picked up by a camera positioned atop a city-owned building near the water treatment plant. It showed the vehicle moving slowly along the dirt road, passing through the already opened gate, and parking. The headlights went off. There was total darkness. No one could be seen getting in or out.”
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 2: Tom’s Loop

 

[jellybean96]

So my understanding is that (and @jellybean96 , please correct me if I’m wrong) the night Tom went missing, Tucker (or Penny) was not aware of the work that was taking place (who did know anyway? ) at the wastewater plant or that the gate was regularly being left unlocked for access by workers. So naturally, this seemed suspicious to him, but instead of simply explaining to him that the gate was unlocked due to the work taking place, the deputy downright refused to drive down that way, telling Tucker he had to go off shift.

Snipped by me...

Yes, I do think that is correct. Neither Tucker or Penny was aware it was open. I do have in my notes a question I thought of back when this came up. Sure, its left open when workers are working on it daily. But no work would have been done on Thanksgiving. So why was it left open? Theft is a huge problem in our area and if you don't lock things up, it will get lifted. I am surprised the county workers/construction crew would risk leaving it unlocked for multiple days when no work was going on.

 

[jellybean96]

Re: the brown/copper truck

I dont put too much stock into that truck being real. Here's why - it wasn't noted on any of the cameras (or atleast what was released anyway). Klein says they didnt have enough enough info on it without until the previously interviewed person called back with that tip. Whoever reported the tip was close enough to see it was a white male but not close enough to see the actual color of the truck? I dont buy that, at all. Sure, its possible but this tip feels more like someone wants to divert attention to someone else than actually be a real tip.

 

[OutWest]

Regarding the F-250 ..... of course there are many F-250's in virtually any city. For what its worth, here are some photos taken at the same time (supposedly ~6:23am). One camera series is from the front of the Moody building (color) while the other series is from the back of the Moody building. A HCSO vehicle with unknown deputy is following close behind a dark colored F250 traveling south on 2nd Street. Not shown ... the deputy and sheriff pass each other then each make a u-turn and meet in the back parking lot of the Moody building.

 

[8th Bob-White]

According to the Unfound podcast update the u-turn meeting was explained as a meet up about a dui stop...the update starts at 1:06:34

Not sure I believe anything that Pyne Gregory has to say, but Ed from Unfound seems to have bought his story.

Regarding the upcoming grand jury:
I guess I thought a grand jury would be called in order to get indictment(s). Listening to Your Own Backyard podcast about the Kristen Smart disappearance case in California, a grand jury was called solely to get truthful answers from the lead suspect and his family.
*Do y'all think the grand jury will be to determine if charges can be filed OR do you think it will be to try & get the truthful answers? If someone is involved with a death coverup I'm not sure they'll suddenly spill the truth to the grand jury...call me cynical.

 

[OutWest]

Truthful answers will invariably lead to indictments .... at some point. When somebody lies, they have a reason to do so. The unknowns of the Tom Brown case lie within those reasons.

I think there will be some major drama at the GJ. I believe AG has evidence that counters some of the lies and will confront the "witnesses" head-on. Maybe even surprise witness/informant.

 

[jellybean96]

Regarding the F-250 ..... of course there are many F-250's in virtually any city. For what its worth, here are some photos taken at the same time (supposedly ~6:23am). One camera series is from the front of the Moody building (color) while the other series is from the back of the Moody building. A HCSO vehicle with unknown deputy is following close behind a dark colored F250 traveling south on 2nd Street. Not shown ... the deputy and sheriff pass each other then each make a u-turn and meet in the back parking lot of the Moody building.

Thanks for sharing these photos. I didnt realize that there were actual photos of the truck. It was my understanding there was only speculation of a truck because of a tip.

 

[OutWest]

Regarding the upcoming grand jury:
I guess I thought a grand jury would be called in order to get indictment(s). Listening to Your Own Backyard podcast about the Kristen Smart disappearance case in California, a grand jury was called solely to get truthful answers from the lead suspect and his family.
*Do y'all think the grand jury will be to determine if charges can be filed OR do you think it will be to try & get the truthful answers? If someone is involved with a death coverup I'm not sure they'll suddenly spill the truth to the grand jury...call me cynical.

Every indication that I have heard the GJ will be to sort through the lies. But who knows what is actually planned. The lies and misinformation and diversion did not just "happen", there are reasons behind them. Once they started down that path they couldn't back up, so the dug the hole deeper. Whoever is lying has a real reason to hide the truth. It is a felony to lie to a GJ, witnesses will be under oath. I think that OAG has more information and evidence than we know and the prosecution could spring some traps. Could possibly be a witness or two plead the 5th, which would be very telling. I hope that Lisa Tanner is the AG prosecutor that leads the GJ inquiry.

 

[8th Bob-White]

Every indication that I have heard the GJ will be to sort through the lies. But who knows what is actually planned. The lies and misinformation and diversion did not just "happen", there are reasons behind them. Once they started down that path they couldn't back up, so the dug the hole deeper. Whoever is lying has a real reason to hide the truth. It is a felony to lie to a GJ, witnesses will be under oath. I think that OAG has more information and evidence than we know and the prosecution could spring some traps. Could possibly be a witness or two plead the 5th, which would be very telling. I hope that Lisa Tanner is the AG prosecutor that leads the GJ inquiry.

Am hoping that a potential felony hanging over their head will lead to some truthful answers to questions that should have been asked long ago. Also hoping that they actually DO have enough info to spring some traps. From the background posted earlier it seems like Lisa Tanner & team would be the ones to get to the bottom of things even a lot of time has passed. Fingers crossed!

 

[Nehalem20]

I believe I heard it mentioned that OAG did a cell tower data dump, maybe during the private meeting (?). So even if there are not enough towers in Canadian to triangulate position with accuracy, they most likely can determine which cellphones in town (on that quiet Holiday night) were moving occasionally and sending/receiving texts, email, or voice. That may provide an opportunity to narrow down who's phones were "active" through the night; also determine who may live in the proximity of where the Durango was abandoned. The info would not prove anything but may indicate some persons of interest. I feel sure that OAG has whatever cell information was available.

Assuming they were telling the truth. The purpose of that meeting, it could be argued, was to inform every party that had been polygraphed the investigation was being ‘suspended’ and that they literally had no evidence of anything: suicide, foul play - nothing. But you could tell people that over the phone. I would argue they wanted to do it in person, with everyone involved in one room to see the reaction.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Assuming they were telling the truth. The purpose of that meeting, it could be argued, was to inform every party that had been polygraphed the investigation was being ‘suspended’ and that they literally had no evidence of anything: suicide, foul play - nothing. But you could tell people that over the phone. I would argue they wanted to do it in person, with everyone involved in one room to see the reaction.

Welcome to Websleuths, Nehalem20! Great post. And I agree with every bit of it.

There are a few things that were brought up in that meeting that I feel particularly that way about (by “that way,” I mean the investigators may have been saying things that were not entirely or at all true in order to see how those in the room would react). The ones I can think of off the top of my head are: the supposed suicide hotline number search (by the way, if you listen closely, Investigator Smyth says it was done at 9:45 ((and that’s the time referenced by Skip Hollandsworth in his piece also)), followed by, “If I remember correctly,” or something similar, and then Investigator Kading says, “Actually, it’s 21:11 hour”; just something that caught my attention), and the OAG investigators’ supposition that it was yellow paint and not blood that Luminol had picked up.

 

[OutWest]

There are a few things that were brought up in that meeting that I feel particularly that way about (by “that way,” I mean the investigators may have been saying things that were not entirely or at all true in order to see how those in the room would react). The ones I can think of off the top of my head are: the supposed suicide hotline number search (by the way, if you listen closely, Investigator Smyth says it was done at 9:45 ((and that’s the time referenced by Skip Hollandsworth in his piece also)), followed by, “If I remember correctly,” or something similar, and then Investigator Kading says, “Actually, it’s 21:11 hour”; just something that caught my attention), and the OAG investigators’ supposition that it was yellow paint and not blood that Luminol had picked up.

There is no obligation for investigators to be totally truthful during a meeting or during an interview/interrogation. In fact, they must sometimes play a few games to get PoI's to bite the bait or to see reactions. I never believed that the investigation was truly suspended. The AG folks are too smart to not readily see that evidence and circumstances point directly toward foul play.

 

[jellybean96]

Are grand juries even being held yet? I dont think they are up here because of Covid.

 

[OutWest]

Are grand juries even being held yet? I dont think they are up here because of Covid.

Yes, I believe that grand juries have been meeting despite Covid issues.