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

[inmyhumbleopinion]

“Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis has let go of his Chief Deputy, Brent Clapp, as of Monday.

[SBM]

Sheriff Lewis did announce recently he would not seek re-election in 2020 and when former Deputy Clapp announced he would run for the office, Sheriff Lewis endorsed him.

According do a statement from Sheriff Lewis, ’I, as Sheriff, appointed Brent Clapp as my chief deputy on September 16, 2016 and I exercised my authority and discretion to dismiss him as an at-will employee effective November 4, 2019. I thank him for his service and I wish him well in his future endeavors. The citizens of Hemphill County can be assured the vacancy will be filled in a timely manner.’”
http://highplainsobserverperryton.com/index334.htm

 

[cvaldez1975]

The plot (and subplots) thickens. NL previously endorsed Clapp as his replacement. Then Unfound posted the luminol pics with instructions to contact Clapp with tips/info...and then shortly after, NL fires Clapp. Bizarre. Who is Hemphill County protecting and why? There are powerful and prominent people in that town who should be able to push for justice. Why are they all stone silent? Where is State Rep King, whose son was one of Tom's best friends and was with him that night? What about the Abraham family, a local and extremely influential family who own extensive amounts of property, assets, and business interests in the town and county? There are many other powerful people who could choose to speak out as community voices and advocate on behalf of Tom. So many things just don't add up here.

i don't follow this case as closely as some. from an outsider i think one of the children of these "powerful ppl" may have had something to do w it.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Interesting. I wonder if we will hear more? I doubt it. Texas is an 'at will' state - so someone can be fired for no reason at all. As long as they aren't firing them because they refuse to perform an illegal act.

I actually think this could be a good thing - If Clapp is willing to talk about things he knows about.

i know its an "at will" state but does that apply to government jobs? usually you have the civil service commission and unions for those.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

i know its an "at will" state but does that apply to government jobs? usually you have the civil service commission and unions for those.

Surprisingly (IMO), it apparently does in Texas:

“OCCUPATIONS CODE

TITLE 10. OCCUPATIONS RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY

CHAPTER 1701. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

[SBM]

Sec. 1701.452. EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION REPORT. (a) The head of a law enforcement agency or the head's designee shall submit a report to the commission on a form prescribed by the commission regarding a person licensed under this chapter who resigns or retires from employment with the law enforcement agency, whose appointment with the law enforcement agency is terminated, or who separates from the law enforcement agency for any other reason. The report must be submitted by the head or the designee not later than the seventh business day after the date the license holder:

(1) resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates from the agency; and

(2) exhausts all administrative appeals available to the license holder, if applicable.

(b) The head of a law enforcement agency or the head's designee shall include in the report required under Subsection (a) a statement on whether the license holder was honorably discharged, generally discharged, or dishonorably discharged and, as required by the commission, an explanation of the circumstances under which the person resigned, retired, or was terminated. For purposes of this subsection:
(1) ‘Honorably discharged’ means a license holder who, while in good standing and not because of pending or final disciplinary actions or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or separated from employment with or died while employed by a law enforcement agency.

(2) ‘Generally discharged’ means a license holder who:
(A) was terminated by, retired or resigned from, or died while in the employ of a law enforcement agency and the separation was related to a disciplinary investigation of conduct that is not included in the definition of dishonorably discharged; or

(B) was terminated by or retired or resigned from a law enforcement agency and the separation was for a documented performance problem and was not because of a reduction in workforce or an at-will employment decision.

(3) "Dishonorably discharged" means a license holder who:
(A) was terminated by a law enforcement agency or retired or resigned in lieu of termination by the agency in relation to allegations of criminal misconduct; or

(B) was terminated by a law enforcement agency or retired or resigned in lieu of termination by the agency for insubordination or untruthfulness.

(c) The commission by rule may further specify the circumstances that constitute honorably discharged, dishonorably discharged, and generally discharged within the definitions provided by Subsection (b).

(d) The head of the law enforcement agency from which a license holder resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates for reasons other than death, or the head's designee, shall provide to the license holder a copy of the report. The report must be provided to the license holder not later than the seventh business day after the date the license holder:

(1) resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates from the agency; and

(2) exhausts all administrative appeals available to the license holder, if applicable.” (BBM)
OCCUPATIONS CODE CHAPTER 1701. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

 

[Texas Wind]

This is why Clapp was fired. Corruption in Hemphill County.
Help Find Tom Brown's Killer

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

This is why Clapp was fired. Corruption in Hemphill County.
Help Find Tom Brown's Killer

Original documents available here:
Hemphill Co. Sheriff accused of fabricating documents in unspecified "missing person" case

Direct link to the documents without the article (“Description and testimony of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement's investigation into Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis”): Nathan Lewis Case Docs | Sheriffs In The United States | Complaint

 

[Texas Wind]

This is why Clapp was fired. Corruption in Hemphill County.
Help Find Tom Brown's Killer

Also of great interest under comments James Pearson, the former Hemphill County Sheriff is appalled by this, told people this would happen and not surprised . He is not of aware of any other missing person report in Hemphill County so he assumes it was Thomas Browns that Lewis manufactured a document a year and a half after it happened.

 

[jellybean96]

i know its an "at will" state but does that apply to government jobs? usually you have the civil service commission and unions for those.

Also of great interest under comments James Pearson, the former Hemphill County Sheriff is appalled by this, told people this would happen and not surprised . He is not of aware of any other missing person report in Hemphill County so he assumes it was Thomas Browns that Lewis manufactured a document a year and a half after it happened.

Ive been searching since this was released and I cannot find an official missing person other than Tom from that county.

 

[nannymo]

Klein Investigations and Consulting

Maybe the wheels of Justice will start turning for this fine young man and Canadian TX will clean up their corrupt sheriff's office.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Sounds like they need to clean house in Canadian and get answers!

 

[jellybean96]

So here's my issue: if the deputy knows Lewis fabricated paperwork, why isn't he telling this to the OAG and those who can (and should) do something about this? And why is this only coming out now?

 

[Sunny Texas]

So here's my issue: if the deputy knows Lewis fabricated paperwork, why isn't he telling this to the OAG and those who can (and should) do something about this? And why is this only coming out now?

Also? Can anyone tell what agency sent Klein that document? Its cut off at the top but I was curious. I am thinking is from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement but I am just assuming that.

It's a bit of a read, but if you go through the original documents filed by TCOLE, you learn that Deputy Ortega went to Chief Deputy Clapp back in November 2018 because of falsified training hours on her record. Clapp then reported this to TCOLE, which conducted the investigation throughout this year that has culminated in the documents released today. We don't know when Clapp found out about or may have reported the falsified report regarding a missing person, but in these other cases, it appears he reported on his boss almost a year ago, and we are just now seeing the results of that. Perhaps that is why Lewis fired him. Lewis just got a chance to read the full report and realized Clapp turned him in months ago. That is my bystander's take on it, anyway.

 

[Sunny Texas]

In other news, it has been reported today that the "prominent citizen" responsible for stealing and/or damaging some of the Moms4Tom signs in Canadian was none other than Canadian's MOST prominent benefactor, Dr. Malouf Abraham. If you are from this region, you know that Dr. Abraham is a legend--a wealthy and generous contributor who has invested a great deal into the community over many decades. It has been reported that his own son turned over video evidence of the crime and pressed charges for trespassing, and arrest warrants were issued by the county sheriff's office. I would not suspect him of any involvement in Tom's disappearance; however, it seems he was motivated out of a desire to protect his community from the scandal of murder. At least, that is my generous assumption regarding his inexcusable behavior.

 

[jellybean96]

In other news, it has been reported today that the "prominent citizen" responsible for stealing and/or damaging some of the Moms4Tom signs in Canadian was none other than Canadian's MOST prominent benefactor, Dr. Malouf Abraham. If you are from this region, you know that Dr. Abraham is a legend--a wealthy and generous contributor who has invested a great deal into the community over many decades. It has been reported that his own son turned over video evidence of the crime and pressed charges for trespassing, and arrest warrants were issued by the county sheriff's office. I would not suspect him of any involvement in Tom's disappearance; however, it seems he was motivated out of a desire to protect his community from the scandal of murder. At least, that is my generous assumption regarding his inexcusable behavior.

Wasn't his dad in the Texas House of Represenatives? Or am I thinking of the wrong guy?

Edited to add a news link for Dr. Malouf Abraham arrest.
The Canadian Record

 

[jellybean96]

It's a bit of a read, but if you go through the original documents filed by TCOLE, you learn that Deputy Ortega went to Chief Deputy Clapp back in November 2018 because of falsified training hours on her record. Clapp then reported this to TCOLE, which conducted the investigation throughout this year that has culminated in the documents released today. We don't know when Clapp found out about or may have reported the falsified report regarding a missing person, but in these other cases, it appears he reported on his boss almost a year ago, and we are just now seeing the results of that. Perhaps that is why Lewis fired him. Lewis just got a chance to read the full report and realized Clapp turned him in months ago. That is my bystander's take on it, anyway.

You are right, we don't know. I am just so dang mad its taking this long for the truth to come out. Every time I think this $hit show can't get any worse, they dig a new basement and go lower.

 

[Sunny Texas]

Wasn't his dad in the Texas House of Represenatives? Or am I thinking of the wrong guy?

Wrong guy. One of Tom's friends who rode around with him right before his disappearance--his father is Texas State Rep. Ken King.

EDIT: Actually, I had forgotten, but Dr. Malouf Abraham Jr.'s dad DID also serve in the House of Representatives, but that was decades ago.

 

[Sunny Texas]

Well, it appears someone scrubbed the Wikipedia page on Dr. Malouf Abraham Jr. from the internet for now, but you can read a little about him here. https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20111121/News/605224155/SH/

This article tells more about Canadian, and includes a lot of information about one of Dr. Abraham's sons, Salem. Among other things, Salem owns a hedge fund trading company that occupies the top two floors of a three story building in the heart of town. I believe he may be the one who gave videos from his building security system to Penny Brown and to law enforcement, and he may be the son who pressed charges against his father for trespassing (and stealing) the Moms4Tom signs. Something different about the Panhandle town of Canadian

By all accounts I've heard, Malouf Abraham is a beloved community leader and philanthropist, although it appears in this case, he made some very poor choices.

 

[Kristikay52]

I'm hoping that finally some actual charges will be brought against NL.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Surprisingly (IMO), it apparently does in Texas:

“OCCUPATIONS CODE

TITLE 10. OCCUPATIONS RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY

CHAPTER 1701. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

[SBM]

Sec. 1701.452. EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION REPORT. (a) The head of a law enforcement agency or the head's designee shall submit a report to the commission on a form prescribed by the commission regarding a person licensed under this chapter who resigns or retires from employment with the law enforcement agency, whose appointment with the law enforcement agency is terminated, or who separates from the law enforcement agency for any other reason. The report must be submitted by the head or the designee not later than the seventh business day after the date the license holder:

(1) resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates from the agency; and

(2) exhausts all administrative appeals available to the license holder, if applicable.

(b) The head of a law enforcement agency or the head's designee shall include in the report required under Subsection (a) a statement on whether the license holder was honorably discharged, generally discharged, or dishonorably discharged and, as required by the commission, an explanation of the circumstances under which the person resigned, retired, or was terminated. For purposes of this subsection:
(1) ‘Honorably discharged’ means a license holder who, while in good standing and not because of pending or final disciplinary actions or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or separated from employment with or died while employed by a law enforcement agency.

(2) ‘Generally discharged’ means a license holder who:
(A) was terminated by, retired or resigned from, or died while in the employ of a law enforcement agency and the separation was related to a disciplinary investigation of conduct that is not included in the definition of dishonorably discharged; or

(B) was terminated by or retired or resigned from a law enforcement agency and the separation was for a documented performance problem and was not because of a reduction in workforce or an at-will employment decision.

(3) "Dishonorably discharged" means a license holder who:
(A) was terminated by a law enforcement agency or retired or resigned in lieu of termination by the agency in relation to allegations of criminal misconduct; or

(B) was terminated by a law enforcement agency or retired or resigned in lieu of termination by the agency for insubordination or untruthfulness.

(c) The commission by rule may further specify the circumstances that constitute honorably discharged, dishonorably discharged, and generally discharged within the definitions provided by Subsection (b).

(d) The head of the law enforcement agency from which a license holder resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates for reasons other than death, or the head's designee, shall provide to the license holder a copy of the report. The report must be provided to the license holder not later than the seventh business day after the date the license holder:

(1) resigns, retires, is terminated, or separates from the agency; and

(2) exhausts all administrative appeals available to the license holder, if applicable.” (BBM)
OCCUPATIONS CODE CHAPTER 1701. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

but, a commission exists!

 

[Sunny Texas]

News article about the pending misdemeanor arrest of Dr. Malouf Abraham in connection with the theft of Tom Brown signs. Announcement about pending local radio interview with Salem Abraham, Dr. Abraham's son.

Arrest Made For Person Who Destroyed Thomas Brown Signs In Canadian