Then on the night of Nov. 24, 2016, Thomas Brown suddenly vanished. This screenshot of body cam video shows right front end damage to Carrie Harmon's car following the Jan. 6 wreck. This past Thanksgiving eve, on the fifth anniversary of Toms disappearance, Penny, Chris, Tucker, and a few friends gathered outside the district attorneys office. 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. TCOLE reprimanded Lewis. Klein said the person with the pistol had no desire to shoot Tom. 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. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. Its not going to happen. Everything.. And he was like, if you dont do that, he was gonna kill me. Someone said she thought she saw Kading talking to the new sheriff, Lewiss former chief deputy Brent Clapp. He finally found a spot on the outskirts, by the water treatment plant. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Skip Hollandsworth: Did you come across any evidence suggesting something like that might have happened? City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. And Im like, what you got to show me? A sheriff in Texas is accused of regularly ordering his deputies to seize cash and vehicles from undocumented immigrants during traffic stops, even if they were not stopped for an alleged crime. Then, in August, the case took another turn that caught me by surprise. I hear your anger. And the sheriff told them to do what? I asked. Search warrants show that Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson is under scrutiny by state investigators . There are still so many secrets, and theres no guarantee a grand jury will dislodge new information. Im sorry I have to show you corruption in your city. All I want is for the truth to come out, she said. 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. I mean, what in the world? Or we would discover new evidence, or we would discover there were more witnesses, there were other people we could talk to. . While deputies said documents in Thomass case were mostly reconstructed long after his disappearance, there is no indication they are inaccurate and all information was given to the attorney general. I want to help people in the way that he wasnt helped, she said. Oh, thats theory; Oh no, its fact. Fact! Chris Jones: Hes the one who told me, he told me that I had to go play football for Canadian. But despite numerous searches, there was no sign of Tom. HEMPHILL COUNTY, TX (KFDA) - Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis is under investigation by the Texas Rangers, according to the Texas Department on Public . So, lets just say, a hypothetical. Read more from the Tom Browns Body Series: Chapter 3: Evil Has Come to Canadian, Texas. 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. Skip Hollandsworth: And how many people are we talking about being indicted? Advertise; That these two individuals found out that he may know something about it; that they basically kidnapped him, strapped him to a chair; that they shot him up with drugs and told him that if he ever told anybody, that they would kill him. He declared that he and his team of investigators had been talking to another witness who had a whole new story to tell about Toms death. Bring on the Shiplap? Lewis assumed the office of Sheriff for Hemphill County on. The Unit's first case was to assist the Hemphill County Sheriff's Office in the case of Thomas Brown of Canadian. Every victim is important, and this case is no different than that. Nobody can see you; you cant hear nothing. The Texas Rangers accuse Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson of felony-level theft by a public servant and abuse of official capacity, according to the Texas Tribune. Everybodys going to have an opinion. Ortega also reported she did not perform or complete any Field Training Programs for Corrections. "So what he said was, number one, he would get paid to play football for Canadian," she said. Tucker Brown: I mean, this has been our home for four generI mean, am I the fifth? Rachel Kading: No; absolutely no evidence. A previous investigation by Niccole Caan, who has been following Thomas case since he went missing, showed former Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis submitted falsified training reports for his duties to Texas Law Enforcement Commission (TCOLE), which oversees law enforcement agencies in the state. We need to heal as a community and basically get away from all this., Lewis said he and the other deputies had actually completed their training hours but that he had simply submitted the reports incorrectly. If Lewis had assisted with a cover-up, that would explain some of the so-far unexplainable details. Toms disappearance became the mystery of the Texas Panhandle. A statement from the Oconee county sheriff's office said the 10th judicial circuit solicitor, David Wagner, ruled that the Tuesday shooting of 29-year-old Nathan Drew Morgan by an unnamed 74 . And his story hasnt changed once. After it was announced that a grand jury would be convened, I called Toms friend Christian Webb. After obtaining enough information, SCSO investigators completed and served a Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Substance (F . If youve forgotten some of the details of this story, let me give you a brief recap. steven orr. TCOLE formally reprimanded then-Sheriff Lewis. Klein, of course, had floated certain motives in the past. That has not happened. Jason Wert. I hope we can walk away with, you know, with at least a little more clarity than we have right now as to what happened, she said. But she got choked up and couldnt continue. Vale man injured after pickup crashes through fence at West Cedar Road home. Not Philip Klein. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. that are what we call, in the business, antagonists. They are anything but that. Like the investigators Rachel Kading and Chris Smyth, Lewis didnt rule out the possibility that Penny had found Toms body after hed killed himself. Well, what do you want to do next with your life? VALE - On Sunday night, Judith Obermeier wanted to find a good place in her yard to plant . Thomas was a high school senior, class president, and state champion football player when he went missing the day before Thanksgiving in 2016. He said he was trying to get a confession, either from one of the boys who had allegedly killed Tom in the high school parking lot or from one of the men the boys had called to ask for help. HUGE NEWS IN THE TOM BROWN CASE! Updated: Apr. He suspected she then hid the body out of shame, perhaps even persuading her husband or her older son to help her. Thomass mother, Penny Meek, knows she may never get all the answers to what happened to her son. The county attorney said, Hey, Nathan, we have way too much heat on us [over the Tom Brown case], Lewis recalled. Voter turnout in . Chris Jones: Yeah, when he took the goggles off me. Indeed, as the meeting began, Klein teased that he was ready to reveal everything. We had the peer reviews with the Rangers. Search warrant leads to arrests; drugs, property recovered. Im Skip Hollandsworth from Texas Monthly, and this is Tom Browns Body. The Seneca County Sheriff's Office reports, on August 19th, 2021 members of the Narcotics Unit arrested Nathan E. Lewis, age 30, of Waterloo, NY. Thats crazy. Sherburne County Sheriff's Report. But kidnapping Tom was supposed to inspire Chris to play harder and win a playoff football game? According to 31st District Attorney, Franklin McDonough, the case was rejected for lack . He had told a few close friends he was afraid that people in Canadian would hear that he sometimes liked wearing adult diapers. Sheriff Rowell is a native of Colorado, United States Marine Corps veteran, and holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice and a . REAL COUNTY, Texas - Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Attorney General's Office, according to a Facebook post shared by the . You know, at the end of the day, I know the truth about that. Give me those damn remains? What am I going to do? . According to the case report, then Chief Deputy Brent Clapp advised TCOLE that one of his deputies, Jerri-Lynn Ortega, reported observing training hours on her Personal Status Report that she felt were fraudulent. Allegedly, after saying goodbye to Christian Webb, Tom had filled his Durango with gas. The crash occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday on Trail C5A (Flat Rock Road) in the town of Martinsburg . Theres been just a lot of conjecture in the case, and it harmed it, honestly. Rachel Kading: I mean, I cant say with one hundred percent certainty that there would be indictments, but it was the feeling of myself, other members of the investigative team, and the district attorneys office that there would be multiple indictments. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. #961. Had Penny taken the phone from Tom the night he disappeared? Skip Hollandsworth: Well, wait a second. . In the months that followed, every time I called my sources, I was told that the grand jury had been delayed. By Jarrett Lewis. Our focus is Thomas Brown. Oct 27, 2021. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. I want all of you to think: What if it was your child? The case report states investigators found this suspicious because he only had support documentation for four officers, including himself, and only for County Corrections. Why wouldnt you let people see what you had? 541-774-6800. 0:35. Klein told me he had been talking to a couple of the towns residentshe wouldnt identify them or tell me their ageswho were feeding him an entirely new story about what had happened on Thanksgiving eve 2016. And he wasnt even close to Chris in any way. Same deal. The accident report, 911 call, radio communications and body camera footage, as well as the dispatch report, were released after the accident. Skip Hollandsworth: There was a moment last night when I thought, This story will never come to an end. Has that occurred to you? Klein said that one of his top investigators, Caroline Gearwho also happened to be Kleins daughterbegan talking to Chris after he was sent to prison. Just about everyone assumed he would announce the names of the teenager and the father who were involved in the parking-lot shooting. . Sheriff's deputies arrested Nathan Lewis, Vale, after he crashed his Ford Ranger into the front yard of Roy and Judith Obermeier June 27. Hemphill County Texas Sheriff's Office, Canadian, TX. Sheriff Lewis and deputy Pyne Gregory pick Chris Jones, whos now in prison, up, and they take him, blindfolded, on a thirty-minute drive. Rachel Kading: I wont answer that either. The year before, Toms mother had filed a complaint against Lewis for allegedly harassing her son. The major of Company C said you all did a fantastic job for a small town agency up here in the Panhandle. She still employs Philip Klein to look for evidence that Tom was murdered. Unsolved true crime podcast researched, written and hosted by Crime Analyst Leah Owens. Here is what Clapp had to say when TCOLE investigators asked why Sheriff Lewis might fabricate the training records: "Because we've been through the Tom Brown mess on that deal he manufactured a supplement a year and a half after the fact, Clapp said. I've got 26. He said whenever I looked at the video from the Dollar General there wasn't anything on there, so I threw it away.". West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. . I dont know the truth about what happened to Thomas, but I know the truth about where I was. 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. If a grand jury had been called, Kading possibly could have gotten more answers out of Toms family. The private investigation firm hired by Browns family, Klein Investigations, posted on Facebook that Lewis resignation is a positive move as well as bad news to those who may be involved in Browns case. Philip Klein: Five times! Okay. Rachel Kading: There is no evidence that he went to the football parking lot. They remain at the Texas lab in case they are needed for evidence. MARTINSBURG Another step taken before he officially assumes office on Jan. 1, Berkeley County Sheriff-elect Nathan Harmon took his oath of office in front of a federal judge Thursday afternoon. When I talked to Penny about all this a year ago, she told me it was the sheriffs department that had asked her to find the passcode. Thomass family hired private investigator Philp Klein shortly after he went missing. Maybe there was something about Chriss activities that night that she didnt want to give away. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. February 22, 2023 - 9 . Heres Chris talking long-distance to Caroline Gear on a prison telephone. Personal Facebook. I asked Penny how she was doing, living in a town where everyone talks about her. She had entered that profession largely because of Tom. . It could be the twenty-year anniversary. Kading said nothing. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. Griffith, 35, was taken into custody in Delray Beach, Florida, just after 4:00 a.m. Before I left Canadian, I drove by some of the towns landmarks. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to whats going on around me, just to make sure that what happened to Tom doesnt happen to me and doesnt happen to people around me.. Fact! So it was decided that we would not do the grand jury for that reason, and we would just continue to work on the case. Finally, he came to the part of his presentation about new evidence. That never just came out of the blue. Lewis said he never heard from her. In fact, her written report mentioned the lie detector tests thatPenny and her husband Chris agreed to take in 2018, not long after Kading got involved in the case. . Chris is the stepfather, and, you know, probably one of the nicest men I think Ive ever met in my life, that has been so cordial. Now his family's fight for answers may be leading to another dead end. I have asked them to come sit up here tonight cause I want you all to look into the white of their eyes. A few months passed. I know the truth about where he was. Its crazy he can just say this stuff and people get to hear it., So, I asked Lewis, what did he believe happened on Thanksgiving eve? . You all did fantastic. Neither Lewis nor Klein would comment on the upcoming grand jury hearing. Many in the audience were stunnedand angeredthat Klein expected them to believe such an incredible story. Rachel Kading: He did not. He gave me a one-word answer: Penny. Florida Sheriff Goes Nuclear on Neo-Nazi 'Motherf*ckers' Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood fumed that it was an "honor" to be included on the "hit list" of an . Chris Meek? Hemphill County Judge George Briant said Nathan Lewis submitted his resignation shortly before five this evening. You might remember from earlier episodes of the podcast that I spoke to various people about Toms personal struggles. Philip Klein: Chris Jones is an integral part in the Tom Brown case. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Of course, this is not the first time Klein has made such promises. There have been plenty of bombshell revelations in this complicated and tragic story. Nathan Lewis (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 19th Congressional District. You know, I lived there about [unclear]. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. CANADIAN, Texas (KFDA) - The Hemphill County Sheriff in the swirl of controversy resigned today. Lewis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. You need to do something. Part of the town thinks he committed suicide. And did she, months later, plant the phone by Lake Marvin Road, where it was found? He will only say this: This is kids playing around and they shouldnt have and they know it shouldnt happen, Klein said. I dont understand where he comes up with stuff like this. Shes involved, he said. His brown hair was brushed over his forehead, and he was giving the camera a gentle smile. Will we ever know what happened to Tom Brown? Bring on the Shiplap? I headed to Main Street, and stopped at an empty lot. Sheriff Nathan Lewis, Hemphill County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Henderson County Sheriff Rodney B. Watson, Hill County Sheriff Roger Deeds, Hood County Tucker Brown: Im the fifth-generation person from Canadian. Lewis resigned from his post after being formally reprimanded by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) for falsifying training records. Yes, sir, she said. Chris went on to say that, in the light, he could see Tomstill alivesitting in front of them in a chair. A Texas sheriff is under investigation for allegedly seizing money from undocumented immigrants during traffic stops. For more news from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and Eastern New Mexico, visit www.ConnectAmarillo.com. Skip Hollandsworth: And he did not take one. While he was interviewed, Lewis gave four documents to investigators. Penny said she chose the outfit because some of her coworkers, including a couple of teachers who also disliked Lewis, thought it would be amusing. But others questioned it. But who? Rachel Kading: Whats unethical about it is that if you do not feel that the indictment is going to lead to a conviction at trial, you are really shorting the case. So the door is always open at our office for any information, for anything that will bring resolution to this case. Klein has always said he believes Thomas was murdered. 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. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to whats going on around me.. Hes been interviewed how many times? This idea was pioneered by Christian identity minister William Potter Gale in the 1970's and described as Posse . This button displays the currently selected search type. . Last month, the Texas Rangers and the Texas attorney general's office . KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) - The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help locating a missing teenager. Although she admitted she had no evidence, Penny said what made the most sense to her was that Lewis himself shot Tom in the school parking lot. ET on Friday, February 24, according to a booking report obtained by Us. Philip Klein: Where I want the public to see that these people had nothing to do with the disappearance of Tom. Eight months later, in October 2017, his iPhone was found during a search of Lake Marvin Road that had been organized by Philip Klein. Were here to figure out how an eighteen-year-old died. She replied that she too now believes it might be a mystery that will never be solved. In the first months after Toms disappearance, she said, I was pretty sure that Nathan Lewis had something to do with it. At the meeting, Toms family sat in the front row. Im your writer and host, Skip Hollandsworth. If it was not a law enforcement officer that actually pulled the trigger, it was somebody thats connected close to law enforcement who was willing to help clean up a mess., I asked Klein why a law enforcement officer would want Tom dead. by Malheur Enterprise on June 30, 2021. The Walking Bridge, just outside of Canadian, is one of the places where Tom was last seen. I stared at one of the signs that had been put up there soon after Tom disappeared. If thats the opinion you want to have of me, then, I guess, so be it. Caroline Gear: Hold on, hold on, okay, so Nathans the one that asked you to come and play there? Please pray that Toms killer is found and brought to justice. And at the bottom of the sign was Toms photo. The witness name was Chris Jones. I noticed people inching forward in their seats. All this damn conjecture I get all the time. Leave them blank to get signed up. Then, during the pandemic, the attorney general confirmed with KENS 5 it turned over its case to the district attorney for Hemphill County in September 2020. Sheriff Lewis continued, explaining to the family that after locating the vehicle, police had taken search dogs to the scene, the dogs were able to lock on to Toms scent following it for a mile east, toward the banks of the Canadian River . During our interview, she did confirm rumors that she had spoken with the countys district attorney, Franklin McDonough, about the possibility of convening a grand jury to look into Toms death. So in one of the batteries of questions, it was about the possibility that Tom was deceased. And thats, thats our focus. Thats why I came to school in Higgins. [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. Because we're getting ready to turn it all over to the attorney general and I go to him and say you've got two pages in this thing. There were dark, ugly stories that the county's young sheriff, Nathan Lewis, was involved in Tom's disappearance. If someone had something to do with his disappearance, I could have tried to protect him. You were certain of that? This article is the last installment of an eight-part series. 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. Episode Nine: Another Day in Canadian.. He later asked the Attorney Generals Office to take over the case in 2018. So you get somebody indicted for a homicide. Skip Hollandsworth: And her answer was registered by the lie detector examiner as deceptive. Kading was, however, spotted in Salem Abrahams downtown office interviewing one of his employees, who happened to be the woman whod found Toms cellphone. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. In February 2017, three months after Tom had vanished, his backpack was found sitting upright off Lake Marvin Road, a few miles north of town. This individual pulled out a .25-caliber pistol, and, in Kleins words, started messing with him.. Rachel Kading: I dont think we can go there. Is that correct? How was it amusing to dress up as the person youd accused of being involved in your sons disappearance or murder? Calls the district attorneys office about the status of Thomass case and if it will go a grand jury have so far not been returned. While Clapp was being interviewed, he said Lewis did not have an FTO file, training file or any supporting documents that they should have as a training provider. In October, Thomas Brown's family filed a public records request with the Hemphill County Sheriff for information about the case. A continuously updated summary of the news stories that US political commentators are discussing online right now. He also said he spoke with the Sheriff from Ochiltree County, and he advised Lewis he could give hours for anything they do in the jail. Everybody shaking good? It was, in typical Klein fashion, an eye-popping taleand a curious one. Choosing her words carefully, she explained to me why there had been so much uncertainty around calling a grand jury. Rachel Kading: We were told that he was home all night. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Tom Browns Body is a Texas Monthly production. Home New Members Photos. Captain at Clayton County Sheriff's Office. Briant said he hopes that will happen by the end of this week. Nevertheless, he decided to quit anyway. Lewis resigned from his post after being formally reprimanded by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) for falsifying training records. Perhaps because the pandemic was surging at the time, Kading stayed for only a few days. Lewis was accused by former employee . The Sheriff enforces payment of delinquent taxes. . Skip Hollandsworth: Is there any evidence that Tom went up to the football parking lot? Clapp also said it wasn't quoted, outside the realm, of Lewis fabricating a document because he manufactured a supplement for a missing person a year and a half after it happened. She did not answer the question. The bullets shell casing landed on the trucks floorboard. Rachel Kading: I always hope that that will happen, and Ill never lose that hope. Will we ever know who parked Toms Durango by the water treatment plant? Canadian missing teen now classified as runaway. . During another conversation, Klein acknowledged that his sources had told him the law enforcement officer was Lewis. She said she wasnt sure what, if anything, took place in the parking lot. But none of the physical evidence seemed to make any sense. Last night, coach, Klein Investigations, Philip Klein, the private investigator hired by the. Skip Hollandsworth: What were other stories Chris Jones told you or others about what happened that night? According to Chris, Lewis told him that he wanted him to transfer to Canadian and play football for the Wildcats. Why, Kading wanted to know, would Penny ask for the phones password unless she had the phone in her possession all along? This page was created to raise awareness of Tom's case and to spread the word throughout social media. Dogs subsequently lost the trail as the terrain changed into boggy marshland. Did you ever find out where Chris was? This article originally appeared in the December 2020 issue of Texas Monthlywith the headline Tom Browns Body. Subscribe today. "Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis has let go of his Chief Deputy, Brent Clapp, as of Monday. Chris Jones: . Penny Meek: Um, I dont know. Skip Hollandsworth: Youve agreed to sit down. Example video title will go here for this video. It showed no signs of damage from rain or ice storms, which meant it had to have been planted shortly before the search began. Skip Hollandsworth: Sure is. Its fact, okay? SHARE. I'm not sure what that was all about, but I don't think it's nothing. Suddenly, all across Canadian, everyone was asking the same question: What new evidence had Rachel Kading unearthed? The breathtaking dancing shimmer of the aurora borealis and its counterpart in the southern hemisphere, aurora australis, dazzles those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Earth's greatest light show. . Interim Chief of Police at Atlanta Metropolitan State College (Official) Dallas, GA. Daniel Serene. Turnout down, especially among Dems. Lewis has been involved in the case of once missing Canadian teenager Thomas Brown and was recently reprimanded by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) for the false documentation of training hours. 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.