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

[OutWest]

Having lived in several small towns in the area of Canadian, I would like to talk about the culture of raising kids in these small towns. The kids are considered everyone's responsibility and are loved and supported and disciplined by parents, school teachers, churches, neighbors and yes even law enforcement. Considering that Tom was raised in Canadian, he was very well known and I am sure the community was aware of his accomplishments and yes of even some of his struggles but he was of the family of Canadian, Texas and believe me that means a lot. I say all of that to say this, it is incomprehensible that LE handled the fact that Tom was missing in such a reckless and
uncaring manner. I dare say that LE I am familiar with in this area would not have slept until they had turned over every stone that day and every day thereafter until they got some answers about Tom. After all, he was family. It would not matter if it was Thanksgiving. One of their own was missing. I know that I have been so troubled by the actions of LE in this case that I have missed sleep. Heaven help anyone that is not coming forward with the truth about Tom.

Ditto. I grew up in the same area as well; same experience that you describe.

 

[jellybean96]

Side note:
The Moms4Tom FB group hasn't posted since November 2020.

No, Moms4Tom hasn't posted, but Justice for Tom (a sub page of Moms4Tom) posts regularly.

 

[niikkee]

inmyhumbleopinion, I agree with your points. When I try to put myself in Penny's place during the late November 2016 timeframe when NL was bouncing between run-away and suicide (depending on who he was talking to), then returned the vehicle only hours later that same day unprocessed for forensic evidence despite some blood and a spent cartridge case ..... I too would have seen red flags. I too would have searched for a PI to act as an intermediary to investigate on my behalf and keep me informed. If not for Penny Meek's tenacious efforts the case would have been long forgotten and never investigated by any agency. But HCSO folks did not expect her tenacity. I agree with you on your assessment involving Klein. IMO, much of what is known today would have been covered forever if not for Penny seeking the help of a PI, in this case Klein. Example: items recovered during the organized search along Lake Marvin Road. That search happened 11 months after Tom disappeared; it would not have ever happened if left up to the sheriff.

IMO Klein has done more to hurt this case than help solve it. He is without a doubt incapable of being a “professional PI”. His comment that he was the “Ray Donovan of Texas” had me laughing my *advertiser censored* off.

I do also have trouble understanding Penny’s comment that she would not be able to accept Thomas being gay, although I don’t think he was.

I don’t know what happened to Tom. What made me even get involved in this situation is the moms4tom group calling Sheriff Lewis a murderer. He might be an *advertiser censored* and he might have handled things incorrectly, but labeling and calling him a murderer just didn’t seem right.

 

[niikkee]

Has it ever been addressed as to where Tucker was and exactly what was going on with him at the time this happened?

 

[OutWest]

Has it ever been addressed as to where Tucker was and exactly what was going on with him at the time this happened?

He was at his home with a friend while waiting for Tom to arrive home. Shortly after midnight he made a phone call to Tom as well as sent several texts to Tom, none of which Tom responded to. Phone carrier records would reflect such activity.

 

[OutWest]

I do also have trouble understanding Penny’s comment that she would not be able to accept Thomas being gay, although I don’t think he was.

It is my position and my opinion that none of this case relates to the totally hypothetical question regarding whether or not Tom was gay or whether or not his mother would accept him as such. She always provided her best guidance, yet with unconditional love toward family regardless of issues. I believe that she would do the same in any circumstance. BUT, this case is about what happened to Tom .... not about his mother's faith based beliefs.

 

[Crimescenetape]

It is my position and my opinion that none of this case relates to the totally hypothetical question regarding whether or not Tom was gay or whether or not his mother would accept him as such. She always provided her best guidance, yet with unconditional love toward family regardless of issues. I believe that she would do the same in any circumstance. BUT, this case is about what happened to Tom .... not about his mother's faith based beliefs.

I think Penny's statement is more about believing a sheriff's take on her son's sexual orientation with no other reasoning behind it. I think a mother would have her suspicions in hindsight. If the gay/suicide theory had merit. Interestingly enough, and if I remember correctly, Tom and his girlfriend had just broken up. The girlfriend was also one of the last people to text him before he "went missing." Someone cannot shoot themselves, bleed and clean up, then walk off, scattering their possessions to die resting under a tree. That is what we are to believe. Too bad for law enforcement Penny was not willing to accept their farfetched stories. As usual, my opinions only.

 

[OutWest]

I think Penny's statement is more about believing a sheriff's take on her son's sexual orientation with no other reasoning behind it. I think a mother would have her suspicions in hindsight. If the gay/suicide theory had merit. Interestingly enough, and if I remember correctly, Tom and his girlfriend had just broken up. The girlfriend was also one of the last people to text him before he "went missing." Someone cannot shoot themselves, bleed and clean up, then walk off, scattering their possessions to die resting under a tree. That is what we are to believe. Too bad for law enforcement Penny was not willing to accept their farfetched stories. As usual, my opinions only.

@Crimescenetape, you said it very well. The "local" LE did not expect that Penny would be able to mount such a publicized quest for the truth. IMO, they expected that the story would shortly die and be forgotten forever, just as many "missing" cases across the nation are forgotten. The response from the former Sheriff and his enablers has been one of extreme resentment toward her and her family. Very unusual. One must wonder "why?". Maybe there are simple answers, or maybe not. I don't know.

 

[nannymo]

I feel the resentment toward Penny and her family is more toward the fact that she is bringing negative light on the perfect little town of Canadian. It is a typical small town in Texas (I've lived in one before), that wants everything and everybody to keep the "bad stuff" under the rug. Penny can not and will not until she can find out what happened to her son. I don't blame her at all.

And as for the comment she made about Thomas being gay, go back and listen to that part again. She did not say she could not accept it.....she said she would talk with him and guide him as to why she feels it is wrong. That comment I feel has been taken totally out of context and blown out of proportion. I think Penny has always been up front and honest in this entire case......not so for NL tho.

 

[Crimescenetape]

I feel the resentment toward Penny and her family is more toward the fact that she is bringing negative light on the perfect little town of Canadian. It is a typical small town in Texas (I've lived in one before), that wants everything and everybody to keep the "bad stuff" under the rug. Penny can not and will not until she can find out what happened to her son. I don't blame her at all.

And as for the comment she made about Thomas being gay, go back and listen to that part again. She did not say she could not accept it.....she said she would talk with him and guide him as to why she feels it is wrong. That comment I feel has been taken totally out of context and blown out of proportion. I think Penny has always been up front and honest in this entire case......not so for NL tho.

I don't know what Tom's plans were for after graduation. Was he accepted to his dream school and looking forward to college life? If that were the case, many college students are pretty accepting of alternative sexual lifestyles (for lack of a better term. I am not up to the politically correct lingo). I don't think being gay would be the depression/suicidal or scandalous issue it is being made out to be especially if you plan on leaving behind his hometown for other things. I do agree with your take on sweeping the bad stuff under the rug. Also, Tom may have been a Son of Canadian, but there are other prodigal sons of Canadian. When two sons are at odds, sides are taken. A less tenacious mother would pack up and move to another town instead of fighting small town law enforcement and paying a PI what is I am sure a tidy sum.

 

[OutWest]

I feel the resentment toward Penny and her family is more toward the fact that she is bringing negative light on the perfect little town of Canadian. It is a typical small town in Texas (I've lived in one before), that wants everything and everybody to keep the "bad stuff" under the rug. Penny can not and will not until she can find out what happened to her son. I don't blame her at all.

And as for the comment she made about Thomas being gay, go back and listen to that part again. She did not say she could not accept it.....she said she would talk with him and guide him as to why she feels it is wrong. That comment I feel has been taken totally out of context and blown out of proportion. I think Penny has always been up front and honest in this entire case......not so for NL tho.

nannymo, you are 100% correct in your statement clarifying Penny's response regarding TM podcast. Good job!

I agree with your statement that some of the local resentment toward the family originates from a bit of small town “protectionism”. That could be expected to some extent. As “@Crimescenetape“ pointed out, there is also an element of “loyalty” toward the former sheriff who also grew up in Canadian. That too could be expected to some extent.

But then, there is evidence of resentment from some (not all) in the local law enforcement circle of which the former sheriff was the center of. At the very least, this may stem from bitterness because Penny pointed out significant discrepancies and failures in the “investigation” as well as hired her own PI to assist in learning facts of the case.

I will point out once again that, in my opinion, possibly the strangest mystery of this case is: Within the local law enforcement circles there appeared to be an undue amount of sensitivity whenever the possibility of foul play was mentioned …. despite that evidence and circumstances indicate that foul play could be a very likely possibility. The introduction of the possibility foul play into the investigation appeared to be conspicuously avoided. I don’t quite understand that.

 

[nannymo]

I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[Vaughan Benjamin]

This is such a well-written post and I truly couldn't have said it better myself. I personally am not particularly pro-LE, but those feelings are more-so regarding street cops. I do think most detectives/sheriffs care about the majority of missing persons and homicide cases. However, this case has been mishandled to a point that I really do not think I have ever witnessed in my 10 years of researching missing persons (only in my twenties).

If there is anyone hanging around this thread that could explain the suicide angle to me, I'd be happy to hear it. However, as you said perfectly, there are LOGIC GAPS in the suicide theory. Massive ones. It doesn't make any sense.

I find myself racking my brain for what Tom or his family could have possibly done to make the sheriff's office have such disdain toward them. Regardless of whatever happened to Tom that fateful November night, his family in no way deserves the sort of treatment they've received. I can't even imagine . I'm at a loss. I've never seen such a huge disconnect in a sheriff and the truth of a case. The sheriff's department has helped little more than a schoolyard bully. I can't understand; I can't come to grips with the lack of help provided. I also am consistently shocked by the insinuations the sheriff's office has placed cruelly as a thorn crown or a scarlet letter on Tom and his family in the small town of Canadian, even after Tom was found dead and their theories are needing to be... reworked at the very least. There must be so much we do not know regarding the personal relationship dynamics at play here.

I can't imagine the previous teenager shenanigans that Nathan Lewis thought he was catching could affect this entire situation this badly, no? That wouldn't make sense. But then again, nothing about this case does.

Side note:
The Moms4Tom FB group hasn't posted since November 2020.

SBM, BBM

I find it interesting that you said you were racking your brain for what "Tom or his family" could have done to receive such disdain. When you really think about it, is there really disdain toward the family or just Penny? It is also interesting that in the AG's meeting, the father seemed more upset with Klein than with LE. Also, do you ever wonder what Sage told her parents about the breakup when it first happened? I wonder what reason she gave for the breakup.

 

[nannymo]

I believe Sage has stated he and Brandon sort of agreed to break up. She was at one college out of town and he was planning (or thinking) of going to a different college out of town and a long distance relationship is difficult to follow, so they agreed to break up but were still good friends. IIRC

 

[Vaughan Benjamin]

This is such a well-written post and I truly couldn't have said it better myself. I personally am not particularly pro-LE, but those feelings are more-so regarding street cops. I do think most detectives/sheriffs care about the majority of missing persons and homicide cases. However, this case has been mishandled to a point that I really do not think I have ever witnessed in my 10 years of researching missing persons (only in my twenties).

If there is anyone hanging around this thread that could explain the suicide angle to me, I'd be happy to hear it. However, as you said perfectly, there are LOGIC GAPS in the suicide theory. Massive ones. It doesn't make any sense.

I find myself racking my brain for what Tom or his family could have possibly done to make the sheriff's office have such disdain toward them. Regardless of whatever happened to Tom that fateful November night, his family in no way deserves the sort of treatment they've received. I can't even imagine . I'm at a loss. I've never seen such a huge disconnect in a sheriff and the truth of a case. The sheriff's department has helped little more than a schoolyard bully. I can't understand; I can't come to grips with the lack of help provided. I also am consistently shocked by the insinuations the sheriff's office has placed cruelly as a thorn crown or a scarlet letter on Tom and his family in the small town of Canadian, even after Tom was found dead and their theories are needing to be... reworked at the very least. There must be so much we do not know regarding the personal relationship dynamics at play here.

I can't imagine the previous teenager shenanigans that Nathan Lewis thought he was catching could affect this entire situation this badly, no? That wouldn't make sense. But then again, nothing about this case does.

Side note:
The Moms4Tom FB group hasn't posted since November 2020.

SBM, BBM

I find it interesting that you said you were racking your brain for what "Tom or his family" could have done to receive such disdain. When you really think about it, is there really disdain toward the family or just Penny? It is also interesting that in the AG's meeting, the father seemed more upset with Klein than with LE. Also, do you ever wonder what Sage told her parents about the breakup when it first happened? I wonder what reason she gave for the breakup.

I believe Sage has stated he and Brandon sort of agreed to break up. She was at one college out of town and he was planning (or thinking) of going to a different college out of town and a long distance relationship is difficult to follow, so they agreed to break up but were still good friends. IIRC

I think you mean Tom, not Brandon, however your point regarding her statement on the podcast is true. I guess my question regarding what Sage told her parents was meant to be more rhetorical and dubious. I'm not here to bash Sage or anybody really, but do you really think a teenager knew her boyfriend or former boyfriend had a diaper fetish, and the first person she told was LE during the investigation? I don't think that is what (young) people do in those situations. That would be quite a mature and well adjusted young lady to keep Tom's secret and never bring it up to anybody, especially after a breakup. She also has a knack for knowing exactly the right time to text Tom -- right as he was disappearing. It's just rather odd. But assuming she did tell her parents (or somebody else) about Tom's fetish well ahead of the disappearance, I wonder who her parents (or others) may have told. Makes you wonder. Oh, and speaking of wondering. I bring up the issue of the "family" because I don't see much disdain for the "family." I see disdain for Penny. Isn't it odd how NL called out Penny for not being irate regarding finding her son, but he never called out the father or the step father? It's odd.

 

[niikkee]

It is my position and my opinion that none of this case relates to the totally hypothetical question regarding whether or not Tom was gay or whether or not his mother would accept him as such. She always provided her best guidance, yet with unconditional love toward family regardless of issues. I believe that she would do the same in any circumstance. BUT, this case is about what happened to Tom .... not about his mother's faith based beliefs.

Yes this is about what happened to Tom. So far that question has

I find it interesting that you said you were racking your brain for what "Tom or his family" could have done to receive such disdain. When you really think about it, is there really disdain toward the family or just Penny? It is also interesting that in the AG's meeting, the father seemed more upset with Klein than with LE. Also, do you ever wonder what Sage told her parents about the breakup when it first happened? I wonder what reason she gave for the breakup.


I think you mean Tom, not Brandon, however your point regarding her statement on the podcast is true. I guess my question regarding what Sage told her parents was meant to be more rhetorical and dubious. I'm not here to bash Sage or anybody really, but do you really think a teenager knew her boyfriend or former boyfriend had a diaper fetish, and the first person she told was LE during the investigation? I don't think that is what (young) people do in those situations. That would be quite a mature and well adjusted young lady to keep Tom's secret and never bring it up to anybody, especially after a breakup. She also has a knack for knowing exactly the right time to text Tom -- right as he was disappearing. It's just rather odd. But assuming she did tell her parents (or somebody else) about Tom's fetish well ahead of the disappearance, I wonder who her parents (or others) may have told. Makes you wonder. Oh, and speaking of wondering. I bring up the issue of the "family" because I don't see much disdain for the "family." I see disdain for Penny. Isn't it odd how NL called out Penny for not being irate regarding finding her son, but he never called out the father or the step father? It's odd.

The story about Tom’s fetish was spread around Canadian before Tom went missing. If you remember correctly both Sage and Christain Webb had been told by Tom. I actually heard about it long before it was released in the statements of the ongoing investigation.
I am retired from mental health and worked in an acute care unit so I think I always see things from a different perspective.
There are many difficulties in this case and accusations flying around. But there are also many years of mental health issues and trauma that has never been addressed and in my opinion could be very relevant.
Her grandparents died in what may have been a double-suicide, a murder-suicide, or a tragic accident; her father died from suicide. She has already had to accept and process two mysterious deaths in her life as well as a suicide. And then there is the birth of her firstborn child and the trauma and consequences of that experience.
My point or opinion is… that no one really knows what happened to Tom. The town of Canadian has formed sides believing one theory or another, but without absolute evidence this is still a story that is completely open.

 

[niikkee]

He was at his home with a friend while waiting for Tom to arrive home. Shortly after midnight he made a phone call to Tom as well as sent several texts to Tom, none of which Tom responded to. Phone carrier records would reflect such activity.

Who was the friend with Tucker and why has it never been addressed where everything and everyone else has?

 

[8th Bob-White]

From Tom Brown's Body Chapter 2 Tom's Loop:

At the stroke of midnight on Thanksgiving eve, 2016, Penny Meek checked her phone. Her son Tom Brown had gone cruising with a few friends that evening, and his curfew was midnight. According to Penny, Tom was rarely late. If he was going to miss curfew by a few minutes, he always called or texted to let her know. But that night she hadn’t heard from him.

Penny said she called and texted Tom. Tom’s older brother, Tucker, who was in the living room watching a movie with his friend Taylor Russell, did the same. But Tom didn’t answer.

At around 12:30, Penny woke her husband Chris and told him she was going to look for Tom. She grabbed her keys and climbed in her Chevy Suburban. Tucker and Taylor piled into Tucker’s Toyota 4Runner. Penny drove around town, while Tucker scoured the surrounding highways and farm-to-market roads. He said he feared Tom had been in an accident—“and you know, if that’s what happened, we could get him some help and save his life,” Tucker told me.


After an hour or so, Tucker said, he dropped Taylor off at his house, and then he continued searching for Tom for another hour. Meanwhile, Penny returned home and called Kaleb King, who had been with Tom earlier that evening, to ask if he had any idea where Tom might be.

 

[OutWest]

Who was the friend with Tucker and why has it never been addressed where everything and everyone else has?

I won't post his name but I believe that he was interviewed.

 

[niikkee]

It is my position and my opinion that none of this case relates to the totally hypothetical question regarding whether or not Tom was gay or whether or not his mother would accept him as such. She always provided her best guidance, yet with unconditional love toward family regardless of issues. I believe that she would do the same in any circumstance. BUT, this case is about what happened to Tom .... not about his mother's faith based beliefs.

When asked about Tom being gay she replied, “I would have a problem with it. I would tell him it is a sin.”