TX TX - Thomas Brown, 18, Hemphill County, 23 Nov 2016 #4

[Balloon light]

BTW Balloon Light. I don't think jellybean thinks he committed suicide. That's what she is stating. The evidence just isn't there.

@jellybean96 I understand and agree with jellybean. I’m only attempting to see if we can get a suicide scenario to fit … trying to put the puzzle pieces of evidence we know into the scenarios.

 

[nannymo]

I know....I keep trying to make it fit and I can't.

 

[Balloon light]

@nannymo I wholeheartedly agree with your observation of - why park the car so far just to walk to Lake Marvin? That’s a real niggle. From the pictures on the AG report of the inside of the Durango, Thomas seemed to be a typical teen and had lots of soda bottles and papers and stuff strewn about.. his behaviour indicates the easy/fastest resolution. So if he committed suicide it doesn’t easily fit with his habits of easy solutions to go through the hardship of a long walk on a cold night only to kill himself. And why take a laptop for a big part of that journey?

 

[OutWest]

Good points all. If Tom had intended to go to the Lake Marvin area, he would not have parked near town then proceeded to walk 12 miles in the opposite direction ..... it is most logical that he would have simply driven his perfectly good Dodge Durango that stilll had 3/4+ tank af gasoline remaining. I believe there is zero liklihood that Tom was the driver of that vehicle when it was parked at 5:56 AM as well as the other instances earlier that moring. Therefore, any way you look at it, one or more others were involved. Of course, IMO.

Then there are the blunt force trauma injuries to his facial structure. Also, we cannot ignore the spent 25 ACP casing found in the Durango along with a discarded small pistol case alongside Lake Marvin Road where other personal effects were strewn; most likely the two are "connected", IMO.

There has been no word regarding statements from TuB's friend who is a direct witness to events during the early portion if the initial search. No mention at all. I believe that OAG investigators interviewed the individual .... but they have been mum on the topic. Their prerogative, of course. But they have a reason.

Whoever was driving the Durango that morning knows exactly what happened. Whoever planted the phone knows exactly what happened. Just my opinions based on available information ......

 

[Balloon light]

I’ve been working all the scenarios of this case today. Much of the evidence has been mishandled making the pieces so scrambled. @OutWest I agree, whoever parked that Durango knows the truth.

IMO, the Tucker/Pyne Gregory incident of who said what about the water treatment plant gate and visiting there has been conflated. Had they gone there When they were out searching for Tom, the Durango wouldn’t have been there at that time anyway. I seriously doubt whoever parked the Durango had a premeditated plan to leave it there.

My real question is this. If the evidence both supports foul play and suicide to LE why don’t they err on the side of caution and protect the community by allowing homicide to be the priority scenario to rule out before siding the case so heavily on a suicide narrative?

 

[OutWest]

IMO, one of the mysteries of this case is why the former Sheriff could determine that the case was suicide (or runaway) within minutes after the Durango was found. Missing teen with no criminal history, circumstances "out of character" for Tom, spent 25 ACP casing, no gun, no body, small amount of blood on driver's door. The former Sheriff is a smart guy. In those early moments and based on the evidence at the time, homicide should logically be thought to be a possibility. But no. I don't understand that one.

On another topic, it appears to me that there are some basically unfounded assumptions that some have stated to be accurate. For instance, there have been many comments stating that at approximately 1:25 AM and again at approximately 5:25 AM the Durango was seen “driving toward and from Tom’s house”. There is no proof where the Durango was heading. Actually, there are approximately 72 houses in the area that the Durango could have been driving to/from within that 2-3 minute timeframe. Maybe to pickup and drop off an accomplice? After all, there is plenty of clear indication that one or more persons were involved in some way.

 

[nannymo]

There are a couple of things bothering me about the car being seen.

First, if the killer was driving Tom's car, wouldn't that person know his family would or should be out looking for him? Isn't that taking a very large risk of being spotted by family or friends....as small as Canadian is? What would be their plan if they ran across Tom's family looking for him. Why take that risk of being spotted?

Second, if Tom was driving that car, why did he not return home when expected? Where had he been driving? What was he thinking? Was he out driving trying to decide what he wanted to do? If Tom was driving through town all night, something was not right with Tom. This part of the suicide scenario would fit in perfectly. Trying to talk himself into or out of suicide? Possibly, but the last part of the scenario does not make sense.

What does make sense is the person responsible for Tom's final resting place, be it murder or suicide, was the one who parked the car and planted the phone.

BTW-have Tom's keys to his car ever been located? I cannot remember. All JMO of course!

 

[OutWest]

There are a couple of things bothering me about the car being seen.

First, if the killer was driving Tom's car, wouldn't that person know his family would or should be out looking for him? Isn't that taking a very large risk of being spotted by family or friends....as small as Canadian is? What would be their plan if they ran across Tom's family looking for him. Why take that risk of being spotted?

Second, if Tom was driving that car, why did he not return home when expected? Where had he been driving? What was he thinking? Was he out driving trying to decide what he wanted to do? If Tom was driving through town all night, something was not right with Tom. This part of the suicide scenario would fit in perfectly. Trying to talk himself into or out of suicide? Possibly, but the last part of the scenario does not make sense.

What does make sense is the person responsible for Tom's final resting place, be it murder or suicide, was the one who parked the car and planted the phone.

BTW-have Tom's keys to his car ever been located? I cannot remember. All JMO of course!

Just my thoughts & opinion. The person driving the car knew there was risk at being spotted which is the reason that they purposely avoided 2nd Street. They only drove when it was absolutely necessary and off of the main drag where most businesses have cameras. I believe the "plan" went awry when an accomplace failed to arrive at Lake Marvin area to provide the driver a ride back to town thus leaving the driver in a precarious situation. Otherwise, the vehicle and Tom would have been found the following moring in the Lake Marvin area. There could be a reason other than spotting Tom's house for the Durango to be seen twice (3 hours apart) on Birch St. Also, there could be a convenient logistical reason that the vehcle was abandoned near a residential section of town.

Yes, I am aware that the "radio guest" has voiced a similar scenario but I disagree with him regarding who was driving the vehicle and what their motivation likely was.

I believe Tom was deceased shortly after midnight. Somebody else was in the driver's seat. Just MO.

 

[Balloon light]

@OutWest I also think the drive to and from “Tom’s house” could very well be an accomplice pick up and drop off.

I think the phone losing power when there was a charger in the car was it being disabled - like airplane mode- until it eventually died out.

I’m of the opinion he was disabled rather quickly after Fronks… and find it interesting that the AGs office stated that the surveillance videos from Fronks were mishandled.

 

[OutWest]

@OutWest I also think the drive to and from “Tom’s house” could very well be an accomplice pick up and drop off.

I think the phone losing power when there was a charger in the car was it being disabled - like airplane mode- until it eventually died out.

I’m of the opinion he was disabled rather quickly after Fronks… and find it interesting that the AGs office stated that the surveillance videos from Fronks were mishandled.

Exactly my thoughts as well.

For instance, if one accomplice lived on the south side of town and the driver lived on the north side, it would explain the need to risk being spotted at ~1:25 AM and at ~5:25 AM .... as well as the convenience of the location where the Durango was abandoned.

I don't believe the phone battery would have died if the large capacity case charger had been attached. I don't believe that Tom would have driven around throughout the early morning hours with a dead phone battery when he had two car chargers in the vehicle; not his style according to comments made regarding his habit of keeping his phone charged. He was riding in CW's car most ot the night and probably did not have access to a charger for that period ..... so his defective 6s battery discharged after only 6 hours (Apple had a worldwide recall on early 6s batteries; I know about the 6s batteries because I owned a 6s that was subject to the recall).

IMO, Tom was absolutely not driving the vehicle past midnight. No way.

 

[sandy_80]

is the suicide verdict based mainly on these things
what he was going through and his alleged mental state according to unidentified friends ..
and the incognito search for the help
a suicide in the family history
right ?

 

[Razz]

is the suicide verdict based mainly on these things
what he was going through and his alleged mental state according to unidentified friends ..
and the incognito search for the help
a suicide in the family history
right ?

The suicide verdict and him being seemingly depressed is yes, from friends and from his mother who finally admitted that he was unhappy. (Or at least about leaving the football team) IMO, TB appeared to be isolating a bit.....quiting the football team, and breaking up with his girlfriend. He was also dealing with some heavy stuff. The suicide of his grandfather and the wearing of diapers and maybe...imo his sensuality.

 

[Razz]

Sexuality. Sorry..

 

[sandy_80]

The suicide verdict and him being seemingly depressed is yes, from friends and from his mother who finally admitted that he was unhappy. (Or at least about leaving the football team) IMO, TB appeared to be isolating a bit.....quiting the football team, and breaking up with his girlfriend. He was also dealing with some heavy stuff. The suicide of his grandfather and the wearing of diapers and maybe...imo his sensuality.

ok but the ID episode that had the family/two close friends side ..never admitted the depression as they are against the suicide angle..on the contrary they showed him as a hopeful who was gay on his last ride
the friends alleging he was depressed are on the other side of the fence.. so you still have two opposing camps

 

[Razz]

ok but the ID episode that had the family/two close friends side ..never admitted the depression as they are against the suicide angle..on the contrary they showed him as a hopeful who was gay on his last ride
the friends alleging he was depressed are on the other side of the fence.. so you still have two opposing camps

There are quite a few camps actually.
I'm in the camp where he was depressed, decided to ride around alone that night, headed toward home twice, turned around twice, eventually parking his truck in the water station, got out, relieved himself at the back of his truck, (as he'd been driving for quite a while) walked to where his bones were eventually found and died of hypothermia. This is all my opinion and not everyone has to agree or even consider it and most people don't. So that is my "camp" and should something else come along to change my mind this is what I think.

 

[sandy_80]

There are quite a few camps actually.
I'm in the camp where he was depressed, decided to ride around alone that night, headed toward home twice, turned around twice, eventually parking his truck in the water station, got out, relieved himself at the back of his truck, (as he'd been driving for quite a while) walked to where his bones were eventually found and died of hypothermia. This is all my opinion and not everyone has to agree or even consider it and most people don't. So that is my "camp" and should something else come along to change my mind this is what I think.

wasn't where he was found somehow far and on an unusual road tho ? and thats why he wasnt found for years
and how come his stuff and phone were found elsewhere
i find its hard to come up with a theory for this case..

 

[OutWest]

If Tom started walking the 12 mile trek in the opposite direction of town in the cold dark across brushy rough terrain with no light source, why wouldn't he simply drive his perfectly good vehicle? A vehicle that had two phone car chargers that would bring his dead cell phone back to life, if used. But ..... we know that if Tom had walked the 12 miles, he did not have his phone with him because it was "planted" nearly 1 year later. The abandonment of the vehicle just a convenient 1/4 mile from town just a little over an hour before before sunrise is a strong indicator (IMO) that whoever was driving the Durango had to ditch it before sunrise when people began stirring around and searchs were resumed. Those are some of the circumstances and questions that strongly indicate the involvement of another person or persons and that Tom was likely already deceased, IMO. IMO, it doesn't make logical sense to "cover a suicide" but it does make sense to cover a homicide. Persons other than Tom were involved ..... we simply do not know who thay are.

Based on what is known "publicly" there are just too many unanswered questions to arrive at a firm conclusion, IMO.

 

[sandy_80]

we can agree that one of the most suspicious aspects of the case.. iS that there was never any talk about a possible homicide or voluntary disappearance without a body
no matter who introduced the suicide thing first.. they were happy to run along

 

[jellybean96]

Klein is posting files on his Facebook that have been ok for public consumption. He’s making samples look like a liar from what I can tell.

 

[nannymo]

Heading over to see! Thanks @jellybean96 !