Casefile True Crime - Case 85: Tom Brown

Episode Date: June 2, 2018

When 18-year-old Canadian High School student Tom Brown failed to return home by his midnight curfew on Thanksgiving of 2016, his mother Penny immediately knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like Tom to stay out late or not respond to text messages. --- Episode researched and narrated by the Anonymous Host Writing by Milly Raso Additional edits by Tayla Vos Open and download the map for Tom Brown’s episode casefilepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/85-thomas-brown.pdf For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-85-tom-brown

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Midnight approached on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23rd, 2016. Penny Meek was up waiting for her son Tom Brown, who was due home any moment. Hours earlier, Tom had gone out to meet up with France. The 18-year-old had a strict midnight curfew and was rarely late.

If it was, he always got in touch to let his mother know. So far, she'd heard nothing. Tucker Brown, Tom's older brother, was home from Oklahoma State University for Thanksgiving. Earlier that night, Tucker called his younger brother as he was leaving. Wanting to spend some quality time, Tucker suggested they should watch a movie together later that night. Tom happily agreed. Midnight ticked by and there was no sign of Tom.

At 12.03am, Tucker sent his brother a text asking where he was. Tom didn't reply. Tucker and Penny sent Tom several more text messages trying to locate him, but still they received a no response. This was unusual. Tom always responded to texts. At 12.23am, Penny tried to call Tom, but her call went straight to voicemail. His phone was off.

Penny's concern grew. Though Tom could be a joker and a goofball, he wasn't the type to pull a prank like this. He was a well-behaved son, far from rebellious or disrespectful. Tom preferred playing video games with friends than going to wild parties. But was strikingly out of character for him to miss curfew and not be in touch. Penny feared Tom had been in a car accident. Getting into separate cars to cover more ground, Penny and Tucker went searching for Tom's red-colored 2009 Dodge Durango SUV.

The pair turned down the suburban streets of their small, North Texan town of Canadian, population just over two and a half thousand people. The quaint, country-style homes were dark and quiet. Families had settled in ahead of the following day's festivities. The main street was equally still and silent. Penny and Tucker combed the entire town, checking local horns and hangouts. Yet, there was no sign of Tom or his car. Though Canadian has more wealth than bustle than other townships in the semi-arid panhandle

region of Texas, it was still incredibly small and close-knit. The layout of the land is deeply ingrained within the residents who live there. There's no way Tom was lost. Penny returned home to start making calls. She rang Robin, the mother of Caleb King. Tom had gone out that night to meet with Caleb and another friend, Christian Webb. All three were longtime friends from Canadian high school. Robin was now a freshman at Oklahoma State University, and like Tom's older brother

Tucker, she was back home in Canadian for Thanksgiving break. With Christian in town, the group decided to perform an old ritual, go for a late-night drive to catch up and listen to music. Penny was surprised to discover Caleb was home and in bed. Caleb explained the trio had called at night just after 11pm and then they went their separate ways. Caleb had no idea where Tom went after this encounter, but insisted he was fine when they parted company.

Penny then called the other person out with Tom that night, Christian Webb. Christian thought it was strange Tom wasn't home. She considered he may have stayed out to drive around town by himself, or that he may have gotten a flat tire and was stuck somewhere. Both Caleb and Christian went out to help search for Tom, but they had no luck either. Tom had vanished. At 2am Penny contacted the Hemphill County Sheriff's Department to report her son missing. Hemphill County had elected a new sheriff just two months earlier.

Nathan Lewis was a young and inexperienced sheriff, but he was raised in Canadian. He knew the town. There hadn't been a violent crime there for over 15 years. Calls from parents whose kids missed curfew were not unusual. In each case they'd show up alive and well. So when Sheriff Lewis heard Tom Brown hadn't come home, it was quick to assume Tom just lost track of time or was pushing boundaries. To him, the least likely scenario was foul play.

Tom was described as well liked and popular, someone with many friends from different circles. Caleb King knew Tom as a funny guy with a positive vibe who aimed to please. He couldn't think of a single person who didn't like him. Tom had twice been elected class president and he had just placed 10th in the state for public speaking. Up until a month before his disappearance, he played for the Wildcats, Canadian high school's football team. With him, they'd won two state championships, which was a big deal.

In Texas, high school football is more like a religion. Kids can shoulder the weight of a community's expectations. To his family, Tom was just a regular kid. He loved WWE wrestling and idolized Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback. At six feet tall and 195 pounds, Tom appeared big enough to hold his own in a fight, but he was far from the type to seek violence. He had no interest in drugs or dangerous activities. There was no secret double life.

So when Tom didn't come home, his family couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. The last known sighting of Tom was by his friends, Caleb King and Christian Webb, on the night of his disappearance, November 23rd. They confirmed Tom arrived to their meetup point, the parking lot of Canadian middle school. Parking lot security footage filmed Tom arriving in his SUV. Caleb and Christian turned up in their own cars.

After greeting one another, they all got into Christian's car. She drove with Tom riding shotgun in the front seat. Caleb was in the back. Both Caleb and Christian later stated they were all in good spirits. Tom chose the music. American folk band, the Avert Brothers. They drove around town, then headed north towards the Old Wagon Bridge, a near-kilometre-long footbridge over the Canadian River.

After parking at the southern end, they walked across together. It was a cold, fall night. Tom was hunched up in his black windbreaker, emblazoned on the left of his chest were the orange letters of the Oklahoma State College football team, the Cowboys. Shortly after 11pm, the trio decided to call it a night. Canadian middle school security cameras filmed Christian's car pulling into the parking lot. Caleb and Tom climbed out and returned to their own vehicles. The three made plans to meet up again the next night.

Before they went their separate ways, Tom cheerfully told his friends, I'll see you tomorrow. Security footage confirmed no one had entered or tampered with Tom's car whilst it was in the school parking lot. Caleb and Christian maintained it was an uneventful night out. Tom didn't seem anxious, upset, or distracted. His eagerness to see them again implied he didn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. Security footage showed Tom leaving the middle school car park alone in his vehicle at 11.26pm.

As Thanksgiving celebrations kicked off the following morning, Tom Brown was still missing. Wanting to survey a greater area, Christian Webb and her father, Trey, took the search to air in Trey's helicopter. They swept over the Canadian River and its surrounding valleys. Then they flew further outwards, over the Panhandle's trademark dry, empty planes. A land of tumbleweeds, rusted windmills, and a mechanical pump jacks, drawing oil from the cracked earth. Tom's car would be easily spotted out there, but they didn't find it.

Tom's SUV wasn't in the town centre or stranded along US Highway Route 60 or 83. There were no sightings along the train tracks on the western edge of town. Christian and her father then flew 14 miles east and circled Lake Marvin. The 63-acre lake was a popular area for camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking, and hunting. Tom sometimes visited the lake with friends. But they failed to find his car there either. They flew back towards town, over the baseball fields and rodeo grounds on Canadians' eastern edge.

Then something caught Christian's eye. Below, on a dirt, dead-end trail, surrounded by brush and bracken, Christian spotted a familiar red SUV. A dark thought immediately crossed her mind. Christian knew Tom had a somberside he hid from others. At times he had trouble picturing the future and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Had he driven to this isolated area to take his own life. Christian became distraught.

Trey turned to the helicopter so his daughter wouldn't see inside the vehicle and carefully manoeuvred to give himself a clearer view through the windshield. To his relief, car was empty. The webs notified Hemp Hill County Sheriff's Department of their discovery. Tom's car was unlocked with a window rolled halfway down. His car keys, cell phone, wallet, and backpack, which held a school-issued laptop, were all missing. There were no visible tracks leading to or from the car.

Police conducted a rudimentary search of the vehicle. On the inside, a driver's door handle. They found blood. Police later confirmed it was Tom's. Sheriff Lewis described the bloodstain, quote, The blood looked like you swiped your hand on the door from a small cut. It was not substantial. It was not spatter or droppings or anything indicative of an assault.

On the floor of Tom's vehicle, they found a 25 calibre shell casing. Small and easy to conceal, a 25-colour gun is sometimes called a pocket pistol. Although not very powerful, that can still cause fatal injuries. The shell was minus a projectile, meaning it had been fired. Tom didn't own a gun and had no interest in them. Some friends of his were gun hobbyists, which is an unusual in rural Texas, but none owned a gun of that type that anyone knew of. A receipt for a full tank of gas was also found.

This correlated with transaction records from Penny's debit card. At 11.28pm, the night of Tom's disappearance, Penny's card was used at the Frank Oil gas station. Tom often used his mother's debit card to buy fuel from there. Frank Oil is located on 2nd Street, less than five minutes from his home. Penny's card hadn't been used since this transaction. Frank Oil was a self-service gas station. No staff were on duty.

Security cameras were set up, but none were working at the time. Footage from a neighbouring business captured Tom at Frank Oil. Furthermore, someone driving past witnessed Tom filling up his car, but didn't see anyone else around. It was around a five minute, one and a half mile drive northeast from Frank Oil to where Tom's car was later found. However, four and a half gallons of fuel had been used. This meant in the hours between Tom filling up the tank and to the discovery of his car,

it was driven around 40 to 45 miles. Sheriff Lewis called Tom's family to report his SUV had been found. It was on a secluded dirt trail leading to the water treatment facility on the town's northeastern fringe. There was an isolated spot that not everyone in town was familiar with. According to Tom's family, they didn't believe he had ever been there before. Near Tom's car was a small incline leading to the rear of the Oasis Cove residential apartments, which were about 500 yards or 450 meters away.

Although there was no evidence yet to prove it, Sheriff Lewis said he was treating the case as suicide. This only confused Tom's family. They had seen no signs of suicidal thought or action in Tom's behaviour in the past. Although he could be deep and retrospective, he looked forward with purpose. Tom was excited for theatre rehearsals, graduation the following year, and planned to funnily sporting passion and public speaking skills into a career in sports journalism. Tom had also organised to see Caleb and Christian again Thanksgiving night.

When Tom's family looked back at his behaviour leading up to his disappearance, there were no overt or subtle signs he was contemplating an end. Tom did have personal struggles there. His parents divorced when he was 8 years old, and only recently, Tom had spoken candidly about the divorce to friends, admitting his religious faith was shaken as a result. When Tom was 16 years old, he had a run-in with local law enforcement. One night, Tom was downtown with two friends when they were approached by a deputy. He accused the group of trying to break into a building on Main Street.

The boy strongly denied the accusation. This was the first and only time Tom had an encounter with police. He was told to call his mother, but Tom refused, stating he hadn't done anything and didn't know what he was supposed to say. Tom was ordered into the deputy's car. He complied, but nothing ever came of this accusation, and Tom was free to go. According to Tom's mother Penny, the deputy who dealt with Tom and his friends that night was Nathan Lewis, prior to his appointment as sheriff for Hempill County.

Then only a month before his disappearance, Tom quit the high school football team. Without being seen as a dedicated and talented player, the coach replaced him as a starter. Tom was now a reserve, training almost every day, sometimes twice a day, to spend games on the bench. He quickly lost interest. It was a difficult week when Tom quit, but people were understanding. There was no lingering animosity over his decision. Only ten days before his disappearance, Tom and his girlfriend Sage Pennington broke up.

Sage was a freshman at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, two hours away from Canadian. The reason for the split is unknown, but according to Tom's mother, it was amicable. The pair remained friends, and they still messaged each other. Sage was back home in Canadian for the Thanksgiving break. It would show Tom sent her a text message around 11.30pm the night of his disappearance. What was said is not publicly known, but according to those who've read it, it was a casual, how are you doing type message. Sage responded, the text was delivered, but Tom never replied.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department supplied tracking dogs to investigate Tom's car, Scanning a radius almost half a mile around it, the dogs failed to pick up a scent. They followed a trail leading east from Tom's car, but it didn't go far, ending at some nearby brush. The next day, a second set of highly trained and experienced tracking dogs were sent from the nearby city of Amarillo. These dogs picked up a scent in Tom's car, leading handlers nearly a mile east before reaching the Canadian River.

It was along the marshy banks of the shallow and slow-moving waters where they lost the scent. It was inconclusive whether the dogs were following Tom's scent specifically, or someone else who may have been in the vehicle. Tips to law enforcement led to the search for Tom extending to neighboring towns and counties. Tom's social media accounts, bank and cell phone records were checked for activity. Tom had been accessed since his disappearance. His cell phone was still off and going to voicemail, although they were able to trace

the last known location of Tom's phone before it was turned off. Shortly after midnight, November 24th, Tom's phone emitted a ping indicating it was at the Wildcats Football Stadium. The stadium is near the southeastern border of town, just over a mile from Fronk Oil where Tom was last seen filling up. No motive has been established for Tom to have gone to the stadium at this time. With this knowledge, law enforcement pieced together Tom's last movements. At 11.26pm, Tom was captured on footage leaving the Canadian middle school car park, alone.

He went directly to Fronk Oil to purchase a tank of gas at 11.28pm. Shortly after midnight, his phone pinged, indicating it was at the Wildcats Football Stadium. Soon after this final ping, Tom's phone was switched off. Shortly after daybreak, his car was located on the dirt trail near the water treatment facility. These sequence of events only became more difficult to decipher when law enforcement began collating the town's security footage the night of Tom's disappearance.

A camera on the corner of Second Street and Main caught a red SUV quickly passed by around 1.30am. The car matched Tom's. This sighting occurred close to 90 minutes after that final phone ping at the football stadium. 9 minutes later, Tucker Brown's car appeared on the same camera. This was during the time he was out searching for Tom. Tucker didn't know he was following his brother's SUV just minutes behind, and to the two cars

never crossed paths. Tom's car reappeared on security footage at 5.24am, travelling north on Second Street. For the next 20 minutes, the vehicle seemed to be driving directionless all over town. At times it appeared to be heading towards Tom's house, but turned away when it got close. Eventually, the SUV headed northeast towards the water treatment facility. Footage captured the vehicle driving past the Hemp Hill County Recreation Complex on 6th Street.

The car then moved off camera, continuing east onto an isolated dirt track towards the water treatment facility, where it was later found abandoned. No footage was clear enough to identify the SUV's driver, or to determine if there was more than one occupant. Nevertheless, Sheriff Lewis felt confident Tom was driving, alone. It didn't make sense to him that someone who had harmed Tom would then get into his car and drive all over town. In the following days, Sheriff Lewis enlisted other law enforcement agencies, fire departments,

and local townspeople to help find Tom Brown. The area where Tom's vehicle was discovered, the nearby water treatment facility, and the Canadian River were scoured on foot, horseback, ATVs, rovers, and helicopters. The search radius expanded 50 minutes' drive out from Canadian. Lake Marvin's surface was scant by boat. Sonar equipment didn't detect anything in the water's depths or on the shore. These sonar results were enough for law enforcement to eliminate Lake Marvin as a location of interest.

Sheriff Lewis stated, quote, They cleared the entire Lake Marvin perimeter and also win the water. Tom Brown is not at Lake Marvin, 100%. The lake wasn't dredged and divers were never called in to conduct a search. A specialist horseback search and rescue team were called in from nearby Randall County. They were experienced trekking the Canadian River for missing persons. Two years earlier, a 24-year-old woman and her 6-year-old niece vanished along the river whilst horseback riding.

Randall County's team were called in and located the pair deceased in the water. For two days, they meticulously searched the river for Tom Brown. They found no sign of him and were confident to report Tom was not in the Canadian River or surrounding area. The old sewer ponds at the water treatment facility posed a health and safety risk to divers. They had to be flushed before anyone could enter. The effluent was placed in two new ponds.

Once this process was complete, the old ponds were searched, but nothing was found. The Canadian community rallied to support Tom's family with food, cards and flowers. Porch lights were left on, prayer vigils were held, and words spread to neighbouring towns. Local business Tootin Totem offered $5,000 for information leading to the rescue or recovery of Tom Brown. The Thanksgiving break was now over. Christian Webb had to recommend studies at Oklahoma State University. As she and Caleb King were the last known witnesses to have contact with Tom before

he disappeared, she found it odd law enforcement had not asked to question them or take statements. Christian called the Sheriff's Department herself and offered to talk with them before she left town. Desperately seeking answers, Tom Brown's family hired a private investigator from the firm Klein Investigations and Consulting, who specialised in missing persons cases. Private investigator Philip Klein was open to all possibilities in the case. At one point, he even considered human trafficking and made inquiries in other states. But with no leads there, he brought his focus back to Canadian.

Klein had experts reexamine photographs of the bloodstain in Tom's car. They concluded it was deep venous blood. Klein remained elusive about what that meant exactly, however, he put forth the possibility Tom may have been wounded protecting himself from an assault. By the third week of the investigation, Sheriff Lewis publicly stated law enforcement had exhausted every resource they had in their search for Tom Brown. He told the Canadian record, quote, all evidence we have found indicates to us that he disappeared on his own.

When asked why Tom filled his car with gas only to abandon it, Sheriff Lewis explained Tom must have gotten gas out of habit, not reason. He was asked why Tom's vehicle was captured on footage driving back and forth throughout town instead of just leaving. The Sheriff replied Tom may have been indecisive, unsure if he wanted to run away. Perhaps he toyed with the thought of going home to say a final goodbye to his family. The Sheriff bolstered the runaway theory by stating they'd found supporting evidence in Tom's bedroom on the home computer and in text messages sent to friends.

Lewis didn't reveal what the evidence was, but his interpretation was that Tom didn't want to be in Canadian. Sheriff Lewis, quote, there's things I don't want to release to the public because it's an ongoing investigation. And for the privacy of the family, people don't need to know these things. But I can tell you for sure, the things we found are clues that tell us he left on his own. We've put him under a microscope and we've learned a lot about the young man.

Tom made a conscious decision to leave home. With law enforcement remaining tight lipped, the town was left to speculate. Did Tom break the law? Did he fear being charged with a crime? Is that why he was refusing to return home? Chief Deputy Brent Clapped remarked, quote, there are no criminal charges pending against him. He is 18.

He can leave. Maybe he might have chosen a little bit wiser way to do it, but he is not committed a crime. As far as we can tell, no one has committed a crime against him. Later, Penny found out law enforcement were asking her son's friends about his sexuality. Sheriff Lewis maintained, although he was under the strong impression Tom was a runaway, the case would remain open until a conclusion was reached. Tom Brown had been missing for three weeks at this point. During that time, his cell phone hadn't been turned back on or used, and his bank account

hadn't been touched. Private investigator Philip Klein considered several scenarios. Maybe Tom was taken against his will, or agreed to travel with another party, not sensing any danger. Klein issued a plea to ranch hands and oil-filled employees to keep a lookout for anything unusual. He also gave a message to Tom's fellow students at Canadian High. If you know something, say something. Tom's mum, Penny, also appealed to her son's schoolmates, quote, if you know something,

please speak up. If you know something and you're trying to cover up something you have done, it's all forgivable. I just want to know where he is and to get him to come home, so that we can do whatever is best for him. It was two months after Tom's disappearance, January 27th, 2017, when a worker was checking oil wells and lines on Lake Marvin Road. The worker noticed some trash behind a tree on the other side of a barbed wire fence, but

as he got closer, he realized it wasn't rubbish. It was a backpack. The sheriff's department was notified. The backpack belonged to Tom Brown. A laptop he used for school was inside. Grooves had formed in the ground underneath the bag and water pooled around it. It was wet inside and out. Papers inside were almost mouldy.

It looked as though the bag had been there for some time. The laptop was water-damaged. It took time, but technicians were able to extract its data. The laptop revealed no clues, though. All it contained was Tom's schoolwork. A search of the area where the backpack was found resulted in no new evidence. For Sheriff Lewis, the discovery of Tom's backpack supported his theory. Tom left the town voluntarily.

He believed Tom dumped his belongings and just walked away. A vigil was held for Tom at Canadian High School. His schoolmates were given shiny pebbles engraved with the message, just make it home on one side and the Tom's name on the other. By now, the town of Canadian was covered with posters and banners for Tom. By March 2017, the reward for information increased to $20,000. As his investigation progressed, private investigator Philip Klein was becoming less convinced about the runaway theory.

He told the Canadian Record, quote, We do believe we have established some possible suspects in the city regarding some possible nefarious activities. We are exploring those, but at this time, we have completely vetted the opportunities for Tomas to run. We just don't see it based on the evidence at this time. Klein then made another appeal to students of Canadian High, quote, If you know something, you need to say something.

You could be charged with the crime for withholding information. Even if you are innocent and you just heard something at high school, call us. We won't report you. We won't tell anybody you called us. You will remain anonymous. By late March 2017, private investigator Philip Klein released an official statement that read, After four months of investigation, we believe the following based upon

interviews and physical evidence. One, we believe Thomas Brown did not willfully leave Canadian, Texas or plan his disappearance. Two, we believe our play was involved in Thomas' disappearance. Three, we believe there is a strong possibility a person or persons injured Thomas on the night of his disappearance. The purpose of our release at this time is we believe there is a person or persons at Canadian High School with direct knowledge of the circumstance surrounding

his disappearance. We again say to the students of Canadian High School, If you know something, say something. Thomas and his parents deserve this. Sheriff Lewis was quick to wish or reply to Klein's statement. Speaking publicly, Lewis maintained law enforcement always perceived the Tom Brown case as a criminal investigation. Sheriff Lewis added,

At this time, for the sake of maintaining the integrity of our investigation, we are not prepared to release the nature of any possible criminal charges we are investigating. In early April 2017, Christian Webb was at Oklahoma State preparing for May exams. Around this time, she noticed a vehicle had begun to follow her. As she walked out of class one day, she was confronted by campus police. They escorted her to a room where a Texas Ranger and an FBI agent were waiting. They wanted to talk about Tom Brown.

Christian was asked to hand over her mobile phone. She complied and they downloaded the contents. She was then given a sheet of paper with a list of questions to answer. She complied. Then she was asked to recall the moments leading up to Tom's disappearance. They accused her of knowing where Tom was. Christian felt they were playing mind games, trying to confuse her. The questioning continued for four hours.

They finished by asking if she would take part in a lie detector test. When Christian agreed, they let it go. Caleb King was enrolling for college at Texas A&M when he received a phone call from Hemphill County Sheriff's Department. Caleb returned to Canadian at their request. Upon arrival, he too was questioned at length by a Texas Ranger and an FBI agent. Their questions focused on text messages Caleb had sent. In these messages, Caleb asked friends if anyone knew the PIN code to access Tom's

cell phone. These messages caught the interest of law enforcement because Tom's cell phone had been missing since his disappearance. Caleb explained he sent those messages at the request of Tom's mother, Penny. Penny had texted his own mother, Robin, asking if Caleb knew the code. Caleb didn't know the code, so he asked his friends if they knew it. Interviewing officers didn't believe Caleb. He offered to take a lie detector test, but they didn't take him up on it.

After hours of questioning, Caleb called his mother. She still had Penny's text from months ago asking if anyone knew Tom's PIN code. Caleb showed the officers the text, proving his story. Penny stated she was asking around for Tom's PIN code at that time, on behalf of the Sheriff's Department. They asked her if she knew the code. She didn't, so she started asking Tom's friends if they knew it. That's not fully understood why the Sheriff's Department were asking for Tom's PIN code,

which by all reports, was still missing. Caleb and Christian have been viewed by some with suspicion and speculation. Both are from well-respected families. Caleb's father is a Republican state senator representing rural Texas. Rumors of a cover-up spread online, but both Christian and Caleb have complied with investigators' requests every step of the way, and have been officially cleared from any involvement in Tom Brown's disappearance. In mid-April 2017, Private Investigator Philip Klein organised a cadaver dog to search points

of interest in Canadian. Although the exact details of this search were not released to the public, Klein reiterated his belief Tom was most likely deceased, either a victim of accidental death or homicide. Klein told the Canadian record, quote, We feel like this trip closed a lot of doors for us. We feel like we can now concentrate on certain suspects, certain individuals. Klein strongly believed answers to Tom's disappearance would be found at Lake Marvin. He told Amarillo Globe News, quote,

We think the car was out there, that it was driven back, and someone threw his backpack out. We do not believe he disappeared. We believe he is deceased, and it happened at Lake Marvin. We believe Lake Marvin has not been 100% checked and rechecked. Lake Marvin was no longer a location of interest for law enforcement. Sheriff Lewis still hadn't put divers in the lake, but reiterated the lake and its perimeter were extensively searched by ground, air, and sonar.

Private Investigator Klein, who also believed the area Tom's vehicle was abandoned, was significant. It was secluded, but only a 500-yard or 450-meter walk to the Oasis Cove Apartments. Klein believes it's possible a suspect either lived or took refuge there. Tom's backpack was locked up in evidence by law enforcement. This meant Klein was unable to view it. Nevertheless, he wasn't convinced Tom dumped the backpack off Lake Marvin Road. He believed it was tossed there by a suspect, getting rid of evidence.

The Hemphill County Sheriff's Department were quick to argue points made by Klein. They released a statement to address what Klein was saying. Quote, At this time, the Sheriff's Office has no evidence to support the following assertions. 1. The car was driven by someone other than Tom Brown at any time during the night. 2. The driver of Tom's red Dodge Durango walked into the residential area on the north side

of the city. 3. The backpack recovered by the Sheriff's Department was planted as a diversion. 4. Tom Brown was assaulted and or killed intentionally or accidentally. 5. Tom's body was dumped in or around Hemphill County. The statement further read,

Several issues of discrepancy exist in the layout of the timeline as proposed by Klein Investigations. The Sheriff's Office has not released this due to the sensitive nature of the information. We will not at this time divulge any other information concerning the timeline of the events of November 23rd and 24th. This is based on our desire to maintain the integrity of our investigation and effectively pursue prosecution should a suspect be developed. Tom Brown remains a missing person and the Hemphill County Sheriff's Department has classified

this a missing person investigation from the beginning. That is not to say criminal activity has been ruled out or ignored. In fact, this investigation has been pursued from the initiation as the possible result of a criminal act. We will continue to investigate the disappearance of Tom Brown with the primary goal of discovering Tom's whereabouts. We will, however, go about this task with the responsibility of conducting this investigation in such a manner that if suspects are developed, successful prosecution will be ensured.

By May 2017, the reward for information rose to $40,000. On July 18th, hopes of a breakthrough came when a realtor entered a house in Canadian and saw what they believed were extensive blood stains on the carpet. They immediately contacted the Sheriff's Department. The suspicious markings were investigated and extensive forensic testing was done. But all tests came back a negative. It wasn't blood. Tom Brown's family called a press conference nearing the eight month anniversary of his

disappearance. His mother Penny Meek, older brother Tucker, stepfather Chris Meek, and biological father Kelly Brown were in attendance, as was Sheriff Nathan Lewis. Penny raised concern over the fact Tom's car was returned to her promptly after discovery. No thorough forensic examination was done initially. Sheriff Lewis acknowledged this was a mistake. He emphasized no one anticipated the investigation would go in the direction it had. At first, they believed Tom would be found quickly.

When he wasn't, police retrieved the car to conduct a more comprehensive examination. Sheriff Lewis declined to answer questions regarding the 25-colour Michelle casing found in Tom's car or the discovery of Tom's backpack. He confirmed Lake Marvin had not been dredged and divers still had not searched the water. Again he defended his decision on the matter, claiming the sonar examination was enough. When asked if he still believed Tom was a runaway, Lewis responded, quote, Right now, we have no evidence to say that anything else has happened. No evidence to show that a crime has been committed.

At this point, he is missing. He concluded the conference. She expressed gratitude to the Facebook group Mums for Tom, who promoted the ongoing search for her son. She then finished with. Once again, we're pleading with the public or anyone who might have some shred of information which could lead to a break in the case. I know this is every parent's nightmare and that we are not alone, but we do not want

my son, Thomas, forgotten. Please do not forgive my son. Over these months, I have continued to text Thomas that I love him and that I'm missing and I will never give up trying to find him. These messages have gone unanswered, but I'm praying for answers. We are confident someone knows more information or have heard rumors. Please help us. No lead is too vague or insignificant.

The smallest piece of information may help. You may contact any of the following with information. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse at Texas VPS, the Texas Rangers, the Hiddle County Sheriff's Office and Client Investigations. Thank you. By August 2017, private investigator Philip Klein said he was treating the case as a homicide. Although he didn't necessarily think it was a premeditated slaying, he believed it possible that Tom had run into friends or enemies and was killed accidentally.

Klein conducted further interviews with people around town, clarifying statements that had discrepancies. He revealed there were three young persons of interest he was focusing on. He would not name them. Quote, On 100% sure somebody in Canadian knows, on 95% sure a young person was involved in this. They made too many mistakes. We're coming.

We found those mistakes. The person out there, and I'm pretty sure they're listening. If you just did something you thought was a joke or lost your anger for a couple of minutes, you'd need to come forward. Klein sprayed the interior of Tom's vehicle with luminol to determine if there were further traces of blood inside. Klein didn't reveal the results of this test, simply saying the investigation was ongoing. Klein then appealed to anyone who was in downtown Canadian on the morning of Tom's disappearance.

Specifically, he appealed to the driver of a dark brown Ford 250 pickup truck, believed to be driven by a Caucasian male. Several witnesses spotted this vehicle driving around Canadian shortly after Tom's disappearance. Furthermore, Klein made an appeal for volunteers to assist him with a search. Earlier, he conducted his own smaller scale search around Lake Marvin Road, where Tom's backpack was discovered. Klein found items of clothing, a shirt, and a pair of socks that he believed could have been Tom's.

On October 14th, 2017, 500 volunteers offered to help conduct a larger scale search of Lake Marvin Road. Klein selected 135 people to help him. Over 30 bags of potential evidence were collected. Hemphill County Sheriff's Department were present and assisted. To everyone's surprise, a major discovery was made within the first five minutes of the search. It was an iPhone 6S, excitement peaked, that was the same model as Tom's.

But hope it belonged to Tom faded almost immediately. The phone was in excellent condition, undamaged with no dirt in the ports. It didn't look to have been in the brush long. There was dirt on the phone itself, but attending law enforcement were of the opinion and looked as though someone had smeared it on the phone. The phone was sent to the lab for testing. The water sensor in the device was not activated. This meant it had not been exposed to rain.

Since the time of Tom's disappearance, almost a year prior to the phone being found, Hemphill County had received 13.85 inches of rain. The phone was given to the FBI for further processing. There have been no updates regarding the phone. It has not been publicly confirmed if it belonged to Tom or not. Also found during the search was a black zippered case for a pistol. It was empty. The case could have held a 25 caliber pistol, matching the casing found in Tom's vehicle.

However, the pistol itself was not located. Frustrated by a lack of progress, Tom's family hired attorney Rosanna Obrillo. She filed an open record request with Hemphill County Sheriff's Department. Obrillo believed that by releasing information on the case, it might compel a witness to come forward. Penny Meek stated, I know more about the Las Vegas shooter or the church shooter than my own son's case. That is kind of frustrating because I am the mum.

Robert investigator Philip Klein filed his own open records request. He wanted access to police radio communications, dispatch logs and notes by officers from the night of and morning after Tom's disappearance. County Attorney Kyle Miller objected to opening the records, claiming it could compromise future criminal prosecution. He was tasked with marking which parts of the files could be exempt from disclosure. On December 20th, 2017, Miller failed to complete this task in the allotted time. In light of this, the Assistant Attorney General concluded all the information must be released.

However, Sheriff Nathan Lewis appealed this decision, claiming releasing the documents would compromise the ongoing investigation. The Sheriff understood the desire for knowledge, but not at the risk of impeding his investigation. Penny organized a petition to open the files that received 8,000 signatures in five days. In response, Sheriff Lewis formally asked the Texas Attorney General's office to take charge of the investigation. His request was sent on January 26th, 2018. Lewis stated, I don't know how much more they are going to be able to do that hasn't

been done. Lewis maintained other avenues were still being pursued. This included a court order request to perform a tower dump of cell phone towers in Canadian around the time Tom disappeared. This could reveal who was out that night and where they were. The Texas Attorney General's office took over the case in the early months of 2018. The Hemphill County Sheriff's Department and Private Investigator Philip Klein handed them all their current findings.

Klein is continuing with his own investigation on behalf of Tom's family. Everyone in Canadian has their own theory as to what happened to Tom Brown on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23rd, 2016. The case is rife with speculation, misinformation and unanswered questions. Private Investigator Philip Klein, quote, All cases have their own fingerprints on them. This is a highly unusual case. It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone.

When told of rumors circulating on social media that officials in Canadian were paid off to keep secrets, Klein stated, I will go as far to say that is an exaggeration, but I will say that we are exploring some angles that are off the beaten path. Tom's family believe without a doubt he met with foul play, and his ordeal began just after he arrived at the Frank Oil gas station. The case remains open. A map detailing all the locations of interest in Tom Brown's disappearance is available to view on the case file website and in the show notes for this episode.

On May 20th, 2017, Tom's class at Canadian High School graduated. The seniors sat together in alphabetical order. The seat reserved for Tom Brown was left empty. When his name was announced, he should have risen and received his diploma. Instead, the crowd held a moment of silence.