Thomas Bragg murder case explored: Details about how a leg injury led to his killing

ID's Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill is slated to revisit the bludgeoning murder of Thomas Bragg by his wife Mary Ann Bragg in their Thomaston, Georgia, home in 2002. The episode, titled Broken Vows, will air on Thursday, October 13, 2022, at 9 pm ET.

The official synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:

"Thomas Bragg is a good ol' country boy. So, when his family discovers him brutally murdered in his home, they can't imagine why someone would target him. As investigators get involved, they discover he may be the victim of a Black Widow."

Bragg's body was discovered by a neighbor at a bloodied crime scene, where he was found after following a trail of blood. He was bludgeoned to death and reports state that he received at least four brutal blows to the head with a hammer-like weapon.

During the ensuing investigation, it was revealed that the victim had suffered a leg injury a few months before the incident and used a cane to move around. It was alleged that his crippled condition bothered his wife so much that she killed him because she "resented being a nursemaid." Financial gains from his death also played a major role.

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Thomas Bragg injured his leg when a roof collapsed

Thomas Bragg, a long-haul trucker, and Mary Ann, a mother of three, led completely different and separate lives before meeting at a local bar and getting married in August 2001. Soon after, Thomas aka Tom switched jobs from being a long-haul trucker to roofing work and often-times worked alongside his twin brother, Tim.

Unfortunately, while working at the New Life Pentecostal Holiness Church in Thomaston during the summer of 2002, the roof collapsed, causing Thomas Bragg and his brother to break their ankles and legs. This led to Mary Ann Bragg becoming the nursemaid to not one but two victims. Recalling the incident, Tom's daughter Christy Bragg Coker reportedly said:

"They all fell through the roof and broke their ankles and legs. My uncle Tim moved in with my dad during the time of their treatment and he was staying there and Mary Ann was taking care of both of them."

However, the two were making a quick recovery and by September of the same year, Tim moved out of their house. Thomas Bragg was still dependent on his cast and cane to move around. He was determined to make a complete recovery and get back to work as soon as possible. However, this chance was taken away from him, given that within days he was found bludgeoned to death in his Georgia home.

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Thomas Bragg's wife killed him after she was frustrated about "being a nursemaid for a cripple"

Reports state that James Mann, a neighbor, found Tom bludgeoned to death inside his home on September 9, 2002, and reported the horrific discovery to local authorities. Patrolman Drew Jackson went to the crime scene and followed a trail of blood that started from the door and went all the way to the dining room. Tom's body was found in the guest bedroom on the bed, with his face covered with a pillow.

Jackson described the scene, saying:

"I observed the body laying on the bed with a pillow over the face. I could see the large pool of coagulated blood under the bed, the massive amounts of blood and tissue that were on the walls and on the ceiling."

Bragg's wife Mary Ann became the prime suspect when it was discovered that he was killed between 4 and 6 am, given that neighbors claimed they saw the woman leave their house sometime around 6 am that day.

She told authorities that she was leaving to go to a psychiatrist's appointment. Moreover, discoveries about her promiscuity and affairs pushed authorities to investigate the matter further. Investigators also discovered the $25,000 life insurance policy that Mary Ann took for him without his knowledge.

The breaking point, however, was when her former son-in-law tipped authorities on a similar attempt she made to get rid of her ex-husband. He told authorities that years ago, Mary Ann had asked him to "get rid of James Wright," her former husband, and believed that she was using the same old trick.

Special Agent Vaughn Estes reportedly revealed that:

"She even made the statements to me in an interview that she is supposed to be the one being taken care of, not being a nursemaid for a cripple who can’t work."

Furthermore, her alibi had discrepancies in it, pointing to incriminating evidence that connected her to Thomas Bragg's murder. The psychiatrist's report confirmed all doubts that she knew of her husband's death long before she was notified of the same.

In 2006, she was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison.

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Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill is all set to delve deeper into the murder of Thomas Bragg and will air on ID this Thursday, October 13, 2022.