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Authorities alleged that the self-employed carpenter and member of the New Life Pentecostal Holiness Church, Thomas Bragg, was bludgeoned to death in his Georgia home by his wife Mary Ann in the early morning hours of September 9, 2002, according to authorities. One of their neighbors discovered his body in a bloody crime scene.
The ensuing investigation led to several shocking revelations, thus proving that the couple's marriage was far from perfect. Bragg, who was crippled at the time after a work accident, was dependent on the cast and cane and his wife, who reportedly grew tired of "being a nursemaid for a cripple who can't work." Moreover, she was to gain more from his death than from him being alive.
Mary Ann, who initially had a solid alibi, wasn't a person of interest until authorities built a solid case against her, leading to her conviction in 2006. Now ID's Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill will recount the events that occurred on that fine September morning in 2002 that led to Thomas Bragg's brutal death, leaving behind a horrifying crime scene. The episode airs on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
This article discusses some chilling details about the case.
Thomas Bragg bludgeoned to death: Five chilling details about the case
1) A trail of blood led to the crime scene
Thomas Bragg's body was reportedly discovered by their neighbor James Mann on September 9, 2022, who then contacted authorities to report the incident. Patrolman Drew Jackson reported:
"James was just in the front yard, just visibly shaken and you could tell that he had witnessed something that was horrific."
According to reports, Patrolman Jackson entered Bragg's house in Thomastown, Georgia, and followed a trail of blood from the front door that led him all the way to the dining room. Thomas' body was found in the guest room.
The officer claimed that he spotted the body lying on the bed with a pillow covering its face, as well as considerable amounts of blood and tissue splattered on the walls and ceiling. He reported that there was a pool of congealed blood beneath the bed.
2) Mary Ann left home that morning after Bragg's death
Reports state that Thomas Bragg's murder occurred between 4 and 6 am, as per the autopsy results. Detectives met with Jackson Mann and his wife, Lee Henry, and the former stated that he was scheduled to accompany Thomas to an auto parts store that morning, but he never showed up.
Jackson was on his way to check on him when he discovered the horrific scene. Additionally, the couple reported seeing Mary Ann Bragg leave the residence at approximately six in the morning. Mary had previously stated that she was en route to a psychiatrist.
3) Thomas Bragg's wife had multiple affairs going on at the time
While investigating Thomas Bragg's murder, the investigators discovered issues in his marriage to his wife, Mary Ann, after interviewing his relatives and friends. Mary Ann was reportedly involved in several affairs.
Their neighbor, Jackson Mann, and Pastor Steve Craven of the New Life Pentecostal Holiness church were two of the many men Mary Ann had affairs with. After speaking with both individuals, investigators concluded that neither was responsible for the murder of Tom Bragg. Additionally, detectives discovered that Mary Ann enjoyed chatting with men online.
4) The victim never knew that his life insurance policy existed
According to reports, not long before the murder, Mary Ann had taken out a $25,000 life insurance policy on her husband, Thomas Bragg. The inquiry revealed that Bragg was unaware of the existence of this insurance policy.
Additionally, Mary Ann's former son-in-law provided information to authorities, claiming that she had urged him to get rid of her former husband, James Wright, years ago. He thought Mary might be pulling one of her usual ruses and trying to get rid of her spouse.
Authorities later learned that Mary had discussed killing Wright with three other men. She once agreed to split the payout from the life insurance policy he had on her as the beneficiary.
5) Mary Ann's failed alibi led to her conviction in husband Thomas Bragg's case
Mary Ann's alibi Deborah Clay fessed up over a year after the murder when investigators re-interviewed her. Clay was her only alibi, and she switched her narrative. Deborah admitted to the police that Mary Ann had given her some drugs, which rendered her extremely drowsy and tired, and that she was asleep during most of the drive to LaGrange.
Clay claimed that the accused stopped the car on multiple occasions throughout the one-hour drive, once on a bridge to dump something in a plastic bag into the waters below and the second time to dispose of a sizable garbage bag in a dumpster at Hardee's.
Learn more about the case on ID's Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill on Thursday, October 13.
