What happened to Tommy Brown? Details explored ahead of Snapped: Behind Bars on Oxygen

Tommy Brown was killed inside his residence on September 5, 2013. His body was found 2 days after his death by his sister Andrea Brown, who went to find her brother after he was unavailable for hours.

The upcoming episode of Snapped: Behind Bars season 2 episode 6, will tell the tale of this brutal homicide and will also feature an interview with one of the two killers convicted of Tommy Brown’s murder. The episode is titled Cristina Rodriguez. It will air on Oxygen on October 6, 2024, at 7 pm EST. The synopsis of the episode reads:

"Cristina Rodriguez shares her experience watching her then-lover beat her boyfriend to death, and how it felt when he testified against her; a second convicted killer reveals his side of the story with new details."

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Tommy Brown was beaten to death and suffocated

As per reports by Oxygen True Crime, Tommy Brown was beaten to death in his East Worth residence. After his sister was unable to contact him, she arrived at Tommy’s residence and saw a horrific crime scene.

Tommy was found dead, with his face down outside the home washroom. He was found in an incapacitated state, with his hands tied behind his back with shoelaces. His face was covered with a bag, as per reports.

Tommy was killed using a porcelain toilet lid. He was beaten several times, which caused his skull to split half open partially. There were bruises and injuries all over his body. The cause of death after autopsy was determined to be asphyxia (deprivation of oxygen) and blunt force trauma.

The authorities found two sets of footprints as evidence from the scene, which they assumed to be the killers. Several items were missing from the house too, including Tommy’s cellphone, bank cards, television, his Toyota vehicle, and more.

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What led the authorities to the killers?

Tommy Brown’s vehicle, which was found to be impounded post-murder and recovered by the authorities, had important shreds of evidence in it which helped in finding the killer. A part of the murder weapon, a bus ticket with the name of Cristina Rodriguez on it, and more bloodied items were discovered from inside the car. After his death, Tommy's missing cards were used to purchase gasoline and medications.

The police were looking for Cristina Rodriguez initially after they found her name on the bus ticket. When they tracked Brown’s missing cell, it led the authorities to Rodriguez and also her accomplice/boyfriend Ellis.

It was later revealed that Braylon Ellis was in love with Cristina, who was going to be Tommy Brown and his girlfriend Connie Moreno’s surrogate. Cristina had also earlier told Tommy that she was pregnant, which was later revealed to be false.

On September 5, 2013, Cristina told Ellis that she was pregnant with Ellis’s child, which was again a false claim. She also told Ellis that Brown, her ex-lover with whom she slept once for the sole purpose of pregnancy, was physically abusive towards him.

Later that day, Cristina and Ellis went to Tommy’s residence, and as Cristina stole items from the house, Ellis attacked Tommy and murdered him.

With Braylon Ellis’s DNA on the murder weapon, he was charged with Tommy Brown's murder and sentenced to life in prison, with chances of parole. Rodriguez was also charged with murder, as she made Ellis murder on her behalf. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

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To learn more about this homicide, and to hear Cristina Rodriguez's statements from behind bars, watch Snapped: Behind Bars season 2, episode 6.