Penny Meek: Yes. Sheriff. All rights reserved. Lewis was sheriff when Thomas Brown went missing in 2016. If you liked the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. How was it amusing to dress up as the person youd accused of being involved in your sons disappearance or murder? She did not answer the question. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. We did everything good. Klein did tell me he was still seeking evidence to support the most recent of the many theories he has floated about the case. Rachel Kading: There is no evidence that he went to the football parking lot. Or even that members of Toms family knew far more about what had happened than they were letting on. I stared at one of the signs that had been put up there soon after Tom disappeared. I hear your anger. Penny said she chose the outfit because some of her coworkers, including a couple of teachers who also disliked Lewis, thought it would be amusing. But others questioned it. Chris was one of his teammates. A few months passed. Bring on the Shiplap? Klein said he will open the book on the case and lay out the timeline of events plus answer questions. During another conversation, Klein acknowledged that his sources had told him the law enforcement officer was Lewis. And former deputy Pyne Gregory has a gun to Tom Browns head. So you get somebody indicted for a homicide. Or he had been murdered by one of the friends who had gone cruising with him. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. He declared that he and his team of investigators had been talking to another witness who had a whole new story to tell about Toms death. We get out there with our water bottles, and we get our butts out there in the streets and we find out whats going on. Rachel Kading: He did not. Tucker Brown: Im the fifth-generation person from Canadian. Skip Hollandsworth: Chris Meek, her husband, was asked the same set of questions, correct? Finally, he came to the part of his presentation about new evidence. Philip Klein: I think were fixing to get the signal; were good. Nathan Lewis envisioned providing training for his agency along with surrounding agencies in the upper. Philip Klein: Chris Jones is an integral part in the Tom Brown case. And he wasnt even close to Chris in any way. Im sorry I have to show you corruption in your city. Philip Klein: . My word to you is this: spend time with your family and enjoy everything God is giving you.. Im a new sheriff; this will ruin my career, so I got to take care of this., In another conversation, however, Penny backed off her theory that Lewis was responsible. . So, had Sheriff Lewis and deputy Pyne Gregory murdered Tom to please a local gambling ring? It could be five years from today. Thats just ludicrous. Chris Meek? Nathan Lewis (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 19th Congressional District. Episode Nine: Another Day in Canadian.. What am I going to do? Nov 6, 2019. Chris Jones: Were going like towards the [unclear] yard. But were not here, like I said earlier, to make you feel good. And let me tell yall something. The city's Board of Alderman made the decision during a closed session on Thursday, Feb. 9. What was the question asked them? I asked her if she has ever been to the spot where Toms remains were found. This individual pulled out a .25-caliber pistol, and, in Kleins words, started messing with him.. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. . I have asked them to come sit up here tonight cause I want you all to look into the white of their eyes. Updated: Apr. And then you go to trial for that homicide. I called a media spokesman for the attorney generals office. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. I'm not sure what that was all about, but I don't think it's nothing. Her attorney filed 10 . "As of today, this case remains a questionable death investigation without sufficient evidence to conclude that Tom Browns death was attributed to a criminal act, an accidental death, or a suicide. Produced and engineered by Brian Standefer, who also wrote the music. A second deputy also discussed the Dollar General surveillance video with a TCOLE investigator: "Nathan always said there was never a video, the deputy said. Investigators with the Attorney General's office said they could not determine a cause of death, whether it was homicide, suicide, or natural causes because so few of Thomass remains were recovered. and you are not able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that that person is responsible for that homicide, you can never try that person again. By the train tracks. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to whats going on around me.. Lewis has also been accused--both formally and informally--of numerous other breaches of the law and his ethical duty as a law enforcement officer. I mean, what in the world? It wasnt until later that night that I considered the allegations that Lewis, Kading, and Smyth had leveled against her. They also said Clapp, who was recently dismissed, has been reinstated to his former position. Rachel Kading: I wont answer that either. OAG's Criminal Investigations Unit assisted in the investigation of Brown's death and also assisted the Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit in reviewing all of the collected evidence. Which, impossible. He was a talented running back who had just moved to Canadian from a nearby town. Skip Hollandsworth: There was a moment last night when I thought, This story will never come to an end. Has that occurred to you? Read earlier chapters and learn more about the. Leave them blank to get signed up. REAL COUNTY, Texas - Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Attorney General's Office, according to a Facebook post shared by the . The Deputies serve all court papers. The day after the meeting, everyone of course was talking about Kleins latest story. Was Lewis really that upset with Toms mother, Penny Meek, for the dispute they had had back in 2015 over the way he had allegedly treated Tom outside Canadians movie theater? Example video title will go here for this video. He was wearing glasses. Were here to figure out how an eighteen-year-old died. Leave them blank to get signed up. Chris is the stepfather, and, you know, probably one of the nicest men I think Ive ever met in my life, that has been so cordial. At the town hall meeting in October, thats exactly what Klein speculated. You were certain of that? Did someone who had supposedly contacted him after the shooting know something scandalous about Lewiss life that he threatened to reveal if the sheriff didnt assist with the cover-up? Penny Meek: Um, I dont know. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. . Officials from the state attorney generals office were so disturbed by Kleins comments that they finally agreed to allow their lead investigator in the case, Sergeant Rachel Kading, to sit down with me for an interview. Klein told me he had been talking to a couple of the towns residentshe wouldnt identify them or tell me their ageswho were feeding him an entirely new story about what had happened on Thanksgiving eve 2016. According to 31st District Attorney, Franklin McDonough, the case was rejected for lack . While he was interviewed, Lewis gave four documents to investigators. . The TCOLE investigators were told there was documentation to support Sheriff Lewis claim that officers in his department received credit for numerous field training hours. See Jackson County Job Opportunities for all open positions within the Sheriff's Office. Pictured: Nathan Lewis, former Sheriff of Hemphill County, TX. Lewis resigned from his post after being formally reprimanded by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) for falsifying training records. Hemphill County Judge George Briant said Nathan Lewis submitted his resignation shortly before five this evening. Were getting the signal? Why, Kading wanted to know, would Penny ask for the phones password unless she had the phone in her possession all along? When I called Lewis to talk about Kleins accusations, he let out a laugh. Lewis was accused by former employee . Nathan Lewis has been released from his role as Hemphill County Sheriff. Keep reading as Wonderwall.com takes a look back at celeb mug shots over the years. Love you. On May seventh, You were honored today at church for Senior Sunday. Penny tried to read one more. Okay. Philip Klein: All rightgood evening, ladies and gentlemen; my name is Philip Klein. Thats why I came to school in Higgins. Skip Hollandsworth: And what was the result of his answers? Philip Klein: And were gonna tell you about the manner of death. A sheriff in Texas is accused of regularly ordering his deputies to seize cash and vehicles from undocumented immigrants during traffic stops, even if they were not stopped for an alleged crime. Yes, he said: a grand jury would be convened in Hemphill County either later this year or in early 2021. Captain at Clayton County Sheriff's Office. In August 2019, Hemphill County Sheriff Nathan Lewis received a visit from a couple of officers from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the regulatory agency for all peace officers in the . Is that correct? But who? Lewis resigned as Hemphill County sheriff in November 2019. And then it was like, Oh, shit, I got to cover this up. On the night before Thanksgiving, 2016, Tom went cruising around town with his friends. At the least, Penny told me, she would like to give her son a proper burial. .. I wasn't supposed to take over until January. Bring on the Shiplap? She knows something. The attorney general announced in August 2019 there was no foul play in his death. Kading also asked Toms brother Tucker if he too would take a lie detector test. Nathan Lewis Expand search. They held signs that read Justice for Thomas Brown. Penny told me she was still hoping to persuade the district attorney to convene a grand jury and force witnesses to testify under oath. Caan requested the original audio statements Hemphill County deputies interviewed made to TCOLE investigators. Cora Lewis / Associated Press: Student loan forgiveness gets its day in court: What to know Discussion: Los Angeles Times , New Jersey Online , Forbes , Washington Examiner , Slate , USA Today , NPR , Reason , FOX31 Denver , CBS News , abc7NY , New York Times , ABC News , Bangor Daily News , UPI , CNN , Washington Post , The Hill and RedState Tom hadnt been on the football team for more than a month at that point. Chris Jones: He pushed me in the back of his cop car. And Im like, what you got to show me? Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. . I really dont know, and I dont have any ideas anymore of who it could be., Christian still doesnt come home very often. Where is your documentation? When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current . Philip Klein: Penny, would you please stand up? He said whenever I looked at the video from the Dollar General there wasn't anything on there, so I threw it away.". Lewis has also been accusedboth formally and informallyof numerous other breaches of the law and his ethical duty as a law enforcement officer. The report concluded Sheriff Lewis failed to educate himself on the TCOLE rules and laws and that he violated his contract. While deputies said documents in Thomass case were mostly reconstructed long after his disappearance, there is no indication they are inaccurate and all information was given to the attorney general. Klein added further details, claiming there were in fact two teenage boys who had been messing with Tom in the football stadium parking lot and that one of them had accidentally pulled the trigger. Or even that members of Tom's family knew far more about what had happened . Thomas' remains were found in January of 2019 off Lake Marvin Road outside of Canadian. Chris Jones: Hes the one who told me, he told me that I had to go play football for Canadian. He also could have confiscated Toms phone, which he could have later planted by the road just prior to Kleins search. Nathan Lewis now denies that this photo ever . Due to the poor quality of the recording, Holmes recapped what Jones said. Indeed, as the meeting began, Klein teased that he was ready to reveal everything. Chris was at work. Why? It was, in typical Klein fashion, an eye-popping taleand a curious one. CANADIAN - An investigative firm hired by the family of missing Canadian teen Thomas Brown believes that he may not have left on his own, according to a press release from the private . At the meeting, Toms family sat in the front row. If you have completed an application hard-copy, it will need to be turned in to the Human Resources Office of Jackson County at 10 S Oakdale, Room 200, Medford, Oregon, 97501. "OAGs Criminal Investigations Unit assisted in the investigation of Mr. Browns death and also assisted the Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit in reviewing all of the collected evidence. I asked her to read some of them. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Hes been interviewed how many times? Calls the district attorneys office about the status of Thomass case and if it will go a grand jury have so far not been returned. Posted by Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson on Monday, December 20, 2021 Jason Wert. She said that despite all the time thats passed since Tom vanished, Im definitely more paranoid wherever I go. But were gonna show you the manner of death tonight, that weand its not theory, folks. I also learned that a couple of hours before Tom disappeared on Thanksgiving eve, he did a Google search on his phone for suicide hotlines. Or we would discover new evidence, or we would discover there were more witnesses, there were other people we could talk to. BERKELEY COUNTY In a letter to WRNR TV10, Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon addressed a situation regarding a traffic accident that involved his daughter on Jan. 6 of this year. I dont know where it is. . Im sorry if youre angry with me, if youre angry with my crew. 541-774-6800. Theres been a lot of stories. He gave me a one-word answer: Penny. All this damn conjecture I get all the time. The next morning, his Durango was found on the outskirts of town, next to the water-treatment plant. Shes not. We dont go down to the Poke and Run and have coffee. What Chris is saying is that Lewis had told the teenager hed be killed if he didnt move to town and play for the Canadian Wildcats. Find agency contact information, phone numbers, addresses and more. Penny Meek: And so, I guess peoplepeople are always going to think what they want to think, in every circumstance. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Because he had a few minutes left before his curfew, he drove to the parking lot of the high school football stadium, where Canadian kids occasionally gathered. Here is what Clapp had to say when TCOLE investigators asked why Sheriff Lewis might fabricate the training records: "Because we've been through the Tom Brown mess on that deal he manufactured a supplement a year and a half after the fact, Clapp said. Thomass death certificate currently lists his cause of death as pending. The attorney general suspended the investigation pending any new, credible evidence. I think they were panicked, as they realized we were going to release some new information thats never been released about the Tom Brown case today, including a possible manner of death. Incredibly, the phone was in perfect condition. It could be five years from today. So you can go get indictments, which are very easy to get, but to not have the trial evidence, its unethical and it doesnt serve the victim. Read more from the Tom Browns Body Series: Chapter 3: Evil Has Come to Canadian, Texas. Sheriff's deputies arrested Nathan Lewis, Vale, after he crashed his Ford Ranger into the front yard of Roy and Judith Obermeier June 27. Todd Rowell (2021-Present) Sheriff Todd Rowell served 20 years with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office prior to being sworn in August 2021 to complete retired Sheriff Matt Lewis's remaining elected term. Read earlier chapters and learn more about the. Skip Hollandsworth: So up in Canadian, as we speak, right now, half that town thinks he was murdered. The Unit's first case was to assist the Hemphill County Sheriff's Office in the case of Thomas Brown of Canadian. Rachel Kading: I mean, I cant say with one hundred percent certainty that there would be indictments, but it was the feeling of myself, other members of the investigative team, and the district attorneys office that there would be multiple indictments. In February 2017, three months after Tom had vanished, his backpack was found sitting upright off Lake Marvin Road, a few miles north of town. Deputies went to the Golden Springs area around 6 p.m. and found . Klein said someone who was there (he wouldnt identify that person either) had sneaked up behind Tom, who was sitting inside his Durango with the window down. This week, there may be some explanation. It is the longstanding practice of the 31st Judicial District Attorney to not present suspicious deaths to a Grand Jury if evidence shows the death was the result of a suicide.". Its our fault people dont want to come here. Panhandle region of The State of Texas. 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