Source: Icon Sports Wire / Getty
Former NFL player Sergio Brown has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his mother, Myrtle Brown, in September.
The Maywood Police Department, based in Illinois, disclosed on Oct. 11 that the former New England Patriots player was apprehended in San Diego Oct. 10. The authorities noted that the footballer had been attempting to reenter the U.S. from Mexico.
The San Diego Police Department Threat Management Unit and local federal agencies were reportedly involved in Sergio’s apprehension.
During his six-year-long career in the NFL, Sergio played for the New England Patriots, the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills.
The initial investigation began in September when family members informed authorities that they had not seen or spoken with Myrtle or her son Sergio for several days. Authorities conducted a preliminary investigation and found the lifeless body of the 73-year-old matriarch in a creek behind her Chicago-area home–where she seemingly lived with Sergio. Medical examiners ruled her death a homicide.
According to a witness, the mother and son were seen together when family members grew concerned about Myrtle. Carlos Cortez, a neighbor of Myrtle’s, told CBS News Chicago that he saw the 73-year-old and Sergio together two days before the matriarch’s body was found in the creek. The neighbor also alleged that police watched Sergio burn his mother’s clothes via Ring security camera footage.
Sergio is currently awaiting his extradition back to Illinois in a San Diego-based jail, according to TMZ.
TMZ released self-recorded video footage of Sergio dancing and partying in Mexico shortly after his mother’s death. The video footage continues with Sergio making claims about being targeted. The 35-year-old EX-NFLY player is ranting about the FBI coming to his house on Bob Marley’s “death day,” being kidnapped, “fake news” and seemingly being targeted by the Maywood police and other authorities.
Despite what some may interpret as Sergio’s seeming disregard for the implications of this investigation, the penalties for murder are steep. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Illinois law states that the former NFL player could face imprisonment for 20 years to life. Additionally, on Oct. 12, NBC Chicago reported that the former NFL player was denied bail during his extradition hearing in a San Diago Courthouse.
Following the bail hearing, Sergio’s family issued a statement shared by their representative, Christian Conway. “Our family is thankful that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office answered our call for urgent and immediate action in the case of our beloved Myrtle Jean Simmons-Brown. We are also heartened by the news that Sergio Brown has been apprehended and returned to the United States unharmed. Our family is prayerful that, as the investigation progresses, more answers will become available, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking incident.”
The local authorities encourage the public to provide information that might help the case. Anyone with details that might help the investigation into Myrtle’s passing is asked to contact Sergeant Pezdek at (708)-368-4131 or the MPD Anonymous Tip Line at (708)-450-1787.
RELATED CONTENT: “Illinois Family Still Pressuring Law Enforcement For Answers Regarding Jelani Day’s Death 2 Years Later”
