Murder of Jack Brown - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

UMfan77 · 05-27-2009, 02:22 PM

The murder of Jack Brown hasn't been discussed on this board, so I thought I'd bring it up. Jack Brown was a real estate agent from Ypsilanti, Michigan. On Jan. 11, 1984, an unknown person came into his office and shot him dead, but none of the other people in the office were injured. Everyone was mystified as to why this happened, but Jack's wife said that shortly before his murder, he had mentioned writing down on a piece of paper names of important powerful people that were doing illegal activity, and putting this piece of paper in a safe deposit box. She never found out what or who these people were, but the police think that these people were involved with Jack's murder. Jack's wife went searching for a key that would belong to a safe deposit box but found nothing. Also, the night before Jack Brown was murdered, his brother witnessed Jack becoming upset after talking on phone with an unknown person.

Does anyone know if this case was ever solved? I doubt there is anything on the internet about it because it happened so long ago, 25 years to be exact. I wonder if his family is still pursuing this case.

justins5256 · 05-27-2009, 02:37 PM

I remember this case. For some reason, it doesn't come up much as a topic of discussion. My gut feeling always was and still is that his murder was obviously a contract hit. He was probably involved in some shady activities that his family was not privy to and had no knowledge of. The segment was pretty vague in that regard, so it's hard to guess what those activities may have been.

TracyLynnS · 05-27-2009, 03:24 PM

Yep, lots of unanswered questions with this one.

Even if the wife was unable to find a key to a safe deposit box to get the names supposedly stashed there, the cops would be able to find out what bank he held the box at and have it searched.

And, if the cops didn't do that, a bill would eventually come for the box rental. It would probably be sent to the business, if he was keeping the safe deposit box a secret from his wife. Or, it would be debited from a bank account, which could also be tracked down, if he had been keeping a secret bank account.

MegtheEgg86 · 05-30-2009, 03:40 PM

I'm of the opinion that Jack Brown was probably in some dirty dealing with whomever stormed in the office and shot him as well (or was at least associated with the party they worked for). If the segment is true to reality, it makes a lot of sense. It would've been more likely that Brown uttered "We have trouble here" when he saw men he absolutely knew were dangerous barge into his office, rather than a couple of unknown strangers. (Those composites were a little scary, btw--especially the one of the older suspect.)

In a way, I think it's a little like the Stanley Gryziec case. There's no obvious motive for the murder, but there's evidence to suggest something was going on (the deposit box "thing" in Brown's case and the conversation between Stanley and his dying brother in Gryziec's), both appear connected to business dealings, and both seem to involve "hit" teams--suggesting of course that they're professional.

I really wish there was more information available on this case. I always found it intriguing. I really enjoy the discussion on these older, more obscure segments.

UMfan77 · 05-30-2009, 09:33 PM

MegtheEgg, your theory is right on and I also believe that's what exactly happened. I also like bringing up and discussing cases that don't get enough attention. UM made so many segments over the years so there are always cases to discuss.

MissFit29 · 05-30-2009, 09:42 PM

Didn't the gunman say to Brown "You think you're pretty smart" and Brown said "Well, maybe" just before the shots were fired? What did that mean?

MegtheEgg86 · 05-31-2009, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissFit29

Didn't the gunman say to Brown "You think you're pretty smart" and Brown said "Well, maybe" just before the shots were fired? What did that mean?

This is really, really speculating, but, assuming Brown was involved in shady business, that exchange makes sense in a number of contexts:

1. Brown was about to turn his associates in to the authorities and they caught wind of his intentions,

2. Brown had attempted to cheat or otherwise dupe one or more of his partners,

3. Brown had broken some preestablished operating "rule" of his criminal group (much in the vein of the mafia) and was being avenged for his deed,

or, as Carrhotic would say, any one of a number of different things.

That's what so tough about this segment--so many vague aspects and unanswered questions.

MegtheEgg86 · 05-31-2009, 03:01 AM

Does anyone know if this is another one of those "no photo" segments-- in which no pictures are shown of the victim whatsoever? I can't immediately recall Jack Brown in my mind.

justins5256 · 05-31-2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Does anyone know if this is another one of those "no photo" segments-- in which no pictures are shown of the victim whatsoever? I can't immediately recall Jack Brown in my mind.

I think I remember a picture. Will have to go back and check though.

TracyLynnS · 05-31-2009, 11:43 AM

Here's the page at the UM site:

http://www.unsolved.com/ajaxfiles/mur_jack_brown.htm

MegtheEgg86 · 06-01-2009, 05:43 PM

Oh, yes. Remember it now. Thanks justin and Tracy. Does he kind of favor a young Elton John in that photo, or is it just me?

A little OT, but why does it seem a substantial number of suspects profiled on the show apparently resemble that particular Identi-Kit combination (give or take a couple of features) when one is used?

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Also, is the composite of "Carol's" assailant also an Identi-Kit picture? And if so, is this also one of "those" composites, simply a color version?

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That mouth reminds me a little bit of the one on the CRVSK composite, the one created using Jane Boroski's description. Anyone know if that one was also an Identi-Kit composite?

EDIT: That should be Identi-Kit as opposed to some other program such as FACES or CompuSketch. What's the top name in that business nowadays, anyway?

TracyLynnS · 06-01-2009, 06:58 PM

I just thought I'd throw out there that UM calls Ypsilanti a suburb of Detroit, but in reality, it's more like a suburb/extension of Ann Arbor.

I was about 16/17 years old in 1984, so I don't remember much about the demographics of Ypsi back then, but nowadays, it's a good, medium sized town, small city of about 20,000+ residents, (same amount of residents as in the 80s, according to citi-data).

IMO, I'd have to say that when Jack Brown's murder was investigated, chances are that it was done fairly well, since this wasn't a little podunk town that wasn't used to crime.

It's not now, and hasn't been in my lifetime, a well off city. It's blue collar, working class, for the most part, and 25% of the residents live below the poverty level.

Also according to city-data, over the last 10 years, the murder rate is about 1 - 5 per year. However other crimes make it a fairly high crime area. The national average for crime is 320.9 on the city-data scale. Ypsi ranks much higher at nearly 700, with burglaries, robberies, thefts, and assaults making up the bulk of the crimes.

Here are some photos of the city along with much more info on the city than I condensed here in this post.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Ypsilanti-Michigan.html

MegtheEgg86 · 06-01-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyLynnS

I just thought I'd throw out there that UM calls Ypsilanti a suburb of Detroit, but in reality, it's more like a suburb/extension of Ann Arbor.

I was wondering why that was when I watched the segment again recently. My husband is working in Northwest Ohio and we've driven to Detroit (I'm a big Wings fan

) and Ann Arbor a few times--Ypsilanti is definitely a suburb of Ann Arbor. Thanks for the additional info!

TracyLynnS · 06-01-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

I was wondering why that was when I watched the segment again recently. My husband is working in Northwest Ohio and we've driven to Detroit (I'm a big Wings fan

) and Ann Arbor a few times--Ypsilanti is definitely a suburb of Ann Arbor. Thanks for the additional info!

Holy cow! A wings fan in TN!

Well, I'm sure you know what my house has been like with the wings in the playoffs. Lots of loud screaming, stomping, and cheering, people over till all hours, and everyone's schedule arranged around the game time.

I was at a wings game back in january. They were playing against the dallas stars and lost shamefully. It's the first and last time I went to a wings game in person. I'm a jinx on the players, so I'm not allowed to go anymore! lol

DH and DS have been to one of the playoff games, but we've watched all the rest from home. DH even has his weird little rituals that he has to do to ensure a wings victory.

So far, every time he does the superstitious stuff, the wings win. Whenever they lose a game, you'll know that DH didn't set his boots just right by the TV or that the pre-game goalie warm up between our dogs jumping in mid-air to catch treats (fat dog is Osgood, skinny dog is the opposing goalie) was neglected that day.

Clockworkhigh · 06-01-2009, 10:25 PM

Yeah a weird case for sure. That was a contract hit, no doubt. Jack Brown knew something. Or he was involved in something. That's about as far as I can go with this. Even his wife questioned in the segment that "maybe he did something I don't want to know about" so you never know, Brown could have gotten mixed up with the wrong people.

05-27-2009, 02:22 PM	#1
UMfan77 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 1,064	Murder of Jack Brown The murder of Jack Brown hasn't been discussed on this board, so I thought I'd bring it up. Jack Brown was a real estate agent from Ypsilanti, Michigan. On Jan. 11, 1984, an unknown person came into his office and shot him dead, but none of the other people in the office were injured. Everyone was mystified as to why this happened, but Jack's wife said that shortly before his murder, he had mentioned writing down on a piece of paper names of important powerful people that were doing illegal activity, and putting this piece of paper in a safe deposit box. She never found out what or who these people were, but the police think that these people were involved with Jack's murder. Jack's wife went searching for a key that would belong to a safe deposit box but found nothing. Also, the night before Jack Brown was murdered, his brother witnessed Jack becoming upset after talking on phone with an unknown person. Does anyone know if this case was ever solved? I doubt there is anything on the internet about it because it happened so long ago, 25 years to be exact. I wonder if his family is still pursuing this case.

05-30-2009, 03:40 PM	#4
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	I'm of the opinion that Jack Brown was probably in some dirty dealing with whomever stormed in the office and shot him as well (or was at least associated with the party they worked for). If the segment is true to reality, it makes a lot of sense. It would've been more likely that Brown uttered "We have trouble here" when he saw men he absolutely knew were dangerous barge into his office, rather than a couple of unknown strangers. (Those composites were a little scary, btw--especially the one of the older suspect.) In a way, I think it's a little like the Stanley Gryziec case. There's no obvious motive for the murder, but there's evidence to suggest something was going on (the deposit box "thing" in Brown's case and the conversation between Stanley and his dying brother in Gryziec's), both appear connected to business dealings, and both seem to involve "hit" teams--suggesting of course that they're professional. I really wish there was more information available on this case. I always found it intriguing. I really enjoy the discussion on these older, more obscure segments.
	__________________ "Why is she lying?, it makes me wonder. What is she hiding?, it makes me wonder." Go Vols!

06-01-2009, 05:43 PM	#11
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	Oh, yes. Remember it now. Thanks justin and Tracy. Does he kind of favor a young Elton John in that photo, or is it just me? A little OT, but why does it seem a substantial number of suspects profiled on the show apparently resemble that particular Identi-Kit combination (give or take a couple of features) when one is used? Also, is the composite of "Carol's" assailant also an Identi-Kit picture? And if so, is this also one of "those" composites, simply a color version? That mouth reminds me a little bit of the one on the CRVSK composite, the one created using Jane Boroski's description. Anyone know if that one was also an Identi-Kit composite? EDIT: That should be Identi-Kit as opposed to some other program such as FACES or CompuSketch. What's the top name in that business nowadays, anyway?

05-27-2009, 02:37 PM	#2
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	I remember this case. For some reason, it doesn't come up much as a topic of discussion. My gut feeling always was and still is that his murder was obviously a contract hit. He was probably involved in some shady activities that his family was not privy to and had no knowledge of. The segment was pretty vague in that regard, so it's hard to guess what those activities may have been.

05-27-2009, 03:24 PM	#3
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	Yep, lots of unanswered questions with this one. Even if the wife was unable to find a key to a safe deposit box to get the names supposedly stashed there, the cops would be able to find out what bank he held the box at and have it searched. And, if the cops didn't do that, a bill would eventually come for the box rental. It would probably be sent to the business, if he was keeping the safe deposit box a secret from his wife. Or, it would be debited from a bank account, which could also be tracked down, if he had been keeping a secret bank account.

05-30-2009, 09:33 PM	#5
UMfan77 Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 1,064	MegtheEgg, your theory is right on and I also believe that's what exactly happened. I also like bringing up and discussing cases that don't get enough attention. UM made so many segments over the years so there are always cases to discuss.

05-30-2009, 09:42 PM	#6
MissFit29 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 09, 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 526	Didn't the gunman say to Brown "You think you're pretty smart" and Brown said "Well, maybe" just before the shots were fired? What did that mean?

05-31-2009, 03:01 AM	#8
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	Does anyone know if this is another one of those "no photo" segments-- in which no pictures are shown of the victim whatsoever? I can't immediately recall Jack Brown in my mind.

05-31-2009, 11:43 AM	#10
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	Here's the page at the UM site: http://www.unsolved.com/ajaxfiles/mur_jack_brown.htm

06-01-2009, 06:58 PM	#12
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	I just thought I'd throw out there that UM calls Ypsilanti a suburb of Detroit, but in reality, it's more like a suburb/extension of Ann Arbor. I was about 16/17 years old in 1984, so I don't remember much about the demographics of Ypsi back then, but nowadays, it's a good, medium sized town, small city of about 20,000+ residents, (same amount of residents as in the 80s, according to citi-data). IMO, I'd have to say that when Jack Brown's murder was investigated, chances are that it was done fairly well, since this wasn't a little podunk town that wasn't used to crime. It's not now, and hasn't been in my lifetime, a well off city. It's blue collar, working class, for the most part, and 25% of the residents live below the poverty level. Also according to city-data, over the last 10 years, the murder rate is about 1 - 5 per year. However other crimes make it a fairly high crime area. The national average for crime is 320.9 on the city-data scale. Ypsi ranks much higher at nearly 700, with burglaries, robberies, thefts, and assaults making up the bulk of the crimes. Here are some photos of the city along with much more info on the city than I condensed here in this post. http://www.city-data.com/city/Ypsilanti-Michigan.html

06-01-2009, 10:25 PM	#15
Clockworkhigh Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 29, 2009 Posts: 604	Yeah a weird case for sure. That was a contract hit, no doubt. Jack Brown knew something. Or he was involved in something. That's about as far as I can go with this. Even his wife questioned in the segment that "maybe he did something I don't want to know about" so you never know, Brown could have gotten mixed up with the wrong people.