Current Update on Braylon Ellis and Cristina Rodriguez Ahead of Oxygen’s Snapped: Behind Bars

Braylon Ellis, a resident of Garland, Texas, along with his girlfriend Cristina Rodriguez, received life sentences in 2017 for the murder of Tommy Brown.

The upcoming episode of Snapped: Behind Bars Season 2, Episode 6—titled Cristina Rodriguez—will delve into this gruesome crime, featuring an exclusive interview with Cristina where she will recount her perspective on the events. Viewers can catch the episode on October 6, 2024, at 7 PM EST. The description states:

“Cristina Rodriguez reveals her ordeal of witnessing her boyfriend being beaten to death by her partner, along with the emotional impact of his testifying against her; a second convicted murderer shares his version of events with new insights.”

According to prison documentation, Cristina Rodriguez is serving her sentence at the T.D.C.J. Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, while Braylon Ellis is incarcerated in a prison in Abilene, Texas, also serving a life term.

The Murder of Tommy Brown in 2013

Oxygen True Crime reports that on September 5, 2013, Cristina confided in Braylon that she was expecting his child and claimed to him that Tommy Brown had been abusive towards her. This prompted the couple to devise a plan to murder Brown.

The pair gained entry into Brown’s home using a spare key. While Rodriguez pilfered jewelry and other valuables, Ellis lay in wait for Brown’s return. When Brown arrived, Ellis violently assaulted him with a toilet lid and subsequently suffocated him using a plastic bag.

On September 7, 2013, Tommy Brown’s sister, Andrea, discovered him brutally beaten and lifeless in his house. His hands had been bound, and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to blunt force trauma. Multiple items, such as his wallet, credit cards, and Toyota pickup truck, were also reported missing from his residence.

Tommy Brown’s Connection to Cristina Rodriguez

Tommy Brown, a Texas native, began a tumultuous relationship with Connie Moreno back in 2004. Despite their instability, the couple remained together for years. Brown met Rodriguez while still involved with Moreno. In 2013, when Brown and Moreno expressed a desire to start a family, they selected Cristina as a surrogate.

In the same year, Rodriguez informed Brown of her purported pregnancy. However, shortly after the news, Brown and Moreno separated again, and it was during this time that Brown was found dead, according to Oxygen True Crime.

Investigative Developments

Footprints were found at the scene (Image by Felipe Correia/Unsplash) — Footprints discovered at the crime scene (Image by Felipe Correia/Unsplash)

Initial investigations uncovered two footprints at the crime scene, indicating the involvement of two perpetrators. In the days that followed, additional leads emerged, particularly concerning Brown’s missing Toyota, which was located posthumously. This vehicle contained a bus ticket bearing Cristina’s name, along with various bloody items and a portion of the murder weapon.

Authorities also tracked down the victim’s missing phone, which led directly to the identification and arrest of the two murderers in 2010. After their capture, it came to light that Cristina had never been pregnant.

DNA evidence linked Ellis to the murder weapon, a toilet lid, solidifying his connection to the crime and culminating in his life sentence in 2017, although he was initially eligible for parole. Conversely, Rodriguez faced life imprisonment without the possibility of parole due to her murder charges.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Cristina Rodriguez’s account of this tragic event in the upcoming episode of Snapped: Behind Bars.

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