Sergio Brown pleads not guilty to killing his mother

On Wednesday former NFL wide receiver Sergio Brown pleaded not guilty to murder charges in his mother’s death.

His mother, Myrtle Brown, was last seen on September 14, at her home in Maywood, Illinois. Police found the 73-year-old woman dead behind her home.

Brown lived with his mother in her home. However, he had also disappeared after his mother’s death, which made family members worried. His brother, Nick Brown, took to Instagram, asking if anyone had seen Sergio and to help them bring him home.

Two days after she was last seen, a former neighbor found her body covered inside multiple sheets near the house, following reports of both of them missing.

Sergio Brown speaks out after death of his mother

After people began speculating that Brown was behind his mother’s murder, he posted a video and tagged ESPN, stating:

“Fake news. Fake news. Fake news. It has to be the FBI that came into my house on Bob Marley’s death day with the 511 haze and gas unwarranted. They kidnapped me twice from home – the Maywood Police Department. It had to be the FBI or the Maywood Police.”

“I thought my f****** mama was on vacation in Sinaloa. That’s f****** fake news. Get the f*** out of my fa she’s retired, and you want to come to me? The FBI had to do it. They have some power to do some s*** like that. What the f*** is going on? That’s fake news.”

Arrested on First-degree Murder Charges

Following his mother’s death, Brown was seen having a good time in Mexico. He purchased a one-way ticket to Cancun, a day after his mother was last seen. This prompted officials to put out a warrant for his arrest. While awaiting deportation, the suspect was charged with first-degree murder. Officials have been watching Brown for a while, since his sudden departure from his mother’s home.

Shortly after searching Brown’s home, police noticed that many of her personal belongings were missing. Items such as her iPad, cellular device, and credit cards were not found. Then, the suspect was captured on surveillance video burning many items in a makeshift fire pit.

On October 10, Brown was arrested and admitted to going to Mexico with his mother’s items. Prosecutors stated that Brown was using her credit cards in Mexico.

Investigators recognized similarities between DNA samples from beneath Myrtle Brown’s fingernails and a toothbrush in Sergio Brown’s bedroom. Nonetheless, this statement was refuted by Robert Fox, a public defender, as he claimed there were no witnesses.

“There’s no director evidence. It’s all circumstantial,” Fox said during a detention hearing for Brown in October.

According to CNN, Brown pleaded not guilty to all counts of the charges at Cook County Court. Brown’s death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. They stated she was injured during an assault and determined that she died from blunt-force trauma.

Brown’s next hearing is scheduled for January 24.