In September 2018, 59-year-old Brenda Brown, a female resident of St. Louis County, Missouri, was found shot to death in the home she shared with her sister. The discovery of her body initiated a search for her sister, Sylvia Brown, who was initially reported as a missing and possibly endangered person. However, this concern soon shifted as investigators made contact with Sylvia and she became the primary suspect in her sister's death.
Authorities later revealed that Sylvia Brown had
been grappling with financial debt and had allegedly been planning her sister's murder to prevent her from discovering the extent of her financial troubles. Sylvia, who was 57 at the time of the incident, was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of her sister, Brenda. She was held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
In January 2021, the case reached its legal conclusion. Sylvia Brown, then 60, entered into a plea agreement with the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. She pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder and to armed criminal action. During the hearing, which was held via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several family members spoke about the lifelong friendship between the two sisters. Sylvia Brown also expressed her remorse, stating, 'I am sorry to cause so much pain. I love my sister.'
As a result of the plea deal, Sylvia Brown was sentenced to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder and a concurrent three-year sentence for armed criminal action. The judge presiding over the case acknowledged the emotional toll on the family and spoke about a photograph of the sisters when they were young, honoring the memory of Brenda and what he described as the humanity of Sylvia.
