Earl Thierry Roy Brown, a 42-year-old man of French ethnicity, was tragically shot and killed on March 24, 2006, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was born on March 26, 1963, in Saint-Jean-d'Angely, France, and later moved to the United States, where he graduated from Campbell University and worked for the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Earl was also a member of the Mid-Way Baptist Church in Raleigh.
On the day of his death, Earl was meeting his ex-wife, Camellia Boyd Norton Brown,
at Pullen Park to exchange custody of their two children. Camellia, who was 47 years old at the time, shot Earl once with a .22-caliber revolver in front of their children, who were in the car eating pizza. Earl was taken to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
Camellia Brown was arrested at the scene and later charged with first-degree murder. However, her trial was delayed for years after a judge ruled that she was incompetent to stand trial and ordered her to undergo treatment at a state mental hospital. In 2013, Camellia pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison. She was given credit for time served and was expected to serve at least nine more years before being eligible for parole.
The case was marked by a contentious custody battle between Earl and Camellia, with Camellia falsely claiming that Earl was abusing their children. Despite these allegations, a judge ruled in Earl's favor, granting him full custody of the children and ordering Camellia to have no contact with them. The family agreed to the plea deal to avoid subjecting the children to the trauma of testifying in court.
Earl Thierry Roy Brown's death was a tragic and heartbreaking event that left his family and community in mourning. His legacy lives on through his children and the memories of those who knew him.
