Timothy "Tim" Brown

I am Timothy Brown

Timothy “Tim” Brown, a Black & Native American Lowell native, is a wrongfully convicted loving father, son, and brother; a graduate of Tufts University; and a fierce, kind-hearted advocate. On October 25th, 2009, at just 20 years old, Tim was arrested and shortly thereafter given a consecutive double life without parole (LWOP) sentence for an alleged crime he is factually innocent of and was not even present to witness. He was also given 20 years to life for armed home invasion; 10 years for gun ammunition; as well as 10 years probation while incarcerated. Tim is a victim of Massachusetts’ “joint venture” theory, a legal principle that holds people responsible for allegedly helping someone else commit a crime, even if they are not present at the crime scene! In addition, false allegations were made against Tim by the actual perpetrators of the crimes in exchange for reduced sentences for themselves. The allegations claimed that he supplied “guns” and “hoodies” to the participants, however ALL circumstantial, scientific, and DNA evidence came back inconclusive to Timothy Brown at the time of the trial. The evidence Prosecutor Cara ____ used to get Tim convicted was the fabricated allegations of the actual perpetrators. Shortly after the trial, she received a promotion due to the conviction she was able to achieve in Tim’s case. 

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On September 20, 2017, on an appeal in Tim’s case Commonwealth v. Timothy Brown, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) of Massachusetts abolished the current Massachusetts doctrine of joint venture felony murder used to convict Tim and replaced it with a doctrine that requires the prosecution to prove actual malice. In the case, the Court vacated Tim’s first-degree murder sentence and he was resentenced to 15 years to Life for second-degree murder, making him eventually eligible for parole. However, eligibility for parole is contingent on an admission of guilt for second-degree murder, which Tim is not guilty of. Moreover, the felony-murder reform was aimed only at future cases, and would not even apply to the man in the case who made history– Timothy Brown! Despite renaming the reformed felony joint venture law “The Brown Rule,” he has been given no justice even though other wrongfully convicted people have used The Brown Rule to free themselves. Tim nor any of his family members had a criminal history or background prior to his arrest. He is currently being held at MCI-Concord which will be permanently closed in June 2024.

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Currently, Tim’s case has been taken under advisement by the SJC following an appeal on Tim’s 2017 appeal, which has never before been attempted successfully in Massachusetts. This means the SJC needs to review the facts and evidence in his case, both from the appeal in 2017 as well as from his initial trial in 2013. Therefore, he is in need of letters of support to Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell expressing concern with the handling of his case and the lack of justice. 

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Despite Tim’s wrongful incarceration, he has strived to remain connected to his family and focused on his personal development. He is a father of 2 sons, one of whom was only 2 years old at the time of his arrest. Tim’s son is special needs and has autism, and has suffered the absence of his father for over 15 years of his life. His now 17-year-old son is currently being raised by Tim’s mother. Tim is the oldest of 4 children himself, and his parents and siblings miss him deeply as they continue to fight alongside him for his freedom. While being at MCI-Concord, Tim graduated from the Tufts University Prison Initiative Program with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civics; he is a member of the first graduating class and now serves as a teaching assistant to assist other students. 

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Please contact us for a support letter template you can sign and send; stay updated on Tim’s case via the linked social media; and sign the linked Change.org petition to demand Massachusetts pass a bill that allows the 2017 changes to felony murder law to be applied retroactively so more wrongfully convicted men and women can free themselves!