'Dateline NBC’: Where is Curtis Don Brown now? Texas’s most wanted man murdered 18 women in two years

Curtis Don Brown, one of Texas's most notorious serial killers, terrorized the Fort Worth and Arlington areas in the mid-1980s
UPDATED JUN 17, 2024
Curtis Don Brown faced life imprisonment (@murderpedia)
Curtis Don Brown faced life imprisonment (@murderpedia)

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Curtis Don Brown died three years ago, due to reasons unknown. He was around 62 years old at the time of passing away and was imprisoned for the brutal crimes that he had committed throughout his life. Initially convicted in 1987 for the murder of Jewel Woods, Brown received a life imprisonment sentence. In 2009, DNA evidence linked him to the murders of Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back, leading to two additional life sentences.

Curtis Don Brown, one of Texas's most notorious serial killers, terrorized the Fort Worth and Arlington areas in the mid-1980s. Brown's heinous crimes included the rapes and murders of at least three women, with strong suspicions that he was responsible for up to 18 more deaths.

Among his victims were Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back, both brutally assaulted and killed in 1985. His reign of terror finally came to an end in 1987 when he was convicted for the murder of Jewel Woods. Over two decades later, advancements in DNA technology linked him to the additional murders of Gregory and Kills Back, leading to further convictions. Brown's capture and subsequent convictions revealed the chilling extent of his crimes, cementing his place as one of Texas's most wanted and reviled killers, which will be now revealed in detail in the upcoming 'Dateline NBC' episode. 

Who is Curtis Don Brown? 

Curtis Don Brown is an American serial killer and rapist who terrorized the areas around Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas, in the mid-1980s. Born on August 2, 1958, Brown had a troubled childhood, including surviving a house fire at age 13 that killed his two younger siblings and injured his mother. This traumatic event marked the beginning of his disturbing behavior.

Curtis Don Brown experienced a devastating event in his childhood that likely had a profound impact on him. When he was 13 years old, a fire broke out in his family home. The fire tragically claimed the lives of his two younger siblings and caused injuries to his mother. Curtis narrowly escaped the blaze himself.

This traumatic incident left a deep mark on Curtis. After the fire, he began to exhibit troubling and concerning behavior. The loss of his siblings and the traumatic experience of the fire significantly affected his early life and may have contributed to the disturbing actions he later took as an adult.

Curtis was convicted almost after 20 years of the texas double murder (@murderpedia)
Curtis was convicted almost after 20 years of the Texas double murder (@murderpedia)


How did Curtis Brown kill Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back?

Curtis Don Brown brutally murdered Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back in 1985. On May 29, Terece Gregory was last seen leaving a nightclub in downtown Fort Worth. Brown kidnapped her, raped her, and shot her in the face. According to police reports, Terece’s body was of a white female approx 28 years in age wearing a blue print skirt, a black blouse with thin spaghetti straps under a blue print jacket. There appeared to be a single-entry wound made by a bullet. 

Similarly, Sharyn Kills Back went missing on March 15 while walking to a friend's house in Arlington, Texas. Brown abducted, raped, and strangled her. Eight days later, on March 23, her body was found in a storm drain in Southern Arlington with a rope tied around her neck, indicating strangulation. In 2005, DNA evidence linked Brown to both murders. Already serving a life sentence for another murder, he was convicted in 2009 for the killings of Gregory and Kills Back, receiving additional life sentences, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Terece Gregory was also killed by Curtis Don Brown (@nbc)
One of the victims who was killed by Curtis Don Brown (@nbc)


How did the police find Curtis Don Brown guilty? 

The police found Curtis Don Brown guilty through DNA evidence. In 2005, as part of a new prison requirement, Brown had to provide a DNA sample. This sample was entered into a crime lab database and matched with DNA evidence from two unsolved murder cases from 1985. The victims were Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back.

Gregory had been raped and shot, while Kills Back had been raped and strangled. The DNA found on both victims matched Brown's profile. This critical evidence linked him directly to the crimes. Already serving a life sentence for a separate murder, Brown was charged and later convicted for the murders of Gregory and Kills Back in 2009, receiving additional life sentences without the possibility of parole. This conviction was based on the solid forensic evidence provided by the DNA matches.

 Sharyn Kills Back was killed in Texas (@NBC)
One of the victims who was murdered by Curtis Don Brown (@nbc)

What sentence was announced to Curtis Don Brown? 

Curtis Don Brown was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes. Initially, he was convicted in 1987 for the murder of Jewel Woods, a nurse he had raped and bludgeoned to death. He received a life sentence for this crime.

In 2009, based on DNA evidence, Brown was also convicted of the murders of Terece Gregory and Sharyn Kills Back, who were both raped and killed in 1985. To avoid the death penalty, Brown entered a plea deal, admitting to these additional murders. As a result, he was given two more life sentences, to be served consecutively with his previous sentence.

Curtis Don Brown killed atleast 18 women in Texas (@murderpedia)
Curtis Don Brown killed at least 18 women in Texas (@murderpedia)
RELATED TOPICS DATELINE NBC (1992)

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