Brandon Bernard’s Bagley murders accomplice who got out in Jan wept with mother as 40-year-old was executed
Brandon Bernard who was executed this week for his part in the brutal killings of Todd and Stacie Bagley was mourned by Terry Brown, his childhood best friend, and also his accomplice in the brutal murders. Brown was released from prison in January 2020 after serving 20 years behind bars for second-degree murder. The 39-year-old was reported to be with his mother Alice, at her home in Killeen, Texas, very close to where the double-murder of the Iowa couple took place. This was the time the mother-son duo heard that Brandon's execution was ordered and he was being put to death by lethal injection.
The Sun reported that Brown's mother Alice said, "We embraced and hugged, we wept, we held each other close. I’m grateful for his life and I pray for the families of the victims.” Following her son's arrest some two decades ago, Alice has been warning the youth about becoming involved in violent crime. She also said that her son regrets the killings "every day" and that the Bagleys are "always in his thoughts."
Brown and Bernard were childhood friends before the Bagleys, a young Christian couple was forced into the trunk of their car at gunpoint. A group of five young men had approached Todd Bagley on the pretext of hitching a ride to their uncle's home. Eventually, the men drove to a remote area on the Fort Hood Military base where Christopher Vialva, 19, shot both Todd and Stacie in the head while Bernard set fire to the vehicle, according to court documents. The charred remains of the couple were found side by side in the trunk of the car. Vialva was executed in September this year.
Brown was just 17 when he confessed to being part of the kidnapping gang. His testimony during the trial that began in 2000 helped the prosecutors to secure a death sentence for Brandon and Vialva. He moved back to Killeen after being released from custody earlier this year and Alice said that he now harbors hope of building a family one day and leading a "normal life." Alice is also a close friend to Brandon's mother Thelma. Speaking about Brown and Brandon, she said, "Terry and Brandon were childhood friends, dear friends. Brandon was a good kid. He never did anything bad, he was a playful spirit."
"His mom was a lieutenant colonel I believe, in the Army. She was a woman of God. Brandon was not there when the couple were kidnapped. He was not a killer. This was not gang-related. He should not have been executed," she said. She also thanked Kim Kardashian for advocating a stay on Brandon's death sentence. “He should have got life in prison and we’re grateful for Kim Kardashian and the others trying to make that happen. Even though that failed, we hope it helps other families in the same situation in the future. And we always remember the families of the couple, too. Terry regrets what happened to them every single day.”