A 43-year-old man who had been accused of abusing, harassing and pointing a gun at his ex-wife fatally shot her, her new husband and their roommate on Sunday before killing himself, police say. Darwin Brazier shot himself as police closed in on him after the triple homicide in Ardmore, Alabama, Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said.
About five hours after the shooting, Brazier was found dead of a self-inflicted near his home on Cook Road in Madison County, the sheriff’s office said on Twitter.
“Three bodies were found this afternoon at a residence in the 27000 block of Pinedale Road,” the sheriff’s office said about 4 p.m. “All three victims are deceased of apparent gunshot wounds.”
Darwin Brazier’s ex-wife has been identified as Debra Hartley Rivera. Her husband, Radex Rivera, 41, was also killed, along with their roommate, Timothy Hayward-Boger, police said. Authorities said they were targeted by Brazier.
“This was an unnecessary and unfortunate escalation of what appears to be a long-term history of domestic violence,” Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely said in a statemnt. “Domestic violence doesn’t distinguish between communities; it can happen anywhere. It’s important that people are vigilant in reporting instances of domestic violence that they witness, and that victims report domestic abuse as well. We always remain hopeful that vigilance in these circumstances can prevent escalation to the point of senseless tragedies like this.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Brazier Was the Father of 2 Young Daughters & His Ex-Wife Had Filed for a Protective Order Against Him, but It Was Denied
Darwin Brazier with his daughters.
Darwin Brazier was the father of two young daughters, ages 11 and 5, according to his Facebook page, which features several photos of them with him. The children were not harmed.
Brazier and his ex-wife had been involved in a bad marriage, a contentious divorce and a custody battle, the sheriff’s office said Sunday night, according to the Limestone County News Courier. She had recently remarried and that angered Brazier, his ex-wife said in court records.
Darwin Brazier.
On his Facebook page, Brazier said he lived in Ardmore, Alabama, where the shootings occurred. He wrote in his intro section of the profile, “believe everything you have heard.”
His Facebook page also shows he had recently joined a group called Parental Alienation Solutions Organization Worldwide. According to WAAY-TV, Brazier’s ex-wife, Debra Rivera , filed for divorce in 2003 and it was contested by Brazier. His ex-wife twice applied for orders of protection against him, first in 2005 and then again in April 2017, alleging abuse, WAAY reports. In February 2017, Brazier petitioned for custody of his two daughters.
Rivera again sought a protective order against Brazier in March 2018, the Decatur Daily first reported. You can see the filing, obtained by Heavy, below:
Alabama CourtsThe petition for a protective order.
According to the request for a protective order, Rivera wrote that on March 1, 2018, Brazier came to her house to pick up their kids, when their custody papers required the exchange to happen at a police department. On February 17, 2018, he called the police to do a welfare check at her house because their daughter hadn’t texted him back. He also called for a welfare check earlier that month when she didn’t answer her phone.
Rivera also wrote, “He calls my husband threatening to hurt both of us. He calls our phones using IP phone numbers to see what we are doing, drives by my house all hours of the day to check where I am, follows me to the store. He won’t stop trying to see where I am. He is upset I am now married and don’t want to be with him. He has been physical with me in the past (and) pulled a gun on me.”
She added that when he had their children, he took them out and drove around Ardmore, claiming he would find her at a bar. “He drives by my house daily, even with my kids in the car when he has visitation,” she wrote. “He shows my daughter pictures of my car parked at businesses.”
She also said he stopped paying child support earlier in 2018 and texted her saying he would force her to sell her house. When she asked him to only text her about their children, he wouldn’t stop, Rivera said. “He won’t stop texting, calling me names and calling my husband names. Custody papers state the following: no stalking and harassing, but he still does it.”
Rivera said she had to change her phone number and get a pre-paid phone for him to contact her on. She wrote, “All of this activity has been going on for a year, but has become worse since I was given custody of (the) kids. I know he has anger towards me and in the past has caused physical pain to me. He constantly talks ill of me to (my) kids and has made it to where my oldest daughter needs counseling. My oldest daughter fears he will hurt me and so do I.”
Limestone County Circuit Judge Chad Wise denied that petition on April 10, 2018. He had previously denied the ex-wife’s petition for a protective order in 2017, according to the Decatur Daily. Court records do not show why Wise denied the requests.
In 1994, Brazier was charged with harassment, but the charge was dismissed by a judge, WAAY reports.
2. Brazier’s Truck Was Found First & a SWAT Team Then Found His Body
Darwin Brazier was believed to be driving a red-over-silver 1997 Ford F-250 pickup truck, the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter. The truck was later found on Macedonia Road in Madison County, but Brazier was not located and was “still at large,” the sheriff’s office said about 5 p.m. Sunday.
Shortly after that update, police began searching an area near Brazier’s home, Lieutenant Donny Shaw, the Madison County Public Information Officer, told AL.com. He said a SWAT team and K-9 unit were taking part in the search when they heard a shot.
“The SWAT team believed they were receiving gunfire,” Shaw told AL.com. But they then found Brazier dead of the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Considering the possible outcomes of what could’ve happened, and the way this developed and the time that went by, I’d certainly say it’s as successful of a resolution as you could expect,” Stephen Young, Public Information Officer at the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, told WHNT-TV.
3. Police Were Called to the Home About 3 p.m. After Neighbors Heard Gunshots
BREAKING: @LimestoneCoSO is looking for a red-over-silver 1997 Ford F-250 with a suspect Darwin Brazier. This is in connection to three bodies found in a home off the 27000 block of Pinedale Rd. @waff48 will have the latest with a live report at 5 pm with @Chris_D_Joseph
The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the 27000 block of Pinedale Road in Ardmore about 3 p.m. on Sunday, according to a statement posted to Twitter. Police said three people were found dead inside the home of apparent gunshot wounds, and one of the victims was Brazier’s ex-wife.
Police said Brazier was quickly identified as a suspect. Investigators found that he used a rifle during the attack. Mutiple spent shell casings from 7.62×39 rifle were found at the scene, the sheriff said. “Current evidence indicates Brazier fired multiple rounds from an SKS rifle with a high-capacity magazine,” police said in a press release.
“We heard the gunshots. It was real scary,” neighbor Jennifer Dingley told RocketCityNow.com. “It is scary. I am going to be a mom in a month, so it is real nerve racking that three people died right across from us.”
Another witness told the news site, “We were outside at my mom’s pool, and we heard a couple of gunshots. We live in the country so we didn’t think anything about it and then my brother and line came through and said they had crime scene work across from my house. We are new here. I watched this man do dirt work over here for the last two weeks that is scary to know that this has happened right across from my house. I have had this stuff happen around me back home, but never this close to home. It kind of makes you scared to stay at home… I mean I am a stay at home mom with two kids.”
4. He Had Worked as a Sales Manager at a Brake Repair Store & as a Cashier at a Fast Food Restaurant
FacebookDarwin Brazier.
Darwin Brazier said on his Facebook page that he worked as a cashier at a Hardee’s fast food restaurant in Harvest, Alabama, which is about 10 miles away from Ardmore. He said he had worked there since 1995. On Linkedin, Brazier said he had worked as a sales manager at Budget Brakes, a brake service and repair shop that is also near Ardmore.
Darwin Brazier.
Brazier was featured in a June 2012 story by WHNT-TV about a dispute with his neighbor on Pinedale Road in Ardmore over old tires that had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. He created a border to separate his property from the tire eyesore.
“This stuff started encroaching on my property, so I dragged these telephone poles out here,” said Brazier during the 2012 interview. He said he was more concerned about his children’s health than his property values. “The number one thing is I have a small child who can’t even come outside to play without being eaten by mosquitoes every day.”
5. Brazier Was Considered to Be Armed & Dangerous, the Sheriff’s Office Said
Darwin Brazier.
Darwin Brazier was considered to be armed and dangerous, the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said. T
Shooting suspect Darwin Brazier, 43, is possibly armed and likely dangerous. Use caution and do not approach if you see him. Call LCSO at 256-232-0111.
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation should call the sheriff’s office at 256-232-0111. Police had warned to use caution and not approach Brazier if he was spotted and instead immediately call authorities. It is not clear if tips from the public helped lead police to Brazier.
