The Brownwood Police Department arrested 50-year-old Randall Craig Philen and charged him with the murder of his brother 49-year-old Ronald Lee Philen, both of Brownwood.
Police responded to a call at 4:35 Friday morning in the 1600 block of 9th Street regarding a homicide. The initial caller, Randall Philen, stated that there had been a home invasion and that he had been tied up and his brother had been killed.
Officers responded and entered the residence finding that Ronald Philen was deceased inside the home.
The older brother was initially held by police on a possession of marijuana charge, but as the investigation progressed Randall Philen was charged with the murder on Friday afternoon. The suspect is being held on a $150,000 bond at the Brown County Jail.
Brownwood Police CID Sgt. Troy Carroll stated that, “It appears that the cause of death was a single 22-caliber gunshot wound to the chest.”
Carroll said that an autopsy is being performed to confirm the cause of death.
Police do not believe that this was a home invasion as earlier reported by the suspect. Philen has hired an attorney and is not changing the statement he gave police this morning.
