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Thomas Bragg, from Thomastown, Georgia, was bludgeoned to death in his home, and authorities alleged that his wife, Mary Ann, was behind the murder. While there was little to support the allegations initially, a few significant revelations confirmed their theory. About six years later, she was found guilty in connection to the brutal murder.
On Thursday, ID's Black Widows: Kiss, Marry, Kill will recount the events that led to the death of Thomas Bragg orchestrated by his then-wife Mary Ann. Ann allegedly grew sick of playing a nursemaid for the injured carpenter and wished to claim the life insurance money under his name. The episode, titled Broken Vows, will air on October 13, 2022, at 9 pm ET. The synopsis reads:
"Thomas Bragg is a good ol' country boy. So, when his family discovers him brutally murdered in his home, they can't imagine why someone would target him. As investigators get involved, they discover he may be the victim of a Black Widow."
Mary Ann tried her best to get away with the murder. She allegedly got rid of all evidence, including the murder weapon and her blood-stained clothes. However, her past caught up with her, and authorities received a tip from someone close to the family that changed the course of the case.
Thomas Bragg's wife, Mary Ann, claimed she was visiting a psychiatrist at the time of the murder
Mary Ann claimed she was visiting a psychiatrist in LaGrange, Georgia, and only heard of her husband's death when authorities informed her. Reports state that she "almost collapsed" after arriving at the crime scene. She further informed authorities that her husband, Thomas Bragg, was alive when she left home that morning. At the time, she had a solid alibi.
Despite this, her demeanor raised red flags for the case detectives. Her clothing was also investigated to see if there were any signs of blood in them, but the test results were clean. So, despite their doubts, they could not discover any concrete evidence against her.
As the days progressed and Bragg's case remained unsolved, his family grew increasingly impatient. At this point, they contacted Phil Jordan, who is said to have assisted law enforcement in solving several crimes.
The turning point in solving Thomas Bragg's murder case was Mary Ann's trip to the psychiatrist
Investigators finally made progress after interrogating one of her friends, who informed them that Mary Ann had admitted to murdering her husband at least twice. This reportedly led to another finding when Mary Ann's psychiatrist noted in her records that on the day of the murder, when she arrived for her appointment, she claimed to be highly distressed since her husband had tragically died.
Reportedly, Mary Ann wasn't informed of Thomas' death while at the psychiatrist's. A key element in solidifying charges against her was that she was aware of his death before the police. Her alibi, Debra Clay, shared some incriminating details about their trip to LaGrange. Authorities revealed that,
"Deborah Clay tells us eventually that Mary Ann gave her some drugs. She took those drugs, they made her very sleepy and very weary and she slept most of the ride to LaGrange."
Clay claimed that in one instance, Mary Ann tossed a plastic bag into the waters from over a bridge and again stopped at another location and dropped a sizable garbage bag into a dumpster at Hardee's. Authorities suspected that it was blood-splattered clothes and the murder weapon. They also received a tip from her former son-in-law, who reportedly claimed that,
"Several years prior, Mary Ann had asked him to get rid of James Wright. He believed that Mary Ann might be up to her old tricks and was trying to eliminate her husband."
Thomas Bragg's wife, Mary Ann, was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
