Tulsa Homicide detective John Brown passed away on Sunday, August 3—leaving The First 48 with a void it will never be able to fill, and leaving the world a lesser place without him.

Detective Brown had been a staple on the A&E series ever since the very first Tulsa episode in 2015. Audiences saw him front and center in several installments, most notably the crushing Season 17 episode “Mother of Two” and Season 21’s head-scratching “The Standoff.” While everyone in Tulsa Homicide is cool under pressure, Brown was particularly calm even in the face of particularly tragic cases. He didn’t hesitate to call things exactly as he saw them—but he had a way of doing so that put everyone at ease, whether it was the person he was in the interview room with, or the audience watching at home.

Brown may have been one of the most experienced officers in homicide, yet he never lost his enthusiasm for the work. It was almost more impactful to watch him in the First 48 episodes that he wasn’t the lead detective in. He was an incredible support for everyone else in Tulsa Homicide, whether it was pitching in at a crime scene or offering his opinion back in the squad room. Longtime fans will remember that in Sergeant Dave Walker’s last episode, Season 21’s “The Invader,” Walker specifically recognized Brown as “somebody that’s been with me longer than my wife.” John Brown was a foundational part of Tulsa Homicide, not just in closing cases but in helping to make the whole unit successful.

But John Brown’s impact goes, obviously, far deeper and much wider than one TV show. It begins with his loved ones, his colleagues in Tulsa Homicide and the greater city of Tulsa. As fans watching at home, seeing the unit’s lineup change over the years, we always expected Detective Brown to be there as a familiar and comforting face. His partnership with Nathan Schilling, in particular, was a source of joy. That feeling must be even more true for those who got to know him, or who were affected by the work he did. The First 48 reminds viewers that there are heroes out in the world, and Detective John Brown was unquestionably one of them. He brought warmth into a very dark place, and made everyone around him better.

I was fortunate to meet Detective Brown once, when I had the honor of visiting the Tulsa Homicide unit. The whole team was incredibly kind and welcoming to me, and I can’t say enough about how much their kindness and support meant and still does mean. But what I’ll also remember about that day was that I got to introduce my father to John Brown. My dad blurted out that Detective Brown was his favorite member of the homicide unit. And Detective Brown took the time to stop and talk to him, and gave my dad a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his life. I feel certain that he did that for many others. Whether it’s those of us who’ve had the pleasure of watching him work on a TV screen, or those whom he actually got justice and closure for, he touched many lives in a positive way. And neither The First 48, nor the city of Tulsa, will be the same without him.

The First 48 airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on A&E. Previous episodes stream on the A&E app, as well as most major streaming services, including Hulu, Peacock, Pluto TV and Roku. Photo Credit: Screenshot/Courtesy of A&E.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.