Former NFL player Sergio Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a dead body in connection to the death of his mother.
The 35-year-old was arrested in October after authorities claimed he killed his mother, Myrtle Brown, and hid her body near a creek behind their shared home in the Chicago suburb of Maywood.
Officers discovered the 73-year-old's body on Sept. 16 after family members told police they could not get in touch with the mother and son, who lived together.
Myrtle's body was taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, which said he had died from blunt force trauma and ruled her death a homicide based on assault-related injuries.
Brown was considered a missing person, but days after his mother's body was found, he began posting on Instagram from Mexico, including one apparently calling his mother's death "fake news."
Sergio Brown seemingly mocks disappearance after mom is found murdered
The former NFL player surfaced in a series of videos posted to an Instagram burner account as he is reported missing by police.
But authorities, who claimed Brown fled to Mexico after the alleged murder, issued an arrest warrant in connection to the killing.
In early October, Mexican authorities took the football player into custody and deported him to San Diego, where he was arrested and later extradited to Maywood to face the charges.
Brown is now being held without the opportunity for bail after a judge ruled he presented a "real and present threat" to the community. He is next due in court on Jan. 24, 2024.
After playing as a defensive back for the University of Notre Dame, Brown became part of various NFL teams between 2010 and 2016, including the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
