Tiané Brown Left the Library to Pick Up Her Children — Two Days Later, She Was Found Shot Dead

Detroit, Michigan — October 28–30, 2013

Tiané Brown was 33 years old, a mother of 3 daughters, and a woman whose determination had already carried her through an extraordinary academic journey.

Before entering law school at Wayne State University, Tiané had earned 3 degrees, including an MBA and a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering.

By 2013, she was in her third year of law school, working toward becoming a patent attorney while raising her daughters.

Then one night, she left the library to pick them up.

She never arrived.

Tiané Leaves the Library

On the night of October 28, 2013, Tiané was studying at the Wayne State University library.

At approximately 11:00 p.m., she left campus and planned to pick up her daughters from her parents’ home.

She never made it there.

For the next 2 days, her family was left trying to understand where she had gone.

Then Tiané’s vehicle was found.

Her SUV Is Found Near the Packard Plant

On October 30, Tiané’s 2008 Chevy Trailblazer was discovered abandoned in a vacant lot near the Packard Plant on Detroit’s east side.

Tiané was inside.

She had been shot once in the head, behind the ear.

Investigators noted that she was still wearing her seatbelt, a detail that raised the possibility that Tiané had been sitting inside the vehicle when she was shot and may have known the person responsible.

Her Cellphone Leads to Two Arrests — But Not for Her Murder

Early in the investigation, 2 men were arrested after they were found with Tiané’s cellphone.

Detectives ultimately cleared both men of involvement in her murder.

They were charged only with offenses related to possessing the stolen phone.

Another potentially important source of evidence could not help investigators.

The surveillance camera at the Wayne State library that might have captured Tiané leaving that night — or shown whether anyone was with her — was not working.

Investigators later released convenience-store surveillance footage showing 2 other people described as persons of interest.

Still, no one has ever been charged with Tiané’s murder.

Her Mother Continues Fighting for Justice

Tiané’s mother, Sheryl Jones, has spent the years since her daughter’s death asking for answers.

“It’s hard because that was my child; she was my only daughter, and it will always hurt,” she said. “All I want is justice for her because she was a human being. She was important to me.”

In 2014, Wayne State University posthumously awarded Tiané the law degree she had worked so hard to earn.

She should have been there to accept it herself.

Instead, her 3 daughters grew up without their mother.

Sheryl was left without her only daughter.

And more than 12 years later, the person who shot Tiané Brown has still not been held accountable.

Anyone with information regarding the murder of Tiané Brown is urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587).

A reward of up to $10,000 remains available for information leading to an arrest.

© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished