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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Atmos Energy trucks parked outside of Foster Hall Monday morning. Crews were on campus making repairs to a gas line behind Jarvis Hall.
All-clear issued after gas leak prompts evacuations of four campus buildings
By Lillie Davidson, Staff Writer
Published Apr 15, 2024
Students were advised to avoid the area surrounding Jarvis, Foster, Ed Landreth and Waits Halls.

Former TCU student pleaded guilty in Ty Pickens’ death

Former TCU student pleaded guilty in Ty Pickens death

A former TCU student pleaded guilty Monday to delivery of a controlled substance, an act that resulted in the death of another student from a heroin overdose.

Thomas “Ty” Boone Pickens IV, a strategic communication major from Austin, died on Jan. 29, 2013.

Brennan Trainor Rodriguez, 23, was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication probation. As a part of his probation, he must serve 120 days in county jail. He began serving his sentence today said Melody McDonald, public information officer for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, in a press release.

McDonald said in a phone interview if Rodriguez completes his probation, his convictions will not appear on his record but his arrest will.

The plea bargain was reached in state district Judge Robb Catalano’s court. In exchange for the guilty plea, three other counts were dropped, according to the press release.

According to a Fort Worth Police affidavit, Rodriguez’ cousin, Andrew Tittle, was at Rodriguez’ apartment shortly before Pickens died. Tittle said Pickens asked “to give him just enough heroin to make him doze off.”

Tittle then witnessed Rodriguez load a syringe with heroin and inject it into Pickens’ arm, according to the affidavit.

After administering the drugs, Rodriguez and Tittle left to buy more drugs, according to the press release. When they returned, Pickens “passed out and was sweating profusely.” After Rodriguez and Tittle woke Pickens up and gave him water, he went back to sleep.

According to the affidavit, Pickens appeared to be sleeping because he was snoring, but when his alarm went off on the morning of Jan. 29, he was unconscious.

Tittle then drove Pickens to Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth, according to the affidavit. Pickens was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m.

According to the affidavit, Rodriguez hid drugs and paraphernalia in a closet across from his apartment on Jan. 29 before police searched his apartment and retrieved them afterwards.

The affidavit stated that police found Q-tips with heroin residue and a syringe in Rodriguez’s apartment.

According to the affidavit, another person overdosed on heroin at Rodriguez’ apartment and survived two months prior to Pickens’ death.

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