The Eyrie

HITCHCOCK, TX — Police in Hitchcock are investigating the death of a 46-year-old woman as a homicide after her body was discovered inside a burned home on North Railroad Avenue. Investigators say the death of Brandi Gregg was not caused by the fire, even though the home had burned days earlier.

Officers were called to the residence just after midnight after a report of an unresponsive woman. When they entered the structure, they found Gregg’s body. The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office took her remains for an autopsy as detectives began sorting out how she died and who had been at the property.

Residents return to the property after the fire

The home had caught fire on Sunday, according to Hitchcock police. Three days later, residents came back to the property to recover belongings, and one of them found the body.

Police said the people involved were staying at the house and described them as acquaintances of Gregg. Investigators have not yet said exactly how she knew them or what led them back to the scene that night. The discovery set off a new investigation separate from the earlier fire response.

At this stage, officers are treating the case as a suspicious death with homicide indicators. The fact that the body was found inside a damaged home has made the timeline especially important for detectives trying to determine when Gregg died and who was present before the discovery.

Autopsy rules out stabbing and gunshot wounds

Assistant Chief Jeffery Evans said the medical examination has already ruled out two common causes of violent death. According to Hitchcock police, Gregg did not die from gunshot wounds or stab wounds.

Even so, the exact cause of death has not been determined. That uncertainty has not changed investigators’ view of the case. Evans said the evidence points toward homicide, and police are continuing to work under that classification while the autopsy findings are fully developed.

Authorities have not released additional details about what was found at the scene or whether the fire destroyed evidence. For now, the medical examiner’s work and the physical evidence from the home remain central to the case.

Police say the fire did not cause her death

One of the clearest findings so far is that Gregg’s death was not connected to the Sunday fire, according to the Hitchcock Police Department. That distinction matters because investigators are now handling the blaze and the death as separate matters.

The home itself was still part of the investigation because it was the location where Gregg was found. But police have made clear that the fire is not considered the cause of her death. That means detectives are focused on what happened before the discovery, not on the fire as the primary explanation.

Investigators have not said what started the blaze. They have also not said whether the fire may have complicated the search for evidence or delayed the discovery of Gregg’s body. Those questions remain part of the open case.

Acquaintances are being interviewed as detectives search for answers

Evans said Gregg stayed at the home and that the people who discovered her body, along with others who had also stayed there, are acquaintances. Detectives are still working to understand those relationships and whether any of them help explain what happened inside the house.

No suspects have been named. Police say they are interviewing anyone who might have information about the case and trying to reconstruct the events leading up to Gregg’s death. That includes people tied to the property as well as anyone who may have seen her before the body was found.

The investigation remains active, and officers say they are following up on all available leads. At this point, they have not said whether anyone has been detained or charged.

Detective Crenshaw is the contact for anyone with information

Police are asking anyone with information to come forward as the homicide investigation continues. Hitchcock detectives want tips that could help establish a timeline, identify who was at the house, or clarify what happened before Gregg was found.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Crenshaw at 409-795-8028 or by email at [email protected]. Investigators have not announced a deadline for tips, but the case remains open and active.

For now, the priority is determining how Gregg died and whether any witnesses can help fill in the gaps between the Sunday fire and the discovery of her body three days later.