Brown took over the role of parish priest after his predecessor, Amal Raj, requested a transfer from St. Philip Neri after having allegedly received death threats from a local Sri Lankan Navy officer.

[2][3] As part of ongoing military operations, the Sri Lankan Army shelled the St. Philip Neri's Church in Allaipiddy on August 13, 2006, killing 15 refugees sheltering there.

[5] Brown was also accused by the Sri Lankan Navy commanding officer of Allaipiddy of helping the rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to dig bunkers.

[6][7] The local human rights group UTHR(J) blamed the Sri Lankan Navy for the disappearances of Brown and Vimalathas.

[3] According to local newspapers, a "mutilated torso" packed in a sand bag found off the coast of the Jaffna peninsula, near Pungudutheevu, on March 14, 2007, was identified as the dead priest.