Death by Fame on ID: What happened to James Brown's son-in-law Darren Lumar?

Death by Fame on ID is an intriguing true crime documentary series that attempts to uncover the mysteries behind the deaths of some of the most famous people in history. Season 2 of the series is currently being aired on ID, and the latest episode throws light on the death of one of the most polarising figures in the music industry, James Brown.

The investigation into James Brown's death led to suspicions that it was not a natural death and that foul play might have been involved. One of the people who strongly suggested that Brown's death was a murder was his son-in-law, Darren Lumar. However, Darren Lumar was shot and killed just two years after Brown's death, creating more suspicion surrounding the case.

The upcoming episode of Death by Fame is titled Murder by Association. It digs deep into the murder of Brown and his son-in-law Lumar, who threatened to expose details about the suspicions of James Brown's apparent murder.

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Death by Fame on ID: Darren Lumar might have been killed because he knew details that would uncover secrets about James Brown's death

A still of Darren Lumar (image via findmygrave.com)

The upcoming episode of Death by Fame on ID looks into the reasons behind the alleged murder of James Brown, along with the death of his son-in-law, Darren Lumar. The official synopsis of the episode titled Murder by Association reads:

"After James Brown dies on Christmas 2006, some suspect murder; the conspiracy grows with the shooting death of his son-in-law Darren Lumar in November 2008; when detectives dig into Lumar's past, the possibility for motives becomes endless."

Darren Brown met James Brown's youngest daughter, Yamma Brown, in 1996. They got married after the birth of their daughter. In 2006, when James Brown died due to heart failure, his daughter Yamma Brown denied an autopsy.

Three months after Brown's death, a serious altercation broke out between Darren and Yamma. Darren was stabbed in his forearm, while she suggested that he attacked her first. A report by CNN later claimed that the two were arguing over Brown's estate. Yamma Brown was indicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, although she insisted that she had acted in self-defense.

Darren and Yamma divorced each other in November 2007. On November 5, 2008, a year later, Darren was attacked near his apartment and was shot five times. After driving himself to the hospital, he died a few hours later. According to the police, it seemed to be a contract killing. His commercial dealings had earned him a great deal of opponents. The case, which is still unsolved, is looked into in the latest episode of Death by Fame.

One of the strongest speculations for the murder of Darren Lumar is that he insisted that Brown was murdered and threatened to expose Yamma Brown and other details that would suggest Brown's apparent murder.

When he was still undergoing his divorce trials, he vowed to put Yamma Brown behind bars for at least a decade. Before his death, Lumar talked to a representative of WGCl and said the following:

"I'm gonna bet you everything that I own that they will find everything they’re looking for,” he said, adding, “Nobody wants an autopsy done, a toxicology report to see what’s actually in his system … what foreign to him was in his system when he died."

He further said:

"Nobody ever countered my wife when she said, ‘We don’t want an autopsy.'"

Lumar was serious and consistent in his allegations surrounding James Brown's alleged murder. As per CNN, even Brown's manager, Charles Bobbit, asked him to stay aware since he "knew too much."

Lumar's murder case remains unsolved and adds to the mystery surrounding James Brown's death. Death by Fame delves into both cases in an attempt to bring clarity to the situation.

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The upcoming episode of Death by Fame will air on ID on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 9 pm ET.