UPDATE: Woman allegedly attacked by boyfriend still on life support

A man sits in the El Paso County Jail charged with murder, even though the woman he allegedly attacked is still technically alive.

38-year old Tonya Renee Brewer is still on life support. Her family says she’s brain dead. The family is donating her organs to others in need.

Police say because brewer is brain dead–by law, she’s considered dead. That is why her 45-year-old boyfriend, Eddie Estep, is behind bars downtown, charged with her murder.

Abc-7 spoke with Tonya’s niece on the phone, she says Tonya is a mother of two teenagers back in Kentucky and Tonya was known to travel across the country. She also says the family doesn’t know a thing about the man accused of killing her.

“She was a very good person, she had a huge heart. She would give you the shirt off her back. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for somebody. She loved her kids, loved her family, loved animals,” Ashley Vanover, Brewer’s niece, tells Abc-7.

She says her family was so confused when they heard brewer’s boyfriend, Eddie Estep, told police she was abusive.

“The family is very upset, they want justice, they want to know why,” Vanover said.

The family doesn’t know what brewer was doing in El Paso, but says it wasn’t uncommon for the 38-year old mother of two to travel and make an unfamiliar city her home.

“She did have a home. She traveled, but she did have a home,” Vanover said.

According to the criminal complaint obtained by Abc-7, Estep allegedly attacked her Wednesday night, causing her head to hit the ground.
When police asked him why, he said he was tired of her abusing him. Brewer was taken to UMC. The family was told due to the injuries to her head and brain, she will not recover.

“As of right now, she is on life support, they’re trying to find matches for her organs,” Vanover said.

Brewer’s sister flew into El Paso from Kentucky Thursday to get everything situated and did not have time for an interview.
Her niece tells us at this point, all the family wants is justice.

“She was murdered. She was a human being and a person, she was a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, niece,” Vanover said.

Once Brewer’s organs are donated, her body will be flown back to Kentucky where she will be buried. Estep is jailed under a $500,000 bond.

Her family tells Abc-7, Brewer will be saving the lives of at least two people. Her heart will be donated to a person in Arizona and her lungs, to a person in Dallas.