Hillary Ellington, a mother of three, is swept off her feet by Dr. Ben Brown, a renown plastic surgeon. 

After just one year dating, the couple marries in June 2022. Their relationship’s described as very “touchy-feely,” but volatile. Ellington has several plastic surgeries performed by her husband.  She is set to go under her husband’s knife again for several procedures at the same time.

Dr. Ben Brown prepares for an abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, an ear adjustment, and lip injections in his office, while Ellington prepares her own anesthetic. Without supervision, Ellington mixes lidocaine into two IV bags, and takes a ‘handful’ of pills including Valium, Tramadol ], Cefadroxil, Zofran, and Versed.

Before starting the procedures, Brown asks a nurse to give Ellington another dose of Versed, and asks a second nurse to prepare a bowl of undiluted Xylocaine.  Brown injects both of Ellington’s self-made IV bags and the Xylocaine into his wife, then gets to work on the abdominal scar revision.

Nurses notice Ellington’s feet twitching. Brown continues on to the liposuction in Ellington’s arms, then injects more Xylocaine into Ellington’s face for the upcoming ear adjustment and lip fillers.

Ellington tells her husband that her vision is blurring, and she ‘sees orange.’ Brown administers more Xylocaine in Ellington’s face, when his wife suddenly starts seizing, and goes into cardiac arrest. Medical assistants ask Brown if they should call 911, and Brown tells them ‘no,’ hopeful to stabilize Ellington on his own. However, there is no oxygen or a defibrillator on hand in the office. Nurses repeatedly ask to call 911, and after 20 minutes of telling staff to wait, Brown finally agrees.

First responders take over CPR and intubate Ellington before she is rushed to Ascension Sacred Heart’s Emergency room in cardiac arrest with suspected lidocaine toxicity. Ellington is stabilized with life support.  A week after her admittance, Ellington is removed from life support and her organs are donated.

After Hillary Ellington’s death, several former patients come forward with “horror stories” about their experiences with Dr. Ben Brown. Many report their abdominal wounds opening after stitches were removed, leaving them with gaping holes tunneling down to the muscle wall.

Several patients who received breast implants from Brown were left with huge scars, nerve damage, infections, and many ultimately had the implants removed entirely by new surgeons. Former employees also claim the office used unsanitary cleaning procedures, and unlicensed individuals would often prepare anesthetics.

After a nearly six-month investigation into ‘Restore’ after Hillary Ellington’s death, the Florida Department of Health issues an emergency order restricting Dr. Ben Brown’s medical license. Brown is restricted to only performing surgery under the supervision of a licensed surgeon at a licensed hospital.

A month after the Department of Health’s emergency order, Brown is also criminally charged with second-degree murder by negligence for causing his wife’s death by over medicating her. Brown turns himself in, posts a $50,000 bond, and is released.

Joining Nancy Grace Today: 

• Marty Ellington - Hillary’s Father
• Brandi Fitzsimmons - Former Patient of Dr. Ben Brown  
• Robert Crispin – Private Investigator, Former Federal Task Force Officer for United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division, Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator, “Crispin Special Investigations” CrispinInvestigations.com, Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations, Inc.
• Dr. Terry J. Dubrow MD, F.A.C.S. – “Botched” and “7 Year Stitch” on E!; Author: “Dr. and Mrs. Guinea Pig Present The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need to the Best Anti-Aging Treatments,” “The Dubrow Diet: Interval Eating to Lose Weight and Feel Ageless,” and “The Dubrow Ket Fusion Diet;” Instagram/X@drdubrow
• Mollye Barrows  - Journalist and Reporter for Pensacola News Journal, Host of the Podcast “Gulf Coast Confidential”, X: @MollyeBV