Brittany Locklear, a 5-year-old girl missing since 1998, prompts a community's relentless search for justice. The case unfolds with sinister details, a tragic discovery, and suspicions involving a firefighter. The podcast sheds light on efforts to crack cold cases, indigenous forensic services, and the persistence in seeking closure for Brittany's murder.
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insights INSIGHT
Distinctive Truck Detail Drove Early Search
Witnesses described a brown truck with a rack of overhead lights that could uniquely identify a suspect vehicle.
Investigators immediately mobilized large search efforts and air support to find Brittany before the suspect could alter evidence.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Clothing Then Body Found Nearby
Searchers found Brittany's backpack and clothing in woods hours after she disappeared, then discovered her unclothed body in a drainage ditch the next day.
The autopsy later revealed sexual assault and drowning as cause of death.
insights INSIGHT
Mass Tips Can Burden Investigations
Federal and state agencies joined the local investigation and set up tip lines that produced thousands of calls.
High tip volume created a resource strain as investigators had to parse many leads to find credible information.
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When a little girl goes missing from her bus stop in 1998, it’s just the start of one community’s decades-long search for justice.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Brittany Locklear on Wednesday, January 7, 1998, in Raeford, North Carolina, please contact the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 910-878-1279, or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at 888-624-7222. Tips can also be submitted online.
May 5th was Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and in honor, audiochuck is supporting Ohkomi Forensics, an Indigenous-led organization that provides forensic services to Indigenous families affected by the MMIP crisis, in correlation with our coverage this week. To learn more about or donate to Ohkomi Forensics, please visit this link!
For more information about Season of Justice, or to apply for a grant, please visit www.seasonofjustice.org
Have you heard yet? National DNA Day was Thursday, April 25th, and in honor of the special day, Ashley and audiochuck have partnered with an Indy based cidery to release a limited edition cider called Cheers For Chuck. Cheers For Chuck cider helps solve cold cases - with every purchase, a portion of proceeds goes to Season of Justice. A cider that can crack crime? We'll cheers to that! This is an extremely limited drop, so visit cheersforchuckcider.com to get your order in before it sells out.
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