Detectives turn to new technology in case of murdered pregnant woman

BROWN COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) – As the 10-calendar year anniversary of the murder of Brittany Stykes ways, her situation is continuing to acquire traction on social media and is finding countrywide publicity.

Meanwhile, detectives are employing new technologies in hopes of building new leads in the case.

It was Aug. 28, 2013, when Stykes was killed in an ambush-fashion assault. She was driving on OH-68 in Brown County, heading to her parents’ residence to celebrate her dad’s birthday, when it transpired.

Mary Dodson, Stykes’ mother, continue to remembers the final conversation she experienced with Stykes that day. They had been chatting on the telephone.

“I reported, ‘Well honey, I really like you. You have a fantastic working day.’ And she suggests, ‘I will mother, I love you as well.’ And that was the very last matter I talked to her,” Mary explained.

Investigators with the Brown County Sheriff’s office environment believe that safety digital camera footage displays what was most likely the previous time Stykes was observed alive. It captured Stykes driving just a small time ahead of she was uncovered dead.

That day, Stykes was driving a yellow Jeep with her daughter, Aubree, in tow, when a person shot her multiple situations. Craig LaBell and his wife ended up driving by when they spotted the Jeep off the highway in a wooded place. They stopped and observed Stykes lifeless at the wheel.

Incorporating to the heartbreak, Stykes was pregnant when she died, and Aubree, who was 18-months-outdated, experienced been shot in the head.

Miraculously, Aubree survived.

“Brittany took a single toddler with her when she went, and the Lord remaining 1 with us,” Mary mentioned.

Mary and Dave Dodson never predicted to shed a baby, primarily at a young age.

“Brittany was this sort of an harmless soul. She experienced these kinds of a loving, caring, harmless soul. She was 22 many years old. She was a infant. She’d just commenced lifetime. She’d not still left, not still left my apron strings but. She was nonetheless keeping on tight to me and her daddy,” Mary mentioned.

At any time due to the fact the murder, Dave says celebrating his birthday has been challenging.

“The first seven decades following, the birthday was just type of non celebrated,” he mentioned.

In accordance to detectives, the preliminary investigation pointed them toward Stykes’ spouse at the time, Shane Stykes. Shane spoke with FOX19 in 2018, stating he did not murder his wife.

Detectives confirmed they have interviewed him and performed lie detector assessments. Even though they say no a single has been officially cleared, they describe Shane as cooperative.

With no shell casings found at the scene, and minimal proof remaining powering, detectives have pursued various theories. They appeared into a street rage confrontation that reportedly included Stykes and took place earlier in the day, but that did not guide to an arrest.

In 2015, they had been explained to a guy named Tommy Lee Lopez had been hired to destroy Stykes. Nevertheless, that turned out to be a hoax.

Detective Quinn Carlson, at this time on the circumstance, suggests right now they are employing extremely new engineering, hoping it will carry them new potential customers. He are not able to say what the technology involves but reveals they are placing jointly knowledge that could help pinpoint wherever men and women had been when Stykes died.

Stykes’ kinfolk remain concentrated on bringing notice to her circumstance. The Dodsons honor Stykes with memorials and celebrations each and every year.

“We all get collectively on the holidays, but there is often an vacant feeling, and, you know, it just, everything’s different,” Dave claimed. “Your outlook on existence turns into fully diverse.”

[RELATED: Vigil held on six year anniversary of Brittany Stykes’ murder]

It is a tradition that signifies a large amount to Stykes’ young sister, Emily Hampton.

“I was actually near with Brittany. I was like her small shadow. Something she did or anyplace she went, she took me with her. We did almost everything with each other,” Hampton stated.

When Mary and Dave briefly regarded as placing the occasions on pause, Hampton took matters into her very own fingers. She began a Facebook group the place everyone can talk about the investigation or about Stykes. That led to Stykes’ situation getting showcased on numerous nationally-recognized podcasts and information courses.

“There’s individuals from Ukraine, there’s folks from Australia, all all around the earth that is all of a sudden, that are following this,” Dave reported.

There is a $50,000 reward for facts in the situation.

Stykes’ household members want answers for themselves, but far more than something, they want them for 10-12 months-previous Aubree.

“She is absolutely a smartmouth little model of her mother. She has the craziest angle, and she’s super mouthy and just genuinely outgoing and loud. She retains nothing at all again. She’s been as a result of a lot of trauma, but it certainly does not prevent her,” Hampton said.

Until finally that working day will come, they are geared up to do no matter what it will take to make guaranteed Stykes is in no way forgotten.

Mary believes she is aware of, in her heart, who took her daughter’s existence, but she does not say more than that to keep away from impacting the investigation.

As for some of the proof in the case, Shane Stykes sued the Brown County Sheriff’s Workplace in recent yrs to get the yellow jeep back. He received, and it is now in his possession. He has claimed that is a thing Aubree required.

[RELATED: Jeep, other items returned to husband of Brittany Stykes]

Anyone with information on the scenario can get in touch with Detective Carlson at 937.378.4435 extension 130.

The sheriff’s business also has an nameless suggestion portal on its website.

See a spelling or grammar mistake in our story? Remember to click on right here to report it and contain the headline of the tale in your electronic mail.

Do you have a picture or online video of a breaking information story? Send it to us right here with a transient description.

Copyright 2023 WXIX. All legal rights reserved.