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- [00:00]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [00:02]
Mary Dodson
But also yikes.
- [00:04]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [00:35]
Dennis Cooper
Culpable listeners, Dennis Cooper here. I have another special episode to share with you today. If you tuned in a couple weeks ago, then you may have heard me listen Back to season 1 episode 1 Trust the process, the first episode I ever released, which serves as an introduction to the story of Christian Andreacchio, the young man who inspired the creation of this podcast. I had always wondered what it would be like to go back and relive it all these years later. So for the first time ever, I did just that. I listened to the episode start to finish and added some commentary as I reflected on that whole experience. And I gotta say, I really enjoyed doing it. So much so that I decided to repeat this process with season two. As many of you know, season two of Culpable focused on the tragic death of 22 year old Brittany Stikes in Brown County, Ohio. I first learned about the story from a friend of mine, Jessica Knoll, who happens to live around that area. She had been following the case for years before ever telling me about it, and had she not, there's a good chance I never would have heard about it. As Brittany's story didn't receive much coverage outside of a few local news stories, it was an honor to shine a spotlight on the story for the first time ever, and I'm equally honored to now go back and reflect on that experience. I hope you'll take the time to listen today and be sure to stick around till the end for an important announcement about another episode that I'll be releasing soon. But for now, let's jump right in. This is culpable Season 2, Episode 1 the bystander effect.
- [02:12]
Craig Lebel
Ever driven by a vehicle on the side of the road? Do you always stop? Do you always go check it out, see what's going on? Can I help? Why did I do that that day? I don't know.
- [02:29]
Dennis Cooper
The Bystander effect? It's a theory. I think most of us are familiar with. Now, there's endless scenarios to which it can apply, but the fact of the matter is, when we see someone in need of our help, our tendency is to ignore it. We've all been there. Let's use his example. You're driving past a person on the side of the road, likely in need of assistance. Part of you is probably thinking, pull over, see if they need a hand. But the other part of you has places to go, people to see, keep driving, it's okay, someone else will stop and help them. What do you do in that situation? Chances are you take the ladder and hope everything turned out okay, never actually knowing what happened to the person unless it shows up on the news, of course, and you can assume this story did. But I say all this because to really put the story into perspective, you have to understand not just the unlikelihood of this Good Samaritan's act, but also the significance of it. I feel like it's changed my outlook, but still, I can't sit here and act like I would have done what Craig Lebel did on the night of August 28, 2013, when he pulled over to the side of High Highway 68 and Brown County, Ohio. No, what he did that night bears repeating. First off, let's take a minute to talk about the cold open and why I felt it was so important to lead the series this way. Now, this should come across in the episode, but I just got to say, I have so much respect for this man, Craig Lebel, and his wife for what they did that night back in 2013. I obviously can't put myself squarely in their shoes, but like I said, we've all been in similar scenarios where you're driving or walking and you see something concerning or someone who maybe needs help and you're left with that predicament of do I stop or do I keep going? And trust me, I'm not proud to say this, but all these years later, I can admit that I still don't think I would have done what he did that night. I know Craig doesn't want the credit, and he's quick to downplay the significance of his decision to stop that night because to him, it's what anyone should have done in that situation. But the truth is, it's incredibly significant when you think about what might have happened had he not stopped. If he'd done what most of us would have done in that situation, there's no telling how much time might have passed before a discovery was made. And the crazy part about it is. Craig wasn't even a local. I mean, I could see stopping. If you live in a small town like that, you know, looking out for your own, because it's not normal that you'd see headlights shining out from dense woods on the side of a highway. But Craig was not from the area. He was in uncharted territory and just happened to be passing through at the right moment as he and his wife were traveling across the country. Maybe it's just me, I don't know, but this will never cease to amaze me. And when you hear the scene that Craig happened upon that night, you should be quickly reminded just why this move was so critical. I think we all know that time is of the essence when dealing with a murder investigation, but it's also of the essence when dealing with an injured victim. Let's keep listening to his account from that night.
- [05:43]
Craig Lebel
We were on our way to New York to see my parents and family that lives up there. We're heading toward New York, but we want to go into Amish country in Ohio. We headed out toward Ripley and then took a right onto Route 68. It was a torrential rain. We hadn't seen rain like that ever. I mean, it was like the middle of a car wash. It was so bad. But we drove out of it, and we were coming to a point in the road where it was going to split. So I went left. We should have gone right.
- [06:20]
Dennis Cooper
Craig didn't realize it yet, but making that wrong turn may have been the most important mistake he's ever made in life. Now, heading down Highway 68 in the wrong direction just before sundown, Craig's eyes began to wander. He and his wife Sandy needed. Needed a place to turn around. He continued driving and scanning the area until something unexpected caught his attention. Headlights shining from a wooded area about 20 or 30 yards off the side of the highway. He could tell what type of vehicle the lights belonged to.
- [06:51]
Craig Lebel
Then I noticed the Jeep in the woods down off the shoulder of the road. And I'm thinking, they better hurry up, whoever's down there, because they're going to get caught in that rainstorm. And something's telling me, I need to stop.
- [07:08]
Dennis Cooper
Craig pulls over to the side of the road. As he exits the vehicle, his wife Sandy is nervous. She encourages him to stay in the car, call 911, and await help. Good advice, right? It was getting dark. They had no idea where they were, and Craig had no idea what he was getting himself into. Nevertheless, he got out of the car and started walking down the hill towards.
- [07:32]
Craig Lebel
The Jeep, there was that thought that ran through my head. It's like, what are you doing? I have no idea why I'm there other than just checking it out. So I start yelling as I'm entering the woods saying is anybody here? Hello? And I don't hear anybody. I don't see anybody. I could hear the windshield wipers going and I could hear a radio blaring away.
- [08:03]
Dennis Cooper
Craig fights his way through the thick foliage and crosses over an embankment. He's practically in the woods when the vehicle really comes into picture. It's a yellow Jeep Wrangler with a soft top, you know, the plastic windows. It hadn't been parked there intentionally, but based on the terrain that would be impossible now. Something bad had happened, that much was clear. But Craig didn't yet realize the severity. As he approached the driver's side window, he noticed a hole in the plastic.
- [08:34]
Craig Lebel
So I put my face up there and looked through this hole and I saw girl in there and she was just kind of slumped, laid back in the seat with her head tilted to the side and her hand on her knee facing up like she fell asleep. I started trying to pound on the canvas door to get her attention and I'm not getting any response from her and I realize something's not right.
- [09:08]
Dennis Cooper
The driver, 22 year old Brittany Stykes from the town of Ripley, about 10 miles away. Craig immediately dials 911 as he speaks with emergency dispatch. He continues searching the vehicle. At first glance, Craig saw no visible injuries to Brittany. It just looked as though she was unconscious. So he walked around the jeep to the passenger side. Brittany wasn't alone.
- [09:33]
Craig Lebel
I grab on that passenger door and I open it and there's a baby in a car seat and the baby's got blood all over its forehead and it's running into the eyes and the baby's trying to rub its eyes and just looking at me, not saying a word, just that blank look and then looks toward the driver and says, mama.
- [10:04]
Dennis Cooper
So this was something that really inspired me to take on this story and that I knew would resonate with a lot of people out there. It's tragic enough to discuss the murder of a promising young mother, but it takes things to a different level when you realize that Brittany's one year old daughter was also in the car that night and was also shot in her head of all places. Thankfully, you'll learn that she survived, which we'll get into later. But you'll also learn that there was a third victim in the shooting. Brittany was pregnant with her Second child when this happened. And that was a sticking point for me when Jessica first started telling me about this case. Because, look, a cold blooded murder, no matter the scenario, no matter the victim, is a disgusting act. It's not hard to be compassionate towards or want justice for a murder victim. It's obviously one of the reasons I got into this work, and I'm sure it's why many of you take an interest in these stories. But in this case, not only was a young mother taken, but an unborn child was also taken and a one year old was nearly taken. I'm not exaggerating here. When I really stopped and let that sink in for the first time, it didn't just fuel my compassion, it made my blood boil. And at that point, I knew I had to tell this story and do whatever I could to help Brittany and her family.
- [11:23]
Craig Lebel
I just went into straight panic mode. I didn't know what to do. Should I be taking the baby out of the car seat, Trying to take the baby up to the side of the road? And I remember my wife yelling, saying, somebody's coming.
- [11:38]
Dennis Cooper
To Craig and Sandy's relief, a first responder had arrived. It was a firefighter from the neighboring town of Russellville. Craig directed him to the scene.
- [11:47]
Craig Lebel
First thing he did when he reached in is he put his fingers on the side of her neck, and he didn't get a pulse. And at that point, I noticed a wet spot under her armpit on the right side. And I noticed it was dark red blood. And I remember telling him, she's bleeding pretty bad over here. There's something wrong with her.
- [12:11]
Dennis Cooper
As the first responder begins working the scene, another responder arrives, and another and another. In a matter of minutes. It was as though the entire town had arrived. Craig was eventually escorted back up the hill to the side of the highway where he and his wife began speaking with officers, answering every question they had.
- [12:31]
Craig Lebel
And he said, is there anything that you need to ask us? And I said, yeah. Is she gonna be okay? And he said, no, she's dead. And that was just like, wow. No. Didn't see that coming. Did not see that coming.
- [12:57]
Dennis Cooper
Brittany Stikes was gone. A bullet had passed through her vital organs. She died quickly. Also lost in the heinous act was her unborn child. It turns out she was about four months pregnant when this happened. And as for the passenger, Brittany's 14 month old daughter, Aubrey, she'd been shot in the head and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
- [13:23]
Craig Lebel
I'm still trying to process it. I mean, it's just. It's unbelievable. It's a constant question in the back of my head of who did it? What brings this to this point where we still don't have an answer to it. I worry about the case dying in the police hands. I feel like they've exhausted their resources at this point and we still don't know.
- [13:55]
Dennis Cooper
While that might seem true, the Brown County Sheriff's office is actively investigating this case, and they welcome any additional resources that could help solve it. So we're gonna see what we can do to help. Brittany's case has gone unsolved for nearly a decade now, and it's hard to understand why that is. This was a cold blooded murder on a busy highway. There's been no shortage of leads and no shortage of theories. But trust me, that only adds to the frustration.
- [14:26]
Craig Lebel
I don't know if it's to settle a score or if it's about money or what it was about, but somebody knows something. Somebody has talked with somebody, and that needs to come out. It needs to come forward so this family can find out once and for all who murdered her.
- [14:49]
Dennis Cooper
From Tenderfoot tv, I'm your host, Dennis Cooper. This is culpable.
- [15:05]
Mary Dodson
Ra.
- [15:29]
Narrator/Advertiser
You will arrive at your destination.
- [15:35]
Dennis Cooper
Back In August of 2021, I started following this case, the murder of Brittany Stikes. Now, there is some backstory to this, so before we get too far, let me catch you up to speed. See, one of our producers, Jessica Knoll, had told me about an unsolved murder that occurred in her hometown of Brown County, Ohio. She'd already begun looking into it herself, and due to location and her familiarity with the case, I just assumed it would become her story to tell. And that was the plan at first. Still, though, I went out on the web and started doing some initial research, you know, just trying to learn more about it. What was supposed to be just a couple hours of work turned into a whole day, and there were many more that followed. I was hooked. I couldn't understand how this eight year old case, which had been investigated by numerous detectives, both local and state, had significantly more questions than it did answers. How could such a reckless, homicidal act leave behind hardly any physical evidence? How is it that Britney's family is still left asking not only the obvious, who's responsible for this? But also how? How did this happen? I want to take a moment to expand on this because I mentioned earlier that the heinousness of the act itself was very much a sticking point for me. I myself have a wife and kids so it wasn't difficult for me to put myself in that situation or look at this crime and say, what if this happened to my own? But beyond that, another sticking point for me was exactly what I just alluded to in the episode. I remember feeling completely dumbfounded as to how this case was never solved. And I don't mean that as a knock in any way. It's just my honest reaction to learning of it. And I still feel that way to this day after spending years investigating it. I've stood on the side of U.S. highway 68 on numerous occasions at different times of the day, and for various stretches of time, I've walked into the thick brush and stood in the same spot where Craig discovered that jeep. And I assure you, if you were to do the same, you'd have the same recurring thoughts that I've had. How in the world does something like this happen? How does one get shot to death on a busy highway and no one witness it? How does one kill so recklessly yet leave virtually no evidence behind? It's crazy to me and it always will be. So that's another reason why I was so enthralled with this case. You know, some people prefer stories with an obvious theory or motive or suspect. But I, on the other hand, have always been drawn to cases like these that lack in all the above cases that have multiple theories, multiple persons of interest to consider, and oftentimes no clear motive. I know that can make for more of a challenge and make justice feel like more of a long shot. And I considered that. But at the end of the day, I couldn't pass on this story. I was invested on multiple levels and Brittany's case had sat dormant for far too long. Someone needed to share it and it just so happened to find me at the right time. This case has crossed state lines. It's been in the hands of multiple investigative agencies, it's had numerous persons of interest, yet somehow it remains unsolved. This story had the word culpable written all over it. And you'll understand why I say that as the story progresses. So that's how we got here. Our story begins in Ripley, Ohio, the home of Dave and Mary Dodson, Brittany's parents. You'll notice that Jessica, our local producer, investigative journalist, is here with me. She'll be my right hand this season, so get used to hearing her name and her voice. Also joining us on this initial visit are Mark and Jacob, who you may remember from our first season. We pull up to a brick two story farmhouse with white trim and A large front porch. This must be the Dodson's place, better known as Red Oak Creek Farm. I can see a large frame photo hanging beside the front door. It's a picture I recognize from online. It's Brittany. Yep, we're in the right place. The gravel driveway is loaded with vehicles. We carefully try and maneuver into a spot between several of them. And these aren't just any vehicles. I'm talking an antique fire truck, a school bus and two muscle cars. A bright orange Super Bee, and a bright pink barracuda. I had to learn what those were. Dave is what they call a tinkerer. Cars are just one of his many hobbies. I could see him standing on the side porch staring out over his lot when we arrived. He's waiting for us. Good morning, Dave.
- [20:21]
Dave Dodson
Good morning.
- [20:22]
Dennis Cooper
Good to see you again. Hey, good morning. I'm Jacob. Nice to meet you. As a reminder, Mark, Dennis, Dave and Mary welcome us inside. And after Mary calms their trusty dog, Dee, she's able to greet us properly. Mary has been busy. On the counter, there's a basket of freshly laid eggs, a large squash, and a bowl of cherry tomatoes that look straight from the garden. Mary's in a black tank top with her distinct red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She's got a phone holstered to one hip and a handgun sticking out the pocket of her jean shorts. Dave is significantly taller. He has a slender build with a full head of white hair and a long, bushy beard to match. Today is actually Dave's birthday, though that's only part of the reason we're here. For Dave, this day doesn't have the same meaning as it used to. It's been a long time since he celebrated, or even tried to for that matter.
- [21:22]
Mary Dodson
You know, it's Dave's birthday. We've never done anything for his birthday since we lost Britain. So we're gonna have supper for his birthday. My youngest daughter, she was here yesterday and baked his. Baked him a cake and they don't.
- [21:38]
Dave Dodson
Believe than 20 years old.
- [21:45]
Dennis Cooper
So I talked about some of the sticking points of the story and why I was so drawn to it. But this just reminded me that there was actually one other thing about this case that really made it stand out for me. I believe I held on to this reveal until later in the episode. So spoiler alert here, in case this is your first time listening. But it's important to know that Brittany was killed on her father Dave's birthday, which, frankly, seems unheard of. But it also begs the question, was that a Coincidence? Or was that intentional? Either way, the reveal came as a shock to me, just another layer to this almost unfathomable story. And one more thing to have to consider in the grand scheme of things. Now, with that being the case, it's really no surprise that for many years, this family, the Dodsons, known for their gatherings and big celebrations, chose not to celebrate Dave's birthday. I get it. It's not a matter of right or wrong. We should still honor the living, right? But I think the challenge for the Dodsons was how do you do that without feeling weird or even guilty about it? It's a shame it has to be that way, but I think any of us would struggle with that. I mean, just think about it. Dave lost his daughter on his birthday. Now the two will forever be associated, and a dark cloud will always linger over this day. I'm just thankful that for whatever reason, the year we recorded this was supposedly the first time that the family decided to celebrate Dave's birthday. A reminder that healing takes time. And I'm not sure what they elected to do in the years that followed, but I know they celebrated later that night, and I was really thankful to be a part of it. Mary is moving around the kitchen like a pro. She loves to cook for her family. It gives her joy, especially today, knowing Brittany loved nothing more than bringing the whole family together. When she reaches a good stopping point on her food prep, we step outside so we can discuss the other reason we're here. Brittany. But Mary has just one quick disclaimer for us.
- [23:48]
Mary Dodson
But that is something I do want to stress with everybody. Aubrey is here. We try not to talk about all this kind of stuff we're talking about now in front of her. So if she was to come in, or I would ask you that, we'll change the conversation or we'll get quiet, whatever.
- [24:04]
Dennis Cooper
Because that's right, Brittany's daughter Aubrey is here. You'll be glad to know she survived that bullet that struck her head. And apart from a scar on her forehead, you never know the difference. We head around to the back of the house to their covered wooden patio, which overlooks a grassy hillside property with plants and flowers in bloom. It's humid on the porch, but a small ceiling fan kicks off a slight breeze, making it bearable. Up on the wall hangs a wooden frame with the words, Howdy, kick off your boots and sit a spell. So we did. Another sign says no peeing off the porch. We didn't, but I appreciate their sense of humor. As we get set up, Mary pulls out a pile of photo albums, grabs the first one and starts flipping through it. The pages are weathered and at times they stick to one another. Many of the photos are faded, but the memories are still vivid.
- [25:07]
Mary Dodson
There's Brittany when she came home from the hospital. She was my little princess and we lived in saw there at the time. And the lady across the street made all of her dresses. She was born May 4, 1991. And that's her first Christmas. That's her and her brother Josh. And that brother right there loved his little sister. And then Dusty come along. That was the third one. Him and Brittany were very close together. When I had them, they were the closest ones.
- [25:43]
Dave Dodson
And you know, when Dusty come along and then Emily come along, Tanner and then Emily. Brittany would always mom, I'll take the kids to bed and I'll read them a story.
- [25:54]
Mary Dodson
That was Tanner and Emily every night at 9:00. She'd tell the two little ones, give Mommy and Daddy a kiss, it was time for bed and she'd go brush her teeth, put them in her pajamas and she'd read them a story every night and she'd tuck them in bed. And she was probably only what, eight, nine herself? Something like that.
- [26:17]
Dennis Cooper
Brittany had a rare motherly love from a young age. It always amazed David Mary, and it just grew and grew over the years.
- [26:27]
Dave Dodson
She was very, very close to her boy brothers and sisters.
- [26:30]
Mary Dodson
I mean, it was so funny because with the little ones, like she loved the holidays, she loved Halloween because Emily was born on Halloween. So she oh, mom, we gotta make that extra special. That's Emily's birthday. She loved Easter because she loved teaching the littler ones how to hunt eggs. They'd practice a week before Easter. She'd bring them out every day, hide the eggs in the yard and practice with the little ones to hunt the Easter egg. And I used to teach Bible school and I taught Sunday school at church. And when Emily came along and got a little bit of age on her, Brittany says, mom, why don't I take over your class and I'll keep Emily back here so that you can sit with dad up front in church. She was probably, I don't know, only about what, 12?
- [27:20]
Dave Dodson
And then after we lost Brittany, you've just seen a change in all the kids.
- [27:30]
Dennis Cooper
I've mentioned in the past how you get a much fuller picture of a person when you're walking around a home looking at pictures or mementos of theirs versus your more traditional sit down interview. It's like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So listening back, I'm really thankful that Mary took the time to dig up all these old photo albums for us. And Dave did the same with some old home videos that you'll hear later on. Seeing these moments captured in time allows both the family and myself a unique opportunity to relive them as opposed to just rehashing them from memory. And it helped me to realize just how special of a person Brittany was and how much she meant to her family. Her spirit really brought them all together. And that's evident even after losing her and seeing how still this family seems to do practically everything together. Losing a loved one can be a sobering reminder to cherish the time we have together. And the Dodsons seem to be a family who really embraces that. It's a beautiful thing, really, and I feel like it's something you don't see as much of these days. To put it into perspective, by this point in our conversation, there were multiple kids and grandkids running around Dave and Mary's house. And while I knew that would make for a challenge in the editing process, I just decided to go with it because it felt authentic. So if you hear some chatter in the background of these recordings, that's why now, I didn't get to speak with all of Brittany's siblings, but I did get to speak with the two youngest, Emily and Tanner. I think at this point they had already joined us on the patio and were listening in on our conversation. Not because they were eager to talk to me. If anything, I'd say they were pretty timid and even a bit standoffish. But look, I get it. I'd feel a little strange if I showed up to my parents house one day and saw a bunch of strangers with microphones pointed in different directions. But eventually they did come around to the idea of speaking with us. And I'm really glad we got that opportunity. We tend to think that tragedies bring families closer together, and a lot of times they do. But the Dodson family, they were already close, very close, which only made the loss of Brittany that much harder on everybody, especially her siblings.
- [29:40]
Mary Dodson
I think each one of them handled it a little different.
- [29:43]
Dave Dodson
Emily, for a long time, she'd like put a wall up. She didn't want no one close to her.
- [29:49]
Mary Dodson
Yeah, and Dusty, he just. And he told me this himself. He said, mom, the only way I can handle it is just in my mind to pretend that she's on vacation or she's somewhere, but she's not gone. And Josh, Josh, just a lot of Anger. And then he turned around and lost his wife, too. And so. But we have managed. We all still stay together. We all. We ride our motorcycles together. We have side by sides, and we go on trips together for the weekend. And of course, I'm watching kids, and we eat supper together every night, which people used to tease us and see. They were like the Waltons, because all the kids and grandkids and everybody was here every night eating supper. But since we've lost Brittany, it's a little harder. We kind of all eat in the kitchen instead of around the dining room table. And it changes things. And it might just be little things, but it changes things.
- [30:53]
Dennis Cooper
The biggest challenge in maintaining that family dynamic is the fact that Brittany was the one who probably cherished it more than anyone else. Whether it was sneaking behind their backs to invite family over for a weekend hangout or insisting they play battle of the sexes together, you name it. To quote Mary, if it involved the family, she would have done it every weekend. Mary says the family does their best to maintain that spirit. It just looks a little different now. But if anyone can preserve it, it's Mary. After all, she and Brittany were just alike.
- [31:26]
Mary Dodson
I always say she was my mini me. You have to understand our family and that we do do everything together. And a prime example is Brittany here. She was a teenager in high school, and I would spend my days Thursday and Friday baking, and she would stay up with me Friday night instead of going out, packaging everything, getting everything ready, making labels, the whole nine yard, and we'd have everything ready for Saturday morning. She'd go with me Saturday morning, and she'd spend every Saturday with me at the farmer's market. Now, what teenager does that?
- [32:05]
Dennis Cooper
You know, you can probably tell that Brittany was different than most other kids. And I mean that in a lot of ways, but especially in her priorities as a teenager. If you've been through those years, then you know what I mean. This isn't typical.
- [32:21]
Mary Dodson
Was she involved heavily in the fair at all? Yes. Oh, my goodness. We raised pygmy goats for years here. And she showed pygmy goats.
- [32:30]
Dave Dodson
Loved the derby at the fair. Love the tractor pulls at the fair.
- [32:34]
Mary Dodson
Yes. Her boyfriend at the time, they built derby cars, her and him and all of us built derby cars here every year. And they put him in the derby. And then after we lost, Brittany Tanner, he's done a derby car in honor of his sister every year.
- [32:50]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [34:04]
Dennis Cooper
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Dave Dodson
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Dennis Cooper
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- [35:35]
Dennis Cooper
As we continue our chat, Mary, still flipping through the photo album comes across a picture I had to Ask about it looked to be from prom.
- [35:44]
Mary Dodson
She. I think it was her senior year. She came to me and she said, mom, she says, I'd like to have a camo dress to wear to prom. And I said, you would? And she said, yeah. She says, but I can't find one I like. And I said, well, what do you like? And she showed me. And I said, well, I said, I'll tell you what you do. You go and you find your material that you want it made out of, and I'll make it for you. So she did. She found orange satin, the prettiest orange satin you ever seen, and she found her camo material. And she says, well, mom, can I get you to do something else? And I said, what's that? She goes, well, will you make it? Was her boyfriend at the time. She said, will you make him a vest and a tie to match? And I said, not a problem. So I had them all decked out for their senior prom, and she wore her camo dress, and he wore his camo vest and tie. So. But that made her pretty proud. She was happy about that.
- [36:41]
Dave Dodson
So.
- [36:44]
Dennis Cooper
Mary closes one album and reaches for the next of many. It seems they've done a fine job documenting their family history, and I imagine they're extra thankful for all the pictures taken of Brittany over the years. You can literally watch her grow up as you flip through the pages. Dave and Mary look almost at peace as they get lost in the memories, reacting with an occasional smirk here and there. At one point, Mary looks up from the album and gives us some advice. Take pictures while you can.
- [37:16]
Dave Dodson
Aubrey still questions me about, tell me about mama.
- [37:20]
Mary Dodson
Me.
- [37:21]
Dave Dodson
Someday she'll say, pappy, can we get all the pictures out? Show me these pictures of Mommy. Tell me about mommy growing up. Yeah, and it's funny now because when I built the garage out there, we'd paint a car or something out there in the garage, and Brittany would come in the garage the next morning with me, and she'd say, dad, I love the smell of the garage after you've been working on something. Either the sanding on the car or the paint fumes are still in here. And she says something about that smell. I just love it. Well, back this summer, I painted a couple of them in the garage. And we got Aubrey that weekend, and she walked out in the garage, and.
- [37:59]
Mary Dodson
She says, pappy, I love this.
- [38:01]
Dave Dodson
I just love the smell of when you've been in here working on something and painting. She says, it just. And I was like, wow, this is a flashback of Brittany.
- [38:12]
Mary Dodson
Brittany had a way about her. She loved people, she loved life. She had that energy about her, you know what I mean?
- [38:22]
Dennis Cooper
As you can tell, Dave and Mary adore their granddaughter, Aubrey. I saw recently on the justice for Britney Facebook page that she's grown a lot over the past few years. Doing the math, I would guess she's a teenager now. However, when we met, she was still a child. But let me tell you, that girl was wise beyond her years and she's obviously a tough kid, just like her mom was. I remember Dave and Mary telling us about all the similarities between Brittany and Aubrey and how in all the little things that girl does, they see flashes of Brittany, which I know they're thankful for. Hearing about the person Brittany was, I'm not surprised when Dave and Mary tell me their kids don't like talking about this stuff. I can't imagine what it's like losing a sister. And keep in mind, her four siblings were much younger then. The oldest, Josh, was 26 at the time, Dusty was 20, Tanner 16, and the youngest, Emily, just 12 years old. When she lost her only sister. The two youngest, Tanner and Emily, also happened to be sitting out on the patio with us now. They snuck outside sometime during our talk with Dave and Mary. I can tell they are both apprehensive but considering talking to us. Emily is leaning back in her chair, keeping to herself. She's no longer the kid pictured in Mary's albums. She's an adult now with kids of her own. She was actually pregnant with her second child at the time of this. Eventually she came around to the idea of a brief sit down with us and told us a little more about her sister. What do you remember about her?
- [39:59]
Mary Dodson
She was really down to earth, so that was a plus side, but definitely had an attitude.
- [40:07]
Dennis Cooper
Did y' all spend a lot of time together?
- [40:09]
Mary Dodson
Yeah, we did almost everything together. A lot of times we'd take Aubrey to like the park or went to the zoo a lot. That was one thing she'd like to do. We went to the zoo all the time. The time when fishing, we used to go out on Eagle Creek and go fishing all the time. My sister and me did everything together. I was always at her house, you know, we was always together. She was that one person that I call and then she was kind of like the glue. She was always wanting to get together, wanted to do cookouts, wanted to, you know, do that kind of stuff. Wanted to make little like pointless trips of let's go to the petting zoo this weekend or let's Go do this. She was pretty much what kept everybody really close. It was hard because, you know, you have that one person that you want to call, and that was my sister.
- [41:09]
Dennis Cooper
To lose someone you're that close with at such a young age has to be devastating. You can't prepare for that. At least when you're an adult, you have some years under your belt. And not to mention you have responsibilities. Distractions may be a better word, but for a kid, that had to be tough. But Emily says it's made the family closer again. They were always close. That wasn't up for debate. But after the loss of Brittany, their bond only strengthened. This family doesn't go it alone. They go together. You can see that just in the way they interact with each other. There was no magic in getting Emily and Tanner to talk about their sister. Just two siblings making a pact. If you talk, I'll talk. Here's Brittany's younger brother, Tanner.
- [42:01]
Dave Dodson
I mean, she was a very loving, caring person, and she was a great, great mother. I will say that she had a heart bigger than anybody I know. I mean, she would do anything for you.
- [42:21]
Dennis Cooper
I know that some of this can sound a bit cliche, the mentions of Brittany having a big heart and loving people and loving life in general, but I still chose to drive this point home because I believe it to be 100% accurate. A true depiction of her upstanding character. And frankly, we need more of that in this world. After hearing all the family speak about her, my takeaway was that Britney exemplified love. It's no wonder that the symbol everyone remembers her by is a heart with wings. Now, I know it's technically modeled after a favorite necklace that she wore, but still, the symbolism seems to encapsulate her perfectly, because by all accounts, she was seen as an angel, and still is to this day.
- [43:03]
Dave Dodson
It's even, like, just us going out there. I mean, she didn't have to have us out there pestering her every day, all day. And pretty much anything they'd done, he.
- [43:11]
Dennis Cooper
And his sister Emily were the ones doing the pestering.
- [43:15]
Dave Dodson
She pretty much took care of us for the most part through the summertime. We all had to pretty much mature up and learn how to deal with the situation a lot faster. Because, I mean, it's one thing for, like, your grandpa or something like that to die. I mean, it's. It's hard on you, but it's expected. And you definitely learn to deal with things in life a lot differently and have a look at life differently, of how everything should be.
- [43:53]
Dennis Cooper
You may not hear it in his voice, but you could see it in his face. He's shaken up from all this. He misses his sister. If she was sitting right here across.
- [44:05]
Mary Dodson
From like I am, what would you say to her?
- [44:21]
Dennis Cooper
Tanner steps away for a moment. So this was obviously a very memorable moment when Tanner stood up mid interview and walked away from the table. To clarify, there were no hard feelings either way. It was not an angry storming away. Things just got emotional and he needed a break. I get that. But it was the first time I'd experienced something like this, someone getting up and leaving mid interview. I felt terrible at first, like what the heck did I do wrong? I know it's a hard subject to talk about, but still, I don't ever want to purposefully upset a family member because ultimately I'm thankful for anyone who's willing to be vulnerable and talk about this kind of stuff. That's very much the heart of these stories I tell. That's how you move listeners, is by hearing people talk in a very raw and moving kind of way. So Tanner, if you're listening, I really appreciate you taking the time to open up that day and for returning to the table to finish our conversation.
- [45:27]
Dave Dodson
I'm amazed that you got him to talk that much better because none of us them have really opened up and said what was in their heart. I don't talk about this stuff a lot. I try not to because it's upsetting. But to answer your question, I would probably just tell her a loafer. I mean that's the main thing. I loved her that much. You know the hard part? She wasn't involved in nothing. It's not like she was on drugs or into illegal activity or and that's what pisses me off the most. This was a good hearted person that this should have never happened to.
- [46:55]
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Mary Dodson
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Mary Dodson
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- [48:26]
Dennis Cooper
The more we speak with the family, the more we can feel the rawness and the impact of their loss. We let the dust settle out back and head inside where Mary meets us in the kitchen. She's still prepping food, but it's much further along now and I can tell all the conversation is weighing on her. She reiterates the importance of the day.
- [48:50]
Mary Dodson
Well, Brittany was killed on her daddy's birthday and we've really not done anything other than the candlelight vigil for Brittany. We've really not done anything for his birthday or anything. It's hard to celebrate. You know, you lost your child on your birthday so this is the first year that we are doing something for Dave for his birthday and we're gonna go to the candlelight vigil and have the candlelight vigil and then we are going to come home and have a big old dinner together. So we are gonna do that this evening.
- [49:25]
Dennis Cooper
Yes, you heard that correctly. Brittany was killed on her father's birthday and not just any time in the day. She was actually en route to her parents for the celebration. Coincidence? We'll get to that later. As Mary said, you can imagine the challenge of honoring both life and death all on the same day. I don't know how you do it, but they're finding a way to make it work. It's pretty crazy that this was Dave's first birthday celebration since losing Brittany and we just happened to be there that same year. I didn't feature this in the podcast, but that night we joined everyone back at the Dodson's house to celebrate, which was really cool to be a part of. And after smelling the food that Mary had been prepping throughout the long day of recording, we were all more than happy to partake I actually remember sitting off to the side with a plate of food, speaking with some of Brittany's family. And I kept looking over at Dave, I think just to see how he was responding to the festivities. He told me candidly why he struggles to celebrate his birthday anymore, understandably. And I guess a part of me was worried that he wouldn't really be able to enjoy the moment. Now I can't speak for him, but based on some of the interactions I witnessed from afar and a conversation that he and I had later in the night before heading home, I'd like to think that Dave did enjoy himself that night. And that was a comforting thought.
- [50:48]
Mary Dodson
You told me I couldn't do that. Not on the line.
- [50:53]
Dennis Cooper
As Mary does her best to tend to both the food and now her grandchildren, I take a moment to find Dave. He's actually in the room next to us. One of those living areas you step down into. As I approach, he's putting a DVD in the player. Let's meet him right now. Contestant number one, please. Angela Lynn Bell from Georgetown. Contestant number two, from Ripley, Brittany Ann Dodson. Brittany saunters across the stage of a pageant at the local tobacco festival wearing a black sequined dress with a number two pinned to her hip. Her wavy brown hair sways across her back as she comes to the front of the stage and grabs the microphone to introduce herself.
- [51:38]
Mary Dodson
Good evening. I'm Brittany Dodson, the proud daughter of Mary and David Dodson of Ripley, Ohio. I attend Ripley High School and after. After graduation, I plan to attend AMI and further my job in motorcycle construction.
- [51:54]
Dennis Cooper
We watch as Brittany walks off the stage and the next contestant takes her place. Dave turns the volume down and turns towards us.
- [52:06]
Dave Dodson
But it's kind of a rough day. I mean, I'm used to her being here.
- [52:13]
Dennis Cooper
What were birthdays like before eight years.
- [52:15]
Narrator/Advertiser
Ago.
- [52:17]
Dave Dodson
Everybody was always here, usually on the birthday, and there she is. Griffin, your future plans are to build custom motorcycles.
- [52:31]
Dennis Cooper
How will you overcome the obstacle of being in a predominantly man male profession?
- [52:40]
Mary Dodson
I think because it's a male profession, it drives me to want to do it more. It drives me to want to prove everybody that a female can be in this kind of business and make a living in.
- [52:57]
Dennis Cooper
Okay, we got to take a minute to recognize this because I found it really cool that Brittany's dream was to get into motorcycle engineering. It's not every day you hear a woman eager to step into a field like that, a very male dominated field at that. But that's Brittany for you. She loved a challenge and she Loved the work itself. Some of Dave's favorite memories are working on cars and bikes with her in the driveway, and he takes credit for teaching her a thing or two. And I imagine she would have put a lot of guys to shame in a garage somewhere had she just had the opportunity to pursue her passion number two. Dave reacts with a smirk and says Brittany loved being told she couldn't do something. Look, there's no way to put yourself in this family's shoes, but we're here on this day to try and walk alongside them. Up next is the hardest part of the day. Every year, the family has this tradition, a roadside memorial. You could call it the one Mary mentioned earlier. It's their way of honoring Brittany, keeping her in the hearts and minds of the folks who still attend these and hopefully anyone passing by. Back at the gravel driveway where our day began, we start figuring out who's riding with who. Between the Dodson family, all the grandkids, and our team, there's more people here than you can count. I'm told I'll be riding with Dave in his white compact firetruck, courtesy of the Ripley Fire Department. It's now a retired historical vehicle, as written in gold letters on the driver's side door. I'm also told Aubrey will be tagging along with us. I thought that might happen when I heard what vehicle we were driving in. As we crawl down Highway 68 in the Antique truck, looking out to the left or the right, everything kind of runs together. There's nothing to really grab your attention, just a bunch of green lining the highway. But when that monument finally came into view, it was pretty hard to miss. Some of the early comers were already standing around it. The wooden cross towers over, each of them attached near the top of the cross. Just below Brittany's name is a large floral heart with wooden wings jutting out from the sides. It's modeled after the charm on Brittany's favorite necklace she wore everywhere. The same design can be seen on the backs of Dave and Mary's bright orange shirts, along with the words and loving memory. Mary is already standing near the cross, chatting with a small group of people. I go over to eavesdrop.
- [55:52]
Mary Dodson
They're assembling lights for me because he brought lights to put around the yes, the gentleman there with the flag shirt on. He's the one that brought the big, beautiful angels. And.
- [56:08]
Dennis Cooper
Out of the corner of my eye, I see red and blue lights pulsating. An unmarked police car pulls up with the rest of the vehicles, and an officer emerges from it he walks over to Dave. How we doing?
- [56:20]
Dave Dodson
Doing well.
- [56:20]
Mary Dodson
How are you?
- [56:21]
Dave Dodson
Doing all right.
- [56:23]
Dennis Cooper
This is Sergeant Quinn Carlson with the Brown County Sheriff's Office. He's the one currently investigating. Investigating Brittany's case. He comes here every year in support. I'm very hopeful in the avenues I'm pursuing.
- [56:36]
Dave Dodson
I will get you closure on this.
- [56:41]
Dennis Cooper
Sergeant Carlson got here just in time. I can see white candles getting passed around.
- [56:46]
Mary Dodson
Are we ready? If you want to gather around so I don't have to yell, I'm loud. But.
- [56:55]
Dennis Cooper
As tradition, everyone holds a lit candle, and Mary stands front and center, addressing the crowd and simultaneously, her daughter Brittany.
- [57:06]
Mary Dodson
We come here to remember Brittany, and blessings come to you in different shapes, different forms. And today, the only thing I could think of was blessings. What I want to say is, even though you may be having hard time in your life, look for the blessings. The blessings are there. I may not have my daughter with me physically, but she's been with me all day. The blessings are there. Bob, will you say a prayer for us?
- [57:43]
Dennis Cooper
Lord, we first want to give you our praise and our thanks for how faithful, how good you are to us.
- [57:49]
Dave Dodson
And most of all, Lord, for your.
- [57:50]
Dennis Cooper
Mercy and grace and the peace that you can bring to our lives. I know it can be hard to really put someone in the moment when you're working with just audio and no video. That's the challenge with pipes casting, after all. But I hope this moment resonated with listeners as much as it did me and every other person standing out in the field that day. I can't overstate the wisdom in Mary's words. Her message was simple. Look for the blessings. They are there. Her example, Britney is no longer with her in the flesh, but in spirit. She had been with her all day while she was prepping food for Dave's birthday. Brittany was there, just like she always would have been. When Dave was showing us around the lot and talking about the various cars that he and Brittany worked on together, she was there alongside him like she always would have been. And in this moment on the side of US 68, where Brittany's life was tragically taken, you bet. She was right there with all of us. In spirit, I would guess. There were roughly 50 people there, and you could tell that every single one of them were moved by Mary's words. Most of the folks made sure to tell her that afterwards, and the majority stuck around for quite a while, as did we. But the minute it started clearing out, I remember Dave came over to us and something unexpected happened, which should be Coming up next, it was an odd but equally moving moment, just in a different way. At this point, I didn't really know much about what had happened to Brittany. I knew it occurred in this area, but I kind of assumed that it happened in the field where we held the memorial service. But this was the moment where I learned that we were still several feet from where the incident actually occurred. Dave had offered to walk us to the exact spot where Craig discovered Brittany's Jeep years ago in the woods that run alongside the field, which would make for a very surreal moment that really shifted our focus towards the investigation and everything else we'd go on to learn on our journey. As the crowd starts to disperse, out of the blue, I hear Dave calling us over to him. He says he wants to walk us down into the trees where Brittany's Jeep was found. We follow.
- [60:12]
Dave Dodson
When you see where I'm taking you, you'll understand why. I say she wasn't. She was trying to get away from somebody. See, they never would tell me where she was.
- [60:22]
Dennis Cooper
That.
- [60:22]
Dave Dodson
But the way I figured it out, I got here and I started walking, and then I started finding the busted mirror and pieces of the Jeep laying up in there. So I knew where the Jeep landed. She came down through here and. And landed clear up there in them trees. Who was sitting right here? She was trying to get away from somebody. I don't buy the whole thing. She died the second they shot her. I. I still think somebody went down there and finished what they started.
- [60:54]
Dennis Cooper
Dave has his theories. He's of the belief that the final shot was taken where we're standing now rather than on the highway. That in cold blood, someone intentionally took Brittany's life, the life of her unborn child, and very nearly her daughter Aubrey's life. His theory could be right. But know that this is a case where everyone has their theories. Sergeant Carlson tells us that from the outset, one of the biggest challenges with this case is how it can seem so random, yet so directed at the same time. It begs the question, was it coincidence or was it by design? Just determining a motive can be exhausting. And as far as determining who is culpable, well, that's also proven to be quite the challenge when you get involved in something of this nature and this serious, and you can go down certain avenues where you think you got this thing solved. Everything's making sense, everything's clicking just to find out at the end, it absolutely led nowhere. To pull yourself out of that kind of hole and to look at it with fresh eyes is very difficult. You know, I didn't realize it at the time, but now, years removed from this, I can say I know that feeling he described to feel like some days you're making all this progress, and then other days feeling like you've made none. Now, to be fair, I wouldn't say the investigation led nowhere, mine or law enforcement's for that matter. But I appreciate his honest take here, as I know that inner turmoil all too well, because so long as a case is open or unsolved, how can you rest in any of what's been accomplished? The sting he described doesn't come as a result of making no progress. If anything, it comes from the reality that you've made lots of progress, just not enough to bring the justice that Brittany deserves and that her family has desperately wanted for all these years. That said, it's never too late to change that, and that's why it's important that we keep these stories in the forefront and why I wanted to put a spotlight on this once again. Now, years removed, because it takes diligence to solve a case, and it takes even more the longer it goes unsolved. While I wish I could have found that one thing that could crack this case once and for all, I also take comfort in the fact that Brittany now has countless people in her corner who will never truly rest until her case is solved. And I hope that the Brown County Sheriff's Office continues to treat her case with that same urgency and doesn't let up until it's resolved. If we're going to look at this with fresh eyes, we'll need to put people's theories aside and try to come at it from a new perspective. The answers are out there. We just got to find them. This is a true whodunit, because you can look at this from all the normal angles of casework, of homicide investigations, all the different ways they tell you to look at it, and every one will lead you to a different conclusion. This is the trip that started everything. It's what really got our wheels spinning. But looking back now, we were barely scratching the surface.
- [64:02]
Mary Dodson
Brittany called me, couldn't breathe like crying, and I was like, brittany, what's wrong? Do I need to come get you?
- [64:10]
Dennis Cooper
I'm sure you've had people accuse you.
- [64:12]
Craig Lebel
Of something in life.
- [64:14]
Dennis Cooper
Now magnify that by a thousand, and they're blaming you for killing your own family.
- [64:21]
Craig Lebel
I mean, if that don't piss you off.
- [64:23]
Dennis Cooper
Well, I know from different people we've talked to and different interviews that have been done that some people we've talked to know more than they've told us about, but also there's somebody out there that knows everything. Thank you all for listening to this episode alongside me. I know that someday I'd love to keep listening beyond episode one and relive the entire series. So if you enjoyed this, please take a moment to reach out and let us know that I have one quick announcement for you before I go, and that is that next week we'll be back with another bonus episode where I'll be talking with Britney's sister Emily and reflecting on all that's happened since airing this story. So please be sure to tune in for that until next time.
- [65:25]
Narrator/Advertiser
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