The Brittany Stykes case: an ambush on a country road, and a toddler who survived.
On Aug 28, 2013, Brittany Stykes, 22 and pregnant, was shot to death in her Jeep on Ohio 68 near Georgetown while driving to her father's birthday celebration. Her toddler daughter was shot in the head and survived. No one has been charged.
Case file at a glance
This is one of the best-resourced unsolved cases in the region: more than 75 interviews, about $1 million spent, and a $50,000 reward. It still has no named suspect, no motive, and no shell casings. The family says it is no closer to an answer, and the sheriff says the case is active.
- An ambush-style attack.FOX19 describes the shooting as an ambush. She was shot multiple times and found dead at the wheel of her Jeep in woods off the road.
- A child survived.Her toddler daughter was shot in the head and survived. The sheriff's office says she has recovered.
- No casings, no motive.No shell casings were left at the scene and investigators have not found a motive.
- The family wants a state review.In March 2026 her father said the family asked the sheriff and prosecutor to request a review by the Ohio Attorney General's cold-case unit and had no luck so far.
Editorial assessment of public sources, not a finding of fact. Nobody named here has been charged unless this page says so.
What happened
Details come from FOX19 reports in 2023 and 2026. Times of day are not in the reports we read.
The drive
Brittany Stykes, 22 and pregnant, drives her yellow Jeep on Ohio 68 near Georgetown toward her father's birthday celebration. Her toddler daughter is with her. Security camera footage shows the Jeep shortly before the shooting.
The shooting
She is shot multiple times. Her daughter is shot in the head and survives. The Jeep is found deep in the woods with Stykes dead at the wheel. No shell casings are found.
Her husband at the time
Detectives first focus on her husband at the time. After interviews and polygraphs, the sheriff's office says he is no longer considered a suspect. He has denied involvement.
The Jeep
Her husband sues the sheriff's office for the Jeep and wins. It is returned to him in 2018.
Ten years
The sheriff's office says it has done more than 75 interviews and spent about $1 million. A $50,000 reward is offered. Detectives say they are using new technology to develop leads.
The family asks for a state review
Her father says the family has asked the sheriff and prosecutor to request a review by the Ohio Attorney General's cold-case unit and has had no luck so far.
Thirteen years
At a memorial on Ohio 68, Sheriff Christopher Hodges says the office is still working the case and will follow up on any leads. No new leads are reported.
Victims
A young woman on her way to a family birthday, and a child who lived.
Photo: Ohio Attorney General, unsolved-homicide listing. The source states no reuse license; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
DiedBrittany Stykes, 22
She was pregnant. Local reports describe the loss of her unborn child as well. She was driving to her father's birthday celebration.
Photo: Ohio Attorney General, unsolved-homicide listing. The source states no reuse license; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
SurvivedHer young daughter
Shot in the head in the same attack. The sheriff's office says she has fully recovered. We do not name her because she is a minor.
The photo of Brittany Stykes is from the Ohio Attorney General's listing and is credited under it. Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Evidence
What exists, and what each piece may or may not mean.
| Item | What is known | Disputed or unknown |
|---|---|---|
| The shooting | Multiple gunshots; ambush-style, per FOX19. | Weapon type and number of shooters: not public. |
| No shell casings | None were left at the scene. | Whether the weapon was a revolver or casings were collected: not public. |
| Security footage | Shows the Jeep driving shortly before she was found. | What else it shows: not public. |
| The Jeep | Held as evidence, then returned to her husband in 2018 after he sued. | What testing was done: not public. |
| Motive | None found, per the sheriff's office. | Whether the target was her, the vehicle, or someone else: unknown. |
Public documents
Local news reports and the state listing are the public record.
| Document | Holder | What it shows | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOX19: ten years later (2023) | FOX19 / WXIX | Facts, evidence, reward. | Online, free |
| Brittany Stykes, Unsolved Homicide | Ohio Attorney General | State listing (seen in search results; not opened). | Online, free |
| Brown County Sheriff case file; autopsy | Brown County Sheriff; Brown County Coroner | The investigation and autopsy. | Withheld or sealed |
Access labels: Online, free = we could open it. Fan-hosted copy = a private researcher posted scans; originals are held by the named agency, and we cannot vouch for completeness. Quoted in news = reporters read it; we did not see the document itself. Request needed = held by an agency or court. Withheld = the holder has not released it. We cannot reach non-public records, and we do not try to.
Online discussion (unverified)
Where people talk about this case online, and how to read it.
| Platform | Live search | What you tend to find |
|---|---|---|
| Google: Reddit | site:reddit.com search | Public Reddit threads that Google has indexed, including old discussions. |
| Google: X and Twitter | X and Twitter posts | Public posts and profiles that appear in search results. |
| Google: Facebook | Public Facebook pages and posts | Only public pages and groups that Google can see. Private groups never appear. |
| Google: Instagram and TikTok | Instagram and TikTok | Public posts, memorials, and videos. |
| Google: forums | Forums and message boards | Long-running true-crime forums. |
| Google News | Latest news | Newest reporting, which is usually more reliable than posts. |
| Search Reddit | Long discussion threads and theories, often by amateur researchers. No sign-in needed to read. | |
| X (Twitter) | Search X | Short posts, news links, and anniversary notes. May require sign-in. |
| Search Facebook | Public groups and family or community pages. Requires sign-in. | |
| Search #brittanystykes | Memorial and true-crime posts. Requires sign-in. | |
| YouTube | Search YouTube | Documentaries, news clips, and interviews. Quality varies widely. |
Be careful with online theories. Naming a private person as a suspect can harm an innocent family, and many "identifications" on forums have been wrong. Our own tools could not read these platforms: Reddit blocks automated access, and the others require an account. The Google searches above work from your browser. To get new public mentions by email, make a free Google Alert for the case name in quotation marks.
Coverage timeline and verification
What local and national reports say, and when we last checked for a solution.
| Date | Outlet | What it reported | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2023 | |||
| FOX19 / WXIX | |||
| Ten years on: 75+ interviews, $50,000 reward, no suspect. | |||
| Read | |||
| Mar 31, 2026 | |||
| FOX19 / WXIX | |||
| Family asks for a state cold-case review (summary seen in search results). | |||
| Read | |||
| Aug 29, 2026 | |||
| FOX19 / WXIX | |||
| Thirteenth anniversary; sheriff says the case is being worked. | |||
| Read |
Status is re-checked on a regular schedule. If you know of a development we missed, use the clue form near the top of this page or the contact form, and include a link.
Suspects
There is no publicly named suspect.
Her husband at the time
Why named: Detectives first focus on a spouse in cases like this, and the sheriff's office looked at him early.
Against: After interviews and polygraphs the sheriff's office says he is no longer considered a suspect. He denied involvement in a 2018 interview, and he won a lawsuit to get the Jeep back.
The shooter or shooters
Why named: Someone intercepted her on a rural road and shot both her and her child.
Against: No description, vehicle, or name has been released.
Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Latest lead: the push for a state cold-case review
The newest development is not a clue but a request: the family wants the Ohio Attorney General's cold-case unit to take a fresh look.
What is known
- The family says it asked the sheriff and prosecutor to request an Attorney General cold-case review in March 2026 and had no luck so far.
- Sheriff Christopher Hodges said in August 2026 the office is not letting the case go cold.
- A $50,000 reward is offered for information leading to a conviction.
What would settle it
- An independent review of the file by the state cold-case unit or another agency.
- Identify the vehicle or vehicles on the road that day from the security footage and other records.
- Re-test the Jeep and any retained items with current methods.
A planned attack, probably by someone who knew her route
We put the chance that the attack was targeted rather than random at roughly 75%, because it was an ambush on a known drive with no robbery reported. We put the chance of a solution within five years at roughly 12%, because the physical evidence appears thin.
Editorial judgment, not statistics.
Elimination matrix
"—" means no public information, not a clean result.
| Person or idea | Opportunity | Physical link | Legal outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Her husband at the time (unnamed) | ? unknown | — none published | ? no longer a suspect, per sheriff |
| Targeted attacker, unknown | ? knew her plans? | — none published | — unidentified |
| Random roadside attacker | ? possible | — none published | — unidentified |
✗ excluded or contradicted · ✓ supports · ? disputed · — nothing public. No cell is an official finding.
Our hypothesis
Editorial reading of public records. A working theory, not a finding, and it names no individual.
Someone planned to meet her on that road
- It looks planned. FOX19 calls it an ambush, and her Jeep was found off the road in woods.
- The route was predictable. She was going to a family event on a known road.
- The shooter did not stop at one person. A toddler in the car was also shot.
- The missing motive is the key. Nothing reported explains why she was targeted.
Judgment, not statistics.
Missing links
Questions raised by gaps in the public record.
1. The motive
Why she, or her vehicle, or someone else was the target.
2. The road
Other vehicles, cameras, and witnesses on Ohio 68 that day.
3. The weapon
Ballistics on the bullets recovered from her and her child.
4. The phone
Her calls, messages, and location data around the drive.
5. Who knew the plan
Everyone who knew she was driving to the birthday and when.
6. The review
Whether a state cold-case review has been requested or granted.
Evidence gaps
"Not public" means we could not find a report.
| Item | Tested | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Bullets from the victims | Presumably recovered at autopsy. | Ballistic results: not public. |
| The Jeep | Held, then returned in 2018. | Forensic results: not public. |
| Security footage | Shows the Jeep. | Full content: not public. |
| Sheriff's case file | Held by the Brown County Sheriff. | Public index: not available. |
Forensic tech
| Tool | What it could do | Status here |
|---|---|---|
| DNA from retained evidence | Identify a donor or exclude people. | Unknown; not reported |
| Forensic genetic genealogy | Identify an unknown donor from relatives. | Needs usable DNA; none reported |
| Ballistics database (NIBIN) | Link recovered casings or bullets to other crimes. | Not reported |
Solved cases
Local cases that moved after decades.
Carol Sue Klaber (Boone County, KY, 1976)
Investigators say a private genealogy investigation helped them identify Thomas Dunaway, who died in 1990, as the man who killed the 16-year-old. He cannot be indicted, so prosecutors sent a letter saying he would have been charged. The lesson: genealogy can name a killer after decades, even when no trial is possible.
Forensic genetic genealogy training
In 2024, local investigators were being trained in the technique, which has already helped solve Cincinnati-area cases, according to FOX19. The lesson: the tool is now local, so cases with usable DNA have a real path forward.
Golden State Killer
Old crime-scene DNA matched relatives in a public database and led to a 2018 arrest. The lesson: a usable sample can still work after decades.
Case details come from public news coverage and the Boone County Sheriff's cold-case list. Confirm in court records.
False leads
| Claim | Source and date | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| The husband at the time did it | Early focus; online discussion | The sheriff's office says he is no longer considered a suspect. |
| The case has gone cold | Family and some coverage | The sheriff says detectives are still actively working it. |
| Many tips are real | Detectives, 2023 | The sheriff's office says it has chased many false leads from attention-seeking people. |
Where
The shooting happened on US 68 / Ohio 68 south of Gooselick Road, near Georgetown in Brown County, about 40 minutes east of Cincinnati.
Open in maps: US 68 near Gooselick Road, Georgetown. We show no photograph of the scene.
Source ratings
| Source | Type | Rating | Use with care because |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOX19 / WXIX, Aug 2023 and Aug 2026 | Local news | B+ | Quotes the sheriff's office and the family; some points are their views. |
| FOX19 / WXIX, Mar 2026 | Local news | B+ | Reports the family's request. The outcome is not stated. |
| Ohio Attorney General listing | Agency | A | Seen in search results; we did not open it. |
| WCPO and Local 12 anniversary stories | Local news | B | Seen in search results; we did not open them. |
Records
Brown County Sheriff's Office
Lead agency. The office website has a page on the case. FOX19 listed (937) 378-4435 in 2023; please confirm before calling.
Brown County Prosecutor and Common Pleas Court
Charging decisions and any court records.
Ohio Attorney General (BCI)
The state's unsolved-homicide listing, and the cold-case unit the family has asked to review the case.
Sample public-records request
Under the Ohio Public Records Act, I request copies of non-exempt records relating to the August 28, 2013 homicide of Brittany Stykes on Ohio 68 in Brown County, including incident reports, laboratory reports, and any evidence inventory. Please send electronic copies. If any part is withheld, please identify the exemption relied on and release all reasonably segregable material.
Agencies often withhold records of open investigations, so expect partial answers.
Remembering the victims
Brittany was 22. Her parents hold a memorial on Ohio 68 each August.
News & databases
In the news
Loading headlines…
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Where they disagree, we say so above.
- Brittany Stykes: murder of pregnant woman remains unsolved 10 years later, FOX19 / WXIX, Aug 28, 2023 (date, place, evidence, reward, husband, Jeep).
- 13 years later, family still seeks justice for Brittany Stykes, FOX19 / WXIX, Aug 29, 2026 (sheriff statement, reward).
- Brown County family seeks new investigation into 2013 shooting death, FOX19 / WXIX, Mar 31, 2026 (request for state review; seen in search results, summary only).
- Brittany Stykes, Unsolved Homicide, Ohio Attorney General (seen in search results; not opened).
The 2013 sheriff statements and the ex-husband's lawsuit come from the 2023 FOX19 report. Her father's statement that the state BCI worked on the case only briefly is from search-result summaries and is unverified. The 2026 March article was not opened. Tip numbers are as published in 2023 and 2026.
Change log
- Oct 8, 2026: File published.