AL AL - Brittney Wood, 19, Mobile, 31 May 2012 - # 4

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I want to start off with a thank you to Astrokitty for your very informative post. I don't know where you grew up or where you live now but I grew up in the Theodore area of Mobile County. The same proximity as where BW went missing. Most of the person's I went to high school with still live here, even the drug addict types. I still run into some of them as I am out and about. I'm telling you right now, and this is my opinion based on my experiences here and the culture I grew up with in this area, there is NO way she left this area alive. Cultures change depending on the location but I don't see her running away and never contacting anyone for any reason because, whether it was messed up or not, this was her life. It goes against all psychological reasoning even for someone with as serious an addiction as BW might have had. All of her support system (monetarily and socially) is in this area. Right up to the day she disappeared she was texting and posting on fb as any normal teenage female typically would, then nothing.

I don't believe this is the same area that BW grew up in though. Her FB page says she attended Alma Bryant High School which, a little history lesson for those who don't live here, used to be Mobile County High School, also called Grand Bay, and Alba High School located in Bayou La Batre. They were combined in 1998 to form Alma Bryant. This being the case, BW would have had to live, or her listed home adress would have to be, in the Grand Bay or Bayou La Batre area. This indicates that she lived in that area or could mean that most of her interactions would be with those she knew from this area, outside her family. But seriously, we are talking about 10 to 15 miles, at most, separating the three communities. I'm willing to bet that, if she was taken to Grand Bay, she wasn't dropped off at that truck stop but continued on to another place, possibly a "friends" house in that area.

One point I would like to take issue with you is this assumption that her family is denying her drug history. I have dealt with her family (parents) personally, and I would like to mention that from those dealings I can say with all certainty that they are hiding nothing nor are they denying her history. If anything, their complaint has been that LE has been relying too much on her drug history as an explanation of what happened to her rather than leaving the doors open for the possibility that something more sinister occured. I tend to believe as her family does, they hope she is alive but are resigned to the ever growing reality that she is most likely not.

You are truly a success story and I believe that BW's family would love it if BW has followed along the same path that you did to recovery. Let's hope...
 
I appreciate your insight Astrokitty. I hope you are right and she just "took off". I just can't help but believe she is not alive. :( I don't see any signs of her being unhappy or disgusted with her lifestyle. (if that makes sense). I just think she didn't know any better, didn't know there was more to life than what she had. It's hard for me to say or understand this lifestyle because I grew up very sheltered. Very small town in rural MS and raised by Christian parents. I was raised to believe that people were "good" and were all equal in God's eyes. As an adult, registered nurse working ER in rural AL now, my eyes have really been opened. WOW!! I was sheltered. I thank God for my parents and my Christian upbringing and for a heart full of compassion for the people in this world that weren't raised the same. I look for Brittney daily around here as I go about my normal routine, so I guess part of me does believe she could still be alive. I would love to bring her home with me and show her what life could be without drugs. I have come to love this poor girl that I have never met in my life.
 
Let me try and make it more clear, because when I posted this - I was only trying to give a shake-up of sorts "Hey! Addicts do things differently!".

I'm not from that area of the country and rather not disclose where I'm from, but I came from small town America where when I visit, I can't go anywhere without seeing someone on meth. Seriously, it's that bad.This town sounds like Tillman's in that aspect (family taking care of each other and good ole' boys). I've lived most of my life in NYC and Chicago, where people like Brittney would be absolutely presumed dead right away. The streets eat people up. In smaller towns, there are homes - people - families.

Anyway, addressing the aspect of her family: What I meant when I said about the drug use is that while I feel they acknowledge it, unless they themselves are former addicts - I can't help but feel there is a sense of denial. And like someone else pointed out, they want the focus to be on finding her, not VIEWING her as an addict. That's fine but she is an addict and in order to find her (and believe me, I get their frustration), they have to look where she used and who she used with. I'm telling you this as a former run away and a former addict. My parents likened me for dead and if a pretty white girl from an affluent family can't get LE attention - BW won't either. Their best bet is a private detective or turning this over to the drug task force too. I do not feel her parents are pushing the envelop of how desperate it is that she seeks treatment but this could be for several reasons and one being, I doubt they want her suppliers coming for them.

No matter how great you think your friends are: When crap hits the fan in the drug world - they would rather drop your Od'ing body off on the side of the road than take you to the ER. Period. If they shake up and start busting people that were around her, someone will want to strike a plea. Be it where she's at or where they can find her.

I do not see how she died during the DH shooting. I don't. It goes against anything we know that a murder/suicide would result into him hiding the body, using her gun and offing himself. Why would he hide her? Stranger things have happened and I truly believe he must've been the "king pin" on some note (sexual abuse or drugs) and I feel it's the latter. An opiate abuser would rather die than dry out in jail. Ask one.

I just want to make a few notes:
1. She supported her habit prior to taking off. How? And don't' say by dealing because she'd have to have a lab (shake n' bake or not). She'd have to have a car to run her deals unless they were coming to her. It's most likely something else and I'm not going to write it here but use your imagination. I'm sure she could more than support it after.

2. While the demographic wouldn't leave her area and never come back (hey, she may as well one day return) - if your family was in this chaotic state and you are in full on addict mode (I don't like the word junkie) - would you stick around? Or would you hitchhike and get the heck out of dodge? maybe when she left she had plans to return in a week, look what transpired in a week.

3. She could get a new cell phone, sim card and minutes for trade or purchase at any truck stop. pre-paid has essentially one use in the world of drugs. She went off a family plan where I'm sure her parents were footing the bill, something paranoid her enough to go pre-paid OR they told her enough was enough.

4. And about FB. I have this entire other life (personal) and do not log in for months. I didn't care, I was going through drama / depression and didn't even want to look at that inbox. Not everyone has stable internet use and not everyone cares to read bad things. She also probably believes she's in deep and with paranoid delusions, I sincerely doubt she would tempt the hands of fate and go looking into her FB. For all we know, she had a 2nd account (I do and many people I know do).

If she didn't make it, and I hope that's not the case. She might've taken off into the woods ... I don't' know the heat index there but here it's broken history. She could have expired there, tired and dehydrated. I do not feel she was murdered and I don't feel it's an overdose. Someone would have found her by now if it was an overdose. Addicts tend to shoot up in bathrooms, where the door locks and the world doesn't intrude. She doesn't seem streetwise (yet), and hopefully she won't get that way. But for a 19 year old with a habit to feed and a family that's this intense, she would be like 90% of women I know.
 
AstroKitty said:
Let me try and make it more clear, because when I posted this - I was only trying to give a shake-up of sorts "Hey! Addicts do things differently!".

I'm not from that area of the country and rather not disclose where I'm from, but I came from small town America where when I visit, I can't go anywhere without seeing someone on meth. Seriously, it's that bad.This town sounds like Tillman's in that aspect (family taking care of each other and good ole' boys). I've lived most of my life in NYC and Chicago, where people like Brittney would be absolutely presumed dead right away. The streets eat people up. In smaller towns, there are homes - people - families.

Anyway, addressing the aspect of her family: What I meant when I said about the drug use is that while I feel they acknowledge it, unless they themselves are former addicts - I can't help but feel there is a sense of denial. And like someone else pointed out, they want the focus to be on finding her, not VIEWING her as an addict. That's fine but she is an addict and in order to find her (and believe me, I get their frustration), they have to look where she used and who she used with. I'm telling you this as a former run away and a former addict. My parents likened me for dead and if a pretty white girl from an affluent family can't get LE attention - BW won't either. Their best bet is a private detective or turning this over to the drug task force too. I do not feel her parents are pushing the envelop of how desperate it is that she seeks treatment but this could be for several reasons and one being, I doubt they want her suppliers coming for them.

No matter how great you think your friends are: When crap hits the fan in the drug world - they would rather drop your Od'ing body off on the side of the road than take you to the ER. Period. If they shake up and start busting people that were around her, someone will want to strike a plea. Be it where she's at or where they can find her.

I do not see how she died during the DH shooting. I don't. It goes against anything we know that a murder/suicide would result into him hiding the body, using her gun and offing himself. Why would he hide her? Stranger things have happened and I truly believe he must've been the "king pin" on some note (sexual abuse or drugs) and I feel it's the latter. An opiate abuser would rather die than dry out in jail. Ask one.

I just want to make a few notes:
1. She supported her habit prior to taking off. How? And don't' say by dealing because she'd have to have a lab (shake n' bake or not). She'd have to have a car to run her deals unless they were coming to her. It's most likely something else and I'm not going to write it here but use your imagination. I'm sure she could more than support it after.

2. While the demographic wouldn't leave her area and never come back (hey, she may as well one day return) - if your family was in this chaotic state and you are in full on addict mode (I don't like the word junkie) - would you stick around? Or would you hitchhike and get the heck out of dodge? maybe when she left she had plans to return in a week, look what transpired in a week.

3. She could get a new cell phone, sim card and minutes for trade or purchase at any truck stop. pre-paid has essentially one use in the world of drugs. She went off a family plan where I'm sure her parents were footing the bill, something paranoid her enough to go pre-paid OR they told her enough was enough.

4. And about FB. I have this entire other life (personal) and do not log in for months. I didn't care, I was going through drama / depression and didn't even want to look at that inbox. Not everyone has stable internet use and not everyone cares to read bad things. She also probably believes she's in deep and with paranoid delusions, I sincerely doubt she would tempt the hands of fate and go looking into her FB. For all we know, she had a 2nd account (I do and many people I know do).

If she didn't make it, and I hope that's not the case. She might've taken off into the woods ... I don't' know the heat index there but here it's broken history. She could have expired there, tired and dehydrated. I do not feel she was murdered and I don't feel it's an overdose. Someone would have found her by now if it was an overdose. Addicts tend to shoot up in bathrooms, where the door locks and the world doesn't intrude. She doesn't seem streetwise (yet), and hopefully she won't get that way. But for a 19 year old with a habit to feed and a family that's this intense, she would be like 90% of women I know.
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Well it sure seems someone took her to that truck stop.
there could have been someone waiting there for her to take her away!

Sadly I believe she isnt with us any longer!
 
Please don't take as what I'm saying as slander or false hope. I really want to stress how different the world is for a user and I believe Zeaux made it abundantly clear that BW had serious issues. Serious isn't binging. Serious results in your child being taken away or not being able to care for them so you don't hand them over to the parents you live with - but the man you made the child with. That is a big red flag right there on many many levels. I have my own theories and if this came to me as a detox patient with her step mother and father sitting across from me, I would have a few questions.

"If you knew it was this bad, your grand child is gone - your daughter is wanting to walk 40 miles and the uncle deals in Rx meds... why on earth did you not step up to the plate?". Why?

She's an adult now, her decisions are of her own, but it sounds like the drug issue began 3 years ago. She would have been 16. They had a child pregnant at 16 (or 15). Maybe this is an a skewed way of believing or what have you but we live in 2012 with internet access and the ability to see a typical family dynamic. I also did a search to see clinics in that area. There are 5. 3 in Tillman's corner and they are methadone. I can look at her eyes and the pupils are pinned (sign of opiates). I'm not doubting the meth but I think it went both ways. What we knew as speedballs in the 70s-90s is now Oxys and meth. She needs to be found and a clear message needs to be brought to the community that there is help out there. Why won't anyone try harder? Sadly, I can say the same where I'm from - except the nearest methadone clinic is 1.5 hours away with a one year waiting list, so most people don't bother. They OD or kill themselves. Trust me, I've left a small town for a really good reason.
 
Bad things happen when people are 'using" I don't live where I grew up anymore, but there were several people I knew/know (since grade school ...like for a really long time) We have no idea what is going on in an addicts head. I found out recently these people I used to know tied up a girl beat her and shoved her in the trunk of a car, and went into the house "partied" while she was either dead or getting ready to die. I was floored when I found out, because NONE of these people were that way before they turned into addicts.
I hope that is not the case w/Brittany.
 
I really wish I could recall the show on ID (channel) where a woman and her mother fought bitterly about the daughters alcohol abuse. A man even went to jail for the assumption that he killed her. She was located (the daughter) 15 years later. She said she had, had enough and simply went to a truck stop (as the man said), asked for a ride and left. She left behind her purse, her keys and child. She was later located in Maine, married and sober for 15 years. It does happen, we just rarely hear of it.
 
Since I'm up - with a day off, has anyone thought to sleuth "Backpage.com" in adult services? I know .. I know but let's be realistic. She paid for this habit and if she's out there, she's without family or help. Backpage, craigslist would be a start.
 
Even if Brittney was making her way to DH's house for drugs, which she may well have been doing, I can't imagine his death does not relate to her not being around anymore. Something happened that resulted in his death and made her flee or she was killed first.

But-if she was killed in some kind of a scuffle, etc...where is her body? How good would these people be at hiding a body, or is it that the searching has not been very thorough? Have other people simply vanished from this area, presumed to be "druggies", so no one really raised a fuss? Or is she the only one?

While I do believe it is totally possible for someone to do a runner and manage to survive by their wits, etc...without being found, there are too many elements within this group of people that make Brittney being alive and on the run seem less likely to me.
 
I agree with the entire death of DH and the disappearance being strange, to put it lightly but unless there's evidence of a crime scene (beyond him) - she's out there. I hate that people presume someone dead before they assume them to be alive. I'm not an optimistic person when it comes to the outcome of an addict and more so, one that runs around with sex offenders - however, there's zero indication she's dead. None. No blood. No items left behind. We have no idea on the cell phone issues. In my opinion if she was "dead", Klass wouldn't go door to door, they would be doing ariel searches, correct? The over all idea is, she's in a bad way and if not found, unsavory things could happen. It looks as though she's called mommy and daddy when needed and without that connection they are fearful (and rightfully so).

I just don't know why people wouldn't say:

How's she supporting her habit (that's the MAIN key to where to find her, the main!).
Is she dancing (stripper) does she have friends that do so, who would take her into a club, change her hair color and in a shifty shady backwoods club in another city - no one would know. She could walk into the bar I used to work in and I'd have no idea. There's a code of "don't ask".

If I were there, I would start at the clubs within a 1 hour radius and I would have been hunting online.TO start over you abandon it all. And I only bring up her photo, looking very pregnant because - there's no way that's just the way the shirt falls. She's stated as being 105 lbs (?) That photo looks like someone who's "dropped" and ready to birth. There's more to the story and I have a hanky feeling there's a big piece of the puzzle being left out.

Either way, there's hope for her - if she wants it. And if she's deceased, she wouldn't be hard to find because like someone else pointed out - addicts are people of impulse and I don't think they would really bury her etc. And again, that's saying her family disposed of her after visiting DH. Unless he traveled many miles, she probably copped her "meds" and it was stated she had traded the gun prior (maybe he kept it in the car), and he knew that day he was to be brought in and chose to end it. Maybe he was on his way? Who knows, the man took it to his grave but I highly doubt he killed her. More like gave away things if it were a suicide (because most do).
 
cluciano63 said:
Even if Brittney was making her way to DH's house for drugs, which she may well have been doing, I can't imagine his death does not relate to her not being around anymore. Something happened that resulted in his death and made her flee or she was killed first.

But-if she was killed in some kind of a scuffle, etc...where is her body? How good would these people be at hiding a body, or is it that the searching has not been very thorough? Have other people simply vanished from this area, presumed to be "druggies", so no one really raised a fuss? Or is she the only one?

While I do believe it is totally possible for someone to do a runner and manage to survive by their wits, etc...without being found, there are too many elements within this group of people that make Brittney being alive and on the run seem less likely to me.
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Can't get the river out of my mind. Wonder what it's flow path is, where does it feed into, inhabitants, access points, depth, etc...

Totally agree, hope she's alive but not likely. Searched her entire online patterns & nothing whatsoever leads me to believe she left alive. If she was strung out on drugs, she would have still posted as she's done in the past - all of her social networking posts for years suggest she's always kept in touch even while high or drunk. If she is in fact alive & gone on her own accord, then she most certainly would have broken her pattern, which up until her very last conversation with her mother would have been to not leave her daughter & not do without her social networking.
 
AstroKitty said:
Since I'm up - with a day off, has anyone thought to sleuth "Backpage.com" in adult services? I know .. I know but let's be realistic. She paid for this habit and if she's out there, she's without family or help. Backpage, craigslist would be a start.
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I believe that her habit was sustained by her uncle(s). They may have even been her suppliers. Who knows in this case. I can say that, up until several months ago, DH/WWH had given her rides everywhere and supplied her with a phone on their family plan as well as gave her money for common things. She did have several jobs at various times. Also, her staying at the Styx River house was more common than it seems. There she could probably get away with more activities than at home with mother and younger siblings around.

There was a common misconception early on that she hitchhiked everywhere and therefore it wouldn't be abnormal for her to accept rides from strangers. Let me be as clear as possible, this was a misconception. She never accepted rides from strangers. She would walk to area's close to where she lived with her mom, which as I pointed out in an earlier post, is not that far away. And when she couldn't walk to a place then she got a ride with friends or family. I have walked those streets a few times growing up and even recently. Eating establishments, grocery stores, gas stations and other places of business are less than three miles away. I-10 is only about five miles away.
 
AstroKitty said:
Since I'm up - with a day off, has anyone thought to sleuth "Backpage.com" in adult services? I know .. I know but let's be realistic. She paid for this habit and if she's out there, she's without family or help. Backpage, craigslist would be a start.
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Yes, I did. It was the first thing I did when I came to Brittney's thread. I'm not sure if Knox is on this thread or not, but she sleuths online stuff in the same manner as I. I didn't find anything but she could have used a different alias or email, therefore hindering being caught. There's another person from a different state with the same name as Brittney that did use CL but they're 2 completely different people, literally. BP was the first one I searched, then CL.

AstroKitty, wanted to say its so nice to see a new person on here, especially one that has overcome adversities & turned their attention to helping others. Congrats to you & your accomplishments!
 
AstroKitty said:
We have no idea on the cell phone issues. In my opinion if she was "dead", Klass wouldn't go door to door, they would be doing ariel searches, correct? The over all idea is, she's in a bad way and if not found, unsavory things could happen. It looks as though she's called mommy and daddy when needed and without that connection they are fearful (and rightfully so).
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Respectfully snipped...

BBM,

Klasskids went door to door because all leads had dried up. Searches were conducted with the assistance of information from local LE and since local LE has refused any outside help or to release any info they may have that is all the Klasskids can go on. Searches are still being conducted but on a more local level and Klasskids is assisting the family as they can. The issue here is funding for independent searches without LE support. It has been reduced to local individuals teaming up with family (parents) to do fundraisers and searches themselves. LE has stated their belief, and regardless of anything we do or say, they are not going to budge. The family (parents) and many of the local supporters do not share the same belief but have only asked that LE do a thorough investigation into her disappearance and even if that means some speculating and reviewing any evidence then it's worth a try.

All avenues should be explored, however, the path you are speaking of is the only one being chosen by LE. You ask why people can't accept this as a possibility and I say, equally, why can't people, including LE, accept the possibility of foul play?
 
Inthedetails04 said:
Respectfully snipped...

BBM,

Klasskids went door to door because all leads had dried up. Searches were conducted with the assistance of information from local LE and since local LE has refused any outside help or to release any info they may have that is all the Klasskids can go on. Searches are still being conducted but on a more local level and Klasskids is assisting the family as they can. The issue here is funding for independent searches without LE support. It has been reduced to local individuals teaming up with family (parents) to do fundraisers and searches themselves. LE has stated their belief, and regardless of anything we do or say, they are not going to budge. The family (parents) and many of the local supporters do not share the same belief but have only asked that LE do a thorough investigation into her disappearance and even if that means some speculating and reviewing any evidence then it's worth a try.

All avenues should be explored, however, the path you are speaking of is the only one being chosen by LE. You ask why people can't accept this as a possibility and I say, equally, why can't people, including LE, accept the possibility of foul play?
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It costs more to investigate a suspicious disappearance as opposed to a voluntary disappearance. The fact that le continue to say her disappearance isn't related to her uncle's suicide is in and of itself just wordspeak imo bc now it's public knowledge that Donnie Holland killed himself with Brittney's gun. The fact that it was her gun links her whether any of us like it or not. Period.

If a person is on antidepressants and you provide them with a gun (for whatever reason), would you hold any kind of blame? Yes.

If a person is a known drug addict, or rather has a penchant for muscle relaxers and/or pain pills, and you provide them with a gun - which they commit suicide with - could you be charged? Yes.

Would you provide a person with a gun that you know is under investigation for child molestation? No. If you did and they killed theirself, could you hold partial blame in impeding a legal investigation? Yes.

However, le and/or Britt's family insist she should come home and she's not in any trouble.

Riiiiiiiiiight...

She could have disappeared on her own OR she could be dead & waiting to be found. It's a 50/50 really.
 
Agh! Okay, well, I didn't know too much about Klass kids, so I do apologize for getting that wrong. I didn't intend to make it sound like she "hitchhiked". I guess in the world I lived in at one point, it was more bumming rides from people I "kinda" knew.

A major point was brought up "If she gave DH a gun.. could she be in trouble", yes. She would be highly hassled. Some laws differ everywhere but a federal law rarely does. Story time (so you can get some grasp of how I'm coming up with this):


I also worked as a hooker. I worked as a dancer. I'm telling you an insight that many do not live and do not understand how easily it is to go undetected (more so with online ads because people steal photos that look similar and use pre-paid cell phones and Gmail accounts). Dancers have it easier, go in - walk in - make money - leave. It's not hard to score, make a boyfriend happen or run off. People "want" to save these girls (or so they say).

I know this is a harsh and bitter outcome if she's alive but in reality, what other means would she have? While her family may have supported her (mostly out of guilt and hope - as did mine), they know her friends.

Trust me trust me - we drop off the planet and assume new false names, leaving behind friends and social networking because it's so easy to start over. Not too mention simple enough, if you do NOT trust anyone - to abandon them. I doubt she trusts anyone. My god, look at this mess!

All I'm stating is there are other possibilities than death. I want her alive but if she's not, I'm willing to accept that my assumptions and theories are wrong. My only hope in joining this, was to say "Been there, done that - I'm OK" and yes, I was in the Missing kids network and yet no one, found me (and I did not live a low profile).

Thank you to the kudos on my life, it's not easy (in fact I'm dealing with financial aide and student loans as we speak..agh!) but I run outreach programs and deal with this daily. I take calls from Rainn.org and I help because I like to think, that's all it would have taken for someone to have saved me from myself.
 
AstroKitty - You ARE Worthy & Deserving Of A Good Life, So Keep On Keeping On Honey.

I agree with your point. I'd like to add that I never hooked or danced but I did work for Hooters in college & made REALLY goooood money. I worked Super Bowl & made $1200 in 5 hours - kid you not. One of my neighbor's gf danced at Pure Platinum on OBT (not sure if it's still there) & she made enough to pay for a brand new vette convertible in 4 MONTHS. I came across sooo many college girls making spending money and/or tuition money by escorting in OC. Some patrons were le. OCFL is a far cry from Baldwin Cty AL as far as money is concerned, but the concept is the same.

However, even though I did research some of this stuff as a possibility in Brittney's case, there's nothing in her past to suggest she could have been doing that, other than being molested at a younger age.
 
Which brings me to this: Have we become privy to the person's name that molested Brittney when she was 9? We were told he's been in jail since.

I sure wish Zeaux would come back and post more.
 
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