MI MI - Brittany Shank, 23, Sturgis, St. Joseph County, 30 Nov 2018

[Ozoner]

I very much doubt that Brittany is alive. Foul play seems probable, but I can't rule out the possibility that she could have fled into a remote area and died of exposure. She also could have had a head injury or other unknown internal injuries as a result of the car accident.
Could someone describe the terrain in the area surrounding the residence where Brittany was last seen? I have driven through southwest Michigan many times, but I can't say for certain whether I've been through St. Joseph County in particular. (I think of that part of the state as primarily agricultural.)

 

[FrostedGlass]

I very much doubt that Brittany is alive. Foul play seems probable, but I can't rule out the possibility that she could have fled into a remote area and died of exposure. She also could have had a head injury or other unknown internal injuries as a result of the car accident.
Could someone describe the terrain in the area surrounding the residence where Brittany was last seen? I have driven through southwest Michigan many times, but I can't say for certain whether I've been through St. Joseph County in particular. (I think of that part of the state as primarily agricultural.)

Google map shows the 33000 block area is a mix of farm fields and wooded areas. Paved road, fairly flat with enough distance between homes that it would have been tough (imo) to go from house to house in the cold, dressed as she was.

 

[Ozoner]

Google map shows the 33000 block area is a mix of farm fields and wooded areas. Paved road, fairly flat with enough distance between homes that it would have been tough (imo) to go from house to house in the cold, dressed as she was.

OK. If she ended up in a field that is under regular cultivation, then I think that she wood have been found. She could have ended up in a wooded area and not been found even if the area was searched.
Of course, if foul play was involved, then her body could have been moved anywhere and deliberately concealed or destroyed.

 

[FrostedGlass]

OK. If she ended up in a field that is under regular cultivation, then I think that she wood have been found. She could have ended up in a wooded area and not been found even if the area was searched.
Of course, if foul play was involved, then her body could have been moved anywhere and deliberately concealed or destroyed.

I found Brittany's case because her name came up in a murder trial in Elkhart Co., IN. If you have time, check out this case and see where there was a possible connection. Of all the cases I've followed, this one below eats at me. This links to the page about Brittany.
GUILTY - IN - Kimberly Dyer, 31, burned, tortured, mutilated, murdered, Elkhart, 22 Oct 2019 *Arrests*

 

[Ozoner]

OK. If she ended up in a field that is under regular cultivation, then I think that she wood have been found. She could have ended up in a wooded area and not been found even if the area was searched.
Of course, if foul play was involved, then her body could have been moved anywhere and deliberately concealed or destroyed.

*would have been found. (I hope that was an auto-correct error, otherwise I must have early onset dementia.)

 

[Ozoner]

I found Brittany's case because her name came up in a murder trial in Elkhart Co., IN. If you have time, check out this case and see where there was a possible connection. Of all the cases I've followed, this one below eats at me. This links to the page about Brittany.
GUILTY - IN - Kimberly Dyer, 31, burned, tortured, mutilated, murdered, Elkhart, 22 Oct 2019 *Arrests*

After reading through some of the posts in that thread, I don't think Porter was responsible for Kim Dyer's death. That sounds like a desperate ploy by the defense to try to fabricate an alternative theory of the crime and create reasonable doubt. That's my impression at first blush, anyway.

 

[Niner]

@Ozoner - here's my notes for Brittany's case:


Brittany was last seen near the 33000 block of Fawn River Road on Nov. 30, 2018 at approximately 9:40 p.m. She was last seen with a white male, approximately mid-20s in age & 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 in height with short blonde hair & muttonchop-style sideburns. Reported missing by her mother on 12/7/18. She went off the road down Fawn River after she did laundry at grandmother’s house one night, and she went around a curb & the car went off the road. Nobody has seen her since,” says Rolfe. Right after the accident, residents living along Fawn River Road say they saw Shank asking for help. Jessica Rolfe (Brittany's mother). “She went to a couple houses and knocked on the doors. [She] knocked on one door, was seen at the window at another house, that’s the last time anybody has seen her,” said Rolfe. One resident tried to help, but couldn’t get cell service to call 9-1-1, and said Shank disappeared before they could try again.

 

[FrostedGlass]

After reading through some of the posts in that thread, I don't think Porter was responsible for Kim Dyer's death. That sounds like a desperate ploy by the defense to try to fabricate an alternative theory of the crime and create reasonable doubt. That's my impression at first blush, anyway.

IMO, defense didn't have to fabricate a theory. Porter admitted to helping strangle Kim with a garden hose, claiming Mario made him do it. Thanks for checking things out; I'll continue to post in that thread until the Appellee's briefs are in.

 

[Ozoner]

Wasn't the defense for the other men trying to claim that Porter acted alone? That was the impression that I had from skimming. I assume that the prosecution believed Porter's claims of being forced to participate, otherwise it seems like they would have charged him with the same crimes as the other men.

Of course, it's possible that Porter was lying and that he was a willing participant, but I have a hard time seeing a scenario in which he was the sole perp or the leader.

 

[FrostedGlass]

Wasn't the defense for the other men trying to claim that Porter acted alone? That was the impression that I had from skimming. I assume that the prosecution believed Porter's claims of being forced to participate, otherwise it seems like they would have charged him with the same crimes as the other men.

Of course, it's possible that Porter was lying and that he was a willing participant, but I have a hard time seeing a scenario in which he was the sole perp or the leader.

I don't think the defense ever considered Porter worked alone. I suspect Dixon thought Murzynski and Porter were the ones who should have been convicted of the murder. Murzynski took a plea deal so we never heard from him except when he accepted the deal and the judge sentenced him.

If Dixon had succeeded in introducing the testimony from Porter's Michigan cellmate, that might have been enough to get Porter impeached.

 

[Moonbeam456]

I found Brittany's case because her name came up in a murder trial in Elkhart Co., IN. If you have time, check out this case and see where there was a possible connection. Of all the cases I've followed, this one below eats at me. This links to the page about Brittany.
GUILTY - IN - Kimberly Dyer, 31, burned, tortured, mutilated, murdered, Elkhart, 22 Oct 2019 *Arrests*

I don’t know if Porter and Brittany knew each other personally but they have a lot of the same friends and associates from what I’ve seen looking at different Facebook profiles.

 

[chaddylex]

You all need to listen to the Hide and Seek Podcast - it's all about Brittany's disappearance. James has been releasing an episode weekly since April. Here is the link. ‎Hide and Seek on Apple Podcasts

 

[FrostedGlass]

You all need to listen to the Hide and Seek Podcast - it's all about Brittany's disappearance. James has been releasing an episode weekly since April. Here is the link. ‎Hide and Seek on Apple Podcasts

Thanks for the link. I've listened to a couple of episodes so far. He's easy to listen to.

 

[chaddylex]

Thanks for the link. I've listened to a couple of episodes so far. He's easy to listen to.

You're welcome and I agree. I look forward to listening each week. Her case has so many twists and turns, I am lost on to who is responsible for her disappearance, but I think James is on to something.

 

[Faith196350]

Reward offered



Reward Offered For Information On Missing St. Joseph Co. Woman

If anyone wants more information on the case, check out Hide And Seek Podcast with James Baysinger.

Thank you.

 

[Faith196350]

If anyone wants more information on the case, check out Hide And Seek Podcast with James Baysinger.

Thank you.

My apologies. I hadn't seen the posts about the podcast. Didn't mean to repeat.

Thank you.

 

[chaddylex]

My apologies. I hadn't seen the posts about the podcast. Didn't mean to repeat.

Thank you.

I have been listening every week. Her case is so intriguing. I hope they find out what happened to her.

 

[FrostedGlass]

I'm just beginning Esp 4. I was trying to take notes but everything he says is so important that it was taking me too long. I like how he does a recap at the end of each episode. @chaddylex have you asked to get this approved? There is so much to talk about.

 

[chaddylex]

I'm just beginning Esp 4. I was trying to take notes but everything he says is so important that it was taking me too long. I like how he does a recap at the end of each episode. @chaddylex have you asked to get this approved? There is so much to talk about.

I have not, only because I have only been listening to it and not discussing the podcast on here. Did you know Brittany?
I do not, (I am from PA) but just happened to stumble on her case on FB. I also listened to James podcast about Logan Schindleman which is very good also.

 

[FrostedGlass]

I have not, only because I have only been listening to it and not discussing the podcast on here. Did you know Brittany?
I do not, (I am from PA) but just happened to stumble on her case on FB. I also listened to James podcast about Logan Schindleman which is very good also.

I don't know Brittany. Her name was brought up in connection to Robert Porter during the Kimberly Dyer murder trial in Elkhart Co. IN. I found her case here and started looking into it.