By admin 
HOKE COUNTY, N.C. (WNCN) – January 7, 1998, was the first day back to school from winter break for 5-year-old Brittany Locklear. She was waiting for the bus stop with her mother, Connie. Connie just had a baby and had to run inside to quickly use the restroom. When she came back outside, Brittany was gone.
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Connie thought she was on the bus, but Brittany never made it to school. Connie learned a neighbor called 911, describing a terrifying scene: a pickup truck slammed on its brakes, jumped out, grabbed Brittany, then took off.
Hundreds of people came out to help search, and within two hours they found Brittany’s clothes discarded on a nearby dirt road. Her body was found the next day in a drainage ditch just three miles from her home. The medical examiner says she drowned and may have been sexually assaulted.
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Investigators interviewed sex offenders throughout the area and witnesses. Hoke County Sheriff’s Office says they are taking the 1998 evidence and turning it into a 2026 investigation.
The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office and the Special Bureau of Investigations are still investigating Brittany’s death. If you know anything, call the anonymous tip line at 910-878-1100. You can also email Detective Jessica Tyner at [email protected].
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