The 2007 murder of Brittany McGlone in Wood County, Texas, remained a chilling cold case for over fifteen years. The recent arrest of Chad Earl Carr brought a glimmer of hope for justice, only to be followed by his release due to insufficient evidence. This is the story of a crime, an investigation, and a community's quest for answers.
Brittany McGlone
The Crime Scene
On May 4, 2007, deputies from the Wood County Patrol & Criminal Investigations were dispatched to 242 CR 4837 in Winnsboro. Upon arrival, the victim, Brittney McGlone, was found dead in her boyfriend’s bedroom. The 19-year-old died of massive trauma to the head.
The affidavit mentioned evidence that was collected except for the victim’s undergarments, which were missing from the crime scene.
Initial Investigation and Suspicion
Initial interviews led investigators to suspect Chad Carr. On May 21, 2007, a search warrant was executed on Carr’s residence where several items were collected as evidence. Among the evidence collected was one pair of white shorts with possible blood stains, a gray ski mask, and two pair of woman’s undergarments, the affidavit states.
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Investigators were able to confirm one of the two undergarments found at the scene in 2007 could have belonged to Carr’s girlfriend and at least one of them belonged to a second woman. The affidavit states one of the underwear was the same size as McGlone’s and the other was the size of Carr’s girlfriend. Carr’s girlfriend was two sizes larger than what McGlone wears.
Eight months later in January 2008, the prime suspect’s girlfriend met with the leading investigator at the time to discuss her boyfriend’s suspicious behavior on the day of the murder. She advised the investigator of Carr’s increasingly furious anger at the fact that the victim was allowed to stay at their house overnight but Carr was never allowed to spend the night at her house. The affidavit states this as a possible motive for the murder.
The Arrest
More than 15 years later, an arrest was made in the case. Chad Earl Carr was arrested on September 1 by Captain Mike Chilson and Ranger John Vance, who traveled to the DFW area and located Carr at 2525 Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. Carr was arrested for the murder of Brittany McGlone and booked into the Wood County Jail on capital murder charges. His bond was set at $1 million.
Chad Carr
According to Wood County Sheriff Kelly Cole, a combination of both old and new evidence resulted in the arrest. Cole had made the case a priority since taking office in January 2021. He had worked as an investigator with the sheriff’s office when the murder occurred and maintained contact with the family, reviewing the evidence gathered over the years.
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This, including the holes found in Carr’s alibi, a failed polygraph test, the suspect’s knowledge of the victim’s whereabouts, and a conviction of an aggravated assault - in similar fashion of the murder - were listed as probable cause for an arrest warrant of Carr.
McGlone’s sister said Carr was dating the sister of McGlone’s boyfriend at the time.
Family Reaction
McGlone’s sister, Hope McGlone, expressed frustration in an interview. She credited current sheriff Kelly Cole, who took office in 2021, for the arrest of Carr.
“After all the previous administrations, why didn’t anyone make a move when it seems like what’s presented in the affidavit is things that were present and what were known?” she said.
Hope told Dateline in 2021 that the McGlone family had theories about who killed Brittany, but remained open to any and all possibilities. “She didn’t deserve this,” Hope said. “Why would someone do this to her?”
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“We just don’t want Brittany to be forgotten,” Hope said in 2021. “She deserves to have her story told. 15 years later and it has.” The post also thanked Sheriff Cole. However, they added, “this is just the beginning.”
Release Due to Insufficient Evidence
Nearly three months after Chad Carr’s arrest, a Wood County grand jury found that there was not enough evidence to indict him for the murder of Brittany McGlone. According to NBC affiliate KETK, Carr was released from the Wood County Jail on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
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