Brittany Phillips was 18 years old, a Tulsa Community College student just days from her 19th birthday. In September 2004, she was found raped and murdered in her apartment. More than two decades later, no one has been arrested.
Brittany was last seen and heard from on September 27, 2004, around 9:45 p.m., after dropping off a friend and driving to her own apartment on East 65th Street. When her mother, Maggie Zingman, couldn't reach her over the following days, she called police. On September 30, 2004, officers went to check on Brittany and found her dead inside her apartment. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation. Investigators believe she died sometime between the night of September 27 and the morning of September 28.
Detectives obtained DNA evidence from the scene and compared it against nearly 3,000 men over the years without a match. In 2019, a composite sketch generated from that DNA led investigators to a new possible suspect, but he was ultimately cleared based on his alibi. In 2023, Maggie uncovered a card postmarked after Brittany's presumed death, evidence that could potentially shift the established timeline of the case and is now part of the active investigation.
Maggie has driven more than 300,000 miles across the country in what she calls her "Caravan to Catch a Killer," sharing Brittany's story in hopes of generating new leads and connecting with other families of unsolved homicide victims along the way. She has said she considers regularly reconnecting with families in similar situations part of what keeps her going after two decades without answers.
Anyone with any information about Brittany's murder, including anyone who may recall mailing a card around the time of her death, is asked to come forward.
How to report a tip:
Tulsa Police Department Cold Case/Homicide Unit: 918-596-9135
Crime Stoppers of Tulsa (anonymous): 918-596-COPS (2677)