What happened to Brittany McGlone? Details explored ahead of People Magazine Investigates

The upcoming re-airing of People Magazine Investigates on ID is all set to feature the brutal murder of Brittany McGlone, a 19-year-old Winnsboro, Texas, native, who was assaulted and beaten to death on her boyfriend's bed. This murder mystery remained unsolved for a very long time, with the perpetrator still out there, whether it is the man the police arrested or not.

The case, featured on many true crime podcasts and shows, was originally part of People Magazine Investigates' seventh season. It aired on September 4, 2023. It is now set to re-air on May 6, 2024, at 7.00 PM EST.

The synopsis for the episode reads:

"In 2007, a 19-year-old woman is brutally murdered in the small town of Winnsboro, Texas; the ensuing investigation reveals the small town has a few wolves masquerading in sheep's clothing; some secrets come to light, but others may be buried forever."

Ahead of the episode, here is a breakdown of what happened to the victim, Brittany McGlone.

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Who was Brittany McGlone and what happened to her?

Born to Ron McGlone and Patricia Bumpous Tice in Winnsboro, Texas, on November 9, 1987, Brittany McGlone was a 19-year-old woman who had just graduated from Winnsboro High School and was taking a gap year before college.

At the time of the horrific incident, Brittany was working two different jobs and saving up for college the following year. She was working at Alco in Winnsboro and Lowes Distribution in Mt. Vernon.

Brittany was regarded as a dedicated, hard-working girl with a lot of ambitions for the future.

Hope McGlone, Brittany's half-sister, said about her to NBC:

"You couldn’t help but feel happy around her. With her positive outlook on life, she would just radiate good energy. I don’t think she ever had a bad day. We should all strive to live like she did."

On the morning of May 4, 2007, Brittany finished her usual shift at work and left for her boyfriend's home in hopes of getting some sleep. Her boyfriend, Jeff, and his family were not home at the time.

Sometime later, Brittany's mother started getting worried when she could not get her on the phone.

In the afternoon, Jeff reached home only to discover a horrific scenario in his bedroom. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office’s medical examiner revealed later that Brittany McGlone was assaulted and beaten to death with an unidentified object. The cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Hope later said:

"She didn’t deserve this. She was this innocent, pure person who never did anything immoral and never got into trouble — she always saw the good in people and just loved life. Why would someone do this to her?"

This question of why someone would do this to Brittany McGlone went on for over 15 years, with numerous attempts at justice but no arrests. Despite questioning and a deep dig into the matter, the police were unable to land on the suspect.

A lead emerged in Chad Earl Carr, who was known to Jeff's family. His behavior on the day of the murder and his prior convictions seemed to indicate that he was the most likely suspect.

In 2021, Chad was finally arrested for the murder of Brittany McGlone, but the evidence against him was too scarce.

Chad Earl Carr was taken to court, but a Wood County grand jury found that there was not enough evidence to sentence him, allowing him to walk free.

This means that the murderer of Brittany, whether it was indeed Carr or not, remains free as of now.

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The upcoming reairing of People Magazine Investigates will cover this case in more detail.