QUITMAN, Texas — May 4, 2023 marked 16 years since the murder of 19-year-old Brittany McGlone.
On the anniversary of her death, her family hosted a rally in front of the Wood County Courthouse to raise awareness and keep her name alive. They held signs that said "#JusticeForBrittnayMcGlone" and listed the local sheriff's office's phone number.
"There's been multiple times where I feel like Brittany has been failed by a system that's set up to work for victims," said Brittany's sister Hope McGlone.
The family said they’ve had to jump over hurdles to find answers and get justice. Hope said she remembers her sister as a person who never had a bad day and her best friend who was loved by everyone.
The family felt very close to getting closure last year when deputies with the Wood County Sheriff's Office traveled to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to arrest a man in connection with the murder. But in December 2022, a Wood County grand jury chose not to indict that person based on a lack of evidence.
"There was enough evidence, there's been enough evidence for 16 years to date," said Brittany mother Patricia Tice.
A statement from Wood County Criminal District Attorney Angela Albers said: "When presenting any case before the grand jury, the state must rely upon the evidence gathered and presented by law enforcement... I believe in, and took an oath to uphold, the integrity of the grand jury system. In no way could I cause a specific outcome on a case presented to the grand jury. Any claims to the contrary are false.”
The statement also said the evidence presented to the district attorney was from the sheriff's office, and when evidence is insufficient, a grand jury will fulfill its responsibility and decline to return an indictment.
Tice said the legal system has been frustrating since the very beginning of this case. She said to this day, Albers has yet to speak with her personally.
"She did have an assistant have a meeting with me and my sister," Tice said. "He let me know that they were upset with the sheriff for making an arrest without consulting them first."
Amid the frustration, Brittany's family is focused on one thing only and that's getting justice. Hope said they are going to keep utilizing social media in spreading the word about her sister's case.
"Social media has kind of been a pretty big tool," Hope said. "I mean it wasn't until like a couple of years ago that her case started getting attention because of social media."
Tice said she came out to the courthouse to also raise awareness. She said she's met people in Wood County who have no idea about her daughter's unsolved murder. Tice said it's her duty to keep them aware of all the struggles they've endured since 2007.
CBS19 also reached out the Wood County Sheriff's Office several times for a comment but did not receive one. The family stresses that if anyone has further information in regards to Brittany's murder to please call the sheriff's office or the Wood County Crime Stoppers hotline.