Almost 11 years to do the day after a Wichita Falls man was shot and killed in his front yard, Crime Stoppers is making a major change that could help his and other cold case homicides finally get solved.
The Crime Stoppers Board of Directors voted on Tuesday to substantially raise the reward for information leading to arrests that solve cold case homicides. It’s in hopes of bringing closure to so many, including one Wichita Falls woman whose husband was murdered, just a few weeks shy of their wedding anniversary.
It was a cold and misty night on Feb. 15, 2008, Charles Britt and his family decided to stay in and watch a movie. Charles’ wife, Christina Britt, was at home with her two boys when she heard her husband of nearly four years at the door after returning with pizza.
“I told the boys to get the door for their dad and right after I told them that, I heard him say call the police. And I heard some shuffling and told the boys to go to my room and I tried to find my phone and I couldn’t find my phone. Shortly thereafter I heard a gunshot,” Christina said.
Once her sons, who were 7-years-old, and 3-years-old, at the time, were safe Christina said she went outside to check on her husband.
“I opened the door and saw Charles standing in the yard, but stumbling and saw a man running away,” Christina said.
Witnesses said they saw a black male, wearing all black, running from the scene. But, investigators have little else to go on and there are still no arrests, 11 years later. Charles Britt’s case is among many others Crime Stoppers board members hope to help detectives close by raising the reward on cold case homicides from up to $2,500 to up to $10,000.
“I think with that increase reward amount I think that will kind of generate some buzz and may end up getting some additional information that the investigators may not have had to get these cases solved,” Officer Brian Masterson said.
That’s the hope for Christina who prays to one day be able to tell her boys their father’s killer will finally pay.
“I know money is a motivator. I really hope that that helps. It’s been 11 years now and without any additional leads and it going as a cold case I kind of lost a lot of hope that it would ever be solved so that makes me very hopeful,” Christina said.
As Wichita Falls police hunt for any new leads, Christina said she’ll continue to keep her husband’s legacy alive through the young men she continues to raise, in his memory.
If you have any information on this or any other cold case homicide, call Crime Stoppers at 940-322-9888.
Here are some other cold case homicides being investigated by the Wichita Falls Police Department.
