James had slipped and fell. So his shoes were sweat, slippery, and he had hit his head. So I went to the bathroom. I came out. He was gone. Did they kill him? Just tell me where his body's at. On a February evening, Britney and her boyfriend pulled over deep in the Ohio forests with a plan to abandon James, their six-year-old child. However, as they went to drive away, James was tragically dragged under the wheels of the car and had his life taken. Days later, they walked into the Middleton Police Department, claiming James had gone missing. A search began for the boy immediately, but police knew something was wrong. Their story was full of holes, and the couple seemed nervous. So, they were each taken into an interrogation room with a detective determined to get to the bottom of things. I'm Detective New. Okay. They called me and my partner out for anything to do with children. So, this is real important. This part is you have to be 100% honest with me with everything. Her boyfriend, who was also called James, was in another room at the same police station, and detectives are going to compare their stories. There were many red flags right off the bat in this case, as the couple claimed he had been missing for most of the night before they decided to contact police. If your six-year-old had gone missing, you'd likely be doing everything you can to get them back as soon as possible. So, the cops were sure something sinister was a foot. So, what happened? What time did you guys go to bed last night? Well, the kids go to bed at 9:00. Okay. And we normally go to bed at 10:00. Mhm. Last time I knew I told them told them all it was 9 9:00 time for bed. So, they all went upstairs to the rooms and I went upstairs a little bit later to see if they were asleep. Sure. And they were all asleep. So then that's when I came down, waited a couple minutes just to see if they might have come down stairs or something and then I went to bed. Okay. What time did you get up this morning? Um, he woke me up at 8. He woke you up at 8. He said he tried to wake me up several times, but But you don't medicine. So what kind of medicine do you take? I take anxiety meds. Okay. This is where I need you to be honest with me. It is what it is. Okay. Do you use any other type of narcotics, drugs, illegal drugs or anything? Do you smoke weed? Do you Okay. You don't use heroin? You don't use u No, I've had family members that stuff and Okay. Do you know that pushes me away? Do you know if your um boyfriend does? Does he use any type of dope at all? Not that you know of. Well, you would know more than anybody. That's what I'm asking. You're not going to get him in any trouble. I just need to know if you're being honest with me. That's what I'm trying to feel. I mean, I've never seen I mean, we smoke cigarettes. I'm not talking about that. I said drugs. Illegal. [clears throat] Of course, a lot of people smoke cigarettes. A lot of people smoke weed. A lot of people use I mean, he smokes weed, but that's the only thing I know. Okay, that's all. I don't know if he does anything else. Okay, you don't need to protect him. I'm just getting I'm getting a feel for you if you're going to be honest. I just need you to be honest with me. honest. Britney appears to have a little trouble opening up about her boyfriend's drug habit. This can help the detective determine whether she is being honest in the future, as she should treat opening up about later details with similar ease. They continue to go over the details for the morning James went missing. But during this line of questioning, Britany begins to show some concerning signs. What time did James say that he first noticed James missing? The the six-year-old missing. Well, he I don't know what time he exactly got up, but he normally every day normally he gets up around 4. Anywhere from 4:00 to 5, maybe sometimes a little later. But when Britney is asked more questions about her boyfriend, she appears to look up and to the left. There's a lot of contention around eye movements while recalling information. Some say the direction that someone looks is a direct tell for if someone is lying, but it's never a guaranteed indication. However, the mere act of suddenly avoiding eye contact with the detective while answering is a more solid sign, as many people associate eye contact with trust. Thus, it's often hard for people to maintain a gaze while lying. Whereas, those trying to argue the truth will often look directly into the detective's eyes to seem more believable. Has James ever walked out? I mean, been missing before. Um, he's he was missing once before. How long ago was that? Um, I want to say it was the first of the month, but it could have been later than that, but I know it was sometime this month. All right. From that house? Yes. All right. So, he was missing once before from that house. And how long was he gone for? Um, I don't know when he was outside, but we found out Well, he found him at the the you know how there's basement stairs. Well, he found him at the bottom of the basement stairs. I don't know what he was doing, but Is there only one way to get into your basement? Yeah, that's from the outside. Mhm. [clears throat] Okay. The fact that James has been missing before is another red flag for the detective. It's possible James is just an adventurous child and tries to slip away at every opportunity he gets. but it could also be a sign of abuse or neglect in the home. Either way, it's giving the detective all the more reason to be suspicious. I've been a policeman for 27 years. Um, I've been assigned to detectives about I've interviewed a lot of people, hundreds, hundreds and hundreds of people over my career. There's something going on here. Something's not right here. I've done this, like I said, I've interviewed hundreds hundreds of people over my career. And, you know, people get scared. they get themselves backed into a corner and they don't know what to do. And my job is to help them through that because sometimes it is what it is. It's an act something happened and you parents freak out and um you know don't know what to do. So just [clears throat] anything else before I walk out of here, this is your opportunity to be 100% straight with me. I suspect James or this is I got mad at the boy last night and he I spanked him and he took off out the door or just anything weird is fine to tell me. You're not going to tell me anything that's going to surprise me. Okay. No, I mean, did you hurt your baby? No. Now, do you know I love my kids. I would never hurt Okay. Do you know who hurt your baby? No. All right. Do you know your baby's whereabouts right now? Okay. Do you do you suspect James is doing anything to your baby? No. Okay. You're 100% sure on that one? Yeah. He loves him right now. Okay. Note that the detective is making a conscious effort to refer to James as her baby. This is in a direct attempt to exact an emotional reaction from Britney. This kind of specific word holds a lot more weight than just kid or child, as it portrays James as more vulnerable. The detective is also trying to let Britney know that he's sure something is wrong. And as he'll soon find out, his instincts are absolutely correct. What was the needle that we found out at the There was a needle found at the side door. You know anything about that? So, do you use needles for any of your medication? No, there's u the people next doors. Okay. So, maybe it was from one of them. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. And all we always see a whole bunch of people just walking in through the Oh yeah. Cutting it. Cutting through basically. But you ever seen James you had any needles? So you said something about James does work like doing electrical work for houses. Yes. Like rentals I would assume. Yes. All right. Like he gets them ready. Who does he work for? Taylor. That's the only thing I know. His name is Taylor. And was Taylor just gave him the keys. Are these are they all vacant? I would assume. Um I'm not sure. They go clean them out. What do they do? Do you know? I know. Like when they put people out and they get evicted and they sit people's stuff out, put it I don't know if they sit it out, put it in the dumpster. I don't I don't know what they do. Does he have like keys to the house? James, does he have keys to the houses and stuff? I guess that he works for Did he ever come in with a bunch? I mean, you would know. I mean, did he come up with a bunch of keys or he's always had the same key that he has, but nothing like extra keys that he could. Basically, I'm waiting for my guy to come here. He's going to do the polygraph for me, and we'll just kind of go from there. Britney now tries to avoid the questions regarding her boyfriend's drug use. But if she does agree to take a polygraph test, then the truth could finally be revealed. All this time, there have been people searching for James, hoping to find signs of life. But as we'll later find out, his body isn't anywhere near where they're looking. I'm getting a story that is totally different than what you've told me. And I don't know why James is telling me that, but that's what he's telling me. He's wanting to more detail than that. Okay? But I'm not going to share that with you. I need to know what happened last night with your your boy, your six-year-old. A six-year-old just doesn't get up and walk out the door. Okay? There's more to the story than what you're telling me. Okay. I've talked to James. My partner's talked to James extensively and James is coming off of this slowly. I would suggest for you just tell me the truth now. He might have told me more now. I don't know. I've not I've been in here with you. Okay. But James is he took a deep breath and I suggest that to you. Take a drink of your pop. Take a deep breath and just tell me what's going on here. Now Britney finds herself in a position where she might doubt exactly what James has told detectives in the other room. And she finally cracks. He told James told me to get rid of the kids. Okay. And so um I took them for a drive to make them think I want to get rid of them. But I'm not going to get rid of my kids for anybody else on the planet. Even though she's getting closer to the truth, Britney is still trying to deceive the detective by trying to convince him that getting rid of her kids isn't something she'd really do, despite that being exactly what she's guilty of. I don't know what road it was. It was just we were just driving around. Um well, the kids were going to the bathroom. I had pulled over to this um a little booth in Middletown. Yeah. It's a little stall or something a bathroom. I pulled over to the bathroom and let them all use the bathroom. Well, it was raining and stuff. I left the left the door unlocked in the van. Mhm. And told them we'll all go in here. Not all of us at once, but each one of us go in here one at a time. Use the bathroom. So, we went in the bathroom. Well, I couldn't go in there, but when I went to go in the bathroom, I told him, "Go ahead and just get in the van." Mhm. Well, James had slipped and fell. So, his shoes are wet, slippery, and he had hit his head. The problem here is simple. If James had simply hit his head, then why not just get medical help then and there? Britney is trying to take away as much blame as she can from herself. The truth was, Britney had simply decided she wanted to get rid of her kids for good. allegedly at the request of her boyfriend. Both she and James drove her three children to Rush Run Wildlife Area in southern Preel County where they had a change of heart and decided to only leave their youngest, James. But as they tried to drive away from the park without him, he tried to grab onto the car and was dragged under the wheels. Sadly, the accident killed him and Britney and James returned to find his body in the road. The detective suspicions have been right all along. After Britney and James drove home, they placed the six-year-old's body in a spare room of their house before they dumped his body off a bridge that crosses the Ohio River. Did it kill him? Is that what you're telling me? Did it Did the fall hurt him? Well, he was I asked him if he was okay. He wouldn't answer me. So, I noticed he was breathing kind of heavy. Mhm. And I thought maybe that's not normal. I've never seen a blurry lips before. Well, he was breathing. I don't know how long he was breathing for, but he had fell and busted his head on the side of the van. Mhm. And trying to get in there. And he was breathing heavy for a couple minutes and then he I couldn't I tried a secure. So, he stopped breathing. And where's his body at? He's doing good. Okay. Just tell me where his body's at cuz I got to go find him. I for you. Okay. This is called Cloer now. Okay. Where's Where's his body at? Where did you take it back home with you? No, I left it. And you left it. So, who's all in the car with you? All of us. James, you? Yes, we always as a family. So, all five of you? Yes. All right. And where what park was this? Or where was this at in Middletown? Because it would make sense to put to me. Did you put him in a dumpster? Did you put him Did you just let him lay right there? Was he buried? I mean, that's what I need to know. I didn't do nothing with him. I just let him lay in the parking lot cuz it was a plain parking lot. There was, I believe, like water over here or something. Mhm. And there was a one little stall and I left him just lay on the ground. Okay. Did James did James do anything with him? Your uh boyfriend? I mean, it doesn't make sense just to lay him right there on the ground. So, well, I left him laying in there on the ground cuz I was going to call the ambulance, but I was right. I was scared, shook up, didn't know what to do. Okay. So, so now we need to figure out where this is at. Well, he the b the little boy was laying on the ground. I went to the bathroom, told him try you try real quick cuz I I couldn't hold myself. I told him, "You try real quick to give him CPR." Mhm. And so I went to the bathroom, I came out, he was gone. Regardless of how true her story is, Britney has now told the detective that James is dead. The priority is to find him. After Britney details the moment they dumped his body, police are able to search the area. But despite their best efforts, they would never find him. Britney would plead not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that she had a learning disability and did not understand what was happening. But an evaluation by a psychologist showed that she was competent to stand trial. Of course, both were found guilty, and Britney would face the harshest punishment. She would be sentenced to murder and child endangerment totaling 21 years in prison. James, on the other hand, was found guilty of kidnapping, child endangerment, and gross abuse of a corpse, and would be given the maximum sentence of 19