Court docs: Woman says she witnessed Brittany Stykes' murder

BROWN COUNTY, OH (FOX19) - Brown County sheriff's detectives have tirelessly chased leads since Brittany Stykes was murdered on Aug. 28, 2013.

Newly released documents reveal Tommy Lopez as a potential suspect along with his motive in the murder of Stykes.

Stykes, who was 17 weeks pregnant, was found shot to death behind the wheel of her Jeep along Ohio 68 in Brown County. Her daughter also was shot.

A cooperating witness told law enforcement that Lopez allegedly murdered a female named "Britt" in Brown County, referring to Stykes.

The witness told investigators that the man in question said that Stykes' death was "payback" for her "old man" not paying money that was owed, documents show.

The witness continued that Lopez allegedly received two payments of $10,000 from another individual for committing the murder.

On June 30, 2015, the Grant County Sheriff's Department requested cadaver dogs to be sent to an unmowed hill on the WIlliamstown Cemetery located on Falmouth Road and Mill Street in WIlliamstown where the witness indicated the body and weapon were buried.

Detectives say that a Williamstown Cemetery groundskeeper said that an unmarked grave showed up in the cemetery early 2015.

The cadaver dogs indicated that human decomposition was present around the area, however, at this time no human remains or firearm have been discovered, officials say.

The cooperating witness came forward to officials in late June with information that Lopez told her that he had murdered "multiple" people and that she had personally seen him kill.

The witness stated that she was with him at the time of Stykes' murder and that they were in a white automobile. She said they saw a yellow jeep operated by Stykes at a gas station and followed the vehicle for 25 minutes. Lopez was utilizing a GPS and that he had a police light that plugs into the automobile cigarette lighter and used it to pull over the Stykes, the witness alleges.

When the jeep stopped, the witness told detectives that Lopez walked up to the yellow jeep and fired several shots. The witness stated that she had looked through the window and saw the woman and she was bloody.

According to police, a search warrant was executed in July by the Kentucky State Police and the Owen County Sheriff's Office at Hudnall's Garage and Wrecker Service on a white 2005 GMC van registered in the name of the suspect.

Lopez denied any knowledge of the Brittany Stykes' murder and that he had no idea where Georgetown or Brown County were located in an interview with police, documents show.

Lopez has not been charged at this time for his connection in the death of Stykes, but is in custody on drug-related charges.

FOX19 NOW spoke with Brittany's family on the newly released information Friday.

"To actually pull it up and read what was in this affidavit was very - it was devastating to me," said Brittany's father David Dodson.  "My daughter did not deserve this."

"My granddaughter and I and my husband and my family, need these answers.  We need a little peace," said Brittany's mother Mary Dodson.

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