Introduction
This blog is a tracking of the murder case of Brittney Gregory by Jack Fuller Jr. for those looking for information.
I had planned to cover the facts as they unfolded, piece together as much of the press and information as I can, since many of the sources of information are
either poorly linked, or disappear to archives (some paid).
At some point I still hope to get some, interviews with some of the players in this case,as well as Brittney's family and friends. I have opted not to even try up until now as I felt there were other places their attention needed to be focused.
While I tried to remain unbiased, once Fuller admitted to killing Brittney, it became impossible for me as a father of a young girl to be COMPLETELY "fair and balanced".
But despite that, all information that I uncover will be found here.
Please feel free to comment, but remain civil. (especially towards each other).
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Fear friend's dad
'We want to find her, but we don't,' says teen's agonized family
BY NANCY DILLON in Howell, N.J.,
and BILL HUTCHINSON in New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Authorities believe a missing New Jersey girl was hacked to death with a machete by her best friend's father, a source close to the grieving family said yesterday.
As cops and volunteers continued to search the woods near Howell for the body of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory, chilling details of how the honor student was believed killed began to emerge.
Cops have told Brittney's relatives there is no hope of finding her alive, and the investigation has led them to believe suspect Jack Fuller, 38, of Howell, killed her with a machete, a family source said.
"They [police] said there's no hope she's alive. It's awful. They think it was brutal," said the source. "She would have been one to fight."
Police also have asked the family for one of Brittney's hairbrushes, likely for DNA testing, the source said.
Fuller - the father of Brittney's best friend, Cassie Fuller, 21 - has refused to cooperate with police. The suspect, who is being held on $1 million bail, has been charged with murder.
As the search for Brittney entered its ninth day, the agonizing wait was taking its toll on her family.
"When it rains, you worry about her lying in the rain. When it's hot, you worry about her lying in the sun. It's just heart-wrenching," said Brittney's aunt, Susan Wood, 36.
"We want to find her, but we don't."
Brittney's father, Joe Dunn, who filed a missing-person report about his daughter July 12, is so distraught he can barely speak, said his girlfriend, Susan Peterson.
"Her father is so destroyed," Peterson said. "I don't know if he'll ever recover from this. It's like a horror film."
A friend of Jack Fuller, Tom Long, has told police he saw Brittney riding in the suspect's car on the day she vanished, a source said.
Torment for beau who left Britt alone
The boyfriend of a missing New Jersey teen said yesterday he's being ripped apart by guilt because he believes he could have saved her life simply by taking her to the beach.
John Fitzgerald told the Daily News that on the day 16-year-old Brittney Gregory vanished she asked whether she could go with him to Point Pleasant Beach and he said no.
John, 17, of Brick, N.J., said he had to leave Brittney behind because there wasn't enough room in his friend's truck.
"We kind of had a little argument," said John, who had been dating Brittney for 16 months and planned to marry her once she turned 18.
"I said I wanted to hang out with my friend and I'd see her later," he said. "I definitely could have prevented this if I was with her instead. Believe me, it hurts."
Police believe Jack Fuller, 38, the father of Brittney's best friend, killed her July 11 - the day John went to the beach without her, sources said.
As he looked at snapshots he and Brittney took June 30 in a photo booth at Point Pleasant Beach, John could only shake his head and wonder what if. "She was my first and only love," he said.
