The Murder of Brittney Gregory

Brittney Gregory Scholarship Fund

2006-01-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder (and a notice for those that were not aware), in memory of Brittney who was an A student, and hoped one day to be a forensic scientist, a scholarship has been set up in her name. Information and donations instruction can be found at the following location.

http://www.mudstock.com/brittney/donationinfo.htm

The scholarship is being managed by the Community Foundation of New Jersey.

What do you think?

2006-01-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

Was justice served in this case?

Did Jack Fuller get what he deserved? Did he deserve less time? More?

It is now Official, Fuller Senteced to 30-years for Murder of Brittney Greggory

2006-01-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

Well it is official, Jack Fuller is "gone" for the next 30 years for the murder of Brittney Gregory.

You can read the article from the Asbury Park Press here.

The Associated Press coverage can be found here.

While I hope the official conviction and sentencing of this horrible animal provides some sort of closure, I would not be surprised if this left them feeling less than satisfied. Thanks to Fuller not saying a word more than he had to, and the fact that he kept his mouth shut and allowed her body to decompose for two weeks, means that nobody will ever really know the full details of what happened that day, or even if Fuller's accounts are accurate (outside of the fact that he killed her).

If events played out as he described in October, then why did he remove her clothing before burying her? Where is the clothing? The one thing that the Coroner's inital report stated was that it was NOT the blows to the head that killed her. Which means he sat there and did drugs while she suffocated on her own blood, presumably from a potential nose bleed from the blows to the head? Wouldn't that have left considerably more blood in the car than the "traces" they found in his car? If this is true, his clothes should have consierable blood on them. Where are his clothes?

I commend the Police and Prosecutors office for the fantastic job they did on this case, and do not blame them for not providing these answers. But, I am sure that if I am thinking about them... and I have never met Brittney, I feel darn sure that these same questions burn in the minds of family members as well.

Today is the Day

2006-01-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

Jack Fuller Jr. will go before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso for sentencing. Under terms of his plea bargain, he should be sentenced to 30 years, without possibility of parole.

I must admit that I am grossly upset that there is a possibility that this animal can actually walk out of jail. Even if it is thirty years from now.

He killed this poor girl, because he needed his crack cocaine, and he needed to have it immediately, and she was nothing more than an annoying bug that he just squashed the life out of, so that he could indulge himself in peace.

I don't understand why the State didn't hit him with any of the additional charges he could have been charged with, some of which I outlined here. I guess they have their reasons, maybe they figured they didn't need the additional charges. Or perhaps they held them back in case something went wrong during the trial would have led to allowing this louse to walk away.

When this story first broke, there were untold number of news reports, newpaper articles and the such. Now, all these months later, it would seem that only the Asbury Park Press and I are hanging around for the outcome.

Word Verification Turned on

2005-12-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

Sorry, due to spamming, I had to turn on word verification for you to add comments to this blog. You can still post anonymous messages, but you will need to type in the word verification. Sorry for the inconvenience.

No shred of humanity

2005-10-21T07:48:00.000-04:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/21/05

Jack Fuller finally admitted what most people long knew. He killed 16-year-old Brittney Gregory of Brick. After Fuller pleaded guilty Tuesday in an Ocean County courtroom, his lawyer, John Goins, put a despicable spin on Fuller's motive for the plea.

Fuller, he said, "understands, as devastating as (providing the details of her death) would be for the family, a trial would be more devastating. . . . I believe Mr. Fuller knew it was time to step forward and let people know exactly what happened and take responsibility for his actions."

Fuller "took responsibility" for one reason: to shorten his prison sentence as part of a previously negotiated plea arrangement. Thanks to that agreement, Fuller, 39, will serve only 30 years behind bars. Given the horrific nature of the crime and his lengthy criminal past, he never should have been given the chance to be a free man again.

In court this week, Goins recited the chilling details of the cold-blooded murder and Fuller affirmed them in emotionless, matter-of-fact responses. Several of Brittney's family members were overcome with grief upon hearing the motive for the murder, and the details of her death, for the first time.

Brittney was a lovely, straight-A student who accepted a ride from Fuller, a family acquaintance, the night of July 11, 2004. Fuller said he killed her because she objected to him smoking crack cocaine while she sat next to him.

If Fuller had even a scrap of compassion, he wouldn't have punched Brittney in the head twice with the intent to incapacitate her. Nor would he have ignored the choking sounds and the gurgling noises Brittney made after she went unconscious from the blows to her skull. If Fuller had any feelings at all, he wouldn't have waited to "check on" the lifeless Brittney until after he finished smoking the crack cocaine.

If he had any concern for Brittney's family members, he wouldn't have made them sit through 16 agonizing days between the time Brittney was last seen alive in Howell and when her body was found in a shallow grave in Brick. If he had any decency at all, he wouldn't have let the case drag on for more than a year, only to plead guilty under a plea deal a week before his trial was to begin.

Fuller has been under the eye of the state's penal system for the better part of 18 years. Since 1987, not a single year has gone by when he hasn't faced some type of court action or been in prison or on probation. In May and August of 2000, he was sentenced to five years in prison on each of two separate theft cases. The sentences ran concurrently, and he was out in 2002. In the two years between his release and Brittney's murder, he was returned to prison for three months for probation violation, pleaded guilty to assault and was indicted on a drug charge.
There's no trace of humanity left in this vile creature. And 30 years isn't nearly long enough for him to be able to see the light — no matter how anyone tries to spin it.

Fuller admits he struck Brick teen, killing her

2005-10-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/19/05
REASON: She objected when he lit up a crack pipe while they sat in his car
PLEA BARGAIN: Killer likely to get 30 years with no chance of parole

Plea avoids need for trial in Brittney Gregory case

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — Brittney Gregory died because she asked her killer to stop smoking crack in front of her.

With that, Jack Fuller punched the 16-year-old Brick honor student in the head "at least twice." Then he continued to get high, even though the teen was unconscious, bleeding profusely and apparently choking.

Only after Fuller finished smoking the cocaine did he check on the girl.

By then she was dead.

That is what Fuller, 39, of Howell, said happened to the pretty, blond teenager who went missing on July 11, 2004, spurring hundreds of law enforcement officers to comb woods and swamps in a search that ended with the discovery of the victim's body in a shallow grave 16 days later.

Fuller relayed the story by responding affirmatively to questions from his attorney Tuesday in pleading guilty to murder before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso. He faces 30 years with no parole when he is sentenced on Jan. 13, under a plea bargain he accepted a week before he was scheduled to stand trial for Brittney's murder.

Victim's family overcome

Authorities said it was the first revelation to the victim's family and authorities of how and why the girl died.

The girl's father, Joseph Dunn, walked out of the courtroom, overcome with emotion, when Fuller admitted punching Brittney in the head after she asked him to stop smoking crack in front of her.

Brittney's mother, Deborah Gregory, her sisters and an aunt also were among those in the courtroom. Many of them were weeping quietly.

None of them would comment after the court proceeding. Brittney's older sister, BobbiJoe Dunn, was administered oxygen by Ocean County sheriff's officers when she began hyperventilating in the courthouse hallway afterward. Sherri Seiling of the victim-witness unit of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said later in the day that BobbiJoe Dunn was fine, although still upset.

In court, Fuller merely responded affirmatively as his attorney, John Goins, asked him questions, setting forth what happened on the night of July 11, 2004.

In that fashion, Fuller said he drove to Joseph Dunn's home in Brick with an acquaintance, Tom Long, and when they learned Joseph Dunn was not home, he agreed to give Brittney a ride.

Her mother, who lived in Beachwood, previously has said that Gregory — a straight-A student who had just completed her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School — called her that night, looking for a ride to her boyfriend's house.

Killer's account

Still responding to Goins' questions, Fuller relayed that after he dropped off Long at his home in Howell, Brittney climbed into the front seat of his car.

"Soon afterward, did you stop the vehicle and take out a pipe to smoke cocaine?" Goins asked. Fuller responded that he had.

"Did Miss Gregory yell, scream and raise her hand to the pipe and ask you to stop smoking and not to do it in front of her?" Goins asked. Again, Fuller responded affirmatively.

"Did you punch her in the head at least twice with the purpose to incapacitate Miss Gregory?" the attorney asked.

"I did," Fuller responded, showing no emotion.

Brittney began bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth and slipped into "a deep unconscious state, with her head leaning back," Goins said.

"That's true," Fuller said, matter-of-factly.

"After she reached unconsciousness, she began to choke and make gurgling noises," Goins said.

"That's also true," Fuller said.

"You proceeded to smoke cocaine without rendering aid or assistance to her?" Goins asked.

"Yes," Fuller said.

"After you were done getting high, you checked on Miss Gregory," Goins said, but by then the girl was lifeless and not breathing.

"That's correct," Fuller said.

With that, Fuller pleaded guilty to the murder charge.

Incriminating tape

No mention was made of what Fuller did with the body after the girl died.

However, a police informant several days later made a secret audiotape of Fuller asking him whether burying someone 4 feet in the ground was deep enough to protect the body from animals or predators. On the audiotape, Fuller also says he has to "take out" Long because he last saw Brittney alive with him in his car.

Searchers found Gregory's body in a shallow grave just under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, not far from where Brittney lived with her father in Brick, and about a mile and a half from Fuller's Howell home.

An autopsy revealed that Brittney suffered head trauma, although it could not pinpoint a cause of death. But Dr. Hydow Park could not rule out asphyxiation or suffocation.

Blood found in Fuller's car was eventually determined to be the victim's.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny, who was set to try Fuller for murder, would not comment outside the courtroom on the guilty plea. In court, he did say that he discussed the plea offer with Brittney's family.

"They wish to proceed with this plea agreement," he said.

When asked why Fuller decided to plead guilty a week before his trial was scheduled to begin, Goins said: "I believe Mr. Fuller knew it was time to step forward and let people know exactly what happened and take responsibility for his actions. He understands, as devastating as that would be for the family, a trial would be more devastating.

"According to state Department of Corrections records, Fuller had served time in prison twice in the four years preceding the murder for burglary and theft convictions in Ocean and Monmouth counties and for violating terms of his parole.

His trial was set to begin in Ocean County on Tuesday, after Grasso in July turned down a request by Goins to move the case to another county because of the pretrial publicity it had received.

Man Pleads Guilty To Murdering Brick Teen

2005-10-19T07:42:00.000-04:00

TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- A 39-year-old Howell man said Tuesday he viciously punched a teenage girl who had accepted a ride in his car, killing her, because she asked him to stop smoking crack cocaine in front of her.

Jack Fuller said he punched 16-year-old Brittney Gregory "at least twice" in the head and continued to get high, even though the teen was unconscious and bleeding profusely.

Only after he finished smoking the cocaine did he check on the girl and by that time she was dead, he said.

Gregory went missing on July 11, 2004. Her body was found two weeks later in a shallow grave beneath a power line tower in Lakewood.

Responding to questions from his attorney, Fuller recounted the events of that night in pleading guilty to the murder before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso. The girl's parents and other relatives looked on, some weeping quietly.

Under a plea bargain he accepted a week before he was to go on trial, Fuller will face 30 years in prison without parole when he is sentenced on Jan. 13.

Brittney's mother, Deborah Gregory, who lived in Beachwood, said previously that Brittney had called her from her father's house in Brick and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's house. Her mother told Brittney that her sister could give her a ride if she waited about 45 minutes.
Fuller was a friend of Brittney's father, Joseph Dunn. He had stopped by looking for Dunn and learned he wasn't home. Fuller agreed to give Brittney a ride.

A police informant ultimately led authorities to Fuller.

A straight-A student, Brittney had just finished her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School.

source: WNBC.com and the Associated Press

Ex-con says he killed girl, then kept getting high

2005-10-19T07:36:00.000-04:00

Before admitting to murder, defendant's account of Brick teen's death sears her family
Wednesday, October 19, 2005

BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff

A week before he was to go on trial for the murder of a Brick honors student, a Howell man admitted yesterday that he killed the girl by beating her and leaving her to die in his car while he got high.
Ending the mystery of what happened the night 16-year-old Brittney Gregory disappeared in July 2004, Jack Fuller told a judge in Toms River that he beat the teen unconscious, then continued smoking cocaine while she lay bleeding and motionless on the seat next to him in his car.
While Fuller calmly revealed details he had kept secret for more than a year, members of Gregory's family were overcome with emotion. Her father, Joseph Dunn, stormed out of the courtroom when Fuller said he heard Brittney making a gurgling sound, but did nothing to help her. Later, one of Gregory's sisters collapsed outside the courtroom, requiring medical attention.
A family friend who answered the door at Dunn's house in Brick last evening said "it's a tragedy for everybody concerned.
"There's never any closure for anything like this. We'll just try to regroup," said the woman, who declined to give her name.
In pleading guilty to the single murder count, Fuller, 39, an ex-convict, faces 30 years in prison with no parole. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 13.
Ocean County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny said he consulted with Gregory's family before reaching a plea agreement.
Fuller laid out the facts of the murder through a series of questions posed by his attorney, John Goins, before Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso. In court, Fuller wore the red jumpsuit of the Ocean County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest.
An acquaintance of Gregory's father, Fuller said he went to Dunn's house with a friend, Tommy Long, on the night of July 11, 2004. Dunn wasn't home, but Gregory was. Fuller said he agreed to give her a ride and, with the teen in the car, dropped Long off at his house in Howell.
After Gregory got into the front seat, Fuller drove off, but soon stopped the car and took out a pipe to smoke cocaine, he said. At that point, Gregory grabbed at the pipe and yelled and screamed at him not to smoke in front of her, he said.
"After that, did you purposely punch Miss Gregory in the head and face area at least two times with violent blows with the purpose to incapacitate Miss Gregory?" Goins asked.
"Yes, I did," Fuller replied.
From those punches, Fuller said, Gregory began bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth. Soon, it appeared she fell into a "deep unconscious state," with her head back between the seat and passenger door, Fuller said.
She began to choke and make gurgling noises, Fuller said, but he went back to smoking cocaine without tending to her. It was only after he finished getting high that he checked her, he said. She appeared lifeless and was not breathing, he said.
"Mr. Fuller, at the time of the event, you knew or were aware that your actions and conduct made it practically certain that the serious bodily injury you inflicted would result in her death?" Goins asked.
"Correct," he responded.
"Mr. Fuller, how do you plead to the charge of murder?" Goins asked as nearly the final question.
"Guilty," he said.
The questioning did not cover any details of what occurred after the beating, such as how Gregory came to be buried and why she was unclothed when she was found 16 days after her disappearance.
Investigators found Gregory's body July 27, 2004, after a massive search that attracted national attention. Her body was found in a shallow grave in Lakewood, just two miles from Fuller's house.
A straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School who dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist, Gregory would have entered her junior year at the school that fall. She knew Fuller's daughter because Fuller's daughter dated Gregory's brother.
From the beginning, investigators had difficulties with the case.
Fuller has a long history of drug- and theft-related convictions, and was released from prison in 2003. He was arrested shortly after Gregory's murder, but insisted he did not kill her and would not shed any light on the location of her body. When her body was finally found, it was so badly decomposed that the county medical examiner could not assign a definitive cause of death.
Investigators had secretly recorded a conversation between Fuller and an informant in which Fuller asks how deep to bury a body so it cannot be detected and says he "killed a white girl from Brick."
While she was missing, Gregory's family said she might have accepted a ride from Fuller because she was desperate to go to her boyfriend's house in Brick after the couple had had a tiff earlier that day.

source: The Star Ledger

Jack Fuller admits murdering Brittney Gregory

2005-10-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/18/05

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

A 39-year-old Howell man today admitted murdering 16-year-old Brittney Gregory of Brick, for the first time shedding light on what happened to the straight-A student who went missing on July 11, 2004.

Jack Fuller pleaded guilty to the murder before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso in a courtroom filled with the victim's relatives.

Many of them were quietly sobbing as Fuller, answering questions posed by his attorney, admitted that he punched the teen ""at least twice'' in the head when she asked him not to smoke crack in front of her. Then, she fell unconscious while Fuller continued to smoke the crack, he said. When he was done getting high, he realized the girl was lifeless, Fuller admitted.
Fuller faces 30 years without parole when he is sentenced by Grasso on Jan. 13.

News of Gregory's disappearance dominated news for weeks and prompted hundreds of law enforcement officers to search for her. The search ended July 27, 2004, when the girl's body was found in a shallow grave, just under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, near where she lived with her father, Joseph Dunn, in Brick, and about 1 miles from Fuller's home in Howell.

Who has the correct story?

2005-10-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

The headlines read quite differently between The Star Ledger and the Asbury Park Press.

Well, actually they both do, but they seem to attack the story from completely different angles.

What can be discerned from them is, Dr. Park WILL be allowed to testify. He CAN offer an opinion on the asphyxiation aspect BUT CAN NOT suggest "strangulation" or "suffocation."

It would seem the truth is somewhere in the middle of these two stories. He WILL get to testify, but he WILL NOT be able to suggest murder.

I guess we will have to wait to see how it plays out.

Jury Selection is scheduled to start in 11 days.

Testimony on Cause of Death to be allowed

2005-10-01T08:04:00.000-04:00

Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso has ruled that Medical Examiner Hydow Park will be allowed to testify in the Murder Trial. Defense Attorney John Goins, had sought to have the testimony barred from the trial since there was no conclusive finding on the cause of death.

With little to go on, it took 16 days for Brittney's body to be found. Because of the advanced decomposition of the body it was virtually impossible for Park to come to a conclusive determination as to the exact cause of death.

Jury selection is to begin Oct. 25.

Testimony blocked in case of slain Brick teen

2005-09-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/30/05

BY MARGARET F. BONAFIDE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — Because a medical examiner cannot be specific about what caused the death of murder victim Brittney Gregory, he will not be permitted to testify about the two most likely alternatives.

The forensic pathologist believes that 16-year-old Gregory was asphyxiated due to either suffocation or strangulation. Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso ruled that the medical examiner, Dr. Hydow Park, could testify that the girl showed signs of blunt force trauma to the head (of which there was no dispute) and that she died as a result of a homicide by unspecified means.

Park testified in a pre-trial motion to suppress evidence that Gregory died of asphyxiation — a loss of consciousness and a lack of oxygen to the brain. He could not rule out strangulation or suffocation, the doctor said.

Jack Fuller, 39, of Howell is charged with the girl's murder. Fuller sat motionless during the arguments Thursday in Su-perior Court while the medical examiner reviewed pictures of Gregory, whose body was unearthed from a shallow grave after 16 days of heat and heavy rain in July 2004.

Defense attorney John O. Goins argued to suppress the testimony about strangulation or suffocation. Goins said after the hearing the motion was important to determine a timeline of events leading up to the death. Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny said he did not plan to ask the medical examiner to be more specific as to the cause of the asphyxiation during the trial scheduled for Oct. 25.

The doctor testified that Gregory may have been suffocated and it was the "most likely cause of death," but he could not say to a degree of certainty that she died of suffocation or strangulation.

Park testified that the girl had been tested to see if she had used any drugs or controlled dangerous substances and none were found.

There was a level detected of ethanol, or alcohol, expected to be present at that stage of the body's state after having been buried in the ground in Lakewood. She was found not far from Fuller's Howell home.

Park said that even if a person were to die of asphyxiation for any reason, that reason may not be clear.

Without clear signs, such as a gun shot, knife wound or ruptured artery, it is not always possible to determine the exact means of death, Park said.

Goins also asked if the girl's hyoid bone, a small bone in the throat, was intact and Park said that it was. The bone is more likely to be broken in a strangulation but it is rare and most likely would happen in an older victim, Park said.

Authorities said in previous court proceedings that the evidence includes the victim's blood found in Fuller's car; and an audiotape on which he tells a police informant he killed "a white girl from Brick" and asked the informant if 4 feet was deep enough to bury a body; and said he had to "take out" an acquaintance who knew about the body.

This article contains material from previous Press stories.

Margaret F. Bonafide; (732) 557-5740 or bonafide@app.com

Trial Date Set

2005-09-15T08:18:00.000-04:00

Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso has set an October 25th trial date for Jack Fuller, who is accused of murdering Brittney Gregory last year.

According to the Asbury Park Press, a conference was scheduled for today between Jack Fuller and his attorney to review the State's evidence against him. That evidence includes an audiotape (which Fuller's attorney, John Goins unsucessfully attempted to get excluded during pre-trial motions), and DNA evidence.

This means that a plea deal could still be reached in this case.

Fuller faces Oct. 25 trial in slaying

2005-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Published in the Asbury Park Press 09/13/05

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — A Superior Court judge on Monday scheduled a trial for next month for the man accused of killing 16-year-old Brittney Gregory of Brick last year.

Judge Vincent J. Grasso set Oct. 25 as the trial date for Jack Fuller, 39, of Howell, who is charged in a single-count indictment with murder.

Grasso said he had anticipated implementing a cutoff of any plea negotiations in the case on Monday, until he learned that Fuller had sent a letter to his attorney asking that he first be able to review some of the evidence the state has against him.

Grasso held off implementing the cutoff of plea negotiations until after Fuller's attorney, John Goins, can meet with his client and review the evidence, including DNA and evidence on audiotape. That means there is still a possibility Fuller could avoid trial by pleading guilty.

Grasso scheduled a conference between Goins and Fuller for 9 a.m. today.

The evidence includes the victim's blood found in Fuller's car, and an audiotape on which he tells a police informant he killed "a white girl from Brick," asked the informant if 4 feet was deep enough to bury a body, and said he had to "take out" an acquaintance who knew about the body.

Gregory, a straight-A student who had just completed her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School, was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2004.

In the ensuing two weeks, hundreds of law-enforcement officers combed at least 20 heavily wooded and swampy areas around Howell, Brick and Lakewood looking for her, many of them volunteering their time.

On July 27, 2004, authorities with bloodhounds found Gregory's body in a shallow grave just under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, about 1 1/2 miles from Fuller's house and not far from where the victim lived with her father, Joseph Dunn, in Brick.

Fuller was arrested July 18, 2004, before Gregory's body had been found. He was charged with murder in a single-count indictment in February.

One thing that has not been scheduled in the case is a hearing at which Dr. Hydow Park, Atlantic County's medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Gregory, will be asked to testify about his medical findings.

Goins has filed a motion asking Grasso to bar the prosecution from presenting any argument that Gregory may have been strangled or suffocated. He argues in the motion that any discussion of strangulation or suffocation should be barred from the trial because Park did not provide a cause of death, but instead only said that suffocation or strangulation could not be ruled out.

In response to Goins' motion, Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny has argued in court papers that Park ruled the death a homicide but could not specify the exact cause or rule out suffocation or strangulation "based upon the decomposed nature of the victim's body that was in the ground for approximately 16 days."

At pretrial hearings on July 15, Grasso said he could not rule on Goins' motion to exclude discussion of strangulation or suffocation from the case until after hearing from Park.

Fuller remains in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, unable to post $1 million bail. If convicted, he would face 30 years to life in prison.

Hearing in teen murder postponed by sickness of defense lawyer's kin

2005-08-30T14:52:00.000-04:00

(Published in the Asbury Park Press 08/30/05)

TOMS RIVER — A medical emergency in the family of the lawyer representing Jack Fuller, the man accused of killing 16-year-old Brittney Gregory last year, caused the judge to postpone Fuller's court appearance Monday.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser said Fuller's attorney, John O. Goins, had an emergency in his family and could therefore not appear before Superior Court Judge Vincent J. Grasso on Monday morning. As of Monday afternoon, Gasser said the appearance had not been rescheduled.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny said last week that he expected scheduling issues to be discussed.

One thing that must be scheduled before the case goes to trial is a hearing at which Dr. Hydow Park, the Atlantic County medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the Brick teenager, will be asked to discuss his findings. Goins has filed a motion asking Grasso to bar the prosecution from presenting any argument that Gregory may have been strangled or suffocated.

Gregory was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2004. Fuller was arrested seven days later. The victim's body was found 16 days later in a shallow grave under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, about 1 1/2 miles from Fuller's home and not far from where Gregory lived with her father.

This story contains information from previous Asbury Park Press stories.

Don't know if it is much of a resource

2005-08-29T08:59:00.000-04:00

... but the Web Site for the Ocean County Prorsecutor's office can be located at:

http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/prosecutor/main.htm

(Update: At present, the Web Site is a shambles (lots of broken links, and a menu that is not complete), and offers little more than a "brochure" and FAQ of the Department.).

Update 2:

Found Another Site for the Prosecutors Office at:

http://www.oceancountyprosecutor.com/

A little better than the first site listed above. But not much.
(Warning: This site is NOT Firefox friendly at all, it is soley designed to work with IE).

Accused killer of Brick girl headed to court Monday

2005-08-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

(Published in the Asbury Park Press 08/26/05)

BY KATHLEEN HOPKINS
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — The man accused of killing 16-year-old Brittney Gregory last year is scheduled for a court appearance Monday.

Jack Fuller, 39, of Howell is scheduled to appear before Superior Court Vincent J. Grasso.

"I anticipate scheduling issues will be discussed," said Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny, who has been assigned to prosecute the case.

One thing that needs to be scheduled before the case goes to trial is a hearing at which the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the Brick teenager will be asked to discuss his findings.

Fuller's defense attorney, John O. Goins, has filed a motion asking Grasso to bar the prosecution from presenting any argument that Gregory may have been strangled or suffocated.

He argues in the motion that any discussion of strangulation or suffocation should be barred from the trial because Dr. Hydow Park, Atlantic County's medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Gregory, did not provide a cause of death, but instead only said that suffocation or strangulation could not be ruled out.

In response to Goins' motion, DeLigny has argued in court papers that Park ruled the death a homicide but could not specify the exact cause or rule out suffocation or strangulation "based upon the decomposed nature of the victim's body that was in the ground for approximately 16 days."

At pretrial hearings on July 15, Grasso said he could not rule on Goins' motion to exclude discussion of strangulation or suffocation from the case until after a hearing at which Park would testify. Grasso did not schedule a hearing at that time.

However, on that same date, Grasso ruled that there had not been enough pretrial publicity to require moving the case against Fuller out of Ocean County, and that the tape recording of an incriminating conversation — in which Fuller asked a police informant if four feet was deep enough to bury a body — can be used as evidence at the trial.

Gregory, who had just completed her sophomore year at Brick Memorial High School, was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2004. On July 27, 2004, authorities with bloodhounds found Gregory's body in a shallow grave just under a power line off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood, about 1 1/2 miles from Fuller's house and not far from where the victim lived with her father, Joseph Dunn, in Brick.

Fuller was arrested July 18, 2004, before Gregory's body had been found. He was charged with murder in a single-count indictment in February

Can anyone perhaps answer why...

2005-08-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

they did not tack on every conceivable charge against Mr Fuller?

(Or perhaps they did, and it has not been reported yet?)

Some charges I can think of off the top of my head include...

Luring 2C:13-6
Aggravated Criminal Sexual - During Course of a Felony 2C:14-3a [2C:14-2a(3)]
Hindering One's Own Apprehension or Prosecution 2C:29-3b
Disturbing, desecrating, human remains 2C:22-1

(I'm sure I can dig up a few more... mind you I am not an attorney and there may very well be reasons that they are NOT doing it, but I would hit this guy with everything and anything to ensure he stays caged as long as possible.)

Criminal Record of Jack Fuller Jr.

2005-08-18T14:56:00.000-04:00

Charge (Date of Offense)

Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (April 23, 1999)
Receiving Stolen Property (Aug 8, 1999 )
Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (Sept 17, 1999)
Receiving Stolen Property (Nov 18, 1999)
Theft by Unlawful Taking/Disposition (Nov 18, 1999)
Burglary (Nov 18, 1999)
Parole Violator (UNKNOWN )

Incarceration History
Date in custody
May 5, 2000 through June 18, 2002
Jan 13, 2003 through April 14, 2003 (this shorter one is the Parole Violation)

Source: NJ Dept of Corrections

Tape of chat with informant ruled admissible

2005-07-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

(originally published in the Brick Township Bulletin )

Judge: Trial for murder of Brittney Gregory will stay in Ocean County

BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer
July 21, 2005)

An audiotape of the defendant in the Brittney Gregory murder case saying he “killed a white girl from Brick” will be made available to the jury.

State Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso ruled on Friday that the audiotape of Jack Fuller Jr. speaking with a witness for the prosecution will be allowed in court. Fuller’s attorney, John Goins, attempted to dispute the use of the audiotape, saying parts of it are inaudible.

Members of Gregory’s family listened, some doing their best to choke back tears, as the tape was played in the courtroom Friday.

On the tape, Fuller is reportedly heard asking the informant how deep a body should be buried so it’s not detectable by animals. The defendant is also heard saying that he may have to “take out” Tom Long, another witness for the prosecution, officials said.

Fuller, 39, has been indicted for a single count of murder and faces 30 years to life in prison. Seated in the courtroom last week, Fuller, who is being held at Ocean County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, remained stoic as the judge made his rulings.

Gregory’s body was discovered on July 27, 2004, after she had been missing for two weeks. The 16-year-old’s body was found buried in Lakewood in a shallow grave near the Metedeconk River boundary separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. The site is about 2 miles from Gregory’s home.

The motion to preclude using the audiotape was one of several motions made by Goins in Grasso’s courtroom Friday. The judge denied all of Goins’ requests, including a motion to suppress evidence found in Fuller’s vehicle, a motion to suppress the medical examiner’s testimony and a motion to throw out Fuller’s indictment. In that motion, Goins argued that the prosecution failed to show that Fuller purposely caused her death. However, Grasso said that because Fuller is heard on the audiotape saying he had to kill Gregory because she saw his face, the prosecution did demonstrate Fuller’s purpose.

The most contested motion made last week was Goins’ attempt to change the location of the trial from the Ocean County courthouse in Toms River. Goins said that because Gregory’s death was so tragic, the media covered the search for her body and the law enforcement’s pursuit of Fuller in depth. Goins provided Grasso with a stack of newspaper articles and radio broadcast transcripts. He pointed out that some news reports referred to Gregory and Fuller as the “beauty and the beast,” and used the word “killer” when speaking of his client.

“This is a community that knows this case, whether you just say Brittney or you say Fuller,” Goins said.

Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny, who will be prosecuting the case on behalf of the state, said that Gregory’s disappearance was covered a lot in the beginning, but since her body was found, the coverage has lessened.

“Although there’s been coverage in the press, not all jurors may be aware of it,” DeLigny said.

Grasso said that while the case has received the media’s attention, the defense would have to prove that Fuller is the target of the “media’s crusade” in order to prove he could not receive a “fair and impartial” trial in Ocean County. Grasso said the jurors will be paneled and asked how familiar they are with the case before the trial. If it becomes apparent that an unbiased jury can’t be compiled, Grasso said Goins could make a motion at that time for a change of venue.

The specific cause of Gregory’s death is still unknown — one reason why Goins attempted to suppress the medical examiner’s testimony. Autopsy results revealed that Gregory’s body was found unclothed but with no signs of mutilation. The autopsy proved that the young girl was dead before she was buried and that her death was the result of a homicide. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, strangulation and suffocation have not been ruled out as the cause of her death.

Goins argued that because these two means have not been ruled out, they also have not been ruled in.,

“It is a guess on the part of the medical examiner that these could be the causes of death,” Goins said.

Grasso said he would hold another hearing at a future date to hear what facts the medical examiner used in order to formulate his opinion.

Gregory’s last contact with family members came around 8:30 p.m. July 11, 2004, when she contacted her mother, Debra Gregory, from her father’s home on Greenwood Loop Road in Brick. According to her mother, Gregory called about getting a ride to see her boyfriend.

Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Gasser, the public information officer for the Prosecutor’s Office, said there was another passenger in Fuller’s vehicle with Gregory on the day she disappeared. Tom Long, the other passenger, was in the vehicle when Fuller picked Gregory up. At that time Gregory was seated in the rear of the vehicle and moved up front when Long was dropped off, Gasser said.

Blood found in Fuller’s vehicle was determined by the state police DNA laboratory to be Gregory’s.

Judge Allows Evidence in NJ Teen Murder Case

2005-07-17T08:24:00.000-04:00

(originally published by 1010 WINS July 17th 2005)

(1010 WINS) (TOMS RIVER, N.J.) A state Superior Court judge has refused to throw out damaging evidence against Howell resident Jack Fuller Jr., accused of killing an Ocean County teenager last summer.

Fuller, 39, is charged with murder in the death of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory, of Brick, who was found buried in a shallow grave in July 2004.

Judge Vincent Grasso on Friday allowed prosecutors to use a secretly recorded tape between Fuller and an informant in which Fuller allegedly asked for advice on how deep to bury the body.

Grasso also turned down a request from Fuller's defense attorney to have the trial moved from Ocean County because of the publicity surrounding the case.

Gregory was a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School who dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist.

She disappeared July 11 after she called her mother from her father's house and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home. Her mother told Brittney that her sister would give her a ride if she waited about 45 minutes, but Brittney did not answer the phone later that night.

Her body was found two weeks later beneath a power line tower in Lakewood.

Fuller, who was a friend of Gregory's father, has a history of drug and theft-related offenses. He had been released from prison in 2003.

A trial date has not been set.

NJDOC OFFICERS WHO LOCATED MISSING GIRL’S BODY RECOGNIZED AS “BEST IN THE BUSINESS”

2005-06-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

(Source State of New Jersey Department of Corrections)

Joseph Nicholas and Bruce Myers, senior correction officers with the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC), who along with state trooper Bryan Trexler and their canines discovered the body of a missing Ocean County teenager last summer, were profiled in the June 2005 issue of “Corrections Today” – the magazine’s annual “Best in the Business” issue.

The magazine is published by the American Correctional Association (ACA), the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world. In bestowing this prestigious national distinction on Nicholas and Myers, the ACA highlighted their heroism from a plethora of nominations received from all over the United States.

In July 2004, Nicholas, Myers and Trexler, while off duty, met at Nicholas’ home one morning at 4 a.m. Accompanied by the canines, the three joined a search that had been in progress since 16-year-old Brittney Gregory had disappeared more than two weeks earlier. When the officers were almost certain they had located the girl, they alerted authorities, who unearthed the teen’s body from a two-foot-deep grave.

“It wasn’t like we were looking to get a prize or just trying to get newspaper clippings,” Nicholas told “Corrections Today.” “I set the whole thing up … not to be anybody’s hero, but because no one’s daughter deserves to be left in a hole.”

A full-length article, titled “Officers’ Off-Duty Work Leads to Missing Girl’s Body,” appears in the June issue of “Corrections Today.” The article can be accessed in the “Media Watch” section NJDOC Web site (www.state.nj.us/corrections) by locating the menu that appears on the left side of the Web site's home page and clicking "In the News." Several options will be available. Select “Media Watch.”

The magazine’s 2005 “Best in the Business” issue also recognized NJDOC Commissioner Devon Brown, as its “2005 Best in the Business” recipient for exceptional leadership.

In 2003, two members of the NJDOC custody staff were profiled in the magazine’s “Best in the Business” issue:

* Senior Correction Officer Fred Bernhardt of Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, who was supervising an inmate labor detail when he used his CPR training to desperately try to save a man who had been involved in a Wave Runner accident with his 12-year-old son. Sadly, despite Bernhardt’s heroic efforts, the accident victim did not survive.
* SCO Kevin Williams of Riverfront State Prison was feted for a distinguished career that included commendations for establishing a Correctional Staff Fellowship at South Woods State Prison; for being named the Officer of the Year; and for his assistance at Ground Zero, the Newark International Airport and Fort Dix following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In addition, in January 2003, the ACA awarded Margaret Henderson, an assistant social worker supervisor at Northern State Prison in Newark, the $1,000 Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship in response to an essay Henderson submitted chronicling her contributions in carrying on Dr. King’s legacy.

Commissioner Brown was particularly proud of the ACA’s tributes to the NJDOC and its staff because, he said, “the most gratifying recognition a professional in any field can receive is from his or her peers.”

Fuller pleads not guilty to murder charge

2005-03-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

(Originally published in the Brick Township Bulletin 03/10/2005)

BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer

BRICK — Jack Fuller Jr., the man authorities believe is responsible for Brittney Gregory’s death, pleaded not guilty to murder during his arraignment before Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso Friday.

Fuller was indicted by a grand jury for a single count of murder in February. If convicted, Fuller could face 30 years to life in prison.

Brittney’s body was discovered on July 27 after she had been missing for two weeks. Her body was found buried in Lakewood in a 2-foot-deep grave near the Metedeconk River boundary separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. Brittney was 16 years old at the time of her death.

Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser, press liaison, said that the prosecutor for the case, Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny, provided Fuller’s attorney, John Goins, with “quite a bit” of discovery material. DeLigny said that the prosecutor’s office is waiting for more test results that aren’t expected for another six to eight weeks.

The two parties will meet again on April 25 for a case management conference during which Grasso will want to know if any motions will be filed, Gasser said.

The Capital Case Committee concluded that the Prosecutor’s Office would not seek the death penalty in Fuller’s case, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher announced on Feb. 9. According to a Feb. 9 press release from Kelaher, the committee “has concluded that it is not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the existence of at least one statutory aggravating factor and, therefore, the death penalty is unavailable.”

The prosecutor’s office has released no new information about the cause of Brittney’s death. An autopsy proved that Brittney was dead when she was buried and officials have said that asphyxiation has not been ruled out.

Fuller was arrested on July 18, and has been held at Ocean County jail on $1 million bail ever since. Fuller, a Howell resident, has served two prison terms for burglary, theft and other offenses since 2000.

In November, Goins asked Grasso to reduce his client’s bail. The motion was denied after DeLigny presented information that the state police DNA laboratory found Brittney’s blood in Fuller’s vehicle.

Man Pleads Not Guilty In Teen's Murder

2005-03-05T08:20:00.000-05:00

(originally posted by 1010 WINS March 5, 2005)

(1010 WINS) (TOMS RIVER, N.J.) A man accused of killing his friend's 16-year-old daughter last summer has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

Jack Fuller, 39, was indicted last month in the murder of Brittney Gregory and entered his plea Friday. He has remained in jail for lack of $1 million bail since his arrest in July.

Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School who dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist, disappeared July 11 after she called her mother from her father's house and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

Her mother told her that if she waited for about 45 minutes, her sister would give her a ride, but Brittney did not answer the phone later that night. Her body was found two weeks later beneath a power line tower in Lakewood.

Fuller, who was a friend of Gregory's father, has a history of drug and theft-related offenses. He had been released from prison in 2003.

If convicted, Fuller will not face the death penalty. A capital committee that reviewed the evidence against Fuller was not satisfied that any aggravating factors existed, authorities announced last month.

Under state law, aggravating factors may include whether the murder was committed during the commission of another crime such as a robbery, whether the victim was a child younger than 14 or whether the crime was a case of murder for hire, among others.

Suspect indicted in Brittney Gregory’s murder

2005-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

(orginally publish in The Brick Township Bulletin 02/17/2005)

Prosecutor’s Office will not seek death penalty for Fuller
BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer

A grand jury last week indicted Jack Fuller Jr., the man authorities believe is responsible for Brittney Gregory’s death, for a single count of murder.

If convicted, Fuller could face 30 years to life in prison.

The 16-year-old’s body was discovered on July 27 after she had been missing for two weeks. Her body was found buried in Lakewood in a 2-foot-deep grave near the Metedeconk River boundary separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. The site is about two miles from Brittney’s home.

On Feb. 9, the day the grand jury returned the single-count indictment, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher announced that the Capital Case Committee concluded that the Prosecutor’s Office would not seek the death penalty in Fuller’s case. According to a Feb. 9 press release from Kelaher, the committee “has concluded that it is not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of the existence of at least one statutory aggravating factor and, therefore, the death penalty is unavailable.”

The factors that the Capital Case Committee look at when deciding if the death penalty is applicable include whether or not the defendant committed or attempted to commit murder, robbery, sexual assault, arson, burglary or kidnapping at the time when Brittney was murdered. They also look at the age of the victim, who must be 14 years old or younger for the death penalty to be considered.

The Prosecutor’s Office released no new information about the cause of Brittney’s death. After an autopsy was performed in July, preliminary results revealed that Brittney was found unclothed but with no signs of mutilation. The autopsy proved that Brittney was dead when she was buried and Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser has said that asphyxiation has not been ruled out as the cause of her death.

Fuller was arrested on July 18 and has been held at Ocean County jail on $1 million bail ever since. Fuller, a Howell resident, has served two prison terms for burglary, theft and other offenses since 2000.

In November, Fuller’s attorney, John Goins, asked state Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso to reduce Fuller’s bail. The motion was denied after Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny, who will be prosecuting the case on behalf of the state, presented information that the state police DNA laboratory found that blood in Fuller’s vehicle was that of the Brittney’s.

At that time, Gasser, the public information officer for the Prosecutor’s Office, said there was another passenger in Fuller’s vehicle with Brittney on July 11, the day she disappeared. Tom Long, the other passenger, was in the vehicle when Fuller picked Brittney up. At that time Brittney was seated in the rear of the vehicle and moved up front when Long was dropped off, Gasser said.

Another witness reportedly told police that Fuller spoke to him about how deep a body should be buried so it cannot be found, Gasser said.

Man Indicted In Girl’s Death

2005-02-09T18:58:00.000-05:00

(originally published by CBS3 Philadelphia Feb 9, 2005)

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) A man being held for the killing of a 16-year-old Brick Township girl has been indicted on a single count of murder, but he won’t face the death penalty, authorities said Wednesday.

Jack Fuller, 39, is jailed on $1 million bail in the slaying of Brittney Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School. She disappeared July 11, and her body was found two weeks later beneath a power line tower in Lakewood.

Fuller, of Howell Township, is being held on $1 million bail.

Fuller, who was a friend of Gregory’s father, has a history of drug and theft-related offenses. He had been released from prison in 2003.

Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher announced Wednesday that he won’t seek the death penalty, citing the absence of aggravating factors. A capital case committee that reviewed the evidence against Fuller wasn’t satisfied any existed, Kelaher said.

Under state law, aggravating factors may include whether the murder was committed during the commission of another crime such as a robbery, whether the victim was a child younger than 14 or whether the crime was a case of murder for hire, among others.

Suspect In Teen Killing Assaulted In Jail

2004-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

(originally published by 1010 WINS (among others) December 6, 2004. Credit to Associated Press)

(TOMS RIVER, N.J.)The man charged with killing a 16-year-old Brick Township girl in July was assaulted by other inmates and will not return to the county jail's general population, said the jail warden.

Warden Theodore Hutler Jr. said that Jack Fuller is now in the Ocean County Jail's medical unit. Hutler would not give any details of Fuller's medical condition.

Fuller, 39, was charged in July with murdering Brittney Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School. Gregory had been missing for more than two weeks before her naked body was found in a shallow grave about two miles from where she lived.

Fuller, an ex-convict who was a friend of Gregory's father, was put in the medical unit after he was assaulted by inmates about two weeks ago, Hutler said.

The warden said an investigation of the alleged assault could lead to either internal discipline or criminal charges against other inmates. Hutler would not talk about details of the investigation.

Judge denies motion to reduce Jack Fuller’s bail

2004-11-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

(originally published by Brick Township Bulletin November 11, 2004)

Prosecutor’s Office still waiting on autopsy results

BRICK — Jack Fuller Jr., the man authorities believe is responsible for Brittney Gregory’s death, remains in Ocean County jail after his attorney tried to have his bail reduced last week.

John Goins, an Elizabeth-based attorney, asked state Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso to reduce Fuller’s $1 million bail on Nov. 1. The motion was denied after Executive Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald DeLigny presented information that the state police DNA laboratory found the blood in Fuller’s vehicle was that of the 16-year-old’s.

According to Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Robert A. Gasser, there was another passenger in Fuller’s vehicle with Brittney on July 11, the day she disappeared. Tom Long, the other passenger, was in the vehicle when Fuller picked Brittney up. At that time Brittney was seated in the rear of the vehicle and moved up front when Long was dropped off, Gasser said.

Another witness reportedly told police that Fuller spoke to him about how deep a body should be buried so it cannot be found. In addition, Fuller’s daughter has a restraining order against him and, therefore, Fuller would have no place to go if he were to make bail, Gasser said.

All this information was presented by DeLigny in an effort to keep his $1 million bail in place.

Gasser said on Friday that he spoke with Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher and the autopsy results that would reveal the cause of Brittney’s death and whether or not she was sexually assaulted have not yet been returned.

Fuller has been held at Ocean County jail, Toms River, since July 18.

Brittney’s body was discovered on July 27 after she had been missing for two weeks. Her body was found buried in Lakewood in a 2-foot-deep grave near the Metedeconk River boundary, separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. The site is about 2 miles from Brittney’s home.

Authorities have disclosed little information about how the investigation led to Fuller, who has served two prison terms for burglary, theft and other offenses since 2000. Kelaher has said law enforcement authorities had more than ample evidence to establish probable cause and to arrest Fuller, a resident of Howell, and charge him with first-degree murder.

There is no known motive for the crime.

Brittney's dad: How could he?

2004-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

BY NANCY DILLON in Brick, N.J.,
and BILL HUTCHINSONin New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

A heartbroken New Jersey father is haunted by thoughts of how his 16-year-old daughter was murdered, and prays that she is now at peace.

Joe Dunn, 45, said in an interview yesterday that his "baby girl," Brittney Gregory, was his biggest concern in life, and that it torments him that he couldn't save her.

"All I could think about was my daughter, what she must have gone through," said Dunn, staring at photos of his blond, blue-eyed girl. "It just hasn't sunk in yet. This is every father's worst nightmare. I can't even believe it's true."

A day after the high school honors student's funeral, Dunn poured out his heart about the fear, anger and agonizing heartache he and his family endured over the past three weeks.

He said he is still aghast that Jack Fuller, the father of Brittney's good friend Cassie Fuller, has been charged with the killing.

"How could he do such a thing when he's got his own daughter?" Dunn said of Fuller, an ex-con with a history of drug abuse.

"I just wish I could see her still in her bedroom, studying for a test on her bed," the father said. "I just hope she's in a better place."

He held a Father's Day card Brittney gave him in June, and shook his head as he read over and over the note she penned.

"I love you. Don't ever forget it," Brittney wrote.

"She was a beautiful kid," said Dunn, who works as a maintenance man. "When she was stretched out across the bed doing her homework, that was my proudest moment. I was never any good at school. I knew she was going to go far. She would have made it to college."

As he looked at snapshots of Brittney as a 12-year-old, playing on the front lawn, Dunn's thoughts again turned to how she died.

Dunn said he believes Brittney was walking to her boyfriend's house on July 11 when Fuller offered her a ride.

"She only knew the good side of people," he said, explaining why Brittney would get into the car with Fuller. "She was young and always sheltered."

He believes that his daughter was knocked out, but must have regained consciousness as she was being assaulted.

"Maybe she woke up and she didn't like what he was doing," Dunn said. "She would have been one to fight back."

An autopsy showed that Brittney suffered blunt trauma to the head, but cops believe her death was caused either by strangulation or suffocation.

Detectives are still awaiting the results of tests to determine if Brittney was raped before she was killed.

After an intense two-week search, police found her nude body July 27 in a shallow grave just 2 miles from her home.

"I actually still had hope until they found her," Dunn said.

He said Brittney's death had made him draw closer to his other daughter, Bobbijoe, 18.

He said he is in constant touch with Bobbiejoe because he's terrified something bad will happen to her. "I want to know where she's at every night," he said.

Even in his deepest sorrow, Dunn offered thanks to the police who handled the investigation, especially Detectives Michael Moel and Thomas Hayes of the Ocean County prosecutor's office. He also expressed his appreciation to Correction Officers Joseph Nicholas and Bruce Myers and State Trooper Brian Trexler, who discovered the body.

He also found solace in the words of a minister who likened Brittney to a butterfly. He said that as he stood behind the hearse that carried Brittney's body on Monday, a butterfly fluttered past him.

"I haven't noticed a butterfly all spring," he said. "I think God wanted to let me know that Brittney was all right, that she was at ease and she's going to heaven."

Tears for Britt,hug for mourner

2004-08-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

(originally published in the New York Daily News August 2, 2004)

BY NANCY DILLON in Brick, N.J.
and BILL HUTCHINSON in New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

The grieving family of a slain New Jersey girl cursed her alleged killer yesterday, but welcomed his tearful daughter as she and hundreds of friends paused to mourn at a closed casket.

As two pals held her by the arms, a sobbing Cassie Fuller entered the Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home in Toms River and slowly walked to the white coffin that held her friend, Brittney Gregory.

Friends said the 21-year-old daughter of suspect Jack Fuller has been racked with guilt over the slaying, but Brittney's family showed her only kindness yesterday.

"She's destroyed, too," said Cassie's friend Cherie Wilkinson, 30, of Toms River. "The Gregory family gave her full support. They understand what she's going through."

Cassie placed a bouquet of purple irises, lilies and white carnations at the foot of her friend's coffin. She stared up at a large photo of Brittney before heading out a back door.

Before she could leave, Brittney's sister Bryana hugged Cassie and let her know the family bore her no ill will.

But other mourners could not mask their anger at Cassie's father, a 38-year-old ex-con whom they want to see suffer.

Brittney's nude body was found Tuesday buried in a shallow grave beneath towering power lines in a wooded area two miles from her Brick, N.J., home. An autopsy revealed blunt trauma to her head and evidence she was either strangled or suffocated, police said.

Detectives are awaiting the results of tests to determine if she was sexually assaulted.

"They should take him [Fuller] to the power lines where they found Brittney and string him up," said John Hasse, 50, of Brick.

But most mourners tried to focus on how Brittney lived, not how she perished.

They remembered the Brick Township Memorial High School honor student for the twinkle in her blue eyes, the sparkle of her smile and warmth of her heart.

"She made everything nicer," said classmate John Barrett, 16. "She didn't deserve this."

All around the funeral home were snapshots of the blond-haired girl enjoying life. There was one of Brittney with her face covered in cake frosting after a food fight with her buddies. Another photo showed her in her royal-blue prom dress, surrounded by her smiling girlfriends.

"She was just a beautiful girl, gorgeous," said classmate Danielle Demers, 16, who like other mourners wore a blue ribbon on her lapel to signify Brittney's favorite color.

Brittney's mother, Debra Gregory, hugged every one of Brittney's friends, pleading with them to be careful.

"Beautiful girls like you should always take a friend when you go out," the mother told one of her daughter's friends. "Don't go alone. Promise."

Friends, Strangers Come Together to Mourn Slain Teen

2004-08-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published by WABC 7 New York August 02, 2004)

(Brick-WABC, August 2, 2004) — In Brick Township, New Jersey today, a private funeral will be held for Brittney Gregory.

She is the 16-year-old girl who was found murdered last Tuesday following an 8-day search.

No word yet on how she was killed. A family friend has been charged with her murder.

Slain Teen Remembered

2004-08-01T16:34:00.000-04:00

(originally published by CBS 3 KYW Philadelphia August 1, 2004. Credit to Associated Press)

TOMS RIVER, NJ (AP) Friends of a slain Ocean County teen and strangers moved by her death are expressing their grief at an impromptu memorial and by posting condolence messages at a Web site set up in her honor.

Brittney Gregory, 16, was missing for more than two weeks before her body was found Tuesday buried in a shallow grave in Lakewood. Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said she suffered head injuries, but they were not fatal and investigators do not know yet how she died.

Dozens of mourners paid their respects Sunday during visiting hours at a local funeral home. Only family members were permitted to attend her private funeral, scheduled for Monday.

Since the discovery of Gregory's body, a makeshift memorial containing cards, notes, stuffed animals and other items was erected near where her body was found. And a Web site was set up so people many who never met Gregory could post their sympathies to her family and also make contributions to help defray the cost of her funeral.

Many of the notes at the site which has drawn e-mails from people in Florida, New York and Ohio reflect on how the teen's life came to an abrupt and tragic end, the Asbury Park Sunday Press reported.

``Rest, sweet angel, for you are now in a better place! God is lucky to have such a beautiful soul alongside Him in heaven,'' one person wrote. Another, recalling several conversations he had with Gregory in recent years, wrote that he was ``completely heartbroken'' over her death and planned to donate his next paycheck to her family.

Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School who dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist, disappeared July 11 after she called her mother from her father's house and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home. Her mother told her that if she waited for about 45 minutes, her sister would give her a ride, but Brittney did not answer the phone later that night.

A family acquaintance, Jack Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, has been charged with murder in Gregory's death and is being held on $1 million bail. Fuller has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003.

Expected at Monday's funeral is William Gregory, Brittney's 23-year-old half brother, who once was engaged to Fuller's daughter. He is serving 16 months in a youth correctional facility in Hamilton under a plea deal he reached after being charged with conspiring to rob a man in 2003, and his family believes authorities will allow him to attend the services.

However, he will not be allowed to serve as a pallbearer, as the family had requested, the newspaper reported.

Gown for slain teen

2004-07-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

(originally published in the New York Daily News July 30, 2004)

BY NANCY DILLON in Brick, N.J.
and BILL HUTCHINSON in New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

The Royal blue prom dress a New Jersey teen wore on one of the happiest nights in her life will be on display one last time in one of the saddest times for her grieving family.

Brittney Gregory, 16, will be laid to rest in a mausoleum clad in the midriff-baring outfit she wore to her school dance, said her sister Bobbiejoe Gregory, 18.

The heartbroken sister said her family will honor an oddly prescient wish the slain honor student recently made - that she not be buried.

She said the family also plans to place Brittney's favorite SpongeBob SquarePants toy in her casket along with a blue toy Ninja motorcycle.

"She always said she wanted a blue Ninja when she turned 18," Gregory told the Daily News.

A day after the blond, blue-eyed Brick, N.J., teenager was positively identified, her family was making arrangements for a funeral tentatively set for Sunday.

Cops say Brittney was slain by Jack Fuller, 38, the father of her good friend Cassie Fuller.

She had been missing since July 11 when her nude body was found Tuesday in a hastily dug, 2-foot-deep grave in a wooded area 2 miles from her father's home.

Fuller has refused to cooperate with police since his arrest July 18.

Brittney's mother, Debra Gregory, has told reporters police say her daughter suffered a blow to the head, and that her death was swift.

But yesterday, authorities said it was more likely that Brittney was strangled or suffocated before she was buried.

"I'm not going to deny that there was trauma to her head, but that was not the cause of death," said Ocean County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Robert Gasser.

"The body had decomposed over two weeks, and the medical examiner has said he can't rule out strangulation or suffocation," Gasser said. "Tests are continuing in those areas."

Detectives are also awaiting the results of tests to determine if she was raped.

Brittney was last seen riding in Fuller's car the day she disappeared, witnesses have told cops.

Fuller, an ex-con with a history of drug abuse, also was recorded making incriminating statements to a drug dealer, who agreed to wear a wire for police.

Although Brittney's family is seething at Fuller, members expressed compassion for his daughter. Bobbiejoe Gregory said Cassie Fuller should not feel guilty about what her father did.

"There is anger for Jack, but none for his daughter," Gregory said. "She's still part of our family."

Prosecutor: Cause of death not known in Brittney Gregory's slaying

2004-07-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

(published on Philly Burbs 07-30-2004. Credit Associated Press)

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A 16-year-old girl whose body was found buried in a shallow grave suffered head injuries but investigators do not know yet how she died.

Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said Brittney Gregory's head injuries were not fatal. The teen may have been suffocated, although the autopsy results are pending, he said.

"I just don't know for sure," Kelaher told the newspaper for Friday's editions. "It's going to be up to the medical people."

The 16-year-old's mother had told the Asbury Park Press on Wednesday that authorities told her that her daughter suffered "blunt-force trauma to her head."

Gregory's body was found Tuesday in a grave beneath a power line transmission tower in Lakewood, about two miles from her house.

Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School, disappeared July 11. Officials have not said how she died, where or when.

Jack Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, has been charged with murder in Gregory's death. He is being held on $1 million bail.

Fuller, who has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003, has not cooperated with authorities.

Prosecutors have not said what evidence led them to accuse him.

At the site where Gregory's body was found, people have left flowers, teddy bears and stuffed animals.

"You just want to cry," Gina Hall, 32, of Toms River, told the Asbury Park Press. "Your heart breaks for the family."

Family members were preparing for a Sunday memorial service and then a private funeral on Monday.

Debra Gregory said she was still awaiting word about whether her imprisoned son - who once was engaged to the daughter of the man charged with killing Brittney Gregory - would be allowed to serve as a pallbearer at the funeral.

William B. Gregory, 23, is serving 16 months in a youth correctional facility in Hamilton. He reached a plea deal after being charged with conspiring to rob a man in 2003.

Mom: Teen Died From Blow To The Head

2004-07-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published by CBS 3 Philadelphia July 29, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

BRICK, N.J. (AP) The mother of an Ocean County teen whose body was found buried in a shallow grave says her daughter died quickly after suffering a blow to the head, according to a published report.

Debra Gregory also said she is pushing for officials to allow her imprisoned son - who once was engaged to the daughter of the man charged with killing Brittney Gregory - to serve as a pallbearer at the funeral.

"I know it is against the rules, but it is not for me, it is not for him, it is for his sister who is a victim," Debra Gregory told the Asbury Park Press for Thursday's editions.

The body of Brittney Gregory, 16, was found Tuesday in a grave beneath a power line transmission tower in Lakewood, about two miles from her house.

Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School, disappeared July 11. Officials have not said how she died, where or when.

Debra Gregory told the newspaper her daughter suffered blunt-force trauma to her head. "They told me she went quick," Debra Gregory said.

Jack Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, has been charged with murder in Gregory's death. He is being held on $1 million bail.

Fuller, who has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003, has not cooperated with authorities.

Prosecutors have not said what evidence led them to accuse him.

Debra Gregory said her son, William, who was the half-brother of the victim, is required to be handcuffed and shackled at Brittney Gregory's funeral, and to approach her casket alone.

"This is important. This was his baby sister. We are pleading to please let him come home and carry his sister," Debra Gregory said.

William B. Gregory, 23, is serving 16 months in a youth correctional facility in Hamilton. He reached a plea deal after being charged with conspiring to rob a man in 2003.

An officer at the facility told the newspaper that inmates attends funerals under maximum custody, but that Gregory's request had not yet been made.

William Gregory was engaged at one point to Fuller's daughter, Cassandra, according to Debra Gregory.

While Brittney and William had different fathers, they never considered themselves half-brother and half-sister, Debra Gregory said.

"I never let them say that. They are brothers and sisters, that is it," Debra Gregory said.

Missing Teen's Body Identified

2004-07-28T15:34:00.000-04:00

(orginally published by CBS 3 Philadelphia. Credit Associated Press)

BRICK, N.J. (AP) The body of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory has been positively identified, but prosecutors aren't saying how she died, where or when.

Gregory, a straight-A student at Brick Memorial High School, disappeared July 11. Her naked body was found buried in a shallow grave beneath a power line transmission tower in Lakewood, about two miles from her house.

An autopsy by Dr. Hydow Park concluded that Gregory was killed before she was buried, but it did not establish a time of death, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said Wednesday.

It wasn't immediately known if she had been sexually assaulted; the result of tests to determine that will not be known for several weeks, Kelaher said.

The body was identified using fingerprints and dental records reviewed by forensic odontologist Dr. Haskell Askin.

No cause of death was given, but Kelaher said in a prepared statement that the body showed no signs of mutilation.

Executive Assistant Prosecutor Robert Gasser, Kelaher's spokesman, said investigators cannot rule out suffocation or strangulation. There were no gunshot or stab wounds, Gasser said.

Investigators returned Wednesday to the site where the body was found to look for clothing or any other evidence that might be nearby.

Jack Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, has been charged with murder in Gregory's death. Fuller, an ex-convict who was a friend of Gregory's father, Joe Dunn, is being held on $1 million bail.

Fuller, who has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003, has not cooperated with authorities. He is being held on $1 million bail.

Prosecutors have not said what evidence led them to accuse him.

But Gasser said, "We are absolutely convinced that he's the guy who did it."

He said investigators are still in the process of interviewing people who might have "some relevant knowledge to the case."

It was not clear whether Fuller has retained a lawyer. The prosecutor's office said it has received no letter of representation.

Gregory's body was found Tuesday by officers using search dogs in a wooded area off Ridge Avenue in Lakewood. At the time, authorities said it was probably Gregory's.

She was last heard from on July 11 when she called her mother from her father's house and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

Body Confirmed to Be Missing N.J. Teen

2004-07-28T07:44:00.000-04:00

(originally published by FoxNews July 28, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A body unearthed from a shallow grave was confirmed to be that of a 16-year-old girl believed murdered by a family acquaintance, authorities said Wednesday.

The unclothed body was found Tuesday buried in a wooded area about two miles from Brittney Gregory's (search) house in central New Jersey, Ocean County prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said. The discovery was made by officers with search dogs.

"It bothered me," said Department of Corrections Officer Joseph Nicholas, who took part in the search Tuesday though it was his day off. "That is why we were there."

Gregory, of Brick Township (search), was last heard from July 11 when she called her mother from her father's house, where she lived, and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

Jack Fuller (search), 38, a friend of Brittney's father, has been charged with murder and is jailed on $1 million bail. Fuller has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003.

Investigators have not said why they believe Fuller was involved or why they had been searching the marshy wooded area since July 18. It was not immediately clear whether Fuller had an attorney.

The body was identified using fingerprints and dental records. An autopsy showed that Gregory was killed before she was buried, but did not establish a time of death, Kelaher said in a statement Wednesday. Tests were pending to determine whether the girl had been sexually assaulted, he said.

Kelaher's statement did not give a cause of death, and a spokesman for Kelaher did not immediately return phone calls seeking more information.

A decision whether to seek the death penalty against Fuller had not been made, the prosecutor said.

Body believed to be missing teen

2004-07-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published in the Brick Township Bulletin July 28, 2004)

Windward Beach vigil remembers 16-year-old Brittney Gregory
BY KARL VILACOBA and JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writers

Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher announced at a press conference in Toms River Tuesday that the body of a young girl had been found in Lakewood that morning.

Pending additional identification, the body is believed to be Brittney Gregory, 16, who has been missing from her Brick Township home since July 11. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Evidence found at the scene indicated it was Brittney, according to a press release from the Prosecutor’s Office.

The body was found in the Greenville section of Lakewood near the Metedeconk River boundary separating Monmouth and Ocean counties. The site is about 2 miles from Brittney’s home.

Three volunteer police officers canvassing a wooded area off Ridge and Brook roads made the discovery, the prosecutor said, adding that searchers have been in this area for about two weeks.

"I guess perseverance paid off," he said.

The prosecutor said law enforcement authorities had more than ample evidence to establish probable cause and arrest Jack Fuller Jr., 38, of Howell, and charge him with first-degree murder. Fuller has been in custody since July 18. Kelaher said there is no known motive for the crime.

He said it is believed that Fuller knew the area where the body was found. The body was buried about 2 feet deep.

Kelaher credited many different law enforcement personnel with aiding the search, but said that without the use of canines trained to search for bodies, the girl’s body may not have been found.

Kelaher said no decision on whether to seek the death penalty in the case against Fuller has been made.

On Sunday, two weeks to the hour after her disappearance, several hundred people gathered at a somber twilight prayer vigil for 16-year-old Brittney Gregory.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Brittney’s family and closest friends surged through the throngs at Windward Beach Park hoisting a large sign that read, "In Our Hearts Forever," a photo of the teen’s smiling face inside a heart. At the center of the group, Brittney’s teary-eyed mother Debra paused, scanned the crowd, and remarked, "There’s so many people."

At the vigil, classmates of Brittney’s wore shirts adorned with her photo, which read "We Love and Miss You" on the front, and "Rest in Peace — You Are a Beautiful Angel" on the back.

Judging by the number of cars parked at the Windward Beach lots, township officials estimated as many as 2,000 could have been on hand to mourn what Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said was the worst tragedy he could recall related to a criminal act in Brick. Those in attendance gathered around the "Angel in Anguish" statue — dedicated to those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — where they prayed, sang "Amazing Grace," and lighted candles in the teen’s honor.

"The ‘Angel in Anguish’ is crying again tonight," Scarpelli said after the ceremony. "Brick Township has experienced some severe losses, such as 9/11 and (slain N.J. Army National Guard) Spc. Christopher Duffy. This community has come together tonight and shed a tear for its latest angel, Brittney."

Gathered around a microphone at the center of the monument area, Brittney’s family members said few words but thanked the community for its outpouring of support.

"I have no idea what to say tonight except thank you all," said Brittney’s sister, BobbiJoe Dunn.

Bryana Gregory read a poem that was written as if it were her sister’s words to all those who were in sorrow. The sound of the audience’s sobs permeated the poem as she read verses like "When tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand, that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand."

Capt. Dan Schafer, the Brick Police Department’s chaplain, helped arrange the interfaith prayer service and invited grief counselors to assist mourners, Scarpelli said. Schafer prayed the family would receive the strength necessary to withstand the ordeal.

The vigil also drew people who didn’t know Brittney or her family or live in Brick, but were captivated by the tragic story. One of them was Point Pleasant’s Leo Bryce, 28, who said the situation confronted him with the dreadful thought of losing his 6-year-old son.

"It makes you wake up and start thinking. I talk to my son all of the time, and I’m afraid to let him out because I don’t know what’s going to happen," Bryce said. "You never think that it can happen around here. My heart goes out to the family."

Brittney’s last contact with family members came around 8:30 p.m. July 11, when she contacted her mother from her father’s Greenwood Loop Road, Brick, home. According to her mother, Brittney called about getting a ride to see her boyfriend.

Debra Gregory said her daughter was an outstanding student who spent her free time at the library and who aspired to become a forensic scientist.

In the days after her disappearance, fliers with Brittney’s face were posted in public places throughout the area, asking anyone with information to call police or her mother. Her image and description was also added to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Web site.

On July 18, police arrested Fuller, 38, who appeared before Judge James Citta in Ocean County Superior Court the next day. Fuller is being held in Ocean County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Debra Gregory recently described Fuller as a longtime family acquaintance whose daughter was close friends with some of Brittney’s siblings.

Authorities initially disclosed little information about how the investigation led to Fuller, who has served two prison terms for burglary, theft and other offenses since 2000.

In the days following Fuller’s arrest, investigators and volunteers from throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties searched a wooded area in the vicinity of Ocean County Park, Lakewood, for Brittney’s remains. Last week, that search was expanded into the southern Howell area where Fuller lived, as well as the outskirts of Allaire State Park. Officials said the search was temporarily halted last weekend because of inclement weather.

Body Found in Woods Believed That of Missing Girl

2004-07-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published by WABC 7 New York July 27, 2004)

By Jen Maxfield

(Toms River-WABC, July 27, 2004) — She was missing for more than two weeks, and cops were so certain she'd been murdered they've already charged a family friend with the crime.

But finally, police believe they have found the body of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory.

Jen Maxfield is in Toms River with details.

The body believed to be that of the 16-year-old honor student was found buried in a shallow grave, in a remote and wooded area off of Ridge Avenue in Lakewood. Investigators had been searching the area for more than a week, based on reports that murder suspect Jack Fuller used to camp out in the vicinity.

Nothing in that grave gave any clues as to how Brittney may have been killed. An autopsy scheduled for Tuesday night is expected to confirm that the body is that of Brittney Gregory.

Thomas Kelaher, Ocean County Prosecutor: "It was underneath a power line and near a dirt road. So it was probably a convenient place for him to do what he did."

More than 100 people a day had searched the heavily forested area on the Monmouth/Ocean County border. Brittney's grave site was discovered on Tuesday morning by three New Jersey K-9 officers who had brought their dogs to the search sites on their days off to help.

Joseph Nicholas, NJ Corrections Officer: "If the man was off the clock he would have been here anyway. That's how much it bothered us."

Thomas Kelaher: "It's a mix of sand, and dirt, and weeds, and scrub, and so if it wasn't for the dogs we may not have been able to discover it."

Brittney Gregory was last heard from on July 11 when she told her parents she needed a ride to her boyfriend's house. Prosecutors say they have a witness that saw Brittney in Jack Fuller's car on the night she disappeared. He was no stranger to her -- Fuller's daughter is Brittney's sister's best friend.

Fuller was charged with first-degree murder eight days ago, before Brittney's body was found. He did not assist police in the search.

Thomas Kelaher: "It's a massive undertaking, and we just relied on what we thought would be good common sense. Now, he could have gone 10 miles away, he could have gone 15 miles away, all of those things could have happened. He didn't."

Friends of her family, who had long been braced for this, were resigned. But sought what comforting thoughts they could.

Denette Oryniak, Family Friend: "Dead, but -- now she can be put to rest. She's an angel now."

Photo: Search For Brittney

2004-07-27T10:12:00.000-04:00

(originally posted on WABC 7 New York July 27, 2004)

(Toms River-WABC, July 27, 2004) - She was missing for more than two weeks, and cops were so certain she'd been murdered they've already charged a family friend with the crime.

Cops Believe They've Found N.J. Girl's Body

2004-07-27T07:47:00.000-04:00

(originally published on FoxNews July 27, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A body believed to be that of a 16-year-old girl missing for two weeks was found Tuesday in a shallow grave in a wooded area, law enforcement officials said.

The body is "in all likelihood" that of Brittney Gregory (search), Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher (search) said. A family acquaintance has been charged in her slaying.

Three officers, including two working on their day off, made the discovery with the help of search dogs.

"It bothered me," said Department of Corrections Officer Joseph Nicholas, one of the men searching on his day off. "That is why we were there."

Brittney, of Brick Township, was last heard from on July 11 when she called her mother from her father's house, where she lived, and said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

Jack Fuller (search), 38, a friend of Brittney's father, already had been charged with her murder. Fuller has a history of drug and theft-related arrests and was released from prison in April 2003. He is jailed on $1 million bail.

The prosecutor said the 2-foot-deep grave was about two miles from Gregory's home.

"It was probably a convenient place for him to do what he did," Kelaher said at a news conference. He said he did not know whether the teen was killed there.

Investigators have not said why they believe Fuller was involved in Brittney's disappearance or why they had been searching the marshy wooded area since July 18. Kelaher also would not say whether the body was clothed or whether there were signs of sexual assault or trauma. An autopsy was expected Tuesday night.

Kelaher said a decision whether to seek the death penalty against Fuller had not been made; Fuller's failure to reveal the body's location would count against him, he said.

Brittney's aunt, Susan Wood, made no comment afterward, but stopped to hug and thank the officers who found the remains.

Photo: Thomas Kelaher, Ocean County Prosecutor

2004-07-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published by WABC 7 New York undated)

Thomas Kelaher, Ocean County Prosecutor: "It was underneath a power line and near a dirt road. So it was probably a convenient place for him to do what he did."

Mom recalls kindness to suspect (Historical)

2004-07-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published in the Star Ledger July 23, 2004 - link to original Publication no longer available)

She recoils to think he is now accused of killing Brittney

BY MARY ANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff

Brittney Gregory once helped save the life of the man who stands accused of taking hers.
The Brick Township Memorial High School junior was visiting Jack Fuller's daughter one night a couple of months ago when a taxicab pulled up in front of the Fullers' Howell Township home, according to Brittney's mother, Debra Gregory. Fuller was in the back seat of the cab, barely conscious because of a drug overdose, Gregory said.

Brittney, 16, and Fuller's daughter, Cassie, 20, immediately called 911, and Fuller was soon revived by the ambulance crew, she said.

The irony of that has gnawed at Brittney's mother since Fuller's arrest. "How do you take the life of a person who saved your life?" Debra Gregory asked during an interview yesterday at her Beachwood home. "How do you do that?"

Fuller, a 38-year-old with a long rap sheet and a history of drug problems, was charged Sunday with Brittney's murder. He remains at the Ocean County Jail on $1 million bail.

Brittney's remains have not been found. Police continued to search wooded areas in Howell, Brick and Lakewood yesterday. New Jersey State Police crews spent about 45 minutes early in the afternoon examining the ground in the back yard of the home where Fuller's friend, Tom Long, lives. Long was reported to have been in a car with Fuller and Brittney the night she disappeared. The search extended into a neighbor's yard, too.

The charges against Fuller were the result of the cooperation of a confidential informant, according to Brittney's mother and law enforcement sources. The informant, a drug dealer, contacted authorities to say that Fuller had approached him with a question about how to bury a body. Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office put a wire on the informant and had him tape a conversation with Fuller, a law enforcement source said.

Police told Brittney's mother that Fuller implicated himself in Brittney's murder during that taped conversation, Debra Gregory said yesterday. The family wants Fuller to tell authorities where he buried Brittney so they can give her a proper funeral. "It makes us hate him more the longer this goes on," Brittney's sister Bryana Gregory said.

Brittney, who lived in Brick with her father Joe Dunn, was home by herself on July 11, the night she disappeared. She and her boyfriend, John Fitzgerald, had had a tiff during the day about him not taking her to the beach, Debra Gregory said. Brittney badly wanted to go see him. The last time Gregory talked to her daughter was around 8:30 that night, when Brittney called from home to ask for a ride to her boyfriend's house.

Brittney would not have called Jack Fuller to ask for a ride, but if he had been in the area she might have been desperate enough to accept one if he offered, according to her mother and her sister.
Fuller was well-known to Brittney and her family. He and Brittney's father were friends, her mother said. Brittney's brother used to date Fuller's daughter, and Brittney and the daughter remained close.

Gregory said she has run through the events of that evening in her mind a thousand times since Brittney disappeared, trying to figure out what might have happened. "Nothing adds up," she said. "Nothing makes sense. I think of all those theories, but nothing makes sense."

Her family imagines that whoever killed Brittney had his hands full. She had two older brothers and two older sisters, after all, and had had her share of sibling fights. "She stood her ground until the end," Bryana said.

Debra Gregory remembered Brittney yesterday as "every mother's dream of a 16-year-old girl."
She said her grades at Brick Memorial were so good that she was exempted from many of her final exams. She was never a discipline problem, her mother said. She never had to be told to do her homework or clean her room, and she loved to read.

Brittney relished her role as the baby of the family, her mother said. She was spoiled, to be sure, but not vain or arrogant. She celebrated her 16th birthday in April by holding her mother to a promise she had made to let her get her bellybutton pierced. She idolized pop queen Britney Spears and had posters of her tacked up in her bedroom. She enjoyed cartoons, especially "SpongeBob SquarePants," and she couldn't get enough of the TV shows about forensic science, a profession she wanted to pursue. She and her mother used to tune in to the same shows and then call each other to talk about them as they watched.

"She thought it was so cool they can tell how you died, when you died ... She was so intrigued," her mother said. "And now there's people out there like that looking for her."

Staff writers Brian Donohue and Tom Feeney contributed to this report.

A menace's rise to murder charge (historical)

2004-07-22T08:06:00.000-04:00

(orginally posted in the Star Ledger July 22, 2004)

Accused of killing Brick girl, chronic crook was neighborhood scourge

BY MARY ANN SPOTO AND TOM FEENEY
Star-Ledger Staff

Jack Fuller Jr.'s neighbors were glad to hear he's locked up once again. They only wish the charge weren't the murder of Brittney Gregory.

Fuller, 38, the habitual criminal accused of killing the 16-year-old Brick Township girl, has menaced the neighborhood around his Howell home for most of his adult life. He has broken into cars, homes and garden sheds, used and sold drugs, threatened a man with a baseball bat, scuffled with police and lied to them about his identity after a drunken-driving arrest, according to court records and interviews.

He has been arrested more than a dozen times in the past 10 years alone. He has done time in a state prison on charges of theft and parole violations. Many of his offenses went unreported because people were afraid of him, neighbors said.

"When Jack Fuller is in jail, everybody around here wants to throw a party -- they feel safe," said one neighbor, a 24-year-old delicatessen worker who asked that her name be withheld. "When we hear he's out, everybody knows to lock everything up."

If Ocean County prosecutors have their way, Fuller won't be out of jail for a long, long time. They have charged him with Brittney's murder, and he remains in the Ocean County Jail on $1 million bail.

Brittney, a junior at Brick Township Memorial High School, went missing 11 days ago from her family's home on Greenwood Loop Road in Brick. Her family searched for her for more than a week, posting her picture on bulletin boards and utility poles around Brick, Howell and Lakewood.
Fuller was arrested Sunday and charged with murder, though Brittney's remains have not been recovered. Authorities have not said why they believe she is dead or why they suspect Fuller.
Fuller was known to Brittney's family. His daughter was a friend of Brittney's sister. One of Fuller's friends reportedly told police he saw Brittney in Fuller's car the night she disappeared.
The search for Brittney's body continued for a fourth day yesterday as police officers used search dogs and helicopters to scour the woods near the border of Ocean and Monmouth counties, woods Fuller was known to frequent. He often used a tent in those woods to stash stolen goods and to hide from the police, neighbors said.

"It was pretty scary to know somebody was camping back there," said Iliana Montero, who bought a house across Western Drive from Fuller's house six years ago.
Because of warnings about Fuller from the person who sold her the home, she had a burglar alarm installed after she moved in, she said.

"We were told he did try to break in here before we bought the house," she said.
Fuller cut a peculiar figure in the neighborhood. The man with the shaved head and the barbed-wire tattoo around his biceps was never known to work an honest job, yet always seemed to be nattily dressed , often in an expensive jogging suit and slip-on sneakers, usually with his baseball cap turned sideways or backwards, said Ron Thompson, who lived around the corner from Fuller on Sunset Drive for the past two years.

Sometimes Fuller would walk around the neighborhood, other times he would ride a bike, Thompson said.

Thompson said people in the neighborhood assumed Fuller made his money by selling drugs.
"I'm new here, and I knew about him as soon as I moved in," Thompson said.

There is plenty in the court records to support the neighbors' beliefs about Fuller's involvement with drugs.

In fact, he is due to go on trial, along with two co-defendants, in Monmouth County on Monday on charges he was found to be in possession of cocaine when he was stopped by police in Asbury Park last October.

He was charged as far back as 1986 with trying to sell marijuana in Howell Township. He was charged with possession of heroin in Point Pleasant in 1994, and Howell police charged him with using and being under the influence of heroin after an overdose last year, according to court records.

An Ocean County judge ordered Fuller into drug rehab in 1994 after he was arrested on a parole violation, but Fuller did not stick with the program, court records show. A probation report in his file indicates his attendance was spotty and that he had failed drug tests. He was eventually kicked out of the program.

In a letter to the court from prison in 2000, he promised to try to stay clean. "My commitment is to become a productive and positive figure in my community and to help others do the same, and of course to stay off drugs," he wrote to Superior Court Judge Edward Turnbach.

Aside from the drug offenses, most of the crimes on Fuller's rap sheet are nonviolent property offenses. Fuller and a friend named Tom were charged with breaking into a neighbor's car last year and stealing wedding and engagement rings and a credit card, according to court records and the alleged victim. They ran up $800 in charges on the card and sold the rings at an Asbury Park pawnshop, according to court papers.

The alleged victim, who asked that her name not be published, said the two men were caught only because Fuller's friend used his real name for the pawn shop transaction.

Fuller was not convicted of the offense, the woman said. She took two days off work to testify against him, she said, but his trial was postponed both times. She told the judge she couldn't afford to take a third day off. The judge ordered Fuller to pay her for the time she had missed and to return the stolen property, and the charges were dismissed, she said.

He also appeared in court last year on charges he removed the hinges from the doors on a garden shed and stole a neighbor's moped. That charge, too, was eventually dismissed, court records show.

"He's been a problem forever," said a neighbor who claims he has had some power tools stolen by Fuller. "He's the scourge of the neighborhood."

Not all of Fuller's offenses were nonviolent. He was indicted on a charge of assaulting the police officer who had arrested him on the marijuana charges in 1986. He also was sentenced to two years' probation in 1992 for threatening to harm a woman he had robbed, court records show.
And he appeared in Howell Municipal Court last year on charges he used a baseball bat to smash a taillight out of a pickup truck and threatened to use a gun to kill the driver, court records show. The alleged victim in that case appears to have been a co-defendant in the 1986 marijuana case, according to court records.

Neighbors said Fuller was immediately suspected whenever something was stolen.
But even with his long criminal record and propensity for trouble, they were shocked to learn when he was implicated in Brittney's murder.

Thompson, the neighbor who lives around the corner, said he didn't even consider that possibility when he saw the police cars outside Fuller's house last weekend. "I thought it might be drugs," he said. "We would never figure it would be something like murder."

Staff writer Brian Donohue contributed to this report.

Fear friend's dad

2004-07-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

'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.

Suspect's Wooded Hiding Spots Focus of Search for Missing Girl

2004-07-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published by WABC 7 New York July 21, 2004)

(Howell-WABC, July 21, 2004) — The search for a missing teenage girl leads police to several wooded areas in New Jersey.

Brittney Gregory, 16, was last seen July 11th and is now feared dead. Even with a man in custody, police are still searching for her body, and investigators hope their latest leads point them in the right direction.

New Jersey reporter Jen Maxfield reports from Howell with the story.

This is the hometown of suspect Jack Fuller where he lived his whole life, when he wasn't spending time in jail for robbery and burglary. Neighbors tell us that when Fuller had trouble at home, he would camp out in the woods nearby.

And police believe that's where he buried Brittney Gregory after he killed her.

Investigators searched for Brittney's body in a densely-wooded area off of Randolph Road in Howell Township, just a few miles from the house she disappeared from, and where her anguished family waits for news.

Susan Wood, Victim's Aunt: "The search (for) the body is the hardest, hardest part."

Searchers are using helicopters and search dogs to explore several sites in Monmouth and Ocean Counties around the Lakewood/Howell border. They are focused on a forested, swampy area where Brittney's alleged killer once lived.

Jack Fuller Jr., 38, the father of one of Brittney's sister's friends, is apparently not cooperating with investigators.

Susan Wood: "I hope and pray to God that Brittney ... returns to us, so we can do the necessary things by her that should be done."

Brittney went missing on July 11, just hours after she told her family she needed a ride to her boyfriend's house. Prosecutors say they have evidence that shows there is no hope of finding Brittney alive.

Friends of the Gregory family have offered to help search the woods to help bring Brittney home.

Denette Oryniak, Family Friend: "We want to find her though, it doesn't seem like we're going to find her. Just, we look, and look, and look, and we're hoping for something."

But police are now asking friends and neighbors to stay out of the woods, fearing that they will disturb crucial evidence. Now there is nothing for them to do but wait.

Denette Oryniak: "We want to put her to rest. She's got to come home."

Even though they've been discouraged from participating in this search, neighbors are now putting up ribbons saying "Find Brittney," in support of the Gregory family.

Photo: Fuller Appears in Court

2004-07-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

Search Continues for Body of Murdered NJ Teen

2004-07-20T08:15:00.000-04:00

(originally published Jul 20, 2004 8:07 am US/Eastern by 1010 WINS)

1010 WINS) (Toms River, NJ) A neighbor of the man accused of murdering a teen girl rode with the two of them in a car the night she was last seen, according to a published report.

"I was the last one to see them together," Tom Long told The New York Times in Tuesday's newspapers. "She didn't seem scared.

Long, 39, of Howell Township, is a longtime friend of Jack Fuller, who appeared in court Monday, charged with the murder of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory.

Long said the three of them were together July 11, when Fuller gave him a lift home. He said Gregory was speaking with the man now accused of killing her.

"She wouldn't talk to me; it was like she didn't know me and she didn't want to know me," Long said. The newspaper said he would not provide more details, but that Long said he was cooperating with the investigation.

The body of Gregory, who lived in Brick Township, has not been found.

Attempts to reach Long on Tuesday morning were unsuccessful. There is no phone listing in his name in Howell Township, and messages left at homes listed under his last name were not immediately returned.

On Monday, mother of Brittney Gregory seethed as Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, sat in a red jail jumpsuit and whispered to his lawyer.

Outside the courthouse, a tearful, angry Debra Gregory said she does not want to see her daughter's killer executed.

The death penalty is "too good for him," she said, adding that she wants to see him "in jail for the rest of his life, and I hope he lives to be 100."

Robert Gasser, executive assistant Ocean County prosecutor, said search parties were still looking for the teenager's body in several locations in Brick, Lakewood and Howell.

With better weather on Monday, authorities planned to use a state police helicopter to assist, Gasser said. Heavy rains grounded the helicopter on Sunday.

Fuller did not enter a plea during the brief appearance before Superior Court Judge James N. Citta. No further hearings were scheduled.

Fuller remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail on $1 million bail. He appeared in court with a public defender, but told the judge he plans to hire a private attorney, which he has not yet done.

Authorities have not explicitly said why they filed a murder charge against Fuller in the absence of a body. Gasser declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Family members described Brittney Gregory as a straight-A student who always wanted to become a forensic scientist.

As she entered the courthouse, Gregory's mother said she longs to hold her daughter again.

"She was just a good kid," she said. "I want her back. I want her back. Just give her to me."

Brittney's mother sat on the end of a third-row spectator's bench, telling family members she wanted to get a good look at Fuller and ensure he would see her.

"I want to look right in that man's face," she said shortly before the hearing began. "I want to see his face. I want him to see me."

Brittney Gregory has not been heard from since about 8:30 p.m. last Sunday when she called her mother from her father's house. The 16-year-old said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home. When her father's girlfriend returned home later that night, Brittney was not there.

Fuller has a history of drug and theft-related arrests, twice being sentenced to five-year prison terms in Ocean and Monmouth counties. He was most recently released from prison in April 2003.

Gregory family members said they knew Fuller because Brittney's sister, BobbiJoe, was a friend of Fuller's daughter, Cassandra.

'Oh God! I want to reach out and kill him'

2004-07-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

(Originally published in the New York Daily News - July 20th 2004)

N.J. cops continue grisly hunt for missing teenager, as her mom lashes out at slay suspect

BY NANCY DILLON in Toms River, N.J.
and BILL HUTCHINSON in New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Debra Gregory tells reporters outside courthouse that the death penalty is too good for alleged killer of her 16-year-old daughter, Brittney. She wants suspect to rot in jail.
Slay suspect Jack Fuller, 38, appears in court yesterday on charges he murdered Brittney Gregory, a 16-year-old missing since July 11.

As cops searched the woods for her little girl's body, heartbroken mother Debra Gregory sat in a New Jersey courtroom yesterday staring daggers and wishing a life of torment for the man accused of killing her daughter.

Tattooed suspect Jack Fuller, 38, refused to look in Gregory's direction as he appeared in shackles in Ocean County Superior Court to face charges he murdered 16-year-old Brittney Gregory.

Only 20 feet and a half-dozen courthouse guards separated Fuller from Brittney's mother, whose tear-streaked face registered grief, rage and betrayal.

"I don't want him to get the death penalty," she said after the five-minute hearing. "It's too good. I want him locked up for the rest of his life. No parole. I want him to live to be 100."

Just hours before Fuller was arrested Sunday, he had the nerve to try to comfort Brittney's mother, according to her sister Susan Wood, 36.

"He rubbed her arm. He said he was sorry, and three hours later he was arrested. It's sick," Wood said.

Gregory, 43, who bolted from the courtroom sobbing and pulling at her curly blond hair, said it was all she could do not to throttle Fuller with her own hands.

"Oh my God! I wanted to kill him," said Gregory, of Beachwood, N.J. "I wanted to reach out and ...," she said as her voice trailed off and she thrust out her hands in a choke hold.

Prosecutors declined yesterday to reveal why they arrested Fuller, an ex-con with a history of drug addiction, in the slaying of the high school honor student.

But Brittney's father, Joe Dunn, told neighbors that DNA evidence linked the suspect to the girl, who has been missing since July 11.

"They have enough DNA evidence to lock him up for 50 years," said one of Dunn's neighbors, a woman who requested anonymity because she fears Fuller, who was being held last night on $1 million bail.

"Apparently, he was going around bragging about it [the murder]," she said of Fuller, whose father lives in Howell, about 1-1/2 miles from Dunn's home in Brick, N.J.

Police have questioned a friend of Fuller, Tom Long, about having seen Brittney riding in the backseat of Fuller's car the day she disappeared, sources said.

Long's mother, Gloria Long, 77, of Howell, told the Daily News yesterday that Fuller stayed at her house after Brittney vanished.

"If I'd known it was him, I never would have let him stay," Long said. "Now I know why he stayed in that bedroom and kept the door locked."

She said police interviewed her son extensively and searched her house from the attic to the basement, removing some clothes Fuller apparently left behind.

Cops also searched Fuller's father's house, seizing potential evidence, including at least one dirt-covered grain-cutting sickle, neighbors said.

Wood said her family is acquainted with Fuller because his daughter Cassie, 21, is a close friend of Brittney and her older sister, Bobbijoe.

Bobbijoe, 18, and other neighbors said Cassie Fuller, who lives in Howell with her grandparents, had recently taken out an order of protection against her father.

"There's no way she [Brittney] would have gone with him [Fuller] unless Cassie was in the car," Bobbijoe said last night.

Both Brittney and another sister, Bryana, 20, live with their father and his girlfriend, Lori Peterson, Wood said.

Cops said Fuller, whose record shows numerous arrests for theft and burglary dating back to 1999, has refused to cooperate with investigators probing the murder mystery.

Police continued to search a wooded area yesterday near Joe Dunn's house for the 5-foot, 105-pound girl.

Brittney, a junior at Brick Township Memorial High School, was last heard from about 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 11, when she called her mother, who was visiting relatives in South Toms River.

Debra Gregory said Brittney phoned her from Dunn's house to ask about getting a ride to the home of her boyfriend, John Fitzgerald.

But when Bryana arrived home about 10:30 p.m., she found the house empty. Debra Gregory said her daughter left her cell phone and her purse behind.

Police said there was no sign of a break-in or a struggle inside the house.

Brittney's family began to take down flyers of the missing girl yesterday, but they held out a sliver of hope she is still alive.

"We started to take the signs down, but since he [Fuller] didn't admit anything, at least to our knowledge, we're still hopeful," Wood said.

"She was the baby of the family," Wood said of Brittney. "We spoiled her, but she deserved the attention."

Report: Suspect Seen With Missing N.J. Teen (Historical)

2004-07-20T07:31:00.000-04:00

(originally published on FoxNews Tuesday, July 20, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A neighbor of the man accused of murdering a teen girl rode with the two of them in a car the night she was last seen, according to a published report.

"I was the last one to see them together," Tom Long told The New York Times in Tuesday's newspapers. "She didn't seem scared.

Long, 39, of Howell Township, is a longtime friend of Jack Fuller (search), who appeared in court Monday, charged with the murder of 16-year-old Brittney Gregory (search).

Long said the three of them were together July 11, when Fuller gave him a lift home. He said Gregory was speaking with the man now accused of killing her.

"She wouldn't talk to me; it was like she didn't know me and she didn't want to know me," Long said. The newspaper said he would not provide more details, but that Long said he was cooperating with the investigation.

The body of Gregory, who lived in Brick Township, has not been found.

Attempts to reach Long on Tuesday morning were unsuccessful. There is no phone listing in his name in Howell Township, and messages left at homes listed under his last name were not immediately returned.

On Monday, the mother of Brittney Gregory seethed as Fuller, 38, of Howell Township, sat in a red jail jumpsuit and whispered to his lawyer.

Outside the courthouse, a tearful, angry Debra Gregory said she does not want to see her daughter's killer executed.

The death penalty is "too good for him," she said, adding that she wants to see him "in jail for the rest of his life, and I hope he lives to be 100."

Robert Gasser, executive assistant Ocean County prosecutor, said search parties were still looking for the teenager's body in several locations in Brick, Lakewood and Howell.

With better weather on Monday, authorities planned to use a state police helicopter to assist, Gasser said. Heavy rains grounded the helicopter on Sunday.

Fuller did not enter a plea during the brief appearance before Superior Court Judge James N. Citta. No further hearings were scheduled.

Fuller remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail on $1 million bail. He appeared in court with a public defender, but told the judge he plans to hire a private attorney, which he has not yet done.

Authorities have not explicitly said why they filed a murder charge against Fuller in the absence of a body. Gasser declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Family members described Brittney Gregory as a straight-A student who always wanted to become a forensic scientist.

As she entered the courthouse, Gregory's mother said she longs to hold her daughter again.

"She was just a good kid," she said. "I want her back. I want her back. Just give her to me."

Brittney's mother sat on the end of a third-row spectator's bench, telling family members she wanted to get a good look at Fuller and ensure he would see her.

"I want to look right in that man's face," she said shortly before the hearing began. "I want to see his face. I want him to see me."

Brittney Gregory has not been heard from since about 8:30 p.m. last Sunday when she called her mother from her father's house. The 16-year-old said she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home. When her father's girlfriend returned home later that night, Brittney was not there.

Fuller has a history of drug and theft-related arrests, twice being sentenced to five-year prison terms in Ocean and Monmouth counties. He was most recently released from prison in April 2003.

Gregory family members said they knew Fuller because Brittney's sister, BobbiJoe, was a friend of Fuller's daughter, Cassandra.

Authorities charge man in teen’s death

2004-07-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

(originally published in the Columbia Daily Tribune July 19, 2004)

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - The search for a 16-year-old straight-A high student who vanished last week while on her way to see her boyfriend has turned into a quest to recover her body after a 38-year-old man was charged with her murder.

Authorities did not release any information about why they had charged Jack Fuller in the death of Brittney Gregory or about how he and the girl might have met. Fuller, of Howell, N.J., was being held on $1 million bail, prosecutor Robert Gasser said.

A court appearance was scheduled for today.

Gregory has not been heard from since the evening of July 11, when she called her mother from her father’s house saying she wanted a ride to her boyfriend’s home.

Her mother said Gregory’s sister would be home in an hour, but when they called back 45 minutes later, there was no answer. When her father’s companion, Lori Petersen, later that night returned home, the girl was not there.

Gregory hadn’t gone to her 18-year-old boyfriend’s home and did not take her purse or any identification. Authorities said there was no sign of a break-in at her father’s town house.

"It looked like she left knowing she was leaving," Petersen told the Asbury Park Sunday Press. "But it looked like she didn’t plan on staying away."

Gregory recently finished her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School. Family members have described her as a straight-A student who always wanted to become a forensic scientist.

Residents in the neighborhood where Fuller lives described it as a quiet, blue-collar area. Neighbors, who did not want to be identified, said Fuller lived off and on with his father there.

Authorities Search for N.J. Girl's Body

2004-07-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

(Originally Posted on FoxNews. July 19, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Authorities said Monday they hoped better weather would assist in the search for the body of a 16-year-old girl who vanished last week.

Authorities on Sunday charged Jack Fuller (search), 38, in the death of Brittney Gregory (search), and the search for the girl turned into a quest to recover her body. They did not release any information about how he and the girl may have met, but family members said Fuller's daughter was a friend of the girl's.

Robert Gassert, executive assistant Ocean County prosecutor, said search parties were still looking for the Brick Township teen's body in several locations in Brick, Lakewood and Howell.

With better weather on Monday, authorities planned to use a state police helicopter to assist, Gassert said. Heavy rain had grounded the helicopter on Sunday.

Fuller did not enter a plea Monday during a brief appearance before Superior Court Judge James N. Citta, and he remained in custody on $1 million bail. Outside the courthouse, Debra Gregory said she wants to see her daughter's killer "in jail for the rest of his life, and I hope he lives to be 100."

Gregory has not been heard from since the evening of July 11, when she called her mother from her father's house saying she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

The mother said the girl's sister could pick her up later, but when they called back after 45 minutes, there was no answer. When her father's companion, Lori Petersen, returned home later that night, the girl was not there.

Gregory hadn't gone to her 18-year-old boyfriend's home, and did not take her purse or any identification. Authorities said there was no sign of a break-in at her father's town house.

"It looked like she left knowing she was leaving," Petersen told the Asbury Park Sunday Press. "But it looked like she didn't plan on staying away."

Gregory recently finished her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School (search). Family members have described her as a straight-A student who always wanted to become a forensic scientist.

Residents in the neighborhood where Fuller lives described it as a quiet, blue-collar area. Neighbors, who did not want to be identified, said Fuller lived off and on with his father there.

Man Facing Murder Charges in Girl's Disappearance

2004-07-18T12:42:00.000-04:00

(originally published by WABC 7 New York July 18, 2004)

(Brick-WABC, July 18, 2004) — Brittney Gregory, 16, is still missing. But police suspect the worst, and have charged a family friend, and neighbor with her death.

Brittney lived in Brick, and Jack Fuller, the alleged killer, lives in Howell. Fuller, 38, is being held on $1 million bail, charged with first-degree murder in connection with the disappearance of Gregory. He'll be arraigned on Monday afternoon.

Fuller's neighbors we spoke with said he had a reputation for drugs and getting into trouble.

Brittany was straight-A student. She disappeared a week ago after calling her mother asking for a ride to her boyfriend's house. It now appears she accepted a ride from someone she knew and presumably trusted, namely Fuller, her best friend's father.

Mike Montero, Suspect's Neighbor: "That is how he was able to supposedly able to give her a ride home, you know, he was there. She got in the car with him thinking she was going to get a ride home or ride to her boyfriends house."

On Sunday, police arrested Fuller, and the front door to the house is covered in fingerprint dust.

Residents say this is not the first brush with the law. They say Fuller has been in and out of jail for drugs, and would break into homes to feed his habit.

Janice Moody, Suspect's Neighbor: "He will knock on doors, ask for money, and in the woods behind us that is where he would sleep. We were scared at times."

The search for Brittany's body continues in the woods near Fuller's home, and in trails near her house.

Brittany's family was too distraught to speak on camera. Through a statement, they thanked everyone for their support and the authorities for the quick police work. As for Jack Fuller, he is being held on $1 million bail. He's charged with first degree murder and has a court appearance set for Monday.

Man charged with murdering missing N.J. girl

2004-07-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

(orginally published in USA Today July 18, 2004. Credit Associated Press)

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Authorities charged a 38-year-old man with murder Sunday, a week after the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, and said they were searching for her body in Ocean County.

Authorities did not release any information about why they had charged Jack Fuller in the death of Brittney Gregory, or about how he and the girl may have met.

Fuller, of Howell, was being held on $1 million bail, prosecutor Robert Gasser said. A court appearance was scheduled for Monday.

Gregory has not been heard from since the evening of July 11, when she called her mother from her father's house saying she wanted a ride to her boyfriend's home.

Her mother said Gregory's sister would be home in an hour, but when they called back 45 minutes later, there was no answer. When her father's companion, Lori Petersen, returned home later that night, the girl was not there.

Gregory hadn't gone to her boyfriend's home, and did not take her purse or any identification. Authorities said there was no sign of a break-in at her father's town house.

"It looked like she left knowing she was leaving," Petersen told the Asbury Park Sunday Press. "But it looked like she didn't plan on staying away."

Gregory recently finished her sophomore year at Brick Township Memorial High School. Family members have described her as a straight-A student who always wanted to become a forensic scientist.