Brittany Eldridge

Brittany Eldridge was eight and a half months pregnant when she was strangled and stabbed with scissors. She was found dead in her apartment at Cross Creek off Western Avenue.

Norman Clark and Brittany Eldridge

Norman Clark and Brittany Eldridge met each other during orientation. They both started work at the Vanderbilt Morgage and Finance firm. They both worked as collectors, so they would call customers and remind them to pay their mortgage bills. Brittany was 23 at the time.

Brittany and Norman soon found that they both had a lot in common. Brittany grew us as a tomboy, playing many sports, including cheerleading. Her brothers described her as someone who lives in the moment. Norman grew up wanting to play basketball in the NBA, and he studied sports management in college.

Pretty soon, Norman and Brittany started dating.

Norma was single. However, Brittany was married to her husband, Terry. Terry worked as a truck driver, and he drove at night, so the couple never saw each other. Her relationship with her husband was rocky, they had a significant age gap of 17 years, and the pair wanted different things. Brittany wanted children however her husband did not.

Eventually, in February 2011, Terry found out about the affair between Brittany and Norman. Brittany moved out, and Terry filed for a divorce. Brittany was pregnant, and Norman was the father.

The Crime Description

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Brittany Eldridge was two weeks away from the arrival of her baby boy. She had already picked the name for her son. He was to be called Ezekiel Owen. She was late for work, and that was not like her. So she called Robin Owens, who was Brittany’s mother, and she went to her Cross Creek apartment to check on her.

When Robin reaches Brittany’s apartment, the door is unlocked. When she walks in, she is terrified. The living room looked like it had been tossed, the new flat screen tv was on the floor, and Brittany’s purse was turned over and toppled out onto the floor. She immediately ran outside and called 911 to send for help. The 911 operator sent Robin back inside the apartment. She goes back inside to see if she can find her daughter anywhere. She heard running water. The bathroom shower was running. Robin then made her way to Brittany’s bedroom. As soon as she gets through the door, she sees her daughter naked, lying on the bedroom floor.  She already knew her daughter was gone. Robin immediately ran outside.

The police found Brittany lying on her bedroom floor beside her bed. She had been strangled and stabbed in her throat. Unfortunately, the baby did not survive. Brittany was partially covered up with some lingerie lying on top of her. There was no mention of assault.

After hearing what had happened, Norman left work, hoped in his car, and drove to Brittany’s apartment. He tried to go inside, but being a crime scene, he was not allowed in. Norman spent an hour answering questions from the police. He gave up his phone he let them search his car. He was taken back to the police station for an interview and willingly handed over a DNA sample. He told police he had plans to see Brittany Monday night, the night she was murdered but then instead, he went home after work and spent the night with a friend.

The police looked into Brittany’s ex-husband terry, but he was quickly ruled out.

All the conversations at their workplace were recorded. Brittany had told her friends that Norman had become different after telling him she was pregnant. She believed the baby would bring them closer together. On the other hand, Norman said he was juggling about 15 to 20 women at one time. He wasn’t just with Brittany. He said he had been transparent with them ahead of time that he did not want a relationship.

Norman still lived with his parents in his basement. Three days before the murder, Norman started contacting Brittany and acting interested in the pregnancy.

In a diary, Brittany had written that she wanted to take Norman to court to get parental assistance for her baby. She knew he had another child and provided support for that baby, so why couldn’t he provide support for this baby. The night before her murder, she was on the phone with a coworker, and she told her that Norman wanted to meet Monday after work. The coworker advised her to say no, but she met up with him anyway.

Investigation Details

The lack of evidence seemed only to point police in one direction. Norman was arrested for the murder of Brittany and her unborn child. There was no physical evidence. His DNA did not match the DNA evidence found on the lingerie. There were two types of unidentified male DNA on the lingerie that was used to cover Brittany. However, Norman’s DNA did not match either one of them.

Trial

During the trial, the prosecutor painted the baby as the target, as it would ruin Norman’s lifestyle. However, there was no evidence that Norman was involved in the murder of Brittany and her unborn child. During the first trial, the jury could not decide on a verdict.

During the second trial, the 12-member jury was split 11-1. Eleven believed he was not guilty; however, there was one person who thought he was guilty, so they couldn’t come to a decision. It resulted in a mistrial. Norman got to go home after he had spent 15 months in prison awaiting trial.

Frequently asked questions

Who discovered Brittany Eldridge’s body?

Brittany’s body was discovered by her mother, Robin Owens. Robin found her daughter naked on her bedroom floor with stab wounds on her neck and strangled to death in December 2011.

Where is Norman Clark now?

Norman was released when charges against him were withdrawn, and there is no evidence of his involvement in the crime. He is residing somewhere in the United States and living his life.