The death of teenager Brianna Wells

How far would you go to get justice for a loved one? I hope you will never have to answer that question. A concerned mother named Gina shared a tragic story with me over a year ago. She has a daughter named Bridgette who was part of a trio of friends. Bridgette, Hannah and Brianna Wells were teenagers. They were inseparable. It was common for them to spend time at Hannah's house. The girls had sleepovers and big dreams.

Brianna loved animals. In fact, she wanted to become a K-9 police officer. Despite the best laid plans, things don't always work out according to plan. If life were a fairy tale, Brianna would probably be a police officer. However, this wouldn't happen because life can be so cruel and unjust.

Brianna was a typical 17-year-old teenager. She was described by her friends as goofy and loveable. On December 29, 2014, Brianna’s body was found in an alley in a dangerous part of Phoenix. Why was she there? It was a mystery to Bridgette, Hannah, and Gina. None of them knew anyone who lived in that part of town. And Brianna had never mentioned knowing anyone in the area.

She was viciously shot to death and her body was discarded in the alley like an empty soda can. The homicide prompted Gina to hire a private investigator. After deciding the police weren’t going to solve this case, she launched her own investigation into Brianna’s homicide. She assumed Brianna's parents would want to help as they were prominent citizens and had made careers of educating young minds.

Gina was surprised to encounter opposition during her investigation. Even more shocking was that Brianna’s parents wanted nothing to do with her quest for justice. I find the entire situation disturbing. Why is the mother of the victim’s closest friend the strongest advocate for solving this crime? She has devoted many years and her own resources to getting to the truth.

Gina had asked for my help. She thought that if I did a podcast about Brianna’s story, it could possibly draw the public’s interest and push law enforcement to solve this case. I agreed to do what I could. I interviewed Gina, Bridgette and Hannah. I asked them to tell me everything they know about Brianna. Did she have enemies? Was she into drugs? Did she associate with known criminals? Was she involved in anything that could have gotten her killed? They told me their friend was a good person and didn’t participate in any illegal acts or have any enemies.

What I found unusual was that during my research on this case, I didn’t find much. There was an interview with Hannah and Bridget and a couple of articles written about the case. It was what I didn’t find that raised my eyebrows. There was nothing in the media from the Wells’ family. There were no interviews, balloon releases or candlelight vigils from the family. I didn’t see a single plea for justice from the family.

For the Catch my Killer podcast, I have spoken to people of all walks of life. And you know what they all have in common? They are willing to do whatever is necessary to get justice for their loved ones. This means they will pay for billboards, hang flyers or even appear on television and plead for help. However, there isn't much from the Wells' family trying to bring attention to this case.

There will be a film coming out about this story. I am hopeful that when it gets released that it will appeal to the public and result in a call for justice. Brianna was murdered eight years ago. Why isn’t her murder solved? I have no idea what’s going on with the Phoenix Police Department, but what does this say about a department that cannot bring the person who killed an innocent teenager to justice? Perhaps this film will motivate them to do better.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.