Hold My Sweet Tea
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Hold My Sweet Tea
Ep. 39-Missing Since 2012: Update in Brittany Robinson's Case
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The heartbreaking update on Brittany Robinson's case leaves us with more questions than closure.
Twelve years after 14-year-old Brittany vanished during a visit with her father, Demetric Hooper, we deliver the devastating update her family never wanted to hear. After a surprisingly brief five-day trial in June 2024, Hooper was found not guilty of murder despite a mountain of suspicious circumstances – his hasty departure under a false name after her disappearance, possession of her belongings alongside knives and rope, and his disturbing lack of concern when informed police were searching for his daughter.
The prosecution's case faltered without a body and faced unexpected complications when a witness testified she had seen Brittany working at a Birmingham strip club years after her disappearance. Was this a missed lead suggesting human trafficking rather than murder? The witness was discredited rather than her claims thoroughly investigated – a pattern of missed opportunities that has characterized this case from the beginning.
What makes this verdict particularly devastating is finality without resolution. Due to double jeopardy protections, Hooper can never again face charges for Brittany's disappearance, even if new evidence emerges. Her family remains in limbo, without answers and without justice.
If you have information about Brittany Robinson, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, please contact the Mobile Police Department at 251-208-1700. Someone knows something, and this family deserves answers. Their fight for justice continues, and we stand with them in refusing to let Brittany be forgotten.
Source Material:
Harris, Christina J., June 4, 2025, Trial begins for Mobile County father accused of killing his 14 year old daughter who went missing in 2012, https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/trial-begins-for-mobile-county-father-accused-of-killing-his-14-year-old-daughter-who-went-missing-in-2012/amp/
Harris, Christina J., June 5, 2025, Trial continues for Mobile County man accused of Killing his 14 year old daughter (Day2), https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/trial-continues-for-mobile-county-man-accused-of-killing-his-14-year-old-daughter-day-2/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WKRG&fbclid=IwZXh0bg
Jones, Jeremy and Harris, Christina J., June 6, 2025, Mobile County murder trial nears end in 2012 girl’s disappearance: closing arguments, https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/mobile-county-murder-trial-nears-end-in-2012-girls-disappearance-closing-arguments/amp/
Kirby, Brendan, June 9, 2025, Father of Brittany Robinson found not guilty of murder in connection to her disappearance, https://www.fox10tv.com/2025/06/09/father-brittany-robinson-found-not-guilty-connection-her-murder/?outputType=amp
Poole, Summer, Nov. 11, 2023, Brittany Robinson: 14-year-old goes missing while visiting
Introducing Brittany Robinson's Case
Speaker 1Brittany Robinson disappeared when she was 14 years old, in 2012. Her father was arrested in 2024 and charged with her murder. The trial has ended, so we are here for the update. This is Hold my Sweet Tea, hello.
Speaker 2I'm Pearl and I'm Holly. Alright, stop what you're doing, because I'm about to ruin the image in the style that you're used to. I am funny, but if you haven't listened to episode 27, stop drop all right, I'm done, open up shop. Open up shop oh go, listen to episode 27.
Speaker 1Because we are doing an update on Brittany Robinson. There we go. Yes, that is happening now, so, yeah, if you haven't listened, you need to go listen now so that you can make sure you know what happened to begin with.
Speaker 2Yes, and if you already know what happened and you're like girl, I know and I'm listening for this update, this one's going to be a good one.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, obviously we'll do a slight recap, but it's not going to be very detailed, so it's important to go listen.
Speaker 2To buckle up buttercup. It's so rough today, I know it's so rough today.
Speaker 1I know I'm tired I thought you were just gonna say that's how rough riders roll we're in a wrappy sort of mood. I don't know what's going on today a little digital underground we're crazy and all over the place, but you know, that's why y'all like us, right? That's right. Because we're crazy and all over the place. Big Zachary, oh my goodness, yeah, so updatey time, huh.
Speaker 2Yeah, let's jump into it.
Speaker 1Alright, so as I said before, brittany Robinson was last seen on June 14th 2012. She was 14 years old, visiting with her dad, kind of a reconnect visit because she hadn't seen him in a really long time. What is that?
Speaker 2It's the thunder. It's thundering outside. It's looking pretty rough. Yeah, so hopefully we can get through this without too much, uh craziness or losing electricity, yeah kind of need that. Yeah a little bit.
Speaker 1I don't know my laptop. My laptop has like half battery so yeah, we. All right, let's get through it. We better roll on. Anyway, as I said, she's visiting her dad, demetric Hooper, in Mobile, alabama. The visit was only supposed to last for two days, but 13 years later, still no sign of Brittany. They still have not found a body. Despite going to trial, no body recovered. Oh wow.
Speaker 2Just want to point that out right up front and she was so excited to go spend time with her dad.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I mean, she almost left without telling her mom she loved her yeah. Had to turn around, run back in the house, so like she just was so excited as we all know from episode 27, that you should have listened to.
Speaker 2Right, because if you're still listening again, Go back.
Speaker 1Go back. It appears that Hooper left Mobile pretty quickly after Brittany was reported missing by her mom. There was like a funny little statement. I saw that even after she was missing he had actually text her mom asking if Brittany had watched an episode of some show that they had watched together, I guess while she was visiting. Oh weird and I'm going. Why did he do that?
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1So crazy. Anyway, he was found at the mental health facility in Arkansas and that was in September and he was allegedly getting treatment for schizophrenia. There's like a trail of jail stays for numerous different things and other mental health facility check-ins and all that jazz that we talked about in episode 27. Like he had been in and out of jail, yeah, and all that. So obviously hooper was suffering with different mental health issues, like way before his daughter had disappeared, but it's still, you know, a current thing, but he was unmedicated for most of it.
Speaker 2Correct, correct, yeah?
Speaker 1which I think is part of the reason why she wasn't seeing very much of him is like his mental state and stuff, but you know, they felt like he was doing pretty good right. So let's, let's give him a chance, let's give her a chance, because she's obviously wanted to be able to see. Yeah, of course, back in episode 27 we talked about how an arrest warrant was issued for Hooper six weeks after Brittany went missing and obviously when they went to go get him from Arkansas there was no Brittany. But he was charged with felony custodial interference, which he pled guilty to. Upon his arrest they found knives, rope, his daughter's pink ipod. He insisted he wasn't involved in her disappearance.
Speaker 2Then he still states he's not involved in anything well, he had also said that he didn't, did he?
Speaker 1he was like she wasn't even here yeah, I mean, there was a whole bunch of weird little statements where I think that's his schizophrenia, like popping in and out. Correct, Like it has to be, there's no other explanation.
Speaker 1So I mean, he was sentenced to 10 years for that custodial interference charge but he literally was released from jail two years later. Ugh, it was. I was like what, like why would you do that? So there was actually a petition started by Britney's mother appealing to Governor Robert Bentley to not release Hooper early. Obviously it didn't make a difference, it's on changeorg still still, so you can go read it if you want. Um, there's, the link is in the show notes down in source material, so that'll be something you can check out if you'd like. But britney's mother stated that she felt this was parental kidnapping and not just an interference with custody. So she argued that the fact that he has never uttered a word about where she is or what happened to her and has remained completely silent on the subject of his daughter in general, that something more needs to be done.
Speaker 2Oh, absolutely, because it's still under kidnapping. Yeah, she's been gone 13 years. She was in your care.
Speaker 1Where is she? Yes, exactly Like, and he's done nothing to try to find her or anything else, which is just crazy to me Because I'm like she's missing. Now, mind you, he's continued his path of let me go to jail, Let me be in mental facilities, whatever, and and then back out on the street yeah, back, and then back in somewhere else.
Speaker 2So it's not but let's let him out early, it's fine no, it's not, and that's the the whole issue.
Hooper's Arrest and Early Release
Speaker 1It's, it's absolutely not fine and you know that's why, when we talked about the, the current case where that guy is like still being looked for at this moment yeah, when you said, is it actually kidnapping since he is a parent? But yes, it is, because it's a violation of the custody agreement for one. So it starts out as interference with custody, but it doesn't remain that way when they've been gone for several days. So it turned into kidnapping, which turned into murder. And you know, I don't see how this played out the way it did.
Speaker 1Right, like I said, through the cold case investigation that was being handled, way back when they felt like they had obtained enough evidence to present the case to a grand jury in Mobile County in February of 2024, which is when they return an indictment for murder. So that's when they were like, hey, we're going to go arrest Hooper. So that's when they were like, hey, we're going to go arrest Hooper. So he's actually in jail in Oklahoma City when this indictment comes down, so they have to extradite him from Oklahoma back to Mobile, so he just can't stay out of jail.
Speaker 1But you let him out early and apparently, like they don't say what the charges in Oklahoma were, but they're unrelated felony charges, oh my gosh. And so he's sitting in Oklahoma in jail and then they have to go get him because they want him for this problem with his daughter.
Speaker 1Well, I say problem, murder, disappearance, whatever it may be, because, again, like I said, they still have not found a body. So, in June of 2024, hooper was in court to make his plea. Hooper did plead not guilty, and you know, even then the Mobile County District Attorney stated that not having a body will make this case more difficult. However, we felt, after some further investigation and a fresh look at the case, that there was sufficient evidence to make this arrest and we will move forward with this to a jury trial. He had also stated that the details probably wouldn't come out until that trial. Which spoiler alert. They literally, in my opinion, failed this girl and her family. Oh, absolutely, because, yes, they want justice. Yes, pretty much everyone was in agreeance that her had, her father, had something to do with it. But now there's literally, like you're, there's no body. There's literally like you're, there's no body. There's no evidence that she's even dead, just that she's somewhere.
Speaker 2Right, that's what I'm saying, Like on one hand you have that and then, on the other hand, where is she? Did you sell her? Did you human traffic her? Did you send her somewhere? Did you murder her? Like she has to be somewhere on this earth? Where is she? And I feel that as long as it was she was in his you know care at the time, then he is 100% responsible for where she's at, no matter if she was taken or given or sold or murdered or whatever.
Speaker 1Right, I mean he was responsible for her. She's a 14-year-old girl, exactly, and you just act like that. She left and just went home to her mom, all by herself, no, she walked home Like it just doesn't make any sense. And then you pop up in a mental hospital days later like no, yeah and then and texting her mom about yeah, did she watch this episode of whatever? I'm just like are you kidding? You're kidding, right. So here we are in 2025. Yeah, and his actual trial began on Wednesday June 4th.
Speaker 2And then it ended on June 9th.
Speaker 1Hmm, speedy trial.
Speaker 2Yeah, very speedy.
Speaker 1Prosecutors opened with a profound statement. Brittany has now been missing almost as long as she was alive. During the trial, they spoke about how Hooper had left town via bus under an alias, and a Greyhound bus executive would confirm that Hooper used the name Milton Henderson to purchase his bus ticket. Why you got to use an alias if you didn't do anything.
Speaker 2If you have nothing to hide.
Speaker 1Yeah, so there's a point. They also spoke of a conversation Hooper had over the phone while on the bus. He was talking to his cousin. They don't state a name, but the cousin explained to Hooper how the police were asking if his daughter was OK and Hooper's only reply was okay, cool beans. What? No reply as to whether or not like didn't say oh well, she's not with me, she didn't go home. Okay, cool beans.
The 2024 Murder Trial Begins
Speaker 1I don't know if she's okay, you know okay, cool beans. Is it cool beans that the police are having to ask this question?
Speaker 2No, that's some holy free holies right there, right.
Speaker 1Not a cool bean, not a cool bean at all. So the defense counters with a claim that Brittany could still in fact be alive, as her remains have never been found. Obvious route to go. They point out that after several searches in and around Hooper's home, no remains or murder weapons were ever found. However, I'm still sitting here going. He was found with a rope, knives and her ipod way back in the day under a fictitious after yeah, after riding a bus under his, under some alias, yeah, and checking like he didn't just go to one place.
Speaker 1He went to freaking mississippi, like he was bouncing all over the place, tennessee, then to arkansas, where he finally checks himself into some mental place I don't know yeah, sketch, very so.
Speaker 1On the second day of the trial, an investigator who had taken pictures outside of the home testified that human hair and four bones were found near the home. The defense counters that they were never tested, so at the end of the trial the prosecution would actually end up having to concede that the hairs were not Brittany's, they were actually hairs from a wig and the bones were animal bones. Because I guess they did like hurry up and test it because of this Just to make sure.
Speaker 1yeah, yeah, because they hadn't done anything with it. So on Friday, june 6th, a woman testified that she had actually worked with Brittany Robinson around 2013 or 2014 at a strip club in Birmingham after she was reported missing. After she was reported missing, the woman was a former dancer and said that she reached out to police when she saw a photo of britney in a 2017 missing persons ad. The prosecution looked to discredit this witness, pointing out her past alcohol abuse and her mental illness so you're going to discredit her because of.
Speaker 1Well, let's start. Let's back all the way up to 2013, 2014. So you're telling me this girl she disappeared at 14, in 2012, is now 15 or 16 and is working in a strip club in Birmingham.
Speaker 2But also human trafficking and things like that. Yeah, human trafficking and yeah things like that.
Speaker 1Yeah, so, so, regardless. That should have been something that was looked into. No matter what exactly, she's still a minor. Yeah, absolutely. What the hell is she doing in a strip club? If it's true, you don't know. Why didn't you, did you not check, like?
Speaker 2she's an alcoholic she's mentally ill.
Speaker 1She has no idea what she's talking about. I hate this. Yeah, we're going to believe somehow some way that this, you know, like her dad's, not guilty.
Speaker 2It makes no sense, he's also got mental illness? Yeah, that was my thought. Like she, he, like you know, sold her for something or human trafficked her for something, and then she's caught up in all of that.
Speaker 1Right. And so now I'm like is she still out there, maybe not even knowing who she is anymore? Yeah, like I mean she could be drugged constantly. Like there's so many scenarios, mm-hmm, but also so many other strange things with the rope, the knife, the yeah, the pretending like you don't realize she's not here. I mean, did you think it was another schizophrenic episode? I don't know.
Speaker 1The jury was then set to deliberate the morning of Monday, june 9th and the DA, keith Blackwood, stated that this did happen more than a decade ago. It's a very difficult case. It came to be that over time there was a feeling that not much was going to change in the investigation, so we just felt like it was enough to charge it and really to fight for this case. It's an important case. I'm like how do you feel like it's an important case? But then go, you know what? We're probably not going to find anything else or figure out anything else, so let's just go on and shoot our shot. There are some cases that I've listened to, like on Crime, junkie and stuff, whatever, that I sit there and go why didn't they prosecute? Because they had more than these people Right, and I'm just going what a dumb decision. You just made.
Speaker 2That's just lazy.
Speaker 1Because I'm like again, could we go back to? I mean, yeah, it's been several years, but what hasn't been several years in this case? You know like go back and actually check the strippers.
Speaker 2Yeah, check the strip club. Ask somebody else that has been working there. Go investigate and find out something.
Speaker 1Yeah, Because what if there are other teenagers in that place, exactly Like you can save someone's life at this point, you're obviously not saving hers, you know, but you could save someone?
Speaker 2Yeah, because I mean it happens all the time. So if this was that there's somebody else there. But I just feel like it's.
Speaker 1I mean, did they blow it off? Did they look at like? I don't know, but they definitely should have if they didn't.
Testimony and Disturbing Revelations
Speaker 2Like every tip is a lead Like don't discredit just because somebody doesn't fit your like mold of a witness or something, or something. Yeah, I think that's just stupid and lazy police work so ultimately hooper was found not guilty.
Speaker 1Yeah, and I know that that's like something everybody's out there going what a huge ass disappointment, right, you know. But of course, the da blackwood was also disappointed in the verdict. He said we felt there was no other reasonable explanation other than that her, like he, had to have committed her murder. So it's something that we felt like we needed to fight for and that's what we did.
Speaker 1I I don't feel like the fight was very well organized no, not at all obviously because here we are with a not guilty verdict, which also means now, if you do happen upon a little something, something that does prove he actually did it, guess what? Nope, can't do shit about it damn thing.
Speaker 2I'm sure he'll be in jail. I'm just speculating, but I'm sure he'll be in jail shortly. Anyway for something else but that's not the point.
Speaker 1It is not the point. Britney's sister and aunt testified that hooper would get agitated time he was asked about his daughter's disappearance, which again like yeah, why is his only reaction? Irritation with people asking him about it?
Speaker 2Why is he not concerned about his daughter himself?
Speaker 1Right, there's no. Never do I read anything about how upset he was or anything else Just?
Speaker 2agitation.
Speaker 1Either irritated or zero emotion at all. Like nothing.
Speaker 2Whole bunch of nothing.
Speaker 1Davidson, the lead defense attorney, stated that the prosecution failed to offer any reason Hooper would have done such a thing other than his mental state. They didn't even try to establish a motive. So now it's just crappy because Hooper, who is now like 48 years old, no longer faces any criminal charge. He's free and clear of that and, like I said, now if you find something or someone comes forward and you actually investigate it, it doesn't matter. I mean, you could, you could go on to prove it, but he doesn't get in trouble for it now nope he's done.
Speaker 2Blood off the hook for it. He's done. Yeah, he can. He can admit it tomorrow and nothing can be done.
Speaker 1Yeah, he'll be telling his therapist in the next mental institution that he's in Now that he can. I just really needed to get that off my chest Because I got away, but I mean, I feel like that's been the consensus of most people who live in that area, yeah, and have followed the case and everything else is that they were. They were sure, you know, and for me I'm like you are, it doesn't really matter. He was responsible for her, yes, in that time that she was visiting, and now she's gone.
Speaker 1Whether that be, like you said, dead freaking, trafficked, whatever it was his irresponsibility that led to whatever did happen. Exactly, and I feel for her mom because I know nobody wants to tell their kid no, Especially when they're that excited to go and I don't feel like she had any sense that he would let something terrible happen to her right or harm her in any way and so I'm sure she feels guilty in her own way too, but I mean, naturally I would if, if it were me and one of mine.
Speaker 1So it just it just sucks, because now she's got like an entire family of people who spent all this, all that time during that week in that courtroom hoping that somehow they had something that was gonna bring this to an end, and now it's not.
Speaker 2So he just gets the walk still out here going.
Speaker 1If anybody has information on britney robinson, make sure you contact the mobile county police. It's just so sad that you still got to. Yeah, it's frustrating. Okay, so the Mobile Police Department phone number is 251-208-1700.
Speaker 2Yes, so if you have anything, please, please, please, let them know.
Speaker 1Yeah, any information.
Speaker 2If you've seen her somewhere, if you think you've seen her somewhere.
Speaker 1You know anything at this point? If you can corroborate the story of the stripper, yeah.
Speaker 2Whatever If you work there too, and you've got something to say like let somebody know.
Not Guilty Verdict and Unanswered Questions
Speaker 1Because at least if she was like trafficked could get to the bottom of the people who have her yes, at least if she was like trafficked could get to the bottom of the people who have her yes, if she wasn't, I'm sure, regardless of whether or not he can be charged again, if he did do it, I'm sure the family would like to know. And if it wasn't him and it was someone else, the family would still like to know. Because this is like the worst case scenario To build up to something like this and to have like such a huge letdown with still no resolution.
Speaker 2Exactly no no body, no physical person yeah, so where is she?
Speaker 1that? That is the question. Question. Yep, still still the question, so not quite the update I was hoping to give, but yeah but it's an update it is an update and, like you said, it wasn't really highly publicized. So no, it's sadly yeah, which I thought was just really strange because, like her disappearance was everywhere when it happened.
Speaker 2But I guess the case outcome didn't have that razzle dazzle that they wanted or something, so they just didn't report on it.
Speaker 1I guess not, it's just.
Speaker 2Which is stupid.
Speaker 1It kind of just fell flat. Like the whole trial itself it still deserves to be Was barely mentioned. Yeah, and again, like you know, as I've said a million times, we all know it's probably because she wasn't white, or you know, because sadly, very sadly, that is the way it is, you know. So I'm like I'm sure that had something to do with it too. So it's just really really sad, but anyway. But anyway, on to the next sad story yes, we'll try to give you a little.
Speaker 2Uh, maybe a not so sad one, maybe a happy one next, I don't know. Can there be a happy true crime story?
Speaker 1Not a true crime one, but maybe we can get another goofy sausage fest or something going on. I don't know, I'm sorry. Get some giggles going on. Sausage, ghost Sausage fest October fest. There's a lot of snorsages, yeah, snorsages.
Speaker 2I want the snorsages, which is, you know, creeping up on July and as of July 5th, it's officially Halloween. Yes, so we're going to get some spooky stuff up in here. Yeah, Going into the spooky season.
Speaker 1Maybe we can do like a cryptid or something, just something a little bit different Because we've been a lot of know murdered girls yeah, lately, and satanic panics, right.
Speaker 2Yeah, we'll definitely, uh, get something a little lighter for your taste buds.
Call for Information and Closing Thoughts
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