On March 2, 2023, at about 10 p.m., officers responded to a reported shooting at a residence in the 200 block of Joe Louis Street in Palestine, Texas. They found 30-year-old Brittany Johnson with a gunshot wound to her torso; she was taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center and died from her injuries.

Detectives identified Johnson’s ex-boyfriend, 50-year-old Joseph Christopher Cole of Houston, as the primary suspect and a murder warrant was issued. Court records show Cole had a prior history of violence against Johnson: in October 2020 he strangled and assaulted her while she was 16 weeks pregnant, pleaded guilty to related charges, and received deferred adjudication with conditions that included attending a Battering Intervention and Prevention Program and a prohibition on possessing firearms. Following the March warrant, Cole’s whereabouts were unknown for several months until U.S. Marshals arrested him in Harris County on May 22, 2023; he was extradited to Palestine to face prosecution and, if convicted, could face five to 99 years in prison.

Brittany is survived by her children. Does anyone have information about Brittany, her time on Joe Louis Street, or other details that could help investigators and her family?