A newly released search warrant has identified the dismembered human remains discovered near Falls Lake last summer as those of Brittany Elizabeth Wilkinson, a Raleigh woman who had been reported missing in late 2024.
The warrant, reviewed by WRAL News, lays out a detailed forensic and investigative timeline that ultimately led authorities to classify her death as a homicide.
Wake County Sheriff’s deputies were first called to the 14000 block of Creedmoor Road, near the Highway 50 boat launch in the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, on July 12, 2025, after reports of human remains in a wooded area.
The scene was quickly secured as investigators began processing the site. At the time, officials did not release any identification, stating that further forensic testing was needed.
The connection to Wilkinson came months later. On September 26, 2025, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Raleigh Police Department to report that the recovered remains had been identified as hers. By then, Raleigh Police had already been investigating her disappearance for the better part of a year.
A Timeline That Began in Late 2024
According to the search warrant, Wilkinson was last seen alive on November 8, 2024. Nearly a month passed before law enforcement formally opened an investigation. On December 6, 2024, the Raleigh Police Department’s Homicide Unit launched a missing person case, noting from the outset the possibility that she had been the victim of a crime.
What followed were months of interviews, evidence collection, and forensic analysis before investigators were able to confirm her identity through the remains found near the lake.
The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner played a central role in the case.
According to the warrant, examiners found evidence that body parts had been separated using an edged device, consistent with sharp-force injuries. Based on those findings, the medical examiner’s office ruled the manner of death a homicide.
Investigation Ongoing, No Charges Filed
The search warrant also notes that investigators have identified a person of interest in connection with Wilkinson’s death. However, that individual has not been charged, and neither the Wake County Sheriff’s Office nor the Raleigh Police Department has announced any arrests.
WRAL News reached out to both agencies for comment following the warrant’s release. This is a developing story, and updates are expected as law enforcement responds.
It is important to note that being named a person of interest in a warrant is an investigative designation, not a formal accusation. Before any charges can be filed, prosecutors must independently review the evidence gathered and determine whether it meets the legal standard required to support criminal charges.
Authorities are urging anyone with information related to Wilkinson’s disappearance or death to contact the Raleigh Police Department or the Wake County Sheriff’s Office directly.
The case has drawn significant attention across the Raleigh area since remains were first discovered at the popular recreation site last summer. With a homicide ruling now official and a person of interest identified, the focus shifts to what comes next in what has become one of the region’s most closely watched criminal investigations.
