Search warrant links missing woman Brittany Wilkinson to Falls Lake homicide

A newly released search warrant gives the Falls Lake remains case a far sharper edge: investigators now believe the dismembered body found in Wake County was Brittany Elizabeth Wilkinson, and forensic findings pushed the death into homicide territory. The document also says detectives have identified a person of interest, but no one has been charged publicly.

The timeline in the warrant reaches back to November 8, 2024, when Wilkinson was last seen alive. Raleigh police opened a missing-person investigation on December 6, 2024, and considered the possibility that she had been murdered. More than seven months later, on July 12, 2025, Wake County deputies were called to the 14000 block of Creedmoor Road after reports of human remains near Falls Lake.

Investigators later identified the remains as Wilkinson on September 26, 2025. The warrant says the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found evidence that body parts had been removed using an edged device, a finding that led investigators to classify the death as a homicide. That detail is the breakthrough that turns the case from a missing-person inquiry into a confirmed killing.

The location adds another layer to the case. The address tied to the discovery is connected to the Falls Lake State Recreation Area boating access near Highway 50, a public area known for heavy use and visibility. Falls Lake has also drawn attention in 2026 because drought conditions have pushed water levels below normal, exposing more shoreline and hazards around the reservoir.

Raleigh police say there is no time requirement before a missing-person report can be taken, a policy that helps explain how quickly the Wilkinson case moved from a report of disappearance into a homicide investigation. North Carolina’s Center for Missing Persons has served as the state’s clearinghouse for missing-person information since 1985, giving families and detectives a formal path for fast reporting and coordination.

The warrant leaves the central questions unanswered: who killed Brittany Elizabeth Wilkinson, when the dismemberment happened, and how the remains were disposed of before deputies found them near Falls Lake. What is clear is that the case is no longer just about a missing woman. It is now a homicide investigation built from a missing-person report, a grim recovery in the woods, and forensic evidence that finally put a name on the victim.