Her parents had always told her to prepare herself for any thing, but nothing can prepare you for what Brittney Smith witnessed November 18, 2012. “I have never witnessed anything more horrifying than what I saw that night.”  Brittney said.
Brittney had been traveling back to Paragould, Arkansas from her grandmother’s house in West Plains, Missouri and had stopped at a rest stop.  Not soon after stopping, she heard angry voices coming out from behind the bathrooms. “It was two men,” says Brittney. “They were shouting at each other. I was only thirteen so, of course, I decided to investigate. I walked around and poked my head out from behind the building. I saw the two men and they were arguing. The first one was tall, muscular, and he was wearing a dark jacket. His face was hidden in the shadows though. The other man was kind of short, muscular and was wearing what I believe to be a white hoodie. I didn’t really see his skin tone but I think he was black.” According to Brittney, the first man was yelling at the second, and he was defending himself. The first one yelled, “How could you do this to me, Josh? I thought we were friends!  She was mine and you stole her from me!” The man told to be Josh just looked at the first and said calmly, “Brandon, I don’t know what you are talking about. I never touched her, you hear? Never! I know she is yours and I would never betray a friend! Never!” he repeated. Brandon just looked at him squarely and slowly pulled out a knife. “Don’t lie to me Josh. I know what you did! I saw you!” he yelled.  Josh was falling back, yelling at Brandon, “You’re crazy! I never touched her and you’re just mental!” Brandon ran at Josh and plunged the knife into him, and Josh fell to the ground.
“I was screaming…I was scared to death. The Brandon person turned to me and ran into the woods.  Josh was on the ground, holding his side.  I pulled out my cellphone and called the police.  My mom came running to me and I told her what happened,” Brittney says. “It was awful and when the police arrived, they were acting almost like I was the one who stabbed Josh.  They questioned him and he cleared it all up.  I visited Josh every Saturday evening for a month but sadly, Josh got an infection in his wound that spread to his heart and it killed him…”
Brandon was never found, nor was any trace of him. Brittney still looks back on that day and cries over Josh. “I never really knew him, but I saved him, and I felt a connection with him.”