Brittany Eldridge's murder case - A detailed case overview ahead of the Dateline episode

The murder of Brittany Eldridge remains one of Knoxville, Tennessee’s most puzzling unsolved cases. In December 2011, the 25-year-old woman, who was 8.5 months pregnant with her son Ezekiel, was found dead in her apartment. She had been strangled and stabbed in the neck with scissors, and her unborn child also died as a result.

The crime scene appeared to be a burglary, with drawers opened and items scattered, but nothing was taken.

Investigators focused on her ex-boyfriend, Norman Eugene Clark, the father of the baby, due to phone records placing him nearby and possible motives linked to his personal life and finances. However, after two mistrials, charges were dropped in 2018, and no one has been convicted.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 7 episode 2, titled Deadly Circumstances, is re-airing on September 10, 2025, at 7 am ET on Oxygen.

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Brittany Eldridge's background and personal life

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 7, episode 2 (Image via Unsplash/ @ JOSHUA COLEMAN)

Brittany Eldridge was a 25-year-old resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, working as a collector at Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance. She lived alone in the Cross Creek apartment complex off Western Avenue after separating from her husband, Tery Eldridge, due to an affair with a coworker, Norman Eugene Clark. Brittany Eldridge was excited about her pregnancy and had named her unborn son Ezekiel. Paternity tests later confirmed Clark as the father, according to Knox News.

Brittany Eldridge had been looking forward to motherhood and intended to work until the birth. Her family described her as eager for this new chapter. The investigation ruled out her husband as a suspect early on. Brittany’s life centered around her job and preparations for the baby, with no known enemies outside of her personal relationships.

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The murder incident and discovery

Brittany Eldridge was nearly 9 months pregnant (Image via Unsplash/ @ Ömürden Cengiz)

On the night of December 12, 2011, Brittany Eldridge was attacked in her bedroom while getting ready for a bath. The assailant approached from behind, grabbed her neck with a forearm, covered her mouth, and strangled her. During the struggle, she was stabbed twice in the neck with scissors from the room. The autopsy listed strangulation as the main cause of death, with the stab wounds contributing. She had bruises on her chest and head, in addition to throat injuries.

Ezekiel died from a lack of oxygen inside the womb, and both were ruled homicides. Brittany Eldridge was found n*ked in a pool of blood. The next day, December 13, she did not arrive at work by 8:30 a.m., prompting Clark to call her mother, Robin Owens. Robin went to the apartment, found the door unlocked, and saw the place disturbed.

She entered the bedroom, discovered the body, and called 911, noting that the apartment looked trashed, according to WBIR.

The medical examiner estimated that Brittany Eldridge had been dead for at least 12 hours. No forced entry was evident, but the scene included televisions on the floor, open drawers, and scattered purse contents, though items like her debit card remained untouched.

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Investigation and evidence collected

Over 20 DNA samples were taken, but none matched (Image via Unsplash/ @ Volodymyr Hryshchenko)

Police arrived to find no signs of a break-in, but the apartment suggested a burglary attempt. A crime scene investigator believed it was staged, as valuables were left behind. Over 20 DNA samples were tested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, but none matched Clark or provided a direct link.

Phone records were key: an FBI analysis showed Clark's phone near the apartment at 8:28 pm, 8:29 pm, and 9:05 pm, before it was turned off at 9:06 pm, according to WLTV.

Three texts were sent from Brittany Eldridge's phone to Clark's between 9 pm and 10 pm. Clark's alibi came from another girlfriend, Leann Hawn. Leann said that she fell asleep at 9:30 pm and woke up at 10:30 pm, seeing Clark walking into the room, though her initial statements varied.

She later said he might have come earlier while she was asleep. Investigators noted Clark's multiple relationships and financial issues, according to KLTV.

The Knoxville Police Department kept the case open after charges were dropped. No other suspects emerged, and the lack of physical evidence complicated matters. The investigation spanned years, leading to Clark’s arrest in 2014.

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Suspect, trials, and case status

All charges were dropped against Norman Clark (Image via Unsplash/ @ Tingey Injury Law Firm)

Norman Eugene Clark, then 34, became the main suspect as Brittany’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her unborn child. Prosecutors said he juggled several relationships, lived with his parents, and faced financial troubles, fearing child support payments for Brittany and another woman. They claimed he killed her to avoid these payments and staged the scene.

Defense lawyers argued a burglar, surprised by her presence, was responsible, pointing to the disarray and Clark's alibi, according to Knox News.

Clark denied involvement and did not testify. Charged with two counts of first-degree murder, his first trial in August 2015 ended in a mistrial, with 11 jurors in favor of acquittal. The second trial in September 2017 also ended in a mistrial after four days, with about 10 jurors favoring a conviction.

In January 2018, the Knox County District Attorney dropped the charges but noted they could be refiled if new evidence emerged.

Clark gave interviews to Dateline after the trials, according to WVLT. As of 2025, the case remains unsolved, with no arrests or developments reported. The Knoxville Police continue their investigation.

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Watch Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode Deadly Circumstances on Oxygen.