She Can’t Just Be Gone
Where is Brittany Williams?
BRITTANY BORN W/ AIDS
In 1993 Rose Marie Thompson was due to give birth to a daughter, and just a few months before her delivery she learned some shocking news – she had AIDS. On March 20 that same year in Henrico County, Virginia, Rose Marie gave birth to a beautiful girl – she named her Brittany Renee Williams. Brittany was born with AIDS.
Rose Marie took Brittany to the Richmond hospital for treatments, and that was when they first met Kim Parker. Parker ran a charity organization called Rainbow Kids to help care for children with HIV, AIDS and other illnesses.
CUSTODY TO KIM PARKER
Rose Marie’s condition did not improve, in fact, it became grave. Just a few months before she died in 1996 Rose Marie gave guardianship of Brittany to Parker.
BRITTANY MISSING
About four years later – on August 18, 2000, it seemed that 7-year-old Brittany was missing. She should have been attending school, but was not. The school registered a complaint which started an investigation and child protective services.
KIM PARKER CLAIMS SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHERE BRITTANY IS
During the investigation it was reported that Parker told authorities that she did not know where Brittany was; and at one point she claimed that Brittany was living with two women in California. Police eventually tracked down the two women who lived in Richmond at one time and who were familiar with Brittany and her story. But according to Michael Feinmel, Deputy County Manager for Henrico County, the women said that they were planning to have Brittany come and visit them; but the trip never happened. As for Parker’s assertion that Brittany was with those women, Feinmel said, “… police completely exhausted that lead and determined that was not a true story.”
KIM PARKER CLAIMS BRITTANY IN CALIFORNIA
Similar to the infamous Lori Vallow Daybell case, Parker was summoned to court to answer the question – Where is Brittany? But Parker claimed she could not disclose what she did not know. According to an AP news report, Parker said she did not want to know the exact address of Brittany and the women in California so that Brittany’s incarcerated father could not locate her.[1] Parker was sent to jail for contempt of court for failing to disclose Brittany’s whereabouts.[2] APB Cold Case was unable to locate Brittany’s father. This would not be the only time Parker would face the legal system.
KIM PARKER STEALING BRITTANY’S BENEFITS
Kim Parker began receiving social security and Medicaid benefits for Brittany once she brought her into her home. Today, Michael Feinmel is the Deputy County Manager for Henrico, County, Virginia, but in 2003 he was a prosecutor for the county. He told APB Cold Case that even after claiming to have sent Brittany out of state to live with the women in California, Parker continued to accept those state and federal benefits. She was prosecuted under state and federal law for fraud. Prosecutor Feinmel handled the state’s case.
BRITTANY FOUND?
There was a glimmer of hope in the investigation of Brittany’s disappearance in June 2021 when an Indiana woman came forward saying that she was Brittany. The adopted woman had been researching her roots and found Brittany’s case online. She felt that the description and photo could be her, and she pursued genetic testing. It was reported that there was a 95% chance that she and Brittany’s sister were half-sisters. Police began working on that lead and submitted DNA swabs to a lab for analysis. In January 2022, Henrico County police released a statement saying, “After a thorough investigation, we have concluded that the person who came forward is NOT Brittany Williams.” There was no indication as to whether the woman was related to the Williams family in any way.
PROSPECTS OF FINDING BRITTANY ALIVE
Brittany required medication on a regular basis. And those medications would have been very expensive. But Feinmel said there were no charges against Brittany’s social security or Medicaid accounts. Feinmel said that they also searched for similarly aged girls who may have been listed under a different name, or in a different state, but they found nothing. Because of her fragile medical condition and the fact that there was no proof of her receiving the lifesaving medications, the possibility of her survival is not promising, said Feinmel.
SEARCH OF PARKER RESIDENCE/GROUNDS
During the investigation police conducted a search at Kim Parker’s residence, which included digging on the grounds. To date, they have not found any signs of Brittany.
FEINMEL: THE CASE THAT STICKS WITH YOU
Feinmel, who never met Brittany said, “It was certainly that case that sticks with you throughout your career. Brittany was represented to me as a happy young lady. I can picture her smile… Every picture you see of her was smiling, and joyful…” Feinmel said that Brittany’s family and the community deserve an answer, and mostly, Brittany deserves an answer. “This girl is gone. She can’t just be gone. That just can’t be the end of this story,” said Feinmel.
If you have any information about Brittany Williams, call Henrico County Police at 804-501-5000 or send an anonymous tip through Metro-Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or online at p3Tips.com.
Epilogue
This case struck us from the outset – a vulnerable little girl who is missing without resolution or consequence. Although Brittany was born with a serious disease, she was living at a time when medications could have helped her through it. And we can only believe that her mother thought that she was doing the best thing for Brittany by ensuring she would be cared for by placing her in the hands of Kim Parker.
How can we be confident that the right thing happened? How can a caregiver “not know” where a child is? We know that Parker received Brittany’s public assistance checks even after her disappearance, but does that financial motive line up with Brittany’s disappearance? How long would this have gone on if not for the inquiry by the school where Brittany was supposed to be attending? These are questions that demand answers. A court once compelled Parker to answer, but she did not, and was found in contempt. But the question is still unresolved.
Fortunately, Brittany has a strong advocate in former prosecutor Michael Feinmel. His spontaneous knowledge about the case about 20 years after he handled it made it obvious to us that he is “all in”. And when you hear him speaking about the need to expand Brittany’s story, you can tell that he will always carry this case in his head and in his heart for the rest of his life. He wants answers – We want answers – The world should demand answers.
-APB Cold Case
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All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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[1] Woman says she gave girl to ‘friends’; Associated Press; The Daily News Leader, Staunton, VA.; Feb. 1, 2003, p. 3
[2] Guardian of girl jailed for contempt; The Daily News Leader, Staunton, VA.; Feb. 22, 2003, p. 3