Tulsa Police Work New Tip For 10-Year-Old Rape, Murder Case

A high profile cold case could be getting warmer. Tulsa police are working on a new lead in the ten-year-old rape and murder of Brittany Phillips.

The homicide division at the Tulsa Police department has been working the case for ten years and said that they're optimistic about this tip. They feel it's a good lead and they hope that soon they will finally have some answers for Brittany's family.

"Hopefully we can find out if this is the guy or not,” said Detective Eddie Majors, TPD.

Tulsa Police have been on the hunt for the man that killed the college student back in September 2004. Phillips was raped, suffocated and found days later inside her apartment near 65th and Mingo.

Recently the homicide unit was notified of a new lead in the case.

"A person had contacted us and said this particular individual may be involved in the Brittany Phillips homicide, and at this point we're trying to locate that individual to see if his DNA is in CODIS and that's what we're waiting on,” said Majors.

It's a waiting game Majors hopes ends in answers for Brittany's family.

Maggie Zingman, Brittany's mother, has been traveling across the country for years spreading the word about her daughter's murder, hoping someone would come forward.

We spoke to Zingman back in 2012 as she made a push for legislation that would allow investigators to take DNA from people upon arrest.

"When they first told me they had DNA within the first six months I thought it'd be solved. I was just like everybody else I really thought that we'd have our killer,” said Zingman.

Majors said, "As an investigator we can't work for the victims, we work for the family members. I've maintained contact with Maggie over the year and, you know, she's on a mission and we are as well. We are not going to give up."

They hope the new tip leads them to justice and encourages others to come forward with what they know.

"The thing is, her mother has been through so much, as any parent would have to deal with the loss of a child. I think that if it comes to true form that this is a person, credit to the person that called it in and I just wish if that's the case that other people would follow suit."

Police are obviously keeping the details of the new lead very quiet until they can track down the person they're looking for.

In the meantime, they encourage anyone who may have any additional details about Brittany's murder to contact the Tulsa police department.