BRITNEY UJLAKY WAS BRUTALLY KILLED BY SOMEONE SHE TRUSTED IMPLICITLY
Shoutingacross to her dad James, Gabrielle Ujlaky – known to everyone as Britney – joked, “I’ll beat you home.” Britney had just finished watching her dad as he practised playing with his band, and was getting a lift home with her best friend Bryce Dickey, 18, who had also come to watch. Dickey was a long-time family friend and had such a close relationship with Britney, she referred to him as her big brother. The date was 8 March 2020, and it would be the last time James would see his beloved 16-year-old daughter alive.
When James returned to their family home several hours later, he was shocked to discover that, far from beating him home, Britney had not returned at all. It would be the start of a nightmare for the Ujlaky family, and one that would end with a betrayal beyond comprehension. With the case back in the headlines due to a new US documentary, we look at what happened.
DISAPPEARANCE
Britney lived with her family in Elko County, Nevada. The area holds a rich history with horses, and most teenagers living in and around there grow up with a passion for riding and the rodeo circuit. Britney was no different and, although she did not compete in the rodeos, she loved to spend her days working at local ranches and considered herself a cowgirl through and through.
It was within the rodeo community where she had first met Dickey, who had been embraced as a friend of the family. It was because of their relationship that Britney’s father had no issues with allowing his daughter to be driven home by Dickey. Warning him to drive safely, the three parted company and James expected to see Britney later at home. But the hours came and went, and with no sign of Britney, James began to worry. He called and sent texts asking why she was not responding, but he heard nothing. It was then he decided to call the authorities. Although Britney had only been missing for a few hours, it was completely out of character for her not to be in touch.
Investigators eager to locate the teen spoke to the last person to be seen with her – Dickey. When he was quizzed about her whereabouts and the fact she had not returned home, he was shocked and concerned. He told police the pair of them had driven around for about three-and-a-half hours before Britney asked him to drop her off at Spring Creek High School, where she was meeting a new friend. Dickey didn’t know the mysterious friend, but dropped her there as requested. The last thing he saw was Britney getting into a green Ford F-150 pick-up truck. Dickey could give only a vague description of the stranger driving, describing the man as a “pretty tall white male, wearing a cowboy hat”.
With scant information to go on, an official missing person’s rep
