PORT JERVIS – Brittany Amber Hendershot would have turned 22 last week, but never had a chance to celebrate that birthday in her typical fun-loving way, with family and friends. Instead, a wake is being held today, August 23, and a funeral and burial tomorrow.
“I can just say to all parents, if you get a feeling that the person your child is with is doing drugs, or controlling your child, call them out on it. Follow your instincts,” her father, Lee Hendershot told Mid-Hudson News. “I called him out on it. He lied. I had a bad feeling, but I couldn’t save my daughter.”
Missing for nearly two months, Brittany’s remains were recovered from a wooded area of the Town of Wallkill last week, Monday, August 15. Her grieving parents, Lee and Crystal Hendershot, and other loved ones say they held out hope until the end that intense search results would yield a different outcome for her daughter. Instead, Brittany’s identity was positively confirmed through an autopsy conducted last week by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s office.
A cause of death and other test results remain pending as all information is analyzed and reviewed.
“We’re trying to hold strong for Brittany’s child, but justice needs to be served. There’s no way my daughter would have been living out in those woods by choice,” Lee said during the memorial gathering. “She had a home and she had a baby. He (her boyfriend) was controlling. She did everything he wanted her to do. This just wasn’t Brittany.”
On what would have been Brittany’s 22nd birthday celebration, August 19, the Hendershots spent the day making funeral arrangements and the evening attending a candlelight memorial service held for their daughter.
Brittany loved music and dancing, and both were included – along with many tears – during the memorial attended by dozens. Those who knew Brittany confirmed her parents’ feelings that she would never have chosen to abandon her baby.
As she prepared for Tuesday’s wake, Crystal Hendershot said her daughter was misled by what she felt was love.
“She thought she was in love. She and the baby were welcome to live here, but we did not want her boyfriend here. He was controlling and not good for Brittany or the baby,” Crystal said.
Once before, Brittany, her boyfriend, and their baby had been located by a Port Jervis Police officer in a wooded area in Wallkill. He brought the baby and Brittany back to her parents’ home on June 12. Brittany told them her boyfriend had fled from the scene.
“Brittany helped the police find her boyfriend at that time. She had not run, but he had. Brittany told us he was doing heroin and that he had jumped into the river and ran – or something like that. He was found and arrested, but was let right back out. On jail reform,” Crystal said.
Once her boyfriend was out of jail, Brittany left again, leaving her baby with her parents. She told her parents that she would be back in a half hour, and then followed up with a text that she was on her way home.
“She never came home again. Port Jervis Police came to our home last week with a priest to tell us she had been found,” Crystal said. “The police have kept us up to date and tried their best to find her. We just always held out hope she would be found. But not this way.”
Reached on the morning of Brittany’s wake, Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden said police and others, including the general public, searched diligently to find Brittany. It was PJFD Chaplain Tom Zahradnik, Sgt. Chris Sargente, and Officer Osowick who delivered the tragic news to Brittany’s parents when she was finally found.
“A lot of what we do is not visible to the public, but we searched diligently for weeks and followed many tips and leads,” Worden said. “Sadly, this has brought some closure to Brittany’s family, but not the closure we were hoping for. Autopsy results will continue to be reviewed and all of the findings analyzed for several weeks. This remains an active case with the New York State Police,” Worden said. “We greatly appreciate the strong partnership we have with the public and other police agencies, and we’re grateful for all the help we receive.”
A wake is being held Tuesday, August 23, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Gray Parker Funeral Home. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery following a funeral to be held at 10 a.m., August 24at the funeral home.
