Criminal Profile: Brittany Holberg

Background Information Grew up with “hippie drugster” parents in Texas First exposed to drugs at age 13 or 14 Married as a teenager In 1993, she gave birth to her daughter At age 20, she moved back to her home town She fell into the wrong crowd and began using drugs Became a prostitute to support herself Was once raped, severely eaten and cut with a knife; hospitalized after this incident

Previous law trouble She was exposed to drugs at a young age Stole prescription medication from dentist offices with her aunt Caught with drugs and released from state custody after completing a substance abuse punishment program in September 1996

Most Recent Crime Prostitution, robbery, murder Date of murder November 13, 1996 She was 23 at the time of the crime 1 victim- 80 year old A.B Towery Sr. Victim was struck with a hammer and stabber nearly 60 times. Weapons used were a paring knife, a butcher knife, a grapefruit knife, and a fork. A lamp pole had been shoved more than 5 inches down the victims throat. She also robbed him

Evidence Physical evidence including murder weapons Testimony of the cab driver, the apartment manager, the police, the neighbor, and the unsuspecting couple who drove her from the apartment complex Her own written confession of the murder

Sentence Evaded law enforcement for three months Arrested on February 17, 1997 Sentenced to death on March 27, 1998

Quotes Holberg had spoken out about the death penalty and has called for better conditions for prisoners. “Just two weeks ago, we were informed that not only would we be strip-searched for our one hour of recreation a day, but also when taken for a shower. So for the last two weeks, we have been stripped no less than six times a day, and our cells have been completely ransacked. This is every day, sometimes at times like 2:30 and 3 a.m., and we never leave the building - or our cells for that matter”

Theory I believe that Holberg would be categorized under the Social Deviance group of Differential- Association Theory. Her behavior was largely determined by the people around her. She describes being brought up by “hippie drugsters” so she was influenced by drugs starting very early in life. After being married as a teenager, she left her husband and returned to her hometown. She began hanging out with the wrong crowd in her twenties. During this time, she fell into hard drugs. The night she brutally murdered AB Towery, she was working as a prostitute. In addition to killing the man she also robbed him because she needed money for drugs. In fact, after leaving the victims home, she went to a crack house, found a drug buddy, and spent the night in a hotel with hundreds of dollars worth of cocaine. At a young age, she was introduced to drugs which constantly caused her problems. She had been in trouble with the law for drug use but was released from state custody after completion of a substance abuse felony punishment program. She became a prostitute to pay for her drug habits and even admitted to scamming prescription drugs from dentists with her aunt. She had been associated with drugs and influenced to do them and steal them by the people around her since she was young.  

Prison or Rehabilitation? I do not believe that Brittany Holberg should be rehabilitated. Even though she has a drug addiction, I do not think therapy would help her. She had completed a substance abuse felony punishment program previous to murdering the elderly man. But, she was still using drugs and it had a very strong influence on her life. I would even go as far as saying that her addiction to drugs and need for money was her motive to kill Towery. I think that her punishment from the court is appropriate and that she should receive the death penalty because of her gruesome crime.