Clayton County now investigating 23-year-old mom’s disappearance as a homicide

Candace McCowan
·2 min read

A Clayton County family is pleading for answers after their loved one disappeared.

Investigators now believe Briana Winston who went missing in March was the victim of a homicide. Her boyfriend and his wife are now considered persons of interest in the case.

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It’s been six and a half weeks since Briana Winston was last seen.

“I’ve had many sleepless nights,” said Winston’s cousin Jasmine Walker.

For weeks, Winston’s family has said something was wrong. It was unlike the 23-year-old mom to disappear and leave her 4-year-old behind.

“Just by her leaving her baby that’s odd, it’s out of the ordinary,” said Walker.

Now, investigators say they, too, believe something evil happened to Winston and said the circumstances are “exceptionally suspicious” and “they believe that she was the victim of a crime that left her incapacitated in some way.”  Investigators added that “all points of evidence indicate that she is deceased.”

They’re now investigating her case as a homicide.

The persons of interest are Briana’s boyfriend and the father of her child, Michale Edwards, and his wife of just a few months, Brienna Phillips-Edwards. Michale is locked up on aggravated stalking charges now. The wife, Brienna was charged last week with making false statements.

“I want to know what the false statements came from,” said Walker. “We didn’t know that he was married and by him having a wife we were wondering why he still after my cousin the way he was after her.”

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As detectives continue to work the case, they say they’re looking for remains.

Winston’s family is also pleading for answers.

“I just wonder where could she be, if she is dead where’s her body?”

They also want answers for the four-year-old girl, who’s missing her mother.

“She’s been missing her,” her cousin said.

Michale Edwards’ mother currently has custody of the little girl.

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