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by JENN WOOD
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Twenty-eight years later, the murder of Stacey Brooke Holsonback remains one of South Carolina’s most haunting unsolved cases — a crime that shattered a family, unsettled a university community, and continues to defy resolution despite decades of investigation.
Holsonback, known to her family and friends as “Brooke,” was just 18 years old when her body was discovered floating in Lake Hartwell on February 20, 1997. A freshman biochemistry major at Clemson University, she had hoped to pursue a career in medical research.
Instead, her life ended violently following a fateful night investigators have scrutinized for decades — one that law enforcement still believes holds unanswered truths.
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A NIGHT THAT STILL RAISES QUESTIONS
On the evening of February 19, 1997, Holsonback attended a sorority meeting before leaving campus with Bryant Gallup and Jeff Dubnansky, two fellow Clemson University students she knew socially. The three traveled to an area near Seneca for late-night off-roading, an outing investigators later said involved alcohol.
According to statements Gallup and Dubnansky gave to law enforcement, their Jeep became stuck in muddy terrain. They told investigators an argument followed and that Holsonback walked away from the scene during that dispute. Both men said they searched for her briefly but were unable to find her, and then returned to their dorm to sleep.
Holsonback was never seen alive again…
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The following day, a construction worker discovered her body in a small cove of Lake Hartwell near a boat dock occasionally used by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The location — just off Highway 93, across from the Roy Cooper YMCA Recreation Area — was less than half a mile from Clemson’s campus.
An autopsy later determined she had been manually strangled, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Gallup and Dubnansky were questioned extensively in the days following Holsonback’s murder – but both were ultimately released without charges. Over the years, both men moved out of South Carolina – and no arrests have ever been made in the case.
From the outset, investigators acknowledged troubling gaps and inconsistencies in the timeline — particularly how Holsonback came to be where she was found, and what occurred after she was last seen alive.
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YEARS OF EFFORT
In the months following Holsonback’s murder, law enforcement agencies mounted an aggressive investigation. Public reenactments were staged at Lake Hartwell, dramatized recreations were filmed, and authorities issued repeated appeals for information – insisting the case was solvable.
Reward money associated with information leading to arrests grew over time, eventually reaching tens of thousands of dollars. Tips poured in — but none led to an arrest. By the early 2000s, officials acknowledged that investigators had a strong sense of what they believe happened to Holsonback – but lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges.
That assessment did not end the investigation, however. In 2017, on the 20th anniversary of Holsonback’s death, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) announced the formation of a dedicated task force focused exclusively on identifying and apprehending those responsible. Investigators said numerous items of forensic significance had been resubmitted for retesting, using advances in technology that were unavailable in 1997. Authorities also confirmed a behavioral profile of the offender (or offenders) was being developed to guide the renewed investigation.
Officials insisted the case wasn’t dormant, describing it as active and ongoing — even as they declined to discuss specific evidence or suspects publicly.
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LIVING WITH THE SILENCE
In interviews marking major anniversaries of the case, Brooke’s father – Warren Holsonback – has spoken openly about the enduring weight of unanswered questions. He’s also described in excruciating detail the pain of imagining the life his daughter never got to live – about who Brooke might be today, and the milestones their family never experienced.
Despite that loss, the family has consistently expressed faith in investigators and gratitude for those who have continued to keep the case in the public eye.
Holsonback’s murder is more than just an unsolved crime from the 1990s. It is a reminder of how fragile justice can be — and how dependent resolution often is on a single missing detail, a delayed memory or a witness who has yet to speak.
Investigators have repeatedly said they believe someone knows more than they have ever shared. Whether that knowledge comes from someone present that night, someone who heard something afterward, or someone who dismissed a detail as insignificant at the time, authorities maintain that the final piece may still exist.
Unsolved Carolinas – sponsored by our friends at Bamberg Legal – highlights cases which have fallen off the front pages. In every unsolved case, someone out there could know something that provides a missing link – a critical clue that could bring peace to a family in pain and help them write the next chapter of their stories. If you know someone who is missing – or has been a victim of an unsolved homicide – email us your story.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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3 comments
Oconee county SO was never equipped to investigate this case. They blew it from the beginning and forming all the task forces won’t change that.
Those 2 male students know exactly what happened to her. Charge them both and see which one squeals on the other first.
I find it concerning that neither Jeff nor Bryant seems to have any social media footprint or established career history. That lack of transparency is hard to ignore.