1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:23,996 Speaker 1: Pushkin previously a deep cover sort of like I got 2 00:00:24,036 --> 00:00:27,996 Speaker 1: on a train track there was clearly the wrong train track, 3 00:00:28,036 --> 00:00:30,756 Speaker 1: and at some point you're just thinking, crap, how do 4 00:00:30,836 --> 00:00:34,556 Speaker 1: I stop this train from like going off the rails? 5 00:00:33,756 --> 00:00:40,756 Speaker 1: Who went missing? Her mama was very very upset, as 6 00:00:40,756 --> 00:00:45,396 Speaker 1: if she knew Brooke wasn't coming home. The NYPD cop 7 00:00:45,476 --> 00:00:48,636 Speaker 1: caused and says, yep, she's broke. You can clear your case. 8 00:00:49,156 --> 00:00:53,676 Speaker 1: So I said, I'm not happy with that. I want DNA. 9 00:00:53,956 --> 00:00:56,756 Speaker 1: When she didn't show up to give DNA, she was 10 00:00:56,756 --> 00:01:04,436 Speaker 1: in the wind, John Campbell had a million questions, like 11 00:01:04,836 --> 00:01:10,156 Speaker 1: who was this mysterious student at Columbia University was increasingly 12 00:01:10,196 --> 00:01:13,556 Speaker 1: convinced that she was not really Brooke Henson, that he 13 00:01:13,596 --> 00:01:17,356 Speaker 1: was dealing with an impostor, especially after she ducked that 14 00:01:17,516 --> 00:01:22,756 Speaker 1: DNA test, which made him wonder who was she? Did 15 00:01:22,796 --> 00:01:24,876 Speaker 1: she have anything to do with the disappearance of the 16 00:01:24,956 --> 00:01:28,676 Speaker 1: real Brooke Henson? And then there was the most important 17 00:01:28,756 --> 00:01:34,236 Speaker 1: question of all, where was this mystery woman? Now? The 18 00:01:34,316 --> 00:01:38,036 Speaker 1: obvious first move was to ask Columbia for help, So 19 00:01:38,316 --> 00:01:41,196 Speaker 1: John says he reached out to the university's director of 20 00:01:41,276 --> 00:01:45,876 Speaker 1: Investigations in technology, then sent him a subpoena explaining the 21 00:01:45,996 --> 00:01:51,596 Speaker 1: entire situation. John requested Brooks records, including any photos, letters 22 00:01:51,636 --> 00:01:55,516 Speaker 1: of reference essays, student loan forms, that kind of stuff. 23 00:01:55,956 --> 00:01:58,036 Speaker 1: And he started facts them down and I got about 24 00:01:58,076 --> 00:02:00,676 Speaker 1: thirty pages or so, and then it just it was 25 00:02:00,716 --> 00:02:03,036 Speaker 1: like half a sheet. And then he called me. He said, 26 00:02:03,076 --> 00:02:05,116 Speaker 1: lawyers walked into this office and ripped him off of 27 00:02:05,596 --> 00:02:09,476 Speaker 1: the whole file, off of the facts. So there's John 28 00:02:09,836 --> 00:02:13,196 Speaker 1: standing by the fax machine with some files in his hands. 29 00:02:13,676 --> 00:02:16,876 Speaker 1: He says he got a few documents, including Brooks College 30 00:02:16,876 --> 00:02:21,836 Speaker 1: admissions essay, and then the transmission was interrupted. What he 31 00:02:21,916 --> 00:02:25,996 Speaker 1: had so far was tantalizing. The essay said she'd grown 32 00:02:26,076 --> 00:02:28,836 Speaker 1: up in a tiny town in South Carolina, and that 33 00:02:28,956 --> 00:02:32,716 Speaker 1: much was true. The real Brooke Henson was from Traveler's Rest, 34 00:02:33,396 --> 00:02:37,476 Speaker 1: But the essay also described a super religious childhood and 35 00:02:37,596 --> 00:02:41,116 Speaker 1: that definitely didn't match up. So what was going on here? 36 00:02:42,036 --> 00:02:44,836 Speaker 1: John felt if he could just get the rest of 37 00:02:44,876 --> 00:02:48,196 Speaker 1: these files, he'd find the clues that would tell him 38 00:02:48,276 --> 00:02:51,636 Speaker 1: who this woman really was and where she might be now. 39 00:02:53,356 --> 00:02:57,436 Speaker 1: So John, he was on a mission. He just needed 40 00:02:57,476 --> 00:03:17,836 Speaker 1: to out fox Columbia University. I'm Jake Halbern and this 41 00:03:18,036 --> 00:03:44,996 Speaker 1: is deep Cover Season three, Never Seen Again, episode two, 42 00:03:45,916 --> 00:03:52,836 Speaker 1: The Starman. According to John Campbell, officials at Columbia told 43 00:03:52,876 --> 00:03:56,036 Speaker 1: him that they would no longer cooperate with him unless 44 00:03:56,036 --> 00:04:00,196 Speaker 1: he got a federal subpoena. Now this is a technical distinction, 45 00:04:00,676 --> 00:04:04,076 Speaker 1: but it's an important one. John had sent a state 46 00:04:04,156 --> 00:04:10,316 Speaker 1: subpoena from Greenville County, South Carolina, and Columbia was basically saying, no, no, no, 47 00:04:10,396 --> 00:04:13,556 Speaker 1: we don't recognize that you're out of your jurisdiction. We 48 00:04:13,636 --> 00:04:17,036 Speaker 1: need a federal subpoena. And of course I said that 49 00:04:17,076 --> 00:04:19,476 Speaker 1: because they thought, well, some small town detective in South 50 00:04:19,476 --> 00:04:21,676 Speaker 1: Carolina's not gonna be able to get a federal subpoena. 51 00:04:21,876 --> 00:04:24,716 Speaker 1: John may have been a small town detective, but he 52 00:04:24,796 --> 00:04:28,236 Speaker 1: did have some powerful connections. In fact, he knew exactly 53 00:04:28,276 --> 00:04:31,836 Speaker 1: whom to call. And this becomes really important. So bear 54 00:04:31,916 --> 00:04:33,316 Speaker 1: with me for a sec while I give you a 55 00:04:33,356 --> 00:04:40,076 Speaker 1: little backstory. A few years before this, when John first 56 00:04:40,116 --> 00:04:42,996 Speaker 1: started working on the Brook Henson case, he wanted to 57 00:04:42,996 --> 00:04:45,836 Speaker 1: get an office computer. He didn't have one at the time, 58 00:04:46,276 --> 00:04:48,036 Speaker 1: and he felt if he was going to pursue this 59 00:04:48,076 --> 00:04:50,756 Speaker 1: case seriously, he needed one. You know, how to take 60 00:04:50,756 --> 00:04:55,036 Speaker 1: advantage of things like spreadsheets and the Internet. So he 61 00:04:55,116 --> 00:04:57,556 Speaker 1: asked the chief for some money to buy one. His 62 00:04:57,676 --> 00:05:02,516 Speaker 1: chief apparently said, sorry, don't have the funds. John, ever determined, 63 00:05:02,636 --> 00:05:07,516 Speaker 1: started making inquiries, asking other law enforcement guys, Hey, what's 64 00:05:07,516 --> 00:05:10,356 Speaker 1: the best way to get a free computer, And turns 65 00:05:10,396 --> 00:05:15,436 Speaker 1: out they had an answer for him. Call the Secret Service. Yeah, 66 00:05:15,476 --> 00:05:19,396 Speaker 1: those agents with the earpieces who run alongside the presidential motorcades. 67 00:05:20,156 --> 00:05:23,116 Speaker 1: But the advice was, don't just ask them for a laptop, 68 00:05:23,796 --> 00:05:27,916 Speaker 1: ask to do a case with them, because apparently everyone 69 00:05:27,996 --> 00:05:30,636 Speaker 1: knew do a case with the Secret Service. They seize 70 00:05:30,636 --> 00:05:33,036 Speaker 1: everything and give it right back to local law enforcement. 71 00:05:33,036 --> 00:05:35,236 Speaker 1: You're telling me that, like, you work with the Secret 72 00:05:35,276 --> 00:05:37,716 Speaker 1: Service deliberately so that you could if you bust some 73 00:05:37,756 --> 00:05:39,916 Speaker 1: guys with the computers, you can keep it. Yes, that's 74 00:05:39,956 --> 00:05:42,156 Speaker 1: how you do it on the municipal level when you 75 00:05:42,196 --> 00:05:47,836 Speaker 1: have no money. Now, in case you didn't realize this, 76 00:05:48,076 --> 00:05:50,476 Speaker 1: the Secret Service does a whole lot more than protect 77 00:05:50,516 --> 00:05:56,236 Speaker 1: the president. It also investigates financial crimes and chases down counterfeiters, 78 00:05:56,636 --> 00:05:59,436 Speaker 1: you know, people who print fake money. And John's like, 79 00:05:59,916 --> 00:06:02,876 Speaker 1: I can find some guys like that, because, as it 80 00:06:02,916 --> 00:06:06,076 Speaker 1: turns out, at the time, there was someone in trial 81 00:06:06,116 --> 00:06:09,916 Speaker 1: theer's rest passing out phony twenty dollar bills. It looked 82 00:06:09,916 --> 00:06:12,996 Speaker 1: like they were being made with an inkjet printer. Anyway, 83 00:06:13,516 --> 00:06:16,596 Speaker 1: John puts the word out among the local businesses. He says, 84 00:06:16,916 --> 00:06:19,876 Speaker 1: call me if you see anything suspicious. So one of 85 00:06:19,876 --> 00:06:23,516 Speaker 1: the businesses was Burger King and this girlfriend Burger can call. 86 00:06:23,596 --> 00:06:25,636 Speaker 1: He goes, hey, those guys are back and they gave 87 00:06:25,636 --> 00:06:28,636 Speaker 1: me a fake twenty again. What do I do? He said, 88 00:06:28,916 --> 00:06:32,076 Speaker 1: tell will be a few minutes to their fries. He's 89 00:06:32,156 --> 00:06:35,356 Speaker 1: laughing now, right, but at the time he's like, here's 90 00:06:35,396 --> 00:06:38,036 Speaker 1: my big chance to bust some counterfeiters and befriend the 91 00:06:38,036 --> 00:06:41,636 Speaker 1: Secret Service and you know, get a free computer. They're 92 00:06:41,636 --> 00:06:44,156 Speaker 1: waiting for their fries, and we were right down the streets, 93 00:06:44,156 --> 00:06:47,996 Speaker 1: so we come zooming in behind them, and we come 94 00:06:48,076 --> 00:06:49,876 Speaker 1: running up to the car and the guys has this 95 00:06:49,996 --> 00:06:52,116 Speaker 1: big water twenties and he crams it down into his 96 00:06:52,236 --> 00:06:55,556 Speaker 1: drink and we grab the drink and everything, pull the 97 00:06:55,596 --> 00:06:57,836 Speaker 1: thing of twenties up and the ink is just ripping 98 00:06:57,876 --> 00:07:03,916 Speaker 1: off these guys. He's busted. They're local college students looking 99 00:07:03,916 --> 00:07:07,676 Speaker 1: for some free whoppers. John calls the Secret Service tells 100 00:07:07,716 --> 00:07:11,596 Speaker 1: them he's busted some counterfeit and the Secret Service is pleased, 101 00:07:12,236 --> 00:07:14,956 Speaker 1: so pleased that they continue to work cases with John. 102 00:07:15,436 --> 00:07:18,196 Speaker 1: Eventually they even give him an award for his work 103 00:07:18,316 --> 00:07:22,316 Speaker 1: on another counterfeiting case. So the Secret Service guy said, 104 00:07:22,396 --> 00:07:24,116 Speaker 1: he is such a good job on that they sent 105 00:07:24,796 --> 00:07:27,996 Speaker 1: a thing up to Washington and got me thing, a 106 00:07:28,076 --> 00:07:31,076 Speaker 1: citation thing. So I had that on my wall and 107 00:07:31,156 --> 00:07:32,916 Speaker 1: it was signed by the director of the Secret Service. 108 00:07:33,236 --> 00:07:35,756 Speaker 1: You know, he did a great job. What really made 109 00:07:35,836 --> 00:07:39,156 Speaker 1: John happy, though, was back in their dorm room, those 110 00:07:39,196 --> 00:07:43,836 Speaker 1: counterfeiters had a sweet computer which soon became John's computer. 111 00:07:44,316 --> 00:07:52,236 Speaker 1: Score right, But the real windfall came later. Fast forward 112 00:07:52,276 --> 00:07:56,036 Speaker 1: a few years. There's John standing by his facts machine 113 00:07:56,396 --> 00:07:58,676 Speaker 1: with half a set of records from the woman who 114 00:07:58,716 --> 00:08:01,716 Speaker 1: claimed to be Brooke Henson, and he's got a big 115 00:08:01,876 --> 00:08:06,596 Speaker 1: fat snub from Columbia University, which was demanding a federal subpoena, 116 00:08:06,996 --> 00:08:13,076 Speaker 1: a potential dead end for John. But turns out all 117 00:08:13,356 --> 00:08:15,796 Speaker 1: John had to do was look up on his wall 118 00:08:16,156 --> 00:08:19,436 Speaker 1: at that fancy citation thing from the Secret Service. And 119 00:08:19,596 --> 00:08:24,716 Speaker 1: remember he had some friends, some pretty powerful friends, who could, 120 00:08:25,156 --> 00:08:29,836 Speaker 1: if they were so inclined, tell Columbia University to shut 121 00:08:29,916 --> 00:08:46,276 Speaker 1: up and play ball. The person that John Campbell connected 122 00:08:46,276 --> 00:08:49,796 Speaker 1: with at the Secret Service is a guy named Don Long. 123 00:08:50,516 --> 00:08:52,876 Speaker 1: I am an assistant Special Agent in charge with the 124 00:08:52,916 --> 00:08:55,996 Speaker 1: Secret Service. I've been employed with the agency for about 125 00:08:55,996 --> 00:08:59,316 Speaker 1: thirty years now, and I'm currently located in our office 126 00:08:59,316 --> 00:09:03,396 Speaker 1: in Columbia, South Carolina. If Don sounds like a clean cut, 127 00:09:03,636 --> 00:09:07,956 Speaker 1: no nonsense law man, well that's because he is. Don 128 00:09:08,076 --> 00:09:10,996 Speaker 1: is not an obsessive Files fan or a guy who 129 00:09:11,036 --> 00:09:14,236 Speaker 1: buys into a lot of conspiracy theories. In this way, 130 00:09:14,596 --> 00:09:17,276 Speaker 1: you might say that he and John are kind of 131 00:09:17,276 --> 00:09:22,236 Speaker 1: like opposites. Even so, Don is quick to give John props. 132 00:09:22,876 --> 00:09:25,916 Speaker 1: John is a very thorough investigator. If you had a 133 00:09:25,956 --> 00:09:29,916 Speaker 1: case that you wanted somebody to really turn over every 134 00:09:29,956 --> 00:09:34,196 Speaker 1: single stone to look for a possible suspect, you would 135 00:09:34,196 --> 00:09:37,916 Speaker 1: certainly want someone like John on the case. Don says 136 00:09:37,996 --> 00:09:40,716 Speaker 1: that back in two thousand and six he wanted to 137 00:09:40,756 --> 00:09:43,796 Speaker 1: help John if he could, and he was intrigued by 138 00:09:43,796 --> 00:09:47,276 Speaker 1: the Brook Henson case, but he couldn't just fire off 139 00:09:47,316 --> 00:09:50,436 Speaker 1: a federal subpoena as a favor to John. This was 140 00:09:50,476 --> 00:09:53,956 Speaker 1: a serious matter, and if the Secret Service got involved, 141 00:09:54,236 --> 00:09:58,036 Speaker 1: it would become an active partner in this investigation. So 142 00:09:58,276 --> 00:10:03,396 Speaker 1: Don's first question was, what is this case exactly? Don 143 00:10:03,436 --> 00:10:07,076 Speaker 1: says he conferred with the assistant US attorney in Greenville, 144 00:10:07,236 --> 00:10:10,196 Speaker 1: who would be prosecuting this case if it went forward, 145 00:10:10,796 --> 00:10:13,156 Speaker 1: and the two of them they debated what to do. 146 00:10:13,836 --> 00:10:16,196 Speaker 1: In the end, it was decided that they should open 147 00:10:16,276 --> 00:10:19,836 Speaker 1: up a fraud and identity theft investigation and see what 148 00:10:19,916 --> 00:10:23,316 Speaker 1: was in those files at Columbia. And just like that, 149 00:10:23,916 --> 00:10:28,076 Speaker 1: John now had a partner, Don Long, the Secret Service agent. 150 00:10:28,836 --> 00:10:32,436 Speaker 1: And even though this was now technically a federal investigation, 151 00:10:33,156 --> 00:10:36,356 Speaker 1: John was still, as he told me, a backseat driver. 152 00:10:37,196 --> 00:10:42,636 Speaker 1: I might add, a very active backseat driver. So off 153 00:10:42,676 --> 00:10:49,316 Speaker 1: goes that federal subpoena kind of amazingly, Columbia University rejects it. Basically, 154 00:10:49,316 --> 00:10:52,556 Speaker 1: Columbia just tells the assistant US attorney, a guy named 155 00:10:52,556 --> 00:10:57,356 Speaker 1: Walt Wilkins, sorry, no dice, and what lost his mind? 156 00:10:58,036 --> 00:11:01,316 Speaker 1: Are you kidding me? Your Columbia University, This is a 157 00:11:01,356 --> 00:11:04,196 Speaker 1: federal grand jury subpoena. If you can't give us these records, 158 00:11:04,476 --> 00:11:06,676 Speaker 1: you come down to talk to the judge and explain why. 159 00:11:07,436 --> 00:11:11,676 Speaker 1: It wasn't clear why Columbia was refusing to cooperate. Maybe 160 00:11:11,676 --> 00:11:13,996 Speaker 1: it was just trying to protect the privacy of a student, 161 00:11:14,636 --> 00:11:18,996 Speaker 1: or perhaps, as Don Long speculated, the university was embarrassed 162 00:11:18,996 --> 00:11:22,556 Speaker 1: that it had possibly been duped by an impostor. I 163 00:11:22,676 --> 00:11:25,876 Speaker 1: reached out to Columbia University, by the Way, and they 164 00:11:26,116 --> 00:11:30,196 Speaker 1: declined to comment. In the end, Don flew up to 165 00:11:30,196 --> 00:11:33,476 Speaker 1: New York to speak with officials at the university in person, 166 00:11:34,396 --> 00:11:38,516 Speaker 1: and at long last, Columbia relented. A little while later, 167 00:11:38,876 --> 00:11:49,236 Speaker 1: investigators had the complete records for one Brooke Henson. The 168 00:11:49,356 --> 00:11:52,876 Speaker 1: records from Columbia included a bunch of documents. There were 169 00:11:52,916 --> 00:11:57,276 Speaker 1: two admissions essays. Together, they presented an intimate portrait of 170 00:11:57,316 --> 00:12:00,316 Speaker 1: a young woman who claimed to be Brooke Henson. I 171 00:12:00,356 --> 00:12:03,116 Speaker 1: asked my producer, Amy Gaines, as she would read from 172 00:12:03,116 --> 00:12:07,596 Speaker 1: these essays. My young life consisted almost entirely of events 173 00:12:07,596 --> 00:12:11,716 Speaker 1: that would take place inside four church walls. My parents 174 00:12:11,716 --> 00:12:14,476 Speaker 1: didn't feel that a public education was the right place 175 00:12:14,516 --> 00:12:17,396 Speaker 1: to teach their children about the world and the skills 176 00:12:17,396 --> 00:12:20,356 Speaker 1: it would take to survive in that world. Along with 177 00:12:20,396 --> 00:12:23,836 Speaker 1: three other children, my brother and I were educated under 178 00:12:23,836 --> 00:12:26,956 Speaker 1: the tutelage of my mother and another woman from church. 179 00:12:28,036 --> 00:12:30,196 Speaker 1: In spite of what is considered by others to be 180 00:12:30,236 --> 00:12:33,836 Speaker 1: a horrific environment to educate children. Somehow, my brother and 181 00:12:33,876 --> 00:12:38,036 Speaker 1: I excelled in our academic surroundings. Weird right, because the 182 00:12:38,116 --> 00:12:41,116 Speaker 1: real Brookhanson she grew up in a house without a 183 00:12:41,116 --> 00:12:44,596 Speaker 1: lot of rules, with laid back parents. The essay goes 184 00:12:44,596 --> 00:12:47,876 Speaker 1: on to say the moment that truly defined her life 185 00:12:48,196 --> 00:12:51,076 Speaker 1: was when her mom was dying of cancer. She says 186 00:12:51,116 --> 00:12:53,436 Speaker 1: she took care of her mother and that in her 187 00:12:53,476 --> 00:12:58,476 Speaker 1: spare time, she found solace by playing chess online. I 188 00:12:58,636 --> 00:13:01,596 Speaker 1: loved to dive into a world filled with sixty four squares, 189 00:13:02,036 --> 00:13:05,236 Speaker 1: thirty two pieces, and a never ending supply of new 190 00:13:05,276 --> 00:13:09,916 Speaker 1: combinations to learn and master. This black and white world 191 00:13:09,956 --> 00:13:12,916 Speaker 1: made sense to me. I was in control of strategy, 192 00:13:13,316 --> 00:13:17,676 Speaker 1: of risk, and ultimately of death. When her mother passed away, 193 00:13:18,036 --> 00:13:21,916 Speaker 1: she said something within her shifted. After I came to 194 00:13:21,996 --> 00:13:24,676 Speaker 1: terms with losing her and living my life without her, 195 00:13:25,076 --> 00:13:27,796 Speaker 1: I felt very free in a strange way. I saw 196 00:13:27,836 --> 00:13:31,036 Speaker 1: the world as something I could explore and conquer. I 197 00:13:31,076 --> 00:13:33,876 Speaker 1: never really looked outside my little town and my little 198 00:13:33,916 --> 00:13:37,516 Speaker 1: life until that life had disappeared. I was no longer 199 00:13:37,556 --> 00:13:46,076 Speaker 1: an option for me. John Campbell read all of this 200 00:13:46,236 --> 00:13:50,356 Speaker 1: with great interest. But what was it exactly? Seemed like 201 00:13:50,356 --> 00:13:53,436 Speaker 1: a work of fiction, confirmation that they were dealing with 202 00:13:53,476 --> 00:13:56,956 Speaker 1: a con artist. After all, the real Brooke Henson was 203 00:13:56,996 --> 00:13:59,556 Speaker 1: a free spirit who liked to hang out and party 204 00:13:59,556 --> 00:14:04,436 Speaker 1: with her friends, not some Christian who played chess. Even so, 205 00:14:04,996 --> 00:14:09,636 Speaker 1: John found himself wondering could this possibly be true at 206 00:14:09,716 --> 00:14:12,716 Speaker 1: least some of it, Like did the real Brooke Henson 207 00:14:12,796 --> 00:14:16,276 Speaker 1: have some secret life that he didn't know about? Was she, 208 00:14:16,516 --> 00:14:20,196 Speaker 1: for example, a chess player. John forced himself to be 209 00:14:20,236 --> 00:14:23,756 Speaker 1: methodical about the whole thing, and just to vet this properly, 210 00:14:23,796 --> 00:14:27,116 Speaker 1: I called Travel's Dress High school and I said do 211 00:14:27,156 --> 00:14:30,876 Speaker 1: you have a chess team? And lady over a Travelers 212 00:14:30,956 --> 00:14:33,756 Speaker 1: risso fell out of the chair when she stopped laughing. 213 00:14:33,876 --> 00:14:37,116 Speaker 1: She said, no, honey, we don't have any kind of 214 00:14:37,116 --> 00:14:40,516 Speaker 1: a chess chess club. And Travel's rass Travels Dress is 215 00:14:40,876 --> 00:14:44,796 Speaker 1: for their football. I don't have a chess club. They 216 00:14:44,916 --> 00:14:47,436 Speaker 1: never had a chess club. You don't even find anybody 217 00:14:47,436 --> 00:14:50,156 Speaker 1: in this area that plays chess. But even if these 218 00:14:50,276 --> 00:14:54,196 Speaker 1: essays were all lies, they were lies that might prove 219 00:14:54,316 --> 00:14:56,716 Speaker 1: useful down the road. He didn't need to be a 220 00:14:56,716 --> 00:15:00,236 Speaker 1: detective to see that. I myself have always believed the 221 00:15:00,276 --> 00:15:03,956 Speaker 1: old adage the best liars always stick close to the truth, 222 00:15:04,956 --> 00:15:09,476 Speaker 1: and so maybe this imposter, whoever she was, was a 223 00:15:09,556 --> 00:15:12,636 Speaker 1: chess player who was raised in a strict Christian home 224 00:15:13,156 --> 00:15:16,316 Speaker 1: and who lost her mother at a tender age. Maybe 225 00:15:16,356 --> 00:15:19,716 Speaker 1: these were clues that needed to be taken seriously, a 226 00:15:19,836 --> 00:15:25,516 Speaker 1: glimpse into who this mystery woman really was. There were 227 00:15:25,556 --> 00:15:28,956 Speaker 1: other clues in the Columbia records. The young woman claiming 228 00:15:28,956 --> 00:15:32,316 Speaker 1: to be Brooke Henson had gotten her ged she had 229 00:15:32,316 --> 00:15:36,436 Speaker 1: aced the SATs, but once she arrived at Columbia, she 230 00:15:36,556 --> 00:15:40,676 Speaker 1: often failed to attend class. In an email, she confided 231 00:15:40,716 --> 00:15:44,116 Speaker 1: in her academic advisor, I haven't decided whether I will 232 00:15:44,156 --> 00:15:47,156 Speaker 1: attempt school next year at Columbia, but clearly I will 233 00:15:47,196 --> 00:15:49,796 Speaker 1: need to take a closer look at the financial aspects 234 00:15:49,796 --> 00:15:53,636 Speaker 1: of it. She ends by saying, sometimes being without my 235 00:15:53,716 --> 00:15:56,636 Speaker 1: mom is tough when I have a big decision to make. 236 00:15:57,636 --> 00:16:00,876 Speaker 1: The picture that emerged was of an ambitious young woman 237 00:16:01,156 --> 00:16:07,796 Speaker 1: who was struggling. At some point in the investigation, John 238 00:16:07,916 --> 00:16:11,436 Speaker 1: got his hands on a rather curious photo. It looked 239 00:16:11,476 --> 00:16:14,116 Speaker 1: like it was taken at a military school, and it 240 00:16:14,236 --> 00:16:17,356 Speaker 1: showed a slender young woman dressed in a formal gown, 241 00:16:17,756 --> 00:16:20,876 Speaker 1: the sort you'd wear to a gala. The woman didn't 242 00:16:20,876 --> 00:16:24,236 Speaker 1: really look like Brooke Henson. She was standing next to 243 00:16:24,276 --> 00:16:30,356 Speaker 1: several sharply dressed cadets. John studied the photo closely, so 244 00:16:30,396 --> 00:16:34,756 Speaker 1: I had a loop like a photographer's loop, and I 245 00:16:34,796 --> 00:16:37,636 Speaker 1: had this picture, and I'm down on this picture like this. 246 00:16:38,236 --> 00:16:40,556 Speaker 1: Have you ever seen the movie The Good Shepherd. John, 247 00:16:40,636 --> 00:16:44,156 Speaker 1: by the way, loves making pop culture references, especially to 248 00:16:44,236 --> 00:16:48,316 Speaker 1: spy stories. In The Good Shepherd, there's this CIA agent 249 00:16:48,476 --> 00:16:51,276 Speaker 1: played by Matt Damon, who spends much of the movie 250 00:16:51,316 --> 00:16:57,836 Speaker 1: analyzing magnified images from this one mysterious photograph. Anyway, John 251 00:16:57,916 --> 00:17:01,116 Speaker 1: was determined to figure out, among other things, where was 252 00:17:01,116 --> 00:17:04,196 Speaker 1: this photo taken. Kept narrowing down based on what was 253 00:17:04,276 --> 00:17:08,836 Speaker 1: on their uniforms. I sent the picture to VMI, the Citadel, 254 00:17:10,716 --> 00:17:14,756 Speaker 1: several other places that were military colleges. In one picture, 255 00:17:14,756 --> 00:17:16,396 Speaker 1: you could see they had a sash. He said, we 256 00:17:16,396 --> 00:17:20,676 Speaker 1: don't wear sashes. And wear sashes. The architecture in the 257 00:17:20,676 --> 00:17:24,796 Speaker 1: back was an arch Nobody had that. And eventually we 258 00:17:24,916 --> 00:17:27,756 Speaker 1: got back to West Point, so there was a West 259 00:17:27,756 --> 00:17:31,076 Speaker 1: Point connection. But John didn't know exactly what to make 260 00:17:31,076 --> 00:17:35,556 Speaker 1: of that. There was one other document in the Columbia 261 00:17:35,636 --> 00:17:38,796 Speaker 1: Records that caught the attention of both John Campbell and 262 00:17:38,876 --> 00:17:42,076 Speaker 1: also of Don Long at the Secret Service. It was 263 00:17:42,116 --> 00:17:46,116 Speaker 1: a letter of recommendation for Brooke from a professor named 264 00:17:46,156 --> 00:17:49,956 Speaker 1: doctor Shirley Fleishman. The letter mentioned that Brooke had visited 265 00:17:49,956 --> 00:17:52,316 Speaker 1: her home, that she was a friend of her son. 266 00:17:53,476 --> 00:17:56,876 Speaker 1: This seemed promising. Maybe the Fleischman family could tell them 267 00:17:56,916 --> 00:18:00,276 Speaker 1: more about who this young woman really was. When I 268 00:18:00,356 --> 00:18:04,196 Speaker 1: called mister Fleshman, I said, I'm John Campbell, I'm with 269 00:18:04,236 --> 00:18:07,156 Speaker 1: Travels Verst Police Department. I'm calling about a girl you 270 00:18:07,276 --> 00:18:11,236 Speaker 1: might know named Brooke Henson. And he said, I wondered 271 00:18:11,236 --> 00:18:13,356 Speaker 1: when you were going to call And I said, what 272 00:18:13,476 --> 00:18:15,076 Speaker 1: do you What do you mean when I was going 273 00:18:15,156 --> 00:18:17,436 Speaker 1: to call him the world? How would you know that 274 00:18:17,556 --> 00:18:19,516 Speaker 1: I was going to call him? He said, when my 275 00:18:19,596 --> 00:18:25,516 Speaker 1: son brought her home, I knew she was troubled. According 276 00:18:25,556 --> 00:18:28,556 Speaker 1: to John, mister Fleishman told him that this young woman, 277 00:18:28,756 --> 00:18:32,076 Speaker 1: this Brooke Henson, had dated his son for about a year, 278 00:18:32,516 --> 00:18:35,436 Speaker 1: and at that time his son was a cadet at 279 00:18:35,476 --> 00:18:40,876 Speaker 1: West Point. After the break, what John Campbell and Don 280 00:18:40,916 --> 00:19:03,036 Speaker 1: Long uncovered when they spoke with the Fleshman's So far, 281 00:19:03,636 --> 00:19:07,516 Speaker 1: everything I've told you about the mysterious woman fleeing Columbia 282 00:19:07,596 --> 00:19:11,236 Speaker 1: University and then John Campbell fighting to get her college records, 283 00:19:11,836 --> 00:19:15,596 Speaker 1: all of that happened in two thousand and six. Now 284 00:19:15,596 --> 00:19:18,436 Speaker 1: we're going to turn back the clock a few years earlier, 285 00:19:18,796 --> 00:19:26,156 Speaker 1: to two thousand and one. Picture this scene the quad 286 00:19:26,156 --> 00:19:30,636 Speaker 1: at Catholic University in Washington, DC, A big green expanse 287 00:19:30,716 --> 00:19:34,836 Speaker 1: with leafy trees and gray stone buildings. There were lots 288 00:19:34,836 --> 00:19:38,516 Speaker 1: of excited college kids strutting about. They were here for 289 00:19:38,596 --> 00:19:41,916 Speaker 1: a debate tournament. One of these students was a nineteen 290 00:19:41,996 --> 00:19:45,596 Speaker 1: year old named Ian Fleischmann. Ian was a cadet at 291 00:19:45,596 --> 00:19:48,316 Speaker 1: West Point, where he was on the policy debate team, 292 00:19:49,196 --> 00:19:52,636 Speaker 1: and it was here on this quad at Catholic University 293 00:19:53,036 --> 00:19:59,116 Speaker 1: that Ian first spotted her. She was a very attractive woman, 294 00:19:59,636 --> 00:20:04,516 Speaker 1: relatively short, brown hair. She had a great smile and 295 00:20:04,596 --> 00:20:07,876 Speaker 1: a fun laugh. I remember that. So they get to talking. 296 00:20:08,476 --> 00:20:12,556 Speaker 1: She introduced to herself Natalie. I knew her as Natalie. 297 00:20:13,276 --> 00:20:16,956 Speaker 1: Natalie was not competing. She had debated another tournaments in 298 00:20:16,956 --> 00:20:20,316 Speaker 1: the past, but that day she was just there hanging 299 00:20:20,316 --> 00:20:23,516 Speaker 1: out with some friends. She told Ian that she wasn't 300 00:20:23,556 --> 00:20:26,716 Speaker 1: currently enrolled in college, and that she had a pretty 301 00:20:26,796 --> 00:20:31,236 Speaker 1: unusual job. She introduced herself as a professional chess player, 302 00:20:31,596 --> 00:20:34,636 Speaker 1: which was interesting because I had never met a professional 303 00:20:34,676 --> 00:20:38,236 Speaker 1: chess player. Natalie said she had a manager in Germany 304 00:20:38,516 --> 00:20:41,276 Speaker 1: and that she traveled around the country playing in tournaments. 305 00:20:42,196 --> 00:20:46,516 Speaker 1: Ian was intrigued. Soon after this, they started dating, which 306 00:20:46,756 --> 00:20:49,516 Speaker 1: wasn't so easy because they didn't live near one another. 307 00:20:49,996 --> 00:20:52,436 Speaker 1: Natalie always seemed to be on the road traveling for 308 00:20:52,516 --> 00:20:55,636 Speaker 1: her job, and Ian well, he was at West Point 309 00:20:55,916 --> 00:20:58,596 Speaker 1: where he had a strict curfew and couldn't leave campus 310 00:20:58,596 --> 00:21:02,636 Speaker 1: without a pass. So they chatted online and talked a 311 00:21:02,636 --> 00:21:06,076 Speaker 1: lot over the phone. Ian remembers leaning out his dorm 312 00:21:06,076 --> 00:21:08,996 Speaker 1: window to get a better cell signal and talking late 313 00:21:09,116 --> 00:21:13,956 Speaker 1: into the night, long after lights out. His roommate, David Labovich, 314 00:21:14,156 --> 00:21:18,316 Speaker 1: remembers hearing some of these conversations, and he also chatted 315 00:21:18,316 --> 00:21:22,276 Speaker 1: with Ian about his new girlfriend. But David, he wasn't 316 00:21:22,476 --> 00:21:26,076 Speaker 1: entirely buying Natalie's story, you know. He shared with me 317 00:21:26,156 --> 00:21:29,476 Speaker 1: the little detail of, oh, she's a professional chess player, 318 00:21:29,996 --> 00:21:32,756 Speaker 1: but she's got this manager that has all the money, 319 00:21:33,196 --> 00:21:36,516 Speaker 1: and if she needs money, she has to email him 320 00:21:36,556 --> 00:21:38,596 Speaker 1: and he has to respond and give her the money. 321 00:21:38,636 --> 00:21:41,276 Speaker 1: It was this really odd and I remember saying that 322 00:21:41,436 --> 00:21:44,196 Speaker 1: to Ian at the time. It's like, yeah, man, something 323 00:21:44,196 --> 00:21:48,436 Speaker 1: about that just doesn't seem right. David is quick to 324 00:21:48,476 --> 00:21:52,556 Speaker 1: add that Ian is a really smart guy, extremely talented. 325 00:21:53,076 --> 00:21:55,196 Speaker 1: In fact, Ian was such a good student that he 326 00:21:55,236 --> 00:21:58,076 Speaker 1: was rewarded a set of gold stars, which he wore 327 00:21:58,116 --> 00:22:00,636 Speaker 1: on his uniform. There was a term for guys like 328 00:22:00,716 --> 00:22:04,716 Speaker 1: Ian at West Point Starman. They were the guys who 329 00:22:04,716 --> 00:22:09,036 Speaker 1: were going places. All that being said, David suspects the 330 00:22:09,196 --> 00:22:13,236 Speaker 1: Ian was perhaps blinded by love because he missed other 331 00:22:13,476 --> 00:22:17,356 Speaker 1: slightly suspicious things about Natalie. One other kind of odd 332 00:22:17,356 --> 00:22:20,276 Speaker 1: thing that she did was she sent him some cookies 333 00:22:20,516 --> 00:22:23,476 Speaker 1: and said, hey, these are you know, homemade cookies. And 334 00:22:23,516 --> 00:22:25,756 Speaker 1: I remember looking at him and I was like, Ian, 335 00:22:25,836 --> 00:22:28,556 Speaker 1: those are suspiciously round, Like she just got the little 336 00:22:28,596 --> 00:22:31,716 Speaker 1: two cookies and just cut them up and baked them. 337 00:22:32,476 --> 00:22:35,956 Speaker 1: Ian says his old roommate, well may have been onto something. 338 00:22:36,516 --> 00:22:39,556 Speaker 1: I mean, like in retrospect, where would she have made 339 00:22:39,596 --> 00:22:42,276 Speaker 1: these cookies? Right? Like she was living out of her car, 340 00:22:42,516 --> 00:22:46,836 Speaker 1: traveling the country, going I mean, you know, she did 341 00:22:46,876 --> 00:22:50,636 Speaker 1: always like to stay in like extended state places. But 342 00:22:50,836 --> 00:22:55,196 Speaker 1: I doubt you can use those kitchenettes to make perfectly 343 00:22:55,276 --> 00:22:58,796 Speaker 1: round cookies. But at that point, Ian said he had 344 00:22:58,836 --> 00:23:02,196 Speaker 1: already bought into Natalie's whole story, that she was a 345 00:23:02,276 --> 00:23:06,116 Speaker 1: chess champion with a German manager who traveled the country 346 00:23:06,476 --> 00:23:10,596 Speaker 1: and occasionally hung out at debate tournaments. And so if 347 00:23:10,636 --> 00:23:14,156 Speaker 1: you start with the acceptance of that as you as 348 00:23:14,156 --> 00:23:18,916 Speaker 1: your starting point, some of these small minor things over time, 349 00:23:19,036 --> 00:23:22,876 Speaker 1: I think you know, it's easy to gloss over, right, 350 00:23:22,876 --> 00:23:26,796 Speaker 1: because you've you've already accepted the most ridiculous thing as 351 00:23:26,956 --> 00:23:31,036 Speaker 1: true and honestly, when you're dealing with somebody that you 352 00:23:31,276 --> 00:23:33,956 Speaker 1: genuinely care for, that you have spent a long time 353 00:23:34,076 --> 00:23:37,156 Speaker 1: building up a relationship with, I think it's easy to 354 00:23:37,836 --> 00:23:40,156 Speaker 1: miss a lot of those, you know, smaller things, or 355 00:23:40,196 --> 00:23:44,476 Speaker 1: to forgive them, because you trust the person enough to 356 00:23:44,596 --> 00:23:48,436 Speaker 1: accept the excuse or the explanation that they give you. 357 00:23:49,556 --> 00:23:52,636 Speaker 1: Natalie talked a little bit about her own family. She 358 00:23:52,716 --> 00:23:55,356 Speaker 1: told him about her mother, who had died and whom 359 00:23:55,396 --> 00:23:59,836 Speaker 1: she adored, and a bit about her stepfather too. She 360 00:23:59,916 --> 00:24:02,676 Speaker 1: said that he was abusive, that he was stalking her, 361 00:24:02,996 --> 00:24:05,636 Speaker 1: and that occasionally he would find her and she would 362 00:24:05,636 --> 00:24:09,076 Speaker 1: have to flee. At one point, she told Ian about 363 00:24:09,156 --> 00:24:13,156 Speaker 1: an incident that he had found her someplace in Tennessee 364 00:24:13,276 --> 00:24:16,396 Speaker 1: in a hotel room and threatened her with an iron, 365 00:24:17,036 --> 00:24:21,676 Speaker 1: like to beat her with an iron. All of this 366 00:24:22,236 --> 00:24:25,916 Speaker 1: was upsetting to in. I mean, it didn't really have 367 00:24:26,076 --> 00:24:30,476 Speaker 1: the option to essentially run to her to protect her, 368 00:24:30,516 --> 00:24:32,796 Speaker 1: and so that, I mean that did tug out my heartstrings. 369 00:24:33,476 --> 00:24:35,756 Speaker 1: At some point, Ian says, she told them that she 370 00:24:35,836 --> 00:24:39,796 Speaker 1: was changing her name from Natalie Fisher to Natalie Bowman, 371 00:24:40,636 --> 00:24:44,436 Speaker 1: same first name, just a different last name. Ian says, 372 00:24:44,476 --> 00:24:46,876 Speaker 1: as best as he can recall, she said that she 373 00:24:46,996 --> 00:24:50,156 Speaker 1: was doing this to protect herself, which made sense to 374 00:24:50,196 --> 00:24:54,156 Speaker 1: Inn under the circumstances, and for him, it didn't change 375 00:24:54,156 --> 00:24:59,636 Speaker 1: who she was. It was the same Natalie. I mean, 376 00:24:59,676 --> 00:25:03,476 Speaker 1: she was the same person, regardless of the moniker that 377 00:25:03,556 --> 00:25:07,596 Speaker 1: she was she was using. She had the same flaws, 378 00:25:07,716 --> 00:25:13,436 Speaker 1: the same loves, the same laughs. On several occasions, Ian 379 00:25:13,516 --> 00:25:16,756 Speaker 1: brought Natalie home to meet his parents. He said that 380 00:25:16,916 --> 00:25:20,996 Speaker 1: his mother, Shirley Fleishman, welcome Natalie into their home with 381 00:25:21,076 --> 00:25:23,236 Speaker 1: open arms. I mean, everyone's going to tell you that 382 00:25:23,236 --> 00:25:25,236 Speaker 1: their mom is the most loving and caring person in 383 00:25:25,236 --> 00:25:27,956 Speaker 1: the world right. But for me, my mom is I 384 00:25:27,996 --> 00:25:33,396 Speaker 1: think the most loving and caring person, and she unconditionally 385 00:25:33,436 --> 00:25:38,476 Speaker 1: accepted and love Natalie because of the relationship that I 386 00:25:38,556 --> 00:25:42,356 Speaker 1: had with her. And this relationship between Ian and Natalie 387 00:25:42,836 --> 00:25:48,556 Speaker 1: was serious and at times tumultuous. It was an emotional relationship. 388 00:25:49,236 --> 00:25:53,756 Speaker 1: From the moment we met, I think there we were, 389 00:25:54,436 --> 00:25:58,236 Speaker 1: you know, madly in love or fighting or somewhere in 390 00:25:58,276 --> 00:26:01,836 Speaker 1: between or both at the same time, for the course 391 00:26:01,916 --> 00:26:05,836 Speaker 1: of a year or so before we eventually broke up. 392 00:26:06,796 --> 00:26:11,196 Speaker 1: The breakup happened in part because of biography. Natalie decided 393 00:26:11,236 --> 00:26:14,236 Speaker 1: she wanted to go to college in California, and she 394 00:26:14,476 --> 00:26:19,476 Speaker 1: essentially gave me the ultimatum of quit West Point and 395 00:26:19,636 --> 00:26:22,996 Speaker 1: moved to California while I go to cal State Fullerton 396 00:26:23,316 --> 00:26:26,316 Speaker 1: and get my degree or we're going to break up. 397 00:26:27,036 --> 00:26:30,796 Speaker 1: And I seriously considered leaving West Point. So there was 398 00:26:30,916 --> 00:26:35,356 Speaker 1: in a star student at west Point, literally a starman, 399 00:26:35,916 --> 00:26:38,476 Speaker 1: and he was going to walk away from that for her. 400 00:26:39,556 --> 00:26:43,236 Speaker 1: Ian wrestled with his decision, and then one day it 401 00:26:43,276 --> 00:26:46,196 Speaker 1: all came to a head. One of my mentors, you know, 402 00:26:46,316 --> 00:26:50,116 Speaker 1: from the debate team, eventually found went out into the 403 00:26:50,156 --> 00:26:53,836 Speaker 1: field at West Point during a field exercise that summer, 404 00:26:54,356 --> 00:26:56,996 Speaker 1: found me in my tent and dragged me off into 405 00:26:56,996 --> 00:26:58,676 Speaker 1: the woodline to yell at me and tell me that 406 00:26:58,716 --> 00:27:00,596 Speaker 1: I was making a terrible mistake if I thought that 407 00:27:00,636 --> 00:27:02,676 Speaker 1: I was going to leave to the military to run 408 00:27:02,676 --> 00:27:06,196 Speaker 1: off to California after some girl, so Ian State at 409 00:27:06,196 --> 00:27:09,436 Speaker 1: West Point, and they broke up, but it didn't end aadle. 410 00:27:09,996 --> 00:27:13,116 Speaker 1: In fact, after the breakup, Natalie even reached out to 411 00:27:13,156 --> 00:27:16,196 Speaker 1: Ian's mom, Shirley Fleishman, to ask for a letter of 412 00:27:16,236 --> 00:27:21,156 Speaker 1: recommendation to Columbia. Shirley was a university professor, so this 413 00:27:21,236 --> 00:27:24,276 Speaker 1: letter would carry some weight. Now you may be thinking 414 00:27:24,836 --> 00:27:28,316 Speaker 1: that's weird who asks their ex boyfriend's mother for a 415 00:27:28,396 --> 00:27:31,716 Speaker 1: letter of rec But here was the really weird part. 416 00:27:33,116 --> 00:27:36,676 Speaker 1: Natalie explained that to protect herself, she had changed her 417 00:27:36,796 --> 00:27:46,196 Speaker 1: name once again. She was now going by Brooke Henson, Yes, 418 00:27:46,676 --> 00:27:49,916 Speaker 1: the very woman who went missing from Traveler's Rest, South 419 00:27:49,916 --> 00:28:00,916 Speaker 1: Carolina back in nineteen ninety nine. So Shirley Fleischman agrees 420 00:28:00,956 --> 00:28:05,356 Speaker 1: to help. She writes a letter of recommendation, and this 421 00:28:05,556 --> 00:28:08,316 Speaker 1: is the letter that both John Campbell and Don Long 422 00:28:08,476 --> 00:28:11,676 Speaker 1: find in the Columbia records. The letter that leads them 423 00:28:11,676 --> 00:28:15,196 Speaker 1: to the Fleishman's. When they finally connect, they learned much 424 00:28:15,236 --> 00:28:18,876 Speaker 1: of what I've just told you. Ian's dad, Fred had 425 00:28:18,916 --> 00:28:22,796 Speaker 1: been suspicious of Natalie for a long time, so suspicious 426 00:28:22,996 --> 00:28:25,516 Speaker 1: that he'd been looking for clues about who she really was. 427 00:28:26,476 --> 00:28:30,756 Speaker 1: He shared his suspicions with investigators when we spoke to him, 428 00:28:31,676 --> 00:28:35,396 Speaker 1: Fred turned over a very important piece of evidence. That's 429 00:28:35,476 --> 00:28:39,116 Speaker 1: Don the Secret Service agent. He says that Fred claimed 430 00:28:39,236 --> 00:28:42,476 Speaker 1: on one occasion he had to move Natalie's car. It 431 00:28:42,596 --> 00:28:45,036 Speaker 1: was blocking his driveway. As I recall, it was like 432 00:28:45,036 --> 00:28:47,756 Speaker 1: a one lane driveway, and we went in the car 433 00:28:47,836 --> 00:28:49,356 Speaker 1: to move the car of the way to get his 434 00:28:49,436 --> 00:28:52,356 Speaker 1: car out. He was a little bit suspicious of her anyways, 435 00:28:52,356 --> 00:28:56,596 Speaker 1: and he looked in the club box and he found 436 00:28:56,596 --> 00:29:02,676 Speaker 1: an ID for Esther Reid. Esther Reid? Now who is that? 437 00:29:03,556 --> 00:29:07,156 Speaker 1: Once again the plot had thickened, The authorities scrambled to 438 00:29:07,156 --> 00:29:11,156 Speaker 1: figure out who Esther Reid was. Turns out she was 439 00:29:11,276 --> 00:29:15,036 Speaker 1: yet another missing woman, roughly the same age as Brooke Henson, 440 00:29:15,356 --> 00:29:18,916 Speaker 1: who had vanished from Washington State back in nineteen ninety nine, 441 00:29:19,476 --> 00:29:26,556 Speaker 1: the same year that Brooke had gone missing. So what 442 00:29:26,676 --> 00:29:31,156 Speaker 1: the hell was going on here? John Campbell had an 443 00:29:31,156 --> 00:29:35,756 Speaker 1: initial hunch, Mike, this is a serial killer, because I 444 00:29:35,876 --> 00:29:39,956 Speaker 1: got people who I can't I have somebody using somebody's names. 445 00:29:39,996 --> 00:29:42,436 Speaker 1: I got Brookinson, I know, I'm pretty sure it's dead. 446 00:29:43,236 --> 00:29:46,556 Speaker 1: I got Natalie Bowman, I can't find her. I got 447 00:29:47,316 --> 00:29:49,796 Speaker 1: Natalie Fisher, I can't find her. She's disappeared. And I 448 00:29:49,836 --> 00:29:56,436 Speaker 1: got Esther Reid and she's a missing person. But that 449 00:29:56,516 --> 00:30:00,196 Speaker 1: theory didn't hold up because eventually, with a little more digging, 450 00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:04,076 Speaker 1: John concluded that two of the women, Natalie Fisher and 451 00:30:04,196 --> 00:30:09,476 Speaker 1: Natalie Bowman, were in fact alive. As how as the 452 00:30:09,476 --> 00:30:13,356 Speaker 1: investigators could tell, this mystery woman was still out there. 453 00:30:13,916 --> 00:30:16,836 Speaker 1: Maybe her real name was Esther Reid or maybe not, 454 00:30:17,276 --> 00:30:20,676 Speaker 1: but she appeared to be a serial identity thief who 455 00:30:20,756 --> 00:30:25,876 Speaker 1: just kept on taking over new personas the question was why, 456 00:30:26,236 --> 00:30:30,196 Speaker 1: because there was no obvious motive. It just didn't make sense. 457 00:30:31,556 --> 00:30:36,676 Speaker 1: She was enrolled in Columbia University as brook Hanson. So 458 00:30:37,356 --> 00:30:40,076 Speaker 1: it's an IVY League school. It costs tons of money 459 00:30:40,076 --> 00:30:43,196 Speaker 1: to us there. Why would you enroll under an assumed name. 460 00:30:43,236 --> 00:30:45,196 Speaker 1: It doesn't make any sense. As soon as the gigs 461 00:30:45,276 --> 00:30:48,076 Speaker 1: up your degree is worth. You don't have a degree anymore. 462 00:30:48,076 --> 00:30:50,716 Speaker 1: It's about you, So why would you spend all kinds 463 00:30:50,716 --> 00:30:58,316 Speaker 1: of money doing that? John felt that all of these deceptions, 464 00:30:58,556 --> 00:31:02,996 Speaker 1: so elaborate, so involved, had to serve some grander purpose, 465 00:31:03,716 --> 00:31:07,476 Speaker 1: like they had to be covering for something. He briefly 466 00:31:07,516 --> 00:31:10,356 Speaker 1: considered the possibility that this woman was a drug mule, 467 00:31:11,156 --> 00:31:14,196 Speaker 1: but then he turned to another theory, the one that 468 00:31:14,236 --> 00:31:17,356 Speaker 1: he ultimately came to believe was true. And here's how 469 00:31:17,356 --> 00:31:20,396 Speaker 1: he came to it. He learned that this mystery woman 470 00:31:20,516 --> 00:31:25,316 Speaker 1: had dated another West Point cadet and a Naval Academy midshipman. 471 00:31:26,276 --> 00:31:29,836 Speaker 1: Hypothesis began to form in his mind. As he saw it, 472 00:31:30,316 --> 00:31:34,116 Speaker 1: she was targeting military personnel, not just that. Look at 473 00:31:34,116 --> 00:31:39,196 Speaker 1: who Ian Fleischmann was a starman. What's more, apparently this 474 00:31:39,236 --> 00:31:42,676 Speaker 1: mystery woman had a manager or a handler overseas who 475 00:31:42,756 --> 00:31:45,436 Speaker 1: sent her money, and she seemed to be a master 476 00:31:45,516 --> 00:31:55,436 Speaker 1: at creating and maintaining aliases. So John typed up an 477 00:31:55,476 --> 00:32:00,276 Speaker 1: email to the US Army CID, the Criminal Investigation Division. 478 00:32:00,836 --> 00:32:03,196 Speaker 1: He laid out all the facts and began to explain 479 00:32:03,476 --> 00:32:07,276 Speaker 1: his most promising theory about the mystery woman. At Columbia, 480 00:32:07,596 --> 00:32:10,716 Speaker 1: he read that email back to me. Here's part of it. 481 00:32:11,276 --> 00:32:13,796 Speaker 1: The motives of this woman are not clear. It does 482 00:32:13,876 --> 00:32:16,996 Speaker 1: not appear that she uses her stolen identities for monetary gain, 483 00:32:17,436 --> 00:32:20,156 Speaker 1: but actually adopts the identities in order to live near 484 00:32:20,276 --> 00:32:23,836 Speaker 1: US military personnel and attend universities. While I am not 485 00:32:23,956 --> 00:32:27,516 Speaker 1: prepared to say this woman is a spy acting on 486 00:32:27,556 --> 00:32:31,156 Speaker 1: behalf of a foreign country, her behavior fits the profile 487 00:32:31,396 --> 00:32:34,556 Speaker 1: of a spy far better than that of the average 488 00:32:34,596 --> 00:32:40,196 Speaker 1: identity thief espionage. That's what John was intimating, Perhaps more 489 00:32:40,236 --> 00:32:43,796 Speaker 1: than intimating. John read over what he'd written to Army 490 00:32:43,836 --> 00:32:56,996 Speaker 1: investigators and then hit send. At this point, John had 491 00:32:57,036 --> 00:33:01,596 Speaker 1: followed his leads a very, very long way from Traveler's Rest, 492 00:33:01,636 --> 00:33:05,476 Speaker 1: South Carolina. This had started off as a search for 493 00:33:05,556 --> 00:33:09,116 Speaker 1: Brooke Henson, a kind hearted young woman who'd gone miss 494 00:33:09,716 --> 00:33:13,236 Speaker 1: and perhaps was murdered. Now it looked as if Brooke 495 00:33:13,276 --> 00:33:16,316 Speaker 1: were just one of several people whose identities had been stolen, 496 00:33:16,996 --> 00:33:20,676 Speaker 1: and if John's hunches were correct, the perpetrator of all 497 00:33:20,756 --> 00:33:25,436 Speaker 1: this was a spy. John held on to the hope 498 00:33:25,516 --> 00:33:28,236 Speaker 1: that if he could just talk to Esther Reid, he 499 00:33:28,276 --> 00:33:30,996 Speaker 1: would find the answers to so many of his questions, 500 00:33:31,556 --> 00:33:34,436 Speaker 1: and that she might have some intel about what had 501 00:33:34,476 --> 00:33:38,156 Speaker 1: happened to the real Brooke Henson, but that was a stretch. 502 00:33:38,956 --> 00:33:42,636 Speaker 1: This was quickly turning into a wild goose chase following 503 00:33:42,716 --> 00:33:45,796 Speaker 1: a tip that was taking him far away from his 504 00:33:45,836 --> 00:33:49,996 Speaker 1: original case. I remember the Chief asking me, like, how 505 00:33:49,996 --> 00:33:53,396 Speaker 1: far are you going to take this? It said Chief, 506 00:33:54,076 --> 00:33:57,316 Speaker 1: until I can interview Esther Reid, I can't clear this 507 00:33:57,396 --> 00:34:09,236 Speaker 1: tip next time. On Deep Cover, it never occurred to me, 508 00:34:09,676 --> 00:34:12,396 Speaker 1: quite frankly, that I would get caught, or could get caught, 509 00:34:12,476 --> 00:34:15,716 Speaker 1: or that anyone would get hurt. I mean, I figured 510 00:34:15,756 --> 00:34:18,436 Speaker 1: if I lived as Brooke for the rest of my life, 511 00:34:18,516 --> 00:34:44,156 Speaker 1: nothing would ever happen. Deep Cover is produced by Amy 512 00:34:44,276 --> 00:34:49,636 Speaker 1: Gaines and Jacob Smith. It's edited by Karen shakerge mastering 513 00:34:49,636 --> 00:34:53,396 Speaker 1: by Jake Gorski. Our show art was designed by Sean Karney. 514 00:34:53,836 --> 00:34:57,276 Speaker 1: Original scoring at our theme was composed by Luis Gara, 515 00:34:57,916 --> 00:35:03,396 Speaker 1: fact checking by Arthur Gomfort's Special thanks to Milobelle, Greta 516 00:35:03,476 --> 00:35:07,556 Speaker 1: Cone and Jacob Weisberg. I'm Jake Albert