1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:22,756 Speaker 1: Pushkin just a quick heads up before we start. This 2 00:00:22,796 --> 00:00:28,356 Speaker 1: episode contains a brief reference to suicide. Previously on Deep Cover, 3 00:00:29,836 --> 00:00:32,996 Speaker 1: he talked about the potential for being a Russian spy 4 00:00:33,796 --> 00:00:37,956 Speaker 1: going to various universities under cover. It had so many 5 00:00:37,996 --> 00:00:41,756 Speaker 1: interesting elements. The more people that are looking for your suspect, 6 00:00:41,916 --> 00:00:45,276 Speaker 1: the better chance you have of finding them. I remember 7 00:00:45,316 --> 00:00:49,916 Speaker 1: seeing my picture and it's saying Esther Reid, and I 8 00:00:49,996 --> 00:00:55,316 Speaker 1: was like, oh shit, like literally, oh shit, this isn't 9 00:00:55,356 --> 00:01:02,436 Speaker 1: going to go away. By the end of two thousand 10 00:01:02,516 --> 00:01:05,636 Speaker 1: and seven, Esther Reid had been on the run for 11 00:01:05,716 --> 00:01:09,316 Speaker 1: almost a year and a half. During that time, she 12 00:01:09,356 --> 00:01:12,316 Speaker 1: was being chased by a number of people, including the 13 00:01:12,356 --> 00:01:16,156 Speaker 1: Secret Service, the police down in South Carolina, and a 14 00:01:16,156 --> 00:01:20,156 Speaker 1: private investigator with a TV crew, and so far all 15 00:01:20,196 --> 00:01:23,836 Speaker 1: of them had pretty much struck out, and this left 16 00:01:23,836 --> 00:01:26,756 Speaker 1: the federal prosecute around the case, a guy named Walt 17 00:01:26,796 --> 00:01:31,916 Speaker 1: Wilkins feeling rather well frustrated. I mean, we were chasing 18 00:01:31,916 --> 00:01:34,676 Speaker 1: her around the country, and you know, we would look 19 00:01:34,676 --> 00:01:36,196 Speaker 1: at each other and say, how how are we not 20 00:01:36,356 --> 00:01:41,356 Speaker 1: finding this young girl who stole some identities? But good grief, guys, 21 00:01:41,356 --> 00:01:42,996 Speaker 1: we're the federal government here. We gotta be able to 22 00:01:43,036 --> 00:01:46,916 Speaker 1: do that. By this point, this young girl was now 23 00:01:46,956 --> 00:01:50,076 Speaker 1: twenty nine by the way, and elusive as she was, 24 00:01:50,516 --> 00:01:53,676 Speaker 1: Walt Wilkins still felt confident that she could be found. 25 00:01:54,076 --> 00:01:57,116 Speaker 1: When you have the federal government looking for you, you 26 00:01:57,236 --> 00:01:59,716 Speaker 1: make a mistake somewhere along the way, you make just 27 00:01:59,956 --> 00:02:02,076 Speaker 1: enough mistakes where they're going to be able to find you. 28 00:02:02,596 --> 00:02:06,476 Speaker 1: What the authorities really needed was a bounty hunter. Remember 29 00:02:06,516 --> 00:02:09,796 Speaker 1: Boba Fett from Star Wars Badass too, with the green 30 00:02:09,836 --> 00:02:13,756 Speaker 1: body armor and the cool jetpack. That's what the FEDS needed. 31 00:02:14,236 --> 00:02:17,076 Speaker 1: And there actually is an agency that you call in 32 00:02:17,156 --> 00:02:22,076 Speaker 1: situations like this, the United States Marshals Service. They specialize 33 00:02:22,076 --> 00:02:26,556 Speaker 1: in tracking down fugitives. So that's who the FEDS called in, 34 00:02:27,036 --> 00:02:29,836 Speaker 1: and the US Marshall assigned to the case was a 35 00:02:29,876 --> 00:02:33,596 Speaker 1: guy named John Bridge, Boba fed as it were. And look, 36 00:02:33,676 --> 00:02:35,516 Speaker 1: there are a lot of John's in this story, so 37 00:02:35,716 --> 00:02:38,356 Speaker 1: I'm just going to call him by his nickname Bridge. 38 00:02:39,516 --> 00:02:42,356 Speaker 1: Bridge looks more like a wizard than a lawman, has 39 00:02:42,396 --> 00:02:46,596 Speaker 1: his huge beard, really soft spoken guy, no jetpack, but 40 00:02:46,676 --> 00:02:49,636 Speaker 1: he does ride a motorcycle. How confident did you feel 41 00:02:49,676 --> 00:02:55,316 Speaker 1: that you were going to find her? How can you say? 42 00:02:55,316 --> 00:02:58,996 Speaker 1: One hundred percent. One hundred percent on every investigation at work. 43 00:03:00,316 --> 00:03:02,796 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean I find him every time, but yeah, I 44 00:03:02,836 --> 00:03:06,556 Speaker 1: was one hundred percent. When Bridge started on the case, 45 00:03:07,036 --> 00:03:10,276 Speaker 1: his first goal was to figure out who, if anyone, 46 00:03:10,356 --> 00:03:14,116 Speaker 1: she was still in contact with, Like, did she have 47 00:03:14,276 --> 00:03:17,796 Speaker 1: a lifeline? You know, being a fugitive stressful, You're always 48 00:03:17,796 --> 00:03:20,356 Speaker 1: looking over your shoulder, You're always wondering this is today 49 00:03:20,396 --> 00:03:25,836 Speaker 1: of the day. On the one hand, it makes perfect 50 00:03:25,836 --> 00:03:29,756 Speaker 1: sense to want a lifeline, but it's also a liability 51 00:03:30,396 --> 00:03:34,476 Speaker 1: because whoever that lifeline is, whether it's a sister or 52 00:03:34,516 --> 00:03:38,396 Speaker 1: a father or an old flame, that person can also 53 00:03:38,516 --> 00:03:44,396 Speaker 1: betray you, either deliberately or accidentally. So Bridge says, in 54 00:03:44,516 --> 00:03:48,636 Speaker 1: order to stay truly hidden, you have to cut everyone off. 55 00:03:49,476 --> 00:03:50,956 Speaker 1: That's a hard thing to do, you know. When you 56 00:03:51,636 --> 00:03:54,276 Speaker 1: it's easy to say, it's very easy to say I 57 00:03:54,316 --> 00:03:56,996 Speaker 1: can cut everyone off, It's not easy to do. So 58 00:03:57,036 --> 00:04:01,956 Speaker 1: the question was did esther reed have a lifeline? Bridge 59 00:04:01,996 --> 00:04:04,516 Speaker 1: hope that the answer was yes, and that he might 60 00:04:04,556 --> 00:04:08,796 Speaker 1: find them. So now all hopes were pinned on John, 61 00:04:09,716 --> 00:04:14,236 Speaker 1: the federal government's very own Boba Fette, the last best hope, 62 00:04:14,916 --> 00:04:18,436 Speaker 1: though there actually was yet another person looking for Esther 63 00:04:18,556 --> 00:04:22,316 Speaker 1: Reid arguably the person who knew her better and longer 64 00:04:22,396 --> 00:04:25,996 Speaker 1: than anyone else, and who had the best insight into 65 00:04:26,076 --> 00:04:30,156 Speaker 1: why Esther was running in the first place. In this episode, 66 00:04:30,596 --> 00:04:33,516 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you both their stories, because they 67 00:04:33,516 --> 00:04:36,756 Speaker 1: were both looking for Esther Reid and only one of 68 00:04:36,796 --> 00:04:56,796 Speaker 1: them would find her. I'm Jake Halbern and this is 69 00:04:56,836 --> 00:05:24,676 Speaker 1: Deep Cover, Season three, Never Seen Again, Episode five, The Searchers. 70 00:05:31,796 --> 00:05:33,676 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna ask you. I'm just gonna ask you 71 00:05:33,716 --> 00:05:38,116 Speaker 1: to start by introducing yourself and explaining how you're related 72 00:05:38,236 --> 00:05:45,036 Speaker 1: to Esther. My name is Edna, and I am one 73 00:05:45,236 --> 00:05:50,196 Speaker 1: of many older sisters. Edna is the other person searching 74 00:05:50,236 --> 00:05:53,636 Speaker 1: for Esther in this story. In the interest of privacy, 75 00:05:53,756 --> 00:05:56,236 Speaker 1: I'm only going to use first names when talking about 76 00:05:56,396 --> 00:06:01,436 Speaker 1: Esther's siblings. Technically, Edna is Esther's half sister. They had 77 00:06:01,476 --> 00:06:05,236 Speaker 1: the same mom, but different dads. Edna is older by 78 00:06:05,316 --> 00:06:08,436 Speaker 1: quite a bit. She was almost twenty when Esther was born. 79 00:06:09,156 --> 00:06:12,276 Speaker 1: So many ways, Edna was more like a second mom 80 00:06:12,356 --> 00:06:15,676 Speaker 1: than a sibling. As far as I can tell, Edna 81 00:06:15,836 --> 00:06:18,516 Speaker 1: was devoted not just to Esther, but to all of 82 00:06:18,516 --> 00:06:21,756 Speaker 1: her siblings. There were a lot of them too. Nine 83 00:06:21,796 --> 00:06:26,076 Speaker 1: in total, Edna says she was the hub, the connector 84 00:06:26,196 --> 00:06:30,356 Speaker 1: in the family. I like to know what's going on, 85 00:06:30,996 --> 00:06:33,676 Speaker 1: solve the issue. I'm a fixer. I want to control 86 00:06:33,716 --> 00:06:38,796 Speaker 1: my environment and I don't like chaos, so I tend 87 00:06:38,836 --> 00:06:44,316 Speaker 1: to make a plan and do it. That was her credo. 88 00:06:44,716 --> 00:06:48,836 Speaker 1: No chaos, no drama, keep it neat. I mean, everybody 89 00:06:48,836 --> 00:06:50,676 Speaker 1: in my family knows. When you put the mayonnaise back 90 00:06:50,676 --> 00:06:52,996 Speaker 1: in my fridge, it always goes in the door. At 91 00:06:53,036 --> 00:06:56,156 Speaker 1: this fight, don't stick it anywhere else because I want 92 00:06:56,156 --> 00:06:58,636 Speaker 1: it where I want it. I like things to be 93 00:06:58,716 --> 00:07:00,316 Speaker 1: there when I go get them. I want to know 94 00:07:00,316 --> 00:07:03,236 Speaker 1: where they are. She wants to know where the mayo is. 95 00:07:03,956 --> 00:07:07,876 Speaker 1: So you can only imagine how distraught she was when 96 00:07:08,076 --> 00:07:13,396 Speaker 1: Esther vanished, because she'd watched Esther grow up and even 97 00:07:13,436 --> 00:07:16,836 Speaker 1: helped raise her in some ways. In the summers when 98 00:07:16,836 --> 00:07:20,596 Speaker 1: they were kids, Esther and her brother EJ would stay 99 00:07:20,596 --> 00:07:23,636 Speaker 1: with Edna and Seattle like a sleepaway camp in the 100 00:07:23,676 --> 00:07:27,716 Speaker 1: big city. We had so much fun because they were 101 00:07:27,836 --> 00:07:32,516 Speaker 1: Montanic kids that never saw or experienced anything. Edna remembers 102 00:07:32,556 --> 00:07:35,836 Speaker 1: one visit in particular, when Esther was probably about eight 103 00:07:35,916 --> 00:07:39,476 Speaker 1: years old. They all took a ferry ride, visited the 104 00:07:39,516 --> 00:07:43,596 Speaker 1: space needle had a ball. Even the local department store 105 00:07:43,756 --> 00:07:47,716 Speaker 1: was a big hit. The escalator was fascinating to them, 106 00:07:48,116 --> 00:07:49,596 Speaker 1: so if we were bored, I just walked over and 107 00:07:49,796 --> 00:07:51,756 Speaker 1: to bid the ESK latter up and down, because they 108 00:07:51,756 --> 00:07:56,716 Speaker 1: thought that was cool. Esther also became close with Edna's husband, Randy. 109 00:07:57,316 --> 00:08:00,476 Speaker 1: He was kind of like a second father. Edna says. 110 00:08:00,556 --> 00:08:04,276 Speaker 1: He was a gentle giant. Randy and Esther played all 111 00:08:04,356 --> 00:08:08,196 Speaker 1: kinds of board games together. Esther would talk trash and 112 00:08:08,276 --> 00:08:11,196 Speaker 1: he would tell her playfully, hey, don't let your alligator 113 00:08:11,276 --> 00:08:14,356 Speaker 1: mouth get your teddy bear ass in trouble. He was 114 00:08:14,476 --> 00:08:20,156 Speaker 1: that kind of guy, and Esther loved him. When Esther 115 00:08:20,276 --> 00:08:23,676 Speaker 1: went missing, she was twenty one years old, so not 116 00:08:23,756 --> 00:08:27,796 Speaker 1: a kid anymore, but still, her disappearance turned to Edna's 117 00:08:27,796 --> 00:08:31,556 Speaker 1: world upside down. And we'll get into all that, but 118 00:08:31,676 --> 00:08:34,796 Speaker 1: before we do, I want to mention something. When I 119 00:08:34,836 --> 00:08:37,436 Speaker 1: spoke with Esther, she told me that she was running 120 00:08:37,556 --> 00:08:41,036 Speaker 1: in large part to get away from Edna, to escape 121 00:08:41,036 --> 00:08:45,396 Speaker 1: her older sister. And it got me wondering what exactly 122 00:08:45,476 --> 00:08:50,196 Speaker 1: happened between these two siblings, because they're falling out. Whatever 123 00:08:50,276 --> 00:08:54,636 Speaker 1: caused It seemed to have so many implications about why 124 00:08:54,796 --> 00:09:00,876 Speaker 1: Esther was running and how she might be found. As 125 00:09:00,916 --> 00:09:03,796 Speaker 1: far as I can tell, the relationship between the two 126 00:09:03,916 --> 00:09:08,516 Speaker 1: sisters started to sour when Esther became a teenager. As 127 00:09:08,556 --> 00:09:11,156 Speaker 1: you may recall, this was a rough period for Esther. 128 00:09:11,716 --> 00:09:15,996 Speaker 1: Her parents had separated, She was suffering from severe social anxiety. 129 00:09:16,436 --> 00:09:19,836 Speaker 1: She refused to go to school. Sometimes she hid in 130 00:09:19,836 --> 00:09:23,516 Speaker 1: the basement of her house instead. Edna watched all of 131 00:09:23,556 --> 00:09:27,636 Speaker 1: this with concern. I saw her pull away and pull 132 00:09:27,716 --> 00:09:32,236 Speaker 1: into herself more. The one person that Esther remained close 133 00:09:32,316 --> 00:09:37,076 Speaker 1: to was her mother. She was truly Esther's pillar. Esther 134 00:09:37,196 --> 00:09:39,556 Speaker 1: talked to me about this a lot, how her mom 135 00:09:39,636 --> 00:09:42,676 Speaker 1: was the only person who really tried to understand what 136 00:09:42,756 --> 00:09:46,196 Speaker 1: she was going through and who helped her cope. But 137 00:09:46,316 --> 00:09:49,916 Speaker 1: to Edna, with her cut and dry, no nonsense demeanor, 138 00:09:50,436 --> 00:09:54,236 Speaker 1: this all looked a bit different. They were very close. 139 00:09:54,836 --> 00:09:58,676 Speaker 1: But my mom babied her a lot. And I know 140 00:09:58,836 --> 00:10:01,316 Speaker 1: I'm an older sibling thing this about a younger sibling, 141 00:10:01,356 --> 00:10:04,476 Speaker 1: and we all say that, but she really did. In 142 00:10:04,516 --> 00:10:08,036 Speaker 1: many many ways. Esther was a very little girl, even 143 00:10:08,076 --> 00:10:13,156 Speaker 1: at eighteen. That bluntness is kind of Edna's trademark. I 144 00:10:13,236 --> 00:10:16,676 Speaker 1: talked about this with their brother EJ. He was close 145 00:10:16,756 --> 00:10:20,596 Speaker 1: with both of his sisters and witnessed their dynamic. I 146 00:10:20,596 --> 00:10:23,156 Speaker 1: think Edna kind of ran over Ester. I don't know 147 00:10:23,156 --> 00:10:27,316 Speaker 1: if it's intentional or just when. Like when a horse 148 00:10:27,356 --> 00:10:29,956 Speaker 1: walks by and knocks you over. It definitely hurts you, 149 00:10:30,156 --> 00:10:33,076 Speaker 1: but did the horse means to do it? And I 150 00:10:33,116 --> 00:10:36,076 Speaker 1: think that's kind of how Edna is. She's just a 151 00:10:36,156 --> 00:10:40,876 Speaker 1: force of nature and she doesn't intentionally hurt people, but 152 00:10:41,076 --> 00:10:45,156 Speaker 1: quite often they are damaged in her wake. The tensions 153 00:10:45,196 --> 00:10:48,836 Speaker 1: between Esther and Edna really came to a head around 154 00:10:48,836 --> 00:10:52,036 Speaker 1: the time her mom's cancer came back. They were all 155 00:10:52,076 --> 00:10:56,196 Speaker 1: living in Seattle at the time. Edna, being the family fixer, 156 00:10:56,516 --> 00:11:00,316 Speaker 1: jumped right in. She became her mom's caregiver twenty four 157 00:11:00,356 --> 00:11:03,756 Speaker 1: to seven. It was exhausting, and it went on for years. 158 00:11:06,396 --> 00:11:10,196 Speaker 1: As their mom's health worsened. She spoke handedly with Edna 159 00:11:10,396 --> 00:11:14,516 Speaker 1: about matters that were emotional but also practical, like what 160 00:11:14,556 --> 00:11:18,836 Speaker 1: would happen after she was gone. Apparently their mom was 161 00:11:18,956 --> 00:11:23,996 Speaker 1: very concerned about Esther as thigs got worse. I remember 162 00:11:24,036 --> 00:11:26,356 Speaker 1: my mom telling me that you need to watch her. 163 00:11:26,476 --> 00:11:29,116 Speaker 1: You need to take care of her. She's going to 164 00:11:29,196 --> 00:11:32,796 Speaker 1: need to be taken care of after I die. That 165 00:11:32,996 --> 00:11:35,116 Speaker 1: was always her verbages, you need to take care of 166 00:11:35,116 --> 00:11:37,036 Speaker 1: her and watch out for her because she's going to 167 00:11:37,116 --> 00:11:39,796 Speaker 1: have a hard time. What did you say to your 168 00:11:39,836 --> 00:11:43,836 Speaker 1: mom in response, I mean, she's part of my family. 169 00:11:43,876 --> 00:11:45,596 Speaker 1: Of course, I'm going to watch out for her. That's 170 00:11:45,596 --> 00:11:47,596 Speaker 1: what we do. You know, our whole family does that 171 00:11:47,676 --> 00:11:53,756 Speaker 1: with each other. You know, that's what family does. At 172 00:11:53,796 --> 00:11:56,756 Speaker 1: one point, Edna had to go away for a quick trip, 173 00:11:57,196 --> 00:11:59,676 Speaker 1: and she asked esther to stand in for her, to 174 00:11:59,716 --> 00:12:02,036 Speaker 1: stay at the house and to look after their mom. 175 00:12:02,996 --> 00:12:07,076 Speaker 1: Esther told me about this. My mom was having a 176 00:12:07,116 --> 00:12:10,716 Speaker 1: really bad time with the chemo. It was just awful. 177 00:12:11,196 --> 00:12:14,596 Speaker 1: And then I remember she goes, I can't do this, 178 00:12:14,796 --> 00:12:18,356 Speaker 1: and I remember being like, what do you mean you 179 00:12:18,396 --> 00:12:20,876 Speaker 1: can't do Like what are you talking about? And then 180 00:12:21,156 --> 00:12:24,916 Speaker 1: I remember she said, even for you, I can't do this. 181 00:12:26,716 --> 00:12:32,356 Speaker 1: And then I mean, I think, rationally I knew that 182 00:12:32,356 --> 00:12:35,076 Speaker 1: that meant that she had chosen to just to die. 183 00:12:38,516 --> 00:12:42,116 Speaker 1: When their mom finally passed, it hit the two sisters 184 00:12:42,236 --> 00:12:47,236 Speaker 1: very differently. Ej their brother, saw it this way. Edna 185 00:12:47,396 --> 00:12:52,596 Speaker 1: was taking care of mom. So when mom died, then 186 00:12:52,916 --> 00:12:57,236 Speaker 1: suddenly n they got her life back. But my mom 187 00:12:57,276 --> 00:13:00,756 Speaker 1: died for Esther, I think Mom was just the pillar 188 00:13:00,796 --> 00:13:03,556 Speaker 1: of Esther's life, and when she was gone, it was 189 00:13:04,036 --> 00:13:12,836 Speaker 1: difficult to find her way. Afterwards, Edna invited Esther to 190 00:13:12,916 --> 00:13:16,796 Speaker 1: move in, but it didn't go well. They fought about 191 00:13:16,876 --> 00:13:20,716 Speaker 1: matters large and small, like I don't need to put 192 00:13:20,756 --> 00:13:22,876 Speaker 1: the silverware in the silverware drawer the white ware. I 193 00:13:22,876 --> 00:13:25,276 Speaker 1: don't need to hang the dish towel up exactly how 194 00:13:25,276 --> 00:13:27,036 Speaker 1: you're going to hang it up. I don't need to 195 00:13:27,076 --> 00:13:29,596 Speaker 1: stack the plates exactly how you're going to stack them. 196 00:13:29,796 --> 00:13:32,956 Speaker 1: And I know that maybe I put the bread on 197 00:13:32,996 --> 00:13:35,156 Speaker 1: the left side instead of the right side. Like She's 198 00:13:35,196 --> 00:13:39,036 Speaker 1: just a very very critical human being and after a while, 199 00:13:39,116 --> 00:13:42,156 Speaker 1: like you just are like can you just get off me? 200 00:13:42,756 --> 00:13:46,116 Speaker 1: This may sound like ordinary stuff, the sort of fight 201 00:13:46,236 --> 00:13:50,196 Speaker 1: that happens when any house guests stays too long, but 202 00:13:50,316 --> 00:13:54,036 Speaker 1: for Esther, it was darker than that. Because of her 203 00:13:54,076 --> 00:13:58,996 Speaker 1: social anxiety, Esther says she needed space, time to recharge, 204 00:13:59,476 --> 00:14:02,356 Speaker 1: which Edna wouldn't give her. And of course, she had 205 00:14:02,396 --> 00:14:06,436 Speaker 1: just lost her mom, who was her refuge. And even 206 00:14:06,436 --> 00:14:10,116 Speaker 1: though Edna cared for her. She was a Rickley substitute. 207 00:14:10,836 --> 00:14:16,116 Speaker 1: So Esther moved out and then she was truly alone. 208 00:14:17,156 --> 00:14:20,236 Speaker 1: Esther says from here she went into a tailspin. Couldn't 209 00:14:20,236 --> 00:14:23,436 Speaker 1: hold down a job. She says, she was homeless, crashing 210 00:14:23,436 --> 00:14:26,516 Speaker 1: with friends or wherever she could. I mean, I was 211 00:14:26,556 --> 00:14:31,356 Speaker 1: incredibly depressed. I've just lost my mom. I have no 212 00:14:31,396 --> 00:14:41,756 Speaker 1: contact with really anybody who's able willing to help, you know, 213 00:14:42,076 --> 00:14:46,436 Speaker 1: thinking about killing myself all the time. Like at that point, 214 00:14:46,436 --> 00:14:52,276 Speaker 1: it's just survival, like just get through the day. Several 215 00:14:52,316 --> 00:14:55,396 Speaker 1: months passed and Edna hadn't heard much from her sister. 216 00:14:56,356 --> 00:14:59,596 Speaker 1: Then one day she got a call from the police. 217 00:15:00,796 --> 00:15:03,676 Speaker 1: They told her they just arrested a thief who'd stolen 218 00:15:03,716 --> 00:15:07,196 Speaker 1: a purse and they'd found one of Edna's blank checks 219 00:15:07,196 --> 00:15:10,756 Speaker 1: on her. The cops to know if Edna knew the culprit. 220 00:15:11,236 --> 00:15:13,036 Speaker 1: So nice of all, there is a person, well do 221 00:15:13,036 --> 00:15:15,396 Speaker 1: you know a person called Esther read and I'm like, oh, yeah, 222 00:15:15,436 --> 00:15:22,676 Speaker 1: she's a nice sister. This came as a shock and 223 00:15:22,756 --> 00:15:25,796 Speaker 1: it also cleared up something for Edna. You see, a 224 00:15:25,836 --> 00:15:29,316 Speaker 1: while back, someone had stolen Edna's check book and had 225 00:15:29,316 --> 00:15:32,556 Speaker 1: written some hot checks in her name, but Edna never 226 00:15:32,596 --> 00:15:35,676 Speaker 1: figured out who that was. She never suspected that her 227 00:15:35,716 --> 00:15:39,556 Speaker 1: own sister was to blame, but now she learned that 228 00:15:39,916 --> 00:15:43,516 Speaker 1: after Esther moved out, she'd actually broken into her house 229 00:15:43,716 --> 00:15:48,956 Speaker 1: through a window and grabbed her check book. At this point, 230 00:15:49,436 --> 00:15:52,676 Speaker 1: Esther had gotten herself in a real pickle. The police 231 00:15:52,716 --> 00:15:55,396 Speaker 1: had busted her for stealing a purse from her coworker. 232 00:15:55,796 --> 00:15:59,796 Speaker 1: The coworker was pressing charges, so Esther had to appear 233 00:15:59,836 --> 00:16:09,396 Speaker 1: before judge. On the day of the hearing, Edna down 234 00:16:09,396 --> 00:16:12,316 Speaker 1: to the courthouse too, just so she could see her 235 00:16:12,356 --> 00:16:15,356 Speaker 1: sister because it had been months since I had last spoken. 236 00:16:16,516 --> 00:16:19,516 Speaker 1: At the hearing, Esther caught a break. The judge gave 237 00:16:19,556 --> 00:16:24,916 Speaker 1: her probation and three days in jail. Afterwards, Edna tracked 238 00:16:24,916 --> 00:16:28,396 Speaker 1: down Esther in the parking lot and confronted her because 239 00:16:28,396 --> 00:16:31,676 Speaker 1: even though she wasn't pressing charges, she still had beef 240 00:16:31,676 --> 00:16:34,916 Speaker 1: with her sister. Edna says, in the heat of the moment, 241 00:16:35,436 --> 00:16:39,356 Speaker 1: she was very upset. I don't feel anger. I feel betrayal. 242 00:16:40,516 --> 00:16:43,596 Speaker 1: And that's the hardest thing I think is the feeling 243 00:16:44,396 --> 00:16:49,196 Speaker 1: of someone you love and loves you back, but do 244 00:16:49,276 --> 00:16:51,796 Speaker 1: that to you. You don't do that to people you love, 245 00:16:51,956 --> 00:16:55,796 Speaker 1: you just don't. Edna confronted her about the stolen checks, 246 00:16:56,396 --> 00:16:58,716 Speaker 1: and her only response was, well, I didn't think it 247 00:16:58,716 --> 00:17:01,156 Speaker 1: would affect who excained. The bank would take care of it, 248 00:17:01,236 --> 00:17:05,436 Speaker 1: and it's like, so that makes it okay. I remember 249 00:17:05,516 --> 00:17:08,596 Speaker 1: her saying, you're so lucky I didn't testify against you. 250 00:17:08,716 --> 00:17:11,316 Speaker 1: She said, I wanted to say so many things up there. 251 00:17:11,636 --> 00:17:13,716 Speaker 1: You're not sorry for anything, and she was just like 252 00:17:13,796 --> 00:17:18,636 Speaker 1: going off on me. Edna's whole thing was tough love, 253 00:17:19,276 --> 00:17:22,396 Speaker 1: and she genuinely wanted to fix things, put the mayo 254 00:17:22,476 --> 00:17:25,916 Speaker 1: back where it belonged, get Esther's life back into shape. 255 00:17:26,476 --> 00:17:30,196 Speaker 1: She kept calling and emailing Esther. Edna told me she 256 00:17:30,276 --> 00:17:33,396 Speaker 1: wasn't very soft and compassionate. She felt like her little 257 00:17:33,436 --> 00:17:36,796 Speaker 1: sister needed to get her shit together and she wanted 258 00:17:36,796 --> 00:17:40,996 Speaker 1: to help. But to Esther, this didn't feel like help 259 00:17:41,036 --> 00:17:44,796 Speaker 1: at all. It felt more like harassment and judgment, which 260 00:17:44,836 --> 00:17:47,716 Speaker 1: she didn't want, which she was desperate to get away from. 261 00:17:47,716 --> 00:17:51,196 Speaker 1: In fact, the one person who might have fixed all 262 00:17:51,196 --> 00:17:55,156 Speaker 1: of this was their mother, but she was gone, and 263 00:17:55,196 --> 00:17:58,276 Speaker 1: this seemed to underscore the tragedy of it all, because 264 00:17:58,316 --> 00:18:00,796 Speaker 1: there was no one left to keep the peace between 265 00:18:00,796 --> 00:18:04,276 Speaker 1: the two sisters or to help Esther get back on 266 00:18:04,316 --> 00:18:10,476 Speaker 1: her feet. After this fight in the parking lot, Esther 267 00:18:10,596 --> 00:18:14,556 Speaker 1: took off. She did not want to be accountable to 268 00:18:14,756 --> 00:18:17,836 Speaker 1: me for what she did, so in a way, me 269 00:18:18,036 --> 00:18:24,476 Speaker 1: confronting her, I feel kind of I don't know if 270 00:18:24,476 --> 00:18:27,076 Speaker 1: it made her run away, but she didn't want to 271 00:18:27,116 --> 00:18:33,516 Speaker 1: face it. Weeks passed, than months, then years, and Esther 272 00:18:33,996 --> 00:18:37,716 Speaker 1: never returned. She just took off. I mean it just 273 00:18:39,036 --> 00:18:47,156 Speaker 1: and she was totally gone. All the while, Edna recalled 274 00:18:47,196 --> 00:18:49,716 Speaker 1: what her mom had asked of her before she died. 275 00:18:50,476 --> 00:18:52,756 Speaker 1: She was very concerned of what would happen to Esther 276 00:18:52,836 --> 00:18:57,356 Speaker 1: when she was gone. Of course, I felt like I 277 00:18:57,436 --> 00:19:00,076 Speaker 1: let my mom down because I didn't take the enough 278 00:19:00,156 --> 00:19:03,636 Speaker 1: care of Esther and she took off. Edna tried to 279 00:19:03,676 --> 00:19:07,036 Speaker 1: find her. She eventually filed a missing person's report with 280 00:19:07,076 --> 00:19:10,436 Speaker 1: the police. At one point, the authorities even found a 281 00:19:10,476 --> 00:19:13,276 Speaker 1: body that they thought might be her. They did a 282 00:19:13,356 --> 00:19:18,636 Speaker 1: DNA test, it wasn't Esther, and so the mystery lingered. 283 00:19:19,236 --> 00:19:23,756 Speaker 1: At family gatherings, everyone would wonder about her. You get 284 00:19:23,756 --> 00:19:26,596 Speaker 1: together and everybody's there, but she's missing, you know, and 285 00:19:26,676 --> 00:19:30,356 Speaker 1: it's like we're not complete she was just always missed. 286 00:19:31,196 --> 00:19:35,796 Speaker 1: Because that's the thing about Edna. She was gruff and forceful, 287 00:19:36,196 --> 00:19:39,436 Speaker 1: the horse that might knock you over, but she did care. 288 00:19:39,876 --> 00:19:42,556 Speaker 1: And the uncertainty of it all ate away at her. 289 00:19:43,156 --> 00:19:45,556 Speaker 1: And it's like, I need to know. I need to 290 00:19:45,596 --> 00:19:47,756 Speaker 1: know if she's dead or alive. I just need to 291 00:19:47,796 --> 00:19:51,436 Speaker 1: know that she's okay or she's gone. I mean, the 292 00:19:51,556 --> 00:19:56,356 Speaker 1: wondering was very hard. And this wondering, this state of 293 00:19:56,476 --> 00:20:00,876 Speaker 1: not knowing, continued for almost seven years until about two 294 00:20:00,916 --> 00:20:05,596 Speaker 1: thousand and six. At that point, the authorities contacted Edna 295 00:20:05,676 --> 00:20:08,796 Speaker 1: and she learned that her sister was in fact alive, 296 00:20:09,436 --> 00:20:13,356 Speaker 1: that she had attended Columbia University posing as Brooke Henson, 297 00:20:14,076 --> 00:20:18,196 Speaker 1: but that she was once again on the run. Edna 298 00:20:18,316 --> 00:20:21,436 Speaker 1: wanted to help the authorities find Esther, and it seemed 299 00:20:21,476 --> 00:20:25,036 Speaker 1: like Edna was, in theory a great resource, but at 300 00:20:25,036 --> 00:20:30,036 Speaker 1: this point she hadn't heard from Esther in years. Esther 301 00:20:30,196 --> 00:20:33,436 Speaker 1: Reid did not appear to have a lifeline. She had 302 00:20:33,436 --> 00:20:37,716 Speaker 1: cut everyone off, but she'd actually done one better than that. 303 00:20:38,316 --> 00:20:41,836 Speaker 1: She'd hit the reset button once again. She'd dialed up 304 00:20:41,916 --> 00:20:45,676 Speaker 1: yet another identity, which meant once more she was a 305 00:20:45,716 --> 00:20:49,556 Speaker 1: few steps ahead of Edna and John Bridge and all 306 00:20:49,596 --> 00:21:08,356 Speaker 1: the other people who were looking for her. John Bridge, 307 00:21:08,596 --> 00:21:12,076 Speaker 1: the US Marshal, the boba Fette of the federal government. 308 00:21:12,596 --> 00:21:15,676 Speaker 1: He'd reached a dead end because esther she did not 309 00:21:15,796 --> 00:21:19,596 Speaker 1: seem to have a lifeline. So Bridge knew he'd need 310 00:21:19,676 --> 00:21:24,996 Speaker 1: another strategy. I did use creativity in this investigation, but 311 00:21:25,476 --> 00:21:27,756 Speaker 1: that kind of goes into the areas that I can't 312 00:21:27,796 --> 00:21:32,796 Speaker 1: really discuss the process. Bridge told me that he couldn't 313 00:21:32,836 --> 00:21:36,436 Speaker 1: get into the exact methods that he used, basically the 314 00:21:36,556 --> 00:21:40,636 Speaker 1: tradecraft that the US marshals used to find people. What 315 00:21:40,756 --> 00:21:43,876 Speaker 1: he could tell me was that he eventually discovered a 316 00:21:43,916 --> 00:21:47,716 Speaker 1: trail of breadcrumbs on the internet. I was able to 317 00:21:49,036 --> 00:21:53,636 Speaker 1: basically put pinpoints on a map. They were like spots 318 00:21:53,636 --> 00:22:00,156 Speaker 1: and time, just very brief glimpses into what she was doing. Basically, 319 00:22:00,276 --> 00:22:03,316 Speaker 1: he figured out when and where she was on a 320 00:22:03,356 --> 00:22:07,076 Speaker 1: few occasions. The only problem was that by the time 321 00:22:07,116 --> 00:22:10,916 Speaker 1: he had this intel, it was a year old, so 322 00:22:11,156 --> 00:22:15,556 Speaker 1: a pretty cold trail, right, But that didn't matter to Bridge. 323 00:22:15,956 --> 00:22:19,756 Speaker 1: What he was looking for were identifiers like what name 324 00:22:19,836 --> 00:22:22,996 Speaker 1: was esther using now, what kind of car was she driving? 325 00:22:23,476 --> 00:22:26,556 Speaker 1: And what state was her driver's license from that kind 326 00:22:26,556 --> 00:22:32,236 Speaker 1: of thing. So Bridge took a very close look at 327 00:22:32,236 --> 00:22:35,316 Speaker 1: the places where she'd been at those pin points on 328 00:22:35,356 --> 00:22:39,036 Speaker 1: the map, and a few of them were businesses, So 329 00:22:39,356 --> 00:22:42,156 Speaker 1: he got a list of all the customers at one 330 00:22:42,196 --> 00:22:45,276 Speaker 1: of those businesses on a given day, and then what 331 00:22:45,356 --> 00:22:48,636 Speaker 1: he did was he'd compared that to other businesses that 332 00:22:48,716 --> 00:22:52,276 Speaker 1: she'd been to on other days, and by comparing a 333 00:22:52,276 --> 00:22:55,876 Speaker 1: few different lists, he was able to identify a name 334 00:22:56,036 --> 00:23:01,596 Speaker 1: that popped up on all of them, Jennifer Myers. She 335 00:23:01,756 --> 00:23:05,636 Speaker 1: was using Jenni Meyers, Jennimrie Meyers, Jennifer Meyers. She would 336 00:23:05,796 --> 00:23:09,716 Speaker 1: like construe that different ways when she would give her 337 00:23:09,756 --> 00:23:13,796 Speaker 1: name to people. Using this info, he was able to 338 00:23:13,796 --> 00:23:17,836 Speaker 1: determine that she had gotten a driver's license from Iowa, 339 00:23:17,876 --> 00:23:19,956 Speaker 1: and then he figured out what kind of car she 340 00:23:20,076 --> 00:23:24,796 Speaker 1: was driving, a nineteen ninety three green Subaru Legacy, and 341 00:23:24,996 --> 00:23:27,876 Speaker 1: from there Bridge says he knew it was just a 342 00:23:27,876 --> 00:23:31,556 Speaker 1: matter of time before he found her. He began to 343 00:23:31,596 --> 00:23:35,356 Speaker 1: gather more current pinpoints for his map, and in the 344 00:23:35,436 --> 00:23:38,356 Speaker 1: early winter of two thousand and eight, he came to 345 00:23:38,436 --> 00:23:42,516 Speaker 1: believe that she was occasionally in Tiny Park, Illinois, just 346 00:23:42,636 --> 00:23:46,476 Speaker 1: outside of Chicago. So He called the police department there 347 00:23:46,956 --> 00:23:48,716 Speaker 1: and told him to keep an eye out for that 348 00:23:48,836 --> 00:23:59,916 Speaker 1: green Subaru and its driver, one Jennifer Myers. Where did 349 00:23:59,916 --> 00:24:03,876 Speaker 1: the name Jennifer Myers come from? That? Again, I want 350 00:24:03,916 --> 00:24:07,636 Speaker 1: to be very careful here. Interestingly, there were things that 351 00:24:07,836 --> 00:24:10,876 Speaker 1: Esther wouldn't tell me either tradecraft, I guess you could 352 00:24:10,876 --> 00:24:13,796 Speaker 1: call it. Esther insists that she didn't want to glorify 353 00:24:13,916 --> 00:24:16,316 Speaker 1: what she did or how she did it, or have 354 00:24:16,436 --> 00:24:19,996 Speaker 1: anyone else following her footsteps. So she was pretty tight 355 00:24:20,076 --> 00:24:23,316 Speaker 1: lepped here. But I was able to piece together much 356 00:24:23,316 --> 00:24:27,916 Speaker 1: of what I wanted to know by combing through court records. Basically, 357 00:24:28,236 --> 00:24:31,916 Speaker 1: she obtained a birth certificate in one state and then 358 00:24:32,236 --> 00:24:36,036 Speaker 1: created a fake marriage in another. That way, she cooked 359 00:24:36,076 --> 00:24:40,676 Speaker 1: up a completely fictional identity, and this new identity worked 360 00:24:40,716 --> 00:24:43,516 Speaker 1: for a while until the winter of two thousand and eight. 361 00:24:44,036 --> 00:24:47,196 Speaker 1: At the time, she was intently Park, Illinois, just one 362 00:24:47,196 --> 00:24:49,556 Speaker 1: of the many places where she stayed as she moved 363 00:24:49,596 --> 00:24:52,876 Speaker 1: about the Midwest. One day, she was in her car, 364 00:24:53,236 --> 00:24:56,036 Speaker 1: she'd been driving around, had been pulling up to a 365 00:24:56,116 --> 00:24:58,556 Speaker 1: stoplight and there was a cop car and you know 366 00:24:58,636 --> 00:25:01,356 Speaker 1: how like there's two lanes and normally he would pull 367 00:25:01,436 --> 00:25:04,156 Speaker 1: up next to me, flush with me. He kind of 368 00:25:04,236 --> 00:25:06,196 Speaker 1: stopped at the back of my car and I was like, 369 00:25:06,636 --> 00:25:10,316 Speaker 1: is he fucking run in my plate? The answer was yes, 370 00:25:10,716 --> 00:25:14,276 Speaker 1: he was fucking running her plate, and pretty soon us 371 00:25:14,396 --> 00:25:18,836 Speaker 1: Marshall john Bridge knew exactly where she was. About two 372 00:25:18,836 --> 00:25:22,796 Speaker 1: weeks later, Esther was passing back through Tinley Park. She 373 00:25:22,916 --> 00:25:26,076 Speaker 1: was in her car, headed for lunch at Arby's. She 374 00:25:26,196 --> 00:25:28,836 Speaker 1: grabbed her food and then headed back to the motel 375 00:25:28,836 --> 00:25:31,876 Speaker 1: where she was staying. And it was a crazy day 376 00:25:31,876 --> 00:25:34,916 Speaker 1: in town because totally by chance, there had been a 377 00:25:34,996 --> 00:25:38,716 Speaker 1: mass shooting in Tinley Park that very morning. A gunman 378 00:25:38,796 --> 00:25:41,996 Speaker 1: had walked into a local department store and killed five 379 00:25:42,036 --> 00:25:45,796 Speaker 1: women in cold blood. So there are now cops everywhere. 380 00:25:46,636 --> 00:25:50,236 Speaker 1: As Esther drove back to her motel, she saw squad cars, 381 00:25:50,556 --> 00:25:53,676 Speaker 1: but she'd heard about the mass shooting, so she didn't 382 00:25:53,676 --> 00:25:56,396 Speaker 1: think any of these cops were looking for her. So 383 00:25:56,636 --> 00:25:59,156 Speaker 1: she gets back to her motel room and a short 384 00:25:59,196 --> 00:26:02,796 Speaker 1: while later there's a knock on the door. She opens 385 00:26:02,916 --> 00:26:06,476 Speaker 1: up and two cops are standing there. They were like, Oh, 386 00:26:06,516 --> 00:26:08,396 Speaker 1: we're just checking IDs, and I was like, oh, yeah, 387 00:26:08,396 --> 00:26:12,036 Speaker 1: you're probably looking for the person. The person meaning the 388 00:26:12,076 --> 00:26:14,716 Speaker 1: shooter because she figured there was some kind of door 389 00:26:14,716 --> 00:26:18,436 Speaker 1: to door search going on. Turns out these two cops 390 00:26:18,436 --> 00:26:21,796 Speaker 1: had spotted her Subaru, called it in and learned that 391 00:26:21,876 --> 00:26:27,276 Speaker 1: its owner, Jennifer Myers aka Esther Reid, was a federal fugitive. 392 00:26:27,796 --> 00:26:32,636 Speaker 1: The dots had finally connected well done John Bridge, So 393 00:26:33,036 --> 00:26:36,076 Speaker 1: at this point the two cops at her door were 394 00:26:36,156 --> 00:26:44,636 Speaker 1: hip to what was going on. Esther wasn't She confidently 395 00:26:44,676 --> 00:26:48,156 Speaker 1: hands them her Jennifer Myers ID. The cops take it, 396 00:26:48,356 --> 00:26:51,516 Speaker 1: call it in, and then tell Esther something to the 397 00:26:51,516 --> 00:26:55,036 Speaker 1: effect of this isn't coming up valid. The cops are 398 00:26:55,036 --> 00:26:57,916 Speaker 1: just standing there in the doorway at this point holding 399 00:26:57,916 --> 00:27:01,836 Speaker 1: her ID, and I was like, what, no, no one 400 00:27:01,836 --> 00:27:03,636 Speaker 1: has to even like this is a good one, like 401 00:27:03,756 --> 00:27:06,356 Speaker 1: you should use it. And he runs it again and 402 00:27:06,356 --> 00:27:08,196 Speaker 1: he's like no, ma'am. And then they came in the 403 00:27:08,276 --> 00:27:10,396 Speaker 1: room and I was like, oh, shoot, if they're coming 404 00:27:10,436 --> 00:27:12,236 Speaker 1: in the room, it's like, they don't really have the 405 00:27:12,276 --> 00:27:14,036 Speaker 1: right to come in my room if must not making 406 00:27:14,036 --> 00:27:19,276 Speaker 1: some serious trouble. Then they snap handcuffs on her, lead 407 00:27:19,276 --> 00:27:23,276 Speaker 1: her outside and it was a scene. Esser says. The 408 00:27:23,316 --> 00:27:27,596 Speaker 1: parking lot was full of squad cars, cops everywhere. Some 409 00:27:27,676 --> 00:27:30,756 Speaker 1: were standing by her subaru, others were gathering up her 410 00:27:30,796 --> 00:27:34,516 Speaker 1: two dogs. The cops marched her over to a squad car, 411 00:27:34,756 --> 00:27:37,876 Speaker 1: got her in the back seat, and that's when reality 412 00:27:37,916 --> 00:27:40,556 Speaker 1: began to set in. I was already in the car 413 00:27:40,636 --> 00:27:42,356 Speaker 1: and we were pulling way, and I look over and 414 00:27:42,396 --> 00:27:45,236 Speaker 1: they have my whole car open, and there's many of them, 415 00:27:45,716 --> 00:27:47,996 Speaker 1: and I think, I said, I know what this is about. 416 00:27:48,036 --> 00:27:53,956 Speaker 1: I'm Aster Reid. After all these years and years of 417 00:27:54,076 --> 00:27:57,676 Speaker 1: running and passing herself off as other people, she just 418 00:27:57,756 --> 00:28:01,236 Speaker 1: tells these two cops who she really is, says, I'm 419 00:28:01,276 --> 00:28:05,916 Speaker 1: Aster Reid, and this gets well, pretty much no response 420 00:28:05,956 --> 00:28:10,036 Speaker 1: at all, at least initially. Estra says, these guys they 421 00:28:10,076 --> 00:28:13,396 Speaker 1: didn't want to get into it with her because, as 422 00:28:13,396 --> 00:28:17,276 Speaker 1: she would soon discover this matter, it was way bigger 423 00:28:17,316 --> 00:28:24,716 Speaker 1: than them. So the local cops they took her down 424 00:28:24,756 --> 00:28:28,516 Speaker 1: to the police station, and the mood there was frenetic. 425 00:28:29,156 --> 00:28:31,916 Speaker 1: I'm sitting there and I can tell everybody is like 426 00:28:32,276 --> 00:28:36,116 Speaker 1: excited and adrenaline is running, and they're all, you know, 427 00:28:36,596 --> 00:28:38,636 Speaker 1: there's a big deal to them, and so I'm kind 428 00:28:38,636 --> 00:28:41,396 Speaker 1: of freaking out. She says. There was a cop going 429 00:28:41,396 --> 00:28:45,316 Speaker 1: through her suitcase, putting her stuff into little plastic evidence bags. 430 00:28:45,796 --> 00:28:49,036 Speaker 1: And finally Esther spoke up and I said, you know, 431 00:28:49,076 --> 00:28:50,836 Speaker 1: I have a book in my suitcase. Can I read 432 00:28:50,836 --> 00:28:52,836 Speaker 1: a book? And there was a sergeant and he's like, yeah, 433 00:28:53,076 --> 00:28:56,236 Speaker 1: it's fine, you can read a book. Eventually, that sergeant 434 00:28:56,396 --> 00:28:58,876 Speaker 1: he came back and he explained he had to take 435 00:28:58,916 --> 00:29:03,276 Speaker 1: her fingerprints. Esther still remembers him. She says he was 436 00:29:03,316 --> 00:29:06,756 Speaker 1: about fifty, with light brown hair and a kind way 437 00:29:06,796 --> 00:29:10,236 Speaker 1: about him. I tend to wear my feelings on my 438 00:29:10,276 --> 00:29:12,356 Speaker 1: face and he goes, you know, it's going to be okay. 439 00:29:12,876 --> 00:29:15,036 Speaker 1: He's like, I know, it looks like it's a big 440 00:29:15,076 --> 00:29:16,876 Speaker 1: deal and everybody's making a big deal. But he's like, 441 00:29:17,356 --> 00:29:19,476 Speaker 1: I've been working law enforcement a long time and this 442 00:29:19,596 --> 00:29:22,636 Speaker 1: is really not that big of a deal. And he 443 00:29:22,836 --> 00:29:28,916 Speaker 1: kind of gave me the sense that he was he 444 00:29:29,036 --> 00:29:33,676 Speaker 1: was fatherly. It's fat made me feel a lot better. 445 00:29:34,556 --> 00:29:37,276 Speaker 1: Later that night, the cops found a place for Esther 446 00:29:37,396 --> 00:29:40,196 Speaker 1: to sleep, and so they ended up taking me. I 447 00:29:40,236 --> 00:29:41,996 Speaker 1: think it was probably to a drunk tank. I've never 448 00:29:42,076 --> 00:29:44,996 Speaker 1: actually been held in any place like that, but I 449 00:29:45,036 --> 00:29:49,756 Speaker 1: didn't have anything, like there was no toothbrush, no blankets, 450 00:29:49,796 --> 00:29:53,516 Speaker 1: nothing like there was a matin. That's it. So she's 451 00:29:53,556 --> 00:29:56,756 Speaker 1: in the drunk tank where she has a moment to herself, 452 00:29:57,316 --> 00:30:01,316 Speaker 1: a moment to process what's happened, and she's just hoping 453 00:30:01,436 --> 00:30:05,036 Speaker 1: that maybe the kindly middle aged sergeant was right and 454 00:30:05,116 --> 00:30:07,116 Speaker 1: this wouldn't be as big a deal as it seemed. 455 00:30:07,876 --> 00:30:10,996 Speaker 1: But that hope it was or it lived. The next day, 456 00:30:11,076 --> 00:30:13,796 Speaker 1: some Secret Service agents came to get her to take 457 00:30:13,836 --> 00:30:17,636 Speaker 1: her to court. There was a bay that they could 458 00:30:17,636 --> 00:30:19,836 Speaker 1: have pulled the cock cart into and got me in 459 00:30:19,876 --> 00:30:23,516 Speaker 1: the car, and instead they had it outside the bay 460 00:30:23,596 --> 00:30:26,716 Speaker 1: so the media could get their walk of shame picture. 461 00:30:27,396 --> 00:30:30,316 Speaker 1: Was there a big media presence? Oh yeah, they were absolutely. 462 00:30:30,396 --> 00:30:36,436 Speaker 1: It was massively crazy. And they were clearly like strutting 463 00:30:36,476 --> 00:30:39,116 Speaker 1: a little bit and like we got her, and you know, 464 00:30:39,156 --> 00:30:41,796 Speaker 1: there were at least thirty reporters. They were very very 465 00:30:41,876 --> 00:30:44,956 Speaker 1: close to me, like they were right up on me. 466 00:30:46,276 --> 00:30:49,316 Speaker 1: Esther was arraigned in federal court. Then she was taken 467 00:30:49,356 --> 00:30:53,116 Speaker 1: to a federal holding facility. And here a correctional officer 468 00:30:53,156 --> 00:30:57,556 Speaker 1: took her up to a cell. The gentleman who escorted 469 00:30:57,556 --> 00:31:03,316 Speaker 1: me up, he shoved his finger in my face, not 470 00:31:03,396 --> 00:31:05,876 Speaker 1: in like a mean way. But he goes and you, 471 00:31:05,876 --> 00:31:10,956 Speaker 1: young lady, you need to call your family, and I'm like, okay, 472 00:31:11,116 --> 00:31:13,236 Speaker 1: Like you, Clay, don't know what's going on. I haven't 473 00:31:13,236 --> 00:31:15,796 Speaker 1: talked to my family in ten years or something like. 474 00:31:16,516 --> 00:31:21,196 Speaker 1: I literally just got arrested, dude, like, chill out. Eventually, 475 00:31:21,836 --> 00:31:25,316 Speaker 1: Esther and Edna did get on the phone. I just 476 00:31:25,356 --> 00:31:27,676 Speaker 1: wanted to hear her voice, you know, and say, yeah, 477 00:31:27,836 --> 00:31:31,796 Speaker 1: you're okay. It was kind of ironic, really, this whole 478 00:31:31,836 --> 00:31:35,796 Speaker 1: saga began because Esther was in essence, running from her 479 00:31:35,836 --> 00:31:39,796 Speaker 1: older sister Edna. In the intervening years, she'd taken on 480 00:31:39,916 --> 00:31:43,796 Speaker 1: several identities, attended an Ivy League school, been chased by 481 00:31:43,836 --> 00:31:48,036 Speaker 1: the Secret Service, become infamous, and now the end of 482 00:31:48,076 --> 00:31:51,036 Speaker 1: it all, the first person she really had to answer 483 00:31:51,076 --> 00:31:57,996 Speaker 1: to was her sister. Edna had a lot to tell 484 00:31:58,196 --> 00:32:03,116 Speaker 1: Esther about what had transpired in the past decade. There 485 00:32:03,196 --> 00:32:04,756 Speaker 1: was a lot of things that happened in that ten 486 00:32:04,836 --> 00:32:07,316 Speaker 1: years are probably the ten hardest years of my life, 487 00:32:07,396 --> 00:32:12,156 Speaker 1: from the time my mom died and yeah started with 488 00:32:12,156 --> 00:32:15,636 Speaker 1: her dying, and I lost many people in the next 489 00:32:15,716 --> 00:32:21,036 Speaker 1: five years. Over the phone, Edna relaid the news explained 490 00:32:21,116 --> 00:32:25,196 Speaker 1: that since they'd last spoken. She'd buried two brothers, a 491 00:32:25,276 --> 00:32:28,396 Speaker 1: brother in law, a best friend from high school, and 492 00:32:28,476 --> 00:32:31,556 Speaker 1: her husband, Randy. I think the hardest thing I told 493 00:32:31,596 --> 00:32:35,156 Speaker 1: her in that conversation was that Randy's died. Randy was 494 00:32:35,156 --> 00:32:38,236 Speaker 1: the gentle giant he used to play board games with Esther, 495 00:32:38,876 --> 00:32:41,796 Speaker 1: the one she'd laughed with and talk trash to, the 496 00:32:41,836 --> 00:32:44,436 Speaker 1: one who would tell her jokingly, Hey, don't let your 497 00:32:44,436 --> 00:32:48,236 Speaker 1: alligator mouth get your teddy bear ass in trouble. Randy 498 00:32:48,436 --> 00:32:51,996 Speaker 1: and Esther had always been close. He was one of 499 00:32:52,036 --> 00:32:56,716 Speaker 1: the few people that kind of got me. And so 500 00:32:56,836 --> 00:33:00,236 Speaker 1: even after things were bad with me and Edna, me 501 00:33:00,276 --> 00:33:03,876 Speaker 1: and Randy would still like came play video games or whatever. 502 00:33:04,476 --> 00:33:08,556 Speaker 1: And so Randy was going to add to me and 503 00:33:08,716 --> 00:33:12,676 Speaker 1: she I mean that he had died, and that's when 504 00:33:12,676 --> 00:33:20,836 Speaker 1: I started crying hysterically. As far as I could tell, 505 00:33:21,196 --> 00:33:24,356 Speaker 1: for almost a decade, Esther had managed to forget her 506 00:33:24,356 --> 00:33:27,556 Speaker 1: old life, to shut it out, both the good and 507 00:33:27,716 --> 00:33:31,076 Speaker 1: the bad, though I suspect she hadn't forgotten it completely, 508 00:33:31,756 --> 00:33:34,796 Speaker 1: that it lurked on the periphery of her consciousness like 509 00:33:34,876 --> 00:33:38,476 Speaker 1: a smudge on the horizon. The shadowy tree line in 510 00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:41,676 Speaker 1: the rear view mirror the very thing that kept her moving, 511 00:33:42,476 --> 00:33:45,556 Speaker 1: all the memories of her parents separation and her dying 512 00:33:45,636 --> 00:33:49,596 Speaker 1: mother and her heart edged sister, but her past. But 513 00:33:49,636 --> 00:33:52,316 Speaker 1: that hadn't all been bad. There'd been good things too, 514 00:33:52,676 --> 00:33:56,356 Speaker 1: like her brother e J and Randy, And somehow the 515 00:33:56,476 --> 00:34:00,316 Speaker 1: news of Randy's passing it seemed to underscore that this 516 00:34:00,476 --> 00:34:04,316 Speaker 1: life and this world that she'd left behind hadn't ceased 517 00:34:04,356 --> 00:34:08,156 Speaker 1: to exist, that it quietly played on without her, and 518 00:34:08,196 --> 00:34:20,916 Speaker 1: there were things she'd thinks she could never get back. Eventually, 519 00:34:21,076 --> 00:34:25,196 Speaker 1: the federal authorities moved esther down to South Carolina, after all, 520 00:34:25,276 --> 00:34:29,396 Speaker 1: that's where this investigation really began, and more importantly, where 521 00:34:29,396 --> 00:34:33,436 Speaker 1: the prosecutor was based. So first she flew to Oklahoma City, 522 00:34:33,836 --> 00:34:37,476 Speaker 1: then took another flight to Atlanta, and from there she 523 00:34:37,556 --> 00:34:41,076 Speaker 1: had to be taken by car down to South Carolina. 524 00:34:41,236 --> 00:34:44,756 Speaker 1: Her escort for this trip was John Bridge, you know 525 00:34:45,236 --> 00:34:49,756 Speaker 1: Boba Fett. Bridge says he volunteered for this assignment. You know, 526 00:34:49,796 --> 00:34:52,676 Speaker 1: I wouldn't normally be doing a transport from Atlanta to 527 00:34:52,756 --> 00:34:55,356 Speaker 1: South Carolina, but I kind of, you know, I was 528 00:34:55,396 --> 00:34:58,436 Speaker 1: kind of hoping to learn, right, I mean, you can 529 00:34:58,476 --> 00:35:01,076 Speaker 1: be a great investigator. You can be a mediocre investigator, 530 00:35:01,196 --> 00:35:04,156 Speaker 1: but you won't become a better investigator unless you learn 531 00:35:04,316 --> 00:35:08,116 Speaker 1: from the investigation. Bridge and Esther both remember this car 532 00:35:08,196 --> 00:35:11,796 Speaker 1: ride and told it was actually very pleasant. We kind 533 00:35:11,796 --> 00:35:13,836 Speaker 1: of small talked a little bit, and then you know, 534 00:35:13,876 --> 00:35:15,916 Speaker 1: it's about a two hour drive. I think there was 535 00:35:15,956 --> 00:35:18,916 Speaker 1: some silence for part of the journey as well. How 536 00:35:18,916 --> 00:35:21,796 Speaker 1: did she compare to the person that you had imagined? 537 00:35:22,956 --> 00:35:27,276 Speaker 1: She just seemed like, you know, somebody's sister, you know, 538 00:35:27,636 --> 00:35:30,916 Speaker 1: just an average person who got caught up in something 539 00:35:30,956 --> 00:35:33,836 Speaker 1: that got bigger than what they ever planned it to be. 540 00:35:34,836 --> 00:35:37,636 Speaker 1: Esther says that at one point Bridge talked a bit 541 00:35:37,676 --> 00:35:40,796 Speaker 1: about his own job. He goes, I'm not normally assigned 542 00:35:40,796 --> 00:35:42,876 Speaker 1: to find people like you. He goes, normally I focus 543 00:35:42,916 --> 00:35:45,236 Speaker 1: on big stuff. And he goes, I just had to 544 00:35:45,236 --> 00:35:48,556 Speaker 1: meet the person that they put me on. And then 545 00:35:48,556 --> 00:35:51,196 Speaker 1: he goes, why couldn't you just use the name? Ester Read? 546 00:35:51,956 --> 00:35:53,276 Speaker 1: What did you say to him when he said why 547 00:35:53,276 --> 00:35:55,596 Speaker 1: couldn't you just use the names? I say the same 548 00:35:55,636 --> 00:36:00,796 Speaker 1: thing always. I asked myself that every day there's no 549 00:36:00,836 --> 00:36:08,676 Speaker 1: good answer. But for many people, including the authorities down 550 00:36:08,676 --> 00:36:12,956 Speaker 1: in South Carolina, this was a question that demanded an answer, 551 00:36:13,636 --> 00:36:18,716 Speaker 1: much remained unresolved. Detective John Campbell still wanted closure. He 552 00:36:18,996 --> 00:36:22,516 Speaker 1: and the other folks and traveler's rest wanted to know what, 553 00:36:22,676 --> 00:36:26,076 Speaker 1: if anything, could be learned about the fate of Brooke 554 00:36:26,116 --> 00:36:34,796 Speaker 1: Henson next time on our season finale, the whole day 555 00:36:34,876 --> 00:36:38,796 Speaker 1: or being sentenced is very surreal. She didn't ask for 556 00:36:38,876 --> 00:36:42,676 Speaker 1: what happened to her. I feel like she deserves justice. 557 00:36:43,516 --> 00:36:46,236 Speaker 1: We close our mind off to anything but the facts, 558 00:36:47,756 --> 00:36:52,356 Speaker 1: and if you close down all those possibilities, you're going 559 00:36:52,436 --> 00:36:55,516 Speaker 1: to miss something. Isn't it possible to danger as though 560 00:36:55,596 --> 00:36:58,236 Speaker 1: that your imagination runs away with things and leads you 561 00:36:58,716 --> 00:37:02,876 Speaker 1: too far from the facts you could Yeah, I lied 562 00:37:03,036 --> 00:37:28,756 Speaker 1: and lied and lied and lied. Deep Cover is produced 563 00:37:28,756 --> 00:37:32,756 Speaker 1: by Amy Gaines and Jacob Smith. It's edited by Karen 564 00:37:32,796 --> 00:37:37,476 Speaker 1: shakergy mastering by Jake Gorski. Our show art was designed 565 00:37:37,516 --> 00:37:41,556 Speaker 1: by Sean Karney. Original scoring at our theme was composed 566 00:37:41,556 --> 00:37:46,636 Speaker 1: by Luis Gara, fact checking by Arthur Gomperts. Special thanks 567 00:37:46,676 --> 00:37:52,156 Speaker 1: to Mia Lobell, Greta Cone, and Jacob Weisberg. I'm Jake 568 00:37:52,236 --> 00:38:10,956 Speaker 1: Calbern Ta