1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Originals. 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: This is an iHeart original. This story can be hard 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: to hear. There's detailed talk of suicide and violence, but 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 2: we think it's important not to gloss over the reality 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: of what happened to Libby Caswell. Please take care while listening. 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 3: People don't understand why survivors just don't leave. When you're 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 3: in love with an abuser, your logic changes to a 8 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 3: point where abuse is all that you know, it's all 9 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 3: that you think about, it's all that you justify. I 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 3: would have done anything to make my abuser happy. His 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 3: happiness was the most important thing to me on the planet. 12 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 4: He was like the most kind, generous, charming young man 13 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 4: everyone in loved time, life, family, my friends, everyone. 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 5: I was one of those, like fiercely independent women, like 15 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 5: no man's ever going to put his hands on me, 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 5: and then that situation came to me directly. 17 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: Libby will never be able to share her experience of 18 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: domestic violence with us, but everything I've learned about what 19 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 2: she went through, it's painfully familiar to me. And that's 20 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: because over the years, I've talked to dozens of other 21 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: women victims whose stories are remarkably similar to Libby's. 22 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 4: He was controlling, but at that time I was really young, 23 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 4: and I kind of romanticize the control and the extreme jealousy. 24 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 5: It was very sporadic at the beginning. There was other 25 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 5: behaviors that probably should have been a red flag. I thought, like, 26 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 5: he's got a temper, he can be really mean, but 27 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 5: I didn't see it as abuse. At that time. 28 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 3: He was always angry. He would punch walls or punch trees, 29 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 3: or slam doors and punch the bed to create an 30 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 3: environment of physical intimidation threat. The first time I hit 31 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 3: me was a punch whilst air. 32 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 6: It was punching my gut and I remember I thought 33 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 6: in my head, I'm dying. 34 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: I remember I fell to my knees. It took my 35 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: wile to grass my air. 36 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 4: But it was the shock because it's those seconds feel horrible. 37 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 4: The first time that I experienced my ex husband, the 38 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 4: father and my kids, put his sons around my neck. 39 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 4: I was about seventeen years old when he was eighteen. 40 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 5: The first time I experienced strangeration was on my thirtieth birthday. 41 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 4: And he looked at me directly and put his hands 42 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 4: around my neck. And he is a pretty tall guy, 43 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 4: around six sixty one and his big hands, so it 44 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 4: only took him one hand to just go around. 45 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 5: My whole neck, and he grabbed me by my throat 46 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 5: and slammed me against the garage and then he slammed 47 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 5: me on the ground and cracked my head open. 48 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 4: I just was in shock, and I was scared he. 49 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 2: Would do it to the point before killing me. It 50 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 2: was more of proving a point. I'm the boss. 51 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 5: You listen to me, you obeyed to me, and then 52 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 5: release you. 53 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 4: He was, I'm so sorry about what happened. I didn't 54 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 4: mean to hurt you. I was just really jealous. And 55 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 4: that's how the cycle stayed, right, It's just forgive and 56 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 4: it's not going to happen again. I always wanted to 57 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 4: believe that that was not gonna happen again. 58 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 3: I felt so incredibly alone. 59 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 4: I never told anyone what had happened. 60 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: And it was shameful too. 61 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 4: Right, just like, oh my gosh, I have this wonderful, charming, 62 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 4: handsome boyfriend. Why is people going to say? 63 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 5: And I got to the point that he was strangling 64 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 5: me and I was welcoming it. I was like, please 65 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 5: just and kill me, you know, I just fucking kill me. 66 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 5: I And that really, really was what kind of kicked 67 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 5: my husband a gear that scared me that I was 68 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 5: welcoming it. And I had gotten so desperate and wanted 69 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,799 Speaker 5: out of that situation so badly that I just wanted 70 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 5: him to kill me. 71 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 4: I always had the hope that he was going to change, initially, 72 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 4: and then that hope turning to fear of laving him. 73 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 3: And at that point it probably was my third or 74 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 3: fourth time trying to leave the relationship. 75 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 5: The only reason I left really was because I wouldn't 76 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 5: be here today if I had said, he would have 77 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 5: killed me. I'm sure of it. 78 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 2: From iHeart Podcasts, I'm Melissa Jeldson, and this is what 79 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 2: happened to Libby Caswell. 80 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 7: That we happened. Tell me again, I don't know what. 81 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: I mean with nobody on seen to tell him what happened. 82 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 8: And it was crying, and I said, and I was like, man, 83 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 8: what happened. 84 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 5: If they were just going back and got the video, 85 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 5: one or two things would happened. 86 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 6: Something that happened, Things got out of control. 87 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: It's a fus you wouldn't know. So what. 88 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 7: What had happened is we were at the scene. 89 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 9: But that actually happened to her, and I have pictures 90 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 9: of it. She didn't ever tell me of the extent 91 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 9: of all the things that happened. 92 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 7: I don't honestly know what happened. 93 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 6: Nobody wants to believed that should happened. 94 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 10: I shouldn't, fuck though, but it is what it is. 95 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: That is what happened. 96 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 2: And how many times do you estimate that this happened 97 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: while you knew her? 98 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 4: I am so sorry for what happened. 99 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 7: When I've seen that story, when I was bored, I 100 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 7: really was. That's not what happened. There could be a thousand. 101 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 7: Maybe I should should that didn't what happened? 102 00:06:52,640 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 9: R How do you even tell a child this story 103 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 9: when they ask what happened to my mother? 104 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 2: Chapter eight, Epiphany. 105 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 11: There's somewhere between three to five million abused women every year. 106 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 2: This is Jackie Campbell, a pioneering researcher in the field 107 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: of domestic violence. 108 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 11: Even though we know prior domestic violence is the biggest 109 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,559 Speaker 11: risk factor for women being murdered by their partner, there's 110 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 11: only about twelve hundred women twelve hundred to fifteen hundred 111 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 11: that get murdered every year. That's a tiny, tiny fraction 112 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 11: of all of the abused women and That's why it's 113 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 11: important to figure out what are the characteristics of that 114 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 11: abuse of relationship that you say, Ah, that's dangerous. The 115 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 11: danger assessment is meant for those women. Thirty eight years ago, 116 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 11: Campbell created the Danger Assessment Tool. It's essentially a series 117 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 11: of questions to help victims of abuse better understand the 118 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 11: danger their partner poses to them. It's based on research 119 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 11: into known risk factors for lethal domestic violence. Has the 120 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 11: physical violence increased in severity or frequency? Has he ever 121 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 11: forced you to have sex when you did not wish 122 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,599 Speaker 11: to do so? Does he ever try to choke, strangle, 123 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 11: or cut off your breathing? Does he use illegal drugs? 124 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 11: Does he control most. 125 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 2: Campbell's goal was that someone a social worker or a 126 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 2: healthcare provider, or a police officer responding to a domestic 127 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 2: violence call could use the questions to a sess how 128 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: much danger a victim was in and intervene before it 129 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 2: was too late. The tool is now used by law 130 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 2: enforcement in dozens of states as a proactive approach to 131 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 2: reducing domestic violence homicides. As far as I can tell, 132 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 2: Libby was never given a danger assessment. No professional ever 133 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 2: asked Libby questions about the increasing level of abuse she 134 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 2: was dealing with, about the types of abuse she endured 135 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 2: or the threats that went along with it. But what 136 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 2: seems clear to me is that Libby's relationship with Devon 137 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 2: was extremely dangerous. Instead of being labeled uncooperative or a nuisance. 138 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: What if Libby had been given this assessment? Would it 139 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 2: have changed how IPD interacted with her and her family? 140 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 2: Would it have changed her own behavior knowing just how 141 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 2: much danger she was in. Cindy had never heard of 142 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: the danger assessment, but after she began working with Alliance 143 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 2: for Hope, she was introduced to Jackie Campbell, and one 144 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: day she sat down with her to do the assessment 145 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 2: on Libby's behalf. 146 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 9: She said she was going to ask me a series 147 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 9: of questions, answered them to the best of my knowledge, 148 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 9: and so that's what I did. 149 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 2: Before Campbell gave Cindy the results, she explained how the 150 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 2: assessment is scored. 151 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 11: Zero to eight is called variable danger. That's the lowest level, 152 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 11: but we never say there's no danger and domestic violence. 153 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 11: Any domestic vious situation could escalate to a homicide. The 154 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 11: second level is eight to thirteen, which is called increased danger. 155 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 11: Fourteen to seventeen is severe danger and then eighteen or 156 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 11: more is extreme danger. So she got a thirty six. 157 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 11: This is I think the highest score I've ever gotten 158 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 11: on danger assessment. The absolute highest score you can get 159 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 11: on it is thirty nine. I don't think I've ever 160 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 11: seen that. 161 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 9: That almost made me faint. 162 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 2: I'm serious. 163 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 9: It also made me think if any person involved in 164 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 9: her case in the court system, if any one of 165 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 9: them would have offered up an assessment, could that have 166 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 9: helped her? Would she be alive today? And so in 167 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 9: my mind I thought, why don't they know about this? 168 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 9: Why haven't I heard about this? Why is this a secret? 169 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 9: It feels like a secret. 170 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 2: This was a bit of an AHA moment for Cindy. 171 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 2: I understood from our many conversations that beyond wanting to 172 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 2: discover the truth of what happened to Libby in the 173 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 2: motel room that day, Cindy was looking for more answers, 174 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 2: deeper answers about why things went so wrong for Libby 175 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 2: and where they could have gone differently years for her death. 176 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: Jackie Campbell's danger assessment confirmed what Cindy felt in her 177 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 2: gut that Libby had been failed by a system that 178 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 2: was supposed to support her. It also got Cindy thinking 179 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 2: about better ways to help victims of domestic violence like Libby, 180 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 2: because around this time, Cindy was also becoming something of 181 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 2: an advocate. She told me she wanted IPD to begin 182 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 2: using the danger assessment with domestic violence victims, and also 183 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: for the city to rescind the nuisance law that had 184 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 2: been used to penalize her family all those years earlier. 185 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 9: Since I've learned so many things about domestic violence, I 186 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 9: am ready to try to get the right ears to listen. 187 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 9: Hopefully our state and city officials will start to recognize 188 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 9: how important that is. 189 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 2: In October twenty twenty two, Cindy and I both traveled 190 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 2: to Colorado to attend a conference called Getting Away with Murder. 191 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 2: It was an opportunity for law enforcement from around the 192 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 2: country to learn how to spot staged crime scenes and 193 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 2: strategies to prosecute them. Cindy had been invited by Casey Gwynn, 194 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 2: an Alliance for Hope, to speak about Libby's case. 195 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 5: Cindy orw sure w love. 196 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 9: I feel less nervous by my chair. 197 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 2: Hi, I'm Mindia as well. 198 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,599 Speaker 12: My daughter was Libby Wiswell, and she was a beautiful, young, twenty. 199 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: One year old old. 200 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 2: In Colorado. I got to watch firsthand as Cindy tested 201 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,319 Speaker 2: out her new role as an advocate, telling the large 202 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 2: crowd details of the most difficult experience of her life, 203 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 2: all in the hopes that it would someday be useful. 204 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: That's my goal. 205 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:06,719 Speaker 12: I would love for the police department to really examine 206 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 12: a situation and ask questions to the family. We were 207 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 12: never asked anything, no questions. We tried to offer information, 208 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 12: and really they just had their minds made up. 209 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: So anyway, thank you for listening. 210 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 2: During one of the sessions, photos from the crime scene 211 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 2: were projected on a massive screen. I was sitting next 212 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 2: to Cindy at a long table, and I watched as 213 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 2: she kept her eyes averted trained on the floor to 214 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 2: avoid seeing her daughter's dead body. I asked her about 215 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: it later during a break. 216 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 9: It's just a lot of different things and have had 217 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 9: to sit back and kind of process it all day. 218 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 9: I just felt this blue feeling and I didn't know 219 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 9: why I thought it. You know, I talked to myself, 220 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 9: You're okay, take some deep bress, smell a flower, blow 221 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 9: out the candle. You know, I'd learned that recently. 222 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 2: In between the panel discussions and events, Cindy and I 223 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 2: tried to buffer the intensity of the conference with the 224 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 2: serenity of our surroundings. Situated as we were at the 225 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 2: base of Rocky Mountain National Park. When the talks became 226 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 2: too much, we would take quiet walks through the snow. 227 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 2: Maybe it was just having a moment in nature away 228 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 2: from Cindy's life and independence, or maybe it was her 229 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 2: growing understanding about her daughter's experience with domestic violence. But 230 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 2: something in Cindy's past came to the surface. One evening 231 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 2: she mentioned to me that many years ago, long before 232 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 2: Libby was born, her older sister Dietta, was killed by 233 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 2: her ex husband. I was pretty taken aback to hear this. 234 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 2: In reporting this story, I've interviewed Cindy well over a 235 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 2: dozen times. I've asked her some incredibly personal questions, and 236 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 2: she's always answered them, no matter how difficult. But not 237 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 2: once had Dietta's name come up. I didn't press Cindy 238 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 2: for too many details. At the time, it had been 239 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 2: an emotional weekend and I could tell it was hard 240 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 2: for her to talk about her sister. But back up 241 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: my computer, I did some googling and found a newspaper 242 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 2: story from nineteen eighty seven with the headline six die 243 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 2: in murder suicide. Here's what happened. One week after Dietta Knight, 244 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 2: who was just twenty seven, divorced her husband Virgil, he 245 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 2: came to her home and shot and killed her and 246 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 2: their two young sons. He also killed a friend Dietta 247 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 2: had been hanging out with earlier in the evening and 248 00:16:55,080 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 2: the friend's boyfriend. He then took his own life. At 249 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 2: the date on the article, I realized it happened almost 250 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 2: exactly thirty years to the day before Libby's death. And 251 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,439 Speaker 2: there was more. As our time in Colorado went on, 252 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,719 Speaker 2: Cindy continued to open up to me about the cycle 253 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 2: of domestic violence, not just within her family, but within 254 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 2: her own marriage too. 255 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 9: You know, Virgil did it to my sister, and then 256 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,919 Speaker 9: Devin did it too Ruby, and of course my husband 257 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 9: verbally abused me. 258 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 2: Cindy told me that her husband, Robert, was never physically abusive, 259 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 2: but had a habit of raising his voice, calling her names, 260 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 2: making her feel bad about herself. Robert declined to be 261 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 2: interviewed for this podcast. Cindy also told me that like 262 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 2: Libby liked so many victims. She tried multiple times to 263 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 2: leave her husband, but faced resistance. 264 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 9: He took my car keys when I said I was 265 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 9: going to leave, told me to sit on the bed 266 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 9: and not to move, and he'd go to work the 267 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 9: next day and I'd throw things in bags and we'd 268 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 9: go to Oklahoma or to my friend. You know. I 269 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 9: left him at least twice before the third and the 270 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 9: final were I divorced him. And it was always that 271 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 9: same thing that they talk about, of how the man 272 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 9: will beg and plead and try to point out all 273 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 9: the places where he's a good guy. He works every day, 274 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 9: he works his butt off for us, except he didn't 275 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 9: use nice language, and so I'd be like, well, and 276 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 9: he's not hitting me, you know, but really it's a 277 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 9: or severe punch in the gut some of the words 278 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 9: that are used when someone's verbally abusing you. I kept 279 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 9: trying to help him, And this is why I think 280 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 9: Liaby did the same thing with Devin, because she witnessed 281 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,439 Speaker 9: me trying to love her dad through some stuff. And 282 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 9: so I'm in therapy about that, you know, because I 283 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 9: feel like I should have gone when they were littler 284 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 9: after her death. I moved out later that year, twenty eighteen, 285 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 9: and then I never came back. That was like it, 286 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 9: I think I finally just like it all just kind 287 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 9: of I had an epiphany. It was a wake up time, 288 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 9: you know, I was. I just kind of was shaken 289 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 9: and awaken. 290 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 11: By that. 291 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 2: Over the course of working on this podcast, and even 292 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 2: since the first episode came out, I've been hearing rumors 293 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 2: about Libby's death that could take the investigation in different directions. 294 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 2: I've heard, for example, that people other than Devon were involved, 295 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 2: nefarious characters who may have been at the sports stadium 296 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 2: in the day Libby died, and not just random strangers, 297 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 2: but people in Devon's orbit. I know IPD has heard 298 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 2: all kinds of rumors too, but as of now, they've 299 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 2: remained just that. And I actually have a little sympathy 300 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 2: for IPD in this regard, because every rumor I've tried 301 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 2: to chase down seems to come to a dead end 302 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 2: with someone's drug fueled memory and little else except for one. 303 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 2: In late twenty twenty two, a witness came forward who 304 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 2: claims to have seen Devon in a panic at his 305 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,199 Speaker 2: dad's house. The day Libby was found, but not at 306 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 2: night in the morning, twelve hours before Devon called nine 307 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 2: one one to report Libby's death. The witness is named Tommy. 308 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 2: He's a friend of Devin's father, Charlie. When I interviewed him, 309 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 2: he told me he came forward with this information five 310 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 2: years after Libby's death because it was only then that 311 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 2: he saw a news report about the investigation and learned 312 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,199 Speaker 2: what Devon had been telling police. So what happened in 313 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 2: Room three nineteen, Libby's boyfriend told police he and Libby 314 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 2: checked into the Sports Stadium hotel around six point thirty 315 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 2: that morning. 316 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 7: When I've seen that story, I was blored. I really was. 317 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 7: That's not what happened. He had the story straight, but 318 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 7: the timeframe was roamed. 319 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 2: Tommy told me he had been visiting Charlie a lot 320 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 2: around this time in late twenty seventeen, helping him in 321 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 2: various ways through a rough patch. 322 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 7: Charlie was going through kind of a hard time, going 323 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 7: through divors and some other struggle, so I was helping 324 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 7: him out to keep his kid in school so he 325 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 7: wouldn't get BHS involved or so. 326 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 2: Before Libby's death. At one of these visits to Charlie's house, 327 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 2: Tommy met Devin and Libby. He saw that they too 328 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 2: were struggling. He says he lent the money for a 329 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 2: hotel and helped Libby with some car troubles. He also 330 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 2: made plans with Libby to do more work on her 331 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 2: car that Monday, December eleventh, But when Monday morning rolled around, 332 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 2: Tommy would learn that there wasn't going to be a 333 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 2: meetup to fix Slippy's car. 334 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 7: I went to Charlie house pick his son up to 335 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 7: take him to grade school. Devin and a print of 336 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 7: his pulled up in Libby's car, and his stepbrother was 337 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 7: just coming out of the house to get in a car, 338 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 7: and Devin stopped her dad to ask him what he 339 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 7: should do because he woke up and found Libby dead, 340 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 7: hanging in the bathroom. And I remember the exact words 341 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 7: his dad told him. I don't know if I could 342 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 7: say it on air, but there okay, He told him, 343 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 7: I'll tell you what to do. You get your ask 344 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 7: back to the hotel, you call the fucking cops. 345 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 2: And if you were to estimate around what time and. 346 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 7: Fay was it? Well, since I was there to take 347 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 7: Devin's stepbrother to school, I don't remember what time. Grade 348 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 7: school starts is around eight thirty maybe eight. I'm positive 349 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 7: it was morning time. I'm positive it was on a 350 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 7: Monday morning. 351 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 2: Tommy actually brought this information to the police in December 352 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two. 353 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 13: Someone give me your name and so that you might 354 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 13: have some information on the Libby. 355 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 14: Kaz Real death. 356 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 2: Steve Schmidley, the lead detective on Libby's case, asked Tommy, 357 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 2: what do he knew? 358 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 8: I know for a fact that he. 359 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 7: Knew she was dead in the morning time. 360 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 8: It was in morning as I seen him over there 361 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 8: in his dad's That's when he confronted his dad. 362 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 7: Value was in morning time. 363 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 2: Detective Schmidley listens to what Tommy says, tries to clarify 364 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 2: the story and response. 365 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 13: I mean, but I mean there's consistencies for what you're saying. 366 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 13: But you're saying that this was the morning of it. 367 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:09,959 Speaker 4: I don't know. 368 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 13: I mean, we got called that evening there roughly around 369 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 13: eight o'clock. If you're convinced that this was that morning, 370 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 13: I'm ninety nine point nine on that. You know, like 371 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 13: I said, it's been a lot of years. 372 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 8: I kind of was doubt. You know, what if maybe 373 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 8: it was the day after Okay, well, if it was 374 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 8: the next morning, Devin wouldn't have been there asking his 375 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 8: dad what he should do. You know, I've got no 376 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 8: reason to be no, absolutely be making this No, no, no, no. 377 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:39,919 Speaker 15: I don't think they're making anything up. 378 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 13: I'd like said, there's a lot of consistencies that you're saying, 379 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,199 Speaker 13: you know, but it's just trying to you know, I 380 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 13: don't know. 381 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 9: I'm glad that you did come in. 382 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 13: Absolutely, I don't know if this is going to change anything, 383 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 13: because again, unfortunately, at the end of the day, you 384 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 13: know when when Libby passed, you know, billing people in 385 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 13: the room whom you know are probably going to be 386 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 13: Devin and Libby. It does appear that she did hang herself. 387 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 13: You know, the family obviously thinks that she was murdered 388 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 13: by Devin. Obviously, if there was enough to charge Devin 389 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 13: with a murder, again, probably aren't been charged. 390 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 8: So obviously there's not enough at. 391 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 13: This point to indicate the Devin and he's denied any wrongdoing. 392 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 13: Like I said, I'm gonna take a report, right I 393 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 13: got your phone or we need anything. 394 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 2: If true, Tommy's story is significant because it contradicts the 395 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 2: time Devin said he discovered Libby's body and raises questions 396 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 2: about how he spent the day. But as far as 397 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 2: I can tell, IPD doesn't seem alarmed or particularly interested 398 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 2: in this new information. Maybe they don't think Tommy's story 399 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 2: is credible, or it's just too much work to confirm 400 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 2: or deny. Either way, I can't explain the logic or 401 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 2: reasoning behind their actions, but former prosecutor Casey gwyn has 402 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 2: it's his own cynical take. 403 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 6: If this was a powerful woman with status in the culture, 404 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 6: this case would have been resolved by now and the 405 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 6: killer would be in jail. But Libby Caswell didn't have status. 406 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 6: She did antoun privilege. She was in nobody to the 407 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 6: Independence Police Department and found dead in a scummy motel. 408 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 6: I think when they got to the point that they 409 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 6: couldn't clearly just prove that it was a homicide, they 410 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 6: chose suicide as the easy way out of a comprehensive investigation. 411 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 2: About six months into my investigation, I received a strange 412 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 2: email from the Independence Police Department. They told me they 413 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,679 Speaker 2: were denying my most recent request for public records internal 414 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: email and text messages that included Libby or Devin's name. 415 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 2: I was confused that had already given me a bunch 416 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 2: of material without pushback, but I quickly realized there was 417 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 2: a reason they couldn't release any more information. Libby's case 418 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 2: had been reopened, and, as I was later told, the 419 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: FBI was now involved. I called Cindy to tell her 420 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 2: the news as soon as I could. Hi, Hi, say, 421 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 2: you're pulled over. 422 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 16: I am okay. 423 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 2: I'm sorry for the noise behind me. I'm out of 424 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 2: kid's soccer game, so that's very loud. 425 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 16: But I wanted I wanted to. 426 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 2: Let you know right away. So I just found out 427 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 2: that the FBI has reopened the case. 428 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 16: Oh my goodness, thank god. 429 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 2: This is what Cindy had been waiting for another agency 430 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 2: to look into the case, to investigate what IPD hadn't. 431 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 16: I am a mixed bag. I'm excited. I'm emotional feeling, 432 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 16: you know, because for five years we've been waiting to 433 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 16: get justice for her, and now I feel like we're 434 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 16: on the track. We're starting the race. Now we're going 435 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 16: to get the right things going. 436 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 2: In March twenty twenty three, Cindy finds herself files in 437 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 2: hand at a drab office building in downtown Independence. She's 438 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,360 Speaker 2: been invited to a meeting to talk about the status 439 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 2: of Libby's case. Cindy's eager to hear what the FBI 440 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 2: has uncovered in the past few months, and also to 441 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 2: meet the new IPD detective taking over for Schmidley who'd retired. 442 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 2: But scanning the meeting room, Cindy quickly realizes Schmidley's replacement 443 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 2: isn't there, nor is anyone from the FBI. Before she 444 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 2: has a chance to ask any questions, Aaron Hunt, a 445 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 2: prosecuting attorney for the county, kicks off the meeting. 446 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 9: She just introduces herself and then she just starts talking 447 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 9: about how they are really sorry about what has happened 448 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 9: and given their condolences about Livy's death. Then started telling 449 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 9: me the story of where they're at. And so she 450 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 9: told me that this isn't a pride thing. They want 451 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 9: justice for their citizens, They want justice for me. They 452 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 9: wouldn't let pride standing in the way of justice. That's 453 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 9: not what they're about. 454 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: Cindy feels a pick growing in her stomach. They're trying 455 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 2: to sugarcoat something. 456 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 9: This FBI team, they were called the behavior Analyst team. 457 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 9: She says they did an independent investigation of their own, 458 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 9: and their conclusion was that my daughter committed suicide and 459 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 9: the case is now closed. And I said to her, 460 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 9: how could they come up with a conclusion when they 461 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 9: didn't even gather the evidence needed to make an informed decision. 462 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 2: Despite all the hopes Cindy had going into this meeting, 463 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 2: this was exactly what had happened before IPD and the 464 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 2: FBI had appeared, had shut the case once again without 465 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 2: talking to her, without doing a full victimology, without seeming 466 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 2: to take into consideration the undetermined ruling, or what doctor 467 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 2: Bill Smock had found in the forensic evidence. 468 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 9: I said, nobody even asked us. Nobody asked us anything, 469 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 9: and then I left. I sat in my car and 470 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 9: I cried for a long time. I just cried and 471 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 9: drove around. I didn't really want to come home yet, 472 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 9: because I didn't want to bring that in the house. 473 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 9: I did not cry in front of the police. 474 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 2: I requested public records involving libby the FBI over six 475 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 2: months ago, but if not yet received a response. I 476 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 2: also asked the FBI for an interview to explain the 477 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 2: length and breadth of their investigation. They declined and deferred comment. 478 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 2: To IPD, I was told quote, the FBI only assisted 479 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 2: with this case. The Independence, Missouri Police Department was the 480 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 2: lead investigator. I was really struck by the discrepancy between 481 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 2: how the prosecuting attorney described the FBI's involvement, characterizing it, 482 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 2: according to Cindy, as a full investigation, and how the 483 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 2: FBI responded when I inquired, which was to distance themselves 484 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 2: from significant involvement in the case. 485 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 17: It is very clear that the FBI never did an 486 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 17: independent investigation. 487 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 5: In this case. 488 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 2: Because Casey Gwynn has worked with law enforcement for more 489 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 2: than three decades, I was curious what he made of this. 490 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 17: There is always an opportunity in these cases or a 491 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 17: local law enforcement agency to say to the FBI, we 492 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 17: need your help, we need independent review, we need you 493 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 17: to take over this case. We need you to come 494 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 17: in and relook at everything we've. 495 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 2: Done that did not happen. 496 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 17: There is little doubt that the only thing that happened 497 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 17: is that the FBI was asked to look at the 498 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 17: motel room, take some pictures, take some measurements, to do 499 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 17: an on site review. That's it, and that is not 500 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 17: enough to conclude whether or not this with a homicide 501 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 17: or a suicide. 502 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 10: For the independent police Department to say that the FBI 503 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 10: agrees with them and their conclusion is, in my opinion, 504 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 10: one of the most dishonest things I've ever seen a 505 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 10: police department do. 506 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 2: I also asked Gwenn what option Cindy had left. 507 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 17: Sooner or later somebody talks, sooner or later other evidence 508 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 17: comes forward. We have said to Cindy, and we will 509 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 17: continue to say. The Alliance for Hope International team. 510 00:32:58,440 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 7: Is with you. 511 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 17: We will not give up and will not stop, but 512 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 17: will not back down. We will continue to advocate for 513 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 17: justice for Libby. 514 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 9: After all this time and all the stuff that we've 515 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 9: been through. I'm not intimidated that easily. I just keep 516 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 9: picking at it and i keep showing up, and I'm 517 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 9: not going to give up if I think they didn't 518 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 9: expect us to fight like that for this girl on 519 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 9: the bathroom floor. 520 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 2: This fight, it takes up a big part of Cindy's life. 521 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 2: There are days she's optimistic and others where she feels hopeless. 522 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 2: In between, she carries on. She's essentially a single mom, 523 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 2: now raising Xavier as her own, and in the last 524 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,880 Speaker 2: few months her life has gone through some big changes. 525 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 2: She quit her job at the Price Chopper Bakery, and 526 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 2: she got a new job driving the special needs bus 527 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 2: for the school district so that her work hours align 528 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 2: with Xavier's time at school. She's also pursuing a degree 529 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 2: in early childhood education. As this episode comes out in 530 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:18,720 Speaker 2: December twenty twenty three, it will have been six years 531 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: since Libby's death. With time comes the sting of realizing 532 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 2: how far Cindy has gone without her oldest daughter, and 533 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 2: how her grief has been folded into a new rhythm 534 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 2: of life. 535 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:33,240 Speaker 9: I think she would have turned twenty seven in March. 536 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 9: Sometimes I do the math, you know, I have to 537 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 9: get my calculator out because I forget, you know, and 538 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 9: it makes me sad that I would forget that. But 539 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 9: I have a lot going on. When her birthday comes around, 540 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 9: we all go to dinner together as a family. We 541 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,800 Speaker 9: ask for a big table. We leave a chair open 542 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 9: for Libby and so we toast her and we talk 543 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 9: about all the good things and funny things that she did. 544 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 9: We usually tip the waitress really well, because it's usually 545 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 9: a young woman that is making her living, you know, 546 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:17,720 Speaker 9: with tips. 547 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,760 Speaker 2: And if Libby's case, even if it never becomes more 548 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 2: solved or resolved than it is now. But if other 549 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 2: things were to change, like the nuisance Slaga overturned, or 550 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:35,880 Speaker 2: independence changed how they dealt with domestic violence, would that 551 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,720 Speaker 2: make a difference for you in terms of thinking about 552 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:41,720 Speaker 2: what Libby's death meant. 553 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 9: If you wouldn't ask me that a few years ago, 554 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:46,399 Speaker 9: I would have said, I'm not hearing that. 555 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 16: You know what I mean? 556 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:51,720 Speaker 9: Now, I think there still needs to be some changes, 557 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,399 Speaker 9: And if I can see some changes made to help 558 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 9: the next young woman, I think Libby would be happy 559 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 9: with that. I think that she would be saying, right on, mom, 560 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 9: you didn't give up. 561 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 2: During the year and a half, I've immersed myself in 562 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 2: Libby's story. I've had the privilege of watching Cindy change. 563 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 2: The first time I met her, she spoke so quietly, 564 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 2: I wasn't sure the mic was even going to pick 565 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 2: her up. Now when we talk, she's still reserved, but 566 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 2: she's got a certain confidence that seems to grow by 567 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 2: the day. I wish I could give her the resolution 568 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 2: she so desperately wants and deserves. But I still can't 569 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 2: say for sure what happened to Libby inside Room three nineteen. 570 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,759 Speaker 2: I don't share this certainty that some others have expressed 571 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 2: in this podcast. I believe it was possible, even probable, 572 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:59,399 Speaker 2: that she was murdered, based on the forensic evidence and 573 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 2: what I've learned learn about the circumstances surrounding her death. 574 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 2: I also believe it's not outside the realm of possibility 575 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 2: that Libby took her own life due to pain emanating 576 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 2: from an abusive relationship and a prolonged struggle with drug 577 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 2: abuse that threatened the things she cared about most. Ultimately, 578 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 2: I hope that sharing Libby's story will continue to stir 579 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 2: up conversation, to motivate people who might have information about 580 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 2: her death to come forward. But what I am certain 581 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:38,520 Speaker 2: about is how profoundly Libby was failed. When she was 582 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 2: alive as a teen, she was taught through the police's 583 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:48,359 Speaker 2: actions and inactions, that her problems were a nuisance and 584 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 2: that seeking help was likely to get her in trouble. 585 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,919 Speaker 2: She got the message that she had to handle it alone, 586 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,759 Speaker 2: and that isolation it would come to define the rest 587 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 2: of her short life. She kept her struggles private, even 588 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 2: as they became more and more unmanageable. I think a 589 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,720 Speaker 2: lot about that last week of her life, when Devin 590 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,240 Speaker 2: strangled her, and she finally told someone in a position 591 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 2: of authority about his abuse. I think about how terrifying 592 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 2: it must have been to have someone hold your life 593 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:29,640 Speaker 2: hostage literally in their hands, and how scared she was, 594 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,120 Speaker 2: as evidenced by her final conversations with her friends Nathan 595 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 2: and Brian. It never should have got to the point 596 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 2: where Libby was in that motel room with Devon. She 597 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 2: needed help that week, months before, in years earlier, despite 598 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 2: the fact she was exhibiting all the most critical red flags, 599 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 2: the systems in place for people like her did not 600 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,919 Speaker 2: support Libby, and I consider that a failure for all 601 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:06,040 Speaker 2: of us. I wish Libby had felt less alone. I 602 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,919 Speaker 2: wish she had gone to the shelter when Colleen got 603 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 2: her a bed, but that time has passed. Now all 604 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 2: we can do is try to make the system better 605 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,720 Speaker 2: for victims like Libby, and it's worth saying for people 606 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:30,240 Speaker 2: who use violence too, because they also deserve saving. Often 607 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 2: I find myself thinking about Xavier. Cindy still hasn't told 608 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 2: him this story, but sooner or later she'll have to. 609 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: I think about what we can do to make sure 610 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 2: that boys and men who are exposed to traumatic events, 611 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 2: get help break the cycle go on to live healthy lives. 612 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 2: And I believe that process starts with people like Cindy. 613 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 9: Every day after school and I get home, I sit 614 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:04,959 Speaker 9: with him and ask him about his day. 615 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 2: Sometimes he'll answer me in. 616 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 9: Curious George language, which is really funny, and because you know, 617 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,960 Speaker 9: curious George just kind of goes ah ah, and I'll 618 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 9: say that is monkey talk. I don't know what you're saying, 619 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 9: you know, And then I'll tickle him and laugh. He 620 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,839 Speaker 9: calls me mom. We tried and tried and tried to 621 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 9: get him to call us grandma and grandpa. We've had 622 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 9: him see psychologists and therapists and they all say, you know, 623 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 9: it's not that he doesn't know you're not his mom. 624 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 9: He just he sees other kids have mom and dad, 625 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 9: and so that's why he's doing it, because when you 626 00:40:44,760 --> 00:41:21,919 Speaker 9: ask him who his mom is, he says, Libby. 627 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,720 Speaker 2: What Happened To Libby Caswell is written, reported, and hosted 628 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 2: by me Melissa Jelson, with writing and story editing by 629 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,839 Speaker 2: Marissa Brown and Lauren Hanson. This episode was edited by 630 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:39,240 Speaker 2: Jeremy Thal and Zubin Hensler. Our executive producer is Ryan 631 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:44,239 Speaker 2: Murdoch for iHeart Podcasts. Executive producers are Jason English and 632 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:49,760 Speaker 2: Katrina Norvel, with our supervising producer Carl Catel. Fact checking 633 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 2: by Maya Shukri. Archival material courtesy of KSHB forty one News. 634 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 2: Our theme song is written by Aaron Kaufman and performed 635 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:04,800 Speaker 2: Aaron Kaufman and Elizabeth Wolfe. Original music by Aaron Kaufman 636 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 2: with additional music by Jeremy Thal and Zuben Hensler. Our 637 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:12,880 Speaker 2: episodes are mixed and mastered by Karl Catel and Zuben Hensler. 638 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:16,920 Speaker 2: I want to give a special thanks to Libby's family, 639 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:21,280 Speaker 2: especially Cindy and Natalie Caswell, as well as Libby's friends, 640 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:26,400 Speaker 2: Alliance for Hope International Sarah Plague, and countless other experts 641 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:30,240 Speaker 2: and academics who gave me their time. An extra special 642 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:33,440 Speaker 2: shout out to Pete Monica for being an early listener 643 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,920 Speaker 2: and a constant support, and to Eve Monica, who was 644 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 2: born during the making of this show. 645 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 1: There's a further through the windows, so where is she? 646 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 1: My and it wrists fading too. 647 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:56,080 Speaker 14: Hold away across the light and the light flies and 648 00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 14: my head It's saved and Simon coll I fall under. 649 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:11,480 Speaker 15: Washing the word. 650 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,440 Speaker 1: Rises las. 651 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 15: Washing, the right lashing, the water all ride. 652 00:44:38,880 --> 00:45:07,320 Speaker 14: Less so the fire. It's cool and cold, and he died, 653 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 14: loved discus if it was intended ore so don then. 654 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 1: And I played it back only at half speed, like 655 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: an alternate. 656 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 18: For a time man washing words. 657 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:57,319 Speaker 1: A lesson washing, the. 658 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:03,279 Speaker 5: A s. 659 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:19,640 Speaker 15: Rushing, the words. 660 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:43,319 Speaker 1: Waded, and river halfway ward in. 661 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:44,400 Speaker 15: Shall be. 662 00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:59,560 Speaker 1: She said, A word of things to the loving day, 663 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:10,520 Speaker 1: and a fall abod. And we over light, and I 664 00:47:10,719 --> 00:47:12,720 Speaker 1: find myself. 665 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:22,160 Speaker 15: In a dude watching the water. 666 00:47:23,719 --> 00:47:23,879 Speaker 9: The. 667 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:43,840 Speaker 1: Sinking canto night, watching the water sinking against mm hmmm, 668 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:47,280 Speaker 1: mm hmmmm