1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter and in this episode, 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: we're discussing a case out of Monroe, North Carolina, a 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: small community shaken to its core when a sixteen year 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: old girl vanished without warning. Her disappearance would ignite a 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: desperate search stretch across multiple states and expose a chilling 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: truth about the dangers lurking on the internet. We spoke 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: with her father, who walked us through the terrifying weeks 10 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: of the investigation, the emotional reunion with his daughter, and 11 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: their path towards healing in the Afterpath. 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: This is the story of Lauren Heath. 13 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: October thirteenth, twenty twenty three began like any other day, 14 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: but for the Heath family, it quickly turned into every 15 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: parent's first nightmare. 16 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 3: I would say, you know, like a month or two prior, 17 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 3: you know, my wife and I had noticed, you know, 18 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 3: changing her. 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 4: She seemed to be a little bit more. 20 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 3: Withdrawing, so to speak, not talking a lot. Because she 21 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: was playing volleyball at her previous high school and she 22 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 3: was a cheerleader but I remember seeing her in a 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 3: phone call from her she leaving head coach there at 24 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: a camp saying how much my daughter was so withdrawn 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 3: from the team, not interacting, you know, with their teammates, 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 3: not talking, want to be by herself. And they even 27 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 3: asked her that night when she called me, like, hey, 28 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 3: do you want me come get you if you're not 29 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 3: comfortable being there? She's like, no, I'm gonna stick it out, 30 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 3: because you know, as parents will always tell our kids, 31 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: if you start something, finish it. But it was several 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 3: conversations that my daughter would have, like when I would 33 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,559 Speaker 3: take her to school, she always would make the comment 34 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 3: like she feels like she's somebody else's friend, but they're 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: not her so to speak, like she's trying too hard 36 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 3: and they're not reciprocated. What's needing a good solid friendship? 37 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 3: And I say, hey, you know, don't take it personal. 38 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 3: You know, just as parents we tell our kids, you know, 39 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 3: it's life. It's part of growing up, especially being a teenager, 40 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,399 Speaker 3: especially being young females to go through a lot of changes, 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 3: and you know, they pick and choose friends from week 42 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 3: to week, could be day to day. 43 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: Bring camera footage showed Lauren leaving her home in Indian Trail, 44 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: North Carolina. There were no warning signs, no goodbye, just 45 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: a quiet exit into the unknown. Her father, Gary Keith, 46 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: recalls noticing changes in Lauren in the week's prior. Like 47 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: many teens, she began struggling, but he now sees the signs. 48 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: They mess But it's one thing my wife and I, 49 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 3: you know, regret doing. It's not I mean, we heard 50 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 3: her daughter, heard our daughter, but we didn't like fully listen. 51 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 3: You know, when you're like your kids are crying out constantly, 52 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 3: it's easy for us as parents to say, hey, go 53 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 3: to school, wear that crown strongly ahead, be strong, be yourself. 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 3: But when you got to live in that world five 55 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 3: days a week, for seven and a half hours a day, 56 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 3: it's different. And you know that's my wife and I 57 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: looking back on that, we wish we would have really 58 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 3: delved deeply more into that, you know, while she was 59 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: expressing about her being withdrawn everything like that, but you know, 60 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: you know, I think that was part of it. You know, 61 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 3: the the friendships weren't a solid that she might have wanted. 62 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 3: She would say telling us things like kids were saying 63 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 3: certain things to her and make her feel down or depressed, 64 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 3: and she lost her self esteem, so to speak. So 65 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 3: I think that's what led up to her disappearance. I 66 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 3: felt like she just wanted to just drop it all 67 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 3: and just go away. 68 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: Despite her challenges, Lauren was excited about her school's upcoming 69 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: homecoming dance. 70 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: She had a nail appointment scheduled and. 71 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: Was looking forward to the event, hardly the actions of 72 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: someone planning to heat. That's what made her disappearance all 73 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: the more alarming. This wasn't like Lauren. Her behavior didn't 74 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: match someone who wanted to just disappear. As hours turned 75 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: into days, Hannick settled in. The seconds dragged like hours, 76 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: and the longer she was gone, the worse the fear became. 77 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: But the Heath family wasn't alone. The Monroe community rallied together. 78 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: Candlelight viguals were held blanketed neighborhoods. Billboards appeared in North Carolina, 79 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia. Lauren's face became 80 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: impossible to miss, But despite the overwhelming support, the silence 81 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: was deafening. Lauren's parents spoke out to her in every 82 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: public message, Come home, we love you. There's no obstacle 83 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: too big to bring you back. Still, one thing was unmistakable. 84 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: The police response in those critical early days was dismissive. 85 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: Like many cases involving missing black girls, Lauren's disappearance didn't 86 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: trigger the kind of urgency it deserved. 87 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 3: Initially when she went missing on the thirteenth, of course, 88 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 3: we made a police report and the police were so 89 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 3: nonchalant about it. It was just like here we go again, 90 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 3: another missing child. So you know, we'd write it down 91 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: and he was kind of nonchalot about it with you know, 92 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 3: kind of got out of my skin with my wife 93 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: and I and he just kind of took it and 94 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 3: just left and like, hey, we really need to hear something, 95 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 3: you know about this case. 96 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 4: Like so that was on a Friday. 97 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 3: We my wife and I had to literally go down 98 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 3: to the police station first thing Monday morning and helped 99 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 3: get a detective assigned to the case. So two whole 100 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 3: days had gone by with nothing, and I even called 101 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 3: the dispatch and see about follow up because it was 102 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 3: asking me about her cell phone on what selles service 103 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 3: did we use and everything like that. 104 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: Her father told us plainly, if it weren't for the community, 105 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: stepping up. There's no telling where the case would stand. 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 3: Re union response was awesome. You know, my neighbors in 107 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: my neighborhood went out looking. My neighbor across the street. 108 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 3: She was awesome because she said she knew this house 109 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 3: where a lot of teenagers would go and just hang 110 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 3: out and just drink blah blah blah. 111 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 4: She went there. 112 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: So the community response was awesome those first two days 113 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 3: she went miss up until the time my wife and 114 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 3: I had to go to the police station, and luckily 115 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 3: it worked out. The chief of police I used to 116 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 3: coach his son in football, so when he saw me, 117 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 3: he told his detective like, hey, anything he wants, you 118 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 3: make sure he gets it. So it pays to know 119 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 3: people like I tell people, don't burn your bridges because 120 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 3: you never know you might need somebody. 121 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 4: So once I got to him, it was a lot better. 122 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 3: The detective was very responsive to us about you know, 123 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 3: any type of leaves or anything. We had people down 124 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,119 Speaker 3: the street. Lady she has a farm down the street. 125 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,559 Speaker 3: She even offered, like her ATV to like go out 126 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 3: and look you know out you know, in the community 127 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 3: or whatever. So the community response was awesome. You know, 128 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: we made flyers. People were come by and your flyers 129 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 3: and put them up for us. There's this little biker 130 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 3: house down the street. They had cameras, but they might 131 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 3: have thought she might have, you know, left from They 132 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 3: let us go down. They look at their cameras, but 133 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 3: it was overwhelming the response that we received from the community, even. 134 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: With tips pouring in, time tap slipping away, no breakthroughs, 135 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: no confirmed sightings, no real leads, just a growing sense 136 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: that Lauren might be getting further and further away. Then, 137 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: nearly two weeks later, Hope arrived in Kirkwood, Missouri. Police 138 00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: officers investigating a suspicious vehicle parked outside a Low's made 139 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 1: a discovery that would bring this nightmare to a shock 140 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: and turning point. Inside the car was a thirty year 141 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: old convicted sex offender, and in the passenger seat sixteen 142 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: year old Laurenn Heath. Authorities learned that the man had 143 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: been communicating with Lauren through an anonymous messaging app. He 144 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: exploited her emotional vulnerability, manipulated her with false promises, and 145 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: drove all the way from Oklahoma to North Carolina to 146 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 1: pick her up. She was carrying her birth certificate and 147 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: had even memorized her mother's phone number, details that ultimately 148 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: helped police confirm her identity and notify her parents. 149 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 3: Having those conversations with your child or children about social 150 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 3: media because like I said, it's a beast. 151 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 4: It's like I said, it's a gift in the curse. 152 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 3: And you know, you have these apps that have been 153 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: created where it looks like one thing, but it's something 154 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 3: else where they little children. 155 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 4: They I know it's one app. I know, the FBI 156 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 4: was showing us. 157 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 3: It looks like a calculator, but behind it it's a 158 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 3: way that these predators talk to children. 159 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 4: Wow. 160 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it was the particular app. I don't think 161 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 3: they even have it anymore. It's called Whisper. That was 162 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 3: the main culport in this case. It's almost like the 163 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 3: dark web, so to speak. Behind these apps, because these 164 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 3: predators have ways of getting to children, whether it be 165 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 3: online I know, and speaking with people. 166 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 4: I know. 167 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 3: The police officers showed me down the street how these 168 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 3: they would change their voice online to sound like a child, 169 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 3: and you think you're playing with another twelve year old 170 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 3: and it comes out it's somebody forty or fifty years old. 171 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 4: They use this, you know, this voice altering like headset and. 172 00:10:57,960 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: That's like so I would tell my kids, you know, 173 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 3: you have to be careful. You know who you're on 174 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 3: line with. Less you're just your close friends from school 175 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 3: and somebody you know personally. Don't talk to him. 176 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: The moment the call came in, Lauren's parents dropped to 177 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: their knees. Relief overwhelmed them. They didn't even put on 178 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 1: the proper shoes before rushing to the airport to catch 179 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: the first flight to Missouri. 180 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 2: When they were reunited with their. 181 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: Daughter, it felt, mister Heath said, like holding a newborn 182 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: for the second time. And though joy filled the reunion, 183 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: the trauma lingered and the road to healing would. 184 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 2: Be next. 185 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 3: The first I would say. She came on October twenty fifth. 186 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 3: I would say probably until maybe four or five months 187 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 3: after that, it was still a struggle trying to get her. 188 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 4: The focus and open up. 189 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 3: Of course, we did immediately get her into therapy when 190 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 3: still it now that has helped out tremendously. I will 191 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 3: say she's come a long way since then. She's in 192 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 3: a new high school. She's cheering, she loves it, she's 193 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 3: making new friends. So I believe this new high school 194 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 3: has done her leaps and bounds of getting herself a 195 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 3: stayed back making new friends because, like I said, her 196 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 3: previous high school, for whatever reason, just was not the 197 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 3: place for her. 198 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: Lauren came home on October twenty fifth, twenty twenty three, 199 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: but in the days and months that followed, her family 200 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: would face a new set of challenges. Therapy became a 201 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: part of the healing process. A new high school brought 202 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: a fresh start, but emotionally, her father described it as 203 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: life altering. 204 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 4: Quote. 205 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,079 Speaker 1: It changes you as a person, he said. We used 206 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: to beat ourselves up up, but we know we're good parents. 207 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: One thing they are absolutely certain of Lauren was not 208 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: to blame. She was coerced and groomed by a sick individual. 209 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: Mister Heath said, she's the victim and she needs to 210 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: know this isn't her fault. According to investigators, predators like 211 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: this pray on children expressing vulnerability online. They scan for 212 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: keywords emotional distress and then pose as saviors only to 213 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: lead their victims into unimaginable danger. 214 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 3: In fact, I just spoke to the federal prosecutor yesterday 215 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 3: because with him having federal charges and also state charges, 216 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 3: with him crossing state lines with our daughter. There's so 217 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 3: much they have to get worked out far as the 218 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 3: charges and get what to plea to for him. So 219 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 3: it's kind of like in a holding past. He's what 220 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 3: I do know, he would never see. 221 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 4: The light of day. 222 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 1: Thankfully, Lauren's story ends with a reunion with her family, 223 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: but for far too many other families, that call never 224 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: comes in, that moment of relief never arrives. 225 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 3: Because my wife and I you know, talk about all 226 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 3: the time like we were truly blessed to get our 227 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 3: daughter back. But I know when I look at and 228 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 3: I still part of black and Missing and all these 229 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 3: missing children sites, always repost and share every kid that 230 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 3: comes across my timeline because I know exactly how those 231 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 3: parents feel. So I can only imagine if your child's 232 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 3: been missing for months or years, you know what type 233 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 3: of you know, mental state those parents are in. The 234 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 3: best advice I can give parents with children that are 235 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 3: missing is to stay relentless and get closure to your situation. 236 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 3: Because I told my wife, I said, regardless of what 237 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 3: happens with our daughter, I just want to know that 238 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 3: I never quit to parents. Like I said, there's no 239 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 3: handbook to this, to being a parent. You can be 240 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 3: the best parent in the world, and if something tragedy 241 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 3: like this does happen, you can't ever doubt yourself as 242 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 3: a parent. If you'd have told me this would happened 243 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 3: to my family, I was like, you're crazy. That will 244 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 3: never happen to my daughter. But like I said, nobody's 245 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 3: immune to this. Nobody. Biggest thing for me as a 246 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 3: father is to be more of a listener to her 247 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 3: rather try to tell her how to feel, you know, 248 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 3: because she has the right to feel the way she 249 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 3: wants to, like anybody else, regardless of them being your children. 250 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 3: So I think that's the biggest thing for me, is 251 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 3: to really let her be herself and her feelings and 252 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 3: try to work it out through her lens and not mind. 253 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: As we close out this episode, don't forget to hit 254 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: the follow button to stay updated on this case and 255 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: others like it. Subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube 256 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: to watch the visuals to this episode, and follow us 257 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: on Instagram and TikTok for more true crime updates. And 258 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: if you enjoyed this story, leave us a five star rating. 259 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us on another episode. 260 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: Until next time. 261 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect 262 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, 263 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen 264 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.