1 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Sirius x M Triumph. 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: A young mom lets her two year old little girl 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: starved to death? How how can that happen? I mean, 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: I see, Grace, this is Crime Stories. Thank you for 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: being with us. Devin Moon's little girl, Reagan weighed just 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: four pounds when she was found. A two year old 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: little girl just fourteen pounds. I mean, I'm trying to 8 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: take that in because, of course, my daughter Lucy was 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: two pounds when she was born, but John David was 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: five pounds at birth. Over five pounds. This girl is 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: two years old and she only weighs fourteen pounds. Joining 12 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: me right now. Dr Brian Russell, lawyer, psychologist, host of 13 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: Investigate Asian Discoveries hit series Fatal Vows, which kicks off 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: a new season August eleven, Saturday Night Investigation Discovery, Tempium 15 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: Eastern Vincent Hill cop turned private investigator, Karen Smith, forensics 16 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: expert Ashley Willcott, judge lawyer found her child crime watch 17 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: dot Com and joining me right now. Investigative journalists with 18 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: crime online dot Com John Lemley, John, Let's just start 19 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: at the beginning. What nobody noticed that a two year 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: old child only weighed fourteen pounds. Oh, somebody did notice. 21 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: In fact, about a year before the child's death, the grandmother, 22 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: Deborah Walton Moon, had been spending some time with little Reagan, 23 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: who was then around two years old, and she just 24 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: noticed that she was skin and bones, and she thought 25 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: maybe there was something wrong with the child. So she 26 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: decided to take the child in to see a doctor. 27 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: The doctor said that for her age, and at this 28 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: time she actually weighed twenty pounds, this is before the 29 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: final weight loss. And he said she really, for her age, 30 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,959 Speaker 1: should weigh a lot more than this. And then about 31 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 1: six months later she took the child back again and 32 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: he said, ma'am, this child weighs the very same twenty 33 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: pounds that she weighed when you brought her back in April. 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: I asked you a quick question. You know how much 35 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: I hate to interrupt, John Limley, But so he the 36 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: doctor sees the child is I know this is not 37 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: a correct verb. Everybody go ahead and laugh. And he 38 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: sees a child as malnutrians. What does he do about it? 39 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: John Lmley, We really don't know that the doctor did anything, 40 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: to be perfectly honest, No, in oh wait a minute, 41 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: right there, I'm not saying the doctor did this. Obviously 42 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: the mother did it, all right, Ashley Wilcott, child Crime, 43 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 1: Why dot Com are you watching? You see this? What's 44 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: with the doctor. Isn't it the law that doctors, school teachers, 45 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: child caregivers must report child abuse and doesn't that includes 46 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: starving your baby? Yeah, something's really amiss. So, yes, he 47 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: was a mandatory reporter in Georgia. He should have reported it, 48 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: but taken a second step, Nancy, and the law was 49 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: changed to provide in Georgia that a doctor can actually 50 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: request or remove a child from a parent's custody if 51 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: they believe that that child is being abused and neglected. 52 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: So he could have even gone a step further and 53 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: refused to allow the mother to pick up the child. 54 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: I would have snatched that child Ryan out of that home. 55 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: I mean, tell me again, John Limley, Crime Online dot 56 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: Com investigative reporter. What now? So the baby goes Reagan 57 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: goes to the doctor. She's taken by her grandmother, not mommy, 58 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: and the doctor sees that she's underweight. Then she is 59 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,279 Speaker 1: back and the child has not gained any weight whatsoever, 60 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: or had the child lost weight at this point, she 61 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: was the exact same twenty pounds she had been six 62 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: months earlier. This this is before the final weight loss 63 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: that led to her her passing. Okay, take a listen 64 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: to what the grandmother, Deborah Walton Moon tells us. Now 65 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: keep in mind as you're listening, this child, this little 66 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: baby is dead. Mommy would leave the baby alone for 67 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: ten to twelve hours a night, ten to twelve hours alone. Listen, 68 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: and not just so heartbroken because it didn't have to 69 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: happen this way. We took her to Edgleston because she 70 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: was she was just skin and bone, and the doctor 71 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: the hospital said, yeah, she weighs the same twenty pounds 72 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: that she weighed when you brought here, brought her here 73 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: in April. I'm just listening to that that dead say 74 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: ound and this and the grandmother's voice to Dr Brian Russell, lawyer, psychologist, 75 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: host of I D S Fatal vows, Brian, do you 76 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: hear that the the voice is just like just deceeed, 77 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: like she's gotten kicked in the stomach. Absolutely, And it's 78 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: heartbreaking to think about the what I think is the 79 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: likely reality that this baby could have been saved had 80 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: the doctor recognized and reported the malnutrition as child abuse 81 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: at the time. I think one thing that is important 82 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: for people to understand though, is that, uh, when when 83 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: people bring children to us as health care professionals, even 84 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: if in this case, as in this case, grandmother brings 85 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: a child because they have concerns about what's going on 86 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 1: in the child's house, they don't necessarily always present it 87 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: to us that way. And so before I say, you know, 88 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: the doctor should have reported this as a case of 89 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,119 Speaker 1: child abuse, I would like to know on that initial visit, 90 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: how did the grandmother presented to the doctor. Did she 91 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: presented as I think my daughter is neglecting this child, 92 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: or did she presented as I think there's something wrong 93 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: with the child and we're doing everything we can, but 94 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,039 Speaker 1: the child's not gaining any weight, in other words, leading 95 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: the doctor to believe that maybe there's some kind of 96 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: an illness or something. Uh. That's something I would just 97 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: want to know. How was it presented to the doctor? Well, 98 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: I think it would make sense to me to you, 99 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: Karen Smith, forensics expert, we would be able to determine 100 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: that based on the doctor's prognosis, What does he say, 101 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: what are his or her directions? Did he send the 102 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: child for testing. Did he suspect some other ailment or 103 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: did he come right out and say the child is 104 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: not being fed enough? And if so, why was the 105 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: baby put back in the home? I mean, Karen Smith 106 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: forensically to look at the home, I would look to 107 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: see if there was baby food there, if there was 108 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: formula of there was diapers, if the child's being taken 109 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: care of. What sort of things would you look for? 110 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: That is the first thing, Nancy. We go through. The 111 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: kitchen was the first place that I would go. I 112 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: would open every cabinet, I would open the refrigerator, and 113 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: inevitably I would find one box of cereal, maybe some 114 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: old milk, some old juice, and you know, maybe some 115 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: canned goods. And from the sound of it, there probably 116 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: wouldn't even be that in this household. And I'm wondering, 117 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: you know, the family members obviously had concerned for this child. 118 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: Did they ever visit this woman's home or apartment where 119 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: she lived? Did they ever look? And I'm not blaming 120 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: them by any stretch of the imagination. This was the 121 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: mother's fault, um, But you know, to me, as as 122 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: concerned family members, I would want to know that information 123 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: and certainly it would go to the abuse and now 124 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: the murder charges. Let's take you from the top again, 125 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: John Limley, I don't understand how weeks pass and the 126 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: baby stars because I have these two photos that I 127 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 1: carry with me in my backpack every time I travel, 128 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: and there little photos they gave me in the hospital 129 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: of Lucy and John David, and they're attached to these 130 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: little buttons. And John David looks thin, but Lucy, as 131 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: they're saying, she looks like she's skin and bones when 132 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: she's first born at two pounds. And when you look 133 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: at it, you know, I don't have to be an 134 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: m D for once. I can just get buy his 135 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: j D. You know instinctively that something is very, very wrong. 136 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: You can tell that this child is near death. Ashley. 137 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: It's like when you see a snake slithering toward you, 138 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: you know instinctively it's bad, or a tiger or a 139 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: lion sneaking up on you. Or when somebody has a 140 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: funny color to their face like they're sick, you know 141 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: instinctively something is very wrong. You could not possibly and 142 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm basing this on seeing Lucy, my child so thin. 143 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: Nobody had to tell me that I had to devote 144 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: my life to making her live, keeping her alive. Nobody 145 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: had to tell me that I knew that just by 146 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: looking at her, so of course the doctor knew. And 147 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: man say, this is why so many instance as a 148 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: child abuse and death are preventable, because not only would 149 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: the doctor have known, I believe that there are other 150 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: people who saw this child who would have known by 151 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: looking at the child. And unfortunately, I see this as 152 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: a judge over and over again in juvenile court. People 153 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: do not report or take action for various and different reasons. 154 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: They may be afraid, they may not want to get involved. 155 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: But here's what I'm here to say. People have got 156 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: to start getting involved, not be afraid and say something 157 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: or do something, because you do know when you see 158 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: a child like that, that something is a miss. I'm 159 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: looking at this mom and a photo. I want to 160 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: snatch that wig right off of her head. I am 161 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: looking at Devin Moon, the mom who would leave for 162 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: a child, allegedly for ten to twelve hours a day 163 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:20,319 Speaker 1: and night alone. Take a listen to what else The grandmother, 164 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: Deborah Walton Moon, tells us she said to me, you 165 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: called defects on me, didn't you I said, I did. 166 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: I said, only because I care cared about you, cared 167 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: about the baby. That's the only reason she said you. 168 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: I hate you. I hate you. She said, you've lost 169 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: a daughter and a granddaughter, and the hell she hell 170 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: she didn't. That's just killing me. You know, I'm not 171 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: so worried about losing the mom. I'm worried about the 172 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 1: baby that never had a chance, you know. To Vincent 173 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: Hill cop turned p I there you hear that de 174 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: facts was called. I mean, what else can the grandmother 175 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: do beside kidnapped the baby and make a run for it. Nancy, 176 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: I think the grandmother did exactly what she was supposed 177 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: to do. Unfortunately, I think she waited just a little 178 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: too late because she had been around that baby since 179 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 1: the baby's birth. So I think if she would have 180 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 1: done that a little faster, I think we could have 181 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: saved that girl. But I'm not faulty the grandmother here. 182 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: It's the mother's fault. But I just think that calls 183 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: should have come just a little faster. Actually, and see 184 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: the fourth call to de Facts from the grandmother was 185 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: the one that finally began the investigation. As mentioned, though 186 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: it was too late. What did you just say the 187 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: fourth call to D facts. You know what I feel like, 188 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: taking a fire hydrant and just opening it up and 189 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: letting it run through D facts like your flushing rats 190 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: out of the bottom of the basement. At the fourth 191 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: call to D facts, the baby laid there and star 192 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: and defects sat on their thumb yet again till the 193 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 1: baby dies. As she Wilcot, I mean, you're in the system, 194 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: you're the juvenile judge. How many times do we have 195 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 1: to scream out defects before they all get fired and 196 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: put in jail? Listen, you know what system fails? System fails. 197 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: System fail. I say this in cases like this, where 198 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: where someone does act appropriately, it does make the report 199 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: and you hear there are four reports. I don't know 200 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,559 Speaker 1: the circumstances around this particular case and how defects did 201 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: or didn't respond, but I am going to say it's 202 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: a prime example of where this system has failed a 203 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: child yet again. Right now we know a mother has 204 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: been charged when her taught girl dies weighing just fourteen pounds. 205 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: I'm getting conflicting reports as to whether she was three 206 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: or four. Back to you, John Linley, tell me the 207 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: rest of the story. She was actually just one month 208 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: shy of her third birthday, and at the time of 209 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: her death, her weight was only fourteen pounds. So what 210 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: happens then the cops get there? What tell me how 211 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: the whole thing unfolds? Well, investigators say that Devin Moon 212 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: tells them that her daughter had a medical condition that 213 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: didn't allow her to gain weight, and Deborah Moon says 214 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: that Devon came to her the night of her daughter's 215 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: death after she talked with police for the first time. 216 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: And autopsy, of course, as we now know, later determined 217 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: that Reagan's death was due to neglect and malnutrition. And 218 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: that's when it began to emerge that this child was 219 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: completely alone at home for hours on end while the 220 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: mother was at work. Okay, joining me also in addition 221 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: to John Lemley, Ashley Willcott, Karen Smith, Vincent he Old, 222 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: Dr Brian Russell from Fatal Vows joining me from l 223 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: a is Alan Duke, Alan Duke. What more do we 224 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: know about the mom and their living conditions? Well, the 225 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: mother was leaving this child overnight. It wasn't during the day, 226 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: it was at nighttime. I guess she thought that maybe 227 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: we'll just sleep and and be fine or cry alone 228 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 1: and not be heard. And she was going off allegedly 229 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: to dance in one of the local Atlanta clubs. By 230 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: the way, this tears me up, this this grandmother. I'm 231 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: going to pick up my grandkids this morning and hug them. 232 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: You know, hold on a minute, Alan Duke, we've got 233 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: a dead baby and all you want to talk about. 234 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: I think I didn't say we don't know what she 235 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: will what? We all know that that means she's a stripper, Alan, 236 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: I never got I have no idea what goes behind 237 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: behind those doors. But you know another thing, let me 238 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: just point this out as she willcott. Uh. Typically I 239 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: applaud working moms, but whenever I would, you know, need 240 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: a witness, and I couldn't find a witness, and I 241 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: couldn't find anybody that knew anything. First I go to 242 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: the jail and start interviewing people. Then I go the 243 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: strip clubs. Between the two of those, somebody would know something. 244 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: Very often. My problem at the strip clubs is, you know, 245 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: so many of the strippers were so high on coke 246 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: that I never kneed if I was getting the true story, 247 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: and I never knew what would happen if I put 248 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: him on the stand. You know, it was just a 249 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: wild card. All I can think about. I don't care 250 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: where she worked, I don't care what she did. I 251 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: just keep thinking about the baby because this didn't happen overnight. 252 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: It takes weeks for somebody to starve to death. You 253 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: can only go minutes without oxygen, hours, a couple of 254 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: days without water. It takes weeks to starve to death, 255 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: and that baby suffered. Ashley, this is a horrible case. 256 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: So a of course, somebody at the strip club or 257 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: wherever she was working and dancing absolutely new. So Alan 258 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: is the only one that seems to know go ahead 259 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: and then be um. This is the issue I have. 260 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: I don't care where mother's work, need to work, have 261 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: to work, choose to work. There's no correlation between doing 262 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: that and then starving your two year old to death. See, 263 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: there's no way that the only thing this mother did 264 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: to this child was starved the child to death. I 265 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: promised there are other things she did and didn't do 266 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: to ne to neglect and abuse this child, and it's 267 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: a horrific way to die. If you talk to doctors 268 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: about how it feels, or they don't know how it feels. 269 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: But all the consequences of being starved to death. That's 270 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: a horrific, horrific type of murder. You know what, Ashley, 271 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: I just want you to go about your business today 272 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: with a thought in your head that all those trippers 273 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: are stripping to put themselves through college. Because you know, 274 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: this is why I can tell you I agree with 275 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: you to the point that I don't care where she 276 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: went or what she did, but leaving your child alone, 277 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: this is a gruesome and horrible death. What the baby 278 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: went through horrible. When you shoot some money, they bleed 279 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: out and typically die quickly. You know, a car crash, 280 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: bam that child, This little baby was allowed to lay 281 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: there and suffer alone alone, and you know what, Mommy 282 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: needs to be put in jail for life. Listen. The 283 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: investigator said that they had made arrangements that a nutritionalist 284 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: would go by once a week and that Defects would 285 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: make sure Devon was doing what she's supposed to do 286 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: for Rake not to let I begged them, please just 287 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: let her go with me, Please let her go with me. 288 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: What happened to two beautiful young twin girls, Janette and 289 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: Jeanette Millbrook. It was a Sunday the twins left where 290 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: they lived to just walk up the street to their 291 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: godfather's home on for A Street. The sisters make the 292 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: walk to for A Street so their godfather could give 293 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: them twenty dollars to ride the city bus to and 294 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: from Lucy C. Laney High School. That's what we know. 295 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: Where are they now? With Me Laura Norton, fall Line 296 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: podcast investigator and host, Brooke Hargrove, fall Line Podcast investigator 297 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: and host, Michael Wheeland, Unresolved podcast host and with Me 298 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: special guest Shanty Sturgis. Shanty is the sister of the 299 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: twin girls, Danette and Jeanette Millbrook. You know their case 300 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: was largely ignored at the time they go missing and 301 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: has since become a closed file, unsolved cold. I don't 302 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: see it that way. First to you, Shante Sturgis, ma'am, 303 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being with us. Do you 304 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: remember the day your twin sisters disappeared? What happened? We 305 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: went to church that morning and I think we leved church. 306 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: I stay around by maybe twelve thirty and we made 307 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: a home before believing the church. The pastor at the 308 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: church gave my mom money because she didn't have any 309 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: money to feed us for that day, so he gave 310 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: her money and she sent them to church's chicken I 311 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: stay around about one o'clock. They came home and they told, well, 312 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: jean told my mom a guy was following them in 313 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: a white van. We don't know for sure if he 314 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: was actually following them or not, but that's what they 315 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: was thinking. He was following them, So that's what they 316 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: told my mom. They were fifteen at the time. I 317 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: was twelve when they went missing. Let me interject right here, 318 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: ms jas at fifteen years old, I may not have 319 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,959 Speaker 1: noticed a white van driving by, but I think I 320 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: would have noticed if every time I looked up, it 321 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: was right there with me, as Shante Sturgis, the sister 322 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: of missing Jeanette and Jeanette. So they tell the mom 323 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: they've noticed a white then following them all the way 324 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: home from church, just checking. Then what happened, and nothing 325 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: really happened. After they talked about it, you know, everybody 326 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: just sat down and ate. And later on in the afternoon, 327 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: I think it was light around back, maybe two and third, 328 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: and they was talking to my mom about getting to 329 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: school that next day, which would have been that Monday, 330 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: and she was like she didn't have any money for 331 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: them to catch the bus, and she didn't want them 332 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: to walk, you know, to school from where we lived. 333 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: That because the school that they lived that it was probably, 334 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: like I said, about six miles or so from where 335 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: we moved to, because we just had moved from the 336 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: area they went missing from. She asked them to call 337 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: my god dad on the phone and asked him because 338 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: he give them some money for them to be able 339 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: to catch the bus back and forth for that week. 340 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: They left the house, I said, they round about maybe three, 341 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: so they made it to his house. From his house, 342 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: they went to a cousin of ours house. They asked 343 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: her to walk home, you know, with them. I'm not 344 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: sure why her mom told her to know, I guess, 345 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: you know, they left, and that's when they made it 346 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: to my older sister house. When they got her house, 347 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 1: they asked her could she walked on home with them? 348 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: And at this point we're not sure why they asked her. 349 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: We're not sure why they asked my cousin, but we 350 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: just found out reacently my sister just now telling us 351 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: is the reason why she think they asked her. She said, 352 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: because she think they probably scared to walk back home 353 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 1: by themselves for some odd reason. I'm not sure why, 354 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: because they're not here to tell the side of the store. 355 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: So after they left my sister house, my mom had 356 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: called her and asked her had she seen them, because 357 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: you know, it was already I said, about four thirty 358 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: or five o'clock, and they still hadn't made it back home. 359 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: You know, it don't take that long to get to 360 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: where they had to go and to get back. I mean, 361 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: they wasn't supposed to go to my sister house that day. 362 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: They were supposed to go to my guard their house 363 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: and come back, but for some reason, they went to 364 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,880 Speaker 1: her house in the way. She told my mom when 365 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 1: they left there that they went walking towards the pumping 366 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: shop store. Once they went walking towards the pump the 367 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: shop store, you know, that's the reason why my mom 368 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 1: stopped at that store, because after they hadn't got home, 369 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: you know, at the Pacific time, and then she don't 370 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: calling around asked the people had they've seen them heard 371 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: from them. She got worried, so me and her went 372 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: walking to go try to see if we could meet 373 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: them or meet up with them somewhere or see them 374 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: somewhere you know. And by that time we made it 375 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 1: down to the pumper shop store and it's elated by 376 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: the name of Gloria, who she knew us. And my 377 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: mom asked her had she seen them coming the store, 378 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: and she told them, yeah, they came in there. They 379 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: brought cannon stolder and something to drink, you know, some chills, 380 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: And she said she looked away, you know, to ring 381 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: up another customer. By the time she looked up, they 382 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: was gone. So she says, she don't know if they 383 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: got in the car with somebody. She don't know. What 384 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: we do know that they made it that far. Hold 385 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: on with me. It's a sister of the missing twins, 386 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: Danette and Jeanette. And now the Richmond County Sheriff, the 387 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: elected Sheriff, Richard Rowntree, says this is a quote terrible 388 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: injustice and he has actually reopened the case of the 389 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: missing twin girls, Danette and Jeanette mill brooks Now the 390 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: very mysterious disappearance of Danette and Jeannette now reopened, sapped 391 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:31,120 Speaker 1: unresolved for so long. These two just walking home from 392 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: a convenience store in Augusta, Georgia. But unbeknownst to the 393 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: family investigators had not even looked at the case for 394 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: over two decades. Why, According to the elected chair of 395 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: Richard Rowntree, the original case files are missing, and not 396 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 1: long after the two girls disappear, the girls were taken 397 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 1: off the national database for missing children? Why why did 398 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 1: that happen? To Laura Norton Fall podcast, Thank you for 399 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: being with us, Laura, But what happened? It took us 400 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: quite a while to kind of unpack that. But what 401 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: we have figured out is the case was closed on hearsay, 402 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: and that here stay changes based on who is describing it. 403 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: The original investing, I don't know what you're saying, hold 404 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: on the case was closed on hearsay. It was allegedly 405 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: closed on hearsay. According to the original means well a 406 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,199 Speaker 1: case closed on hearsay? What does that even makes? What 407 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: the original investigator said, we actually did speak to him 408 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: on the phone once, so we got some information there. 409 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: According to him, he says that the twins were found 410 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: and he based that judgment on He alleges that a 411 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: juvenile investigator or a juvenile probation officer rather saw the twins. Now, 412 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: that is not anywhere in the case file. There's no 413 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: support for that. He told the family the case was 414 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: closed because the twins that turned seventeen and they could 415 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 1: no longer be made to go home. As we know, 416 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: that's not the case. He closed it in April, seven 417 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: days after their seventeenth birthday. Then two years I completely 418 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: smell a rat. You don't close a missing person, much 419 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: less a double missing person of young girls just because 420 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: they reached majority. That's not even true, Laura, Yep, that's exactly. 421 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: That's why we were so shocked to hear Shanta tell 422 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,719 Speaker 1: us that. Then when we finally got some information from 423 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: Nick Mack when we spoke with them, he then called 424 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: in and closed the case there in why well, we 425 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: don't know and we can't find out, but our guest 426 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: is that because that is the year he changed jobs, 427 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: and he may have been going through his files and 428 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 1: closing things out here and there. But that of course 429 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: was a major blow to the case because for you know, 430 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: twenty odd years, nothing was checked against them, no DNA 431 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:46,640 Speaker 1: on file, nothing. I cannot even imagine. Back to Shante Sturgis, 432 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: the sister of the missing girls, I can't imagine the 433 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: suffering your mom went through finding out the case was 434 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: closed because somebody claimed they saw the twins? Is that true? 435 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: Did somebody see them? Chante no, no about us has 436 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: never seen them. Um, we actually don't even know if 437 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: that is true about the probation officer being in contact 438 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 1: with them the whole time, because the same probation officer 439 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: also told my mom that he didn't understand why I 440 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: reached mccounty but and go ouhead to look for them, 441 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 1: and he was gonna try to help us because he 442 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: didn't understand how two girls go missing and nobody does 443 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 1: anything well. He was also joining me in addition to 444 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: Laura Norton from Fall Line, is Brooke Hardgrowth from Fall 445 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:36,719 Speaker 1: Lines highly popular podcast and Michael Wheeling from Unresolved highly 446 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: popular podcast. Brooke, who is this person? Says he saw 447 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: the twins? What we found out Nancy about this individual? 448 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: There were several cases that he was in charge of 449 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 1: investigating over the years of missing missing persons, but specifically 450 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: missing children. He seemed to tire of these cases because 451 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: he said that they would often find these children that 452 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: were runaways, returned them to their family, only to have 453 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: them run away again. So in his mind, these children 454 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: were in that category. He actually referred to them as 455 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: just two runaways. In our call with him, he reported 456 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: that they had been found, when that was not true. 457 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,880 Speaker 1: We believe he was trying to clear the case out 458 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: because he didn't want to investigate them. He seemed to 459 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: just look at them as two kids from the project, 460 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 1: you know, just got into trouble and we're runaways. Okay. 461 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: That is breaking my heart because these girls, two sisters, 462 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: didn't run away and stay away from their mother and 463 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: their sister and their family all these years. That's not true. 464 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: That is not true. If you have any information regarding 465 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: Janette and Jeanette, please call the Richmond County Sheriff seven 466 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: zero six eight to one one zero six zero repeat, 467 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: seven zero six eight to one zero six zero. Michael 468 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 1: Wheeling Unresolved pod cast host, And this is just one 469 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: of those stories that I first discovered it, there wasn't 470 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 1: really any like major news coverage of the case. But 471 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: I moved to Augusta about a year and a half ago, 472 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: and I remember when I discovered the story was a 473 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 1: kind of like an article that was covering Augusta's missing 474 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: unsolved cases, basically everything dating back to the nineteen seventies, 475 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: and hidden right in the middle of it, is a 476 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 1: story of two twins that disappeared on the exact same day. 477 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,440 Speaker 1: In to me, that just always stood out as something that, 478 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: you know, sets this case apart from everything else I've researched. 479 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: When you talk about missing people, it's normally a big deal, 480 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: people make a big stink about it. And when two 481 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: or more people go missing, it's you know, like the 482 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: Springfield three is one of the biggest mysteries in America, 483 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: and that's gotten tons of press conforage, it's gotten news articles, 484 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: it's gotten news clippings, and this just had nothing. It's 485 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: just heartbreaking nothing. As the mother sat by with her 486 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: heartbreaking every single day and I want my girls, my family, 487 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: and I'm hoping that we do get justice what it 488 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,719 Speaker 1: would know him at all. For those of you just 489 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: joining us, we are investigating the sudden and mysterious disappearance 490 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: of two young girls from Augusta, Georgia, Danette and Jeanette Millbrook. 491 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: For some reason within the police department, the case was closed. 492 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: The file disappeared shortly after their disappearance. That it wasn't 493 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: just lost. The two girls were then actively removed from 494 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:40,959 Speaker 1: the National Database of Missing Children, So that's not just 495 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: accidentally losing the file, Laura Norton. It's not just saying okay, 496 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 1: it's it's a cold case. This is actively going to 497 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: the national database and removing them that it's no longer 498 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: an act of omission. It's said a decision to remove 499 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: them from the databank. Laura, I don't understand it. It 500 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: was a purposeful choice, and it was very strange because 501 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: we have mentioned a probation officer, but I want to 502 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: be clear, the twins were not on probation. They were 503 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: not in trouble. The probation officer lived in their neighborhood 504 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 1: and that's why their mother went to him for some help. 505 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: And this is the man that was blamed after he 506 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: had already died for this problem by the original investigator. 507 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: The twins where homebodies. They were sweet girls, and Danette 508 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: actually was on seizure medication for Grandma's seizures. Certainly not 509 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: the kind of runaway that you might imagine. Back to 510 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,479 Speaker 1: Santa Sturgis, the sister of Jeanette and Danette, the missing 511 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: twin girls, we left off with the story. You guys 512 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: went to church that morning, your mom was broke. The 513 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: pastor gave her money for everybody to go out for 514 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: fried chicken lunch. They go to Church's Chicken, They make 515 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: it to a convenience store that has been verified, and 516 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: then at that point, shante what happens at the point 517 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: my mom went we went back home. My mom called 518 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,959 Speaker 1: reached my county and they told her in order for 519 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: her to report them missing, that she had to wait 520 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: twenty four hours. So she waited the twenty four hours. 521 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: They still he came back. She Steve was calling around 522 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: asking people they've seen nobody. Nobody still had seen them 523 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: at that point. The next week after is when they 524 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: sent to investigat out. The investigator came out and wait 525 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: a minute, Wait a minute. A whole week passes, yes, ma'am. 526 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: Oh Brooke Hargrove, Oh man, that's bad. A whole week passes, yes, ma'am. 527 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: This is one in a spring of outrageous actions against 528 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 1: this family, frankly by the local law enforcement. To Michael Wheeling, 529 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: host of Unresolved podcast, Why a Week, I honestly wish 530 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: I could tell you that that is what I've covered 531 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,959 Speaker 1: my fast share of missing persons cases, But this is 532 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: the first time where there's been the twenty four hour 533 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: waiting period to report two children missing, and then days, 534 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 1: if not a week, to come out and take statements 535 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: from the family members. This is so unlike anything even 536 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: for you know, at some point when you you start 537 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: looking at it and hearing all this, it almost seems 538 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: as if the investigators no more than they're saying, because 539 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: you've got them first saying, oh, you can't report them 540 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: for twenty four hours. Then the detective assigned to it goes, 541 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: they're just runaways. Then he claims a witness spots them 542 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,719 Speaker 1: and actively closes the file. The file gets quote lost, 543 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: then someone goes to the next level of having them 544 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: removed from the national database of missing people. Now we 545 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: learn an investigator wasn't even sent out for a week. Michael, 546 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: I mean, is there any explanation for that? I wish 547 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: I could tell you. Unfortunately, all the like you said, 548 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: the original case documents are gone, so we can't even 549 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: you know, other than what the family has said since then, 550 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: there's no record of you know, when they and out 551 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: and when they started to actually investigate anything, or even 552 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: what they investigated. If I could clarify ahead, dear Nancy, 553 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: this is Brooke. I'd like to clarify after the twenty 554 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: four hour waiting period, they did send a beat cop. 555 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: He took down a few preliminary notes. Almost all of 556 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: them were incorrect. Heating correctly spelled their name, He took 557 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: down their birthday, wrong, the wrong street, they were last 558 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: seen on, etcetera. After that, the family didn't hear anything 559 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: from the police department for a week. And after that 560 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: week is when they sent out an investigator who came 561 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: out and said he would be in charge of the case. 562 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: So beat cop comes, gets the wrong information, but still 563 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: an investigator did not come for a solid week. I've 564 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: been investigating the twins and this is what I've learned. 565 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: They were well known and loved and their small community 566 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: there in Augusta. They loved music, they loved TV. They 567 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: were happy, they loved school. They got great grades. They 568 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: were never known to be troublemakers. They didn't. They had 569 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: no history of ever running away. There was no motive 570 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: at the time for them to run away. It was 571 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 1: a normal Sunday. They had no history of misbehavior. There 572 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 1: was one instance, because one of them was being bullied 573 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: at a bus stop, that they got into an argument 574 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: one time, and that is consistent with what Shanta the 575 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 1: sister has told us no trouble, good grades, the works. 576 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: The mother, Mary Louise Sturgis, has been very involved trying 577 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: to find her twins. Now understand this, Danette and Jeanette 578 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 1: had eight siblings, and the mom has her hands full 579 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: as she's trying to find two teen missing girls, apparently 580 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: getting very little help from the local police. And then 581 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 1: the file gets lost and investigators dropped the case without 582 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: the mom knowing. It just seems to get worse and 583 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: worse and worse. Shante Sturgis, their sister, is with us now. Shanta, 584 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: tell me about how they're disappearing. It's affected your mother, 585 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: has affected her tremendously because, I mean, you know how 586 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: some people get around and they're like her age. She 587 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: ceased to three now they went missing when they was 588 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: she was in her thirties, so she don't get around 589 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,960 Speaker 1: like most people do. It has took a toll on 590 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 1: her pretty much. It did something to her, so sometimes 591 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,919 Speaker 1: she was giving up hope. You know. She kept trying 592 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:28,479 Speaker 1: to call down in to the police department to get 593 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 1: somebody to help, and they would always tell her no. 594 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: It was just before their birthday the twins headed out 595 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: to visit their family friend. Their little sister, then twelve, 596 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,040 Speaker 1: Chante begged to go with them, but being the older sisters, 597 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: they said no, just like my sister and brother would 598 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: tell me. We we've pieced together the fact that they 599 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: go to a local pumpings shop gas station. It's also 600 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: a convenient store, and it's there the intersection of twelfth 601 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: Street and m Okay Boulevard in Augusta. They go inside, 602 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: they get chips and drinks. The store clerk positively identifies 603 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,719 Speaker 1: them being there and that they were fine. It was 604 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 1: about four or thirty in the afternoon on a Sunday. 605 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 1: The clerk got busy at the cash register. She saw 606 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: the girls leave. She caught a glimpse of a vehicle outside, 607 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: not enough to give a description or to say whether 608 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,959 Speaker 1: the twins got into the vehicle, but we know this. 609 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 1: They disappeared. They disappeared and have never been seen again. 610 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: To Laura Norton, fall Line podcast host, since the case 611 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: has been reopened, what kind of searches are going on? None? 612 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 1: So what's the point of reopening it? There wasn't Well, 613 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,720 Speaker 1: That's what I wondered when I found stumbled across the case. 614 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 1: I truly believe this is not the only case that 615 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: had this sort of treatment in Augusta. I want to 616 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: be clear about that many missing persons cases of miners 617 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:55,240 Speaker 1: were mishandled during that period and close prematurely Parsay was involved. 618 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,280 Speaker 1: Nothing has happened. An investigator was assigned in two thousand 619 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: and thirteen, briefly took in a from Shanty and her 620 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: mother and their sister who was fully related to the 621 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: twins in terms of them having both the same mother 622 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 1: and father, bestI and a sample, and began some preliminary research. 623 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: But then she left the department, and at the time 624 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,840 Speaker 1: that we began looking into the case, no one was 625 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 1: assigned to it and no further action had been taken. 626 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: Are you suggesting that it was only reopened because of 627 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,080 Speaker 1: pressure from your podcast? Fall line? That it was reopened 628 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,399 Speaker 1: in two thousand and thirteen, and that was when the 629 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 1: new sheriff was elected. Richard Rowntree and Shanta directly contacted 630 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: the Sheriff's office at that point and asked them to 631 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: do so. He was reaching out to the community asking 632 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,760 Speaker 1: what he could do. But between two thousand and thirteen 633 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: and June of two thousand and seventeen, when we began 634 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 1: our podcast, nothing further had happened. Agree or disagree Michael 635 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:48,360 Speaker 1: with unresolved. Yeah, Richmond County so far has really done 636 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,720 Speaker 1: nothing to inspire any confidence that the investigation is going somewhere. 637 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: In my opinion, I've tried reaching out to them. I've called, 638 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: I've sent emails. I've even tried filing a Freedom of 639 00:37:58,040 --> 00:37:59,839 Speaker 1: Information Act not too long ago, and I haven't even 640 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: heard back on that. So as far as I know, 641 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: there is no movement on the case, and I'm not 642 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,839 Speaker 1: even sure if anyone is openly investigating the case as 643 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: of this moment. They're not. There was someone assigned, but 644 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: they've recently been moved to another department. We know because 645 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,360 Speaker 1: we do regularly contact them with leads and information that 646 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: we developed, and there's no one currently assigned to the case. 647 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: But Deshaunte started us. The sister of Danette and Jeanette, 648 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: Shaunte that day that you realized your sisters were gone. 649 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:30,359 Speaker 1: What do you remember about that day and that night 650 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,359 Speaker 1: as the hours began to pass and they didn't come home, 651 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,879 Speaker 1: My mom pacing up and down, and we just kept 652 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: as I kept, you know, I was up with her. 653 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: My other sister was up with them. She just kept 654 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 1: talking about it, you know, And finally everybody went to 655 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: sleep and we got up to go to school that 656 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,879 Speaker 1: next morning. When we got home from school, we asked 657 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 1: the head they came back home and she was like no, 658 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: she hadn't heard from I said, what have you heard 659 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: from the police? Did they say anything? She was like no, 660 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: that nick sweet. When they did send the cop out 661 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,959 Speaker 1: that they got the information about they clothes they had 662 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: on that day, on where they were going, and whoever 663 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: they had contact with that day, did they had boyfriends 664 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:15,800 Speaker 1: and things of that nature. He would ask her questions 665 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 1: like that, but we didn't really get no investigation out 666 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 1: of anything, even when the investigator did come out on 667 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:24,239 Speaker 1: the thing he did was go to the school and 668 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,360 Speaker 1: talk to the people at the school that they attended, 669 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 1: which was Lucilline in High School. He talked to some 670 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:31,479 Speaker 1: of the kids there, I think they said he talked 671 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:34,279 Speaker 1: to the principal there, and the principal postman told him 672 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 1: that he's seen the girls standing on the corner and 673 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: when he called their name, they just took off runting. 674 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 1: But that was never confirmed. This is what the investigator said, 675 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:45,719 Speaker 1: but he never went to the convenience or to talk 676 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: to Miss Gloria. He never went and talked to my sister. 677 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: He never talked to my cousin them that day. Everybody 678 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,800 Speaker 1: they had had contact with them that day they went missing. 679 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 1: He never talked to on the people he talked to us, 680 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: the people at the school that claimed that they saw 681 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,520 Speaker 1: them standing on the corner or they claimed he said 682 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: they've seen them in the bottom which is project that's 683 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:10,399 Speaker 1: called Underwood Homes. They were supposed to be down there. 684 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 1: And then they said that they were supposed to being 685 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:15,920 Speaker 1: at somebody house project called delth to Manor where my 686 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: mom she stays there. Now, um, they had a couple 687 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:20,959 Speaker 1: of friends that did stay down there, but they really 688 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: didn't go to many place, you know, and whenever we 689 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: did go into where all of us went together, it's 690 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,720 Speaker 1: just that particular day, everybody just had came home from church. 691 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: You know, my mom was getting there. Everybody rid of 692 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:35,360 Speaker 1: for school the next day. She wanted to feed everybody 693 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 1: before they went to bed, and she sent them out 694 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: and and they't like you know, people might say, okay, 695 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: everybody needed that to fifteen year old was walk But 696 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: I used to walk and I was twelve years old, 697 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: and we used to walk going to the friend's house 698 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 1: of whatever. Back then. Also, we didn't think that nothing 699 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,640 Speaker 1: was gonna happen all over the neighborhood out in the 700 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: middle really of of of nowhere. Here's the question to 701 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:03,440 Speaker 1: Brook our Grove Brooke. Apparently it's believed that the girls 702 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:07,760 Speaker 1: got enough money to take a bus to a high school. 703 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 1: Do we know if they got on the bus. Did 704 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,839 Speaker 1: that happen? No, ma'am. So they were collecting some money 705 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 1: from their godfather to use to take the bus to 706 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 1: the high school each day the following week. Uh, the 707 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 1: last time they were seen was at the convenience store, 708 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 1: which would have been around four or five pm. They 709 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,120 Speaker 1: were never seen again. Any reports that they were seen 710 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:37,399 Speaker 1: came directly from the original investigator, who it has been 711 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: shown that he has um fabricated some details in the 712 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,280 Speaker 1: past in order to be able to close the case. 713 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:46,759 Speaker 1: We don't believe they made it very far past the 714 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 1: convenience store, and they certainly never got on a bus 715 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 1: and went to school again. My question is how do 716 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: two teen girls just disappear at the same time. I mean, 717 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 1: it would be very diff the cult to control two 718 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,520 Speaker 1: teen girls that don't want to get in your vehicle 719 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: or don't want to go with you from the convenience 720 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 1: store to their home, to my understanding, is less than 721 00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: a mile. And at that time it would have still 722 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:19,640 Speaker 1: been daylight outside. So how in broad daylight did two 723 00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:24,279 Speaker 1: girls on a very busy street get dragged into a 724 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:28,880 Speaker 1: car by a random kidnapper? It says to me, it 725 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 1: had to bait somebody that they knew. What about that, 726 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,400 Speaker 1: Laura Norton, I think that's the most likely scenario. The 727 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 1: only other and less likely option. There was a serial 728 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 1: rapist operating in the neighborhood at the time. Who was Washington, Yes, ma'am, 729 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 1: and take George sorry, Joseph Patrick Washington, and he was 730 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: taking people off the street busy times a day with 731 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:52,480 Speaker 1: a gun. But once again, as you say to people, 732 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 1: so the most likely scenario is it would be someone 733 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,440 Speaker 1: that they knew. Um, they did not take rides from strangers, 734 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,279 Speaker 1: They were not hitchhikers. Now with Washington, would this have 735 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:07,400 Speaker 1: been his emo? Compared to victims? Time of day a Sunday, 736 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 1: And weren't the victims found with Washington as opposed to 737 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 1: Dinette Janette never found. Well, it kind of was across 738 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,680 Speaker 1: the board. They would have been in the victim pool 739 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 1: in a large and broadway. They were a little younger. 740 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:23,640 Speaker 1: Um the time of day was a little later. But 741 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 1: some of Washington's victims were found where he left them. 742 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:29,400 Speaker 1: But a few people were found fairly far away. But 743 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 1: you're right, as far as we know, they were found 744 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 1: questioned back to Shaunte Star just as sister of the 745 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:38,480 Speaker 1: missing girls, Dannette and Jeanette mill Brooks. I know that 746 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 1: you finally took it over from your mother because she 747 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:46,840 Speaker 1: was just exhausted with trying to get the police to 748 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 1: act in this case, and that you call them, call them, 749 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:56,000 Speaker 1: call them incessantly until a sheriff finally agrees to look 750 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 1: into it. Only discovered the case has been closed for years. 751 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:03,240 Speaker 1: When you would call them, Shunte, when you would call place, 752 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 1: what would they say to you? Crazy stuff that wasn't true. 753 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:09,560 Speaker 1: My call down there a couple of times. They told 754 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:12,240 Speaker 1: me my mom kids head got taken away from them. 755 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: I needed to call defects office to find out information 756 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 1: from Well, that wasn't true because you were there with 757 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,160 Speaker 1: your mother and the other all the eight brothers and sisters. 758 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,480 Speaker 1: They were not taken away and there have been no 759 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,439 Speaker 1: claims of child protective services in that home. I can't 760 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,760 Speaker 1: believe one of them even said that. Okay, what else? 761 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 1: After called? I did what they said? I called Defects. 762 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,280 Speaker 1: Defects told me to call Falster Home um they probably 763 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: was adopted out of something they gave me on phone them, 764 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,960 Speaker 1: and to call some adoption agency that was in Atlanta, Georgia. 765 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:45,719 Speaker 1: I called that adopted ation. They told me, well, I 766 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:47,440 Speaker 1: don't know what they would Why would they tell you 767 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: to call us because we wouldn't be able to give 768 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 1: you any information in the way if they did. But 769 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: they told me because I was the sister or the 770 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:57,000 Speaker 1: only way they would give me information is that I 771 00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:59,800 Speaker 1: felt that paperwork and they was gonna mad the paperwork 772 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 1: to of me, which they did, but I never filled 773 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,200 Speaker 1: it out and sent it back because I really know 774 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:07,680 Speaker 1: what was the stated wasn't true. Wait, let me understand 775 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:11,000 Speaker 1: what you're saying. Are you telling me Chante police told 776 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: you to call an adoption agency like your teen sisters 777 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:19,720 Speaker 1: were adopted that day? The police told me to call Defects, 778 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:22,839 Speaker 1: they said, because they're from their recollection. But they're saying 779 00:45:22,880 --> 00:45:25,279 Speaker 1: the case file was closed. Now they they have them 780 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,759 Speaker 1: in the foul But from whatever he was seeing, the 781 00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:31,359 Speaker 1: guy that I talked to, I don't know his name, 782 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 1: but he told me from what he was seeing that 783 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:37,880 Speaker 1: my mom kids had got taken away. Maybe, um, they 784 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,920 Speaker 1: you called the defects office because they probably by now 785 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,239 Speaker 1: they're probably been adopted out because they had been so 786 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:46,239 Speaker 1: many years, from nineteen nine to the time that I 787 00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:51,160 Speaker 1: started looking for them. Oh oh oh, that's killing me. 788 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:57,000 Speaker 1: That's killing me, Brook Hargrove. She's trying to find her sisters, 789 00:45:57,239 --> 00:46:00,880 Speaker 1: and police say called defects. They all know that children 790 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 1: are in the home, The other eight children are in 791 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:06,200 Speaker 1: the home. They know that children have not been removed 792 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 1: from the home, and then they suggest defacts suggests the 793 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: girls were adopted. That's ridiculous. Absolutely, Even if children have 794 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:19,359 Speaker 1: been removed from the home and attempted to be adopted out, 795 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:24,239 Speaker 1: the biological mother has to sign paperwork terminating her parental rights, 796 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:27,800 Speaker 1: which of course Shaunte's mother never did. It's totally absurd. 797 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:32,320 Speaker 1: I don't understand why they would even say that. So, Shaunte, 798 00:46:32,719 --> 00:46:36,360 Speaker 1: you know, de Facts Department Family Children's Services and we 799 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:39,920 Speaker 1: have confirmed this was never called to the home. The 800 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:43,840 Speaker 1: children were not put up for adoption, and the fact 801 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:47,719 Speaker 1: that they would say this is another black eye to 802 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:50,480 Speaker 1: the police. Why would they have said that instead of 803 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: saying talking to you about the investigation, shanty exactly what 804 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:59,879 Speaker 1: I indeed, further my widening, y'all give her a chain 805 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 1: to get her keys back. If y'all field that the 806 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: ending of the keys was in danger, why y'all left 807 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:07,480 Speaker 1: the other keys and just took two keys out of 808 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: the home. I said, that doesn't make any sense, sir, Well, 809 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,080 Speaker 1: it's all a big lie because we know the current 810 00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:17,520 Speaker 1: sheriff has reopened a missing person possible homicide case. So 811 00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,560 Speaker 1: that's totally a lie. That brings me to my question, 812 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: Laura Norton, why the lie? Well, I think that this 813 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,640 Speaker 1: is a long culture of apathy and incompetence. And when 814 00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:30,799 Speaker 1: we speak to the adoption case, there was someone in 815 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: the system with a similar last name. There was not 816 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:36,799 Speaker 1: enough effort put into checking that to look at the 817 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,720 Speaker 1: first name and see, of course it's not the twins 818 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 1: um And I really think in this case, although it 819 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:46,840 Speaker 1: seems horrible and unbelievable, it has simply been a long 820 00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: string of incompetence, apathy, and not caring about young poor 821 00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:55,680 Speaker 1: girls of color. In Augusta, Georgia Chantey questioned, do you 822 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:00,480 Speaker 1: believe your sisters are alive at this point? I'm as sure. 823 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:04,160 Speaker 1: I want to believe they are. I always had hope 824 00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:07,600 Speaker 1: all these years that they are, but right now I'm 825 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 1: not sure. Years and years, like almost thirty years now, 826 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:14,560 Speaker 1: and we still haven't founded anything. And I think he 827 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:17,360 Speaker 1: had to share the department did something back then in 828 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:19,839 Speaker 1: nineteen nine, and we probably won't be where we were, 829 00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 1: probably know something by now. But I never give up. 830 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:25,840 Speaker 1: I said, I keep on going and keep going until 831 00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 1: we can at least find something out because somebody out 832 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:34,440 Speaker 1: there's no they just disappeared. You nobody know anything. And 833 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 1: I got contact and then on Facebook by Brooke and Loura, 834 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:43,480 Speaker 1: and from that point on they've been doing the investigation. 835 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:47,319 Speaker 1: It has been the police department. So I think if 836 00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:50,920 Speaker 1: had I they contacted me, we're still back to be 837 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,840 Speaker 1: back in nineteen nine, which I still feel like we 838 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:58,600 Speaker 1: are because they still ain't doing anything. Brooke Hargrove, one 839 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:01,480 Speaker 1: of the producers of Falling podcast along with Laura Norton, 840 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:05,799 Speaker 1: with us Now Michael Wheeland, host of the Unresolved podcast, 841 00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:10,399 Speaker 1: Brooke Hargrove. I understand an investigator agreed to meet with 842 00:49:10,480 --> 00:49:14,239 Speaker 1: you after you uncovered new leads, but on the condition 843 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: they don't you don't discuss the case, and you were 844 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:21,279 Speaker 1: not allowed to ask any questions. The family could come, 845 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:24,360 Speaker 1: but only if they asked no questions. Is that true? 846 00:49:25,040 --> 00:49:28,560 Speaker 1: That's true? And unfortunately when we did show up for 847 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:32,279 Speaker 1: the meeting, it was myself and Laura and Shanty and 848 00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:35,759 Speaker 1: her mother, Miss Louise. Once we showed up, we were 849 00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 1: told there were too many people that only two people 850 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:42,200 Speaker 1: would be allowed to attend the meeting, so I had 851 00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:46,040 Speaker 1: to go in and make the evidence presentation. Shanta went 852 00:49:46,080 --> 00:49:48,720 Speaker 1: in because she's been heading the case since age nineteen, 853 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,520 Speaker 1: and Miss Louise, who had never had an in person 854 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:57,399 Speaker 1: meeting about her children's case since nineteen ever she's never 855 00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:00,880 Speaker 1: had one ever, was made to sit in the lobby 856 00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:03,799 Speaker 1: and wait while this meeting took place. I just don't 857 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,480 Speaker 1: even know what to say to that, Brook, How horrible 858 00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: it is. Brooke, You on behalf of fall Line podcast 859 00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 1: have developed new leads? What are they? We have several, Nancy. 860 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:21,200 Speaker 1: We started first looking into the Joseph Patrick Washington connection 861 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:25,760 Speaker 1: because his victim profile is very similar to Jeanette and Janette. 862 00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:29,160 Speaker 1: There have also been some Jane Does recovered in the Aiken, 863 00:50:29,239 --> 00:50:33,320 Speaker 1: South Carolina area, which is very close geographically to Augusta. 864 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:36,719 Speaker 1: They're kind of like sister cities. One of them, Shauntey, 865 00:50:36,800 --> 00:50:40,280 Speaker 1: saw a reconstruction on the news in the I believe 866 00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:43,359 Speaker 1: late nineties, and she thought to herself, my goodness, that 867 00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 1: person looks so much like Jeannette. She called Richmond County 868 00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:50,680 Speaker 1: she said, I just saw Jane Doe reconstruction on the news. 869 00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:53,120 Speaker 1: Looks like my sister. They said, oh no, that that 870 00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:55,879 Speaker 1: wasn't the twins, although they could never explain to her 871 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:58,080 Speaker 1: how they came to that conclusion because they didn't have 872 00:50:58,120 --> 00:51:03,160 Speaker 1: any materials for testing until when they reopened the case. 873 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:06,800 Speaker 1: We were able to contact the corner in Aiken County, 874 00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:12,000 Speaker 1: South Carolina, and he is currently running a comparison between 875 00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:16,319 Speaker 1: that Jane Doe, who is still unclaimed and Jeanette. We're 876 00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,600 Speaker 1: waiting on results. To Michael Wheelan, what do you make 877 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,920 Speaker 1: of it at the moment, just really hard to overlook, 878 00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:25,960 Speaker 1: you know, how many leads there were, how many suspects 879 00:51:25,960 --> 00:51:28,839 Speaker 1: that police should have investigated, but they spent twenty three 880 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,160 Speaker 1: years not following up on any of them. There were 881 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: so many different, you know, serial offenders that lived in 882 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:37,560 Speaker 1: the surrounding area, and none of them were really investigated. 883 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:41,320 Speaker 1: Right now, I'm looking at some cases from around the 884 00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:45,200 Speaker 1: vicinity of where the twins lived, and it's, like you said, 885 00:51:45,239 --> 00:51:47,839 Speaker 1: it's just hard not to get frustrated with how much 886 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:50,399 Speaker 1: is out there to be investigated and police did none 887 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:54,880 Speaker 1: of it. To Laura Norton, what is your fall line? Podcast? 888 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,440 Speaker 1: Tip line? Our tip line is that four zero four 889 00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:05,240 Speaker 1: five nine zero two and Michael Wheeling with the Unresolved podcast, Michael, 890 00:52:05,600 --> 00:52:08,000 Speaker 1: do you have a tipline? What is it? Yes? I do. 891 00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:13,680 Speaker 1: It is one two zero zero three five zero. I 892 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:18,400 Speaker 1: strongly believe that the FBI needs to be involved in 893 00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:24,440 Speaker 1: this disappearance and the investigation of what went wrong within 894 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:31,279 Speaker 1: the Richmond County Sheriff's office Chante Sturgis, I was contented 895 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,160 Speaker 1: by my mom and they told her they couldn't do 896 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:37,640 Speaker 1: anything to help her because the origin to investigator see it, 897 00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:39,759 Speaker 1: they had been found. Well, you know what, since that's 898 00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:44,600 Speaker 1: not true, maybe they can reconsider Nancy Grace crime stories. 899 00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:47,360 Speaker 1: Signing off, goodbye friend,