1 00:00:08,245 --> 00:00:16,445 Speaker 1: School of Humans. On Sunday, October seventeenth, twenty twenty one, 2 00:00:16,925 --> 00:00:19,605 Speaker 1: a thirty nine year old mother of one named Heidi 3 00:00:19,685 --> 00:00:23,045 Speaker 1: Plank was starting her day. Heidi was leaving her rented 4 00:00:23,125 --> 00:00:26,125 Speaker 1: townhouse on the west side of Los Angeles near Culver City. 5 00:00:27,205 --> 00:00:29,245 Speaker 1: She was on her way to watch her eleven year 6 00:00:29,285 --> 00:00:32,965 Speaker 1: old son Bond play football. Heidi, by the way, was 7 00:00:33,005 --> 00:00:36,165 Speaker 1: a huge James Bond fan, so that's how she chose 8 00:00:36,205 --> 00:00:39,125 Speaker 1: her son's and her dog's names based on the Double 9 00:00:39,125 --> 00:00:41,645 Speaker 1: O seven theme. So her son was Bond and her 10 00:00:41,725 --> 00:00:46,365 Speaker 1: labradoodle was seven like Double oh seven. Surveillance camera footage 11 00:00:46,365 --> 00:00:48,965 Speaker 1: from outside Heidie's house showed her walking out the door. 12 00:00:49,325 --> 00:00:51,685 Speaker 1: She was dressed in jeans and a white T shirt 13 00:00:51,725 --> 00:00:54,445 Speaker 1: with a smiley face on it. She had a sweater 14 00:00:54,605 --> 00:00:56,845 Speaker 1: tied around her waist and it was described in the 15 00:00:56,845 --> 00:00:59,125 Speaker 1: media as gray, but it was actually more like a 16 00:00:59,205 --> 00:01:03,325 Speaker 1: grayish color, kind of a gray beige. Heidie was petite, 17 00:01:03,485 --> 00:01:05,805 Speaker 1: she had long blonde hair. She was he was five 18 00:01:05,885 --> 00:01:08,765 Speaker 1: foot three and was carrying a purse with her. She 19 00:01:08,885 --> 00:01:12,365 Speaker 1: was holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and seven, 20 00:01:12,485 --> 00:01:16,205 Speaker 1: her dog, was on his leash walking behind her. She 21 00:01:16,325 --> 00:01:18,685 Speaker 1: put seven in the car and climbed behind the wheel 22 00:01:18,685 --> 00:01:21,245 Speaker 1: of the silver range Rover with a license plate U 23 00:01:21,325 --> 00:01:26,525 Speaker 1: eight four zero XO, and drove away. Heidi was divorced 24 00:01:26,525 --> 00:01:29,365 Speaker 1: from Bond's father. Her ex husband, a sixty three year 25 00:01:29,365 --> 00:01:32,765 Speaker 1: old hairstylist named Jim Wayne. Jim had a salon in 26 00:01:32,805 --> 00:01:36,605 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills. Jim and Heidi were married in two thousand 27 00:01:36,645 --> 00:01:39,965 Speaker 1: and eight, but they divorced four years later, and at 28 00:01:39,965 --> 00:01:42,725 Speaker 1: the time Heidi went missing, they shared custody of Bond. 29 00:01:43,565 --> 00:01:46,405 Speaker 1: Jim told police that the last time he saw Heidi 30 00:01:46,605 --> 00:01:48,765 Speaker 1: was when she showed up to her son's football game 31 00:01:48,765 --> 00:01:51,645 Speaker 1: that afternoon. The game, by the way, was in Downy, 32 00:01:51,725 --> 00:01:54,765 Speaker 1: which was around seventeen miles from Heidie's home, so it 33 00:01:54,765 --> 00:01:56,885 Speaker 1: would have taken her around half an hour to get 34 00:01:56,885 --> 00:02:00,845 Speaker 1: there from the townhouse. Several witnesses saw Heidi at that 35 00:02:00,925 --> 00:02:05,045 Speaker 1: game and interacted with her. Jim said that she seemed 36 00:02:05,085 --> 00:02:07,325 Speaker 1: a little bit on edge when she left the game 37 00:02:07,365 --> 00:02:10,725 Speaker 1: at halftime, which was around four thirty PM, but there 38 00:02:10,805 --> 00:02:13,525 Speaker 1: was nothing that seemed extremely out of the ordinary until 39 00:02:13,565 --> 00:02:16,605 Speaker 1: they were looking at these events in hindsight. It was 40 00:02:16,725 --> 00:02:20,045 Speaker 1: Jim's weekend with Bond, so Jim and Bond went home 41 00:02:20,085 --> 00:02:24,125 Speaker 1: after the game. Heidi and Jim got along well. Even 42 00:02:24,165 --> 00:02:26,645 Speaker 1: though there had been some rocky moments in their divorce, 43 00:02:27,245 --> 00:02:30,445 Speaker 1: they apparently had had a good co parenting relationship for 44 00:02:30,485 --> 00:02:34,005 Speaker 1: several years. When Heidi left the game, she told her 45 00:02:34,005 --> 00:02:36,645 Speaker 1: son that she would call him later, But even though 46 00:02:36,725 --> 00:02:40,365 Speaker 1: Heidi always talked to her son every single day, she 47 00:02:40,525 --> 00:02:43,925 Speaker 1: never called him. In fact, Bond never talked to his 48 00:02:43,965 --> 00:02:49,605 Speaker 1: mother again because that day Heidi Plank vanished, and after 49 00:02:49,685 --> 00:02:52,645 Speaker 1: she disappeared, it did not take long for rumors to 50 00:02:52,685 --> 00:02:56,285 Speaker 1: start flying about her ex husband Jim, about her boss, 51 00:02:56,365 --> 00:02:59,845 Speaker 1: Jason Sugarman, about her boss's links to big money and 52 00:02:59,965 --> 00:03:03,205 Speaker 1: powerful people in Los Angeles. In fact, to me, when 53 00:03:03,245 --> 00:03:05,885 Speaker 1: I first saw Heidi on the news and I about 54 00:03:05,925 --> 00:03:09,365 Speaker 1: this case, it seemed like a real life version of 55 00:03:09,405 --> 00:03:13,605 Speaker 1: the movie Chinatown. It's now been over two years since 56 00:03:13,645 --> 00:03:16,965 Speaker 1: Heidi plant disappeared. There's been no sign of Heidi and 57 00:03:17,045 --> 00:03:20,205 Speaker 1: no sign of her body. All we have are some 58 00:03:20,365 --> 00:03:24,605 Speaker 1: rumors about an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles and 59 00:03:24,685 --> 00:03:29,885 Speaker 1: a devastated little boy without a mother. I'm Catherine Townsend. 60 00:03:30,325 --> 00:03:32,045 Speaker 1: If you have a case you'd like me and my 61 00:03:32,085 --> 00:03:34,405 Speaker 1: team to look into, you can reach out to us 62 00:03:34,445 --> 00:03:36,845 Speaker 1: at our Helen Gone Murder line at six seven eight 63 00:03:37,045 --> 00:03:41,005 Speaker 1: seven four four six one four five. That's six seven 64 00:03:41,045 --> 00:03:45,365 Speaker 1: eight seven four four six one four five. This is 65 00:03:45,445 --> 00:04:20,885 Speaker 1: Helen Gone Murder Line. Heidi Plank was originally from New 66 00:04:20,925 --> 00:04:23,925 Speaker 1: York State. She was born and raised in Buffalo. In 67 00:04:23,925 --> 00:04:26,725 Speaker 1: two thousand and one, she moved to California and went 68 00:04:26,725 --> 00:04:31,165 Speaker 1: to California State University. Before we dive into Heidie's work life, 69 00:04:31,285 --> 00:04:33,805 Speaker 1: I want to follow the natural trajectory of the police 70 00:04:33,805 --> 00:04:36,845 Speaker 1: investigation and take a look at her relationship with her 71 00:04:36,845 --> 00:04:41,885 Speaker 1: ex husband, Jim, because, as we all know, in any investigation, 72 00:04:42,045 --> 00:04:45,485 Speaker 1: and especially if there is a contentious divorce, police are 73 00:04:45,565 --> 00:04:49,725 Speaker 1: always looking at x'es. I actually did an episode of 74 00:04:49,765 --> 00:04:54,045 Speaker 1: another podcast called Blood Money, it's about white collar criminals 75 00:04:54,085 --> 00:04:57,085 Speaker 1: and con artists who kill about this case back in 76 00:04:57,085 --> 00:04:59,925 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, so I want to take a look 77 00:04:59,965 --> 00:05:04,165 Speaker 1: at what has changed since then. So of course police 78 00:05:04,205 --> 00:05:06,885 Speaker 1: want to know about Heidie's relationship with her ex husband. 79 00:05:07,565 --> 00:05:11,285 Speaker 1: Jim and Heidi seem to have a friendly relationship, but 80 00:05:11,565 --> 00:05:14,765 Speaker 1: according to court records, they had had some issues over 81 00:05:14,805 --> 00:05:18,365 Speaker 1: the years. Court filing show they had had a battle 82 00:05:18,405 --> 00:05:21,765 Speaker 1: for custody in the past, and at one point Jim 83 00:05:21,885 --> 00:05:25,125 Speaker 1: had full custody of their son, and Jim had accused 84 00:05:25,165 --> 00:05:28,965 Speaker 1: Heidie of drug abuse. Jim also made some comments to 85 00:05:29,005 --> 00:05:32,085 Speaker 1: the media after Heidi went missing about how they had 86 00:05:32,125 --> 00:05:35,725 Speaker 1: what he called different parenting styles. He said something about 87 00:05:35,765 --> 00:05:39,125 Speaker 1: how Heidi was more permissive than he was, which did 88 00:05:39,205 --> 00:05:41,765 Speaker 1: lead a lot of people to wonder what was going 89 00:05:41,765 --> 00:05:44,965 Speaker 1: on at home to make him say that. But in 90 00:05:44,965 --> 00:05:48,125 Speaker 1: addition to Jim's movements all week and long being confirmed 91 00:05:48,125 --> 00:05:51,085 Speaker 1: by police, everyone who was close to Heidi said that 92 00:05:51,125 --> 00:05:54,285 Speaker 1: her relationship with Jim had been good for some time. 93 00:05:55,085 --> 00:05:58,165 Speaker 1: The last text between Jim and Heidi were not contentious. 94 00:05:58,725 --> 00:06:01,525 Speaker 1: They were warm. Heidi was thanking Jim for all that 95 00:06:01,565 --> 00:06:04,925 Speaker 1: he did for their son. Jim told police that he 96 00:06:05,005 --> 00:06:07,685 Speaker 1: and his son last heard from Heidi at around seven 97 00:06:07,725 --> 00:06:11,965 Speaker 1: pm that night, October seventeenth. Heidi had responded to one 98 00:06:11,965 --> 00:06:15,445 Speaker 1: of her son's texts about the football game. Heidie's son 99 00:06:15,565 --> 00:06:17,965 Speaker 1: sent another text a little while later, talking about a 100 00:06:17,965 --> 00:06:22,725 Speaker 1: play he made, but this time Heidi didn't respond. In fact, 101 00:06:23,325 --> 00:06:26,445 Speaker 1: that was the last time that Heidie's son ever heard 102 00:06:26,445 --> 00:06:29,725 Speaker 1: from her. Jim and his son were worried for the 103 00:06:29,765 --> 00:06:33,925 Speaker 1: rest of the weekend, but Heidi was obviously an adult. 104 00:06:34,005 --> 00:06:36,285 Speaker 1: She was single and dating and had her own life. 105 00:06:36,885 --> 00:06:40,645 Speaker 1: Jim told reporters, though, that Heidi never failed to respond 106 00:06:40,645 --> 00:06:43,085 Speaker 1: to her son, no matter what was going on in 107 00:06:43,125 --> 00:06:46,245 Speaker 1: her personal life or how busy she was, she always 108 00:06:46,285 --> 00:06:50,445 Speaker 1: made time for him. Actually looking at the court records 109 00:06:50,445 --> 00:06:53,885 Speaker 1: that document the text messages that Heidie's son sent to 110 00:06:53,965 --> 00:06:58,925 Speaker 1: her is heartbreaking. On October eighteenth, at seven thirty one pm, 111 00:06:59,285 --> 00:07:02,485 Speaker 1: Heidi's son wrote in a text message, can you please 112 00:07:02,565 --> 00:07:04,765 Speaker 1: call me back? I called you two days in a 113 00:07:04,885 --> 00:07:09,885 Speaker 1: row and you haven't picked up. By Monday morning, Jim 114 00:07:09,965 --> 00:07:13,365 Speaker 1: and his son still had not heard from Heidi. That afternoon, 115 00:07:13,525 --> 00:07:16,965 Speaker 1: Heidie's son texted again, please call or just text me 116 00:07:17,005 --> 00:07:19,045 Speaker 1: because I want to make sure you're okay and I'm 117 00:07:19,045 --> 00:07:22,165 Speaker 1: worried about you. Then he sent another text that read, 118 00:07:22,725 --> 00:07:25,845 Speaker 1: please call mom. I miss you and I'm worried about you. 119 00:07:29,045 --> 00:07:32,125 Speaker 1: The next day, October twentieth, was the day when Heidi 120 00:07:32,285 --> 00:07:34,525 Speaker 1: was supposed to pick her son up at school, but 121 00:07:34,645 --> 00:07:39,885 Speaker 1: she never showed up. Jim reported Heidi missing. At some point, 122 00:07:40,005 --> 00:07:42,285 Speaker 1: he went into Heidie's townhouse with a friend of hers. 123 00:07:42,725 --> 00:07:46,445 Speaker 1: They found Heidi's work laptop there and her work phone. 124 00:07:46,565 --> 00:07:49,805 Speaker 1: Jim took the laptop and the phone. Now he did 125 00:07:49,885 --> 00:07:52,845 Speaker 1: turn over the laptop and phone to law enforcement, but 126 00:07:52,925 --> 00:07:55,445 Speaker 1: apparently it took a few days. And at the time, 127 00:07:55,565 --> 00:07:58,045 Speaker 1: a lot of people on online comment boards are of 128 00:07:58,125 --> 00:08:00,845 Speaker 1: course asking if he's so worried about her, why would 129 00:08:00,885 --> 00:08:05,165 Speaker 1: he wait. But Heidi was an adult, so she probably 130 00:08:05,205 --> 00:08:08,845 Speaker 1: was not an immediate priority for the police. And of course, 131 00:08:08,925 --> 00:08:13,325 Speaker 1: in every missing person's investigation, every single decision anyone makes 132 00:08:13,365 --> 00:08:17,525 Speaker 1: is under a microscope. But in my opinion, and according 133 00:08:17,525 --> 00:08:20,165 Speaker 1: to all evidence that has come out, Jim Wayne was 134 00:08:20,205 --> 00:08:24,005 Speaker 1: totally believable, and Jim, to his credit, immediately went to 135 00:08:24,045 --> 00:08:27,365 Speaker 1: the police. As we've said, Heidi was an adult. So 136 00:08:27,525 --> 00:08:30,565 Speaker 1: if Jim had any reason to want to wait so 137 00:08:30,605 --> 00:08:33,645 Speaker 1: the investigation would not start immediately, he probably could have, 138 00:08:34,325 --> 00:08:36,405 Speaker 1: but that's not what he did. He went to her house, 139 00:08:36,445 --> 00:08:39,645 Speaker 1: he told friends he was calling people. He immediately called 140 00:08:39,685 --> 00:08:43,165 Speaker 1: the police. He insisted that they investigate, and he commented 141 00:08:43,165 --> 00:08:47,325 Speaker 1: to the media. Police talked to Heidi's family. Her mom 142 00:08:47,405 --> 00:08:50,285 Speaker 1: told them the same thing Jim had. Heidi had been 143 00:08:50,325 --> 00:08:53,765 Speaker 1: behaving normally. She was planning a vacation to New York 144 00:08:53,765 --> 00:08:56,845 Speaker 1: to visit her mom for Thanksgiving, so she was happy 145 00:08:56,845 --> 00:09:00,205 Speaker 1: and she was making future plans. Police figured out no 146 00:09:00,285 --> 00:09:05,485 Speaker 1: one had heard from Heidi at all since October seventeenth, 147 00:09:06,125 --> 00:09:10,765 Speaker 1: so they started asking logically about Heidie's love life. Now, 148 00:09:10,805 --> 00:09:14,165 Speaker 1: at that time, Heidi had been seeing someone who lived 149 00:09:14,205 --> 00:09:18,245 Speaker 1: in northern California. He was a Silicon Valley executive who 150 00:09:18,325 --> 00:09:22,005 Speaker 1: worked for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic arm of Facebook, 151 00:09:22,005 --> 00:09:25,765 Speaker 1: which is now Meta. Police tracked down Haidie's boyfriend, who, 152 00:09:25,765 --> 00:09:29,685 Speaker 1: by the way, was completely cooperative. He was verifiably somewhere 153 00:09:29,725 --> 00:09:31,765 Speaker 1: else on the day when Hidi went missing, and he 154 00:09:31,845 --> 00:09:35,245 Speaker 1: was cleared very quickly by law enforcement. But this man 155 00:09:35,405 --> 00:09:38,765 Speaker 1: did tell the police something interesting. He said that Heidi 156 00:09:38,965 --> 00:09:41,325 Speaker 1: had sent him a text asking him to come down 157 00:09:41,365 --> 00:09:44,605 Speaker 1: to LA because she said she was afraid of something. 158 00:09:47,805 --> 00:09:50,165 Speaker 1: But this guy was unable to make the trip, so 159 00:09:50,365 --> 00:09:54,285 Speaker 1: actually he told police at first, after Heidie disappeared, he 160 00:09:54,365 --> 00:09:56,485 Speaker 1: thought that maybe she was annoyed with him for not 161 00:09:56,525 --> 00:09:59,205 Speaker 1: coming to LA, so maybe she was ghosting him. So 162 00:09:59,405 --> 00:10:03,205 Speaker 1: now the police kind of hit a dead end because 163 00:10:03,205 --> 00:10:05,205 Speaker 1: if this wasn't an X, then it wasn't a current. 164 00:10:05,205 --> 00:10:08,605 Speaker 1: Really relationship. Who else would have a motive to want 165 00:10:08,605 --> 00:10:13,245 Speaker 1: to hurt Heidi. Meanwhile, Jim Wayne, Heidie's ex husband, was 166 00:10:13,245 --> 00:10:17,085 Speaker 1: playing detective and tracking down his own leads. He got 167 00:10:17,085 --> 00:10:19,565 Speaker 1: the ven number for Heidie's Range Rover, but according to 168 00:10:19,605 --> 00:10:23,445 Speaker 1: court documents, her location services wasn't on. He tried to 169 00:10:23,485 --> 00:10:26,045 Speaker 1: find my phone feature on iPhone and Apple Watch, but 170 00:10:26,125 --> 00:10:29,485 Speaker 1: those had also been turned off. At this point, Jim 171 00:10:29,565 --> 00:10:31,845 Speaker 1: told the media he was starting to suspect this could 172 00:10:31,925 --> 00:10:34,765 Speaker 1: be something that was planned. He believed this was not 173 00:10:34,885 --> 00:10:37,765 Speaker 1: a random disappearance, and he mentioned the legal troubles that 174 00:10:37,885 --> 00:10:41,765 Speaker 1: Heidie's boss, Jason Sugarman, had been having. Then there was 175 00:10:41,805 --> 00:10:45,365 Speaker 1: another big break in the case. Jim checked the text 176 00:10:45,445 --> 00:10:47,885 Speaker 1: messages on Heidie's phone, the one he had access to, 177 00:10:48,445 --> 00:10:50,965 Speaker 1: and he found messages from a couple who lived in 178 00:10:51,005 --> 00:10:54,645 Speaker 1: a luxury building in downtown LA and this couple said 179 00:10:54,645 --> 00:11:04,725 Speaker 1: that they had Heidie's dog. The people who found seven 180 00:11:04,765 --> 00:11:07,565 Speaker 1: lived in the Hope Flower Building in downtown Los Angeles, 181 00:11:08,045 --> 00:11:11,325 Speaker 1: located at twelve oh one South Hope Street. We'll get 182 00:11:11,365 --> 00:11:13,325 Speaker 1: into the history of the building in a little bit, 183 00:11:13,365 --> 00:11:17,325 Speaker 1: but basically it's one of these luxury downtown high rises 184 00:11:17,365 --> 00:11:19,365 Speaker 1: that have sprung up over the last couple decades in 185 00:11:19,405 --> 00:11:22,885 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. It bills itself as a luxury high rise 186 00:11:23,005 --> 00:11:26,405 Speaker 1: with rooftop views and a lot of amenities. But a 187 00:11:26,445 --> 00:11:29,845 Speaker 1: lot of residents have complained over the years that the 188 00:11:29,965 --> 00:11:34,485 Speaker 1: developers have neglected this building, that there's trash in the hallways, 189 00:11:34,805 --> 00:11:38,525 Speaker 1: dog poop everywhere, and management that is unresponsive. And I'm 190 00:11:38,565 --> 00:11:40,525 Speaker 1: not talking about just a couple of complaints. If you 191 00:11:40,565 --> 00:11:43,725 Speaker 1: look at yelper views, there are hundreds of complaints on 192 00:11:43,805 --> 00:11:46,845 Speaker 1: there from current and former tenants. So there's something strange 193 00:11:46,885 --> 00:11:50,805 Speaker 1: going on in that building in my opinion. But getting 194 00:11:50,885 --> 00:11:54,285 Speaker 1: back to Heidi, this couple said that around seven pm 195 00:11:54,365 --> 00:11:57,405 Speaker 1: on the evening of October seventeenth. Now remember this was 196 00:11:57,485 --> 00:12:00,005 Speaker 1: just a few hours after the game, and right after 197 00:12:00,085 --> 00:12:03,165 Speaker 1: Bond got that last text from Heidie's phone, they said 198 00:12:03,165 --> 00:12:06,205 Speaker 1: they found the dog seven roaming the hallway of that building. 199 00:12:06,805 --> 00:12:08,925 Speaker 1: Some reports said that the dog was on the twenty 200 00:12:09,005 --> 00:12:11,925 Speaker 1: ninth floor, others said the twenty eighth, but whichever it was, 201 00:12:12,165 --> 00:12:15,365 Speaker 1: Heidi was not with seven. Jim went to pick up 202 00:12:15,405 --> 00:12:17,565 Speaker 1: seven and brought him home. And since I know that 203 00:12:17,605 --> 00:12:19,845 Speaker 1: people will ask, and I'm also an animal lover, I 204 00:12:19,885 --> 00:12:22,165 Speaker 1: will tell you all right now, the dog is absolutely 205 00:12:22,205 --> 00:12:26,885 Speaker 1: fine and apparently doing well. So what was Heidi doing 206 00:12:26,885 --> 00:12:29,565 Speaker 1: at the Hope and Flower Building. Jim and her friends 207 00:12:29,645 --> 00:12:31,725 Speaker 1: said they weren't aware of anyone she knew in that 208 00:12:31,765 --> 00:12:35,085 Speaker 1: building or any connection she had there, And even stranger 209 00:12:35,125 --> 00:12:38,445 Speaker 1: than that, why would she leave her dog who went 210 00:12:38,565 --> 00:12:43,285 Speaker 1: everywhere with her roaming the hallways. According to news reports, 211 00:12:43,685 --> 00:12:47,765 Speaker 1: the building management Omni Property were kind of uncooperative at first, 212 00:12:48,085 --> 00:12:51,725 Speaker 1: but police got a search warrant and after that, Heidie's 213 00:12:51,765 --> 00:12:53,885 Speaker 1: friends and family said the building did give them the 214 00:12:53,925 --> 00:12:58,045 Speaker 1: access they needed and became more helpful. Meanwhile, some of 215 00:12:58,045 --> 00:13:00,365 Speaker 1: them were wondering if the thing that Heidi had been 216 00:13:00,445 --> 00:13:02,925 Speaker 1: afraid of could have been connected to her job and 217 00:13:03,005 --> 00:13:06,445 Speaker 1: her boss, forty eight year old Jason Sugarman. According to 218 00:13:06,485 --> 00:13:09,885 Speaker 1: Heidi's LinkedIn page, she worked for Coldwell Banker between two 219 00:13:09,885 --> 00:13:13,605 Speaker 1: thousand and five and twenty fifteen, then Douglas Element, so 220 00:13:13,685 --> 00:13:15,925 Speaker 1: she was working in real estate before she moved on 221 00:13:16,005 --> 00:13:18,965 Speaker 1: to her job at a company called Camden Capital Partners. 222 00:13:19,605 --> 00:13:23,045 Speaker 1: This was Jason Sugarman's company, and it's a company that 223 00:13:23,125 --> 00:13:26,885 Speaker 1: is described as quote an investment advisory firm that handles 224 00:13:26,925 --> 00:13:30,765 Speaker 1: wealth management and legacy planning for prominent high net worth individuals. 225 00:13:30,925 --> 00:13:34,805 Speaker 1: End quote. This could be completely legitimate. There are lots 226 00:13:34,805 --> 00:13:38,645 Speaker 1: of firms like this, but it's also very vague, and 227 00:13:38,765 --> 00:13:43,365 Speaker 1: Jason Sugarman would soon show up in more headlines. Jason 228 00:13:43,445 --> 00:13:45,885 Speaker 1: Sugarman is connected to a lot of people in power. 229 00:13:46,365 --> 00:13:48,525 Speaker 1: His father in law is Peter Gruber, the owner of 230 00:13:48,565 --> 00:13:52,925 Speaker 1: the Dodgers, and Jason was facing some serious legal issues, 231 00:13:53,165 --> 00:13:57,085 Speaker 1: including federal fraud charges. He was under investigation by the 232 00:13:57,085 --> 00:14:01,365 Speaker 1: Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the indictment, starting in 233 00:14:01,405 --> 00:14:05,885 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, Jason and his business partner Jason Galanis, stole 234 00:14:06,125 --> 00:14:09,245 Speaker 1: forty three million dollars from pension funds of a Native 235 00:14:09,245 --> 00:14:12,805 Speaker 1: American tribe of the Sioux Nation. These guys, who were 236 00:14:12,885 --> 00:14:15,765 Speaker 1: known in the press as the two Jasons, were apparently 237 00:14:15,805 --> 00:14:19,285 Speaker 1: trying to acquire this global financial conglomerate made up of 238 00:14:19,365 --> 00:14:22,405 Speaker 1: insurers in Europe and Bermuda, as well as some investment 239 00:14:22,445 --> 00:14:27,165 Speaker 1: advisors based in the United States. In twenty fourteen, Jason 240 00:14:27,165 --> 00:14:31,805 Speaker 1: Galanas and his father, John Galanis obtained tribal bonds. They 241 00:14:31,845 --> 00:14:34,365 Speaker 1: convinced the tribe they would sell them and use the 242 00:14:34,405 --> 00:14:38,085 Speaker 1: proceeds to invest in the tribe, but instead, according to 243 00:14:38,085 --> 00:14:41,645 Speaker 1: the authorities, they didn't. They just basically straight up stole 244 00:14:41,685 --> 00:14:44,765 Speaker 1: the money. And what's worse, this was not some kind 245 00:14:44,765 --> 00:14:46,925 Speaker 1: of Bernie made off type of scenario that started out 246 00:14:46,925 --> 00:14:50,605 Speaker 1: as a legitimate investment. According to the sec these guys 247 00:14:50,685 --> 00:14:53,325 Speaker 1: knew they were planning to steal right from the beginning. 248 00:14:54,125 --> 00:14:56,885 Speaker 1: So it's kind of a long and complicated story with 249 00:14:56,925 --> 00:15:00,245 Speaker 1: this money. But to sum it up, Jason Galanas and 250 00:15:00,325 --> 00:15:04,525 Speaker 1: Jason Sugarman were accused of stealing millions of dollars from 251 00:15:04,525 --> 00:15:07,805 Speaker 1: the Native American Trie Tribal Corporation and from these companies 252 00:15:07,845 --> 00:15:12,365 Speaker 1: they acquired. In January of twenty seventeen, Jason Galanis pled 253 00:15:12,405 --> 00:15:15,485 Speaker 1: guilty to criminal charges in connections with his fraud. He 254 00:15:15,645 --> 00:15:17,685 Speaker 1: was sentenced to one hundred and seventy three months in 255 00:15:17,765 --> 00:15:23,285 Speaker 1: jail the indictment read quote. Sugarman benefited immensely from the scheme. Indeed, 256 00:15:23,325 --> 00:15:25,485 Speaker 1: to a large extent, he was the biggest winner from 257 00:15:25,525 --> 00:15:28,845 Speaker 1: the fraud, ending up with voting control over corporate assets 258 00:15:28,845 --> 00:15:32,125 Speaker 1: that were acquired with bond proceeds and from which he 259 00:15:32,205 --> 00:15:35,445 Speaker 1: ultimately siphoned almost nine million dollars in cash for his 260 00:15:35,565 --> 00:15:39,405 Speaker 1: direct and personal benefit end quote. So we know Jason 261 00:15:39,405 --> 00:15:42,605 Speaker 1: Sugarman was accused of financial fraud. We also know that 262 00:15:42,645 --> 00:15:46,965 Speaker 1: he has powerful friends, including Hunter Biden. He even has 263 00:15:47,125 --> 00:15:51,605 Speaker 1: ties to Hunter Biden's now notorious Laptop of shame because 264 00:15:51,645 --> 00:15:54,685 Speaker 1: emails from that laptop, in addition to photos of Hunter 265 00:15:54,725 --> 00:15:58,525 Speaker 1: smoking crack and sex workers, reportedly showed that Jason was 266 00:15:58,525 --> 00:16:02,245 Speaker 1: a director and shareholder of a company called Burnham Financial Group. 267 00:16:03,525 --> 00:16:06,285 Speaker 1: If this name sounds familiar, that's because it's the same 268 00:16:06,325 --> 00:16:09,445 Speaker 1: group that allegedly pitched a major deal to Hunter's Chinese 269 00:16:09,485 --> 00:16:14,005 Speaker 1: business partners back in twenty fifteen. And one of Jason 270 00:16:14,045 --> 00:16:17,805 Speaker 1: Sugarman's partners who was also mentioned in that SEC indictment 271 00:16:17,845 --> 00:16:21,485 Speaker 1: is Devon Archer, the longtime friend and business partner of 272 00:16:21,565 --> 00:16:24,765 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden. Devon Archer, by the way, was convicted for 273 00:16:24,885 --> 00:16:27,685 Speaker 1: his involvement in that same tribal scam in twenty eighteen. 274 00:16:28,845 --> 00:16:31,925 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden's lawyer, by the way, has totally denied all this. 275 00:16:32,285 --> 00:16:34,205 Speaker 1: He said Hunter's client had nothing to do with the 276 00:16:34,285 --> 00:16:37,125 Speaker 1: Native American bond scheme and that the timing was just 277 00:16:37,125 --> 00:16:41,885 Speaker 1: a coincidence. According to the Sun newspaper, the lawyer said 278 00:16:41,965 --> 00:16:45,325 Speaker 1: Hunter's name had been used without his permission and that 279 00:16:45,405 --> 00:16:48,125 Speaker 1: he had taken steps to ensure that his business interests 280 00:16:48,165 --> 00:16:51,725 Speaker 1: were not associated with the defendants in the tribal bond case. 281 00:16:52,445 --> 00:16:54,565 Speaker 1: So what does all this have to do with Heidi Plank? 282 00:16:55,045 --> 00:16:57,685 Speaker 1: A woman who, by the way, had no background in 283 00:16:57,765 --> 00:17:01,485 Speaker 1: finance when she started working for Jason Sugarman's company. She 284 00:17:01,805 --> 00:17:04,885 Speaker 1: was the bookkeeper for that company. And then there's what 285 00:17:04,965 --> 00:17:08,765 Speaker 1: happened next Next. Jim Wayne said that on October twenty first, 286 00:17:09,205 --> 00:17:12,245 Speaker 1: right after Hiding went missing, he got a phone call 287 00:17:12,325 --> 00:17:15,485 Speaker 1: from someone at the SEC asking questions about Jason Sugarman. 288 00:17:16,725 --> 00:17:20,925 Speaker 1: And then it got even more bizarre. Because CBS Los 289 00:17:20,965 --> 00:17:24,405 Speaker 1: Angeles was following the story of Heidi Plank, they were 290 00:17:24,445 --> 00:17:27,405 Speaker 1: somehow able to acquire some surveillance video that had been 291 00:17:27,405 --> 00:17:31,925 Speaker 1: taken outside Heidie's house. There's video of Jason Sugarman, after 292 00:17:32,005 --> 00:17:35,845 Speaker 1: Hiding went missing, ringing her doorbell and then leaving muffins 293 00:17:35,885 --> 00:17:39,285 Speaker 1: on the doorstep. The news station says this video is 294 00:17:39,325 --> 00:17:41,565 Speaker 1: from a day or two after Hiding went missing. They 295 00:17:41,605 --> 00:17:44,285 Speaker 1: weren't more specific than that. But if you look at 296 00:17:44,285 --> 00:17:47,765 Speaker 1: this footage, it's odd because Jason walks up to the 297 00:17:47,805 --> 00:17:51,165 Speaker 1: door rings, the bell just once and then kind of 298 00:17:51,205 --> 00:17:53,925 Speaker 1: seems to PLoP the muffins down and then he's out 299 00:17:53,925 --> 00:17:57,085 Speaker 1: of there. He doesn't hesitate, he doesn't try to look inside. 300 00:17:57,605 --> 00:18:01,885 Speaker 1: So now I'm wondering, was he really expressing concern or 301 00:18:01,965 --> 00:18:03,605 Speaker 1: was he trying to make it look like he was 302 00:18:03,645 --> 00:18:06,925 Speaker 1: expressing concern and looking for Heidi. Was he going through 303 00:18:06,925 --> 00:18:09,885 Speaker 1: the motions so that he would appear on camera, or 304 00:18:10,365 --> 00:18:15,005 Speaker 1: was Heidie's disappearance totally unconnected to him? But perhaps he 305 00:18:15,165 --> 00:18:17,405 Speaker 1: wanted to see if someone was there who would give 306 00:18:17,485 --> 00:18:20,045 Speaker 1: him that work laptop, which remember, was inside her house. 307 00:18:20,885 --> 00:18:23,165 Speaker 1: What did the SEC want to talk to Heidi about? 308 00:18:23,765 --> 00:18:26,845 Speaker 1: Heidi obviously is not here, so it's only speculation, but 309 00:18:27,365 --> 00:18:30,365 Speaker 1: she reportedly told friends and family that the company had 310 00:18:30,405 --> 00:18:33,885 Speaker 1: some tax filings that were due. She had complained that 311 00:18:34,125 --> 00:18:37,925 Speaker 1: her boss, presumably meaning Jason Sugarman, had her name on 312 00:18:38,005 --> 00:18:41,285 Speaker 1: so much of their corporate paperwork. Now, if this is true, 313 00:18:41,325 --> 00:18:45,325 Speaker 1: it's a major flag for fraud investigators. In fact, this 314 00:18:45,445 --> 00:18:47,845 Speaker 1: case seems to have a lot of red flags for 315 00:18:47,925 --> 00:18:51,325 Speaker 1: potential fraud investigators, including the fact that Heidi was the 316 00:18:51,365 --> 00:18:54,485 Speaker 1: person being asked to sign off on these complex transactions. 317 00:18:55,605 --> 00:18:59,325 Speaker 1: Jim Wayne told the media that after Hiding went missing, 318 00:18:59,525 --> 00:19:02,725 Speaker 1: he called her office. He said that Jason didn't seem 319 00:19:02,765 --> 00:19:05,325 Speaker 1: like he was worried about Heidi or what happened to 320 00:19:05,325 --> 00:19:09,045 Speaker 1: her at all, but he did say Jason Sugarman was 321 00:19:09,285 --> 00:19:12,405 Speaker 1: very worried about that work laptop. Remember this was the 322 00:19:12,445 --> 00:19:16,045 Speaker 1: work laptop that had been inside Heidie's house. Jim had 323 00:19:16,085 --> 00:19:18,125 Speaker 1: taken it out of there and later handed it over 324 00:19:18,165 --> 00:19:22,845 Speaker 1: to police. Jim Wayne told the Daily Mail, quote, while 325 00:19:22,845 --> 00:19:24,605 Speaker 1: I was on the phone with his assistant, I heard 326 00:19:24,685 --> 00:19:27,245 Speaker 1: Sugarman in the background barking at his assistant to tell 327 00:19:27,245 --> 00:19:30,245 Speaker 1: me make sure he knows I want my laptop. There 328 00:19:30,285 --> 00:19:32,805 Speaker 1: was no concern at all from my ex wife's employer. 329 00:19:33,165 --> 00:19:36,205 Speaker 1: It's a multimillion dollar company. They didn't offer to hire 330 00:19:36,205 --> 00:19:39,445 Speaker 1: a private investigator or put up a reward. The only 331 00:19:39,565 --> 00:19:46,725 Speaker 1: thing they really seemed concerned about was Heidie's computer end quote. Again, 332 00:19:47,165 --> 00:19:51,645 Speaker 1: Heidie's job was financial controller for Camden Capital Partners, which 333 00:19:51,685 --> 00:19:54,165 Speaker 1: reportedly gave her a salary of one hundred and forty 334 00:19:54,205 --> 00:19:59,525 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars a year and bonuses, and Jim made 335 00:19:59,565 --> 00:20:03,165 Speaker 1: a comment he said she always had spare cash lying around. 336 00:20:04,845 --> 00:20:07,965 Speaker 1: Jim Wayne said that someone at Jason Sugarman's office had 337 00:20:07,965 --> 00:20:12,685 Speaker 1: told him they believed that Heidi was quote siphoning off 338 00:20:12,725 --> 00:20:17,925 Speaker 1: money from the company end quote. So, according to Jim Wayne, 339 00:20:18,205 --> 00:20:21,885 Speaker 1: someone at Jason Sugarman's office was allegedly implying that Heidi 340 00:20:22,045 --> 00:20:25,085 Speaker 1: might have embezzled funds. But when Jim talked to The 341 00:20:25,125 --> 00:20:28,925 Speaker 1: Daily Mail, he said he did not believe Heidi was 342 00:20:28,965 --> 00:20:30,445 Speaker 1: to blame at all, and he said if there was 343 00:20:30,485 --> 00:20:33,845 Speaker 1: any wrongdoing, it was from someone at that office, not her. 344 00:20:34,645 --> 00:20:37,845 Speaker 1: Jim said, quote, Heidi knows all of Jason's and the 345 00:20:37,845 --> 00:20:40,885 Speaker 1: company's secrets. She knows where the bones are buried. This 346 00:20:40,925 --> 00:20:43,805 Speaker 1: whole thing just stinks. Something just isn't right, and I 347 00:20:43,805 --> 00:20:48,085 Speaker 1: can't put my finger on it. End quote. After Hiding 348 00:20:48,125 --> 00:20:52,285 Speaker 1: went missing, Jim filed a petition for temporary emergency custody 349 00:20:52,325 --> 00:20:56,485 Speaker 1: of their son, and these court papers, in my mind, 350 00:20:56,605 --> 00:20:59,685 Speaker 1: provide further evidence that there was no motive for Jim 351 00:20:59,725 --> 00:21:03,005 Speaker 1: to do anything to Heidie, because, according to the court documents, 352 00:21:03,485 --> 00:21:07,045 Speaker 1: Jim and Heidi shared custody of their son, and Jim 353 00:21:07,165 --> 00:21:10,325 Speaker 1: did not pay Heidi any alimony or child support. He 354 00:21:10,365 --> 00:21:12,845 Speaker 1: had paid her a lump sum in twenty twelve and 355 00:21:12,965 --> 00:21:16,005 Speaker 1: nothing since then. So the bottom line is Jim Wayne 356 00:21:16,085 --> 00:21:18,925 Speaker 1: had no obvious financial motive to do anything to Heidi. 357 00:21:19,485 --> 00:21:21,765 Speaker 1: In fact, if he did do something to her, it 358 00:21:21,805 --> 00:21:23,885 Speaker 1: would ensure that he would never get the support that 359 00:21:23,925 --> 00:21:27,525 Speaker 1: he was asking for. Some people had suggested that Heidi 360 00:21:27,645 --> 00:21:29,885 Speaker 1: might have disappeared voluntarily, and we do have to look 361 00:21:29,885 --> 00:21:33,925 Speaker 1: at that possibility. According to court documents, in the past, 362 00:21:34,125 --> 00:21:37,645 Speaker 1: Jim had alleged Heidi had some mental health issues. He 363 00:21:37,845 --> 00:21:40,565 Speaker 1: said that she was addicted to adderall and had some 364 00:21:40,685 --> 00:21:44,245 Speaker 1: kind of breakdown. In twenty fifteen, Jim talked to Los 365 00:21:44,245 --> 00:21:47,725 Speaker 1: Angeles magazine about what happened that day. He said that 366 00:21:47,765 --> 00:21:50,485 Speaker 1: Heidi had begun acting strangely while they were driving back 367 00:21:50,485 --> 00:21:52,605 Speaker 1: to her house, that their son had been in the car, 368 00:21:53,005 --> 00:21:55,325 Speaker 1: and that after they got back to his place, Heidi 369 00:21:55,485 --> 00:21:58,965 Speaker 1: freaked out, trash Bond's room and crawled out a window. 370 00:21:59,605 --> 00:22:02,885 Speaker 1: Then he said, she started running through the neighborhood. Police 371 00:22:02,925 --> 00:22:05,805 Speaker 1: were called, and when they got there, they found Heidy 372 00:22:05,845 --> 00:22:09,765 Speaker 1: switching an electrical circuit breaker on and off. It seemed 373 00:22:09,805 --> 00:22:12,045 Speaker 1: like reading through these court papers, Heidi it had some 374 00:22:12,165 --> 00:22:15,285 Speaker 1: kind of a break with reality. According to court records, 375 00:22:15,605 --> 00:22:19,165 Speaker 1: Heidi agreed to check herself voluntarily into a psychiatric hospital. 376 00:22:20,085 --> 00:22:23,885 Speaker 1: But after that incident, Heidi got better. She got a job. 377 00:22:23,965 --> 00:22:26,925 Speaker 1: She started working for Camden Capital Partners, first as an 378 00:22:26,925 --> 00:22:30,205 Speaker 1: assistant and then by twenty seventeen, is the financial controller. 379 00:22:31,245 --> 00:22:34,725 Speaker 1: After the initial flurry of media activity, the case got 380 00:22:34,765 --> 00:22:38,245 Speaker 1: pretty quiet for a couple of months. Then on November fourth, 381 00:22:38,285 --> 00:22:42,325 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, police announced they had found Heidi's Range 382 00:22:42,405 --> 00:22:44,845 Speaker 1: Rover in the parking lot of a residential building that 383 00:22:44,965 --> 00:22:46,925 Speaker 1: was a few blocks away from the Hope and Flower 384 00:22:46,925 --> 00:22:51,405 Speaker 1: building where seven was found. And after that police announced 385 00:22:51,445 --> 00:22:55,285 Speaker 1: another break they had more video footage of Heidi, footage 386 00:22:55,325 --> 00:22:58,605 Speaker 1: that had been taken on that same day. On October seventeenth, 387 00:22:58,725 --> 00:23:02,765 Speaker 1: at around six thirty pm, hours after she left her 388 00:23:02,765 --> 00:23:06,565 Speaker 1: son's game, she was in downtown La walking in an 389 00:23:06,565 --> 00:23:09,885 Speaker 1: alley between eleventh and twelve Streets. This is the little 390 00:23:09,925 --> 00:23:12,765 Speaker 1: alleyway that runs behind the Hope and Flower building where 391 00:23:12,765 --> 00:23:16,125 Speaker 1: the dog was found. She appeared to be wearing the 392 00:23:16,165 --> 00:23:19,205 Speaker 1: same clothes and the sweater that she had been wearing earlier. 393 00:23:19,485 --> 00:23:23,325 Speaker 1: She was wearing thisweater she had had tied around her waist. 394 00:23:23,565 --> 00:23:26,325 Speaker 1: One of her friends told a local news station KTLA 395 00:23:26,805 --> 00:23:28,925 Speaker 1: that Heidi looked like she was taking her dog for 396 00:23:28,965 --> 00:23:32,085 Speaker 1: a quick walk. Now, there were some people out there 397 00:23:32,165 --> 00:23:35,365 Speaker 1: who said that Heidie's hair looked darker, like she was 398 00:23:35,405 --> 00:23:37,765 Speaker 1: wearing a wig. But I've looked at this footage and 399 00:23:37,885 --> 00:23:40,805 Speaker 1: to me, that appears to be just a late afternoon lighting. 400 00:23:40,965 --> 00:23:43,805 Speaker 1: It clearly looks like Heidi. She's wearing the same clothes 401 00:23:43,845 --> 00:23:46,525 Speaker 1: she was wearing that morning, and her dog is walking 402 00:23:46,565 --> 00:23:51,885 Speaker 1: with her. Heidie's friends told local news stations that this 403 00:23:52,045 --> 00:23:54,405 Speaker 1: was a major break in the case because if the 404 00:23:54,445 --> 00:23:57,085 Speaker 1: couple's timeline was correct and they had found the dog 405 00:23:57,165 --> 00:24:00,525 Speaker 1: roaming the halls at around seven pm, that narrowed down 406 00:24:00,565 --> 00:24:03,205 Speaker 1: the window of time when Heidi went missing to around 407 00:24:03,285 --> 00:24:06,925 Speaker 1: half an hour or so. In the surveillance video from 408 00:24:06,925 --> 00:24:09,565 Speaker 1: the alley, Heidie was wearing the same sweaters she had 409 00:24:09,605 --> 00:24:12,925 Speaker 1: tied around her waist earlier, so she probably went there 410 00:24:13,045 --> 00:24:16,525 Speaker 1: right after she left the game. Also, people who watched 411 00:24:16,525 --> 00:24:19,405 Speaker 1: the video pointed out you could see Heidie's purse, and 412 00:24:19,445 --> 00:24:21,245 Speaker 1: by the way, this was at the height of COVID, 413 00:24:21,685 --> 00:24:24,085 Speaker 1: she seemed to have a mask in one hand, which 414 00:24:24,125 --> 00:24:26,925 Speaker 1: meant that she was probably visiting someone in that building, 415 00:24:27,645 --> 00:24:30,965 Speaker 1: so it seemed like she either parked her car, took 416 00:24:31,045 --> 00:24:32,885 Speaker 1: her purse out, and was on her way up to 417 00:24:32,925 --> 00:24:36,205 Speaker 1: the building, or it's also possible she had been visiting 418 00:24:36,205 --> 00:24:39,445 Speaker 1: someone in the building, already left her purse in the apartment, 419 00:24:39,725 --> 00:24:43,325 Speaker 1: and ducked out for a quick dog walk. And again, 420 00:24:43,485 --> 00:24:47,005 Speaker 1: none of Heidie's friends or family had any idea who 421 00:24:47,085 --> 00:24:49,085 Speaker 1: lived in that building, who Heidie might have been going 422 00:24:49,125 --> 00:24:52,645 Speaker 1: to see, or what she was doing there. But another 423 00:24:52,685 --> 00:24:55,605 Speaker 1: one of Heide's friends told reporters they had talked to 424 00:24:55,645 --> 00:24:59,765 Speaker 1: building staff and apparently they recognized Heidi and her dog. 425 00:24:59,885 --> 00:25:03,805 Speaker 1: Seven Attention focused more and more on the Hope and 426 00:25:03,885 --> 00:25:07,045 Speaker 1: Flower Building, the last place where Heidi was seen alive. 427 00:25:15,645 --> 00:25:18,485 Speaker 1: As I said before, this, Hope and Flower Building was 428 00:25:18,725 --> 00:25:22,605 Speaker 1: very controversial if you look at the yelperviews the residence. 429 00:25:22,645 --> 00:25:26,325 Speaker 1: Claim that there has been theft, drug use, dogs defecating 430 00:25:26,365 --> 00:25:29,885 Speaker 1: on their terraces, piles of trash in the hallway. They 431 00:25:29,925 --> 00:25:33,445 Speaker 1: claimed that their secured parking spaces are constantly vandalized and 432 00:25:33,485 --> 00:25:37,925 Speaker 1: broken into. After Haidi disappeared, I got several messages from 433 00:25:37,925 --> 00:25:40,765 Speaker 1: people who were friends of hers. I also went to 434 00:25:40,805 --> 00:25:42,805 Speaker 1: a prayer vigil for Heidi that was held at the 435 00:25:42,805 --> 00:25:45,325 Speaker 1: Hope and Flower Building. I met some of the residents there, 436 00:25:45,325 --> 00:25:48,605 Speaker 1: and later some of the former residents contacted me and 437 00:25:48,685 --> 00:25:52,645 Speaker 1: talked to me about the LAPD investigation. They told me 438 00:25:52,725 --> 00:25:55,045 Speaker 1: that the police had been in that building, that there 439 00:25:55,045 --> 00:25:58,445 Speaker 1: had been a foul stench coming from the trash chute. 440 00:25:58,525 --> 00:26:01,325 Speaker 1: They had heard a rumor that a bloody mattress or 441 00:26:01,405 --> 00:26:04,045 Speaker 1: possibly even a body had been taken from the building. 442 00:26:05,045 --> 00:26:08,885 Speaker 1: Then the news broke. The LAPD was searching Shaquita Canyon landfill, 443 00:26:09,325 --> 00:26:12,645 Speaker 1: which was about forty miles away, the same landfill where 444 00:26:12,685 --> 00:26:16,605 Speaker 1: the Hope in Flower Buildings trash was dumped. The police 445 00:26:16,645 --> 00:26:19,325 Speaker 1: has not revealed much about what they have found inside 446 00:26:19,365 --> 00:26:22,445 Speaker 1: the Hope and Flower building, but on their website they 447 00:26:22,445 --> 00:26:26,285 Speaker 1: did state that quote, forensic evidence was located inside the building, 448 00:26:26,365 --> 00:26:29,485 Speaker 1: which has led detectives to believe an incident occurred resulting 449 00:26:29,485 --> 00:26:34,205 Speaker 1: in Plank's death end quote. The LAPD stated that they 450 00:26:34,285 --> 00:26:37,685 Speaker 1: believed something bad did happen to Heidi and that they 451 00:26:37,725 --> 00:26:40,645 Speaker 1: believe that it happened to her at that downtown building, 452 00:26:41,285 --> 00:26:45,045 Speaker 1: and they said they believed that Heidi Plank was dead, 453 00:26:45,765 --> 00:26:48,245 Speaker 1: but they didn't give any more specifics. They didn't talk 454 00:26:48,285 --> 00:26:51,005 Speaker 1: about what the evidence was. They haven't asked the public 455 00:26:51,045 --> 00:26:54,765 Speaker 1: for information, so really it's been kind of a black hole. 456 00:26:56,845 --> 00:26:59,685 Speaker 1: In December of twenty twenty three, over two years after 457 00:26:59,765 --> 00:27:03,845 Speaker 1: she went missing, Heidi Plank was officially declared dead. A 458 00:27:03,925 --> 00:27:06,525 Speaker 1: judge ruled she had died at around nine pm on 459 00:27:06,565 --> 00:27:10,605 Speaker 1: the night she disappeared on October seventeenth, twenty twenty one. 460 00:27:10,845 --> 00:27:13,925 Speaker 1: There have been a few theories put forward by people 461 00:27:13,965 --> 00:27:18,245 Speaker 1: commenting online by armchair detectives. One theory was that Heidi 462 00:27:18,525 --> 00:27:21,965 Speaker 1: maybe was in trouble, maybe she did something at work, 463 00:27:22,445 --> 00:27:25,885 Speaker 1: maybe she knew too much and something led her to 464 00:27:25,965 --> 00:27:30,245 Speaker 1: voluntarily go missing. I'm not buying that theory. First of all, 465 00:27:30,245 --> 00:27:32,445 Speaker 1: I don't think there's any way that this woman would 466 00:27:32,445 --> 00:27:36,485 Speaker 1: have left her son with no explanation. And secondly, other 467 00:27:36,565 --> 00:27:39,485 Speaker 1: than her son, she loved her dog more than anything 468 00:27:39,525 --> 00:27:41,005 Speaker 1: in the world, and I don't believe she would have 469 00:27:41,045 --> 00:27:43,725 Speaker 1: just dumped her dog at this building. And of course, 470 00:27:43,765 --> 00:27:46,565 Speaker 1: anytime you do have someone with a background of mental 471 00:27:46,565 --> 00:27:49,805 Speaker 1: health issues or potential substance abuse, you have to ask 472 00:27:49,845 --> 00:27:52,925 Speaker 1: could that have happened again? Again, I think that that's 473 00:27:53,045 --> 00:27:57,885 Speaker 1: very unlikely, mainly because she was acting normally. This woman's employed, 474 00:27:58,405 --> 00:28:00,445 Speaker 1: she had a good relationship with her friends and family, 475 00:28:00,885 --> 00:28:05,485 Speaker 1: and she had a son who she called every day. 476 00:28:05,605 --> 00:28:10,205 Speaker 1: Or some other rumors going around, including one by an 477 00:28:10,245 --> 00:28:13,725 Speaker 1: amateur detective who posted on YouTube. She said she had 478 00:28:13,765 --> 00:28:16,125 Speaker 1: talked to people in the Hope and Flower building. She 479 00:28:16,245 --> 00:28:19,245 Speaker 1: told the Sun newspaper that she heard Heidi went to 480 00:28:19,285 --> 00:28:21,645 Speaker 1: a party there on the night she disappeared that she 481 00:28:21,685 --> 00:28:23,965 Speaker 1: had gotten adderall from a man she was dating, and 482 00:28:23,965 --> 00:28:29,925 Speaker 1: then apparently overdosed, possibly because the drugs were laced with fentanyl. Then, 483 00:28:30,485 --> 00:28:33,765 Speaker 1: according to this person, the people in the apartment panicked 484 00:28:33,765 --> 00:28:36,725 Speaker 1: and Haidie's body was thrown down the garbage chute. But 485 00:28:37,085 --> 00:28:39,445 Speaker 1: I have to say there was absolutely no evidence that 486 00:28:39,445 --> 00:28:42,485 Speaker 1: these rumors were true, and honestly, not all parts of 487 00:28:42,485 --> 00:28:45,485 Speaker 1: this story make sense. For example, Heidi didn't look like 488 00:28:45,525 --> 00:28:47,445 Speaker 1: she was dressed to party. She looked like she was 489 00:28:47,445 --> 00:28:49,725 Speaker 1: out on an errand when she was seen on the 490 00:28:49,725 --> 00:28:52,565 Speaker 1: camera with the dog, it was early evening, six thirty 491 00:28:52,605 --> 00:28:55,405 Speaker 1: or seven pm. And finally, if there was a whole 492 00:28:55,485 --> 00:28:58,925 Speaker 1: party full of people as this person described, it seems 493 00:28:58,965 --> 00:29:02,285 Speaker 1: really hard for me to imagine that no one from 494 00:29:02,325 --> 00:29:04,845 Speaker 1: the party talk. The whole thing got completely covered up, 495 00:29:04,845 --> 00:29:07,125 Speaker 1: and that they threw a body down the trash chute 496 00:29:07,165 --> 00:29:10,645 Speaker 1: without it being found. But I do have a lot 497 00:29:10,685 --> 00:29:13,805 Speaker 1: of questions about that building and about the people on 498 00:29:13,845 --> 00:29:17,405 Speaker 1: the penthouse floor. Jim Wayne has said he was told 499 00:29:17,445 --> 00:29:20,405 Speaker 1: by police that up to five people know what happened 500 00:29:20,445 --> 00:29:25,165 Speaker 1: to Heidi, But which five people? Five people in the 501 00:29:25,205 --> 00:29:29,405 Speaker 1: apartment building, And if that's true, again, it's very hard 502 00:29:29,445 --> 00:29:31,285 Speaker 1: for me to imagine a world where there was not 503 00:29:31,405 --> 00:29:35,805 Speaker 1: surveillance footage showing those people, even though it was COVID 504 00:29:35,885 --> 00:29:38,125 Speaker 1: and a lot of places were probably being rented off 505 00:29:38,125 --> 00:29:40,285 Speaker 1: the books. Surely they must be able to get the 506 00:29:40,405 --> 00:29:42,965 Speaker 1: names of the people who were in the apartment on 507 00:29:43,085 --> 00:29:46,925 Speaker 1: that day. The whole thing is very bizarre, and I 508 00:29:46,925 --> 00:29:48,805 Speaker 1: don't think I've ever actually seen a case where a 509 00:29:48,845 --> 00:29:52,605 Speaker 1: dog was found in a location that was completely foreign 510 00:29:52,685 --> 00:29:54,925 Speaker 1: to everywhere in the victim's life, and there's no trace 511 00:29:54,965 --> 00:29:59,925 Speaker 1: of the victim. Jason Sugarman kind of disappeared from public 512 00:30:00,005 --> 00:30:02,965 Speaker 1: view after Hiding went missing, and I'm going to say 513 00:30:02,965 --> 00:30:05,805 Speaker 1: again he has not been charged with anything or any 514 00:30:05,805 --> 00:30:10,845 Speaker 1: sort of wrongdoing in connection with her disappearance. On January tenth, 515 00:30:10,885 --> 00:30:14,205 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, the United States District Court for the 516 00:30:14,245 --> 00:30:17,285 Speaker 1: Southern District of New York entered a final judgment against 517 00:30:17,365 --> 00:30:20,845 Speaker 1: Jason Suggermant. Jason was ordered to pay over ten point 518 00:30:20,845 --> 00:30:23,485 Speaker 1: two million dollars in connection to the scheme to defraud 519 00:30:23,525 --> 00:30:27,085 Speaker 1: pension funds. Devin Archer was sentenced to a year and 520 00:30:27,085 --> 00:30:30,125 Speaker 1: a day in prison. He appealed and he is still 521 00:30:30,165 --> 00:30:33,285 Speaker 1: out on bail. In January twenty twenty four, a judge 522 00:30:33,285 --> 00:30:36,405 Speaker 1: denied his appeal, so his case is continuing to work 523 00:30:36,445 --> 00:30:39,485 Speaker 1: its way through the court system. Bond and seven are 524 00:30:39,565 --> 00:30:43,645 Speaker 1: living with Jim Wayne. Jim told Los Angeles magazine six 525 00:30:43,685 --> 00:30:47,405 Speaker 1: months after Heidi disappeared, quote, our son wants to know 526 00:30:47,445 --> 00:30:49,645 Speaker 1: what happened to his mother. I want to know what 527 00:30:49,685 --> 00:30:52,725 Speaker 1: happened to Heidi. I still think her boss has something 528 00:30:52,725 --> 00:30:56,765 Speaker 1: to do with this, in one way or another. End quote. 529 00:30:57,685 --> 00:31:00,445 Speaker 1: There was another update story done in twenty twenty four, 530 00:31:01,205 --> 00:31:04,805 Speaker 1: near the two year anniversary of her disappearance. Heidie's family 531 00:31:04,805 --> 00:31:08,565 Speaker 1: posted a bill of her in Los Angeles. Right now 532 00:31:08,645 --> 00:31:12,605 Speaker 1: they hope that someone will come forward. The family is 533 00:31:12,645 --> 00:31:16,565 Speaker 1: created an email address Heidi Plank H E I D 534 00:31:16,685 --> 00:31:21,845 Speaker 1: I P L A n C K at ProtonMail dot com. 535 00:31:22,365 --> 00:31:25,525 Speaker 1: The Los Angeles Police Department is asked anyone with information 536 00:31:25,845 --> 00:31:28,965 Speaker 1: call the Missing Persons Unit at two one three nine 537 00:31:29,085 --> 00:31:33,645 Speaker 1: nine six one eight zero zero. I'm Katherine Townsend. This 538 00:31:33,845 --> 00:31:39,685 Speaker 1: is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen Gone Murder Line is 539 00:31:39,725 --> 00:31:42,725 Speaker 1: a production of School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's 540 00:31:42,725 --> 00:31:45,565 Speaker 1: written and narrated by me Catherine Townsend and produced by 541 00:31:45,605 --> 00:31:50,005 Speaker 1: Gabby Watts. Special thanks to Amy Tubbs for her research assistance. 542 00:31:50,725 --> 00:31:55,285 Speaker 1: Music contributed by Ben Solee. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, 543 00:31:55,365 --> 00:31:58,365 Speaker 1: Brandon Barr, and L. C. Crowley. If you have a 544 00:31:58,405 --> 00:32:00,245 Speaker 1: case you'd like me and my team to look into, 545 00:32:00,645 --> 00:32:02,605 Speaker 1: you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone 546 00:32:02,645 --> 00:32:06,005 Speaker 1: Murder Line at six seven eight seven four four six 547 00:32:06,085 --> 00:32:09,485 Speaker 1: one four five. That's six seven eight seven four four 548 00:32:09,925 --> 00:32:24,445 Speaker 1: six one four five. School of Humans