WEBVTT - Dark Creek

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<v Speaker 1>School of Humans. People often ask me why I choose

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<v Speaker 1>certain cases even when I can't be sure that there

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<v Speaker 1>will be a resolution. I believe that there's no substitute

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<v Speaker 1>for on the ground investigation, and in my Teresa's case,

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<v Speaker 1>I felt that the answers could not be found on

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<v Speaker 1>Google Maps. No matter which road we take, it always

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<v Speaker 1>leads back to Dark Canyon, where her skeletal remains were found.

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<v Speaker 1>Because the crime scene was compromised, the location of the

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<v Speaker 1>remains is one of the only clues that we have.

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<v Speaker 1>We've established that she was seen at Bill Smith's house

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<v Speaker 1>in Montinito, so I'm heading back to Calabasas this time

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<v Speaker 1>with my producer Brandon. There are horse trails behind that property,

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<v Speaker 1>so we've established how she could get from Monte Nito

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<v Speaker 1>up to the beginning of the Backbone trail, but we

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<v Speaker 1>still have not figured out how she got too Dark Canyon.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the bottom line. Job, that's what we're trying to do.

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<v Speaker 1>And you'll see and you can't really It's one of

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<v Speaker 1>those things that you can't see and until you get

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<v Speaker 1>up there and you're like, Okay, I get it. I

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<v Speaker 1>think we're talking about because it seems you know it

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<v Speaker 1>seems like it'd be an easy question to answer, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's really not. Today's mission is to go down all

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<v Speaker 1>of the possible trails that my trice could have gone

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<v Speaker 1>down and see if there's anything that we missed. But

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<v Speaker 1>the thing that really gets me is the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>we like, since we started this, we know that she

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<v Speaker 1>was alive that next day walking around during the day.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's like if they had just looked for her,

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<v Speaker 1>if they'd just looked and hadn't waited an entire day,

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<v Speaker 1>they would have found her and she would be alive.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's really sad. And finally we hope to get

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<v Speaker 1>on the Malibu Canyon Ranch. I'm Catherine Townsend. This is

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<v Speaker 1>hell and gone. We are right now. We are going

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<v Speaker 1>up to the Backbone Trail, which is the public hiking trail.

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<v Speaker 1>There's an access point and we're just gonna see if

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<v Speaker 1>there's since last time we went down through the Creek

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<v Speaker 1>bad We're gonna see if there's a way to get

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<v Speaker 1>to the dirt roads that we just saw that seem

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<v Speaker 1>to lead toward Dark Canyon. We're gonna see if there's

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<v Speaker 1>a way to do that from the Backbone Trail. So

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<v Speaker 1>we are still trying everything we can to find all

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<v Speaker 1>the waves that my Trees could have used to get

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<v Speaker 1>Dark Canyon, and to keep an open mind, we're asking

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<v Speaker 1>again if my Trees could have died in the woods,

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<v Speaker 1>could she have been hiking and fallen to her death?

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<v Speaker 1>As the Sheriff's department suggested in the beginning, we hiked

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<v Speaker 1>that route to see if it's possible. Tired, Okay, So

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<v Speaker 1>here's there's where we are, right right, see where it's

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<v Speaker 1>this Dark Canyon creek. Yep, Okay, that's where the remains are.

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<v Speaker 1>We walked. We hiked all the way like almost there,

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<v Speaker 1>so it looks like almost switchback like that. Maybe the

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<v Speaker 1>second switchback you could get down, see, because that's where

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<v Speaker 1>we were. We run that little got it, see that

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<v Speaker 1>little sticking out thing, that's where we were. So you're right, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it does look like if we continue down that dirt road,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe there would have been away. But it was far.

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<v Speaker 1>It was like it was like out there though. That's

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<v Speaker 1>why I'm just thinking maybe, like, well, well Mike a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit and see all right, the backbone trail zigzag

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<v Speaker 1>through the Santa Monica Mountains. As Brandon and I climb

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<v Speaker 1>higher and higher, it becomes harder and harder to imagine

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<v Speaker 1>that my trees could have come this way. For one thing,

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<v Speaker 1>she hated the woods, and according to her autopsy, she

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<v Speaker 1>had no broken bones. If she did fall, her remains

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<v Speaker 1>could not have ended up in the canyon, at least

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<v Speaker 1>not from here. So once we get to about here,

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<v Speaker 1>I just want to see, like, as we go along,

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<v Speaker 1>is there any way other than what we did, which

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<v Speaker 1>we already know we went down there and did it,

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<v Speaker 1>that could have cut through. I think the answer is no,

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<v Speaker 1>to be honest, But now we'll know for sure. The

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<v Speaker 1>higher we climb, the farther away from the remains we got.

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<v Speaker 1>We can't find any paths that deviate from this main

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<v Speaker 1>trail that could have led my trees deeper into the canyon.

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<v Speaker 1>And as soon as we were hiking almost a mile

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<v Speaker 1>from the start of the trails into the woods, we

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<v Speaker 1>could hear someone hammering on the top of the house.

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<v Speaker 1>I was just gonnae on, there's someone on the roof. See,

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<v Speaker 1>that's the other thing. So let's say she's back here

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<v Speaker 1>during the day, walking around all day. It's like someone

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<v Speaker 1>wouldn't have seen her. It's the other thing that I

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<v Speaker 1>can't figure out like, that doesn't make you much sense

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<v Speaker 1>to me. Anyway, what day was it? It was a Friday, Friday,

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<v Speaker 1>so she went missing Thursday night. Friday was the day

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<v Speaker 1>that she was seen in the morning for sure, and

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<v Speaker 1>then they didn't start looking for her on Saturday, so

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<v Speaker 1>you know all day. And also if you scream right here,

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<v Speaker 1>somebody would hear you. If we're here on a Friday,

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<v Speaker 1>which is the same day that she disappeared, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the producer and I were here really almost on the

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<v Speaker 1>day to the day when she disappeared. There aren't many

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<v Speaker 1>people on the trail now, but this is I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>you do run across people in this hiking trail. Every

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<v Speaker 1>time I've been up here under normal circumstances, I've seen

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<v Speaker 1>three or four people. So it just seems like more

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<v Speaker 1>people would have seen her if she was out there

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<v Speaker 1>for full twenty four hours. What does that make you feel? Like? Intuitively,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know. It makes me feel like she you know,

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<v Speaker 1>whatever happened to her either happened really quickly. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know, maybe she didn't realize she was in

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<v Speaker 1>danger until something like I guess what I'm getting at

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<v Speaker 1>is if she fell or something like that it seems

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<v Speaker 1>like someone would have hurt her. She was yelling for help,

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<v Speaker 1>laying out there dying, right because like even I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I guess if she was I don't know though, who

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<v Speaker 1>was hypothermic or something. Who knows. Maybe she didn't scream,

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<v Speaker 1>that's the other thing. Like it possibly she's been out

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<v Speaker 1>there for twenty four hours. Maybe hypothermia is a possibility

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<v Speaker 1>because of the cloths being removed. But this is mild weather,

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<v Speaker 1>this is really this is December. Yeah, Like probably the

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<v Speaker 1>lows at night were in the fifties, so that would

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<v Speaker 1>have taken some time. This doesn't make sense. And if

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<v Speaker 1>it was hypothermia, we know she was seen in that morning,

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<v Speaker 1>so that would mean that she pretty much had to

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<v Speaker 1>stay out there that whole day and night with no

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<v Speaker 1>one seeing her. I guess it's possible, but again it

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<v Speaker 1>feels unlikely. So the backbone trail is looking less and

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<v Speaker 1>less likely. It's super steep up here, and there's just

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<v Speaker 1>no way to veer off and down into the canyon

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<v Speaker 1>without falling off the mountain itself. Her falling, we're getting

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<v Speaker 1>farther and farther away from the remains, actually, so yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>my other producer, Gabby and I took another route down.

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<v Speaker 1>When we went that way, we did make it to

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<v Speaker 1>the site where my trees's remains were found. We walked

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<v Speaker 1>through the area where the Backbone Trail begins, but instead

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<v Speaker 1>of climbing up into the mountains, we went down into

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<v Speaker 1>the creek off the trail and into treacherous territory. And

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<v Speaker 1>I've said before that that wasn't really like a hike.

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<v Speaker 1>It was like a mountain climb. And we decided in

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<v Speaker 1>the end that it would have been very unlikely, basically

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<v Speaker 1>impossible for my trees to have gone that way. It

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<v Speaker 1>seems like it's easy to see how the landscape could

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<v Speaker 1>get the better of someone. Oh, we almost didn't make it.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I'm not even exaggerate. And when I got out,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean my legs, my ankles to my upper thighs

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<v Speaker 1>were black and blue for weeks because it just from

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<v Speaker 1>stepping in those dead falls and like getting stuck. And also,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I keep thinking, Brandon, if she did somehow

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<v Speaker 1>stumble down there, why would she take her clothes off

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<v Speaker 1>and just lay down and die like that doesn't make

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<v Speaker 1>any sense to me at all. I mean, I was

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<v Speaker 1>really scared in there at one point, I got really

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<v Speaker 1>freaked out when we saw the hoses and realized that

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<v Speaker 1>they were probably with their brother Cartel. That was really

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<v Speaker 1>freaky and also the real you could there was no

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<v Speaker 1>escape if something did happen you down there, because each

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<v Speaker 1>side it's too steep to climb, and also it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>all leaves and like, you can't scamper up the sides,

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<v Speaker 1>and you can't go. You can't run, you can't run

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<v Speaker 1>backwards ko forwards. Pretty scary. CEC and Ronda have also

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<v Speaker 1>tried to assess the terrain around the ranch property. CEC

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<v Speaker 1>sent me this video they shot while exploring the horse trails.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the closest they've been able to get to the

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<v Speaker 1>Malibu Canyon Ranch property. It's a little hard to understand,

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<v Speaker 1>but here's what it is. Ronda indicates an entrance to

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<v Speaker 1>the creek bed that's a little more direct. C C asked,

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<v Speaker 1>could you carry a body that way? Is it? I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think one person could do it. I mean I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think one person can do it. Okay, So then

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<v Speaker 1>that would be the quickest route to drag a body

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<v Speaker 1>and drop, and it's most secure. This is the road

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<v Speaker 1>that goes up to the Malibu Canyon Ranch, which is

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<v Speaker 1>owned by Sus Randall. Now c C and Ronda haven't

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<v Speaker 1>ever been able to get on the Randall property. The

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<v Speaker 1>closest Ronda has ever come is actually the night my

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<v Speaker 1>Teresa's remains were found. This is where the police set

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<v Speaker 1>up one of their outposts. There's a big parking lot

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<v Speaker 1>at the ranch. We've gotten information from several sources that

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<v Speaker 1>there may have been people working there during the time

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<v Speaker 1>my Terse went missing, possibly security people or someone associated

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<v Speaker 1>with a production, maybe even someone in law enforcement working

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<v Speaker 1>security off duty. Could one of them have encountered my

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<v Speaker 1>trees at some point. Now there is no evidence that

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<v Speaker 1>the people living here had any connection to my Teresa's disappearance,

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<v Speaker 1>but this property could be a major piece of the

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<v Speaker 1>puzzle because of the GPS coordinates of my Teres's clothing.

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<v Speaker 1>The coordinates placed each piece of clothing closer and closer

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<v Speaker 1>to the house. The belt was the closest. It was

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<v Speaker 1>found just five hundred feet from the house. And remember

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<v Speaker 1>no tests have ever been done on this clothing, which

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<v Speaker 1>was relatively intact for having been out in the elements

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<v Speaker 1>for as long as eleven months. This property seemed like

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<v Speaker 1>it could have been a logical place for my trees

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<v Speaker 1>to end up, or at least to pass through on

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<v Speaker 1>her way into the canyon. The fact that her remains

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<v Speaker 1>were found just point two miles from the property is

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<v Speaker 1>something I've heard a lot over the years, but that

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<v Speaker 1>can also be misleading. Yeah, so I mean, yes, as

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<v Speaker 1>you were saying, you can look at an aerial map

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<v Speaker 1>and say, oh, it's only you know, point two miles

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<v Speaker 1>from sort of the backbone trail the back of that

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<v Speaker 1>property to the remains. It seems like it's a straight line.

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<v Speaker 1>Why couldn't she have walked it? And then you get

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<v Speaker 1>out here and you look at this terrain and it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's mountains and huge drop offs, and it's sort of

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<v Speaker 1>like it's point two miles as the crow flies. But

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not a crow and I don't have wings, and

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<v Speaker 1>I can't jump across the hut. That's one of my

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<v Speaker 1>favorite expressions in Arkansas. Oh it's only twenty miles as

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<v Speaker 1>the crow flies. And I'm like, yeah, and how does

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<v Speaker 1>that help me? So it's four hours in a car

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<v Speaker 1>because I don't have wings. There's a sign here that

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<v Speaker 1>says no trespassing, but I still need to get closer

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<v Speaker 1>to the ridge. So we're going to have to get

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<v Speaker 1>even more creative with how we get to the ranch.

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<v Speaker 1>From day one, the day my Terse went missing, her

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<v Speaker 1>father Michael, made it clear that he didn't trust the police.

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<v Speaker 1>He remembers the day he got the call about her disappearance.

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<v Speaker 1>I went to work one morning and a young lady

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<v Speaker 1>I worked with and she she calls me and she says, hey, Mike,

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<v Speaker 1>you know I got two messages from your daughter's mother.

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<v Speaker 1>She says, call her. And I looked at her and

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<v Speaker 1>she has this look of seriousness of those things that

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<v Speaker 1>I had never personally seen. So she's like, I'm serious

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<v Speaker 1>like and I was like, well, now I'm a little

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<v Speaker 1>nervous because her mother doesn't call me like that, And

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<v Speaker 1>so I immediately went to go call her, and she

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<v Speaker 1>had beat me to it. Her mother. They called me

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<v Speaker 1>again and she says, Mike, you know, I think my

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<v Speaker 1>Terse is mensing. And I'm like, what are you talking about?

0:14:20.765 --> 0:14:23.565
<v Speaker 1>You know, what do you mean you think? And so

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<v Speaker 1>she told me everything that happened, and I said, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>well before we jumped to conclusions, let me call the

0:14:29.605 --> 0:14:31.765
<v Speaker 1>precinct and let me see if I can talk to

0:14:31.845 --> 0:14:35.325
<v Speaker 1>some people or whatever. Michael then called the Lost Hills

0:14:35.325 --> 0:14:40.925
<v Speaker 1>Sheriff station and talked with Sharon Cummings, the jailer. I said, so,

0:14:41.125 --> 0:14:44.685
<v Speaker 1>you know, if why, why would you guys release her

0:14:44.845 --> 0:14:47.285
<v Speaker 1>like that? You know, I just don't understand. She's like, well,

0:14:47.325 --> 0:14:51.165
<v Speaker 1>we were overcrowded and we were overpopulated. We needed to

0:14:51.245 --> 0:14:55.885
<v Speaker 1>make room. And I said, well, you so you would

0:14:55.925 --> 0:14:58.165
<v Speaker 1>then just release her in the middle of the night

0:14:58.205 --> 0:15:01.805
<v Speaker 1>in a wild like that. Her response was, well, We're

0:15:01.845 --> 0:15:05.285
<v Speaker 1>not no goddamn babysitting organization, so it was time for her.

0:15:05.565 --> 0:15:08.605
<v Speaker 1>Oh so I said, wow, okay, well, thank you for that.

0:15:08.925 --> 0:15:14.085
<v Speaker 1>And when that got out, a lady that was actually

0:15:14.165 --> 0:15:18.005
<v Speaker 1>in jail that night with My Trees got in touch

0:15:18.045 --> 0:15:20.605
<v Speaker 1>with us. I said, that place you could hear a

0:15:20.645 --> 0:15:25.445
<v Speaker 1>pin drop, It was not crowded. She's lying, and I'm like, wow,

0:15:25.765 --> 0:15:29.045
<v Speaker 1>you know, So that that started it right then and

0:15:29.085 --> 0:15:33.245
<v Speaker 1>there that we knew something was wrong because they were

0:15:33.365 --> 0:15:36.245
<v Speaker 1>everything that they were telling us. It was totally the

0:15:36.365 --> 0:15:48.965
<v Speaker 1>opposite of everything. Before My Trees's remains were found in

0:15:48.965 --> 0:15:52.925
<v Speaker 1>August twenty ten, both her father, Michael and her mother

0:15:53.165 --> 0:15:58.285
<v Speaker 1>Latis filed lawsuits against the Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County

0:15:58.805 --> 0:16:01.685
<v Speaker 1>and several officers who were on duty the night my

0:16:01.725 --> 0:16:09.765
<v Speaker 1>Trees was arrested. Hired an attorney, Leo Terrell. Terrell focuses

0:16:09.805 --> 0:16:13.005
<v Speaker 1>on civil rights. He's also hosted a talk show on

0:16:13.085 --> 0:16:17.765
<v Speaker 1>AM Radio in Los Angeles. Today at nine o'clock, we

0:16:17.845 --> 0:16:22.205
<v Speaker 1>follow a lawsuit, a lawsuit against the sheriff Department, the

0:16:22.245 --> 0:16:26.405
<v Speaker 1>County of Los Angeles, and nine officers of the LA

0:16:26.485 --> 0:16:31.205
<v Speaker 1>County sheriff Department. On June twenty ninth, twenty ten, Leo

0:16:31.325 --> 0:16:35.685
<v Speaker 1>Terrell with Latissa Ronda held a press conference to announce

0:16:35.685 --> 0:16:39.845
<v Speaker 1>the lawsuit, which would span over five hundred pages. And

0:16:39.965 --> 0:16:44.045
<v Speaker 1>we sued the LA County for one reason. They are

0:16:44.125 --> 0:16:49.685
<v Speaker 1>responsible for the missing status of Miitrice Richardson. Now, the

0:16:49.725 --> 0:16:52.605
<v Speaker 1>sad part about it is this should not have happened,

0:16:53.325 --> 0:16:58.525
<v Speaker 1>and the LA County Sheriff Department was grossly negligent and

0:16:58.565 --> 0:17:03.885
<v Speaker 1>the officers on that shift grossly negligent in allowing her

0:17:04.125 --> 0:17:09.925
<v Speaker 1>to lead and walk out without any form of communication

0:17:10.045 --> 0:17:13.885
<v Speaker 1>with her family or friends. I would submit to you

0:17:15.125 --> 0:17:19.085
<v Speaker 1>that if my Treece Richardson's name was Lindsay Lohan or

0:17:19.125 --> 0:17:22.885
<v Speaker 1>Britney Spears, she would not have been afforded the same

0:17:24.445 --> 0:17:28.685
<v Speaker 1>treatment she would have been treated with royalty with a

0:17:28.765 --> 0:17:35.405
<v Speaker 1>car now. The lawsuit alleged that the police were responsible

0:17:35.805 --> 0:17:38.565
<v Speaker 1>for my Teres's wrongful death due to what they called

0:17:38.605 --> 0:17:42.085
<v Speaker 1>negligence and the fact that they did not take any

0:17:42.125 --> 0:17:46.045
<v Speaker 1>action to evaluate her mental state. It is also quite

0:17:46.085 --> 0:17:50.965
<v Speaker 1>important to know that the gist of this lawsuit talks

0:17:51.085 --> 0:17:55.965
<v Speaker 1>about the mental disability that my Trees Richardson had that

0:17:56.165 --> 0:18:00.765
<v Speaker 1>night and forms the basis for why the shriff department

0:18:01.405 --> 0:18:08.045
<v Speaker 1>was negligent. The sheriff Department should have held my Trees Richardson,

0:18:08.885 --> 0:18:11.885
<v Speaker 1>and they had the obligation to hold My Trees Richardson,

0:18:12.285 --> 0:18:14.485
<v Speaker 1>not only as a fifty one to fifty case which

0:18:14.525 --> 0:18:17.685
<v Speaker 1>gives them the three day hold, but under the American

0:18:17.685 --> 0:18:26.845
<v Speaker 1>with Disabilities Act, a civil rights violation. Later, Michael and

0:18:26.925 --> 0:18:31.885
<v Speaker 1>Latissa's lawsuits were consolidated into one. They alleged that the

0:18:31.925 --> 0:18:35.085
<v Speaker 1>Lost Hills deputies had failed in their duty of care

0:18:35.165 --> 0:18:39.285
<v Speaker 1>to my Trees. The lawsuits alleged that the Lost Hills

0:18:39.285 --> 0:18:42.245
<v Speaker 1>deputies had failed to get medical assistance from my Trees

0:18:42.805 --> 0:18:47.205
<v Speaker 1>despite her bizarre behavior before releasing her in the middle

0:18:47.205 --> 0:18:52.125
<v Speaker 1>of the night. We're also alleging in our lawsuit there

0:18:52.325 --> 0:18:59.685
<v Speaker 1>was an offer to pay that bill. My Treece Richeson

0:18:59.725 --> 0:19:04.765
<v Speaker 1>should not have been arrested. There was a willingness and

0:19:04.805 --> 0:19:08.405
<v Speaker 1>an offer to pay the bill. The sheriff department knew

0:19:08.445 --> 0:19:12.925
<v Speaker 1>that the restaurant knew that the grandmother said we will

0:19:12.965 --> 0:19:17.885
<v Speaker 1>pay the bill. Joffrey and the sheriff Department failed to

0:19:18.005 --> 0:19:21.005
<v Speaker 1>recognize that. I am going to find out from Joffrey's

0:19:21.005 --> 0:19:24.565
<v Speaker 1>if they ever allowed any other person to say, oh, yeah,

0:19:24.645 --> 0:19:27.005
<v Speaker 1>we'll let someone come by and pay the bill for you,

0:19:27.925 --> 0:19:32.445
<v Speaker 1>because I find it unusual for them to refuse payment.

0:19:33.365 --> 0:19:39.045
<v Speaker 1>I don't understand that the legal battle only intensified after

0:19:39.245 --> 0:19:43.085
<v Speaker 1>my Trece's remains were found. Later additions to the lawsuit

0:19:43.365 --> 0:19:46.605
<v Speaker 1>alleged that the LASD had moved the body against the

0:19:46.605 --> 0:19:50.085
<v Speaker 1>wishes of the coroner, which would make it difficult, if

0:19:50.125 --> 0:19:55.165
<v Speaker 1>not impossible, to determine a cause of death. Deputies denied

0:19:55.165 --> 0:19:59.925
<v Speaker 1>the charges of unlawful misconduct. The community officer Steve Whitmore

0:20:00.085 --> 0:20:03.125
<v Speaker 1>said in two thousand and nine they had no reason

0:20:03.205 --> 0:20:07.005
<v Speaker 1>to hold my Trees, and here reiterated that doing so

0:20:07.165 --> 0:20:11.445
<v Speaker 1>would have been a civil rights violation. Terrell made it

0:20:11.485 --> 0:20:14.445
<v Speaker 1>clear that Latis was frustrated at what she saw as

0:20:14.485 --> 0:20:18.485
<v Speaker 1>stonewalling by the LAPD, so the lawsuit was away for

0:20:18.525 --> 0:20:21.925
<v Speaker 1>the family to finally be allowed to grill every single

0:20:21.965 --> 0:20:26.245
<v Speaker 1>officer who had been on duty that night. They wanted answers,

0:20:26.765 --> 0:20:29.485
<v Speaker 1>and they clearly felt that taking the case public through

0:20:29.485 --> 0:20:32.165
<v Speaker 1>a civil lawsuit was the only way that they were

0:20:32.205 --> 0:20:37.685
<v Speaker 1>going to get them. This magical lawsuit will allow me

0:20:37.805 --> 0:20:46.245
<v Speaker 1>to interview the polls, examine every single officer that night.

0:20:47.805 --> 0:20:51.045
<v Speaker 1>In twenty eleven, a year after my Chase was found,

0:20:51.645 --> 0:20:56.165
<v Speaker 1>the depositions began. The result of these depositions was a

0:20:56.245 --> 0:21:00.685
<v Speaker 1>long list of disputed facts. Michael Richardson filed one hundred

0:21:00.685 --> 0:21:04.925
<v Speaker 1>and seventy two pages filled with points of contention between

0:21:04.925 --> 0:21:09.125
<v Speaker 1>the LAS and my Teresa's family. A lot of the

0:21:09.285 --> 0:21:12.125
<v Speaker 1>argument seems to be boiling down to the fact that

0:21:12.245 --> 0:21:16.885
<v Speaker 1>diners at the restaurant and Geoffrey's staff told police multiple

0:21:16.925 --> 0:21:19.485
<v Speaker 1>times that they were concerned about my Teresa's mental state,

0:21:20.285 --> 0:21:25.005
<v Speaker 1>but the police didn't seem to do anything. A handful

0:21:25.045 --> 0:21:28.405
<v Speaker 1>of the disputes that Michael outlined read the court should

0:21:28.405 --> 0:21:32.405
<v Speaker 1>exercise its discretion when considering evidence where a defendant is

0:21:32.445 --> 0:21:35.485
<v Speaker 1>the only witness to the fact, and Miss Richardson is

0:21:35.525 --> 0:21:40.645
<v Speaker 1>not alive to provide her recollection of events. Let me

0:21:41.165 --> 0:21:48.285
<v Speaker 1>close by saying this, This lawsuit, unfortunately is necessary. It's painful.

0:21:49.365 --> 0:21:52.805
<v Speaker 1>It's difficult to allege the claims that we have in here.

0:21:54.325 --> 0:21:58.565
<v Speaker 1>There's one claim that we have in here that hurts

0:21:59.365 --> 0:22:02.005
<v Speaker 1>this sudden. It hurts me as a lawyer. It's the

0:22:02.085 --> 0:22:08.285
<v Speaker 1>last claim, wrongful death. The fact that she's been missing,

0:22:09.725 --> 0:22:14.405
<v Speaker 1>the lack of information, the degree of difficulty to include

0:22:14.405 --> 0:22:18.685
<v Speaker 1>that as one of the claims is hurtful and painful

0:22:19.565 --> 0:22:26.365
<v Speaker 1>to the mother. But it's necessary. So the depositions did

0:22:26.445 --> 0:22:31.245
<v Speaker 1>nothing to repair the family's relationship with police. In fact,

0:22:31.365 --> 0:22:35.685
<v Speaker 1>they did the opposite, and in the end, a lot

0:22:35.725 --> 0:22:41.845
<v Speaker 1>of their questions were still unanswered. Neither Michael nor Latise

0:22:42.325 --> 0:22:46.685
<v Speaker 1>ended up going to court. Mi Teresa's parents received a

0:22:46.765 --> 0:22:50.805
<v Speaker 1>joint settlement from the Sheriff's department. Michael said to the

0:22:50.925 --> 0:22:54.845
<v Speaker 1>La Times, in my eyes, as a father, I didn't

0:22:54.845 --> 0:23:01.005
<v Speaker 1>receive justice. My daughter's killer is still out there. The

0:23:01.045 --> 0:23:04.485
<v Speaker 1>settlement from the Sheriff's department was nine hundred thousand dollars.

0:23:05.725 --> 0:23:10.365
<v Speaker 1>Michael and Latis reportedly split the money. Michael later said

0:23:10.485 --> 0:23:21.445
<v Speaker 1>that about half of his money went to attorneys. But well,

0:23:21.445 --> 0:23:24.525
<v Speaker 1>I mean, even if you were just a mixed up traveler,

0:23:24.605 --> 0:23:26.605
<v Speaker 1>you drive up there and you go, oh hey, except

0:23:26.605 --> 0:23:29.645
<v Speaker 1>we've been contacting them like for weeks. That's true. That's

0:23:29.645 --> 0:23:31.525
<v Speaker 1>the only thing. So if we do it, I think

0:23:31.525 --> 0:23:33.285
<v Speaker 1>we'll have to pretend to be a different type of shoot,

0:23:33.685 --> 0:23:38.645
<v Speaker 1>got it, which I'm fine with. Okay. On our hike

0:23:39.045 --> 0:23:42.325
<v Speaker 1>out on the Backbone Trail, Brandon and I were talking

0:23:42.365 --> 0:23:44.965
<v Speaker 1>about different ways we could use to get onto the

0:23:44.965 --> 0:23:49.125
<v Speaker 1>Malibu Canyon Ranch property without being suspected that were the

0:23:49.125 --> 0:23:52.965
<v Speaker 1>podcast crew. We've reached out to them over email, on

0:23:53.045 --> 0:23:57.045
<v Speaker 1>the phone, and through their website without any luck. But

0:23:57.125 --> 0:24:00.085
<v Speaker 1>I need to get onto that property to figure out

0:24:00.165 --> 0:24:02.725
<v Speaker 1>if my trees could have gotten into Dark Canyon that way.

0:24:04.085 --> 0:24:06.765
<v Speaker 1>Listeners of this podcast, I know that I'm an investigative

0:24:06.805 --> 0:24:10.885
<v Speaker 1>journalist and a licensed private investigator. There are definitely a

0:24:10.965 --> 0:24:14.045
<v Speaker 1>lot of similarities between being an investigative journalist and a

0:24:14.085 --> 0:24:19.005
<v Speaker 1>private investigator, but there are also some big differences. As

0:24:19.045 --> 0:24:22.405
<v Speaker 1>a journalist, I've been taught to always be upfront and

0:24:22.445 --> 0:24:28.685
<v Speaker 1>clear and identify myself except in exceptional circumstances. But as

0:24:28.685 --> 0:24:33.605
<v Speaker 1>a PI, lying is not only okay, sometimes it's encouraged.

0:24:34.285 --> 0:24:36.845
<v Speaker 1>It was actually a question on my California PI exam.

0:24:37.365 --> 0:24:41.205
<v Speaker 1>It said lying is fill in the blank. The choices

0:24:41.245 --> 0:24:45.525
<v Speaker 1>were something like always wrong okay in some circumstances, but

0:24:45.645 --> 0:24:51.005
<v Speaker 1>actually the correct answer was encouraged. Really, there are only

0:24:51.045 --> 0:24:55.005
<v Speaker 1>a few rules to follow. One, don't impersonate someone in

0:24:55.045 --> 0:24:59.125
<v Speaker 1>a place of authority, like a police officer or a doctor. Also,

0:24:59.845 --> 0:25:04.085
<v Speaker 1>don't impersonate a real person. So over the years, I've

0:25:04.125 --> 0:25:07.245
<v Speaker 1>developed quite a few aliases, some of them even had

0:25:07.285 --> 0:25:11.485
<v Speaker 1>their own social media profiles. I've also gone under cover

0:25:12.165 --> 0:25:14.125
<v Speaker 1>once I pretended to be a member of a tennis

0:25:14.125 --> 0:25:16.925
<v Speaker 1>club in the Hamptons, even though I can't really play tennis.

0:25:17.925 --> 0:25:22.205
<v Speaker 1>I don't choose alias as often under normal circumstances. I'm

0:25:22.365 --> 0:25:24.805
<v Speaker 1>very open about who I am and what I'm doing.

0:25:25.645 --> 0:25:28.045
<v Speaker 1>I think in general that's the best way to get

0:25:28.085 --> 0:25:32.645
<v Speaker 1>information from people. But sometimes as a last resort we

0:25:32.765 --> 0:25:36.045
<v Speaker 1>do need to resort to some subterfuge, And in my

0:25:36.125 --> 0:25:38.885
<v Speaker 1>Teresa's case, we have written a letter to the people

0:25:38.885 --> 0:25:42.885
<v Speaker 1>who own the land. We've reached out over social media

0:25:43.085 --> 0:25:45.525
<v Speaker 1>and asked to go on the property, and we haven't

0:25:45.565 --> 0:25:49.605
<v Speaker 1>gotten anything back. But last week, when I was scouring

0:25:49.645 --> 0:25:52.445
<v Speaker 1>online desperate for some kind of a break in the case,

0:25:53.365 --> 0:25:56.485
<v Speaker 1>I found out that the house on Payuma Road, the

0:25:56.525 --> 0:26:00.005
<v Speaker 1>private address where police started the height to my Teres's remains,

0:26:00.725 --> 0:26:04.925
<v Speaker 1>is actually on Airbnb. We need to figure out if

0:26:04.925 --> 0:26:07.525
<v Speaker 1>there is any way that my Trees could have hiked

0:26:07.565 --> 0:26:10.365
<v Speaker 1>to the Dark Creek area on her own, and if not,

0:26:10.885 --> 0:26:13.685
<v Speaker 1>we hope that we'll find something along the way that

0:26:13.765 --> 0:26:16.805
<v Speaker 1>could tell us who or what she may have encountered there.

0:26:17.885 --> 0:26:20.885
<v Speaker 1>So we booked a reservation for two nights, so as

0:26:20.925 --> 0:26:24.285
<v Speaker 1>this episode comes out, we'll be on that property at

0:26:24.325 --> 0:26:28.325
<v Speaker 1>the ranch, surveying the ridge and heading up into the mountains,

0:26:29.125 --> 0:26:33.805
<v Speaker 1>hopefully getting some answers. We'll have that next week, which

0:26:33.845 --> 0:26:38.605
<v Speaker 1>is also our last episode for this season. I'm Katherine Townsend.

0:26:38.885 --> 0:26:42.845
<v Speaker 1>This is Helen Gone. Helen Gone is the production of

0:26:42.845 --> 0:26:46.445
<v Speaker 1>School of Humans and iHeartRadio. It's written and narrated by me,

0:26:46.725 --> 0:26:50.605
<v Speaker 1>Catherine Townsend. Our producers are Gabby Watts, Taylor Church, and

0:26:50.725 --> 0:26:55.405
<v Speaker 1>James Morrison. Music is by Ben Sale. Mix is by Tunewelders.

0:26:56.125 --> 0:27:00.325
<v Speaker 1>Our executive producers are Brandon Barr, Elsie Crowley, and Brian Lavin.

0:27:01.365 --> 0:27:03.885
<v Speaker 1>Special Thanks to Chipcroft for use of footage from his

0:27:03.965 --> 0:27:31.245
<v Speaker 1>documentary Boss Compact M School of Humans. School of Humans,