1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: The Red Weather is a work of fiction. Any resemblance 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: to actual persons or events reflects the adaptation of real, 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: publicly available materials for creative and legal reasons. The content 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: of this podcast is the sole responsibility of Red Weather 5 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: LLC and does not reflect the views of responsibilities of 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia or its affiliates. Previously on The Red Weather in 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety five, my neighbor and a trainer disappeared from 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: a commune. 9 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: They looked at Mick. 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 3: He had somebody with him every step of the way, 11 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 3: and we know he was with you for the rest 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 3: of the night. 13 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 4: She full won't changed his story. 14 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 5: Suddenly she's dating Mick. 15 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: Oh so they dated for real though? 16 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:36,279 Speaker 6: Yeah? 17 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 7: Six months. 18 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: Registered Harjenna on November eighteen, nineteen ninety five. So she 19 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: had a new car within two weeks. Yeah. But it's 20 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: not until this interview, which is her third one, that 21 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: she says that she was with Mick Boten. 22 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: Correct. 23 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: Let's talk about Moldinata. 24 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 4: You want to talk about how this guy can look 25 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 4: the other way when it comes to Mick. You got 26 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 4: to talk about his campaign the next year. Who paid 27 00:00:58,520 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 4: for that shit? 28 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: I knew about him? 29 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 2: A mixtape, A Haunted tape. 30 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 8: It was many and many a year ago in a 31 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 8: kingdom by the sea. 32 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: This is Anna Traynor's voice, which I hadn't heard in 33 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: thirty years. It's the infamous Haunted tape. It turns out 34 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,199 Speaker 1: it's a mixtape that Anna made in nineteen ninety five. 35 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: So there's music, of course, songs like Sour Times by Portoishead, 36 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: songs she must have loved or felt compelled to share, 37 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: but also, like a lot of us did back then, 38 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: Anna recorded herself talking, and mostly she sounds like a 39 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: teenager intents. At times, like when she reads ed Garland Poe, 40 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: I was. 41 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 8: A child and she was a child in this kingdom 42 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 8: by the sea. But we loved with a love that 43 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 8: was more than love. I and my Annabelle Lee, with 44 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 8: a love that the winged serifs of heaven coveted her 45 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 8: and me. 46 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: Other times she's completely irreverent, like when she records herself 47 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: going through a drive through at McDonald's. 48 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 8: Yeah number two, no pickles, but a coke two cops. 49 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 9: Please, no, no, no, m. 50 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 6: It is so good. No no. Never mind that she 51 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 6: would drinks like a glass or wood or like not 52 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 6: even like a glasshoul drink like a bottle of wine 53 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,679 Speaker 6: like every night, which is poison every day. Oh but 54 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 6: god forbid, I have a fucking Coca Cola. Well you 55 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 6: know what, Lany, this sons for you. 56 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 7: I'm gonna have to choco a little latte. 57 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 8: Wait one to chalk a little latte, talk a little 58 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 8: l that's you. 59 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: I have no idea what's going on here? Some kind 60 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: of in joke. 61 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 8: Wait that look on the lady's face. 62 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 3: I can believe you said that. 63 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: I can understand why the rumors started that this was 64 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: a voice from beyond the grave. There are moments that 65 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: feel eerie, especially not knowing what happened to her, Lucky, 66 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: I really do you. It felt like a window cracked 67 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: through time, a direct connection. I thought for sure it 68 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: would open up a whole new line of investigation, but 69 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: actually it had the opposite effect. I am actor and filmmaker, 70 00:03:45,280 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: right or strong? This is the red weather last week 71 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: had changed the way I was thinking about Anna's disappearance. 72 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: I was talking with Sheriff Maldonado, the lead investigator from 73 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety five, and starting to wonder why he chose 74 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: to focus on some suspects and ignore others. 75 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 4: I know he got Crechateu story got Maldo to look 76 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 4: the other way. 77 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: And I had sat down with Sparks, an old acquaintance 78 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: who was convinced, convinced that Maldonado and the Sheriff's department 79 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: were thoroughly corrupt. 80 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 4: Isn't it a little bit weird that they obsess over 81 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 4: hippies in the woods and not the obvious boyfriend who 82 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 4: was all pissed because their girls sleeping around. 83 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: I kind of agreed. I got in the vibe that 84 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: Tender Hearts was a boogeyman for Maldonado. But why would 85 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: they wanted to not be Mick? Well, one reason might 86 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: be Mick's family. His dad, Thomas Boden, was an early 87 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: Microsoft investor back in the pre dot com boom. Mick 88 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 1: grew up on a big house with its own vineyard. 89 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: My brother remembers. 90 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 5: It, and it kind of stuck out like in the field. Yeah, 91 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 5: it was like open vineyards and then it's just this 92 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 5: big yeah like PLoP down. Yes, Well it's like that 93 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 5: faux like Italian Tuscan wannabe vibe. 94 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 6: You know. 95 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 5: So it's like just a huge it's a mansion, big 96 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 5: mansion house, but it's trying to like be like classy 97 00:05:58,720 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 5: at the same. 98 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 4: Time rich perfect football play. And yeah, stud, you. 99 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: Know Mick was rich on track. He already had early 100 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: acceptance to Stanford. In other words, Mike and his family 101 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: were good, upstanding folks, while Anna and the Tender Hearts 102 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: was a sleazy, creepy commune. But in real terms, Sparks 103 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: was sure that Mick's family had actually contributed to Maldonado's 104 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: campaign for County sheriff the next year. 105 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 4: Daddy promises Samullah. They half asked their investigation goes. 106 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 3: Away journalism one all one, follow the money. 107 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: That's Monica Tremblaine, the reporter who covered the case. So 108 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: when I was in there with the evidence, Maldonado did 109 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: this weird thing. I told her that Maldonado helped me 110 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: sneak photos at the Sheriff's department, which felt to me 111 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: like a sign of his corruptibility. No, I wouldn't read 112 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: too much into that. I mean, I have sources all 113 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: the time, back channel sources. So yeah, I guess you're right. 114 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 10: It's not like this one little move means that he's 115 00:06:58,520 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 10: a crooked cop. 116 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: I mean, but helping you, helping a lad, that's what 117 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 2: you want, right, Like, how do you think we got 118 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 2: the Pentagon papers Watergate? 119 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: I mean, as a journalist, that's the goal. I'm hardly 120 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: a journalist. What are you waiting for information? She said 121 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: she would look into the campaign contributions. All right, Well, really, 122 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: what we need to do is get a hold of Mike. 123 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,559 Speaker 1: I had been trying to reach Mick from the moment 124 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: I started this podcast to no avail. I tried every 125 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: number I could find. Hi, is this luke No? I 126 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: even tried to track him down through his brother, who 127 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: had been a friend of mine for a brief moment 128 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: in second and third grade. Okay, sorry about that. Thanks, 129 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: And since our first sit down, Sparks was Mia, the 130 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: mailbox is full and cannot accept any messages at this time. Goodbye, 131 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: which was worrisome. If I was going to use any 132 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,559 Speaker 1: of his information, I would need him. He's not getting 133 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: back to me either. My buddy Chris was the one 134 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: who connected me to Sparks in the first place. Well, 135 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: it's just shitty because he said so many things, and 136 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: you know, I can try and confirm this stuff, but 137 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: if I can't find him, I can't. It makes you 138 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: look bad. Monica had actually interviewed in the nineties. She 139 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: never went on record, but Monica still had her contact info. 140 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: Hey did you know she's a grandmother? Now what this 141 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: idea rocked my world? Yeah? I guess if she had 142 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: a kid when she was twenty or something. Oh, come out, writer, 143 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: it's not that crazy. 144 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: A lot of people have kids young. 145 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: The main feeling that this gave me was embarrassment. Here 146 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: I am running around with a microphone and trying to 147 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: call her about her teenage boyfriend, and she's a grandmother. 148 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: Her life had moved on in every way. Well, if 149 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: not me, then will she talk to you? 150 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 10: I don't think so. On record. 151 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: After my experience with Malton Otto and Thomas Greer, the 152 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: Sheriff's Department liaison, I was feeling more common with the 153 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,959 Speaker 1: idea of reciprocity of making deals. Can you do me 154 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: a favor? Could you send her something and then ask 155 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: her again if she might talk to me. I was 156 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: talking about a copy of the transcript I had smuggled 157 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: out of the Violent Crimes Investigative Unit. I'd noticed something 158 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: from Mick's first conversation with Maldonado. And then this is 159 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: you asking about here? 160 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 10: Yeah? 161 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, harsh I sent Monica a screenshot that I'd collected 162 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: with Maldonado's phone. 163 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 10: Oh naw, yeah right. 164 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: In their first interview, Maldonado wanted to know why Mick 165 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: was getting paged by Anna, and yet he spent the 166 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: night with you, and here's what he said. Maldonado asks, 167 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: so what about why are you showing up at her 168 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: place so late? Mick says, likes me. Maldonado asks, she's 169 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: your girlfriend, Mick. No, no, Maldonado says, so what a hookup? 170 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: She's Mick? Not even Maldonado says, not hot, Mick. She's there? 171 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: All right? Is there a guy like you? Has a 172 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: lot of these? I do all right? You score, I 173 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: do all right? This was a Mick that I. 174 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 10: Remembered, and maybe if she knew what Mick had said 175 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 10: to the cops might change her mind about talking to me. 176 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 10: You know, right, you're better at this than you think. 177 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: Two days later, Monica called me back, she's gonna talk 178 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: to me. No, she's not gonna talk to you. 179 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 3: But you know, Mick left something in her car years ago, 180 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 3: and that was. 181 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: How I got the mixtape. Monica didn't have a tape player, 182 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: but my parents did. In their garage. The day the 183 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: tape arrived, Monica had a trial she was covering, so 184 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: I met her in the parking lot outside the courthouse. 185 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 1: Believe it or not, this was our first time meeting 186 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: in person. Up until now, everything had been over zoom 187 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: on the phone. All right, finally zoom. Sorry I do 188 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: not have a tape player. Yeah no, yeah, would you? 189 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: I just my parents never threw anything away. 190 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. 191 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 3: Look, I'm down to hear this, So give me an 192 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 3: update on this tape the second that you listen to 193 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 3: it will yeah, you never. 194 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: How to digitize it or whatever, and then I'll send 195 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: you topics. What's uh? What's this? I meant the trial 196 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: that's now murder? Oh really yep? Drugs death death drug 197 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: you know, doesn't get out. 198 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 3: Okay, gotta get back. 199 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 9: Recess is probably over. 200 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 10: Talk soon yeah yeah, okayay. 201 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: Thanks, thank you. I watched her hurry into the courthouse. 202 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: It was really hard for me to imagine her job 203 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: covering multiple cases, the crime beat in general. I was 204 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: only looking into one case, and I was overwhelmed. I 205 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 1: got home, dusted off my parents' old tape player, and 206 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: got it working. Anna's mix is one hundred and twenty 207 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: minutes and it's. 208 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 10: Full okay, but you have to listen to the whole thing. 209 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 11: You can't fast forward it. 210 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: Take The first song was Nick Cave's Red Right Hand, 211 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: which launches Anna into a rant about society. 212 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 7: I think you just like need it to be true 213 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 7: that like you like me and that I like you. 214 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 7: But it's not okay. It like isn't okay for society. 215 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 7: That's what I'm saying, So I say, fuck society. 216 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 1: Then there's the really unnerving presence of Concrete Lawns Tomorrow 217 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: Wendy with it's chorus. 218 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 8: And now for your listening pleasure, some more chick music. 219 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: Saints by the Breeders was a song I didn't know. 220 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 1: It definitely has a manic nineties energy. What she was 221 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: saying didn't make sense, but one thing was clear. It 222 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: put Mick front and center again. 223 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 8: You're may sailor you're my relife, Nicky, because you are 224 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 8: so cool. 225 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: I sent Monica a digital copy that I made by 226 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: running the line to my laptop. I was excited. It 227 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 1: felt like real progress. There was no way the Sheriff's 228 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: department wouldn't revisit Mick as a suspect now. But then 229 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: I mentioned sharing it with them to Monica. 230 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 3: Wait, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't do that. 231 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: I would not do that, not yet. What really, why writer, 232 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: you got. 233 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 3: A source telling you they buried this case. They're corrupt, 234 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 3: they took bribes. 235 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: Okay, well that's Maldonado maybe, but Lachlan, like. 236 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 3: They're gonna ask you where you got the tape. 237 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: Look, don't mention my name. Why not. 238 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 3: I've earned your trust. I gave you the tape because 239 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 3: she told me that was all right. She chose not 240 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 3: to turn it into the cops for thirty years. 241 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:01,719 Speaker 1: But they told me that if there's new evidence that 242 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: could they could open up the case. You believe them, 243 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: you want that? Well maybe? 244 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 4: Yeah. 245 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: The greer, the guy, the liaison that they put me, 246 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: he loves me. He's like he's actually ridiculously he's a fan. 247 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 3: Oh wow, Okay, look, don't fall for that. 248 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: Okay, these are not your friends. 249 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 3: Every cop, every team, law enforcement team that I have 250 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 3: worked with, given a choice between something that makes them 251 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 3: look bad and the truth. 252 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: They never choose the truth. The more I thought about it, 253 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: I didn't feel right not sharing evidence, so I didn't 254 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: heed her advice. I wish I had the day I 255 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: got Anna's tape, I listened to it three times all 256 00:14:54,680 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: the way through. There was this girl, You'll Be a 257 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: Woman Soon, which was from the pulp fiction soundtrack Pearl 258 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: Jam's Daughter. There was some of the hip hop that 259 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: everyone listened to in Sebastopol at the time Diggable Planets 260 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: tribe called Quest. The one that really brought me back 261 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: personally was a song by Annie DiFranco out of Range. 262 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: The second that opening riff started, a memory rushed in Willow, 263 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: cranking the song up while we drove around, bouncing and 264 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: thrashing in her seat the way that only teenagers can do. 265 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: Willow must have been introduced to Anno DiFranco by her sister. 266 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: Some of the most interesting parts of the mix are 267 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: when Anna included movie clips. I remember doing this too. 268 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: The audio is terrible. She must have been holding her 269 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: recorder right up to the TV world Clown's stupid Jetty. 270 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 9: Day And for me, it's a civil mind. 271 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 5: Individuality in malawis the personal freedom. 272 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: Asshole that's from Wild at Heart. And this, of course 273 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: I Keebo's singing from My Day. 274 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 5: He and they had to fit it. 275 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 2: Since Kim was ten years old and the name came 276 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 2: in alongside of. 277 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: The trays so called, which I recognized from bad Lands, 278 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: one of my favorite movies. All in all, Anna had 279 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: good taste, and apparently Nick did not. On this tape. 280 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 8: There will be no Billy Joel, Fuck the Eagles, Fuck 281 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 8: Hotel California, Fuck your dad's music. 282 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: This is how she talks to him a lot, taunting him, 283 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: teasing him. 284 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 8: Is this torture? 285 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 3: What does it hurt? 286 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 8: Does it make you want to cut your ear off? 287 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: And if you caught that? That's the first of many 288 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: Vincent van goh references. 289 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 8: Get used to it because I'm picking all the music 290 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 8: in Operation van go I'm gonna make you camp. You're 291 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 8: gonna hate it. 292 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: She even reads from a book at one point. It's 293 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: an encyclopedia. 294 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 11: I guess. 295 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 8: Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter whose vivid colors 296 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 8: and expressive fresh work blah blah blah blah, love okay here. 297 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 8: Van go suffered from severe emotional and psychological problems and 298 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,119 Speaker 8: died in France the age of thirty seven. Thirty seven, 299 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 8: severe emotional and psychological problems. That's what happens when you 300 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 8: let society tell you how to feel, which, by the 301 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 8: way you do it, you do it all the time 302 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 8: because you're scared. 303 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,400 Speaker 1: All in all, it sounds like she and Mick had 304 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: a pretty strange dynamic. 305 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 8: Everyone. 306 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 11: Thanks, you're the man, but. 307 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: I need you. 308 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 11: And here's why. 309 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: And this is really fucked up about you and your brain. 310 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 10: You like it when I mean to you. 311 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: There's no way the Sheriff's department wouldn't find this helpful. 312 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: I called my liaison, Thomas Greer, mister Hunter. Yeah, also 313 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 1: seemingly could only think of me as the guy from 314 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: Boy Meets World. Dunt, dunt, dun. Do you remember that 315 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,159 Speaker 1: Halloween episode which was better than Lachlan who had openly 316 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: dismissed me as an actor? With a podcast like a 317 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: cassette mm hmm old school, Yeah, it's it's got songs 318 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: and then she has movie clips, but she also talks 319 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: a lot to Mick. I was surprised, though, by Greer's 320 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: reaction to the tape. And how do you know it's 321 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: from the real girl, the Hannah? Yeah? Well, I mean 322 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: I don't know for sure, but yeah it's her. I 323 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: mean it's and who gave it to you? I'd rather 324 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:56,160 Speaker 1: if can I keep that confidential? You know it's your 325 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 1: tape you called me, But it does doesn't mean that 326 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: much unless it's real. No, it's definitely, I mean it's 327 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: it's a direct source. I thought he would have been 328 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: more excited. 329 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 7: All right, well, uh, why don't you bring it over 330 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 7: and we'll give it a listen. 331 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: Hi, this is for Thomas Queer. Yeah, I can take that. 332 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: The next morning, I dropped the tape off and Greer 333 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: didn't even come out to get it. I left it 334 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: at the front desk and I met Monica for lunch. 335 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: We met at the Pine Cone Diner and went over 336 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: the tear answer right, I mean, yeah, I don't. It's 337 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: not like I remember her voice perfectly, but it totally fits, 338 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 1: even though I have no idea what she's talking about 339 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: half the time, more like all his van. 340 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 10: Go stuff this idea, Yeah, I have no idea. 341 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: The fact that Anna had made this tape for Mick 342 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 1: and that he'd never brought it forward was not a 343 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: good look for him. But then I have to be 344 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: careful because I went into doing this podcast with a 345 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 1: chip on my shoulder. Nick Bowden, going all the way 346 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: back to when we were kids, was I don't know 347 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: how to put this delicately not my favorite person. He 348 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 1: was arrogant, condescending. I was friends with his brother for 349 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: a little bit, and I remember going over to the 350 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: house and Mick would torture us, lock us in a room. 351 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: He was just a dick. Yeah, I just remember him 352 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: just always, yeah, just being a dickhead. Chris in particular, 353 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: was picked on relentlessly by Mick and his friends. Chris 354 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: was a goofy, funny kid with a slightly off sense 355 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: of humor, exactly the kind of kid someone like Mick 356 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: would target. He'd strut around everywhere he went, anywhere he 357 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 1: went like he owned the place, which maybe served him well. 358 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 1: Christmas came early for Monster Clicks this week, when the 359 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: new startup was acquired by Pullman Hendrix in a deal 360 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: reportedly in the three to five. Mick did the smart 361 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,400 Speaker 1: Northern California thing and moved into tech out of Stanford. 362 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: He was part of that first dot com boom. He 363 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: sold an ad integration company in two two thousand and two, 364 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: and apparently that sold to a bigger company, which sold 365 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: to a bigger company, and on and on. Do you 366 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: have any idea how much he's worried? It's a lot 367 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: I mean this one. He just invests. He does very 368 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 1: well with his investment firm, Jaylight. You know he started 369 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: off rich, Yeah, it must be nice, and you said 370 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: that is if you were in a different situation. 371 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 3: I was really. 372 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, my dad was a firefighter, my mom like Tom 373 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: class at the JC, and you were on TV as well, 374 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: so working Okay. This was one of the first times 375 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: I got a sense of how good Monica is at 376 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: her job. She was comfortable with conflict and not in 377 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: an aggressive way. She would just let a moment sit there. 378 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 9: I was just confused because she said must be nice, 379 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 9: like you wouldn't make We're in totally different world. 380 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: Well, I I grew up in Oakland, so Bronse Park. Yeah, 381 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: that's that is different. We had spent the last few 382 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: weeks talking obsessively about my childhood and my friends, and 383 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: yet I didn't even know if Monica was married or 384 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: had kids. Before I could ask, she moved right on, yeah, mixed. 385 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: Dad he died. But I do still think it might 386 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: be worth checking out those contributions for right okay right 387 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: the ninety six campaign, she was pounding on her phone. 388 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: It looked like she was writing four different stories at once, 389 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,880 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna go to the registrar in person because 390 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: there's nothing digital, and if that does not work, check 391 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: with the FPPC. She sucks glove. 392 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 3: Legally they're supposed to respond in ten days, but you 393 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 3: you see, all it works. 394 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: So okay. 395 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: I paid the bill with sparks off the grid, the 396 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: tape with the Sheriff's department, and having interviewed most of 397 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: my family and friends already, I started to feel like 398 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: I should probably head home. How's Indie? I called my wife, Alex. 399 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 7: Oh, he he's. 400 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 11: Okay, you know, already crying about having to do the 401 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 11: conservatory on Saturday, even though yet it's five days away. 402 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: Alex had been holding down the fort back at home 403 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,360 Speaker 1: for almost three weeks now. She's in the business too, 404 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: and like most of us these days, she's a multi 405 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: hyphen it writer, director, producer, actor. When you're married and 406 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: both of you work this way where everything is freelance, 407 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: you have to take turns. Whoever's got a job, whoever's 408 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 1: got a project. The other one becomes a single parent. 409 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: And the truth was going back to my hometown and 410 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,479 Speaker 1: looking into Anna's case was a little different. Not an 411 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,239 Speaker 1: actual job. She would never say so but I was 412 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:01,360 Speaker 1: pretty sure Alex's patience was wearing thin been able to right. No, 413 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 1: I was supposed to be writing a script, an actual job. 414 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: It was due in a matter of weeks, but I 415 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: hadn't even written a word yet. I know, I know 416 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: you think I should come home. I don't say that, no, 417 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: but I can. I can feel it. 418 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 11: It just that is a job that you have, right, 419 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 11: I know you're supposed to be writing. That's all you 420 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 11: ever want to do is write, and you're not doing that. 421 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: It's fine, I'll come home. 422 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 10: I mean, there's nothing happening here and I can't just 423 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 10: keep sitting around. 424 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 1: Right then, though, an email came through. Oh wait, I 425 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: actually just got a note from the Sheriff's office. 426 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 10: Can you come in and meet me at nine am tomorrow? 427 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess. 428 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 10: They listened to the tape. 429 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: The next morning, I went to the building and waited 430 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: to see Greer. I couldn't wait to hear his thoughts 431 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: on the tape. Finally, I was no longer begging for 432 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: access or evidence or a return phone call. The Sheriff's 433 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: department was taking me seriously. And this is really painful 434 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: to admit, But while I sat there, I actually had 435 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 1: a fantasy. I mean, I know it's ridiculous, but I 436 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: couldn't help it. It was me embedded with Greer and 437 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: a team of cops, like a swat team, I guess, 438 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: And I'd have my mike and my headphones, so I'm 439 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: recording audio while we jumped out of the vans and 440 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: marched into this big office building. It's jaylight, mixed company, 441 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: shock faces of employees. Mick protested while Greer cuffed him, 442 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: and then Mick would catch my eye. But then, while 443 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: waiting in the lobby, I got a text from Monica. 444 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: It said Sparks may have been right. I texted her 445 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: back about what She replied with three dollar bills follow 446 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: the money. I called Monica back from the lobby. 447 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 6: Right. 448 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 3: There are two contributions to the nineteen ninety six Maldonado campaign. 449 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 3: These two companies, Free Flow and Overture Holdings. Thomas Bolden 450 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 3: was on the board for both. 451 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,880 Speaker 1: That would be mixed. Dad, Well, jesus, I'm walking into 452 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: Greer right now. 453 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 6: Strong. 454 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: Wait, is he gonna let you were born? Yeah? 455 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 3: Okay, well then well you got to ask him about this, 456 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 3: just get his response in real time. 457 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: No, I'm not sure. I can do that write a 458 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 1: strong Yeah, no, I got I gotta go, I gotta. 459 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 7: Go forget it. 460 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: When Greer walked me down the hallway, I tried to 461 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 1: give him something that I had found at my parents' 462 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: house while digging out the tape player. Hey, so I 463 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: guess what I found? M what's this? It was a 464 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: Boy Meets WorldScript from the nineties. My parents had kept 465 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: a box of them, and I thought he'd appreciate it. Oh, 466 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: uh cool, Yeah, I can sign. 467 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 7: For you if you. 468 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 8: Come on in. 469 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,719 Speaker 1: We walked into a bare room with a metal table. 470 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: Sheriff Grace Laughlan was waiting. 471 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 11: Hi. 472 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: Oh hi, yeah, nice to meet. Take a seat. Was 473 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 1: this an interrogation room? I sat down for your state standing. 474 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: They got right to the tape, but not in the 475 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: way that I hoped. 476 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 9: Yeah, it's uh, compelling stuff. But see here here's the 477 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 9: real thing. It's a serious chain of custody issue. 478 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 1: How what does that mean? 479 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 9: You hand over a tape but you won't tell us 480 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 9: who gave it to you. 481 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, well, I I'm sorry. Does that even matter? 482 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 5: I mean, it's if it's real, it matters. 483 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 1: Well, it's definitely real. Well, come on, writer, you're an actor. 484 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,159 Speaker 9: You make movies, right for a living, you're working with 485 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 9: audio equipment. 486 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,959 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, then can you it's like tested? 487 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 9: I mean, I'm sure, yeah, yeah, we have a forensic 488 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 9: scheme processing it. But I uh, I don't understand the 489 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 9: hesitation here? 490 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 1: What hesitating it? 491 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 4: Tell us where you got it? 492 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 9: So can you tell us the name of the person 493 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 9: who give you this? 494 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 1: I'm sorry? Right, So they just they want to remain. 495 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 9: You see how that's not helping us help you. You 496 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 9: said you have a new witness. 497 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: Who's that? I I okay? And that I can if 498 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: with that one, I can get back to you, you know, 499 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: probably in a couple of days. I just I need 500 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: to get his Okay. 501 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 9: We're all for journalists, obviously, we invited you in here, right, 502 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 9: we're letting you record right now. All we want is 503 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 9: more eyes and ears on any case. We want everyone 504 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 9: to come forward, tell us, tell us what they know. 505 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: Okay. 506 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: But then this wasn't just about me. 507 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 9: We heard you've been talking to Monica Tremaline. H You 508 00:28:58,720 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 9: know her history, right. 509 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: She's got a bit of a reputation for what. 510 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 9: She has had to retract more than one story published, 511 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 9: some things before she gets all the facts, and then 512 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 9: other times not publishing things, not sharing information that could help. 513 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: If you listen, you can hear my phone going crazy. 514 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 9: Do you need to get that. 515 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 2: No. 516 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,719 Speaker 9: No, we're the ones who can solve this case. We 517 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 9: have the people, we have the resources. We are the professionals, 518 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 9: not Monica Trimbling, not you. 519 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: It does sound like you're going to reopen the case. 520 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: When I asked that, they looked at one another. 521 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:44,239 Speaker 9: If we verify the tape, then it could move up 522 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 9: the chain and career. He'll put it on his active rotation. 523 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 9: But we need full transparency. Anything you find, any information 524 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 9: you have, anybody that comes forward, that's yeah. 525 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: Of course I'd walked into this building with this fantasy 526 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: that I would help crack the case and join the 527 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 1: SWAT team take down a criminal. And I'd love to 528 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: tell you that this was the moment that I did 529 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: the right thing, did the bold thing. But unlike Monica, 530 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: I am incredibly uncomfortable with conflict. It turns out I 531 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: am just an actor with a podcast. So I didn't 532 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: tell them how I got the tape. I didn't tell 533 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: them about the pager I found. I didn't mention sparks, 534 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: and I didn't confront them on the campaign contributions. 535 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 11: You didn't say anything. 536 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: Monica wasn't happy. 537 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 10: No, I mean they wanted to know where we got 538 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 10: the tape. 539 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: You have to push back, Well. 540 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 10: I mean maybe eventually. I'm right now, I'm not in 541 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 10: the position. I don't feel like I'm the right person 542 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 10: to do that. 543 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: Right. If you're not gonna go for this, then what 544 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: are we doing? 545 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 10: Okay, well, I will go for it. I'm just right now, 546 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 10: you know, I want to get all the information. I'm 547 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 10: looking at these people and they're they're helping me. They're 548 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 10: probably going to reopen the case, and I'm looking at them, 549 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 10: so I don't want to No. 550 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: You're just you're tiptoeing around. You're just not trying to 551 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: piss anybody off. Well, yeah, why should I have? 552 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 10: I don't, you know, I don't want to piss them 553 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 10: off unnecessarily. 554 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: But they're not your friends. 555 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 10: Okay, I know, but they might be reopening the case, right, 556 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 10: and if I pissed them off, then they don't talk 557 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 10: to me. That nobody wins in that scenario. 558 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: Writer, You've only been doing this for a few weeks now, right. 559 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: They have had this case for thirty years, and you 560 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: have done more on it than they have. 561 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 6: Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know? 562 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: All right, I'm off like I left my parents and 563 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: drove back to LA that day. Yeah, guys, I listened 564 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: to Anna's mix on the way, justifying the fact that 565 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: I hadn't confronted Lachlan and career. I'm not a journalist, 566 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: I'm not a detective. Maybe I'd done some good, kicked 567 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: over a few stones, and I found the tape. Hopefully 568 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: they would reopen Anna's case. I could go home, get 569 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: back to my writing job while they looked into it more. 570 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 11: Well. 571 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: And this idea that the Sheriff's department might be corrupt 572 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: or had been corrupt, that was important, of course, but 573 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: was it my battle. Monica's the professional. She could keep digging. 574 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: If she found something solid well, then she could bring 575 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: it to me or her editors or whomever, and maybe 576 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: get something published. Turns out Monica didn't have to wait 577 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: for me or anyone. Like most writers these days, Monica 578 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: runs her own sub stack, and by the time I 579 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: woke up, the news had already broken and Missing Person's 580 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: investigation from nineteen ninety five. Okay, whenever reviews come out 581 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: for something that I've worked on, I have Alex read 582 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: it first. For some reason, it feels better to have 583 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: a human buffer. I did that with Monica's article too. 584 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 11: It's about contributions to a campaign. 585 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: Oh she put it all in there. 586 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 11: Sure for Robert Maldonado did not respond to call, of. 587 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: Course, not for a moment, one brief shining moment. I 588 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: hope that Monica might have put this out there without 589 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: involving me. 590 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 11: The allegations came to light because right Or Strong, the 591 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 11: actor best known for his role in Boyman's World, has 592 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 11: been revisiting the case for a podcast. 593 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: Shit, and suddenly this project, before I'd even finished editing 594 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 1: my very first episode, was out in the world, and 595 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: I had a bad feeling it was not going to 596 00:33:49,640 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: make things easier. That day, the deluge messages and emails, 597 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: news outlets wanting comments and stuff like this happens anybody 598 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 1: who represents me, or ever once represented me, starts fielding 599 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: requests old agents from when I was still acting, publicists 600 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: I worked with years ago. Anywhere somebody can find contact 601 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: info for me, they try. And the whole morning I 602 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,800 Speaker 1: watched phone calls come in from unknown numbers. But then 603 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 1: there was one that I recognized, and I knew I 604 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: had to answer. 605 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 9: Well, congratulations, you've got the clicks. 606 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:33,800 Speaker 10: No, I had no idea. 607 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't ever anything that I was in. None of 608 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: this means right, This makes it harder. 609 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 9: This is exactly why we need to control the flow 610 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 9: of information. 611 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 6: This is the kind of thing that we cannot have. 612 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: I tried to explain myself to distance myself from Monica, 613 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:47,879 Speaker 1: but I could barely get a word in. 614 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 9: Okay, look, I don't need the state and the district 615 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 9: attorney suddenly banging on my all. We were trying to 616 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 9: help you, and now we're fielding conspiracy theories. 617 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: I know, and I appreciate your help. 618 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 9: And I aponoized Robert Maldonado to no longer speak with you, 619 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,240 Speaker 9: and officer career is under orders to keep us for control. 620 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: At that point, I was cut out of the case, 621 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 1: no more access to the evidence or the sheriff's office. 622 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,959 Speaker 1: I thought this was it, that there was no way 623 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,760 Speaker 1: I could put anything together without help or new leads, 624 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 1: without more evidence. I didn't realize that my biggest breakthrough, 625 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,399 Speaker 1: what I really needed to push the case forward. I'd 626 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: already heard it was right there on the tape. The 627 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 1: Red Weather is an iHeart podcast hosted by River Strong. 628 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: Sound engineering, editing and mixing by Bou milkis produced by 629 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: Tess Bartholomey. Executive producers at iHeartRadio Trevor Young and Matt Frederick. 630 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: Associate producer Beau milkis original score by Kyle Morten. If 631 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave a review 632 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: and rating. Thanks for listening.