WEBVTT - Hell and Gone Murder Line: Shannon Lee Collins Update

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<v Speaker 1>School of Humans.

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<v Speaker 2>Earlier this year, we covered the case of Shannon Lee Collins,

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<v Speaker 2>a forty eight year old veteran who vanished without a

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<v Speaker 2>trace from his family home in Pottsville, Arkansas. Shannon had

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<v Speaker 2>been married to his wife, Teresa for over twenty years.

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<v Speaker 2>They had a son named Josh together, who also lived

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<v Speaker 2>in the home. Teresa also had a daughter named Brittany

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<v Speaker 2>from a previous relationship. Shannon had helped raise Brittany since

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<v Speaker 2>she was a little girl. I am thrilled to report

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<v Speaker 2>we have a major update in this case because federal

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<v Speaker 2>fraud charges have been filed against Shannon's wife, Teresa and

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<v Speaker 2>her daughter Brittany. We talked to Shannon's brother, Blake, who

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<v Speaker 2>has been working tirelessly ever since his brother disappeared and

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<v Speaker 2>trying to do anything he can to get justice and

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<v Speaker 2>get answers. They also have a younger sister named Holly.

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<v Speaker 2>After Shannon disappeared, Blake claimed that Shannon's wife, Teresa misled

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<v Speaker 2>their fan and told them that she had been talking

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<v Speaker 2>to Shannon when she hadn't. He claimed Teresa had conflicting

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<v Speaker 2>stories about when and how Shannon supposedly left his home

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<v Speaker 2>wearing just the clothes on his back. And not only that,

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<v Speaker 2>Blake claimed that Teresa stole Shannon's VA money over thirty

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<v Speaker 2>two thousand dollars that had been deposited into their joint

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<v Speaker 2>account since Shannon went missing. We talked to Blake about

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<v Speaker 2>what's going on now with those fraud charges, the explosive

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<v Speaker 2>claims that had been made in that lawsuit, and also

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<v Speaker 2>what could happen with potential other charges now that the

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<v Speaker 2>Feds have followed the money and uncovered the fraud, could

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<v Speaker 2>murder charges come next. I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the past

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<v Speaker 2>five years of making my true crime podcast, Telling Gone,

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<v Speaker 2>I've learned that there is no such thing as a

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<v Speaker 2>small town where murder never happens. I've received hundreds of

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<v Speaker 2>messages from people all around the country asking for help

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<v Speaker 2>with an unsolved murder that's affected them, their families, and

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<v Speaker 2>their communities. If you have case you'd like me and

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<v Speaker 2>my team to look into, you can reach out to

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<v Speaker 2>us at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven

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<v Speaker 2>eight seven four four six one four five. That's six

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<v Speaker 2>seven eight seven four four six one four five. This

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<v Speaker 2>is Helen Gone Murder Line. I'm just gonna give you

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<v Speaker 2>a brief recap of the case. If you want to

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<v Speaker 2>hear all the details of the work we did on

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon's disappearance, you can go back and check out the

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<v Speaker 2>past episodes. Shannon had been in the military for twenty

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<v Speaker 2>four years. He was in the Army National Guard, and

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<v Speaker 2>then due to an injury, he was eligible to receive

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<v Speaker 2>VA disability benefits. Blake told us that Shannon was in

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<v Speaker 2>constant contact with his family, and he specifically mentioned his

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<v Speaker 2>brother was a talker, not really a texter. He liked

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<v Speaker 2>to call his family. He said there had been a

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<v Speaker 2>recent minor disagreement between Shannon and Shannon's parents because remember

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<v Speaker 2>this was during COVID when everything was in lockdown. They

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<v Speaker 2>are older and not in great health. Blake said Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>was upset when his parents said they could not attend

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon's stepdaughter's wedding they didn't feel comfortable traveling. But a

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<v Speaker 2>few weeks later things were pretty much back to normal.

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<v Speaker 2>Blake and Holly were still talking to and texting their brother.

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<v Speaker 2>The last time they heard from him was at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of February twenty twenty one. So then came that

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<v Speaker 2>night in March, when Shannon was away on a work

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<v Speaker 2>trip in Tennessee, came home, and since then no one

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<v Speaker 2>ever heard from him again. When they didn't hear from

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<v Speaker 2>him for months, Shannon's parents and the rest of his

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<v Speaker 2>family started getting worried. There was an additional complication we mentioned.

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon had told his family that he was ending his

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<v Speaker 2>marriage with Teresa and that he had a girlfriend.

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<v Speaker 1>Shannon said Teresa.

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<v Speaker 2>Knew about his girlfriend and about his plans to end

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<v Speaker 2>the marriage. So at first, when Shannon disappeared, his family

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<v Speaker 2>told themselves maybe he was just taking a breather. They

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<v Speaker 2>knew he was planning on ending his marriage. When Shannon's

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<v Speaker 2>family couldn't get a hold of him, of course, they

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<v Speaker 2>called Teresa, and when they would ask Teresa about Shannon,

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<v Speaker 2>she would tell them that he just wasn't around then,

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<v Speaker 2>he couldn't talk. Then. At first they believed her, but

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<v Speaker 2>after a while they started to ask a lot more

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<v Speaker 2>questions about exactly what happened. On March eleventh, twenty twenty one,

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<v Speaker 2>after all this went down, police talk to Blake, He's

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<v Speaker 2>been able to piece together from what he learned from

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<v Speaker 2>police and what he's done on his own his own

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<v Speaker 2>investigating some facts. Electronic daya verified Shannon did return from

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<v Speaker 2>that work trip to Tennessee. He flew into the Little

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<v Speaker 2>Rock Airport, drove home, and entered his house at around

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<v Speaker 2>ten pm. Shannon, his son, and his wife, Teresa were

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<v Speaker 2>all in the home when he got back. Shannon's stepdaughter

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<v Speaker 2>Brittany came to the residence the next morning. On that morning,

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon was scheduled to go out for another job, but

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<v Speaker 2>he never showed up. Eventually, after a few weeks of

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<v Speaker 2>them asking what was going on with Shannon, Teresa told

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<v Speaker 2>Blake that Shannon had left her.

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<v Speaker 1>She said he just walked out.

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<v Speaker 2>She told Shannon's sister Holly something similar, saying that Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>had walked away from the family. She told them that

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon had literally left on foot, didn't even take his

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<v Speaker 2>own car. By now, Blake said, Teresa was telling everyone

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<v Speaker 2>what seemed to be a different story. One day, she

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<v Speaker 2>would say Shannon was on pain medications and may have

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<v Speaker 2>checked himself into a hospital, while another story that came

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<v Speaker 2>out later had Teresa saying that he was going to

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<v Speaker 2>work on an overseas contract. None of it made any sense,

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<v Speaker 2>and during all this time no one reported Shannon Collins missing.

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<v Speaker 2>Blake finally reported him missing on November thirtieth, twenty twenty one,

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<v Speaker 2>and by now he's publicly calling out Teresa. He's asking

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<v Speaker 2>why it took nine months to report someone missing. Shannon's wife,

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<v Speaker 2>Teresa told police and Blake that Shannon had gotten a

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<v Speaker 2>new cell phone number. This was a different phone from

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<v Speaker 2>the one that he'd had for the past twenty years.

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<v Speaker 2>We talked about how police discovered that the person who

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<v Speaker 2>bought the new cell phone, the one that Shannon was

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<v Speaker 2>supposedly texting from, was Teresa. Blake's theory was that it

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<v Speaker 2>was Teresa sending messages from that phone posing as Shannon.

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<v Speaker 2>Blake told us that police knew Teresa had bought the phone,

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<v Speaker 2>She had shown the police text messages from the phone,

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<v Speaker 2>and that it had to be someone in the house

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<v Speaker 2>who was sending those text messages. Police had a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of those messages, and by the way, police knew where.

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<v Speaker 1>The phone was.

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<v Speaker 2>They knew that that phone that was supposedly Shannon texting

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<v Speaker 2>was in the Pottsville area from March of twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>one through November of twenty twenty one. Then, once Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>was reported missing by his family, the phone suddenly goes dead, silent,

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<v Speaker 2>No one gets text from that phone ever again. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 2>Teresa seemed to be sticking to her story. She told

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<v Speaker 2>the police that she and Shannon went to bed that night.

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<v Speaker 2>On the night he came home, everything was normal, and

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<v Speaker 2>at some point he left home and did not come back.

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<v Speaker 2>Blake and the rest of Shannon's family insisted he would

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<v Speaker 2>have never left everything that he had behind. And by

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<v Speaker 2>the way, one of the biggest pieces of evidence in

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<v Speaker 2>this case was the money, because, in addition to Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>not being the type of person who would leave his

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<v Speaker 2>entire family in his entire life, Teresa was asking everyone

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<v Speaker 2>to believe that he would walk away from his VA

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<v Speaker 2>disability payments more than three thousand dollars a month. Blake

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<v Speaker 2>said that he wanted to see Teresa brought to court

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<v Speaker 2>and charge with his brother's death, but in the meantime,

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<v Speaker 2>his plan was to follow the money. We said we

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<v Speaker 2>would do everything that we could to help him get answers.

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<v Speaker 2>The new case is called US versus Teresa Collins and

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<v Speaker 2>Britney Collins, Shannon's wife and stepdaughter, and according to the lawsuit,

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon started receiving the disability compensation via payments on May

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<v Speaker 2>twenty seventh, twenty fifteen, then honor, about March eleventh, twenty

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<v Speaker 2>twenty one, Shannon Collins traveled from Tennessee to his residence

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<v Speaker 2>in Pottsville, Arkansas, and from that day quote, Shannon Collins

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<v Speaker 2>has had no contact with his immediate family, has not

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<v Speaker 2>attended any physicians appointments, and has not opened or used

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<v Speaker 2>any financial account end quote. The lawsuit also states during

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<v Speaker 2>that same time period, from March of twenty twenty one

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<v Speaker 2>through December twenty twenty one, a total of thirty two thousand,

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<v Speaker 2>four hundred and four dollars and forty nine cents and

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<v Speaker 2>VA disability payments were deposited into a joint bank account

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<v Speaker 2>that was in Shannon and Teresa's names, So this was

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<v Speaker 2>one that Teresa had access to. And further, if the

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<v Speaker 2>VA had known that Shannon Collins was deceased, it would

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<v Speaker 2>not have paid that money. Blake mentioned the last time

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<v Speaker 2>we talked to him that even if Shannon wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>walk away from his marriage, it would be insanity to

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<v Speaker 2>walk away from that money and leave it in an

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<v Speaker 2>account where his strange wife could access all of it.

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<v Speaker 2>All Shannon would have had to do to access his

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<v Speaker 2>money is walk into a financial institution produce his ID

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<v Speaker 2>and he could have accessed his money, but he didn't.

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<v Speaker 2>The lawsuit alleges that Teresa and Britney quote voluntarily and

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<v Speaker 2>intentionally conspired with each other to commit wirefraud end quote.

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<v Speaker 2>And so now we have a definite timeline for that phone.

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<v Speaker 2>It alleges that on March twelfth, twenty twenty one, Teresa

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<v Speaker 2>called AT and T she wanted to unlock the cell

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<v Speaker 2>phone that Shannon used. Now we're talking about his regular

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<v Speaker 2>old cell phone number, the one he used for the

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<v Speaker 2>past twenty years, but apparently Teresa couldn't unlock it. Then

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<v Speaker 2>the very next day, on March thirteenth, she withdrew two

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<v Speaker 2>hundred dollars in cash and purchased a cell phone with

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<v Speaker 2>that cash from a Walmart in Dardanell, Arkansas. Now, remember

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<v Speaker 2>Blake walked us through all this. He told us Teresa

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<v Speaker 2>bought a new phone and then tried to tell everybody

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<v Speaker 2>Shannon had changed his number. So the lawsuit goes into that.

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<v Speaker 2>It says from that day, from March thirteenth through November

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<v Speaker 2>of twenty twenty one, when Shannon was reported.

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<v Speaker 1>Missing, Teresa used that new cell phone.

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<v Speaker 2>She used it to send text messages, that she claimed

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<v Speaker 2>were coming from Shannon, including one stating, thank you for

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<v Speaker 2>talking with me today. I picked up a cheap phone

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<v Speaker 2>till I get mine back. This is my temporary number.

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<v Speaker 2>On April seventh, Teresa falsely told Shannon's sister that Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>was working on building his business so he was traveling. Then,

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<v Speaker 2>on April sixteenth, Teresa sent another text message from the

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<v Speaker 2>new phone, again pretending to be Shannon. She sent that

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<v Speaker 2>message to her son. The message falsely said that Shannon

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<v Speaker 2>was quote in a VA program. She also sent a

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<v Speaker 2>text message from that fake phone the new phone to

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<v Speaker 2>her phone, stating, quote, I have not needed to pull

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<v Speaker 2>anything out of our joint accounts. I know you will

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<v Speaker 2>spend wisely so you'll be able to keep the bills paid.

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<v Speaker 2>I trust you and know you want to keep the

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<v Speaker 2>house for our son at least until he leaves next year.

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<v Speaker 2>We will talk more about that later end quote. So

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<v Speaker 2>this completely backs up what Blake told us in our

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<v Speaker 2>previous episodes.

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<v Speaker 1>It seems as.

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<v Speaker 2>Though Teresa was trying to cover her tracks, trying to

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<v Speaker 2>make it seem like there was reason why Shannon would

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<v Speaker 2>not access his own money, and making it appear as

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<v Speaker 2>though Shannon left voluntarily. In May, Teresa told Shannon's sister

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<v Speaker 2>that the kids were talking to Shannon regularly, that he

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<v Speaker 2>was texting them, which of course was also not true.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and we'll

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<v Speaker 2>have to see what happens with these charges.

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<v Speaker 1>But if Teresa's story.

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<v Speaker 2>Was true, if Shannon left voluntarily, why would she buy

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<v Speaker 2>a new phone and pretend to be her own missing husband.

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<v Speaker 1>Then on May.

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<v Speaker 2>Twenty fifth, twenty twenty one, Teresa sent another text message

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<v Speaker 2>to her own phone from the new phone which she

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<v Speaker 2>had bought, pretending that it was Shannon's new number. It

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<v Speaker 2>read quote, I'm thinking of signing up for a two

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<v Speaker 2>year contract to work overseas as a contractor. I would

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<v Speaker 2>be gone the entire two years and maybe longer. I

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<v Speaker 2>plan on leaving the center that I am at in July.

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<v Speaker 2>I would leave in August. If I'm approved to go,

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<v Speaker 2>I will leave the money coming to the bank like

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<v Speaker 2>it is now, but I will keep all the contract

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<v Speaker 2>money so that way we will both be okay.

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<v Speaker 1>Again.

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<v Speaker 2>This completely points to this pattern of deception, her inventing

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<v Speaker 2>reasons why Shannon would not be accessing his own money,

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<v Speaker 2>trying to keep the family placated so she can keep

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<v Speaker 2>that money train rolling. She continued throughout the summer to

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<v Speaker 2>lie to Shannon's family to tell them that she was

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<v Speaker 2>communicating with him, that he had this new phone, which,

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<v Speaker 2>of course she knew that she had bought herself at Walmart.

0:13:32.965 --> 0:13:36.845
<v Speaker 2>On November thirtieth, twenty twenty one, after Shannon's family reported

0:13:36.925 --> 0:13:41.965
<v Speaker 2>him missing, police interviewed Teresa Collins, and during that interview,

0:13:42.445 --> 0:13:46.005
<v Speaker 2>she told them she had been communicating with Shannon through

0:13:46.005 --> 0:13:49.285
<v Speaker 2>this new phone number, that Shannon had told her he

0:13:49.365 --> 0:13:52.365
<v Speaker 2>hitched a ride and accidentally left his cell phone in

0:13:52.445 --> 0:13:55.365
<v Speaker 2>a truck, that he had gotten this new phone, and

0:13:55.365 --> 0:13:57.125
<v Speaker 2>that he told her in a phone call that he

0:13:57.165 --> 0:13:59.845
<v Speaker 2>was working in Mexico. Now, of course, this is the

0:13:59.845 --> 0:14:04.005
<v Speaker 2>complete opposite of what he had allegedly texted her, which

0:14:04.045 --> 0:14:06.125
<v Speaker 2>was that he was at some point kind of va

0:14:06.245 --> 0:14:09.405
<v Speaker 2>center or in a hospital. She just kept coming up

0:14:09.405 --> 0:14:13.325
<v Speaker 2>with all these different stories and none of them were true. Now,

0:14:13.405 --> 0:14:16.885
<v Speaker 2>Britney comes into this a little later, because remember Blake

0:14:16.965 --> 0:14:19.965
<v Speaker 2>said Teresa told Shannon's family that he walked away from

0:14:20.005 --> 0:14:23.285
<v Speaker 2>the house. But then on December twenty eighth, twenty twenty one,

0:14:23.565 --> 0:14:27.445
<v Speaker 2>police talked to Brittany and Brittany apparently had an entirely

0:14:27.485 --> 0:14:28.485
<v Speaker 2>different story.

0:14:28.525 --> 0:14:30.325
<v Speaker 1>According to the lawsuit.

0:14:30.045 --> 0:14:33.685
<v Speaker 2>Britney told police that he had left their home with

0:14:33.765 --> 0:14:36.685
<v Speaker 2>a friend on March twelfth, which was completely different from

0:14:36.685 --> 0:14:39.725
<v Speaker 2>what her mother had said. She said that she had

0:14:39.765 --> 0:14:42.445
<v Speaker 2>talked to Shannon since then, that she had facetimed him

0:14:42.485 --> 0:14:45.805
<v Speaker 2>in October of twenty twenty one. Of course, this was

0:14:45.885 --> 0:14:49.765
<v Speaker 2>later proven to be completely false. So the bottom line

0:14:49.805 --> 0:14:53.565
<v Speaker 2>is from March twelfth, twenty twenty one, through January of

0:14:53.605 --> 0:14:58.525
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty two. This suit alleges that Teresa took out

0:14:58.645 --> 0:15:01.725
<v Speaker 2>the VA money that had been deposited in that joint

0:15:01.725 --> 0:15:07.925
<v Speaker 2>account for Shannon and used it. Teresa and Brittany are

0:15:07.965 --> 0:15:12.005
<v Speaker 2>facing a total of twenty one counts of fraud if convicted.

0:15:12.125 --> 0:15:14.085
<v Speaker 1>According to the federal sentencing.

0:15:13.645 --> 0:15:17.285
<v Speaker 2>Guidelines, each one of these charges could carry a maximum

0:15:17.365 --> 0:15:21.685
<v Speaker 2>penalty of thirty years in prison, so she could be

0:15:21.765 --> 0:15:26.405
<v Speaker 2>facing life in prison. There's still a lot of unanswered

0:15:26.485 --> 0:15:30.245
<v Speaker 2>questions in this case. Even though Shannon's family faced an

0:15:30.325 --> 0:15:33.365
<v Speaker 2>uphill battle and had a lot of frustrations along the way,

0:15:33.965 --> 0:15:36.925
<v Speaker 2>the work that Blake and his family have done in

0:15:37.005 --> 0:15:41.005
<v Speaker 2>keeping Shannon's story out there has been amazing, and while

0:15:41.005 --> 0:15:43.765
<v Speaker 2>it's great that the fraud charges have been filed, Blake

0:15:43.845 --> 0:15:47.165
<v Speaker 2>and the rest of Shannon's family, of course, ultimately want

0:15:47.205 --> 0:15:51.005
<v Speaker 2>to know what happened to Shannon and for those responsible

0:15:51.045 --> 0:15:55.005
<v Speaker 2>to face justice in criminal court. Blake says he will

0:15:55.045 --> 0:15:58.725
<v Speaker 2>continue to share updates on the Facebook page share Shannon's story.

0:15:59.445 --> 0:16:03.005
<v Speaker 2>On that page, he states that Brittany has retained counsel.

0:16:03.725 --> 0:16:07.565
<v Speaker 2>Teresa's trial date has been set for Monday, November eighteenth,

0:16:07.605 --> 0:16:12.245
<v Speaker 2>at nine thirty am. Helen Gone Murder Line is a

0:16:12.245 --> 0:16:15.525
<v Speaker 2>production of School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's written

0:16:15.525 --> 0:16:19.445
<v Speaker 2>and narrated by me Catherine Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts.

0:16:19.485 --> 0:16:23.005
<v Speaker 2>Special thanks for the research assistance provided by Amy Tubbs.

0:16:23.645 --> 0:16:25.485
<v Speaker 1>Music contributed by Ben Sale.

0:16:25.605 --> 0:16:28.925
<v Speaker 2>Executive producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and LC Crowley.

0:16:29.365 --> 0:16:30.925
<v Speaker 2>If you have a case you'd like me and my

0:16:30.965 --> 0:16:33.165
<v Speaker 2>team to look into, you can reach out to us

0:16:33.205 --> 0:16:35.645
<v Speaker 2>at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight

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<v Speaker 2>seven four four sixty one four five. That's six seven

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<v Speaker 2>eight seven four four six ' one four five.

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<v Speaker 1>School of Humans