1 00:00:07,605 --> 00:00:15,645 Speaker 1: A school of humans. What one technological advancement do you 2 00:00:15,725 --> 00:00:21,005 Speaker 1: wish had never been invented? Cell phones. In two thousand 3 00:00:21,045 --> 00:00:24,685 Speaker 1: and seven, my Teres Richardson participated in the Miss Fullerton 4 00:00:24,725 --> 00:00:29,165 Speaker 1: Beauty pageant. That's Fullerton, California, just south of Los Angeles. 5 00:00:29,325 --> 00:00:34,205 Speaker 1: Although when you're stranded, they help contact your family and 6 00:00:34,325 --> 00:00:36,845 Speaker 1: the need of a spare tire or just in any 7 00:00:36,885 --> 00:00:40,085 Speaker 1: need of emergency, but they also cause a lot of accidents, 8 00:00:40,085 --> 00:00:42,845 Speaker 1: and they cause a lot of friendships from forming, because 9 00:00:43,045 --> 00:00:44,645 Speaker 1: as soon as people get out of class, the first 10 00:00:44,645 --> 00:00:46,325 Speaker 1: thing they want to do is talk on their cell phones. 11 00:00:46,405 --> 00:00:49,325 Speaker 1: So I just wish that cell phones would be limited 12 00:00:49,405 --> 00:00:54,645 Speaker 1: to just emergencies only. She's wearing a dazzling beige ball 13 00:00:54,685 --> 00:00:57,925 Speaker 1: gown and glides across the stage to Frank Sinatra's The 14 00:00:57,965 --> 00:01:01,725 Speaker 1: Way You Look Tonight. She's funny, beautiful, and has an 15 00:01:01,765 --> 00:01:09,165 Speaker 1: electric smile. Two years later, her family released this pageant 16 00:01:09,205 --> 00:01:11,605 Speaker 1: video to show the public what my Terse looks like, 17 00:01:12,165 --> 00:01:16,325 Speaker 1: how she talks, how she walks. Because my Terse is missing, 18 00:01:17,565 --> 00:01:21,645 Speaker 1: desperate for answers, friends and family had begun to retrace 19 00:01:21,805 --> 00:01:26,365 Speaker 1: my Teresa's steps. I'm Catherine Townsend and this is hell 20 00:01:26,445 --> 00:02:03,245 Speaker 1: and gone. It's five thirty five am on September seventeenth, 21 00:02:03,365 --> 00:02:07,285 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine, and Teresa's mother, Latisse, is terrified. 22 00:02:07,925 --> 00:02:10,245 Speaker 1: She called the Lost Hills Sheriff station at around four 23 00:02:10,405 --> 00:02:13,165 Speaker 1: thirty am to ask about my Teresa's bail and to 24 00:02:13,205 --> 00:02:15,805 Speaker 1: make arrangements to pick up her daughter, only for the 25 00:02:15,885 --> 00:02:18,405 Speaker 1: jailer to tell her that my Teres had been released 26 00:02:18,525 --> 00:02:23,565 Speaker 1: hours earlier laus Hield Station bomb gardener. So Latis called 27 00:02:23,605 --> 00:02:26,405 Speaker 1: back and was connected to another officer. Yes, hi, my 28 00:02:26,485 --> 00:02:28,725 Speaker 1: name is Latista, and I called not too long ago 29 00:02:28,805 --> 00:02:32,125 Speaker 1: regarding my daughter. My Trees rook at this Latista's telling 30 00:02:32,205 --> 00:02:34,805 Speaker 1: him that her daughter was forty miles from home and 31 00:02:34,845 --> 00:02:37,925 Speaker 1: depressed and had no way home and no knowledge of 32 00:02:37,925 --> 00:02:40,925 Speaker 1: the area. She doesn't know the area. She's never been 33 00:02:40,965 --> 00:02:45,325 Speaker 1: in your area. Where does she live? He is unfamiliar 34 00:02:45,365 --> 00:02:48,205 Speaker 1: with that area. Do you think that possibly could have 35 00:02:48,205 --> 00:02:52,605 Speaker 1: gotten a bus home? And oh, listen, my Chad has 36 00:02:52,685 --> 00:02:55,565 Speaker 1: never ridden a bus. No, she would not know how 37 00:02:55,605 --> 00:02:59,605 Speaker 1: to ride a bus. I would probably wait till, you know, 38 00:03:00,365 --> 00:03:03,045 Speaker 1: early this morning, and if she doesn't turn up, you 39 00:03:03,045 --> 00:03:07,925 Speaker 1: can certainly call. I don't suspect anything bad happened. The 40 00:03:08,005 --> 00:03:10,205 Speaker 1: officer she was on the phone with said she should 41 00:03:10,205 --> 00:03:12,805 Speaker 1: wait a few hours before filing a missing person's report. 42 00:03:13,405 --> 00:03:15,325 Speaker 1: We heard part of that phone call at the end 43 00:03:15,365 --> 00:03:17,925 Speaker 1: of the last episode, but the rest of it is 44 00:03:17,965 --> 00:03:22,125 Speaker 1: even more heartbreaking. I'm concerned because, well, first of all, 45 00:03:22,165 --> 00:03:25,045 Speaker 1: I thought they were going to keep her overnight because 46 00:03:25,045 --> 00:03:31,565 Speaker 1: she was highly intoxicated. Something, something is obviously going on 47 00:03:31,645 --> 00:03:35,405 Speaker 1: with her. Have you tried to the jailer and yes, yes, yes, 48 00:03:35,565 --> 00:03:37,885 Speaker 1: yes I have. He said he tried to get her 49 00:03:37,885 --> 00:03:40,085 Speaker 1: to stable. Because she was an adult, they had to 50 00:03:40,165 --> 00:03:44,005 Speaker 1: let her go. I believe that she is highly depressed, 51 00:03:44,965 --> 00:03:52,045 Speaker 1: and she she's in a depressive state. You know, it 52 00:03:52,045 --> 00:03:55,245 Speaker 1: could be possible that maybe she I mean, there's a 53 00:03:55,245 --> 00:03:58,365 Speaker 1: lot of options and a lot of possibilities, and I 54 00:03:58,365 --> 00:04:02,885 Speaker 1: don't think all of them would be, you know, something dire. 55 00:04:03,285 --> 00:04:06,685 Speaker 1: But I can certainly understand and your fears, you know, 56 00:04:07,325 --> 00:04:11,005 Speaker 1: being your daughter and all that. Well, I think she's suppressed. 57 00:04:11,125 --> 00:04:16,925 Speaker 1: That's what happens. That's worth than just okay. That and 58 00:04:16,965 --> 00:04:19,165 Speaker 1: the fact that she's in an area where she doesn't 59 00:04:19,485 --> 00:04:23,405 Speaker 1: know where she's at. It doesn't take medication at all. No, 60 00:04:24,725 --> 00:04:27,205 Speaker 1: I believe it's a state that she's in, right now 61 00:04:27,245 --> 00:04:33,045 Speaker 1: because of just the weird activities to speaking what's name 62 00:04:33,565 --> 00:04:43,645 Speaker 1: her name is, Latise is growing more and more alarmed 63 00:04:43,885 --> 00:04:46,645 Speaker 1: that the police don't seem to be doing more. Her 64 00:04:46,725 --> 00:04:49,365 Speaker 1: daughter had been out of jail for hours and no 65 00:04:49,405 --> 00:04:53,125 Speaker 1: one had heard from her. Why didn't they seem to care? 66 00:04:59,725 --> 00:05:04,005 Speaker 1: By Friday morning, she was getting desperate. That's when Latis 67 00:05:04,005 --> 00:05:09,365 Speaker 1: called doctor Ronda Hampton. So she went missing, you know, 68 00:05:09,485 --> 00:05:12,805 Speaker 1: technically at twelve twenty eighth on Thursday. And her mom 69 00:05:12,965 --> 00:05:16,325 Speaker 1: called me on Friday and she was just asking me 70 00:05:16,365 --> 00:05:19,845 Speaker 1: if my Trees had contacted me or if she had 71 00:05:19,885 --> 00:05:22,605 Speaker 1: seen by the office or something like that, and then 72 00:05:22,605 --> 00:05:24,325 Speaker 1: she kind of explained to me what was going on. 73 00:05:25,405 --> 00:05:28,285 Speaker 1: Ronda and Latisse had gone through my Teresa's social media 74 00:05:28,845 --> 00:05:33,645 Speaker 1: and what they found was disturbing. Ronda called the police 75 00:05:34,045 --> 00:05:38,325 Speaker 1: and insisted that the situation was urgent. Latis and Ronda 76 00:05:38,405 --> 00:05:41,325 Speaker 1: re emphasized to the police that they believed my Trees 77 00:05:41,405 --> 00:05:44,405 Speaker 1: may be experiencing some sort of mental health issue. They 78 00:05:44,445 --> 00:05:48,405 Speaker 1: couldn't wait any longer. They needed to look for my trees. Now, 79 00:05:48,965 --> 00:05:51,365 Speaker 1: did they start searching right away or how long did 80 00:05:51,405 --> 00:05:54,885 Speaker 1: it take them to start searching? So what happened was, 81 00:05:55,125 --> 00:05:59,605 Speaker 1: and they claim that they searched that same day, although 82 00:05:59,645 --> 00:06:02,245 Speaker 1: none of the neighbors would call that happening at all. 83 00:06:02,965 --> 00:06:07,965 Speaker 1: So I when I talked to it was LAPD of 84 00:06:08,045 --> 00:06:10,285 Speaker 1: a case at this time. When I talked to the LAPD, 85 00:06:10,525 --> 00:06:13,725 Speaker 1: they weren't planning on doing a search. Basically, she told 86 00:06:13,765 --> 00:06:16,925 Speaker 1: me that we needed to have some compelling information to 87 00:06:16,965 --> 00:06:19,805 Speaker 1: secure the funds to do a search. So, you know, 88 00:06:19,845 --> 00:06:22,205 Speaker 1: I went back and forth with the detective from LAPD 89 00:06:23,085 --> 00:06:25,405 Speaker 1: and then eventually, I guess I was able to give 90 00:06:25,445 --> 00:06:28,565 Speaker 1: her enough information that she said that okay, fine. They 91 00:06:28,605 --> 00:06:30,325 Speaker 1: finally agreed to do a search, and that would have 92 00:06:30,365 --> 00:06:33,685 Speaker 1: been on Saturday. And I think it was that Friday 93 00:06:33,725 --> 00:06:37,085 Speaker 1: that we learned about the Montanino phone call. The night 94 00:06:37,125 --> 00:06:40,125 Speaker 1: my tse went missing, the Lost Hills Sheriff's Department got 95 00:06:40,125 --> 00:06:44,365 Speaker 1: another call from a retired KATV Los Angeles local news 96 00:06:44,365 --> 00:06:48,805 Speaker 1: reporter named Bill Smith well Saffa office CAMPI yeah, Hi, Hey, 97 00:06:49,005 --> 00:06:51,405 Speaker 1: this is a smith a Cold Canyon. We had a 98 00:06:51,445 --> 00:06:53,885 Speaker 1: prowler walking around through the backyard here, but we don't 99 00:06:53,925 --> 00:06:56,165 Speaker 1: know what the situation was. I've going not here a 100 00:06:56,245 --> 00:06:57,805 Speaker 1: unit in the area might do a little drive buy 101 00:06:57,885 --> 00:07:00,725 Speaker 1: or something. Bill said that he had seen someone on 102 00:07:00,765 --> 00:07:04,125 Speaker 1: his property in the early morning hours of September seventeenth, 103 00:07:04,645 --> 00:07:18,805 Speaker 1: an African America, matching my Teresa's description. We talked about 104 00:07:18,845 --> 00:07:21,485 Speaker 1: this in the last episode. If you don't live in 105 00:07:21,485 --> 00:07:24,085 Speaker 1: the LA area, you might think of it and the 106 00:07:24,125 --> 00:07:28,605 Speaker 1: surrounding areas as a sprawling city or Malibu as a 107 00:07:28,605 --> 00:07:32,045 Speaker 1: star studded beach front crowded with surfers. But up in 108 00:07:32,085 --> 00:07:35,685 Speaker 1: the mountains, it's a different story. It would have been 109 00:07:35,725 --> 00:07:39,165 Speaker 1: absolutely deserted at night, and a young woman walking alone 110 00:07:39,325 --> 00:07:42,325 Speaker 1: would have stood out, and it goes from neighborhood to 111 00:07:42,405 --> 00:07:45,205 Speaker 1: woods in the blink of an eye. You're absolutely correct, 112 00:07:45,245 --> 00:07:47,205 Speaker 1: because I remember when I was still living up in 113 00:07:47,285 --> 00:07:50,605 Speaker 1: Seattle and I was thinking about moving to LA I 114 00:07:50,725 --> 00:07:53,845 Speaker 1: read about somebody, just in a line of I think 115 00:07:53,845 --> 00:07:56,645 Speaker 1: it was outside magazines. Somebody said the mountains of Los 116 00:07:56,685 --> 00:07:59,285 Speaker 1: Angeles and I went, what, There's no mountains in the 117 00:07:59,325 --> 00:08:02,885 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. Come on, and it's what you're talking about 118 00:08:02,925 --> 00:08:05,525 Speaker 1: is absolutely true. Unless you're here, you don't realize that 119 00:08:05,605 --> 00:08:09,365 Speaker 1: there is a mountain range. Brian Rooney literally wrote the 120 00:08:09,405 --> 00:08:13,045 Speaker 1: book about Malibu Creek State Park because it's home to 121 00:08:13,205 --> 00:08:16,525 Speaker 1: biologically diverse landscape that made it right for the movies. 122 00:08:17,365 --> 00:08:20,805 Speaker 1: Paramount and twentieth Century Fox use the landscape, which included 123 00:08:20,845 --> 00:08:24,125 Speaker 1: Malibu Creek State Park, to shoot dozens of movies and 124 00:08:24,165 --> 00:08:28,885 Speaker 1: TV shows, including the TV series Mash But for park 125 00:08:29,005 --> 00:08:33,965 Speaker 1: visitors it's also dangerous. Malibu Search and Rescue are busy 126 00:08:34,045 --> 00:08:38,885 Speaker 1: year round rescuing hikers from around the park. Hazard's for sure, 127 00:08:39,005 --> 00:08:43,165 Speaker 1: like you mentioned, rattlesnakes, for sure. It's remarkable how many 128 00:08:43,245 --> 00:08:46,645 Speaker 1: people come to the very popular Malibu Creek State Park 129 00:08:46,685 --> 00:08:48,565 Speaker 1: and do not have a map with them and have 130 00:08:48,645 --> 00:08:52,125 Speaker 1: no idea where they're going. They just arrive. It is 131 00:08:52,165 --> 00:08:55,125 Speaker 1: so close to the city that people come out under 132 00:08:55,205 --> 00:08:59,005 Speaker 1: prepared and they don't think about the dangers of that 133 00:08:59,045 --> 00:09:03,325 Speaker 1: They're going into a backcountry area where there is you know, 134 00:09:03,845 --> 00:09:07,645 Speaker 1: bad cell service, no running water, basically very few bathrooms, 135 00:09:08,045 --> 00:09:10,205 Speaker 1: all that type of stuff, and they come out underprepared 136 00:09:10,285 --> 00:09:14,205 Speaker 1: and they don't understand that this is not a shopping mall. 137 00:09:14,405 --> 00:09:18,845 Speaker 1: And dangers if you're talking natural dangers, of course, you know, 138 00:09:18,965 --> 00:09:22,085 Speaker 1: like I said, getting lost, getting hurt, falling down a canyon, 139 00:09:22,965 --> 00:09:27,205 Speaker 1: falling down off a ridge line, or something like that. Obviously, 140 00:09:27,245 --> 00:09:31,565 Speaker 1: the animals are here. It might help too. That one 141 00:09:31,605 --> 00:09:33,765 Speaker 1: of the most interesting things about these mountains is because 142 00:09:33,805 --> 00:09:36,405 Speaker 1: there is Pacific Coast Highway on one side and the 143 00:09:36,405 --> 00:09:38,965 Speaker 1: one to one Freeway on the other side. If you're 144 00:09:39,005 --> 00:09:41,725 Speaker 1: ever actually lost, all you have to do is walk 145 00:09:41,805 --> 00:09:45,565 Speaker 1: downhill and you will hit one of those major arteries. 146 00:09:45,725 --> 00:09:50,725 Speaker 1: So as long as you're walking downhill, you'll hit civilization. 147 00:09:51,245 --> 00:09:55,205 Speaker 1: But if you're walking across and not going downhill, then 148 00:09:55,245 --> 00:09:56,845 Speaker 1: you can be in trouble because you could go on. 149 00:09:56,965 --> 00:09:59,725 Speaker 1: It's a fifty mile long range and you could theoretically 150 00:09:59,805 --> 00:10:04,445 Speaker 1: walk for a long way and not hit anything. Montegnito 151 00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:06,885 Speaker 1: is a neighborhood that's about six miles from the Lost 152 00:10:06,925 --> 00:10:10,245 Speaker 1: Hills Sheriff Station. It backs onto the Santa Monica Mountains. 153 00:10:10,725 --> 00:10:13,605 Speaker 1: It's quiet up there. There are horse trails and private 154 00:10:13,645 --> 00:10:16,165 Speaker 1: hiking trails that cut through the back of several residential 155 00:10:16,165 --> 00:10:20,005 Speaker 1: properties and lead up into the mountains. Bill Smith was 156 00:10:20,045 --> 00:10:23,685 Speaker 1: a retired TV reporter in two thousand and nine when 157 00:10:23,725 --> 00:10:26,245 Speaker 1: he called the police that night, he said that he 158 00:10:26,325 --> 00:10:29,925 Speaker 1: spotted a prowler sitting on his back porch. I don't 159 00:10:29,925 --> 00:10:31,085 Speaker 1: know if you have a unit in the area, might 160 00:10:31,085 --> 00:10:34,765 Speaker 1: do a little drive buy or something Okay, where's this it? 161 00:10:35,085 --> 00:10:37,965 Speaker 1: This is Cold Canyon and we just said a strange 162 00:10:38,005 --> 00:10:40,245 Speaker 1: woman walk up through the back gyard here. There's fairly 163 00:10:40,365 --> 00:10:42,485 Speaker 1: large property and she was sitting on the steps right 164 00:10:42,605 --> 00:10:44,445 Speaker 1: right on the back of the house. Here. This is 165 00:10:44,605 --> 00:10:47,045 Speaker 1: kind of a circular driveway and the big gates were closed, 166 00:10:47,085 --> 00:10:49,285 Speaker 1: so we don't know where this woman came from. There's 167 00:10:49,325 --> 00:10:52,525 Speaker 1: a horse trail, hiking trail accessed through here, but we've 168 00:10:52,525 --> 00:10:54,645 Speaker 1: never had this kind of thing happen before. Once she 169 00:10:54,685 --> 00:10:57,285 Speaker 1: looked like white black as you know, a tall, slim 170 00:10:57,325 --> 00:11:01,885 Speaker 1: black woman with afro hair. I thought she was sitting 171 00:11:01,925 --> 00:11:03,685 Speaker 1: down stretched out on the wooden steps in the back 172 00:11:03,725 --> 00:11:05,125 Speaker 1: of the house. Hard to tell, but does she look 173 00:11:05,205 --> 00:11:08,325 Speaker 1: like she'd have been medium too, slightly tall with a 174 00:11:08,365 --> 00:11:11,365 Speaker 1: big aprol hair, very skinny, and I think she was 175 00:11:11,365 --> 00:11:14,285 Speaker 1: wearing maybe jeans or tight pants with a T shirt. 176 00:11:14,685 --> 00:11:16,525 Speaker 1: Do you think you've never seen her there before? No? Never, 177 00:11:16,565 --> 00:11:18,685 Speaker 1: nobody's ever does that. I mean, the people hike on 178 00:11:18,685 --> 00:11:20,365 Speaker 1: the trail all the time. We you know, the trail 179 00:11:20,445 --> 00:11:21,965 Speaker 1: goes through our property, but we leave it open on 180 00:11:22,005 --> 00:11:23,845 Speaker 1: purpose because it's kind of a nice thing for horses 181 00:11:23,845 --> 00:11:26,685 Speaker 1: and people. And said she's laying across me. She was 182 00:11:26,805 --> 00:11:28,925 Speaker 1: laying across the steps or but she was sitting kind 183 00:11:28,925 --> 00:11:31,285 Speaker 1: of sprawled out on the wooden steps in the back 184 00:11:31,325 --> 00:11:32,805 Speaker 1: of the house, right against the back of the house. 185 00:11:33,365 --> 00:11:35,725 Speaker 1: She since got up and left. She since gone. Yeah, 186 00:11:35,725 --> 00:11:37,325 Speaker 1: she's been gone about five minutes now. But as we 187 00:11:37,405 --> 00:11:39,165 Speaker 1: follow it over, we thought maybe a little drive by 188 00:11:39,205 --> 00:11:41,965 Speaker 1: wouldn't be a bad idea. And what direction was she 189 00:11:42,005 --> 00:11:43,525 Speaker 1: did she last seen him? He never saw her. She 190 00:11:43,765 --> 00:11:47,325 Speaker 1: once she left, she just disappeared. I moved from one 191 00:11:47,365 --> 00:11:49,685 Speaker 1: wind to another. I said to her, I hollered down. 192 00:11:49,725 --> 00:11:51,645 Speaker 1: Are you all right? She said, I'm just resting or 193 00:11:51,685 --> 00:11:56,005 Speaker 1: something like that. But she's certainly gone out of her 194 00:11:56,005 --> 00:11:57,765 Speaker 1: way to get to that close to the house because 195 00:11:57,805 --> 00:12:00,045 Speaker 1: the hiking trail is not that close down the ridge. 196 00:12:00,045 --> 00:12:01,405 Speaker 1: A great listen to me, I haven't checked the area 197 00:12:01,445 --> 00:12:03,685 Speaker 1: for I appreciate that very much. Now the problems, thank you. 198 00:12:05,765 --> 00:12:09,765 Speaker 1: Here the timeline gets a little fuzzy. We ask for 199 00:12:09,805 --> 00:12:12,285 Speaker 1: the audio of the phone calls and the call logs 200 00:12:12,325 --> 00:12:15,365 Speaker 1: from the LASD, but we're told that call logs are 201 00:12:15,445 --> 00:12:19,805 Speaker 1: usually destroyed after two years. Lost hill sheriffs say they 202 00:12:19,845 --> 00:12:23,085 Speaker 1: got the call at six thirty am, but Bill Smith 203 00:12:23,205 --> 00:12:26,325 Speaker 1: keeps saying it's dark and he can't see the woman clearly. 204 00:12:27,245 --> 00:12:30,085 Speaker 1: But according to records, the sun rose over the Santa 205 00:12:30,125 --> 00:12:34,205 Speaker 1: Monica Mountains at six forty am on Thursday, September seventeenth, 206 00:12:34,325 --> 00:12:37,965 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine, so it was already getting light out. 207 00:12:38,165 --> 00:12:39,885 Speaker 1: But if she was in a man a state because 208 00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:41,845 Speaker 1: she had walked all the way from Lost Hills to 209 00:12:42,525 --> 00:12:48,405 Speaker 1: Bill Smith's home, I mean, rare, but it's possible. But 210 00:12:48,885 --> 00:12:52,445 Speaker 1: it's just almighty strange. This is to Shaka Starwell. He 211 00:12:52,565 --> 00:12:56,605 Speaker 1: works at react La react as a volunteer organization that 212 00:12:56,685 --> 00:12:59,925 Speaker 1: acts as a liaison between families and police and also 213 00:12:59,965 --> 00:13:04,725 Speaker 1: helps organize searches and missing persons cases for families. Tshaka 214 00:13:04,765 --> 00:13:08,005 Speaker 1: says the same thing that the family was feeling. They 215 00:13:08,005 --> 00:13:10,405 Speaker 1: didn't understand how my trees could have walked the six 216 00:13:10,485 --> 00:13:13,605 Speaker 1: miles from the Lost Hill Sheriff station to Montanito in 217 00:13:13,605 --> 00:13:16,485 Speaker 1: the pitch black without even a cell phone light to 218 00:13:16,525 --> 00:13:19,765 Speaker 1: illuminate the way, because if it was six she would 219 00:13:19,805 --> 00:13:22,725 Speaker 1: at least a blue skylight there, So I thought it 220 00:13:22,765 --> 00:13:25,325 Speaker 1: was in the wee hours. There's no way that she walked. 221 00:13:25,445 --> 00:13:28,125 Speaker 1: She can't even walk and get there in two hours. 222 00:13:28,285 --> 00:13:32,045 Speaker 1: I just don't see it. There's no way she can 223 00:13:32,325 --> 00:13:35,645 Speaker 1: drive from the freeway and get to Bill Smith's house 224 00:13:35,685 --> 00:13:38,485 Speaker 1: without a map. And there are a lot of other 225 00:13:38,565 --> 00:13:43,285 Speaker 1: places between Loss Hills the station and Bill Smith's home. 226 00:13:43,805 --> 00:13:47,725 Speaker 1: There's a equestering yard, there's a state park all to 227 00:13:47,805 --> 00:13:50,725 Speaker 1: the side around that road, and I mean, I'm just 228 00:13:50,765 --> 00:13:52,445 Speaker 1: told them when we get down down and there, of 229 00:13:52,445 --> 00:13:54,765 Speaker 1: course there's a gas station other things right there in 230 00:13:54,765 --> 00:13:57,365 Speaker 1: the middle area. How does she just skip all of that? 231 00:13:58,245 --> 00:14:00,725 Speaker 1: It is possible to walk to Monteanito from the Lost 232 00:14:00,765 --> 00:14:04,325 Speaker 1: Hill Sheriff's apartment, but how she got to Monteannito and 233 00:14:04,325 --> 00:14:09,405 Speaker 1: why comes central questions of the investigation. I drove up 234 00:14:09,445 --> 00:14:11,965 Speaker 1: to the station to try to piece together the route. Okay, 235 00:14:13,485 --> 00:14:16,725 Speaker 1: so as you can see, look how the road is already. 236 00:14:17,205 --> 00:14:19,605 Speaker 1: Imagine trying to walk down this at night. There's no side, 237 00:14:20,485 --> 00:14:23,565 Speaker 1: there's no no shoulder. The Lost Hills Sheriff station is 238 00:14:23,565 --> 00:14:26,885 Speaker 1: about a fifteen minute drive from Joffrey's, the restaurant where 239 00:14:26,925 --> 00:14:29,285 Speaker 1: the police picked up my trees. But in the tunnel 240 00:14:29,325 --> 00:14:31,565 Speaker 1: there's not even like one of those little walkway things. 241 00:14:31,925 --> 00:14:33,765 Speaker 1: So like literally if you're going through that tunnel and 242 00:14:33,765 --> 00:14:35,685 Speaker 1: there's a car it's going to hit you in this 243 00:14:35,885 --> 00:14:39,045 Speaker 1: right here. You would just never imagine three minutes ago. 244 00:14:39,325 --> 00:14:42,965 Speaker 1: The drive from Jeoffreys to the station is treacherous. There 245 00:14:43,005 --> 00:14:46,725 Speaker 1: are tons of hairpin turns, no shoulder and no sidewalk. 246 00:14:47,245 --> 00:14:50,485 Speaker 1: The road is surrounded by mountains. One side of the 247 00:14:50,525 --> 00:14:53,285 Speaker 1: road has a guardrail before a long fall into a 248 00:14:53,325 --> 00:14:56,485 Speaker 1: canyon and left onto a door road. You drive through 249 00:14:56,525 --> 00:14:59,845 Speaker 1: a tunnel and there's no pedestrian shoulder, so anyone trying 250 00:14:59,885 --> 00:15:01,765 Speaker 1: to walk through could not make it through that tunnel 251 00:15:01,765 --> 00:15:06,125 Speaker 1: with any traffic, especially at night when it's dark. So 252 00:15:06,165 --> 00:15:08,245 Speaker 1: it should be right up here. Yeah, I kind of. 253 00:15:08,685 --> 00:15:13,805 Speaker 1: I'm going to think I recognized this. Let's see turning raft. 254 00:15:13,925 --> 00:15:16,845 Speaker 1: Then you will arrive at your destinations over here. I 255 00:15:16,925 --> 00:15:18,925 Speaker 1: was on the right in it. That's right, it's on 256 00:15:18,965 --> 00:15:22,205 Speaker 1: the left here it is, that's right here. The Lost 257 00:15:22,245 --> 00:15:25,245 Speaker 1: Hills Sheriff Station is situated between a few neighborhoods that 258 00:15:25,325 --> 00:15:28,845 Speaker 1: are gated with brick walls and large commercial and industrial 259 00:15:28,885 --> 00:15:32,205 Speaker 1: buildings that are closed at night. There are no open 260 00:15:32,245 --> 00:15:35,645 Speaker 1: businesses around you can't go in, i think, and no 261 00:15:35,725 --> 00:15:39,565 Speaker 1: public transportation. The last buses would have stopped running hours 262 00:15:39,605 --> 00:15:43,885 Speaker 1: before My Trees was released. You all right, So here 263 00:15:43,885 --> 00:15:46,445 Speaker 1: it is. There's the front door. I'm just going to 264 00:15:46,565 --> 00:15:48,285 Speaker 1: drive around to the so you see if there's a 265 00:15:48,325 --> 00:15:52,645 Speaker 1: side door. My Trees was released at twelve fifteen am 266 00:15:52,685 --> 00:15:56,085 Speaker 1: and left the building at twelve thirty eight. SHARONN. Cummings, 267 00:15:56,165 --> 00:15:58,885 Speaker 1: the jailer on duty that night, said she'd offered My 268 00:15:58,925 --> 00:16:01,485 Speaker 1: Trees the chance to use the phone, but My Trees 269 00:16:01,485 --> 00:16:05,045 Speaker 1: turned the offer down. Cummings also said she told My 270 00:16:05,085 --> 00:16:07,685 Speaker 1: Trees she could wait into the lobby until someone came 271 00:16:07,725 --> 00:16:10,525 Speaker 1: and got her. So, yeah, this is it. And when 272 00:16:10,525 --> 00:16:14,485 Speaker 1: she left here she went back that way. My triest 273 00:16:14,605 --> 00:16:17,005 Speaker 1: left through the side door of the station. She had 274 00:16:17,005 --> 00:16:20,645 Speaker 1: two options, go back down the winding path toward Jeoffrey's 275 00:16:20,645 --> 00:16:23,565 Speaker 1: and the Pacific Coast Highway, or she could go the 276 00:16:23,565 --> 00:16:26,405 Speaker 1: other way, the way that had a sidewalk at least 277 00:16:26,445 --> 00:16:29,245 Speaker 1: for a few miles along Los Virgins Road, which turns 278 00:16:29,245 --> 00:16:31,845 Speaker 1: into Malibu Canyon Road. If I was trying to get 279 00:16:31,845 --> 00:16:33,925 Speaker 1: back to the beach, I would have gone this way, honestly, 280 00:16:35,565 --> 00:16:38,645 Speaker 1: And that is where it gets treacherous. But again it's 281 00:16:38,765 --> 00:16:42,925 Speaker 1: very misleading. You feel like you're going down toward the beach. 282 00:16:44,245 --> 00:16:47,325 Speaker 1: Montenito is like the first like once you get out 283 00:16:47,365 --> 00:16:48,605 Speaker 1: and you rouzer in the middle of nowhere, it's like 284 00:16:48,645 --> 00:16:52,405 Speaker 1: the next neighborhood along Bill Smith's house in Monteennito is 285 00:16:52,525 --> 00:16:55,925 Speaker 1: right off Malibu Canyon Road, but the neighborhood is nestled 286 00:16:55,925 --> 00:16:59,605 Speaker 1: between hiking trails and rugged wilderness. So it's odd that 287 00:16:59,685 --> 00:17:02,205 Speaker 1: she would have walked there in the pitch blackness. So 288 00:17:02,245 --> 00:17:06,205 Speaker 1: that was Bill Smiths and then from there, it's really 289 00:17:06,245 --> 00:17:10,365 Speaker 1: confusing around here, like her family started to wonder, could 290 00:17:10,365 --> 00:17:13,325 Speaker 1: my trees have been driven to Montenito Number one. I 291 00:17:13,325 --> 00:17:16,165 Speaker 1: don't buy for one minute that she walked, but let 292 00:17:16,205 --> 00:17:18,125 Speaker 1: me just go with that. I'll let's just I'll go 293 00:17:18,205 --> 00:17:21,405 Speaker 1: with it. If she did walk, it would make sense 294 00:17:21,445 --> 00:17:24,045 Speaker 1: to me that she would make a right hand turn. Okay, fine, 295 00:17:24,205 --> 00:17:27,405 Speaker 1: gotta walk one direction. Okay, that makes sense. It would 296 00:17:27,485 --> 00:17:29,325 Speaker 1: even make sense to me that she would stay on 297 00:17:29,565 --> 00:17:33,085 Speaker 1: the main road, you know, because at least it's paved, 298 00:17:33,325 --> 00:17:35,325 Speaker 1: right And it also would make sense to me that 299 00:17:35,325 --> 00:17:36,965 Speaker 1: she would make a right because when you go down 300 00:17:37,165 --> 00:17:39,805 Speaker 1: nothing's open. The Albertson's is closed. Everything is closed at 301 00:17:39,845 --> 00:17:43,565 Speaker 1: that time. Okay, so she'll make a right. Well, if 302 00:17:43,605 --> 00:17:45,525 Speaker 1: she was if she If if she was the person 303 00:17:45,525 --> 00:17:47,805 Speaker 1: who was seen at six thirty in the morning, then 304 00:17:47,845 --> 00:17:50,005 Speaker 1: there was light, right, so there's some there had to 305 00:17:50,045 --> 00:17:53,085 Speaker 1: be some light. Well, if so. Number one, we think 306 00:17:53,125 --> 00:17:55,165 Speaker 1: she was there closer to four thirty in the morning, okay, 307 00:17:55,245 --> 00:18:00,445 Speaker 1: but but even or five thirty, but they keep We're 308 00:18:00,445 --> 00:18:03,445 Speaker 1: not really sure on the time, but neighbors were hearing 309 00:18:03,485 --> 00:18:08,725 Speaker 1: her well before sixth thirty in the morning. On Saturday, 310 00:18:08,845 --> 00:18:13,925 Speaker 1: September nineteenth, police began their search for my trees. When 311 00:18:13,965 --> 00:18:17,885 Speaker 1: investigators looked outside Bill Smith's house, they found tracks that 312 00:18:17,925 --> 00:18:21,605 Speaker 1: they believed came from my teresa sneakers. According to Los 313 00:18:21,645 --> 00:18:26,805 Speaker 1: Angeles Magazine, the sneaker prints were found out front. They 314 00:18:26,845 --> 00:18:29,925 Speaker 1: followed the prince but lost them before they went down 315 00:18:29,965 --> 00:18:34,685 Speaker 1: into the canyon called Dark Creek. My Teresa's family says 316 00:18:34,725 --> 00:18:37,365 Speaker 1: that police told them to avoid the area to not 317 00:18:37,565 --> 00:18:40,965 Speaker 1: contaminate it. I wonder why they told you guys that 318 00:18:41,845 --> 00:18:44,005 Speaker 1: I don't know, And you know, thank goodness for reporters. 319 00:18:44,045 --> 00:18:46,245 Speaker 1: I have to tell you, because there was a reporter 320 00:18:47,045 --> 00:18:51,165 Speaker 1: as we were patching out flyers who told us basically 321 00:18:51,445 --> 00:18:54,125 Speaker 1: to get our asses up to the canyon, right, you know, 322 00:18:54,205 --> 00:18:55,885 Speaker 1: and kind of told us, this is what you need 323 00:18:55,885 --> 00:18:58,845 Speaker 1: to do, and and you know, thank goodness for time 324 00:18:58,925 --> 00:19:04,965 Speaker 1: because we did. We didn't know exactly where we were going, 325 00:19:05,205 --> 00:19:08,045 Speaker 1: but we kind of drove around the canyon and then 326 00:19:08,085 --> 00:19:11,085 Speaker 1: I you know, we didn't We still didn't know exactly 327 00:19:11,085 --> 00:19:16,845 Speaker 1: where we're going. They had found footprints, and they really 328 00:19:16,925 --> 00:19:20,165 Speaker 1: played me. You know, I was very naive back then, 329 00:19:20,725 --> 00:19:23,765 Speaker 1: and so they told me that they had found footprints 330 00:19:23,965 --> 00:19:25,925 Speaker 1: and that it looked like my truth was walking and 331 00:19:25,965 --> 00:19:31,685 Speaker 1: then she was running, and then like and where she 332 00:19:31,805 --> 00:19:34,005 Speaker 1: was running. They were concerned that she may have jumped, 333 00:19:34,845 --> 00:19:38,165 Speaker 1: and so they didn't say this, but they intimated that, like, 334 00:19:39,165 --> 00:19:41,005 Speaker 1: look if they were gonna fight, like as if it 335 00:19:41,085 --> 00:19:44,085 Speaker 1: was suicide, and so we wouldn't want to be We 336 00:19:44,085 --> 00:19:47,845 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to find that my Treesa's friends and family 337 00:19:47,965 --> 00:19:50,685 Speaker 1: also questioned the police's decision to start the search in 338 00:19:50,765 --> 00:19:55,485 Speaker 1: Monteanito rather than the Lost Hill Sheriff station. If the 339 00:19:55,525 --> 00:19:58,365 Speaker 1: search of dogs had been deployed near the station, they wondered, 340 00:19:58,965 --> 00:20:01,125 Speaker 1: could they have figured out if my Trees got into 341 00:20:01,165 --> 00:20:05,005 Speaker 1: a vehicle. They used dogs, but they only used them 342 00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:07,445 Speaker 1: from Where did they start from? Did they start from 343 00:20:07,485 --> 00:20:09,285 Speaker 1: Bill Smith's house? Or did they start from the station. 344 00:20:10,645 --> 00:20:13,405 Speaker 1: So they did not start from the station at all, 345 00:20:13,645 --> 00:20:17,045 Speaker 1: and they started I mean, I guess we would have 346 00:20:17,125 --> 00:20:20,085 Speaker 1: to believe that they started in Montanaedo, because I remember 347 00:20:20,085 --> 00:20:23,565 Speaker 1: we weren't allowed to be there when that was happening, right, 348 00:20:23,645 --> 00:20:26,765 Speaker 1: So whether they were, I believe that they were in 349 00:20:27,005 --> 00:20:30,245 Speaker 1: the Bill Smith's area and in the houses in that area, 350 00:20:30,325 --> 00:20:32,325 Speaker 1: because some of the neighbors have told me that they, 351 00:20:32,925 --> 00:20:35,725 Speaker 1: you know, that they saw, you know, the police out 352 00:20:35,725 --> 00:20:38,165 Speaker 1: there on that day. That part only lasted four or 353 00:20:38,165 --> 00:20:40,045 Speaker 1: five hours though, and then they were out. It was 354 00:20:40,045 --> 00:20:43,125 Speaker 1: supposed to be a two day, all day search, right, 355 00:20:43,165 --> 00:20:45,765 Speaker 1: but it literally was four hours and that was it. 356 00:20:47,205 --> 00:20:49,285 Speaker 1: Ronda said that when she was told by police that 357 00:20:49,285 --> 00:20:52,125 Speaker 1: they were calling office search at four point thirty Saturday afternoon, 358 00:20:52,605 --> 00:21:00,405 Speaker 1: she was shocked and angry. In the week after my 359 00:21:00,485 --> 00:21:03,885 Speaker 1: Terse went missing, friends and family began flooding into the 360 00:21:03,925 --> 00:21:07,685 Speaker 1: area around Lost Hills and Antito and posting flyers with 361 00:21:07,765 --> 00:21:12,325 Speaker 1: photos of Matreesa's face everywhere. There were several photos of 362 00:21:12,325 --> 00:21:15,085 Speaker 1: my trees on the flyer, and the contrast between the 363 00:21:15,085 --> 00:21:18,245 Speaker 1: glamour shot was smooth hair and a dazzling smile and 364 00:21:18,245 --> 00:21:21,565 Speaker 1: the one of her police mugshot is stark. In the 365 00:21:21,605 --> 00:21:24,445 Speaker 1: second photo, my Treece has a faint smile on her face, 366 00:21:24,805 --> 00:21:28,165 Speaker 1: but she has bags under her eyes. Chipcroft is a 367 00:21:28,165 --> 00:21:31,445 Speaker 1: documentary filmmaker who lives in the area. It was I 368 00:21:31,445 --> 00:21:36,365 Speaker 1: had moved to LA on September one, two thousand and nine, 369 00:21:37,165 --> 00:21:41,085 Speaker 1: and I was settling in and it was about three 370 00:21:41,125 --> 00:21:44,725 Speaker 1: weeks later that I was looking at the La Times 371 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:49,605 Speaker 1: online and I saw an article, a picture actually of 372 00:21:49,645 --> 00:21:53,005 Speaker 1: a young African American woman holding a sign saying find 373 00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:56,885 Speaker 1: my trees. And she was INVALIDU obviously along the highway 374 00:21:56,965 --> 00:21:59,725 Speaker 1: and they were. It was during the one, I think 375 00:21:59,725 --> 00:22:02,685 Speaker 1: the first Saturday after My Trees went missing. Chip was 376 00:22:02,805 --> 00:22:06,485 Speaker 1: unsettled by the sheriff's cavalier attitude towards my Teresa's disappearance 377 00:22:06,885 --> 00:22:10,285 Speaker 1: when this When I saw this article, it just didn't 378 00:22:10,525 --> 00:22:13,685 Speaker 1: ring true to me that she went missing with you know, 379 00:22:13,925 --> 00:22:17,645 Speaker 1: no phone, no no nothing, no car, no way home, 380 00:22:17,965 --> 00:22:22,525 Speaker 1: no money or anything. And so I immediately felt this 381 00:22:22,885 --> 00:22:26,805 Speaker 1: was based on obfuly a racist situation, and I think 382 00:22:26,845 --> 00:22:28,885 Speaker 1: I still think it is, and I think she was 383 00:22:28,925 --> 00:22:32,765 Speaker 1: considered to be an expendable young black woman from South 384 00:22:32,965 --> 00:22:36,565 Speaker 1: LA that they probably might not even miss the people 385 00:22:36,565 --> 00:22:38,765 Speaker 1: wouldn't care about so much. But it turned out not 386 00:22:38,805 --> 00:22:41,645 Speaker 1: to be the case. So anyway, So I there was 387 00:22:41,685 --> 00:22:45,605 Speaker 1: an email address in the article for Ronda, and I 388 00:22:45,685 --> 00:22:50,925 Speaker 1: emailed Ronda about the about the case, and she said 389 00:22:50,965 --> 00:22:54,845 Speaker 1: that they were having a press conference coming up in 390 00:22:54,885 --> 00:23:00,645 Speaker 1: the following week at the Sheriff's headquarters. And I said, well, okay, 391 00:23:00,645 --> 00:23:02,485 Speaker 1: I'll come by and maybe I can meet you all, 392 00:23:02,525 --> 00:23:07,085 Speaker 1: and I'll bring my camera. This is my daughter, My 393 00:23:07,765 --> 00:23:11,485 Speaker 1: Richardson Chip headed to the Lost Hill Sheriff's department and 394 00:23:11,525 --> 00:23:15,085 Speaker 1: recorded Latis as she made a passionate plea to police 395 00:23:15,525 --> 00:23:20,045 Speaker 1: to search harder for my trees. They failed her. She 396 00:23:20,245 --> 00:23:23,605 Speaker 1: is suffering somewhere because we believe she is still alive, 397 00:23:24,165 --> 00:23:26,965 Speaker 1: but they're not doing enough to search for her. We 398 00:23:27,045 --> 00:23:31,325 Speaker 1: are suffering every day, not knowing what to do to 399 00:23:31,445 --> 00:23:34,845 Speaker 1: find my daughter. They know this area, they have the 400 00:23:34,965 --> 00:23:38,205 Speaker 1: means to daily search for her. I believe they have 401 00:23:38,245 --> 00:23:42,445 Speaker 1: an obligation and a duty to continue to find look 402 00:23:42,485 --> 00:23:46,485 Speaker 1: for her until they rescue her. She can be hurt somewhere, 403 00:23:47,045 --> 00:23:50,765 Speaker 1: my understanding. The last place she was seen was in 404 00:23:50,885 --> 00:23:59,565 Speaker 1: a community off of Tiruma by the Saddleback lodge, which 405 00:23:59,605 --> 00:24:08,765 Speaker 1: is very steep, very terraneous, very seclusive. Someone heard voices, 406 00:24:09,365 --> 00:24:13,125 Speaker 1: no not voices, a voice of a woman talking to 407 00:24:13,205 --> 00:24:17,205 Speaker 1: herself in a vacant house, and apparently there's many vacant 408 00:24:17,205 --> 00:24:22,685 Speaker 1: houses in that area. The community has been unaware until 409 00:24:22,925 --> 00:24:26,445 Speaker 1: they got wind of our efforts, not the Sheriff's Department's efforts, 410 00:24:26,445 --> 00:24:30,365 Speaker 1: but our efforts putting flyers out there, making contact with 411 00:24:30,445 --> 00:24:34,565 Speaker 1: the neighborhood, just really trying to find my daughter. They 412 00:24:34,645 --> 00:24:36,805 Speaker 1: knew none of this from the police department, and the 413 00:24:36,805 --> 00:24:44,845 Speaker 1: community is outrage. Chip and Ronda started canvassing the neighbors 414 00:24:44,845 --> 00:24:48,845 Speaker 1: in Monteennito themselves and followed every lead they could find. 415 00:24:49,605 --> 00:24:52,365 Speaker 1: Most of the neighbors in Montinita were very cooperative and 416 00:24:52,405 --> 00:24:56,525 Speaker 1: wanted to help them, and now they're the CDA eight 417 00:24:56,645 --> 00:25:01,325 Speaker 1: mil racism and laws or anything. Their role was quite 418 00:25:01,365 --> 00:25:08,965 Speaker 1: helpful and a you know, they didn't know the cheffs 419 00:25:08,965 --> 00:25:11,245 Speaker 1: that claimed they'd gone around knocked on everybody's door and 420 00:25:11,685 --> 00:25:14,125 Speaker 1: questioned everybody. And we could barely find anybody that the 421 00:25:14,125 --> 00:25:18,245 Speaker 1: sheriffs had ever knocked on anybody's door or question Chip 422 00:25:18,285 --> 00:25:21,485 Speaker 1: heard a number of theories. One neighbor told Ship that 423 00:25:21,525 --> 00:25:24,365 Speaker 1: they heard a scream at around eleven pm the following 424 00:25:24,405 --> 00:25:28,125 Speaker 1: Tuesday after my trees went missing. The neighbor didn't even 425 00:25:28,205 --> 00:25:30,085 Speaker 1: know that there was a missing person at that point 426 00:25:30,605 --> 00:25:34,205 Speaker 1: and never figured out the source of the scream. Chip 427 00:25:34,245 --> 00:25:37,245 Speaker 1: talked to another neighbor as well, who said they discovered 428 00:25:37,285 --> 00:25:40,245 Speaker 1: what appeared to be a shallow grave on a neighbor's property. 429 00:25:40,965 --> 00:25:43,565 Speaker 1: We had the sheriffs come and investigate that that it 430 00:25:43,645 --> 00:25:46,445 Speaker 1: was a like a sand pit, but it threw a 431 00:25:46,485 --> 00:25:49,645 Speaker 1: lot of rains in October. In the sand pits had sunk, 432 00:25:50,005 --> 00:25:54,125 Speaker 1: as if somebody had dug in there or had removed 433 00:25:54,165 --> 00:25:56,525 Speaker 1: somebody out of there, and it had sunk, and there 434 00:25:56,605 --> 00:25:59,805 Speaker 1: was a breath that she noticed. She walked by there 435 00:25:59,845 --> 00:26:02,965 Speaker 1: every day, and she noticed some things had been moved 436 00:26:03,005 --> 00:26:07,445 Speaker 1: and tampered in that sand pit area, So that whole 437 00:26:07,485 --> 00:26:10,445 Speaker 1: thing was very suspicious. Ship and the sheriffs went to 438 00:26:10,525 --> 00:26:13,405 Speaker 1: check out the property with the shallow grave and said 439 00:26:13,405 --> 00:26:15,285 Speaker 1: that the owner of the home screamed at the sheriff 440 00:26:15,365 --> 00:26:22,285 Speaker 1: to get off her property. Since she lived in South 441 00:26:22,405 --> 00:26:25,485 Speaker 1: LA when she went missing. My Teresa's case was given 442 00:26:25,485 --> 00:26:29,765 Speaker 1: to the LAPDS Missing Person's Unit, then the case was 443 00:26:29,765 --> 00:26:34,525 Speaker 1: reassigned again, this time to the LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division. 444 00:26:35,285 --> 00:26:38,525 Speaker 1: Officials said this was because the Robbery Homicide Division had 445 00:26:38,565 --> 00:26:41,885 Speaker 1: more resources, but a lot of people over the years 446 00:26:42,005 --> 00:26:44,885 Speaker 1: have commented that this move was one of many that 447 00:26:44,965 --> 00:26:47,325 Speaker 1: made it seem like Lost Hills wanted to get rid 448 00:26:47,365 --> 00:26:50,045 Speaker 1: of this case as fast as they could. Don't forget 449 00:26:50,085 --> 00:26:52,445 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Police Department is involved in this as well. 450 00:26:52,565 --> 00:26:56,005 Speaker 1: It is their investigation in fact, because she her residence 451 00:26:56,085 --> 00:26:59,005 Speaker 1: is Los Angeles. But that's a kind of a technical 452 00:26:59,045 --> 00:27:02,005 Speaker 1: thing because everybody's looking for The Los Angeles Police Department 453 00:27:02,045 --> 00:27:04,565 Speaker 1: has two detectives that are just they're assigned to this case. 454 00:27:04,605 --> 00:27:07,045 Speaker 1: This is what they're doing. This is Steve Whitmore, a 455 00:27:07,085 --> 00:27:11,485 Speaker 1: Community Information officer for the LASD, being interviewed in early 456 00:27:11,525 --> 00:27:14,605 Speaker 1: October two thousand and nine, three weeks after my Terse 457 00:27:14,645 --> 00:27:18,725 Speaker 1: went missing. Say, there has been three massive searches. The 458 00:27:18,805 --> 00:27:23,565 Speaker 1: Saturday immediately following the disappearance, then the next Saturday where 459 00:27:23,565 --> 00:27:26,125 Speaker 1: there was two hundred people. Now this is by air, 460 00:27:26,805 --> 00:27:29,605 Speaker 1: this is by foot, and what is known are door knocks. 461 00:27:30,125 --> 00:27:33,845 Speaker 1: Where that fourteen square mile of houses doors were each 462 00:27:33,885 --> 00:27:36,285 Speaker 1: one and if the house was empty, we would contact 463 00:27:36,285 --> 00:27:38,245 Speaker 1: the owner and that we would go in and search 464 00:27:38,285 --> 00:27:41,445 Speaker 1: those facilities with their permission. But it's important to note 465 00:27:41,485 --> 00:27:44,445 Speaker 1: that we do not believe this to be any wrongdoing 466 00:27:44,485 --> 00:27:47,805 Speaker 1: involved here at all. This is a missing person. Well, 467 00:27:48,085 --> 00:27:50,205 Speaker 1: I would refer you to the Los Angeles Police Department 468 00:27:50,205 --> 00:27:53,365 Speaker 1: on that, yes, but they have publicly said they do 469 00:27:53,445 --> 00:27:56,245 Speaker 1: not believe this to be have anything to do with wrongdoing, 470 00:27:56,485 --> 00:27:58,805 Speaker 1: that this is a missing person, and what the La 471 00:27:58,845 --> 00:28:01,805 Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Department is trying to do every day is 472 00:28:01,845 --> 00:28:08,285 Speaker 1: to find this young twenty four year old woman. Four 473 00:28:08,325 --> 00:28:12,165 Speaker 1: months after my trees went missing, on January ninth, twenty ten, 474 00:28:12,725 --> 00:28:16,205 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department conducted a massive search. 475 00:28:16,285 --> 00:28:18,245 Speaker 1: So I'm not sure, just because it's been changing every day. 476 00:28:18,605 --> 00:28:22,245 Speaker 1: There's probably about fifty horses, there's about forty to fifty 477 00:28:22,285 --> 00:28:24,005 Speaker 1: dogs that are going to be out here as well. 478 00:28:25,205 --> 00:28:27,765 Speaker 1: We have Air Rescue five coming in, which are our 479 00:28:28,325 --> 00:28:32,845 Speaker 1: rescue helicopter. It involved hundreds of volunteers covering an eighteen 480 00:28:32,885 --> 00:28:36,565 Speaker 1: square mile area. They used drones to conduct air searches, 481 00:28:36,925 --> 00:28:40,725 Speaker 1: They did ground searches of creeks, trails, and ridges, but 482 00:28:40,845 --> 00:28:43,285 Speaker 1: no trace of my trees was found. The plan is 483 00:28:43,365 --> 00:28:46,285 Speaker 1: to put people really deep into the hills. A lot 484 00:28:46,365 --> 00:28:48,725 Speaker 1: of the areas have been checked already, but we're going 485 00:28:48,805 --> 00:28:52,685 Speaker 1: to really saturated, so Malibu Canyon will have people literally 486 00:28:52,845 --> 00:28:55,845 Speaker 1: getting airlifted down into the canyon, dropping people all the 487 00:28:55,885 --> 00:28:58,445 Speaker 1: way along the canyon. It's going to be a very slow, 488 00:28:58,525 --> 00:29:02,085 Speaker 1: methodical search. And Ronda was shocked to discover that even 489 00:29:02,085 --> 00:29:05,325 Speaker 1: though the police were doing massive searches, they had not 490 00:29:05,565 --> 00:29:08,845 Speaker 1: actually searched the area right next to Montenedo. And so 491 00:29:08,885 --> 00:29:11,125 Speaker 1: they showed us the big map of the area that 492 00:29:11,165 --> 00:29:13,805 Speaker 1: they were going to search, and so we were saying, 493 00:29:13,805 --> 00:29:15,845 Speaker 1: wait a minute, why are you if you're using all 494 00:29:15,885 --> 00:29:18,165 Speaker 1: this puns and all these people, why are you not 495 00:29:18,205 --> 00:29:21,405 Speaker 1: searching Montnito and in particular the creek bit because at 496 00:29:21,405 --> 00:29:24,045 Speaker 1: that point we learned about it. And then too Right 497 00:29:24,125 --> 00:29:26,285 Speaker 1: told us to be right. Was one of the officers 498 00:29:26,325 --> 00:29:28,725 Speaker 1: working on the case. Too We Right told us, well, 499 00:29:28,765 --> 00:29:31,485 Speaker 1: we're eventually going to cover one hundred percent of that area, 500 00:29:31,845 --> 00:29:33,645 Speaker 1: but we're not going to do that now. And I 501 00:29:33,685 --> 00:29:36,885 Speaker 1: was like, Chuy, I have read that when you're searching 502 00:29:36,885 --> 00:29:39,325 Speaker 1: for a missing person, they're more likely to be found 503 00:29:39,485 --> 00:29:41,565 Speaker 1: within the three mile radius of where they were lost 504 00:29:41,605 --> 00:29:44,365 Speaker 1: be so why not start in mont Needo and work 505 00:29:44,445 --> 00:29:50,685 Speaker 1: your way out. Tashaka worked with Rohnda Chip and Latis 506 00:29:51,085 --> 00:29:54,085 Speaker 1: to search the area in the woods right next to Montinito. 507 00:29:54,285 --> 00:29:58,805 Speaker 1: That's pretty much what got us into the and to 508 00:29:59,005 --> 00:30:02,445 Speaker 1: the old river bed that was down there, and how 509 00:30:02,485 --> 00:30:04,925 Speaker 1: we started to hike in to that area. I think 510 00:30:04,965 --> 00:30:07,205 Speaker 1: it was over in three separate times that we really 511 00:30:07,205 --> 00:30:09,925 Speaker 1: got in there. And I remember that hike because we 512 00:30:09,925 --> 00:30:13,765 Speaker 1: were going in and I started to get dark, so 513 00:30:13,885 --> 00:30:16,445 Speaker 1: I was worried about wildlife, and so we ended up 514 00:30:16,485 --> 00:30:20,325 Speaker 1: coming back. There was some folks who was stopped by 515 00:30:20,765 --> 00:30:23,685 Speaker 1: at the command center and would give these different stories 516 00:30:23,685 --> 00:30:28,485 Speaker 1: that of course interested our guys a lot, and it 517 00:30:28,565 --> 00:30:31,925 Speaker 1: was just very bizarre for the neighborhood. And I guess 518 00:30:32,725 --> 00:30:35,005 Speaker 1: that she wasn't the only one who had kind of 519 00:30:35,005 --> 00:30:38,765 Speaker 1: went missing where things had happened to other females in 520 00:30:38,805 --> 00:30:42,565 Speaker 1: that area, which made even more concerning. So just the 521 00:30:42,645 --> 00:30:45,565 Speaker 1: things that we found along the way, like we found 522 00:30:45,805 --> 00:30:48,245 Speaker 1: how many could be kids playing and doing other crazy 523 00:30:48,365 --> 00:30:51,005 Speaker 1: naughty things there, But we had found underwear, brawls and 524 00:30:51,045 --> 00:30:54,525 Speaker 1: things like that there did not belong to her at all. 525 00:30:54,565 --> 00:30:57,165 Speaker 1: But these are just some of the items that we found. 526 00:30:57,885 --> 00:31:00,525 Speaker 1: The searchers did find some things that struck them as odd. 527 00:31:01,285 --> 00:31:04,565 Speaker 1: This included a newly painted graffiti mural on a culvert 528 00:31:04,605 --> 00:31:11,925 Speaker 1: in the canyon of approximately thirteen African American women with 529 00:31:12,045 --> 00:31:23,645 Speaker 1: afros who were nude and very graphic sexually provocative positions. 530 00:31:24,365 --> 00:31:26,405 Speaker 1: Ronda said that she was spooked by the fact that 531 00:31:26,405 --> 00:31:29,085 Speaker 1: the mural portrayed a woman with the same hairstyle as 532 00:31:29,085 --> 00:31:33,125 Speaker 1: My Trees and said, la as a psychologist, there are 533 00:31:33,165 --> 00:31:38,805 Speaker 1: certain images within that mural that are quite telling. Very 534 00:31:38,845 --> 00:31:43,925 Speaker 1: often people who have some type of psychopathology will draw 535 00:31:44,245 --> 00:31:47,565 Speaker 1: images with big eyes, and there were two images that 536 00:31:47,605 --> 00:31:49,565 Speaker 1: had really big eyes, and one of them appeared to 537 00:31:49,685 --> 00:31:51,925 Speaker 1: Police said that they got into contact with the young 538 00:31:51,965 --> 00:31:55,125 Speaker 1: people who painted the mural. They said that the taggers 539 00:31:55,165 --> 00:31:57,765 Speaker 1: were fans of the pop artist Keith Herring and had 540 00:31:57,805 --> 00:32:00,805 Speaker 1: nothing to do with My Trees or the case. Okay, 541 00:32:05,725 --> 00:32:09,365 Speaker 1: here and near the trailer. In late June, nine months 542 00:32:09,365 --> 00:32:12,045 Speaker 1: after My Trese went missing, a search team with the 543 00:32:12,085 --> 00:32:14,965 Speaker 1: help of REACT, located a trailer that had been seen 544 00:32:14,965 --> 00:32:18,285 Speaker 1: around the area. It had a no trespassing sign in 545 00:32:18,325 --> 00:32:21,965 Speaker 1: the window. I mean didn't say no solicitation. Simon go ahead. 546 00:32:22,485 --> 00:32:25,205 Speaker 1: They also determined that the culvert where the graffiti was 547 00:32:25,245 --> 00:32:29,925 Speaker 1: tagged dropped down a cliff and into some bushes. Now watch, 548 00:32:29,965 --> 00:32:32,605 Speaker 1: it might drop off steeply if you very turbaned. Yeah, 549 00:32:32,685 --> 00:32:35,125 Speaker 1: so if he killed somebody here, he could drag him 550 00:32:35,125 --> 00:32:37,325 Speaker 1: through and shove him out the other side right the 551 00:32:37,365 --> 00:32:41,885 Speaker 1: bushes down there. Volunteers crawled inside with flashlights, but all 552 00:32:41,925 --> 00:32:44,285 Speaker 1: they found at the bottom were a couple of spray cans. 553 00:32:45,725 --> 00:32:49,405 Speaker 1: Tashaka and his team weren't giving up. They continued to 554 00:32:49,445 --> 00:32:57,125 Speaker 1: search the Monteenito area, and then there was hope. A 555 00:32:57,205 --> 00:32:59,965 Speaker 1: high school friend of my Teresa's was in Las Vegas 556 00:33:00,325 --> 00:33:04,005 Speaker 1: and he swore that he saw her. At a news 557 00:33:04,005 --> 00:33:07,805 Speaker 1: conference in Las Vegas, Los Angeles Police Captain Kevin McClure 558 00:33:08,005 --> 00:33:10,325 Speaker 1: said they'd followed up on leeds and conducted around one 559 00:33:10,405 --> 00:33:13,085 Speaker 1: hundred interviews in the area. We've located witnesses that are 560 00:33:13,125 --> 00:33:17,245 Speaker 1: positively seen her. We located all the way from waitresses, bartenders, 561 00:33:17,445 --> 00:33:21,765 Speaker 1: security officers, record citizens. We have talked to more than 562 00:33:21,965 --> 00:33:26,685 Speaker 1: seventy individuals who believe they have seen her. That's based 563 00:33:26,725 --> 00:33:30,125 Speaker 1: on a photograph and some passage of time in most instances, 564 00:33:30,685 --> 00:33:33,005 Speaker 1: but that volume causes us to believe we're on the 565 00:33:33,085 --> 00:33:45,005 Speaker 1: right track. It's been eleven months since my trese went 566 00:33:45,045 --> 00:33:51,605 Speaker 1: missing and nothing. On August ninth, twenty ten, California State 567 00:33:51,645 --> 00:33:55,565 Speaker 1: Park rangers were inspecting parts of the Santa Monica Recreation 568 00:33:55,645 --> 00:33:59,605 Speaker 1: Area for marijuana cultivation. They were deep in the woods 569 00:33:59,645 --> 00:34:02,445 Speaker 1: of Dark Canyon, near the creek bed that's dried up 570 00:34:02,445 --> 00:34:06,045 Speaker 1: in the summer months, scouting for irrigation lines when they 571 00:34:06,085 --> 00:34:19,205 Speaker 1: stumbled across scattered clothing and then human remains. Yeah, as 572 00:34:19,205 --> 00:34:23,845 Speaker 1: I put the people for sure, it's dry. My producer, 573 00:34:24,045 --> 00:34:26,445 Speaker 1: Gabby and I are hiking in the woods in what 574 00:34:26,565 --> 00:34:29,765 Speaker 1: feels like the middle of nowhere. I guess the rainy 575 00:34:29,885 --> 00:34:32,885 Speaker 1: time starts in late November and it floods, but then 576 00:34:32,925 --> 00:34:35,325 Speaker 1: the rest of the time it's dry as it is 577 00:34:35,365 --> 00:34:38,045 Speaker 1: now and like it was when my tree is wellnessing. 578 00:34:39,685 --> 00:34:42,925 Speaker 1: We started at the Backbone Trail in Malibu Creek State Park, 579 00:34:43,845 --> 00:34:46,845 Speaker 1: but we're going off trail now, following the creek bed. 580 00:34:47,045 --> 00:34:49,565 Speaker 1: We first started up the Backbone trail because we had 581 00:34:49,605 --> 00:34:51,085 Speaker 1: sort of a lot of people had told us that 582 00:34:51,125 --> 00:34:53,285 Speaker 1: the spot was accessible from there, but we and the 583 00:34:53,325 --> 00:34:57,245 Speaker 1: Backbone Trail looked walkable, like it looked like something that 584 00:34:57,325 --> 00:34:59,565 Speaker 1: you could potentially if you're on the road, turn down 585 00:34:59,565 --> 00:35:02,245 Speaker 1: and walk down. But once we got off of that 586 00:35:02,325 --> 00:35:04,645 Speaker 1: into the creek bad and started heading toward the back 587 00:35:05,525 --> 00:35:09,685 Speaker 1: of the house where the GPS coordinates start, it's really 588 00:35:10,405 --> 00:35:14,765 Speaker 1: it's very rocky. I wouldn't say, I mean, look, we're 589 00:35:14,765 --> 00:35:17,125 Speaker 1: both really out of breath, but we're very amateur hikers. 590 00:35:17,165 --> 00:35:20,365 Speaker 1: We were able to do it, so in no way dangerous, 591 00:35:20,365 --> 00:35:23,565 Speaker 1: but it's also absolutely not something that you could do 592 00:35:23,605 --> 00:35:27,645 Speaker 1: at night in the dark. The creek bed takes us 593 00:35:27,685 --> 00:35:31,125 Speaker 1: to Dark Canyon. As we get further and further into 594 00:35:31,125 --> 00:35:36,125 Speaker 1: the dense forest, the creek bed becomes more treacherous. Cliffs, rocks, 595 00:35:36,285 --> 00:35:41,085 Speaker 1: poison oak, and overgrown ivy also, and I've gotten stung 596 00:35:41,205 --> 00:35:44,845 Speaker 1: by everything down here. When we're almost to our destination, 597 00:35:45,565 --> 00:35:49,045 Speaker 1: we see irrigation pipes, we're seeing the irrigation We're seeing 598 00:35:49,085 --> 00:35:54,645 Speaker 1: some sort of irrigation system, which could be the irrigation 599 00:35:54,725 --> 00:35:59,045 Speaker 1: system that the guys from Alvy Search and Rescue found 600 00:35:59,085 --> 00:36:05,685 Speaker 1: that day. On the day they found the remains, the 601 00:36:05,805 --> 00:36:08,605 Speaker 1: ranger's job was to make sure that the marijuana growers 602 00:36:08,645 --> 00:36:12,005 Speaker 1: had not come back. Then one of the searchers saw 603 00:36:12,005 --> 00:36:16,045 Speaker 1: something among the leaves, a red leather strap, then a 604 00:36:16,045 --> 00:36:20,245 Speaker 1: black bra partially covered with debris, and finally a pair 605 00:36:20,285 --> 00:36:24,525 Speaker 1: of blue jeans. Then the supervising ranger saw a human 606 00:36:24,565 --> 00:36:28,485 Speaker 1: skull and a leg bone. The ranger could not get 607 00:36:28,485 --> 00:36:30,925 Speaker 1: a signal on his cell phone, so he notified his 608 00:36:31,045 --> 00:36:35,005 Speaker 1: dispatcher by radio. Tshaka just happened to be monitoring the 609 00:36:35,085 --> 00:36:37,565 Speaker 1: radio that day. So part of what we do at 610 00:36:37,685 --> 00:36:40,965 Speaker 1: La Ni React is that we monitor police fire frequencies. 611 00:36:41,245 --> 00:36:44,245 Speaker 1: So that day I just remember, I don't even know 612 00:36:44,285 --> 00:36:48,285 Speaker 1: why and how, but I was working and I was listening, 613 00:36:48,285 --> 00:36:51,605 Speaker 1: and I just tuned into the radio call, and so 614 00:36:52,485 --> 00:36:54,645 Speaker 1: from knowing that they found something too, we don't know 615 00:36:54,645 --> 00:36:56,765 Speaker 1: what it is. It could be an animal, it could 616 00:36:56,765 --> 00:37:01,325 Speaker 1: be this, you know. Tshaka called Ronda and the family 617 00:37:01,405 --> 00:37:03,685 Speaker 1: hustled to the edge of the canyon to wait for news. 618 00:37:03,965 --> 00:37:05,685 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, I got a phone call from 619 00:37:05,685 --> 00:37:09,565 Speaker 1: to Shaka star Well from the reacting So he said, Rhonda, 620 00:37:10,325 --> 00:37:14,365 Speaker 1: he said me, remains have been found in that general 621 00:37:14,405 --> 00:37:16,925 Speaker 1: area where my trees was, and he's it was the 622 00:37:16,965 --> 00:37:20,925 Speaker 1: way that it was a partly partially mummified skeletal remains, 623 00:37:21,165 --> 00:37:25,445 Speaker 1: and they believe it's my trees. I called Latis, cancel 624 00:37:25,485 --> 00:37:27,205 Speaker 1: my day, cancel her day. We jumped in the car 625 00:37:27,245 --> 00:37:31,925 Speaker 1: and we headed out there. They kept waiting. Tshaka went 626 00:37:32,005 --> 00:37:34,445 Speaker 1: to the Lost Hill Sheriff's department to get more information. 627 00:37:35,245 --> 00:37:37,765 Speaker 1: He kept calling the Lost Hill station to try and 628 00:37:37,765 --> 00:37:41,725 Speaker 1: get updates. Then in the meantime, Lauren called the detective saying, hey, 629 00:37:41,765 --> 00:37:45,085 Speaker 1: we got word that there's remains found. Lauren is Latis's sister, 630 00:37:45,605 --> 00:37:48,685 Speaker 1: my Terce's aunt. He's like, what are you talking about? Yeah, 631 00:37:48,805 --> 00:37:50,045 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? And then oh, when there 632 00:37:50,085 --> 00:37:52,765 Speaker 1: was just a couple of bones, it was we're like, well, no, 633 00:37:52,805 --> 00:37:55,805 Speaker 1: we have for that. It is partially mummified remains. So 634 00:37:55,925 --> 00:37:58,565 Speaker 1: even then and you guys don't need to come. Of course, 635 00:37:58,565 --> 00:38:01,045 Speaker 1: we headed out there. So it was right there, and 636 00:38:01,125 --> 00:38:04,925 Speaker 1: so we just waited there for ever, and they were 637 00:38:04,965 --> 00:38:06,485 Speaker 1: trying to get us go home. And we went and 638 00:38:06,485 --> 00:38:08,925 Speaker 1: go home and they're like, well, nothing's going to happen 639 00:38:08,965 --> 00:38:11,285 Speaker 1: until morning. Way out, we'll stay posted. I was said, 640 00:38:11,285 --> 00:38:13,765 Speaker 1: oh my car, okay, yeah, And so we wouldn't go. 641 00:38:13,805 --> 00:38:15,925 Speaker 1: We wouldn't go, And so then it started getting like 642 00:38:16,045 --> 00:38:19,725 Speaker 1: later and I just so eventually we saw the helicopter 643 00:38:20,125 --> 00:38:23,525 Speaker 1: and then to shock up because he's very aware. He goes, 644 00:38:23,685 --> 00:38:25,805 Speaker 1: I bet she's in there. I bet they air lifted 645 00:38:25,805 --> 00:38:27,805 Speaker 1: her out right. But they told us that they were 646 00:38:27,845 --> 00:38:29,405 Speaker 1: going to do it in the morning, is what they 647 00:38:29,405 --> 00:38:31,805 Speaker 1: told us, Like, well, we'll sit here till the morning. There. 648 00:38:34,165 --> 00:38:37,205 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the following day that it was officially 649 00:38:37,245 --> 00:38:40,165 Speaker 1: confirmed that there were remains that were extracted from the 650 00:38:40,205 --> 00:38:43,645 Speaker 1: middle of Dark Canyon in the creek bed, and that 651 00:38:43,685 --> 00:38:48,485 Speaker 1: they were my Terce's. She was found partially mummified, naked, 652 00:38:48,965 --> 00:39:04,885 Speaker 1: with her clothing several feet away from her where she 653 00:39:05,045 --> 00:39:08,965 Speaker 1: was fat. There's no way that she could get down there. 654 00:39:09,725 --> 00:39:14,885 Speaker 1: I just I just remember Bill Smith's home and we're 655 00:39:14,925 --> 00:39:18,605 Speaker 1: walking on a trail. There's a trail, and then the 656 00:39:18,645 --> 00:39:21,605 Speaker 1: trail kind of ends itself, but if you kind of 657 00:39:21,645 --> 00:39:24,725 Speaker 1: go through some rough terrain, you can kind of make 658 00:39:24,765 --> 00:39:27,805 Speaker 1: it through to the ravine, which is on a cliff side. 659 00:39:28,565 --> 00:39:30,765 Speaker 1: So I mean, the way that it looks like her 660 00:39:30,805 --> 00:39:34,645 Speaker 1: body was found, it was if you look down on 661 00:39:34,685 --> 00:39:37,885 Speaker 1: the side of a cliff, kind of like she was 662 00:39:37,965 --> 00:39:43,085 Speaker 1: pushed her or was thrown over downside this cliff side 663 00:39:43,165 --> 00:39:47,965 Speaker 1: into that ravine. I very seriously doubt that anything or 664 00:39:48,005 --> 00:39:53,965 Speaker 1: something put her deep down in that ravine. We've asked 665 00:39:53,965 --> 00:39:56,725 Speaker 1: almost everyone this question, and it's hard to get a 666 00:39:56,725 --> 00:40:01,005 Speaker 1: clear answer. Could my trees have gotten in there herself? 667 00:40:02,605 --> 00:40:06,165 Speaker 1: Most of them say no. First an anyone who knows 668 00:40:06,205 --> 00:40:09,765 Speaker 1: my trees says that she hated the woods. And second, 669 00:40:10,485 --> 00:40:13,485 Speaker 1: where she was found is miles from any access point. 670 00:40:14,805 --> 00:40:18,085 Speaker 1: So while the road and civilization border interner weave the 671 00:40:18,085 --> 00:40:21,885 Speaker 1: state parks, one wrong turn and you could be lost 672 00:40:21,965 --> 00:40:25,485 Speaker 1: deep in the woods. But why would my trees have 673 00:40:25,605 --> 00:40:28,685 Speaker 1: kept walking? I just don't see her hiking that deep. 674 00:40:29,645 --> 00:40:32,405 Speaker 1: We checked all the ways into where she was found 675 00:40:33,085 --> 00:40:35,045 Speaker 1: and there was no way. I mean, it was rough 676 00:40:35,045 --> 00:40:37,725 Speaker 1: for us. I mean I remember climbing through water tubes, 677 00:40:38,685 --> 00:40:41,965 Speaker 1: sliding down I'm sure to see some of to get 678 00:40:42,005 --> 00:40:44,205 Speaker 1: down to the point where we absolutely could not go 679 00:40:44,245 --> 00:40:47,205 Speaker 1: anywhere and anymore, and that was only due to the sunlight, 680 00:40:47,765 --> 00:40:52,405 Speaker 1: and then getting back to where we needed originally started from. 681 00:40:52,845 --> 00:40:58,005 Speaker 1: It's just very, very very I mean, it's we were men. 682 00:40:58,525 --> 00:41:01,325 Speaker 1: I can't We did walk. We did hike with the family. 683 00:41:01,645 --> 00:41:04,405 Speaker 1: Family did hike with us. It was daylight, so it 684 00:41:04,445 --> 00:41:07,005 Speaker 1: wasn't that difficult. But at night there's no way I 685 00:41:07,045 --> 00:41:10,645 Speaker 1: could see it at any type of state the moonlight, 686 00:41:11,205 --> 00:41:15,125 Speaker 1: because I went out there one night. Now I wanted 687 00:41:15,125 --> 00:41:17,765 Speaker 1: to see, and we were right in front of Bill 688 00:41:17,805 --> 00:41:20,325 Speaker 1: Smith's house, and I wanted to see what does it 689 00:41:20,365 --> 00:41:23,405 Speaker 1: look like that night there? And the moonlight is the 690 00:41:23,405 --> 00:41:26,525 Speaker 1: only light that you actually just see. But when you're 691 00:41:26,525 --> 00:41:31,805 Speaker 1: down in the grove, the grove, the ravine area, it's 692 00:41:31,845 --> 00:41:36,645 Speaker 1: so shaded, it's shaded by the trees that the moonlight, 693 00:41:37,525 --> 00:41:40,125 Speaker 1: it just no justice didn't help at all. Is it 694 00:41:40,205 --> 00:41:42,845 Speaker 1: really plausible that my trees could have walked down here 695 00:41:42,885 --> 00:41:46,765 Speaker 1: herself hiked for hours through sharp thorns and trees and 696 00:41:46,805 --> 00:41:50,645 Speaker 1: climbed up boulders, and then for some reason decided to 697 00:41:50,685 --> 00:41:54,205 Speaker 1: take her clothes off and keep walking into danger. When 698 00:41:54,245 --> 00:41:57,125 Speaker 1: we went on our hike, it was nearly impossible to 699 00:41:57,165 --> 00:42:00,805 Speaker 1: walk along the creek bed. It started out almost like 700 00:42:00,845 --> 00:42:02,685 Speaker 1: a normal hike. I mean, it was a narrow trail, 701 00:42:02,765 --> 00:42:06,165 Speaker 1: it was somewhat steep, but you could see, you could 702 00:42:06,165 --> 00:42:09,125 Speaker 1: see houses, you could see the sides of the mountain. 703 00:42:09,885 --> 00:42:11,365 Speaker 1: It just felt like an omal height. But once we 704 00:42:11,405 --> 00:42:14,005 Speaker 1: got on the creek bed, it started to be just 705 00:42:14,085 --> 00:42:18,645 Speaker 1: like we're climbing over giant boulders and under logs, and 706 00:42:18,725 --> 00:42:22,285 Speaker 1: now it's really impossible to get off of this trail 707 00:42:22,445 --> 00:42:25,525 Speaker 1: because both sides were down in a valley, and so 708 00:42:25,725 --> 00:42:28,885 Speaker 1: each side going up is very steep, so there's really 709 00:42:28,885 --> 00:42:30,245 Speaker 1: no way to climb out of here. You kind of 710 00:42:30,245 --> 00:42:34,645 Speaker 1: have to just go forward or backward. I don't think that. 711 00:42:34,925 --> 00:42:37,325 Speaker 1: I mean, we're going to walk out toward the road 712 00:42:37,885 --> 00:42:39,645 Speaker 1: and we're going to see if there's any like obvious 713 00:42:39,685 --> 00:42:41,925 Speaker 1: way she could have made it down here from the 714 00:42:41,965 --> 00:42:44,365 Speaker 1: road the other way. But as of right now, if 715 00:42:44,405 --> 00:42:46,485 Speaker 1: it continues like this, I'm gonna go ahead and say 716 00:42:46,485 --> 00:42:48,885 Speaker 1: there's no way she walked to herself, I'm now more 717 00:42:48,925 --> 00:42:55,405 Speaker 1: convinced that she did not walk here. Next time on 718 00:42:55,525 --> 00:43:00,045 Speaker 1: Helen Gone, it is the confirmed remains of why Trees Richardson. 719 00:43:00,645 --> 00:43:02,685 Speaker 1: Would we bury her? We're going to have to fight 720 00:43:02,845 --> 00:43:06,645 Speaker 1: for exhamation. Yeah, this situation is is really unfortunate and 721 00:43:06,685 --> 00:43:09,165 Speaker 1: would have made it very difficult to determine the cause 722 00:43:09,205 --> 00:43:12,085 Speaker 1: of death. This is not closed. This is still open, 723 00:43:12,325 --> 00:43:14,285 Speaker 1: and that's what they're going to do. Now. If you 724 00:43:14,325 --> 00:43:16,965 Speaker 1: object to that, that's your I'm just asking you, is 725 00:43:17,005 --> 00:43:20,085 Speaker 1: that proper? What do you think of my going different? 726 00:43:20,285 --> 00:43:23,525 Speaker 1: Is this circumstance, everything about it is a screaming red flag. 727 00:43:23,685 --> 00:43:25,725 Speaker 1: I don't think I've ever seen a case where that happened. 728 00:43:26,605 --> 00:43:31,685 Speaker 1: I'm Katherine Townsend and this is Helen Gone. Helen Gone 729 00:43:31,725 --> 00:43:34,885 Speaker 1: is a production of School of Humans and iHeartRadio. It's 730 00:43:34,885 --> 00:43:38,405 Speaker 1: written and narrated by me, Katherine Townsend. Our producers are 731 00:43:38,405 --> 00:43:42,445 Speaker 1: Gabby Watts, Taylor Church and James Morrison. Music is by 732 00:43:42,445 --> 00:43:46,845 Speaker 1: Ben Sale. Mix is by Tunewelders. Our executive producers are 733 00:43:46,845 --> 00:43:51,685 Speaker 1: Brandon Barr, Elsie Crowley and Brian Lavin. Special thanks to 734 00:43:51,765 --> 00:43:55,285 Speaker 1: Chipcroft for use of footage from his documentary Boss Compassion 735 00:44:05,565 --> 00:44:19,405 Speaker 1: m HM School of Humans m M School of Humans