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reflect the views, opinions or positions

1:38

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everyone, this is Sarah. Would

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you like to take a more active role in the Hide

1:48

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you like to share your thoughts with other listeners? Join

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2:04

This podcast deals with mature topics that

2:06

may not be suitable for all listeners.

2:09

Material heard on the hide and seek

2:12

podcast is intended for adult listeners. Listener

2:15

discretion is advised. This

2:30

is a mother

2:35

about what may have happened to her

2:37

daughter. I can

2:39

tell you where she most likely is. I

2:43

hadn't seen anybody that I felt comfortable saying

2:45

anything to until today.

2:49

The stories they tell are pretty, they're

2:51

pretty freaking gruesome. I

2:54

kept all the text messages, Facebook messages,

2:56

the messages between the invite me. I

2:59

have all of them. I

3:02

have everything. I told myself, kill all

3:04

the mother partners. This

3:15

is believe

3:24

me. Sounds

4:01

In last week's episode, Sarah and

4:04

I delved into our takeaways from Tad's interview. I

4:07

raise the question, do

4:10

we have enough evidence? It

4:12

was revitalizing to witness such an act of participation from

4:14

both sides on the table. Whenever

4:17

I managed to find some rare spare time, I

4:20

indulge in reading reviews of the podcast. My

4:23

natural inclination is to focus on the negative words. This

4:26

doesn't add a sensitivity to criticism, but

4:29

it's more so because I'm open to learning and improving.

4:32

My brother once told me, when

4:34

receiving advice, chew up

4:36

the meat and spit out the bones. I'm

4:39

constantly seeking ways to better myself in the podcast.

4:42

Each life is made up of mistakes in learning, waiting

4:45

and growing, practicing patience, and

4:48

being persistent. That's

4:50

a quote by Billy Graham. The

4:52

same mindset applies here. I've

4:55

been so sweet and shared my belief that we

4:57

have enough circumstantial evidence due to the significance of

4:59

each piece of evidence on its own crucial. While

5:03

I'm encouraged by those who agree with me, I'm equally

5:05

eager to hear from those who don't.

5:08

Being challenged fuels my drive. Allow

5:11

me to share a few responses from the listeners that stood

5:13

out. Not

5:17

for a murder conviction, but bring on the

5:19

obstruction of investigation, witness intimidation,

5:23

unlawful account access, impersonation,

5:25

credit fraud. Jessica alleges that

5:28

Ashley took a loan in Brit's name, and

5:30

so on. There's

5:32

so many things there could be multiple charges

5:34

on with both Ashley and Eric. That

5:38

as a start. Then let the

5:40

investigation into things with Lawrence and Sapine's

5:42

maintenance. I want

5:44

to extend my gratitude to everyone who participated.

5:47

Your willingness to share and elaborate on

5:49

your views is immensely valuable. You

5:52

play a crucial role in this mission. Your

5:54

insights and opinions not only matter to me,

5:56

but also provide me with diverse perspectives. Thank

6:01

you. As

6:04

a prosecutor... Hey,

6:07

enough evidence to prove deceased. The

6:10

burden is on the state, not enough to

6:12

prove the who. Especially

6:15

since the defendants don't have to explain anything,

6:17

they have the right to say nothing. But

6:20

the real issue is all the other

6:22

theories and witnesses out there who can

6:24

testify for the defense regarding reasonable doubt

6:26

based on alternative theories. The

6:30

burden in trials has become much higher

6:32

than reasonable doubt. Juries

6:35

want answers to every single question. Here,

6:39

there is evidence they acted questionable,

6:42

but not that they were with the victim,

6:44

how the victim was killed, the intent

6:47

behind it, etc. We

6:50

can prove she hacked the account and lied

6:52

about certain things, but not

6:54

enough to prove she killed

6:56

BS. For example, common

6:59

defense attorney closing argument. Did

7:02

my client probably do it? Many

7:05

of you may think she probably did, but

7:09

probably means there's a chance she didn't. So if

7:12

you think she probably did,

7:14

that's reasonable doubt. That

7:17

argument is flawed and I always argue the

7:19

opposite is true, but

7:21

juries really do want close to

7:23

mathematical certainty that the person they

7:26

are about to convict is guilty.

7:28

Then again, you

7:31

may have the missing links you tease. Plans

7:37

were laid out in the last episode from

7:39

my fourth trip back to Sturgis. It's

7:41

day. The

7:52

time is 3 30 a.m. The

7:57

guys and I are up, hastily packing our things with our

8:00

eyes barely open. But we have a plane to

8:02

catch in two and a half hours. Except

8:05

for plastic, for round bladed butter nuts. It's

8:07

astounding to think that this is already my

8:09

fourth trip back. Each journey

8:11

has left its own unique impression on me.

8:18

What if I told you that originally I had

8:20

only planned to take just one single trip? Trip

8:24

one was August of 2021. My

8:29

first time meeting Ashley and Jessica. Whoever

8:33

said that, that's not, that's how I know

8:35

it's not her. Cause

8:38

she would tell me, tell

8:40

her what's wrong. Talk to me. She

8:45

wouldn't allow her for more money. Thinking

8:47

I'm hung up. It wasn't that pretty.

8:54

Hey, how about if I go over

8:56

there? I was just telling Eric, if I

8:58

go over there and the cops aren't there, I

9:00

can ask for it. If the cops are

9:02

there pockets already got

9:05

me upset. So I cried the top of my hat

9:07

and I'll just say that, Oh my God, where's my

9:09

friend's card? Only if they're there.

9:14

No, this doesn't make sense either. Because he said the cops

9:16

were there and Jessica was there at

9:19

the same time. Why

9:22

not ask for them if the cops were there? I

9:25

don't know. I

9:27

can't recall what the fuck it was. I

9:30

don't, I don't even know where there is. But

9:34

he had said something to me. I

9:37

don't, I wish I fucking knew. I wish there was

9:39

more around that. I

9:43

said, I'll go there. I don't know where I just said it. I

9:45

don't know how many times I just said it. I don't know where

9:47

there is. I

9:51

can't recall what we were talking about except

9:54

for the passwords. But then he tells me that Jessica had,

9:56

he gave him to Jessica. the

10:00

story doesn't make sense because he says cops

10:02

are there and just because they're if

10:06

the cops are there and the password they're not

10:08

gonna let her take them and

10:11

her story is that when she got them she took them straight

10:13

to the police it's

10:17

traumatic for me yet it's

10:20

not sudden

10:22

yet he

10:26

stopped talking for a half hour because

10:31

he was busy because originally

10:33

he told me it's not a good time cops are here

10:37

that maybe that was what it was and

10:39

it was his house I come down

10:41

and grab them even though the cops are there if they're

10:44

there I'm just very I'm

10:47

coming to you crying that's why I'm here I don't

10:49

want cops knowing I was there to get

10:51

the password it's probably what it was because

10:53

they told me to get her hurt out

11:03

cuz I like getting into accounts and

11:08

my friends and I think so I'm gonna see find one

11:16

of theagoz is Apparently

11:28

the sports mouth is You

11:31

ever heard of it? Yeah,

11:37

I mean I heard it. I'm sure I'm

11:39

gonna you know recognize it I never even heard

11:41

of that like it's probably something stupid some douchebag

11:43

being a douchebag You know you know is it

11:45

making threat like he's gonna go fuck it. You

11:47

know fuck you know I'm saying. He's

11:49

a private that was Grandma

11:54

said that the boy rushed her PM

11:57

did the boy rushed her

11:59

through laundry and to the point where she

12:01

couldn't even dry her clothes and get it all the way dry.

12:05

The contents of the laundry were like socks and underwear

12:07

and like new socks and underwear she bought

12:09

and some of Sheldon's like you know bigger

12:11

t-shirts and stuff or work t-shirt or whatever

12:13

and bras and there like

12:15

that's just the contents of it was and she

12:17

said that Brittany left like she left his stuff

12:19

because the guy was rushing her to hurry up

12:22

they had to go to the front or whatever

12:24

during this time Scott

12:27

had come home and he passes

12:30

her through the house she's walking out the

12:32

door he's walking in and she's got her

12:34

basket of clothes and he said she looked

12:37

messed up. Yeah

12:42

I went out and talked

12:44

to the guy I

12:48

wasn't paying no attention to him but

12:51

it was pretty fucked up situation. I mean

12:54

Brittany passed each other there in the sunroom she

12:58

was walking out to the car and

13:01

and I was going inside the house

13:04

and I turned

13:07

back around because I was gonna tell her I was

13:10

gonna tell her not to be taken off and

13:12

leaving without letting somebody know because I

13:14

just ran over the dog we have

13:17

I ran his head over I turned

13:19

back around to tell

13:21

her you know not to

13:24

at least let us know when she's

13:26

taken off that way we get the

13:28

dog back in the house. She you

13:31

know I didn't get I didn't get to the

13:33

stairways of

13:36

the upstairs before I turned back around so

13:38

I didn't go that far and

13:40

I went back I went out the front door and I looked

13:42

at the guy and I said where's

13:44

Britta and

13:46

he said I don't know she didn't come out here she

13:49

couldn't she couldn't win no where's I mean she

13:51

had been right I had been right on her

13:53

tail I

13:57

said well and

13:59

he just I said, well,

14:02

I just want to let you guys know. I

14:04

said, don't be taking off without letting one

14:06

of somebody know so we can get the dog in the

14:08

house. And he just nods

14:10

his head at me. And I remember

14:12

walking in the house and saying, what in

14:14

the fuck is going on here to my mom? I

14:17

said, what in the fuck is going on here? I

14:19

said, this dude, he says he don't even know where

14:21

Burt's at and she just walked out there. I

14:24

said, what in the fuck? I

14:28

said, they're on one night. I

14:32

never seen her messed up. I

14:37

didn't even pay her before. So

14:40

I didn't. She

14:44

just messed up on something that night. I

14:49

don't know how to explain it to you. She just

14:52

had to look out her, upon herself.

14:58

I said, they have never seen her before.

15:03

It is a sense of feeling in the way she looked.

15:06

When I looked there, I could

15:10

tell there wasn't some

15:12

right. I

15:16

had no idea what to expect. And I certainly never

15:18

expected to be closing out 2023, still

15:20

working on this case. And

15:23

then there's my initial encounter with Eric S. It's

15:26

still fresh in my mind. It

15:28

seems like yesterday. I

15:33

don't need you, my friend, Patrick. Here's

15:36

to you. I don't give

15:38

two bucks about this situation no more. I'm over

15:41

it. I don't

15:43

want to be bothered. I want to be

15:45

left the fuck alone. If I wanted to

15:47

be found, I'd just be bound. I definitely

15:49

have nothing to say. It's

15:54

my ex-wife. This

15:57

thing is nobody knows where I'm at. Yeah,

15:59

I get that. I think

16:02

podcasts are

16:04

cute. Trip

16:08

2 was in February of 2022. This

16:12

trip we conducted the polygraph, and

16:15

we searched Donnail's property and conducted

16:17

the GPR. We

16:20

looked at the GPR and the GPR, and we looked at the

16:22

GPR, and we looked at the GPR. Okay,

16:26

why is it secret? This is huge. There's

16:30

a sense of stuff. It's not just stuff that we

16:32

just post and take. Just because of

16:34

doing this, and everybody should know me on the deadline.

16:39

So let me ask you, how do you think you did? Honestly,

16:45

I'm not really sure because of the question. You

16:50

know, I think I

16:52

might, but I don't know for sure. You

16:56

know where she's at, you know how she disappeared.

16:58

No, I absolutely don't. You know who the guy

17:01

was and was in the vehicle with her, and

17:03

you got messed with her Facebook account, which is

17:05

actually your worst question. There

17:08

is, because I do know. I don't

17:10

know who it is that I do know, but they in front of

17:13

whoever did this. I

17:16

have been in front of whoever did whatever happened to her.

17:19

The people I've been in front of? I think

17:22

I was air-wide. I think you have to be a dude. I

17:24

have met these people. I'm

17:28

not even worried because there are footprints. There are

17:30

digital footprints of everything I've done. Well,

17:32

you're not worried. It's

17:36

not on my end. No,

17:39

I'm not doing this. I'm not doing this with

17:41

you. You put yourself in a real position. I'm

17:43

not. Because I have every message between

17:45

her and I. Fact

17:49

is, I have been

17:51

in front of whoever did this. I

17:55

cannot say 100% because I don't have sound. I

17:57

can't say who did it until I have said

17:59

it. It's one of the people I'm getting

18:01

out. No,

18:07

it's not true, and I do vote. But

18:10

I don't know. That's what

18:12

I'm trying to find out. I

18:17

know, but I know them. So I've

18:19

been in front of these people. One of these people

18:21

that I have met throughout this time to choose involved. That

18:25

has done this. Because

18:28

of the shit that's coming out of their meeting. No,

18:32

no. You need to hear me out. Sometimes

18:36

accidents happen. Doesn't mean

18:38

it's crime, okay? But

18:41

accidents happen. Who

18:44

knows what happened with her, okay? That's what we're trying to

18:46

find out. Nobody's

18:48

sitting here saying it's a murder, or

18:50

anybody deliberately killed her. But

18:54

if an accident happened, then you know what happened

18:56

to her. Then this would be over,

18:58

and I've had my voice back. Right. You need to sit down

19:01

and talk to us and let us know that. That's what I'm

19:03

trying to tell you. You don't have to like that. They're

19:05

saying that over and over again. The

19:07

words coming out of your mouth says, I

19:10

know who did this, but I know. I

19:12

know. I know. Chief

19:16

3 was in October of 2022. We

19:20

conducted several canine searches, search painted properties,

19:22

and explored the cemetery of interest. I

19:25

was also able to take a private plane ride

19:27

and get an aerial view of the entire area

19:30

where Brittany disappeared. I

19:32

was able to spend a little time with Brittany's brother,

19:35

Victor, and his fiancée, connecting with the

19:37

families. That's important to

19:39

me. Now,

19:42

here we are. Trip 4. In

19:45

June of 2023. What

19:48

new impressions will this trip leave? You'll

19:51

find out soon enough. I'm

19:53

bringing you along, with me and the

19:55

team, day by day. I'm

20:02

sure. Shane

20:06

is always in high spirits. It's

20:08

something I truly appreciate. You

20:11

good for it? You good for it? Go

20:13

for it. Go for it. We're starting. We

20:16

got some more to go with. You

20:20

think okay? Uhhh...

20:24

Neither did it. I mean, I liked it.

20:26

It was good. Okay, good. A

20:28

good three out of ten. Shane's wife kindly

20:30

woke up early to take us to

20:32

the airport. I'm grateful her

20:34

eyes are more open than mine are at this time of day.

20:41

You got that on camera? Of

20:43

course, you can do what's rolling. You can do

20:45

that on camera. Part

20:50

of the challenge of traveling is judging the actual time to

20:53

leave. Otherwise, you end up

20:55

like me. Glancing at your

20:57

watch, only to realize that you should have left ten minutes

20:59

ago. Your Shane's

21:01

on it. You

21:03

mind? Ten, fifteen, I should think. This

21:06

thing won't be too heavy. How is every

21:09

chair? Thingy. As

21:12

you guys will come to find out, Shane's

21:14

become my Swiss Army knife. Because

21:16

you know, shit never

21:19

goes smoothly. Alrighty.

21:23

Turned on, baby Joe. Alright,

21:26

let's roll. We're heading to Sturgis. This

21:29

is round four. My

21:31

gosh. Excited

21:34

for this trip though. Then we

21:36

get to view the detective and the

21:38

sheriff. Which one are we mostly talking

21:41

about? Because we get to explain,

21:44

share everything in detail. Get in front

21:46

of them. So,

21:49

we got a couple places that we need to dig. And

21:51

we have a location, we

21:53

need two locations we need to go. Take

21:56

a look at what's going on behind there.

21:59

Certain individuals... I'll try one there.

22:02

Summer of 2019. Mr.

22:04

Shakywood. It

22:07

is 4.54 AM. I'll

22:12

let that sound a little bit because that means we're going to be here

22:14

at the same time tomorrow. You're

22:20

all right in a second. It's over right

22:23

here. It's closed.

22:25

We'll call that and we'll unload and

22:27

pass the visuals. We're

22:30

on the way. I'm

22:32

on the way. I'm on the way.

22:37

Hello. I'm

22:39

afraid you might need to hear a really funny call now.

22:42

You're going to get a good feeling for that. I'm sorry. Good

22:53

morning. I'm a rewarder now at

22:55

Flight 839, service to Dallas-Fort Worth.

22:58

My name is Peter and I'm just joining us this morning.

23:00

We do the off-air. You place your large-end care items

23:02

in the overhead computer. The

23:05

head of us lies at lengthy flight, spending 10

23:07

hours. That means a long day of travel.

23:11

I used this time to meticulously review

23:13

the presentation that Sarah and I prepared

23:15

for Detective Otten and Sheriff Bingaman. After

23:18

scrutinizing 111 PowerPoint

23:20

slides, each densely

23:22

packed with key points meticulously broke down

23:25

and explained. I finally

23:27

reached the slide detailing Tadd's offer. I'm

23:31

anxious. I'm confident. There's

23:33

not another person who has worked as hard or

23:35

knows more about this case than

23:37

Sarah and I. One

23:43

theme that has been consistent with each trip. Shit

23:47

never goes smoothly. And

24:00

then I'm trying to get contact with dude and the

24:02

first thing he says is hey, they don't have the

24:04

car, they bring it back. Everybody else I'm

24:06

trying to poke with. I got another one who says, oh

24:08

I'm running here and the car will be available. Yeah,

24:12

me. You

24:14

know what I mean? Yeah. How's

24:16

it looking? Looks like

24:18

the thing close walking ish distance, there's

24:20

a couple other spots. Finally

24:23

got back and we said the car didn't get returned. He's

24:26

like, I got another vehicle for you, you're going to use it. I'm like,

24:28

cool. But then he's like, you're

24:30

two hours away. And I was like, yeah, because when

24:32

I booked for five days or more, the delivery is

24:34

free. No response.

24:36

And he just canceled the trip. Okay.

24:40

No. Oh,

24:42

this truck is in Illinois two hours away.

24:46

What the frick? This

24:48

is crazy. I've never, like, what? I

24:51

hate coming here sometimes because of this stupid

24:53

reason, like, it never goes through. How

24:57

are you going to advertise your car on there and be like, oh,

24:59

but I can't. I have to run errand. What?

25:04

So we're going to be here until nine. This will be sure.

25:09

I plan this about like way in advance. I

25:12

just don't like it, but it's every trip we come. I

25:16

don't get it. I get it. That's

25:18

simple, which means we're fucking

25:21

late for Heather's in

25:23

that run. There

25:28

isn't a single rental car available. The

25:30

one I managed to secure won't be available until tomorrow

25:32

morning. This

25:34

could be significantly behind schedule. I

25:37

called Sarah to tell her what's up. She

25:39

does her best in assisting to try to find an alternative. The

25:42

calls go back and forth for what seems like forever. No

25:46

plans pan out. I

25:48

don't know why I'm surprised given my history of travel to

25:50

Michigan. Jessica,

25:53

Brittany's mom, finds out that we're stranded without a car

25:55

for a night. Generously,

25:57

I'm refusing to take no for an answer. pick

26:00

it up. Oh,

26:02

a little problem? Yeah. How

26:05

do they just not have any rental cars?

26:07

That's crazy. How do they not have any

26:09

rental cars? I don't know. I know. Did

26:12

you guys have one R.V. reserve? And

26:15

then you couldn't get the car back. And

26:18

then after we jammed it, the guy came up to the corner.

26:21

And then we went in there and we were like,

26:23

no, we only have one. That's crazy. How does every

26:25

company know? I'm sorry.

26:28

No, you're fine. I was in the corner. I'm

26:30

Shane. I've been in the audio for a little bit. Thank

26:33

you very much, natural. Thank you. We

26:39

make our way back to the Airbnb very late in

26:41

the evening. After

26:43

unpacking our equipment, we set everything to charge for

26:45

the night. We quickly eat

26:47

some fast food and then prepare to call it a night. However,

26:52

before I can even think of closing my eyes,

26:54

there's one more thing I need to take care

26:56

of. I'm posting an update on

26:58

my social media. I'm

27:03

a fairly straightforward person. So

27:05

let's cut the bullshit. Okay. I'm

27:09

in town till Friday. Let's

27:12

sit down and talk about your best friend, Ashley. And

27:16

Eric, let's talk about your wife,

27:20

the mother of your child. I'm

27:22

sure a lot of questions could be answered by you two. So

27:26

what do you say? Just us

27:28

three. You

27:30

named a ton of place. Ain't

27:32

no church in us here. I told you I'd be

27:34

back. I'm in

27:37

town for five days. Day

27:46

two. In episode

27:48

40, you heard the testimony of an individual

27:50

we referred to as Skyler. Skyler

27:53

says that after Brittany left Sheldon's car and made her

27:55

way to the two homes she went to, that another

27:57

person was called to pick her up. Skyler

27:59

went on to see if she could help her. say that this other person

28:01

was made aware of Britney owing money

28:03

to someone. Skyler

28:05

continued on to say that Britney was brought back

28:07

to the home of another person. The

28:10

story continued, and Skyler told

28:12

us that another man maintained control of Britney

28:14

who was barely being kept conscious, according to

28:17

him. Skyler

28:20

told me a gun was held to his head and

28:22

the head of another, by

28:25

the same person maintaining control of Britney. He

28:28

says this was done with a clear message

28:31

to stay quiet. Skyler

28:34

says he has spoken to law enforcement and has relayed

28:36

the same story. After

28:39

speaking with Skyler, I reached out to one of

28:41

the property owners that Skyler claimed Britney had been

28:43

taken. This property, as

28:46

Skyler described, features a studio-tapped

28:48

room hidden in the back out of sight. Today,

28:54

I'll be visiting that property. The

28:58

property owner requested anonymity and clarified that

29:00

they had no involvement in Skyler's testimony

29:02

or in Britney's disappearance. He

29:05

spoke with the property owner just before this trip. Allow

29:09

me to share a few clips from that interview. I

29:15

brought Britney back to your guys'

29:18

location after she

29:20

went missing in 2018. So

29:23

this is early December. As

29:27

anybody talked to you about this or asked you

29:29

questions about it? In

29:38

your own words, did you see Britney there?

29:42

Me? Yeah. No,

29:47

I've never seen Britney a day in my life. Yes.

29:51

He ended up cutting the wires to the light so

29:53

I couldn't see in there. and

30:01

my fire bear.

30:03

It looked like somebody tried to burn it. It

30:06

was melted. I found

30:09

the lid. The cooler itself I

30:11

think was already melted in the pile. When

30:14

I picked the lid up, picked

30:16

the lid up and there's bones all over embedded in

30:18

the lid. Alright, I dropped the

30:20

lid and I looked down and then there's

30:22

a pile of bones right there in the

30:24

melted plastic. There's

30:28

a brick cage, there's a pile of bones. It

30:32

looks like a spine. There's

30:35

no skull or anything to be able to

30:37

identify. It freaked

30:39

me out instantly. You're just thinking about it just

30:41

instead of already got me shaking on

30:43

it. This

30:47

isn't my fire bear. I

30:53

stopped and I peed the birds up there after

30:55

I found this. I

30:58

don't know if any of this is

31:00

even true but I just know what I found. I

31:03

left them there. Well

31:07

I'm sure if you dig for them they're probably in

31:09

the... they're somewhere. I called...

31:16

that's what his name was, Officer. He

31:19

said he came and looked at them and

31:21

he said that they were dear bones. He

31:24

never came. I

31:26

watch... I sat there on my deck and watched them.

31:30

I... perfect he never showed up. On

31:33

my side deck where I can see straight down in

31:36

the backyard. But I

31:38

know perfect he never did. If

31:40

you want to do this come and get it done now. The

31:44

sooner the better. If

31:50

it's going to be gone we

31:53

need to get it done and done now. I

31:57

want you to go through that side room. I'm going through whatever

31:59

you want. I

32:02

just need to stick my phone pass. Say

32:09

less. I will be truthful

32:13

to you both. I

32:18

make sure we have all the safety equipment. And

32:24

we head to the property. My

32:29

goal is to examine the room

32:31

where Skyler claims Brittany was taken and held.

32:34

Additionally, I've been informed

32:36

that bones were discovered at the back of

32:39

the property, specifically in the fire pit. The

32:42

property owner insists they notify law enforcement

32:44

and claims they waited for their arrival,

32:46

but law enforcement never showed. This

32:50

scenario raises a haunting question. What

32:54

if this was your child? Would

32:56

you dismiss it as a wild tale? What

33:00

if Brittany is there? And

33:02

you dismiss it thinking, it's probably nothing.

33:06

I acknowledge that some listeners have lost momentum

33:08

due to the number of episodes this season

33:10

has required. Yes.

33:13

Required is the word. Did

33:16

I know that it had a time? Yeah.

33:20

Do I care? Heck

33:22

no. This

33:25

is the attention Brittany needed. Each

33:28

lead had to be pursued. Persons of

33:30

interest interviewed and locations

33:33

meticulously investigated. That's

33:35

what we do. We undertake the legwork

33:37

that others kind of won't. Because

33:39

this is what you want done for your loved one. Right?

33:45

We're on our way when I get a message from Kimmy, JJ's

33:47

girlfriend. If you

33:50

recall, JJ said that he thinks Ashley and

33:52

Eric did it. There

33:55

you go. How

33:58

does he know that? When

34:01

I pressed for answers, JJ says to

34:03

come see him in person. Then

34:05

he'll talk. How

34:08

many of you have heard about this? I've never

34:11

heard fuck off. You've heard me know my person. He'll

34:13

talk. JJ knows

34:15

I'm in town. Let's see if he follows

34:17

through. We

34:20

arrived to the property. Jessica

34:22

made the decision to participate. The

34:25

weather is warm, and it's early, so it's

34:27

not humid. The sun is shining

34:29

and birds are pointed full and loud. What'd

34:31

I see? The neighborhood is

34:33

in an average middle class neighborhood. Cleanly

34:36

cut lawns and well maintained homes. It's

34:40

quiet. I'm struck by

34:42

the amount of normalcy this neighborhood embodies. It's

34:45

definitely not the type of area you picture something like

34:47

this happening again. When

34:50

we all had Skyler's testimony, I imagined

34:52

it was what many of us pictured. There's

34:55

a scary rundown house in a less desirable

34:57

neighborhood. But this is

34:59

a far departure from that. As

35:02

we pull into the driveway, I survey the yard.

35:05

We rolled in early. Not

35:07

a problem, though. They knew we were

35:10

coming. I'm

35:12

a little on edge. You can hear me.

35:15

Little anxious. Feeling unsure. The

35:19

homeowner warned us this could be dangerous. If

35:23

there is a possibility that person sees, he

35:26

shows up unannounced. And

35:29

what happens then? I don't know.

35:32

Anyone think of that? Anyone

35:38

think of that? Oh

35:55

my God, I apologize still, man. Alright, how

35:57

are you? I'm almost exhausted. You alright?

36:00

Yeah. Nice to meet you. Hi.

36:03

You too, buddy. Nice to meet you. Bring

36:05

it in. Good to see you. You too.

36:08

Come on in. Don't worry about us. You're

36:10

good. You're good. Come on. Okay,

36:13

perfect. You just show how much you

36:15

want us to go through. The side gate this way

36:17

or this way? All right, let's roll.

36:20

You okay with us? Yeah.

36:23

Yeah. She said

36:25

she didn't come

36:28

out. I

36:31

hope that isn't... You're

36:38

sure that's what she's talking about? The

36:49

homeowner warned us that this could be dangerous for all

36:51

of us. It was made

36:54

very clear that no one wants to know that we were going to

36:56

be here. No one wants to see us,

36:59

neighbors included. The

37:01

homeowner assured that I wouldn't miss the burn pit. It

37:04

was the designated spot for digging. And

37:07

once we entered the backyard, true

37:09

to their word, the moment we rounded

37:11

the corner, my eyes

37:13

immediately locked onto it. Time

37:16

seemed to morph into slow motion for a moment, and

37:18

my sense of anticipation gave me a knot in my

37:20

stomach. Standing

37:23

in front of the burn pit, I

37:26

couldn't help but wonder what awaited us underneath all

37:28

that trash. The bones are in here.

37:30

I don't want to just then

37:32

start stabbing down. The

37:36

pit measured approximately five feet in diameter,

37:38

encircled by a worn and rusty two-foot-high

37:41

metal garden. Inside,

37:45

a multitude of burned trash stared

37:47

back at me. Melted

37:49

plastic water bottles, partially charred

37:52

cardboard, fragments of metal

37:54

discarded soda cans, and

37:56

various other forms of garbage filled the pit. I

38:00

covered in several inches of ash. A

38:03

testament to the countless fires that it consumed

38:05

its contents. I

38:08

put on my gloves and grabbed a shovel. And

38:11

with each arm load of debris I removed from the burn

38:13

pit, my determination grew.

38:17

I preserve everything I think I should and

38:19

probably a lot of stuff that I didn't need to. I

38:22

meticulously sift through the piles of trash, searching

38:25

for any glimmer of potential. It

38:28

was a daunting task, simply

38:30

because I had no clue what I'm waiting for. I

38:34

reminded myself to proceed with caution, handling

38:37

each item delicately. Jessica

38:39

asked me about additional gloves to lend to him, so

38:42

I tell her where she can find them. And

38:44

before I could fully comprehend it, she was

38:46

already sifting through the ashes on the opposite side of the burn pit.

38:50

If they put her here and then

38:52

they're a little deeper and

38:54

as soon as it's over time, I don't

38:57

know. You probably see other

38:59

stuff down in there too. And

39:01

it's starting to be clean. I just want to keep going,

39:03

at least to a point where I feel like, okay, and

39:06

this is a sort of conference I'm going

39:08

to go. I

39:11

don't want there to be any questions. When

39:14

I glance up, I witness Jessica rummaging through the same

39:16

amount of trash that I am. But

39:18

the difference is, this was not my

39:21

child. That

39:23

moment was powerful for me. The

39:25

image of it has etched itself into my

39:28

memory. My

39:30

mother desperately searching for the remains of her child

39:32

amidst the debris and ashes. The

39:36

neighborhood is starting to wake up. I hear

39:38

quiet buzz from the neighbors chatting. I

39:40

hear kids playing now. And

39:42

the traffic on the sleepy street starts to pick up. I'm

39:46

feeling a little less concerned for our safety, so I

39:48

remove my buddy from the back of my waistband and

39:50

put it in my bag. That's

39:52

an indication of a level of concern I had for everyone's safety.

39:56

After speaking to the homeowner, I

39:58

took the warning seriously. When

40:01

the homeowner initially found the bones, they weren't

40:03

removed from their location. Bones

40:05

were found in the cooler but the plastic of

40:08

the cooler had melted around the bones, the homeowner

40:10

says. The homeowner says

40:12

they called law enforcement but also reports that no

40:14

one from law enforcement ever came to check them

40:16

out. This entire scenario

40:18

is concerning whether they did or did not come

40:20

to check them out. We

40:23

continue to work clearing up the garbage from

40:25

the burn pit and eventually getting to the

40:27

bottom where it's just ash, ash and earth.

40:30

I start digging, slowly, moving

40:33

the shovel gingerly. I

40:36

don't want to disturb anything of evidentiary value. So

40:39

the digging takes time. I

40:41

don't get too far in my digging when the property owner comes

40:44

outside. That's not, that's new. I just

40:46

went back there. You're

40:48

there again, right there. Okay. This

40:51

guy over here? I stop what I'm doing. Ethan

40:54

and Shane turn their attention to the property owner.

40:57

The three of us just stand there and stare. Shit

41:01

never goes smoothly.

41:05

This isn't the right place, I ask, as

41:07

I turn my attention to the area that's being

41:09

pointed out. The property owner

41:12

gives me a shake of the head and points back

41:14

to another area. Arm

41:16

load after arm load. All of the debris

41:18

I removed from the burn pit goes back into

41:20

the burn pit. When

41:22

the mess is cleaned up, the property owner escorts

41:25

us to another area, not too

41:27

far from where I was just digging. Looks

41:30

about five by five. Not as much debris

41:32

as the first area. There's no metal ring

41:34

around this one. So the area isn't

41:36

contained and it's clear that the weather and environment

41:38

have taken its toll and caused the

41:40

debris to spread out just slightly. I

41:43

begin sorting and sifting again, being just

41:45

as careful and cautious as I was at the first

41:47

burn pit. Simply

41:52

making my way through everything in the pit, there

41:54

doesn't seem to be much of an interest. When

41:57

I reach the bottom, I begin to dig. the

44:00

long arms of branches sticking off of it. Eventually

44:04

we moved to the garage with the

44:06

attached studio where Skyler explained Brittany was held after

44:08

being removed from the first house they brought her

44:10

to. and

44:30

all theWhere i

44:47

always feel like there's somebody in this garage

44:49

ever coming back here i'm constantly finding

44:52

myself looking up there to make sure nothing's up there

44:54

somebody fell through the ceiling on the

44:56

other side yes somebody's been up there where's

44:59

the bus by that oh

45:01

right here is where that's one

45:03

of them this

45:11

is from the moment i left once i

45:13

realized what i was doing what i was doing it's

45:20

not coincidence you know the things that

45:22

i found we

45:25

looked thoroughly through the garage and studio but

45:29

i see no indication that anything went on here

45:32

there's no visible blood no visible

45:34

areas of concern there's

45:36

nothing here i consider

45:38

speaking with mike from worksmart about possibly coming back

45:40

to this property to do a scan of the

45:42

yard but right now i'm in

45:45

a time crunch and i need to get over to

45:47

the cemetery to speak to the sextant and meet mike

45:50

we pack up our equipment and everyone piles into the

45:52

truck and we take off while

45:56

i'm driving i'm running through the remainder of items

45:59

on the itinerary There's

46:01

so much to get done in the short time I'm here. I

46:04

almost always feel like we're in a race against time, and

46:07

it never fails. The moment I step

46:09

back onto the plane to head home, I

46:11

think of something I should have done, or a place I

46:13

should have gone. Coming

46:15

to Michigan has been a learning experience every time.

46:19

Sometimes those learning experiences send me home with

46:21

positive lessons, and sometimes, the

46:24

lessons aren't so positive. But

46:26

I assure you, I learn from every single lesson. Have

46:30

you ever driven somewhere, and when you arrive, you

46:32

don't actually remember the drive because you were so

46:34

deep in your own thoughts? That's

46:37

what I'm experiencing as I pull into the cemetery.

46:41

When we park, I see the sextant

46:43

and her daughter waiting, along

46:45

with Mike and his son Sean. It's

46:48

good to see them again. This

46:51

is the same cemetery we were at last time we

46:53

visited Michigan. The K-9 team was

46:55

with us on that visit, and both K-9s hid on

46:57

the spot behind a grave. When

47:00

that happened, the K-9 handler used the GPR

47:03

to do a preliminary scan of the area.

47:06

He was able to identify an anomaly, but encouraged

47:08

us to get a second opinion, which we did

47:10

with Mike and Sean. We're

47:12

back again today to do a third scan. We

47:15

like to be thorough. Detective Otten

47:17

was told of the findings on our last visit, and

47:19

in the time between our visits, he told

47:22

me they visited the cemetery and did a

47:24

dig to identify the anomaly that the K-9

47:26

alerted to and the handler confirmed with the

47:28

initial scan. This

47:30

cemetery is the territory of the sextants. Her

47:33

and her husband both take care of it. They

47:36

treat it like the child, maintaining every inch

47:38

of the area, keeping it clean,

47:40

monitoring it, and making sure that the soul is

47:43

at rest here, or kept safe. In

47:46

the course of my conversation with the sextant, she tells

47:48

me that no law enforcement ever

47:50

came and dug here. She's

47:53

100% positive of this. She

47:55

tells me if they came, she

47:57

would have known. I trust her words.

48:00

She has no reason to lie to me. She

48:02

tells me she and her husband dig dig in

48:04

the area of the anomaly. Nothing.

48:09

I ask Mike and Sean to scan the area again. You

48:13

guys are fixin'? Maybe something back here?

48:15

Yeah, but it was small. Okay, the

48:17

urds. Yeah. Yeah, that was

48:19

all that was on this side. I think we scanned

48:21

this side too, but we'll do it again. Okay. Alright.

48:25

I don't know why she's hittin' on this side, but the

48:27

doctor's hittin' on... Both sides,

48:29

are you okay? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

48:32

Alright, no problem. Thank you so much, Mike. No

48:34

problem. Thank you. As

48:36

they're preparing to do that, I propose an idea of

48:39

visiting the property we were just at this morning to

48:41

do a scan of the area as the property owner

48:43

pointed out. Can

48:46

I get on both sides? Alright. Here,

48:49

over there. Not there. What's

48:52

they agreed to do? Alright.

48:54

Well, we have the... This is what the dog said.

48:56

I don't wanna reach. For

48:58

not a necessary reason, or elsewhere. The

49:02

next spot we have is... We

49:05

have a mound of... Looks

49:08

like a burp pile, but also leaves. Okay.

49:12

We can go there if we want to. Okay. I don't know

49:14

if you guys can see over that type of stuff. Depends

49:18

how rough it is. Like your... Do we have

49:20

any film from actual... Or anything we can show

49:22

them? Me, no. We

49:24

actually have... We were just there. Okay. And I was

49:27

digging because this girl said she had bones and she

49:29

had pictures of it. So... Okay. I went

49:31

and dug it up, but... Not on me. Do you have anything

49:33

on filming we can show? Let me

49:35

just say this right now. That these guys

49:37

have been so incredibly generous with their time,

49:39

patience, and equipment. We're always impressed by their

49:41

willingness to help. So big shout out

49:43

to Mike and Sean. Mike completes the scan.

49:47

He looks at me. Shakes his

49:49

head. There's nothing there.

49:54

But Mike's not done. He suggests

49:56

scanning a second area. He

49:58

explains to me that in his experience... The

50:01

way the cemetery sits on a slight slope

50:03

might lend itself to an object migrating down

50:05

the slope with the presence of different weather

50:07

conditions like heavy rain Makes

50:10

sense to me the sexton kindly gives permission

50:12

to do a scan in the area The way

50:15

this hill is falling down is seeping down

50:18

as I would naturally think it's going that

50:20

way right right Ethan

50:29

hops in the gpr capsule with mike and

50:31

off they go with Ethan recording the entire

50:33

time you

50:44

can see that right there I

50:47

don't know what it is you are but would

50:52

it show something like in the red

50:54

or yeah that sucker in there I'll

50:56

be damned if I could show and

50:58

tell me there's

51:01

an anomaly there's a sink

51:03

from the wall I know that was there but I

51:05

don't know uh what

51:09

does it look like? um you can't

51:11

say it's a body yeah but it's

51:13

something that probably doesn't belong there then it

51:16

doesn't look like a normal burial how

51:19

deep is it not very deep at

51:21

all um two feet to the top

51:24

yeah about

51:26

four or five feet to the bottom but

51:28

the thing is it could be a rock it could be

51:30

a tree root, it could be a tree stalk um so

51:37

that pine's been there for a long time a

51:39

long time I know if there was a tree there

51:41

it was before I had anything to do with that

51:43

even even 30 years 40

51:46

years mike

51:48

mentioned that it's possible there is an old tree stump there

51:50

but the section says in her entire career there's never been

51:52

a tree in the area her daughter

51:54

who's standing there next to her confirms we all decide that's

51:59

what we're doing discuss it. But

52:01

there'll be something to investigate then. I

52:04

think it's a good idea to dig. Alright,

52:06

well, let's dig. We're gonna dig. Because

52:09

when we leave here today, no stone's unturned. Gloves

52:12

on, shovel on hand. And

52:14

I drive the head of the shovel into the earth. I'm

52:19

about three minutes in when the shovel handle snaps

52:21

in half. Shit

52:24

never goes smoothly. I

52:32

think so, yeah. I'll have my mom bring one if...

52:36

Second shovel on hand. This

52:39

time I complete the dig. Mike

52:41

explains why I find nothing. Even

52:44

though there was an anomaly. If

52:48

that tree's right out of the way, I'm gonna see

52:50

it. Before you dig it up, I'm

52:52

gonna see this tree, right? When you dig it up, break it

52:54

apart. You can't find it.

52:56

It's right out of the way, right? I

52:59

think that's what it was. It's

53:01

entirely possible to see it way before she

53:04

was sexed and all. I'm

53:12

sorry, I can't. No, you're okay. Fine. You're

53:15

okay, I'm fine. I thought I know. I thought I

53:18

know that. Yep, did not know. Fuck, you thought I

53:20

know? Is that my computer? Yeah. I

53:23

would say so. We're

53:41

back at the property we visited earlier today. Mike

53:44

and Sean arrive just behind us and unload their equipment.

53:47

Fully fence with one section of the perimeter open

53:49

so they can drive the GPR right into the

53:51

backyard. The

53:53

homeowner is present but is heading off to work for the

53:55

rest of the day, leaving us to do what we need

53:57

to. Again. This

54:00

is another situation where I want to be thorough,

54:02

no stone unturned. And the

54:05

GPR is done at each and every spot. The homeowner

54:07

pointed out earlier, nothing

54:12

of interest is found until Mike

54:14

finds one anomaly around five feet

54:16

deep. Remark the area

54:19

and move on. I'm

54:21

running out of time. Lastly,

54:25

Mike runs the GPR over the area where

54:27

the property owner mentioned the school was potentially

54:29

located. No anomaly is indicated.

54:34

I find nothing. Nothing

54:36

that leads us to believe that there was any trace of

54:38

Brittany here. So

54:41

why does it leave me with Skyler? This

54:44

doesn't necessarily discredit him. I'm

54:47

no expert. Just someone committed

54:49

to uncovering the truth like you. My

54:53

leads come from various sources, canine

54:55

units, GPR anomalies, or eyewitness accounts

54:57

like Skyler's. And

54:59

each time we come up empty, their feelings

55:01

are mixed. There's relief.

55:04

Hoping the missing person is still alive. They

55:07

had a sense of failure as if I've

55:09

let them down. It's a

55:11

challenging pursuit, but one I'm

55:13

committed to. By

55:17

the time the afternoon rolled around, the temperature

55:19

had risen significantly. The

55:21

sun beat down, relentless the honest, which was bad enough.

55:25

But we all had to gear up for what we were about to do next.

55:29

We head back to the property where Sarah uncovered a

55:31

story from a homeowner in our last visit. If

55:36

you recall, I called Sarah to the plate and

55:38

asked her to make contact with around 25 homeowners

55:40

in the area we determined was likely for Brittany

55:42

to have traveled through on the night she disappeared.

55:45

Now, while she was making those phone calls to obtain permission,

55:48

one of the homeowners had a story to share with her about

55:50

a day in the early spring of 2019 when

55:53

he found Eric and another man coming out of

55:55

the woods on his private property. property

56:00

is in an area that piqued our interest. We

56:04

visited last time we were in sturges but the

56:06

weather wasn't conducive to searching. So

56:08

we had the delay. Today

56:11

is the day. The team

56:14

has donned at full gear to protect us from all the

56:16

things the forest holds. I

56:18

meet with the homeowner briefly and more quickly and

56:20

quietly whisked away from the house into

56:24

the densely wooded property. Carrying

56:27

shovels, wearing waders, we begin to trek into

56:29

the woods. The

56:34

grass around us is taller than me. The

56:37

thick vegetation made it difficult to

56:43

walk with confidence. There's

56:45

not much to be heard out here except the

56:48

steady hum of bugs zipping around our heads. Ethan

56:51

was carrying the camera equipment. Struggled to see

56:53

where he was going but

56:55

he never complains and pushes forward. I

56:58

still don't think this is what he thought he was signing up for

57:00

two years ago. Shane,

57:02

wearing headphones, cares all his

57:05

sound equipment. He continues to keep a

57:07

positive and not the attitude. My

57:10

nose has started running and my throat seems a little irritated

57:13

but I attribute it to all the allergens in the forest. It

57:15

would be easiest for us to... Something

57:17

out here is probably triggering everyone's allergies. We

57:21

make small tuck as

57:24

we trudge through the mud

57:26

and climb over fallen trees. We

57:36

finally reach a small clearing. I take

57:39

a pause to compose myself. There's

57:42

levels of premeditation but

57:45

then also was

57:47

he frantic and then tried to find it

57:49

a second time? Move

58:01

towards that way. Just doing a spread out sweep.

58:04

Yep. Holy smokes. Yeah bro,

58:06

careful with the spray in your eyes. Yeah.

58:12

Huh? In an area this dense, it's

58:14

hard to keep track of where you are. Especially when

58:16

you've been walking around with your head down much of the

58:18

time. Trying not to step in the wrong place. Breaking

58:21

ankle. Admit something that could be valuable

58:23

in your search. The

58:26

homeowner leads us to a tree deep in the woods. The

58:29

base of the tree was partially ripped out of the ground. And

58:32

the hollow inside seemed to stretch through

58:34

infothemable darkness. Holy

58:42

shit. He's very cool. That's

58:47

pretty fucking jowl. They're

58:50

deep. The homeowner explains his

58:52

concerns as to why he's brought me to this tree.

58:55

I get on my hands and knees to get a better look. The

58:58

hole descended deep into the ground. But without

59:00

a flashlight, it was impossible to see within.

59:03

Let me go grab my light real quick and figure out

59:05

a demo. Alright, we're right back.

59:12

Shane's on his way back from the truck after

59:14

grabbing some allergy medicine. Trying

59:23

to get the world. Oh! Getting

59:26

changed to medication. Looking

59:33

up for Brit. Just

59:36

saw a baby fawn. It's tiny. I've never seen one

59:38

so small. The

59:42

dent's out here. Real

59:45

tense. Shit

59:48

never goes smoothly.

59:53

Medic on sight. Shit. That

1:00:00

looks fun. Oh

1:00:02

shit. Yeah

1:00:05

bro, you are. Yeah, you're breaking out

1:00:07

in hives. I'm

1:00:09

looking at you, yeah. Yeah, you look

1:00:11

rough, dude. Shit,

1:00:14

dude. Uh... Just...

1:00:19

Yeah dude, you're looking crumply. You're

1:00:22

really allergic to something out here. See

1:00:25

the middle thing? Your call has been

1:00:27

forwarded to an automated voice messaging system.

1:00:29

You're really very stupid. Bro.

1:00:37

Like what? Like, hit up a store.

1:00:40

I ain't trying to get hold of them. Here's

1:00:45

your guy. And then I've got another topical. Yeah.

1:00:51

Anesthetic, not what I meant. My throat

1:00:53

is swollen. Intercepted.

1:00:58

Yeah, I would really avoid touching your face

1:01:00

again. That will open up your

1:01:02

blood and let that shit work quicker too. When

1:01:06

I reached the truck, I caught a glimpse of myself on

1:01:08

the side mirror. Holy

1:01:11

shit. I can tell by the look

1:01:13

on his face. This isn't good. I

1:01:16

see my face. It's sad enough in my opinion that like,

1:01:20

it might be affecting your lungs here pretty soon. Definitely

1:01:22

not good. I tell Shane, let's

1:01:25

go. I

1:01:29

don't have my keys. I need the keys.

1:01:38

If you start closing up, bro, let me take over. Can

1:01:45

you get a hold of them? I have

1:01:47

the hospital. They

1:01:49

tell me now that panic set in when they

1:01:52

realized that Shane and I had left with Tata. Yeah, I can do. Oh

1:02:00

no. What happened? James

1:02:02

has the hospitalization. He has

1:02:04

another camera

1:02:07

related to the reaction. Okay. Oh

1:02:09

god, okay. Sorry. We're gonna head

1:02:11

back. Or a powerful. Okay. Sounds

1:02:14

good. Okay. Okay.

1:02:17

We're gonna head back. Okay. Okay.

1:02:20

Okay. Okay. Okay.

1:02:23

Okay. Okay. Okay.

1:02:26

Okay. Okay. Okay.

1:02:29

Okay. Okay. Shane urgently called

1:02:31

Ethan to inform him that we were headed to

1:02:33

the hospital. He explained that I was experiencing a

1:02:35

severe allergic reaction and time was of the essence.

1:02:38

Meanwhile, Shelby frantically dialed Sarah's

1:02:40

number as they struggled to find their way out of

1:02:42

the dense woods. I

1:02:45

see that in a trembling voice, she explained

1:02:47

the situation unfolding. Arriving

1:02:49

to the hospital, they took me right in. Shane

1:02:53

waited outside for the rest of the team to arrive. After

1:02:56

finally reaching us, Shane informed everyone that had been taken

1:02:58

immediately and was currently receiving treatment. He's in the back.

1:03:00

He's in the first place. He's in the middle of which is underground. That's

1:03:03

over here. That might be at home. This guy's over

1:03:05

here. You guys. Is he

1:03:07

on Ethan? Yeah. Yeah.

1:03:10

He's blown. He wouldn't let me freaking drive. That's

1:03:12

us. Oh my god. I

1:03:15

can do that. I can do it too. Uh-huh.

1:03:17

Oh my god. I can do it too. I

1:03:20

can do it too. I can do it too. I can do it too.

1:03:22

I can do it too. He

1:03:24

wouldn't let Shane drive. Yeah. I

1:03:27

know. He wouldn't let Shane drive. He

1:03:30

couldn't even talk or breathe. Shelby

1:03:35

told Sarah I planned to go back out to the property

1:03:37

once released. Sarah's voice took on a firm

1:03:40

tone and insisted that I should not be going back out

1:03:42

to the woods that day. You

1:03:44

can't talk about it because you and my mom's voice can tell him. Okay.

1:03:47

He can't let go. He'll

1:03:50

just get mad at me. What's

1:03:56

James' male name? While I underwent treatment, the rest of the

1:03:58

team gathered in the waiting room to discuss. Thus, ways

1:04:00

to divert the plan of returning to the woods. Through

1:04:03

their collective efforts, they managed to convince me

1:04:05

to abandon my plan. Okay,

1:04:07

they won. After

1:04:09

all, I know they only have my best interests in

1:04:11

mind. At the end of

1:04:13

the day, in an urgent situation, I have

1:04:16

friends. I have friends I

1:04:18

can count on to do the right thing and my time

1:04:20

of need. Where were those kind of

1:04:22

friends when Brittany needed them? Just

1:04:25

a short time after my release, I'm notified

1:04:27

that Ashley has responded to my invitation to

1:04:29

meet. If you recall, I

1:04:31

issued a public invitation to Ashley and Eric

1:04:33

when I arrived in Sturgis, D.C.

1:04:36

The three of us sit down like adults.

1:04:39

Eric had no response, but

1:04:42

Ashley responded, declining my

1:04:44

offer. While I'm

1:04:46

not surprised or even disappointed, I think

1:04:48

about Ashley's best friend. That's

1:04:50

what she called Brittany. I wonder if

1:04:53

her best friend was in need, hurt or

1:04:55

injured, in some way like I was today.

1:04:58

What did she do for her best friend? What my friends

1:05:00

did for me? Would

1:05:03

she get her help? I don't know

1:05:05

about that. To help someone

1:05:07

else, you have to care. About

1:05:10

yourself, but also about the well-being of

1:05:12

another person. I'm

1:05:14

not convinced she did. Are

1:05:16

you? The

1:05:20

last two stops of the day are after dinner. We

1:05:23

still got shit to do. We

1:05:27

all head out to Fawn River Road in the darkness of the

1:05:30

night. I complete a run from

1:05:32

the same route Brittany likely took from Sheldon's car to

1:05:34

John's, the elderly man. This

1:05:38

is a long jog, and

1:05:40

I'll tell you now, Google Maps is misleading,

1:05:43

and I'm struck at just how far this is. Keep

1:05:46

in mind that I'm wearing shoes and appropriate

1:05:48

clothing. The weather

1:05:50

is decent, and there's no fog, and

1:05:53

I'm sober. I'm trying

1:05:55

to consider how this run would have affected Brittany. Cold,

1:05:58

alone, barefoot. and

1:06:01

seemingly not sober. How

1:06:04

would this go? How long would it take

1:06:06

her? Was

1:06:08

she scared? Why didn't she have her

1:06:10

shoes on? And where are they now? We

1:06:15

make the last stop of the night and stop

1:06:17

at the home of the team. I

1:06:20

go inside. I

1:06:30

retrace the steps. He says he hears

1:06:32

her, hears steps, but he also hears

1:06:34

another step. I retrace Brittany's steps. We

1:06:36

take video footage. We consider every angle.

1:06:38

As I'm out there details are flowing

1:06:40

through my mind. I

1:06:59

call Sarah and we walk through the

1:07:01

scenario. We believe took place on November

1:07:03

30th 2018. Things start to

1:07:05

become a little more clear to us. You see

1:07:07

me from standing right there in the kitchen? We

1:07:09

have a lot to talk about. Next

1:07:13

time on hide and see. Would

1:07:25

you like to show your support for the hide

1:07:27

and seek podcast? Find our

1:07:29

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1:07:31

hide and seek podcast. Like

1:07:34

and follow to hear updates on past seasons

1:07:36

as they become available. Stay up

1:07:38

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1:07:40

our discussion group by searching hide

1:07:42

and seek discussion group on Facebook. The

1:07:48

hide and seek podcast is

1:07:50

hosted, directed, edited,

1:07:53

and produced by James

1:07:55

Basinger. Written, edited,

1:07:57

and produced by Sarah. a

1:08:00

Joe. Engineered, mixed,

1:08:02

and mastered by

1:08:04

Newdon's Audio Engineering. Director

1:08:07

of Photography is Ethan Schatz.

1:08:10

Our graphic design is created by

1:08:13

Jordan Robinson. A

1:08:17

special thanks to all those involved in our

1:08:19

ground team and to our Patreon supporters. Thank

1:08:22

you for helping make our investigations possible.

1:08:31

Okay, if we're inappropriate, but can I get a

1:08:33

picture with you? I won't post the un-paste because

1:08:35

I'm not going to be like, why are you

1:08:37

being in the hospital? Yeah, yeah, no. Okay. I'm

1:08:39

not for that. I respect what

1:08:41

you're doing so much. I think it's so

1:08:43

awesome. Thank you. Awesome.

1:08:46

Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Uh,

1:08:48

who did I go to about my knife? Oh,

1:08:50

yes. Yeah. Thank

1:08:53

you, ma'am. Appreciate you. Um,

1:08:56

waiting. I have some friends in here I need to

1:08:58

describe real quick. Thank you. You

1:09:03

guys ready? Yeah, we're ready to go

1:09:05

this way. Shane

1:09:10

saved the day for real. Yeah, he did. And

1:09:12

he did that one better job. Yeah, Shane. Shane,

1:09:16

that's a raise for you, buddy. We

1:09:18

okay if I drive, you come back, it's a

1:09:20

thousand drive. I'm totally fine. Throw your eyes away.

1:09:23

I'm totally fine. I was good there and trust.

1:09:25

I promise you I'm good. On the way here, you weren't

1:09:27

good. No, and I still made it. All right, bro. I

1:09:30

promise you if I felt at all, I guess we're good

1:09:32

to go though. Let's rock and roll. We're

1:09:34

gonna rev over here to fuck home. Let's

1:09:37

rock and roll, boys.