0:01

Hey listeners is Vanessa! I'm so

0:03

excited to tell you about an

0:05

incredible true crime podcast! The Just

0:07

wrapped up It's latest season. The

0:09

podcast is called Stolen and this

0:11

season host Connie Walker travels to

0:13

the Navajo Nation to investigate the

0:15

case of to missing women. She

0:17

even embeds with the police and

0:19

family searching for them and in

0:21

the process she uncovers ways in

0:23

which these two women stories might

0:25

be connected and why the line

0:27

between missing and murdered is often

0:29

so difficult to prove. We've been

0:32

fascinated with this story and I know

0:34

you'll obsess over this podcast as much

0:36

as we have. Will share the first

0:38

episode here. Now if you enjoy it,

0:40

make sure to check out the entire

0:43

season and past seasons on Spotify or

0:45

wherever you get your podcasts. This.

0:51

Episode contains descriptions of violence

0:53

please take care while listening.

1:00

Joanne be gay was trying to fall asleep.

1:03

It was the middle of the night on

1:05

June Fifteenth. Twenty Twenty One. She.

1:07

Was home alone in her small house in

1:09

a remote corner of the Navajo Nation. Suddenly.

1:13

Joanne was startled by a loud sound

1:15

coming from the front door. It.

1:18

Sounded like someone was trying to get in.

1:21

She ran to hide a moment

1:23

before hearing her door being kicked

1:25

open. Then.

1:29

A man walked into her house. Every

1:33

time a here this story I can

1:35

help put myself in Joanne shoes. This

1:38

is one of my worst fears. Being.

1:41

A woken in the middle of the night by

1:43

an intruder. Would. Happen

1:45

next Change to and life. And

1:47

the life of her family. Some.

1:50

Of the details are still a mystery,

1:52

but here's what I've been able to

1:54

piece together. Joanne

1:57

was afraid she listened in the.

2:00

Now as the man walks through,

2:02

her kitchen is rummaging through her

2:04

cupboards. She

2:07

had a soda can crack open and the.

2:09

Man take a long step. After

2:12

he finished it, he twisted the cap off

2:14

a bottle of Gator. Ate and drank that

2:16

to. To

2:19

land was hiding in her room. terrified

2:21

the man would find her. I

2:25

don't know how long see head but

2:27

eventually she heard him walk out of

2:29

the door. He kicked open. When

2:33

she felt it was safe, she

2:35

looked out her window. She could

2:37

make out a man slate seeger

2:39

walking away. To

2:42

Landry's for her phone and called the police

2:44

for help. He told them

2:46

about the intruder. And

2:49

then She waited. And waited.

2:56

An hour later to land. was still

2:58

waiting when she heard a sound from

3:00

the house next door. where

3:02

her mother our made the gay lived.

3:06

It was around three thirty in the

3:09

morning and her mother's truck had just

3:11

started up. She watched it pull out

3:13

of the yard, through the metal gate

3:16

and off down the red dirt road.

3:21

I would mom be leaving in the middle of

3:23

the meat. Joanne

3:28

called her mom phone. There

3:30

was no answer. She texted nothing.

3:34

To. Call the Police again. In twenty

3:36

minutes later, the finally sold out that

3:38

it was too late. Ella

3:41

made the gay was gone. And

3:45

was never seen again. I'm

3:51

Connie Walker from far

3:53

find this is stolen

3:55

trouble in Sweetwater. What

4:12

heard? Come back. Home

4:18

of L A made the gave

4:20

her house is a long blue

4:23

wouldn't rectangle on a foundation of

4:25

cinder to sits atop a stretch

4:27

of dusty read earth in Sweetwater

4:29

Arizona. I came

4:32

here after hearing about enemies disappearance.

4:35

For nice Sarah seen Warren is

4:37

showing me around. Yes, this is

4:39

the speed A whole gun. Her

4:41

husband and her son girl and

4:43

her her son in laws. They.

4:45

Help fill this. This

4:47

is my first time on the Navajo Nation.

4:50

In. Even though it's in the middle of

4:52

the United States and surprised at how remote

4:54

it feel. The

4:56

Navajo Nation is home to the dentist

4:58

people and it's the largest reservation in

5:00

the country. It covers

5:02

most of the northeast corner of

5:04

Arizona in dips into New Mexico

5:06

and Youtube. For. Canadian.

5:08

The landscape here feels

5:10

almost other worldly. This.

5:13

Vast stretches of desert and red

5:15

rock the seem to unspool in

5:17

every direction. It's

5:19

beautiful How long did Elena live

5:21

here? On. Her

5:24

norm. Forty one more goal. For

5:27

her for your home. Is

5:30

the cricket sunny day in late October?

5:33

Twenty Twenty Two. At

5:35

this point and will may have been

5:37

missing for almost a year and a

5:39

half in this is where he disappeared.

5:41

From. Thirteen

5:43

points out a small house about fifty

5:46

yards. Away. Her

5:49

arm daughter lives in the full house or her.

5:54

Also so close. I

5:58

can see the window, the land, Without

6:00

him. When he saw her mom's

6:02

truck driving away in the middle of the

6:04

night. And

6:07

there's Teixeira. At this is like. That means

6:09

the Missouri notice of it is. Stepping

6:13

on to L amazed property, he feels

6:15

like we could be stepping back in

6:17

time. Aside the houses

6:20

of them to see green pickup

6:22

truck in nearby parks and rec

6:24

tree is a Chevy Impala convertible

6:26

that looks like a from the

6:28

nineteen sixty for this is my

6:30

aunties classic car. I

6:34

remember her driving this before. Horror. youngest. Ella

6:39

May was sixty two years old

6:41

when she went missing. She lived

6:43

in Sweetwater her whole life. The

6:46

she and other local call this

6:48

tiny community by it's Navajo name

6:50

possibly can. L.

6:52

M. A. mostly spoke Navajo. English

6:54

was her second language. I've

6:57

seen a photo of Allah May from the local trading.

6:59

Post. She's holding up

7:02

one of the pictorial rugs she

7:04

was known for depicting traditional now

7:06

the whole life farming family and

7:08

the desert landscape. I've

7:11

heard. L. M A was quiet and

7:13

you can almost see it in the

7:15

photograph see small only five feet tall

7:17

with straight brown hair. The grays a

7:19

bit at her temples. She's

7:22

wearing a pair of tinted glasses

7:24

and not looking directly into the camera

7:26

lens. Elements

7:28

family says she stayed close to home.

7:31

The only ever took one trip to

7:34

St. Louis when he was a kid

7:36

in an Indian boarding school. She.

7:38

Looked a quiet life under the

7:41

radar. Until. She went

7:43

missing. Since. Then

7:45

she's become one of the most high

7:47

profile cases of missing or murdered indigenous

7:49

women in the Us. Photos

7:52

of L A may have been shared

7:54

thousands of times on social media. In

7:56

stories about her have been in People

7:58

Magazine and The New York Times. How

8:02

did one woman's disappearance from

8:04

this isolated communities get so

8:06

much attention? It's in

8:08

large part due to her nice Sarah theme. When.

8:11

I meet her in L A Maze house.

8:14

She's wearing a hoodie with a red hand

8:16

print on it that says Unite The Missing.

8:18

Justice. For the murdered. I

8:21

have to be doing some for my at an

8:23

order for me to feel better. She's been doing

8:25

whatever she can to help bring it henson to

8:27

L M a case. She. Even

8:29

walked over to. Thousand miles from

8:31

the Navajo Nation to Washington D

8:34

C. to raise awareness about our

8:36

May. She. Went

8:38

through fifteen pairs of sneakers. it

8:40

took her almost four months. This

8:43

is not to sorry for my at. this is

8:45

for me, my kids, my family are still doing

8:47

it justice. I've. Reported on missing

8:50

and murdered indigenous people for years in

8:52

L A may have gotten the level

8:54

of attention I almost never see. Not

8:57

because of Serafin efforts. I.

8:59

Think it's partly because in general there's

9:02

more attention being paid to stories about

9:04

indigenous people. But. I also

9:06

think it's because of who L A May

9:08

is. The. First time I

9:11

saw her missing persons poster I

9:13

was immediately drawn in. Because.

9:15

Of her aides. Or implicit

9:18

vulnerability. I. Look

9:20

at her and see the elders in my

9:22

life who live alone in our communities. The

9:24

thought of someone coming to their door in

9:26

the middle of the night? Shook.

9:29

Me: It Almost unfathomable.

9:32

The mystery of her disappearance? the

9:34

lot of answers compelled me to

9:36

come. Here to try to find

9:39

out what. Happened to and the may be

9:41

gay. Surfing

9:43

tells me there's a five thousand

9:46

dollar reward for information about L

9:48

Mais case. But. She doesn't think

9:50

it's going to make a difference. Money

9:52

is not gonna. Get any way

9:55

to talk here. Know. They

9:58

probably do want the money, they just want. You that

10:00

is that they be retaliation. I

10:04

think that there will be more leads coming. In as

10:06

if they had a lot of confidence in

10:08

our police officers if they were to call

10:10

and city minister here. but a no three

10:12

four hours. From as Be Dead

10:14

in. The them in a

10:16

witness. the reason why nobody that coming forward. It.

10:19

Seems like Sarah seen his say that

10:21

even if someone here knows something that

10:23

could help So though I'm his case

10:25

be might be afraid to say. Sweetwater.

10:29

Is forty five minutes from the nearest

10:31

police station and the night. L a

10:33

me went missing. It. Took them an hour

10:35

and a half and two phone calls. To

10:37

respond. To hear that

10:39

have any neighbors and the there anything know

10:41

I think offices already have been. Anything.

10:45

But somebody is this how he heard her

10:48

know something? And Sassine says

10:50

there are other reasons why people don't

10:52

want to come forward. And

10:54

don't say anything because they're inside of their

10:57

houses. I a condition to be have anybody

10:59

live in an some of these houses and

11:01

didn't want to be questions so just to

11:03

see them from. More questioning and or

11:06

than up and tufty to open

11:08

a door. Been be like we don't know anything.

11:11

I remember the start of the pandemic.

11:13

reading about how hard the Navajo Nation

11:16

was hit by. Cole Said. The.

11:18

High death toll was in part due

11:20

to lack of infrastructure. Basic.

11:22

Things many of us take for granted

11:24

are not a given him. One

11:27

in three people living on the Navajo

11:29

Nation don't have indoor plumbing. I

11:31

can see power lines in the distance, but

11:34

they don't reach L Amazed house. Something.

11:37

Tells me that Ella May lives

11:39

here without running water or electricity

11:41

for forty years. She.

11:44

Had just installed solar panel months

11:46

before she went missing. I.

11:48

Grew up using an oil lamp. We.

11:50

Had one oil lamp I think. We.

11:53

Have fight over it. Or. Mom's

11:55

we've been or my homework. You.

11:57

Know we go to make a decision

11:59

was. More important, Girl. Big

12:01

A is the oldest of l amazed

12:03

three kids. He. Lives in Denver now.

12:06

Do. You remember when you found out your mom was

12:08

missing? You. Know my first

12:10

instinct is what do you mean she's

12:12

missing? She doesn't just go missing, She

12:15

just doesn't go leave and not say

12:17

anything. Gerald remember the last

12:19

time he talked to his mom

12:21

just three days before she disappeared.

12:24

That Saturday I talk to her. Saturday.

12:27

Night. Just like a normal conversations

12:29

we've had before asking about the

12:31

kids. you know about the weather,

12:33

how it is up here versus

12:36

down there. You. Know she

12:38

seemed fine. After her

12:40

husband died and her children moved

12:43

out, l may live here alone.

12:46

Did your mom feel safe? By

12:48

herself, at home, I.

12:51

Don't I don't think she felt safe

12:53

and a house honestly because. She.

12:56

Has a security door. On.

12:59

Installed. And. Then on

13:01

the inside of the house. She.

13:03

Has this board dislike and. Three

13:06

Quarter and supply word or particle

13:08

board that she slides in front

13:10

of the door. After the

13:13

doors locked. So.

13:15

That just tells me that I don't

13:17

think she felt safe because. That's.

13:19

Barricade and herself. And.

13:21

The home. His. Mom put plywood

13:24

in front of her door at Mack. We've.

13:26

Heard that she wouldn't drive after dark

13:28

the she slept with pepper spray by

13:30

her bed. She. Was careful

13:33

and aware. This. Is not

13:35

as some person that was out

13:37

there asking for trouble or making

13:39

trouble. You. Know. When. He

13:41

got the call that his mom was

13:43

missing. Gerald got in his car and

13:45

drove to Sweetwater. I. Got their

13:48

Wednesday morning he says. It almost

13:50

immediately he was concerned with the

13:52

way police were handling the investigation.

13:55

An I'd I pulled him aside we

13:57

talk the updated me what was going

13:59

on and stuff. The Navajo

14:02

Police are the largest tribal police

14:04

force in North America. They.

14:06

Have jurisdiction over the entire

14:08

Navajo Nation or twenty seven

14:11

thousand square miles. Fleet.

14:13

Water where L M A lives is

14:16

in the Ship Rock District and their

14:18

officers responded to the call about her

14:20

disappearance. And. I was frustrated

14:22

and mad at same time because when

14:25

I learned at the the two officers

14:27

that showed up. Leaving leaving

14:29

the scene without can't make and contact

14:31

a phone call, a pickup truck or

14:33

my mom. That piss me off. When.

14:36

To Navajo Nation Police officers responded

14:38

that night it wasn't immediately clear

14:40

to them that L M A

14:43

was missing or that a crime

14:45

had been committed. So. Dell

14:47

says they didn't stay salon. That.

14:49

He wonders if they had with things had

14:52

been different. You. Know if they

14:54

could have stuck around for an extra

14:56

hour to the some? Could a team

14:58

of you know they should have take

15:00

that off, lock the door, or have

15:02

a officer on sites that could have

15:04

potentially help solve something. For.

15:07

No. Police

15:09

didn't return into later that morning

15:11

after her family called them again.

15:15

They had gone into Lms Health and

15:17

saw that her purse and wallet had

15:19

been left behind. This

15:21

is when the search for Lm A

15:23

truly began. Seven hours after her truck

15:25

and drove off in the middle of

15:28

the net. Her. Family

15:30

believes crucial time was lost.

15:32

That setback the investigation and

15:34

strains their relationship with the

15:36

police and the very. Start. You

15:38

know that fly? To this day I

15:41

can't stand Cerebral Police Department. As

15:45

news about L amazed. Disappearance began

15:47

to spread. The picture

15:49

of what may have happened to her. Became

15:52

clearer and clearer. Because

15:56

of their mistrust of police the day

15:58

after L M A went missing, her

16:00

family started trying to piece things together

16:02

on their own. Beginning

16:04

with a break in until Aunt's house.

16:09

And so what'd she say happened that night She

16:11

said she was the son go to sleep she

16:13

woke up and then her door that kicked open.

16:16

I that Sarah seen about this because

16:18

Joanne didn't want to be interviewed. She

16:20

said she's been struggling with what happened

16:22

to her mom and it was too

16:24

difficult to talk about. To.

16:27

Land whole the family she didn't know who

16:29

broke into her house. The. First

16:31

clue they danced about who it

16:33

might be was from L M.

16:36

A sister Cecilia, Curly and her

16:38

boyfriend Leonard Tolls. They.

16:40

Were all gathered at L A Maze House.

16:43

When. Leonard said something about his

16:45

son Preston that surprise them. When.

16:48

They came by his dad tresses that said

16:50

a navajo that it better not be president

16:52

and what. I was pressed and. Pressed.

16:55

And told his Leonard's twenty two year old

16:57

son. He was new

16:59

to Sweetwater. Most of our my family

17:01

had never even heard of him. Leonard.

17:04

Told them that Preston had come to

17:06

stay with him and Cecilia to the

17:08

couple of weeks earlier. And

17:11

that when girl? right? Well where is he? That

17:13

list? Where? Where? Where Is he? What happened And.

17:16

Because. He had the were to be

17:18

sent. so at that point we are getting

17:20

presents. No, no we didn't We didn't really

17:22

suspect it was pressing will just kind of

17:24

find him. Leonard. And

17:27

Cecilia said the last time they

17:29

had seen Preston was a few

17:31

hours before Allah may disappear. They

17:34

had gone with Preston to do laundry

17:37

and towns to sit. Preston was drinking

17:39

and under drive home. He started fighting

17:41

with his dad. When.

17:44

It turned physical they kicked Preston out

17:46

of the vehicles and left him. When.

17:52

I first travel to Sweetwater. I got

17:55

lost on the way. A

17:57

maze of unmarked dirt roads lead

17:59

to. The main house but you kinda

18:01

have to know where you're going. The.

18:03

Odds that someone would just happen upon

18:06

it seem low. Leonard

18:08

and Cecilia said they left Preston on

18:10

the side of the road at night,

18:13

about eleven miles from L A Maze

18:15

House. If he was new to

18:17

the area, how could he has ended up there?

18:21

Preston's. Dad is a handyman

18:23

type of guy. Supposedly saw him

18:26

and his dad had six or

18:28

repaired the door on my mom's

18:30

house. This was two weeks before

18:32

and and I think that's the

18:35

first time he's met my mom.

18:39

Questions have had been to

18:41

L amazed before. I.

18:54

Found preston tolls on facebook. His

18:57

profile picture is a cell see. If

19:00

you told me he was in high school,

19:02

I believe that his face is young. His

19:05

dark hair is tucked under a

19:07

backwards baseball caps and he's wearing

19:09

and unzipped blue hoodie and a

19:11

surplus underneath. Like he's trying to sell

19:13

off his stomach. He. Has kind

19:15

of a goofy expression on his face. It's

19:19

hard to square this image with what I

19:21

learned when I looked up his criminal record.

19:24

Preston has been arrested more than a

19:26

dozen times and has been in and

19:28

out of jail for most of his

19:30

adult life. He's been

19:33

charged with burglary, aggravated

19:35

battery, damaging property, and

19:37

assaults. In

19:40

the days following L amazed

19:42

disappearance, police conducted interviews and

19:44

started receiving reports. That. Press

19:46

In had been seen driving her kit.

19:50

Did he? Say for the search

19:52

for missing elderly Navajo woman place have

19:54

now identified a person of interest and

19:56

the disappearance a sixty two year old

19:58

Allen They the gay. Is

20:00

being held in two days after L

20:02

Am A went missing person was named

20:05

a person of interest in her disappearance.

20:08

And later that same day,

20:10

Navajo police arrested Preston not

20:12

for anything related to L.

20:15

A May. But for

20:17

violating. His probation. And

20:21

missing persons cases every day. Every

20:23

hour. every minute counts in trying

20:26

to find that person alive. With

20:29

Preston in custody only. Family

20:31

was hopeful that they could find her

20:33

before it was too late. After

20:51

visiting L Amazed therapy took me on

20:53

a tour of the water. When.

20:56

Elements truck left for health the night

20:58

he disappeared. It would have travelled on

21:00

one of these dirt road. Searched.

21:08

Every plate. Therapy

21:10

points out the window. There isn't

21:13

much out here. Except. For

21:15

some wild horses grazing on whatever they can

21:17

find in the ducks. There

21:19

are mountains in the distance that all around

21:21

us is open desert. Rid

21:33

of. Evidence. After

21:46

pressing was arrested, elements family waited

21:48

for news from police but they

21:50

also kept looking for her. There's

21:54

all this whole wrote. It

21:59

was summer and some days the

22:01

temperatures soar to over a hundred

22:03

degrees. They never found

22:05

l a man with Sarah thing says

22:07

they did find something that they thought

22:09

could be related to her disappearance. Of

22:14

is that where my as a list of

22:16

that will pick melons. Thirty

22:19

points out a small mountain in

22:21

the distant way. Out there they

22:23

came across a towel. Their.

22:48

Sarah. Seen says see him

22:50

The other searchers focus heavily

22:52

on this area because police

22:54

told her that's where they

22:56

were looking after talking to

22:58

Preston. All

23:00

other this get or till the was it. He

23:03

dropped my Aunt yes. The. Rear

23:05

in this area said the police ever

23:07

tell you where where they think the

23:10

truck ended up. Well

23:12

when they played eyes asking.

23:14

For investigator I'm he said

23:17

that he. Got

23:19

rid of the in Albuquerque is what he

23:21

said depressing with told them I guess. That's

23:24

not all. Pressed and told them. I

23:27

would find out that police had more

23:29

evidence pointing to Preston than the family

23:32

even realized, and they had it soon

23:34

after L M A disappeared. Police.

23:39

Found Preston's Close assert pants

23:41

and underwear all with blood

23:43

on them. In an

23:45

interview with law enforcement, Preston said he

23:47

was with L M A that night.

23:50

The he drove with her in her truck.

23:53

He said they had a fight and that

23:55

he snapped. He. Told them

23:57

he lost control and hit elements.

24:00

Multiple times in the face. And

24:03

that he dropped her off on the side

24:05

of the road somewhere in Sweetwater. He

24:07

said she appeared to be unconscious, and

24:09

that he might have hit her harder

24:12

than he intended. Ultimately,

24:14

press and said that Allah

24:16

May is probably dead when

24:18

he left her. Despite.

24:23

All this. Preston.

24:25

Wasn't charged in l a maze

24:28

disappearance. Of. They tell us

24:30

where is the continue ongoing investigation and

24:32

we can't announce anything to the public.

24:34

I think this is the damn excuse

24:37

that they follow and they don't do

24:39

nothing. I.

24:43

Came here hoping to find out what

24:45

happened to our may be gay but

24:47

now I also wanna know what happened

24:50

with her case. Why

24:52

did it take police so long to

24:54

respond? The night Ella May went missing.

24:57

And. Wiser disappearance. Still

24:59

unsolved with. Everything that

25:01

Preston told investigators. This

25:05

season on stolen trouble in food

25:07

water. As a person,

25:09

Block. And the rug over there and

25:11

sitting this of after some have we have

25:13

tested with as he also. Often

25:17

as he wants to try

25:19

to help find her. Investigating

25:21

L amazed disappearance. Leads

25:24

me to a tangled web

25:26

of violence and retaliation across

25:29

generations. People go

25:31

missing over there all the time

25:33

and the cards are not doing

25:35

nothing about it for people. Feel

25:38

the only way to get justice

25:40

is to take matters into their

25:42

own. How we ended up in pursuit

25:44

found her in at this point I

25:46

do fear who are wouldn't be. Go

25:48

see, don't move on from Sam's her

25:50

a like I know who did it.

25:53

And I can easily go over there and

25:55

just get rid of him. around. here is

25:57

the as he gets shit that we go.

25:59

places where people. Wanna go to

26:01

jail with you do with human

26:03

skull? People know you can

26:05

get away with. Murder of their. Stolen

26:14

Trouble in Sweetwater is a sort

26:17

of my original production. The

26:19

show is hosted and reported by

26:21

me Connie Wanker reporting and producing

26:23

by Ellen Frank. Min Max

26:25

Green and on yourself or

26:28

supervising. Producer Or Ellen Frank,

26:30

Min and Max Green. Additional reporting

26:32

and production by Santelli Bell Recite.

26:35

Audrey Quinn and cat sickness.

26:38

Our. Reporting was supported by the

26:41

International Women's Media Sound, a Fund

26:43

for Indigenous journalists. Reporting

26:45

on missing and murdered indigenous

26:47

women, girls, To spirit and

26:50

transgender people. Are

26:53

editor is Audrey Clinton or

26:55

consulting editor is Heather Evan.

26:57

Additional editorial support from Naomi

27:00

Bar, Laurie Siegel and Lauren

27:02

Silverman. Special thanks

27:04

to Doctor Sunny. Plot is trilogy. Taking

27:07

they need me their original.

27:10

Music they had as Brown Connor

27:12

T, M M M Monger scoring

27:14

sound design and mixing. I had

27:17

a couple legal support from Bone

27:19

Smith and Rachel. Strum rights and

27:22

Clearances I Don't Adele So and

27:24

Isabel Lover. If

27:26

you or someone you know is

27:29

dealing with physical or sexual violence,

27:31

you can find resources in your

27:33

area by going to spotify.com Bluestone.

27:36

Thank you for listening. Thanks

28:02

again for listening! To finish the series, make

28:04

sure to head over to stolen. Were you

28:06

listen on Spotify? it's or wherever you

28:08

get your podcasts.