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[narrator]
Sydney West disappeared
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on September 30th, 2020.
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She was a young girl,
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last seen
on the Golden Gate Bridge.
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[man] Nobody saw anything.
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It was just
a very eerie thing.
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She just kinda disappears
in the fog,
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never to be seen again.
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It was clear to me
that those alarm bells
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are that she's not safe
have gone off in my head.
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[narrator] Her family
is desperate for answers.
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Two guys in a city
of five million
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walking around
trying to find my daughter.
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We absolutely believe that
somebody must know something.
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It's still
just unbelievable to me.
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Where is she?
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[narrator]
This episode of Disappeared
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retraces Sydney's
last known steps.
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[man] Did in fact she have
some kinda seizure
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or some kinda incident
on the bridge,
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that may have triggered her
to get amnesia and disappear?
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[man] How could any parent
stop looking?
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It's impossible.
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Because I'm her father,
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I'm gonna spend the rest
of my life looking for her,
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if that's what I have to do.
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[narrator] The more people
who know Sydney's story,
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the greater the chance
of bringing her home.
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Share on social media,
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get the word out,
help find her.
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Have you seen Sydney West?
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[suspenseful music playing]
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[dramatic music playing]
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My name is Jay,
and I'm Sydney West's father.
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On September 30th, 2020,
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my daughter Sydney West
disappeared
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out in San Francisco.
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She was 19 years old.
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She grew up just 35, 40 miles
from San Francisco,
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but we had moved halfway
through Sydney's high school
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in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina.
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My name is Kimberly West.
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I'm Sydney West's mother.
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Sydney is a very
intelligent person.
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As a child,
she just had her hands
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in so many different things.
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She was a kid
that would sit for hours
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and just draw or construct
and just create.
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And, you know,
that was one of the things
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that I cherished about her.
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[Kimberly]
She would love spending time
with her sister, Faith,
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and the dogs.
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Sports have always been
a very big part of her life
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from when she was young
playing softball
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to when she started playing
volleyball in middle school,
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and then played
throughout high school,
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and then also played
club volleyball.
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She also is passionate
about the arts,
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so that would be
her piano playing,
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songwriting, singing,
putting that together.
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[Jay] She eventually began
to write
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and perform music here
locally.
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♪ I'll never love again ♪
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♪ Ahh ♪
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And it was incredibly
well received.
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[audience cheering]
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She applied to lots of schools
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and she actually got in
to a lot of schools,
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one of those was UC Berkeley.
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And we were so excited
for her and so happy for her.
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But this was 2020
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and because of COVID,
things were rapidly changing.
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Sydney's dream
was to go to Cal
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and have the college
experience
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that she dreamed of.
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And when she got there,
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it was completely
the opposite of that.
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[Jay]
The COVID thing was awful.
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We showed up in Berkeley,
you know, adorning masks
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and, you know,
moving her in was,
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you had to take turns
moving in
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because you weren't allowed
to meet people
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in the hallway,
and that was a challenge.
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In all honesty,
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I was incredibly worried
about her.
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[Kimberly] Once Sydney
was in the dorms
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and classes were starting,
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none of her classes
were gonna be in person.
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They were 100% gonna be
remote, on the computer.
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That was an enormous
challenge to her.
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And, you know, socially,
the isolation,
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she was really suffering.
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Ultimately, the decision
amongst us all
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was that she would defer
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and leave UC Berkeley,
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with the hopes
that by the following year,
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things would be,
you know, back to normal.
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So once Sydney left
the dorms,
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she took advantage of the fact
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that we had lived in
California for a long time
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and knew many people.
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So she reached out
to some of her friends
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and visited different friends
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and stayed
with different friends
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who were in the Bay Area.
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And then, ultimately,
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she stayed with some
close family friends
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in Livermore for a few weeks.
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And she was trying to figure
out what she was gonna do.
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This was not a part
of the plan
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and this is a kid
who likes to plan.
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So whether she was
gonna stay there,
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she was gonna come here,
she was gonna get a job,
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you know, I think she was
trying to figure that out.
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But she liked to go
into the city,
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into San Francisco.
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And so on September 29th,
2020,
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she decided to spend
the night in the city,
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so she got a hotel room
for that night.
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[Jay] I knew she was
struggling then as well,
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and so she went to a hotel
to, I guess, decompress.
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At that time,
I was out in California,
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in San Diego for work
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and that day was the last time
I spoke to Sydney.
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I remember having
that phone call.
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We'd been on the phone
for well over an hour
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and, you know, we talked
about where she was
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and what she was doing.
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And I wanted her
to come home,
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but she felt like she had
let herself down,
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that she had let
her family down.
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And much of my conversation
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was tell me what I can do
right now to help you
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because I love you,
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and just reminding her
that she's got a whole army
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of people around her
that loved her,
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and that she was not alone.
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And she knew that.
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And I believe we wrapped up
our phone call
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around 4:30.
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I mean, I think
that everything
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was somewhat uncertain.
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I didn't really know
what her plans were.
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Of course, I expected to speak
with her in the next day.
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[Kimberly]
On September 30th, 2020,
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it was a pretty regular day.
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I took our daughter Faith
to school,
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and then I was home.
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Sydney knew...
I mean, we're very open
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about the fact
that we all shared location.
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That was not abnormal,
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especially given that she was
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on the other side
of the country.
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We weren't trying
to harass her or be a pain,
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but, you know,
she's a beautiful young woman
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and we just wanted
to make sure that,
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you know, that we had
some eyeballs on her
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in a way that we could.
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[Jay] That morning,
I woke up pretty early.
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It was probably about 7:00.
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I mean, maybe
I'm a stalker dad,
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but I checked the locations
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and, uh, and Sydney's,
I couldn't find.
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I tried calling,
but I couldn't reach her
by phone.
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She would typically
respond to a text,
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but the texts
were going unread.
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I couldn't find her,
and I couldn't call her
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and we didn't know
where she was.
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Jay called me, and we had
a phone conversation
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about, like, what do you know?
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What do I know?
What can we find out?
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We knew where she had stayed
at in terms of the hotel,
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so we had reached out to make
sure she had checked out,
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to find out
what was going on there.
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I do remember
grabbing my iPad
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that had access
to Sydney's email
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and stuff like that to see
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if there was something
going on.
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Our bank accounts are linked,
so I remember going in there
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and seeing
if there was anything.
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I knew
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that she had taken
a Rideshare,
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so I found that receipt
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and Sydney left the hotel
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the morning
of September 30th.
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It was early,
it was a little...
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A little after 6:00 a.m.
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And that she arrived
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to the Crissy Field
Golden Gate Bridge area
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around 6:30 a.m.,
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and that wasn't that unusual.
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She could have been
going there to exercise.
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She loved
the Golden Gate Bridge.
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She liked
to spend time there.
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[Jay] My brother Rob lives
just south of San Francisco,
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so I called Rob,
and I told him I was coming.
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I was at work
and he basically called me
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to tell me that, you know,
all of her communications,
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the phone was off
and we could not locate her.
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And he was coming up
to San Francisco
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that day, that afternoon.
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It was stressful
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and very scary
not knowing where she was.
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And so I met him
in San Francisco.
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[Jay] My brother and I
went pretty much
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straight away
to Crissy Field,
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which is near
the Golden Gate Bridge,
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and started looking for her.
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I know it's kind of crazy,
but we had to look,
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you just had to do whatever
you could do in that moment.
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[Jay] And, you know,
we're literally two guys
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00:09:00,433 --> 00:09:01,867
in a city of 5 million,
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walking around trying to find,
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you know, this young girl,
young woman.
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We were going to people
into saying,
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"Have you seen this girl,"
showing them pictures.
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And they're like,
"Do you have a flyer?"
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And we're like, "No." I mean,
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you know,
we felt entirely inadequate
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to be honest.
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We were thinking,
where the hell could she be?
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Her bank account didn't
have a ton of money in it
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and she hadn't shown up
back in Livermore,
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and so we're freaking
dead worried.
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It was at this point
that we called the SFPD.
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We met the police somewhere
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in San Francisco down...
Somewhere downtown,
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and we were giving
a report to them
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and filing a missing
person's report.
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[Jay] I was feeling terror,
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00:09:42,066 --> 00:09:44,467
and it was clear to me
that those alarm bells
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are that she's not safe,
had gone off in my head.
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At that moment, I just felt
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kind of like helpless
and out of sort,
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and then I just remember,
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like, my stomach
just kind of sinking
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and just feeling like that
throughout the day.
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And it felt very,
very surreal.
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I was there in San Francisco
for at least a day,
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and then I flew home
to Chapel Hill.
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My wife was crushed
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and I... And her little sister
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didn't really understand
what's going on.
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My responsibility
as a husband and father
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00:10:17,367 --> 00:10:19,467
was to be there for my family.
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And it was a very difficult
decision to come home
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because I felt like I was
leaving Sydney out there.
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But we felt like it was
better to take a step back
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and define a strategy
of how we're gonna find her,
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because four legs
in San Francisco
aren't gonna do it.
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That was clear.
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I am Roxy Garrity.
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I've been covering
the Sydney West case.
254
00:10:41,266 --> 00:10:42,867
So Sydney's case is unique.
255
00:10:42,934 --> 00:10:46,066
Sydney was last seen
in Crissy Field.
256
00:10:46,066 --> 00:10:49,100
This area actually has
its own police force,
257
00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:51,166
the Golden Gate Bridge Patrol.
258
00:10:51,233 --> 00:10:53,567
So authorities had to
communicate with each other.
259
00:10:53,634 --> 00:10:55,767
Crissy Field
is a federal land.
260
00:10:55,767 --> 00:10:57,767
The San Francisco police
had to work
261
00:10:57,834 --> 00:11:00,166
with those federal agents.
262
00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,000
[Jay] At that point,
we were in Chapel Hill,
263
00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,567
but we're assigned
a detective
264
00:11:05,567 --> 00:11:07,367
that began to investigate
the case
265
00:11:07,433 --> 00:11:08,467
in San Francisco.
266
00:11:08,467 --> 00:11:09,867
It wasn't long after that
267
00:11:09,867 --> 00:11:12,266
that that detective
contacted me.
268
00:11:12,333 --> 00:11:14,133
I'll never forget
where I was...
269
00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:17,000
When that happened.
270
00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,767
I was about halfway down
Route 86 in Hillsborough
271
00:11:19,767 --> 00:11:22,333
and I damn near crashed
the truck into the woods.
272
00:11:23,867 --> 00:11:27,066
Sydney's backpack was found
near the bridge.
273
00:11:28,467 --> 00:11:31,367
I have still not been able
to look in that backpack.
274
00:11:31,367 --> 00:11:34,533
[suspenseful music playing]
275
00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:41,867
[Jay]
At this point, Sydney had
been missing for about a week
276
00:11:41,934 --> 00:11:44,166
and then the police department
in San Francisco,
277
00:11:44,166 --> 00:11:47,367
the SFPD, had gone
to the bridge
278
00:11:47,367 --> 00:11:50,066
and seen video of Sydney
on the bridge.
279
00:11:51,567 --> 00:11:53,967
They told us
that they had found video
280
00:11:53,967 --> 00:11:55,567
on the Golden Gate Bridge
281
00:11:55,567 --> 00:11:58,166
of someone who looked
like Sydney.
282
00:11:58,233 --> 00:12:00,967
And they were basically
telling us,
283
00:12:00,967 --> 00:12:03,467
sorry, she was last seen
on the bridge,
284
00:12:03,467 --> 00:12:05,934
so that's probably not
good news.
285
00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:07,767
[Jay] They believed
286
00:12:07,767 --> 00:12:10,533
that she had
committed suicide.
287
00:12:11,066 --> 00:12:12,667
I was shattered,
288
00:12:13,266 --> 00:12:15,266
shattered.
289
00:12:15,333 --> 00:12:17,166
So I started asking
a lot of questions.
290
00:12:17,233 --> 00:12:18,767
How do you know this?
291
00:12:18,834 --> 00:12:20,767
What evidence do you have?
292
00:12:20,767 --> 00:12:22,767
They just left me
with like a million questions
293
00:12:22,834 --> 00:12:25,166
about what they saw.
294
00:12:27,367 --> 00:12:30,266
It is difficult for me
295
00:12:30,266 --> 00:12:32,166
to conceive of her doing that
296
00:12:32,166 --> 00:12:34,667
because of her personality.
297
00:12:34,734 --> 00:12:36,467
She's not the kind
of kid who...
298
00:12:36,533 --> 00:12:38,867
just throws
her relationships away.
299
00:12:38,934 --> 00:12:40,066
She never has been.
300
00:12:40,133 --> 00:12:42,266
But Sydney struggled
with anxiety and depression,
301
00:12:42,266 --> 00:12:45,066
and she had been struggling
with it for a couple of years.
302
00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,567
In July 2020,
303
00:12:49,634 --> 00:12:52,000
we were at a family vacation
up on the lake
304
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,066
near Asheville,
North Carolina.
305
00:12:54,133 --> 00:12:55,767
And we had our boat up there
306
00:12:55,767 --> 00:12:57,667
and our boat was under a dock
that had a roof
307
00:12:57,734 --> 00:13:00,367
and you could jump off
the roof and into the water.
308
00:13:00,367 --> 00:13:01,567
And it was a pretty good drop.
309
00:13:01,567 --> 00:13:03,000
It was probably 15,
310
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,467
16 feet to the water.
311
00:13:05,533 --> 00:13:07,567
And so she asked me,
"Hey, Dad,
312
00:13:07,567 --> 00:13:10,367
what do you think about me
jumping off with a floaty?"
313
00:13:10,433 --> 00:13:11,867
I said, "Don't do it
314
00:13:11,867 --> 00:13:13,066
because you're gonna hit
the water
315
00:13:13,066 --> 00:13:14,367
and you're gonna stop,
316
00:13:14,367 --> 00:13:16,467
and it's gonna be
like hitting the concrete."
317
00:13:17,367 --> 00:13:19,867
And I think she thought
I was kidding
318
00:13:19,867 --> 00:13:21,934
and she jumped off.
319
00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,667
I remember when she came up
from the water,
320
00:13:26,667 --> 00:13:28,266
her lip was bleeding
321
00:13:28,266 --> 00:13:30,066
as if she had taken a blow
to the head,
322
00:13:30,066 --> 00:13:31,967
which she did.
323
00:13:31,967 --> 00:13:34,166
So she felt nauseous,
she was not feeling well.
324
00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:37,567
[Jay]
She was severely concussed.
325
00:13:37,567 --> 00:13:40,467
You know, part of this
I feel responsible for,
326
00:13:40,467 --> 00:13:42,166
because she always
wanted to...
327
00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:45,467
kind of impress me
328
00:13:45,533 --> 00:13:48,066
or be like me.
329
00:13:48,066 --> 00:13:49,367
I don't even think
my wife knows that.
330
00:13:49,367 --> 00:13:51,066
I feel bad about that.
331
00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,266
After that trip,
when we got home,
332
00:13:57,266 --> 00:14:00,266
it was quite evident
that she was not feeling well
333
00:14:00,266 --> 00:14:02,967
and she was diagnosed
with a concussion.
334
00:14:03,033 --> 00:14:05,867
It seemed like things
kept happening,
335
00:14:05,934 --> 00:14:07,967
the concussion,
336
00:14:08,033 --> 00:14:09,567
not feeling well,
337
00:14:09,567 --> 00:14:11,967
not being able
to really be with friends.
338
00:14:11,967 --> 00:14:14,667
It just kind of seemed
like the punches kept coming,
339
00:14:14,667 --> 00:14:17,266
so I felt sad for her
340
00:14:17,266 --> 00:14:18,967
and felt bad,
341
00:14:19,033 --> 00:14:20,867
and I also knew that
this wasn't a great thing
342
00:14:20,867 --> 00:14:22,166
for anybody's mental health.
343
00:14:22,166 --> 00:14:26,066
It's gonna just make her feel
further depressed and sad.
344
00:14:27,567 --> 00:14:29,166
[Jay] Her mood swings,
345
00:14:29,166 --> 00:14:31,667
everything changed
when that occurred.
346
00:14:31,734 --> 00:14:34,266
Her personality
was different after that.
347
00:14:34,266 --> 00:14:35,967
Typically people
that are concussed
348
00:14:35,967 --> 00:14:37,367
that have any kind of history
349
00:14:37,433 --> 00:14:38,767
of anxiety and depression,
350
00:14:38,767 --> 00:14:40,867
it's a massive trigger
351
00:14:40,867 --> 00:14:43,467
to bring those symptoms
back on,
352
00:14:43,533 --> 00:14:45,066
and I think that we saw that.
353
00:14:48,500 --> 00:14:50,867
We hadn't seen
the video at that point,
354
00:14:50,867 --> 00:14:53,266
we just had talked
to a detective
355
00:14:53,333 --> 00:14:55,166
who made
an immediate conclusion,
356
00:14:55,166 --> 00:14:58,567
she had jumped
off the bridge.
357
00:14:58,634 --> 00:15:01,967
I remember asking if we could
see the bridge footage
358
00:15:01,967 --> 00:15:03,667
and we were definitely
told, no,
359
00:15:03,734 --> 00:15:05,533
that that was not possible,
that they don't share that.
360
00:15:19,567 --> 00:15:21,467
[Jay] This wasn't
a smooth process
361
00:15:21,533 --> 00:15:24,367
where there was engagement
and cooperativity.
362
00:15:24,367 --> 00:15:27,166
We literally had
to scream bloody murder
363
00:15:27,233 --> 00:15:31,166
at the police commissioner
through a very senior level
364
00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:33,166
attorney general
to get them to move.
365
00:15:33,233 --> 00:15:35,467
And we're blessed
with people that we know
366
00:15:35,533 --> 00:15:37,467
that can move the needle,
367
00:15:37,467 --> 00:15:39,367
and we were granted access,
368
00:15:39,367 --> 00:15:43,166
my brother and I, to watch
the video on the bridge.
369
00:15:43,233 --> 00:15:44,967
And so, I flew back
to California for that
370
00:15:45,033 --> 00:15:46,367
and to collect
Sydney's belongings
371
00:15:46,367 --> 00:15:48,066
from the police department.
372
00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,634
Hands down, that was
the worst day of my life.
373
00:15:53,467 --> 00:15:57,066
Hands down,
the worst day of my life.
374
00:15:59,867 --> 00:16:03,266
[Roxy] It's understandable
why the San Francisco Police
375
00:16:03,333 --> 00:16:05,667
may think that Sydney West
committed suicide.
376
00:16:05,734 --> 00:16:07,266
She was a young girl
struggling,
377
00:16:07,266 --> 00:16:09,467
last seen
on the Golden Gate Bridge,
378
00:16:09,533 --> 00:16:11,567
and since it was built
in 1937,
379
00:16:11,567 --> 00:16:13,667
it's been a magnet
for suicides
380
00:16:13,734 --> 00:16:16,433
and thousands of people
have jumped off that bridge.
381
00:16:24,266 --> 00:16:26,266
[Jay] My brother and I
were with the bridge police
382
00:16:26,266 --> 00:16:28,767
for about two hours,
maybe more.
383
00:16:28,767 --> 00:16:30,867
To be honest, I was thinking
that I was gonna watch
384
00:16:30,934 --> 00:16:32,567
my daughter plunge
to her death,
385
00:16:32,634 --> 00:16:36,867
and, um, what we saw
in the video
386
00:16:36,867 --> 00:16:39,567
was Sydney, it was her.
387
00:16:39,567 --> 00:16:42,266
She ran up on the south span
of the bridge
388
00:16:42,333 --> 00:16:43,767
closest to the city.
389
00:16:43,834 --> 00:16:45,567
She was initially walking
390
00:16:45,634 --> 00:16:47,266
and she had her phone
in her hand
391
00:16:47,333 --> 00:16:49,266
because you could see
that it was lit.
392
00:16:49,266 --> 00:16:52,100
And then, she turned around
and she went back down,
393
00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:55,266
and then reemerged
without her backpack,
394
00:16:55,266 --> 00:16:57,533
and began running up
the bridge.
395
00:16:57,967 --> 00:17:00,367
It was about 6:36 a.m.
396
00:17:00,433 --> 00:17:02,367
I could even see her
idiosyncratic
397
00:17:02,367 --> 00:17:03,467
kind of behavior,
398
00:17:03,467 --> 00:17:06,066
her dad-pleasing behavior
as she was running
399
00:17:06,066 --> 00:17:07,467
because one of the things
I used to teach her
400
00:17:07,467 --> 00:17:09,166
was, you know, to run
in a certain way
401
00:17:09,166 --> 00:17:11,367
so she didn't damage her
knees,
402
00:17:11,367 --> 00:17:13,066
and she was running like that.
403
00:17:13,867 --> 00:17:15,667
And then, there's
another bridge cam
404
00:17:15,734 --> 00:17:19,066
that's further up the bridge
that we saw Sydney again
405
00:17:19,133 --> 00:17:20,667
run past that camera,
406
00:17:20,667 --> 00:17:22,467
and I think it's very
important to understand
407
00:17:22,467 --> 00:17:26,166
that those cameras
are not there to image people,
408
00:17:26,166 --> 00:17:29,000
they're there for essentially
the security of the bridge.
409
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,567
And so it was dark,
it was quite foggy
410
00:17:31,634 --> 00:17:33,467
at the time
that she was there,
411
00:17:33,467 --> 00:17:37,367
and there was essentially
three visuals of her.
412
00:17:37,367 --> 00:17:39,066
She walked up, walked back,
413
00:17:39,066 --> 00:17:40,867
dumped the bag,
went for a run,
414
00:17:40,934 --> 00:17:42,266
and what we looked for most
415
00:17:42,266 --> 00:17:45,066
was her exiting the bridge.
416
00:17:45,066 --> 00:17:47,567
Could we see a figure
like her exiting the bridge
417
00:17:47,634 --> 00:17:50,266
on the other side,
and we could not.
418
00:17:50,266 --> 00:17:52,367
There were so many people
on the bridge that morning,
419
00:17:52,367 --> 00:17:54,767
it was shocking, actually
surprising how many people.
420
00:17:54,767 --> 00:17:56,166
There was a lot of people
coming and going,
421
00:17:56,166 --> 00:17:58,967
people on bikes,
people running.
422
00:17:59,033 --> 00:18:00,767
[Jay] The detective,
her reasoning
423
00:18:00,834 --> 00:18:02,667
for thinking
that it was suicide
424
00:18:02,667 --> 00:18:05,667
was that Sydney had left
her backpack in the park.
425
00:18:05,734 --> 00:18:10,266
And that she hasn't exited
the bridge, that's it.
426
00:18:10,266 --> 00:18:13,166
The bridge police had made
an immediate conclusion
427
00:18:13,233 --> 00:18:16,567
and did not seem
to be any inclination
428
00:18:16,634 --> 00:18:20,467
to ask any more questions
past that.
429
00:18:20,467 --> 00:18:23,066
But there's no possible way
in my mind
430
00:18:23,133 --> 00:18:25,000
that there's any way she
could've gotten over that rail
431
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,867
without somebody
seeing something.
432
00:18:26,934 --> 00:18:29,166
I watched the video,
it was busy,
433
00:18:29,233 --> 00:18:32,467
and they would see somebody
climbing over the rail.
434
00:18:32,467 --> 00:18:36,567
My brother and I left
to go downtown San Francisco,
435
00:18:36,567 --> 00:18:37,967
to go
to the police department,
436
00:18:37,967 --> 00:18:39,734
to pick up Sydney's backpack.
437
00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:42,166
[Rob] I actually
took her backpack
438
00:18:42,233 --> 00:18:43,767
because he couldn't touch it.
439
00:18:43,767 --> 00:18:47,166
There wasn't anything
to help with that.
440
00:18:47,166 --> 00:18:48,967
She had a bunch of art work,
441
00:18:49,033 --> 00:18:50,266
drawings,
and things like that,
442
00:18:50,266 --> 00:18:51,767
a couple items of clothing
I think,
443
00:18:51,834 --> 00:18:53,767
that was about it.
444
00:18:53,834 --> 00:18:55,667
[Kimberly] Mainly
it was overnight clothes,
445
00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:57,166
probably because
she had decided
446
00:18:57,166 --> 00:18:59,000
to spend the night
in the city,
447
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,867
and got a hotel room
for that night,
448
00:19:01,934 --> 00:19:04,166
but also, there were
some notebooks
449
00:19:04,166 --> 00:19:05,667
and some colored pencils,
450
00:19:05,734 --> 00:19:08,567
nothing of true significance
451
00:19:08,634 --> 00:19:10,767
in terms of giving us
more information
452
00:19:10,834 --> 00:19:13,266
that she had jumped.
453
00:19:13,266 --> 00:19:16,166
I just found my brain wanting
454
00:19:16,233 --> 00:19:17,467
so much more information
455
00:19:17,467 --> 00:19:19,266
than what I could get
from them,
456
00:19:19,266 --> 00:19:21,567
and it was
just super frustrating.
457
00:19:21,567 --> 00:19:23,367
[Jay] The San Francisco
Police Department,
458
00:19:23,367 --> 00:19:25,867
they believed that she had
committed suicide.
459
00:19:25,867 --> 00:19:27,266
So effectively
what they're saying
460
00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:28,867
is the case is open
461
00:19:28,934 --> 00:19:31,033
but we're not gonna
investigate any further.
462
00:19:32,066 --> 00:19:34,567
There is not a shred
of evidence
463
00:19:34,634 --> 00:19:36,533
that she went over the rail
of that bridge.
464
00:19:37,266 --> 00:19:38,867
[Rob] We were on our own.
465
00:19:38,867 --> 00:19:40,266
It was clear at that point
466
00:19:40,333 --> 00:19:42,000
that it was
our responsibility,
467
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:43,567
that the law
enforcement was...
468
00:19:43,567 --> 00:19:45,767
Had moved on.
469
00:19:45,834 --> 00:19:47,367
And, I mean, I was
literally calling morgues
470
00:19:47,433 --> 00:19:49,333
for a long time,
471
00:19:50,667 --> 00:19:52,567
like, on a daily basis...
472
00:19:53,367 --> 00:19:55,266
looking for my niece.
473
00:19:55,266 --> 00:19:57,533
It was hard to do that.
474
00:19:58,700 --> 00:20:01,066
And I was looking literally
just going out on a kayak
475
00:20:01,066 --> 00:20:03,166
and looking for her,
476
00:20:03,166 --> 00:20:06,367
just to, you know, look
and try to find some proof.
477
00:20:06,367 --> 00:20:09,667
[Jay] We don't have
any remains, nothing.
478
00:20:09,667 --> 00:20:11,667
And so, you know,
we just can't...
479
00:20:11,734 --> 00:20:13,066
We can't end there.
480
00:20:19,367 --> 00:20:22,266
It was very apparent
that we needed to do
481
00:20:22,333 --> 00:20:24,867
anything we could
to find Sydney.
482
00:20:24,867 --> 00:20:27,266
We were researching
483
00:20:27,266 --> 00:20:30,567
what organizations are out
there that can help us,
484
00:20:30,567 --> 00:20:32,467
what avenues we should use
485
00:20:32,467 --> 00:20:35,166
to put information out,
486
00:20:35,233 --> 00:20:37,000
and we put together a flyer,
487
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,266
we talked to two different
private investigators,
488
00:20:40,266 --> 00:20:42,867
and ultimately hired ours,
Scott Dudek.
489
00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,367
My name is Scott Dudek.
490
00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:46,767
I'm a private investigator
491
00:20:46,767 --> 00:20:48,867
in the San Francisco
Bay area.
492
00:20:48,867 --> 00:20:51,567
I was contacted
by the West family
493
00:20:51,567 --> 00:20:55,166
approximately two weeks
after Sydney disappeared,
494
00:20:55,233 --> 00:20:58,100
and they reached out to me
to see if I could assist them
495
00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:00,367
in finding
their missing daughter.
496
00:21:00,367 --> 00:21:03,166
I have approximately
32 years of experience
497
00:21:03,166 --> 00:21:04,867
in law enforcement.
498
00:21:04,934 --> 00:21:07,166
One of my specialties
as a private investigator
499
00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:10,166
is in fact trying
to locate people
500
00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,367
that have disappeared.
501
00:21:12,433 --> 00:21:15,166
I think, originally
the San Francisco Police
502
00:21:15,233 --> 00:21:17,266
took on
the missing person case
503
00:21:17,266 --> 00:21:20,066
but then I think
what ended up happening
504
00:21:20,066 --> 00:21:22,467
is A, they're
a very busy department,
505
00:21:22,533 --> 00:21:24,367
B, I think
they started to think
506
00:21:24,367 --> 00:21:26,867
something may have
happened to Syd
507
00:21:26,867 --> 00:21:28,567
by Syd's choice,
508
00:21:28,567 --> 00:21:31,567
and I think once they made up
that decision,
509
00:21:31,567 --> 00:21:34,767
they never really looked
any further.
510
00:21:34,767 --> 00:21:37,266
One of the first steps I take
in an investigation like this
511
00:21:37,266 --> 00:21:39,567
is try to get
into their background.
512
00:21:39,567 --> 00:21:41,367
Sydney's father let me know
513
00:21:41,433 --> 00:21:43,367
that the last time
he spoke to her
514
00:21:43,367 --> 00:21:45,066
was on September 29th,
515
00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:47,066
and that was via phone.
516
00:21:47,133 --> 00:21:49,467
She arrived at the hotel
in San Francisco
517
00:21:49,467 --> 00:21:51,066
in the afternoon.
518
00:21:51,066 --> 00:21:54,066
She checked out
on September 30th
519
00:21:54,133 --> 00:21:57,567
and ordered an Uber
around 6:25 a.m.
520
00:21:57,567 --> 00:21:59,266
When the Uber picked her up,
521
00:21:59,266 --> 00:22:01,266
the Uber driver took her
to Crissy Field
522
00:22:01,333 --> 00:22:02,567
in San Francisco,
523
00:22:02,567 --> 00:22:04,266
and the video showed
524
00:22:04,266 --> 00:22:07,000
Syd walking
on the Golden Gate Bridge.
525
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,667
I'm not sure
if she was planning
526
00:22:08,667 --> 00:22:10,367
on going to that area
527
00:22:10,433 --> 00:22:11,667
but I did learn
it's something
528
00:22:11,667 --> 00:22:12,967
that she enjoyed doing.
529
00:22:13,033 --> 00:22:14,567
It was very foggy that day,
530
00:22:14,567 --> 00:22:16,266
extremely foggy that day.
531
00:22:16,266 --> 00:22:19,266
It was kind of a...
Just a very eerie thing,
532
00:22:19,266 --> 00:22:21,867
she just kinda disappears
in the fog,
533
00:22:21,867 --> 00:22:23,967
never to be seen again.
534
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,066
As a private investigator,
535
00:22:27,133 --> 00:22:28,667
one of the first things
I wanna do
536
00:22:28,667 --> 00:22:30,467
is I wanna feel comfortable
537
00:22:30,467 --> 00:22:32,266
ruling out certain things,
538
00:22:32,266 --> 00:22:33,767
and one of the biggest things
539
00:22:33,767 --> 00:22:35,166
that I wanted to rule out
540
00:22:35,166 --> 00:22:37,867
was that she committed
suicide.
541
00:22:37,867 --> 00:22:40,567
So I decided to talk
to her doorman
542
00:22:40,634 --> 00:22:43,567
at the hotel she stayed
with that night.
543
00:22:43,634 --> 00:22:45,066
He said she called an Uber
544
00:22:45,133 --> 00:22:46,467
but we had
a nice conversation
545
00:22:46,467 --> 00:22:48,367
while she was waiting
for the Uber,
546
00:22:48,433 --> 00:22:50,367
and that he helped her
get into the car.
547
00:22:50,367 --> 00:22:52,467
I said, "Well, why would
you remember her?"
548
00:22:52,467 --> 00:22:54,066
And he went back to say,
549
00:22:54,066 --> 00:22:55,567
"She was very pretty,
550
00:22:55,567 --> 00:22:58,567
tall, blonde,
had a great personality,
551
00:22:58,567 --> 00:23:00,834
and was comfortable
talking to people."
552
00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:04,266
He was extremely helpful
for me,
553
00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:06,467
to set the what was
in her mind
554
00:23:06,467 --> 00:23:08,867
just prior to her
being dropped off.
555
00:23:08,867 --> 00:23:11,667
So if you use all those
things as an indicator,
556
00:23:11,667 --> 00:23:14,166
again, there's nothing
to indicate
557
00:23:14,166 --> 00:23:17,033
that she was planning on doing
something out of the norm.
558
00:23:17,867 --> 00:23:19,867
Approximately, at 6:25
559
00:23:19,934 --> 00:23:21,367
is when records indicate
560
00:23:21,367 --> 00:23:23,266
she actually got
into the rideshare
561
00:23:23,333 --> 00:23:24,867
and the rideshare took
her over
562
00:23:24,867 --> 00:23:27,367
to Crissy Field
and dropped her off there.
563
00:23:28,767 --> 00:23:30,767
[Roxy] This is a popular
drop-off spot
564
00:23:30,767 --> 00:23:33,000
if you wanna walk
the Golden Gate Bridge.
565
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,934
It's right at the base
of the bridge.
566
00:23:36,567 --> 00:23:39,967
I did in fact contact
the San Francisco Police
567
00:23:39,967 --> 00:23:41,367
to see if I could get
568
00:23:41,433 --> 00:23:43,367
that rideshare driver's name
and phone number
569
00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:45,867
so I could
directly interview him.
570
00:23:45,867 --> 00:23:48,767
They did not provide
that information to me,
571
00:23:48,834 --> 00:23:50,767
however, they did tell me
572
00:23:50,767 --> 00:23:52,767
that they interviewed him
at length
573
00:23:52,834 --> 00:23:54,367
and he actually was upset
574
00:23:54,433 --> 00:23:56,567
to learn
that Sydney was missing.
575
00:23:56,634 --> 00:23:59,166
He didn't notice anything
out of the ordinary.
576
00:23:59,233 --> 00:24:01,467
She wasn't in the back
of his rideshare crying
577
00:24:01,533 --> 00:24:02,967
or anything like that.
578
00:24:02,967 --> 00:24:05,066
It was just a normal ride
for him at 6:30
579
00:24:05,133 --> 00:24:07,367
in the morning
over to Crissy Field.
580
00:24:07,367 --> 00:24:09,567
[Roxy] The rideshare driver
cooperated fully.
581
00:24:09,634 --> 00:24:13,567
With the San Francisco Police,
it has been cleared.
582
00:24:13,567 --> 00:24:17,066
[Scott] I did also learn that
her backpack had been found
583
00:24:17,066 --> 00:24:18,867
in bushes in Crissy Field.
584
00:24:18,867 --> 00:24:20,767
I also was told
585
00:24:20,767 --> 00:24:22,867
that her phone was missing
out of the backpack,
586
00:24:22,867 --> 00:24:24,367
which led me to believe
587
00:24:24,367 --> 00:24:26,367
if she was planning
on something,
588
00:24:26,367 --> 00:24:27,567
that she wouldn't
have taken her phone.
589
00:24:27,567 --> 00:24:28,767
She hid her backpack.
590
00:24:28,767 --> 00:24:31,133
She didn't wanna carry it
around with her.
591
00:24:32,467 --> 00:24:35,266
When I contacted the United
States Coast Guard,
592
00:24:35,333 --> 00:24:37,066
they never received
any reports
593
00:24:37,066 --> 00:24:39,266
that somebody may have seen
something floating
594
00:24:39,266 --> 00:24:41,066
in the waterway
that was unusual,
595
00:24:41,066 --> 00:24:43,567
they never received any calls
from boaters
596
00:24:43,567 --> 00:24:46,166
in regards
to anything suspicious.
597
00:24:47,567 --> 00:24:50,367
[Roxy] When a jump
from the Gold Gate Bridge
is witnessed,
598
00:24:50,367 --> 00:24:53,166
a patrol officer
drops a flare into the water.
599
00:24:53,166 --> 00:24:55,367
The coast guard
is usually able to get there
600
00:24:55,433 --> 00:24:56,967
within four to five minutes.
601
00:24:56,967 --> 00:24:59,266
They take that body
to Fort Baker,
602
00:24:59,266 --> 00:25:01,367
and the Marin County coroner
603
00:25:01,367 --> 00:25:03,867
is able to do an autopsy
and identify the body,
604
00:25:03,934 --> 00:25:05,767
and usually notify the family.
605
00:25:05,767 --> 00:25:08,166
But unfortunately,
if a jump is not witnessed,
606
00:25:08,233 --> 00:25:10,567
there's no way
to track that body.
607
00:25:10,634 --> 00:25:12,367
[Scott] With the Coast Guard
because they're experts
608
00:25:12,367 --> 00:25:14,166
as far as the currents
and stuff like that goes,
609
00:25:14,233 --> 00:25:15,867
specifically in that area,
610
00:25:15,934 --> 00:25:17,767
one of the questions
I ask was,
611
00:25:17,767 --> 00:25:20,100
if someone jumped
off the Golden Gate Bridge,
612
00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:22,567
is it a high probability
the body would be found
613
00:25:22,634 --> 00:25:24,767
or what type of probability?
614
00:25:24,767 --> 00:25:27,166
And they told me that there
was a higher probability
615
00:25:27,166 --> 00:25:29,367
that the body would show up
616
00:25:29,433 --> 00:25:32,266
or initially in the very
beginning it would show up,
617
00:25:32,266 --> 00:25:34,834
and obviously
that has not occurred yet.
618
00:25:36,367 --> 00:25:39,266
There's two specific railings
619
00:25:39,333 --> 00:25:42,867
that people would have to
actually crawl up on, okay?
620
00:25:42,867 --> 00:25:46,467
And put their feet over to
attempt to jump off of there.
621
00:25:46,467 --> 00:25:48,567
I'm not saying
it's an impossible task
622
00:25:48,634 --> 00:25:50,233
but at that hour,
623
00:25:50,300 --> 00:25:51,767
somebody would've seen her
624
00:25:51,767 --> 00:25:53,166
doing those movements,
625
00:25:53,233 --> 00:25:54,667
you've got cars
626
00:25:54,734 --> 00:25:56,467
because it's bumper
to bumper traffic,
627
00:25:56,467 --> 00:25:58,467
you've got bikes,
you've got walkers,
628
00:25:58,533 --> 00:25:59,767
you've got tourists,
629
00:25:59,767 --> 00:26:01,467
and nobody saw
630
00:26:01,467 --> 00:26:03,567
this person whatsoever?
631
00:26:03,634 --> 00:26:05,266
It just doesn't make sense.
632
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,867
I will always go back to
if there's no body and proof,
633
00:26:10,934 --> 00:26:12,767
that we have
to continue to believe
634
00:26:12,767 --> 00:26:14,867
that she's out there.
635
00:26:14,934 --> 00:26:18,634
There's no proof
that Sydney ended her life.
636
00:26:20,266 --> 00:26:22,266
Without definitive proof,
637
00:26:22,266 --> 00:26:26,066
how could any parent
stop looking?
638
00:26:26,066 --> 00:26:27,834
It's impossible.
639
00:26:32,767 --> 00:26:37,000
I do not think Sydney jumped
off the Golden Gate Bridge.
640
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,166
One of the questions
that's asked me over and over
641
00:26:39,166 --> 00:26:41,367
is do I still think
Sydney's alive?
642
00:26:41,433 --> 00:26:45,100
And I think Sydney,
100% is still alive.
643
00:26:45,100 --> 00:26:46,767
[Roxy] Based off what
I've read about this case
644
00:26:46,834 --> 00:26:49,367
and who I've talked to,
as a journalist,
645
00:26:49,367 --> 00:26:50,967
you can't rule out anything
646
00:26:51,033 --> 00:26:53,467
just because there is not
enough evidence.
647
00:26:53,467 --> 00:26:55,767
So there is no evidence
of her jumping.
648
00:26:55,834 --> 00:26:57,033
Did she run away?
649
00:26:58,367 --> 00:27:01,066
[Jay]
Sydney is highly intelligent.
650
00:27:01,133 --> 00:27:04,467
If she did not wanna be found,
she would know how to do that.
651
00:27:04,467 --> 00:27:08,367
She is a highly intelligent
and independent young woman.
652
00:27:08,367 --> 00:27:10,967
Even though
Sydney had left Cal
653
00:27:11,033 --> 00:27:13,967
and was not living the life
that she had envisioned
654
00:27:14,033 --> 00:27:15,867
for herself
at that moment in time,
655
00:27:15,934 --> 00:27:17,667
she wouldn't just disappear,
656
00:27:17,667 --> 00:27:19,467
she wouldn't just run away,
657
00:27:19,533 --> 00:27:22,166
she wouldn't just go off
and not talk to us,
658
00:27:22,166 --> 00:27:25,367
or not talk to somebody else
close to us,
659
00:27:25,367 --> 00:27:26,467
one of her friends,
660
00:27:26,533 --> 00:27:28,367
one of our other
family members out there.
661
00:27:28,367 --> 00:27:30,066
It was very abnormal
662
00:27:30,133 --> 00:27:33,100
to just suddenly
have no contact whatsoever.
663
00:27:33,100 --> 00:27:36,266
[Roxy] There's been no
activity on her bank account
664
00:27:36,266 --> 00:27:37,667
and she didn't
really any take
665
00:27:37,734 --> 00:27:39,767
of her belongings with her
if she did run away,
666
00:27:39,767 --> 00:27:42,066
so that theory
is probably less
667
00:27:42,133 --> 00:27:44,567
but you also can't
rule it out.
668
00:27:44,634 --> 00:27:46,567
[Scott] Sydney's movements
were consistent
669
00:27:46,567 --> 00:27:49,367
up until the point
where she left the hotel.
670
00:27:49,433 --> 00:27:52,367
And then, after that, it was
just so uncharacteristic
671
00:27:52,433 --> 00:27:55,467
for her not to contact
her family,
672
00:27:55,467 --> 00:27:58,467
not to text her sister,
her younger sister.
673
00:27:58,467 --> 00:28:00,266
That was something
she did all the time, too.
674
00:28:00,266 --> 00:28:02,967
Her and her younger sister
were very close.
675
00:28:02,967 --> 00:28:05,467
One of the things
that I just can't let go of
676
00:28:05,467 --> 00:28:08,166
is the fact
that the Bay area's
677
00:28:08,233 --> 00:28:11,367
just a huge hub
for human trafficking.
678
00:28:20,166 --> 00:28:23,867
So the totality of the whole
situation made me believe
679
00:28:23,867 --> 00:28:27,266
that this, in fact,
was probably foul play.
680
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,266
[narrator] Sydney West
was last seen
681
00:28:33,333 --> 00:28:35,667
September 30th, 2020.
682
00:28:35,667 --> 00:28:37,567
If you have any information,
683
00:28:37,634 --> 00:28:39,767
please contact Scott Dudek
684
00:28:39,834 --> 00:28:44,433
at 925-705-8328.
685
00:28:49,166 --> 00:28:50,767
[Scott]
During the investigation,
686
00:28:50,767 --> 00:28:52,266
the first comment people make
687
00:28:52,266 --> 00:28:54,000
is how beautiful Sydney is.
688
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,100
She's just a very
beautiful young girl.
689
00:28:57,100 --> 00:29:00,266
And just based on her looks,
690
00:29:00,266 --> 00:29:02,767
her mannerisms,
her personality,
691
00:29:02,767 --> 00:29:05,467
if she in fact chit-chatted
with somebody on the bridge
692
00:29:05,467 --> 00:29:07,266
that could've lured her
693
00:29:07,333 --> 00:29:09,567
into a vehicle at some point,
694
00:29:09,567 --> 00:29:11,667
or maybe she hit it off
with somebody
695
00:29:11,734 --> 00:29:13,066
or something like that,
696
00:29:13,066 --> 00:29:16,667
and one of my biggest theories
or fears
697
00:29:16,667 --> 00:29:19,967
is that that's maybe what had
occurred to her,
698
00:29:20,033 --> 00:29:22,166
is somebody kidnapped her,
699
00:29:22,233 --> 00:29:25,166
recruited her,
took her out of the area.
700
00:29:27,367 --> 00:29:30,266
I've contacted probably
an excess of a hundred people
701
00:29:30,266 --> 00:29:33,266
over the course
of the investigation
in that area.
702
00:29:33,266 --> 00:29:35,667
Right down
to some of the girls,
703
00:29:35,667 --> 00:29:37,667
the street walkers and stuff,
704
00:29:37,734 --> 00:29:39,667
to see if in fact
they knew of a pimp
705
00:29:39,667 --> 00:29:41,367
that would do something
like this,
706
00:29:41,367 --> 00:29:43,166
take somebody just randomly,
707
00:29:43,233 --> 00:29:44,667
and they took the flyers
708
00:29:44,667 --> 00:29:46,467
so they could ask
around for me
709
00:29:46,467 --> 00:29:47,934
and they kept in contact.
710
00:29:49,166 --> 00:29:51,266
The cooperation
has just been tremendous
711
00:29:51,266 --> 00:29:53,867
because it's really hard
to break in to that world.
712
00:29:53,867 --> 00:29:56,367
The girls are helpful
to a certain extent,
713
00:29:56,367 --> 00:29:58,734
but they have to also worry
about themselves.
714
00:29:59,900 --> 00:30:01,367
[Kimberly]
A lot of people asked about,
715
00:30:01,433 --> 00:30:02,667
like, what about
sex trafficking?
716
00:30:02,667 --> 00:30:05,100
That's huge in San Francisco,
unfortunately.
717
00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:07,467
And so one of the avenues
718
00:30:07,467 --> 00:30:09,266
we checked early on
719
00:30:09,266 --> 00:30:11,367
when we were linking up
with various organizations
720
00:30:11,367 --> 00:30:13,667
was with an organization
721
00:30:13,667 --> 00:30:15,967
that deals
with sex trafficking,
722
00:30:15,967 --> 00:30:18,266
and they reviewed
all the information
723
00:30:18,266 --> 00:30:19,967
and said you know,
"We don't really see
724
00:30:20,033 --> 00:30:23,734
any indication that this
would be that situation."
725
00:30:24,667 --> 00:30:27,367
Another factor
I also learned about Sydney
726
00:30:27,433 --> 00:30:30,967
is she did suffer
a pretty severe concussion.
727
00:30:31,033 --> 00:30:33,367
Did in fact she have
some kind of seizure
728
00:30:33,433 --> 00:30:35,667
or some kind of incident
on the bridge
729
00:30:35,667 --> 00:30:38,166
that may have triggered her
to get amnesia
730
00:30:38,166 --> 00:30:40,734
or--or something along
that line.
731
00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:46,867
[Jay] Could Sydney have had
a break in her memory?
732
00:30:46,867 --> 00:30:48,367
Yes.
733
00:30:48,367 --> 00:30:52,533
To me, it's as plausible
as the alternative.
734
00:30:54,266 --> 00:30:57,867
Sydney showed symptoms
of post-concussion syndrome,
735
00:30:57,934 --> 00:30:59,767
which can lead to headaches,
736
00:30:59,767 --> 00:31:01,667
dizziness, memory loss,
737
00:31:01,734 --> 00:31:04,266
and amnesia,
and it can last months,
738
00:31:04,266 --> 00:31:06,934
if not years,
after the diagnosis.
739
00:31:08,467 --> 00:31:11,867
But at the end of the day,
it takes one,
740
00:31:11,934 --> 00:31:15,133
a singular tip,
that leads to her recovery.
741
00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:24,166
I wasn't seeing a plan
742
00:31:24,233 --> 00:31:25,967
from the SFPD
743
00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:29,266
about what they were going
to do to help find Sydney.
744
00:31:29,266 --> 00:31:31,667
There wasn't
anything proactive.
745
00:31:31,667 --> 00:31:34,567
So we became proactive.
746
00:31:34,567 --> 00:31:37,867
So, on October 9th, 2020,
747
00:31:37,934 --> 00:31:40,867
we set up a "Find Sydney West"
Facebook page,
748
00:31:40,867 --> 00:31:42,567
Find Sydney West,
749
00:31:42,634 --> 00:31:45,166
where we put out
lots of information
750
00:31:45,233 --> 00:31:46,667
and encourage people
to share that
751
00:31:46,667 --> 00:31:48,166
so that it could kinda spread
752
00:31:48,233 --> 00:31:50,066
like wildfire
across the country.
753
00:31:51,100 --> 00:31:53,567
Eventually,
we also put together
754
00:31:53,567 --> 00:31:57,000
a findsydneywest.com website.
755
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,767
Facebook was and is great
for communicating,
756
00:32:00,767 --> 00:32:03,066
you know, quick,
bits of information,
757
00:32:03,066 --> 00:32:07,367
but if we had long videos
or her music,
758
00:32:07,367 --> 00:32:11,166
links to news articles,
those kinds of things,
759
00:32:11,233 --> 00:32:13,333
it really made sense
to create a webpage.
760
00:32:14,166 --> 00:32:15,767
That morning
that Sydney was on the bridge,
761
00:32:15,767 --> 00:32:17,166
there's a lot of people,
762
00:32:17,166 --> 00:32:19,967
uh, that, uh, were near her.
763
00:32:20,033 --> 00:32:22,266
Uh, I know this
because I reviewed the video.
764
00:32:22,266 --> 00:32:24,467
Uh, so we just...
We absolutely believe
765
00:32:24,467 --> 00:32:26,934
that somebody
must know something.
766
00:32:27,867 --> 00:32:30,066
So because it's almost
four months now
767
00:32:30,133 --> 00:32:31,667
and we are desperate
to have our daughter back,
768
00:32:31,667 --> 00:32:34,066
we are offering
a $10,000 reward
769
00:32:34,066 --> 00:32:35,767
to anybody who is able
770
00:32:35,767 --> 00:32:38,667
to locate and bring her home.
771
00:32:41,667 --> 00:32:43,967
The community in Chapel Hill
really came together
772
00:32:43,967 --> 00:32:45,767
for the West family.
773
00:32:45,767 --> 00:32:47,567
And they had gatherings
774
00:32:47,567 --> 00:32:48,967
where they were thinking,
and praying
775
00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:50,467
and trying to help
the West family
776
00:32:50,467 --> 00:32:51,767
as much as possible.
777
00:32:51,834 --> 00:32:54,967
That was part of the reason
why we did vigils,
778
00:32:55,033 --> 00:32:56,266
to raise awareness.
779
00:32:56,266 --> 00:32:59,033
But also to let people,
780
00:33:00,266 --> 00:33:01,767
you know, share
their thoughts
781
00:33:01,834 --> 00:33:04,066
and come together.
782
00:33:04,133 --> 00:33:06,266
[reporter] The family
of Sydney West now offering
783
00:33:06,333 --> 00:33:08,867
$25,000 for information
784
00:33:08,867 --> 00:33:11,066
on where she could be.
785
00:33:11,133 --> 00:33:13,367
Another suggestion
that I made
786
00:33:13,367 --> 00:33:16,667
was to look into setting up
a billboard
787
00:33:16,667 --> 00:33:19,767
in areas that would lead
788
00:33:19,834 --> 00:33:22,634
to the Golden Gate Bridge
where people would see that.
789
00:33:23,767 --> 00:33:25,667
We were
able to secure Berkeley
790
00:33:25,667 --> 00:33:28,567
on the 80
heading in to the city,
791
00:33:28,567 --> 00:33:31,467
and then also the 680
heading up into the city
792
00:33:31,467 --> 00:33:33,000
from the south side
of the bay.
793
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,066
So these are
two huge highways
794
00:33:35,133 --> 00:33:37,867
that lots and lots
of people commute on,
795
00:33:37,867 --> 00:33:41,266
and we were able to get great
electronic billboard space
796
00:33:41,266 --> 00:33:42,867
that looked amazing.
797
00:33:42,867 --> 00:33:44,367
It was just like
one other way
798
00:33:44,367 --> 00:33:46,667
to, like, get the word
out there.
799
00:33:46,734 --> 00:33:48,467
So, we were getting
the word out,
800
00:33:48,467 --> 00:33:50,467
and there was news articles
801
00:33:50,467 --> 00:33:53,867
and the reward was offered.
802
00:33:53,934 --> 00:33:56,033
Lots of different tips
would come in.
803
00:33:56,567 --> 00:33:59,667
I got a whole bunch of texts
804
00:33:59,667 --> 00:34:03,533
from somebody who was saying
all kinds of awful things.
805
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,066
Sydney was pregnant.
806
00:34:06,133 --> 00:34:07,567
It somehow went into,
807
00:34:07,567 --> 00:34:08,967
"If you don't move
quick enough,
808
00:34:09,033 --> 00:34:09,967
she's not gonna be okay."
809
00:34:09,967 --> 00:34:11,266
And then... That somehow
810
00:34:11,333 --> 00:34:12,667
the person started telling me
811
00:34:12,667 --> 00:34:14,667
that she was gonna be
sent to Mexico
812
00:34:14,667 --> 00:34:16,433
and her organs
were gonna be harvested.
813
00:34:17,266 --> 00:34:20,166
I sent the phone number
and the screenshots
814
00:34:20,166 --> 00:34:22,567
to the San Francisco Police
815
00:34:22,567 --> 00:34:24,367
and discovered that
816
00:34:24,367 --> 00:34:26,767
they were just trying
to provoke me.
817
00:34:26,767 --> 00:34:28,767
[Scott] With these type
of investigations,
818
00:34:28,834 --> 00:34:30,867
it's like being
on a rollercoaster.
819
00:34:30,867 --> 00:34:32,266
You spend all kinds of time
820
00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:34,767
and it just doesn't lead
to anything.
821
00:34:34,767 --> 00:34:36,667
[Kimberly]
I don't know if they're
trying to get reward money,
822
00:34:36,734 --> 00:34:39,367
if they were trying
to just play a joke on us,
823
00:34:39,367 --> 00:34:42,467
trying to just upset us, I...
You know, I have no idea.
824
00:34:42,467 --> 00:34:45,266
But it was just unfathomable
825
00:34:45,333 --> 00:34:46,667
that there were people
out there
826
00:34:46,667 --> 00:34:48,567
who would do
something like that
827
00:34:48,634 --> 00:34:51,867
to a family
that was in this situation.
828
00:34:51,867 --> 00:34:55,166
We can't overlook those tips,
but unfortunately
829
00:34:55,166 --> 00:34:57,867
the tips that were giving us
false information,
830
00:34:57,934 --> 00:35:01,166
that they have her
or they know her whereabouts
831
00:35:01,233 --> 00:35:03,867
are related to getting
the reward money
832
00:35:03,934 --> 00:35:05,066
and those things.
833
00:35:05,066 --> 00:35:07,533
They're really difficult
to deal with.
834
00:35:09,100 --> 00:35:11,667
One of the interesting things
that came out of that
835
00:35:11,667 --> 00:35:16,567
is we actually had multiple
sightings from various people
836
00:35:16,567 --> 00:35:20,767
that did not know each other
from the Santa Cruz area,
837
00:35:20,834 --> 00:35:22,166
which is a beach area.
838
00:35:22,166 --> 00:35:25,567
I thought was probably
a potential for a good lead.
839
00:35:25,634 --> 00:35:27,967
Several people had saw her
playing an instrument
840
00:35:27,967 --> 00:35:31,266
and singing by a statue
in Santa Cruz.
841
00:35:32,166 --> 00:35:34,467
[Jay] Santa Cruz, California,
842
00:35:34,467 --> 00:35:37,467
which is a surf town where
I taught Sydney to surf.
843
00:35:37,467 --> 00:35:39,133
And so it is a place
that she loved.
844
00:35:40,066 --> 00:35:42,467
This tip was one
of the strongest leads
845
00:35:42,533 --> 00:35:45,066
that I felt
we were gonna find her.
846
00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:51,066
[dramatic music playing]
847
00:35:51,133 --> 00:35:53,567
[Kimberly] This tip
was a little confusing
848
00:35:53,567 --> 00:35:54,967
because this person
that looked like Sydney
849
00:35:54,967 --> 00:35:56,166
was in Santa Cruz,
850
00:35:56,166 --> 00:35:57,767
she was playing the guitar.
851
00:35:57,767 --> 00:35:59,266
I said, well,
she never played the guitar
852
00:35:59,333 --> 00:36:00,867
but maybe she learned
how to play.
853
00:36:00,867 --> 00:36:03,467
Or if she was traveling with
someone playing the guitar,
854
00:36:03,533 --> 00:36:04,567
and she was singing,
855
00:36:04,567 --> 00:36:06,667
which made potentially
more sense.
856
00:36:06,667 --> 00:36:09,066
Her height, her hair,
857
00:36:09,133 --> 00:36:10,767
they said she kinda
looked like
858
00:36:10,834 --> 00:36:12,667
she could've been homeless
for a little while,
859
00:36:12,734 --> 00:36:15,767
which could be consistent
if she maybe had forgotten
860
00:36:15,767 --> 00:36:19,166
where she had been
or lost her memory totally.
861
00:36:19,166 --> 00:36:21,867
We don't know exactly
how Sydney's concussion
862
00:36:21,867 --> 00:36:23,867
plays into her disappearance
863
00:36:23,867 --> 00:36:25,367
but they can affect
your memory,
864
00:36:25,433 --> 00:36:27,967
and it can also lead
to amnesia for months,
865
00:36:27,967 --> 00:36:30,667
even years,
after you get that concussion.
866
00:36:31,900 --> 00:36:33,667
[Kimberly]
We're able to get our,
867
00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:35,667
you know, friends and family
from California
868
00:36:35,667 --> 00:36:37,367
to go down there
to Santa Cruz
869
00:36:37,367 --> 00:36:39,767
to try to see
who this person was.
870
00:36:39,767 --> 00:36:41,867
One good friend of mine
did find
871
00:36:41,867 --> 00:36:44,367
a woman playing the guitar
with somebody else
872
00:36:44,367 --> 00:36:46,266
that was kinda
hanging out with her
873
00:36:46,333 --> 00:36:48,567
who from the back maybe
kinda looked like Sydney,
874
00:36:48,567 --> 00:36:49,967
but she got some photos
and everything,
875
00:36:50,033 --> 00:36:52,000
and actually went up
and talked
to this people after.
876
00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,133
And it clearly wasn't her.
877
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,867
So it was disheartening
and frustrating,
878
00:36:58,867 --> 00:37:00,100
and it just makes you
feel like
879
00:37:00,100 --> 00:37:01,166
you're not getting anywhere.
880
00:37:05,266 --> 00:37:08,100
On November 5th, 2021,
881
00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:10,867
I received a tip
from an individual
882
00:37:10,934 --> 00:37:12,367
who thought they saw
Sydney West
883
00:37:12,367 --> 00:37:13,867
outside of McDonald's
884
00:37:13,867 --> 00:37:16,467
on Bayshore Boulevard
in San Francisco.
885
00:37:16,467 --> 00:37:18,100
They took some pictures
of her.
886
00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:20,634
I thought
there was a resemblance.
887
00:37:22,100 --> 00:37:24,066
I looked at the picture
and said,
888
00:37:24,133 --> 00:37:26,233
"My God, that looks exactly
like her."
889
00:37:28,367 --> 00:37:30,567
It was sort of like
a young woman
890
00:37:30,567 --> 00:37:32,567
who seemed maybe a little lost
891
00:37:32,567 --> 00:37:34,367
or like something seemed
a little off
892
00:37:34,433 --> 00:37:37,467
that sort of raised
the person's interest.
893
00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:40,367
They sent us photos,
but I saw the photo
894
00:37:40,433 --> 00:37:42,867
and I was like, "I just...
I feel like as a mom,
895
00:37:42,867 --> 00:37:44,767
I just would like know,
like, that's her."
896
00:37:44,834 --> 00:37:46,533
And like I just... I just
didn't feel like it was.
897
00:37:47,667 --> 00:37:49,367
[Jay] In the end,
we couldn't agree.
898
00:37:49,433 --> 00:37:51,066
I mean, I think
I eventually took her...
899
00:37:51,133 --> 00:37:52,667
Took her opinion
it wasn't her,
900
00:37:52,667 --> 00:37:54,166
but it looked
exactly like her.
901
00:37:54,166 --> 00:37:56,066
Emotionally
it's really difficult.
902
00:37:56,066 --> 00:37:58,467
It's just
incredibly challenging
903
00:37:58,533 --> 00:38:00,667
even when the tips
are credible.
904
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:07,867
[Scott] Now here were are,
905
00:38:07,867 --> 00:38:10,367
two-and-a-half years later
in this investigation,
906
00:38:10,367 --> 00:38:12,367
and I think
the most important thing
907
00:38:12,433 --> 00:38:14,467
in regards to this is
908
00:38:14,533 --> 00:38:18,066
let's not have people forget
about Syd, you know?
909
00:38:18,066 --> 00:38:19,567
They need to see her,
910
00:38:19,634 --> 00:38:21,367
they need to understand
911
00:38:21,367 --> 00:38:23,767
what the family's all about.
912
00:38:23,767 --> 00:38:26,166
Her loved ones are still
searching for her
913
00:38:26,233 --> 00:38:28,934
two-and-a-half years later,
24/7.
914
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:32,166
[Kimberly]
I definitely still have hope
915
00:38:32,166 --> 00:38:33,667
that Sydney's out there.
916
00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:35,967
But what I additionally
have hoped for
917
00:38:35,967 --> 00:38:37,567
is that there's somebody
out there
918
00:38:37,634 --> 00:38:39,467
who saw something
and knows something.
919
00:38:39,467 --> 00:38:41,867
That's what
I'm really hopeful for,
920
00:38:41,934 --> 00:38:44,667
is that there's somebody
who can help us
921
00:38:44,734 --> 00:38:46,166
figure out what happened.
922
00:38:47,166 --> 00:38:49,667
Don't assume
that you think
923
00:38:49,667 --> 00:38:51,567
you know what happened to her
and dismiss it
924
00:38:51,567 --> 00:38:53,467
because nobody knows
what happened to her,
925
00:38:53,467 --> 00:38:54,867
including myself.
926
00:38:54,934 --> 00:38:58,467
So don't assume
that you think
927
00:38:58,467 --> 00:39:00,467
based on your own
circumstances
928
00:39:00,467 --> 00:39:02,166
that you wouldn't be a help,
929
00:39:02,233 --> 00:39:06,367
no, just keep an open mind
and reach out.
930
00:39:06,367 --> 00:39:08,567
[Jay] If you see her,
931
00:39:08,567 --> 00:39:11,867
if you see the likeness
of her, report it.
932
00:39:11,867 --> 00:39:13,734
We just want her home with us.
933
00:39:16,100 --> 00:39:18,767
This has been a horrendous
tragedy for our family
934
00:39:18,767 --> 00:39:21,967
and it's still
just unbelievable to me.
935
00:39:22,900 --> 00:39:24,967
Where is she?
936
00:39:25,033 --> 00:39:28,166
Seeing what Jay and Kimberly
and what Faith goes through,
937
00:39:28,166 --> 00:39:31,166
to not to have her sister.
938
00:39:31,166 --> 00:39:33,467
I don't know how
they'll ever get over that.
939
00:39:33,467 --> 00:39:35,066
How you move on.
940
00:39:35,066 --> 00:39:36,867
It's so difficult
to live your life
941
00:39:36,867 --> 00:39:39,266
missing
such a huge part of it.
942
00:39:39,266 --> 00:39:42,066
Just wanna know where she is.
943
00:39:42,066 --> 00:39:44,266
Want her back at home
944
00:39:44,333 --> 00:39:46,367
and around people
who love her,
945
00:39:46,367 --> 00:39:48,333
and feeling that love.
946
00:39:49,867 --> 00:39:50,867
[Jay] Being Sydney's father
947
00:39:50,867 --> 00:39:53,066
is the greatest joy
of my life.
948
00:39:53,133 --> 00:39:54,767
And I loved
every second of it,
949
00:39:54,767 --> 00:39:56,867
and... And that's all
I wanted her to become,
950
00:39:56,867 --> 00:39:58,667
is just this wild kid
951
00:39:58,734 --> 00:40:01,233
that would literally
reach for her dreams.
952
00:40:02,467 --> 00:40:05,433
And it's very important to me
that people understand...
953
00:40:06,567 --> 00:40:09,066
that it's not...
954
00:40:09,066 --> 00:40:11,066
superhuman or anything,
955
00:40:11,066 --> 00:40:12,967
it's just loving your kid.
956
00:40:12,967 --> 00:40:14,634
So, please, help me find her.
957
00:40:16,066 --> 00:40:18,166
[Kimberly] If or when
I see Sydney again,
958
00:40:18,233 --> 00:40:19,967
I would tell her
that I love her,
959
00:40:20,033 --> 00:40:21,367
and give her a huge hug
960
00:40:21,433 --> 00:40:23,166
and not let go
for a long time.
961
00:40:25,367 --> 00:40:28,233
Sometimes people ask me
about wanting closure.
962
00:40:30,100 --> 00:40:31,367
And just to be very clear,
963
00:40:31,367 --> 00:40:32,967
the only closure I ever want
964
00:40:33,033 --> 00:40:34,734
is for my daughter
to come home.
965
00:40:36,700 --> 00:40:39,667
I'm okay walking this Earth
the rest of my days,
966
00:40:39,667 --> 00:40:40,967
looking for her,
967
00:40:41,033 --> 00:40:43,767
if I could find her before
the last day before I die,
968
00:40:43,767 --> 00:40:45,066
I'm good.
969
00:40:48,867 --> 00:40:50,634
Find your way home, Syd.
970
00:40:53,066 --> 00:40:54,967
Find your way home.
971
00:40:55,033 --> 00:40:58,066
[soft music playing]
972
00:41:10,867 --> 00:41:12,967
♪♪
973
00:41:12,967 --> 00:41:14,667
This missing persons case
was unusual
974
00:41:14,734 --> 00:41:16,867
and it continued to
get more unusual.
975
00:41:16,867 --> 00:41:21,967
This area is known for KKK,
cults, underworld fighting.
976
00:41:22,033 --> 00:41:24,433
Where is my baby and what
happened to him?
977
00:41:25,867 --> 00:41:28,266
Alex thought he was in some
sort of communication
978
00:41:28,266 --> 00:41:30,100
with something outside
of this world.
979
00:41:30,100 --> 00:41:31,767
We're trying to find Alex.
980
00:41:31,834 --> 00:41:34,266
That island is scary
and dangerous.
981
00:41:34,266 --> 00:41:36,767
Like, this is life and death.
982
00:41:36,767 --> 00:41:38,066
Just never think that
this kind of thing
983
00:41:38,133 --> 00:41:39,166
could happen to someone
you know.
984
00:41:39,166 --> 00:41:41,066
What does it mean
when you have to someone
985
00:41:41,066 --> 00:41:42,767
you are close to that
you are hiding
986
00:41:42,834 --> 00:41:44,967
from the rest of the people
that you are close to?
987
00:41:45,033 --> 00:41:47,000
Kristen did not run away.
988
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,567
She was abducted and taken.
989
00:41:49,567 --> 00:41:53,967
And Kristen was being sold for
$10,000 per night.
990
00:41:54,033 --> 00:41:57,166
Unless it's your own daughter,
nobody cares.
991
00:41:57,166 --> 00:41:58,667
No one knows what happened
to Dee.
992
00:41:58,667 --> 00:42:00,367
Her children were money hungry.
993
00:42:00,367 --> 00:42:03,767
They had been disowned.
994
00:42:03,834 --> 00:42:07,367
[sobbing]
The not knowing
drives me crazy.
995
00:42:07,367 --> 00:42:09,166
♪♪