1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,900 [Melissa] I have no idea where she could be right now. 2 00:00:06,166 --> 00:00:08,266 I'm really worried. 3 00:00:08,266 --> 00:00:12,467 [sniffles] Never thought this would ever happen to us. 4 00:00:12,467 --> 00:00:15,800 [Jason] It's uncommon for a 16-year-old girl to just vanish. 5 00:00:18,734 --> 00:00:23,166 We didn't know if we had a runaway or an abduction or possible homicide. 6 00:00:23,166 --> 00:00:24,867 Everybody help me out here. 7 00:00:24,867 --> 00:00:28,867 The last time that I saw her, she wouldn't make eye contact and kept looking down. 8 00:00:28,867 --> 00:00:30,000 Something was scaring the hell out of her. 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,266 Something was scaring the hell out of her. 10 00:00:31,266 --> 00:00:33,367 What got her into that state of mind? 11 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:35,533 I began recording the conversation. 12 00:00:35,533 --> 00:00:38,867 People said that her parents looked suspicious because of that recording. 13 00:00:38,867 --> 00:00:42,867 Why did she leave? Where did she go? What's wrong? 14 00:00:42,867 --> 00:00:46,000 A lot of people thought they were hiding something. 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,533 So, this is the first time the audio recording is getting publicly released. 16 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:52,800 No more secrets. 17 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:24,266 [Greg] This story explores a series 18 00:01:24,266 --> 00:01:26,734 of extremely bizarre circumstances that take place 19 00:01:26,734 --> 00:01:29,066 in a rural pocket of Central California. 20 00:01:30,266 --> 00:01:32,367 When a 16-year-old girl goes missing, 21 00:01:32,367 --> 00:01:36,734 falsehoods lead to accusations and rumors viciously spreading, 22 00:01:36,734 --> 00:01:40,900 all while one family is just trying to find their daughter. 23 00:01:45,066 --> 00:01:48,433 [Zac] I'm Zac Guse, and I'm Karlie Guse's father. 24 00:01:49,467 --> 00:01:51,066 [Melissa] My name is Melissa Guse, 25 00:01:51,066 --> 00:01:52,900 and I am Karlie Guse's stepmother. 26 00:01:57,867 --> 00:02:00,000 Bishop is like small town, USA. 27 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:00,166 Bishop is like small town, USA. 28 00:02:01,100 --> 00:02:02,533 Everybody knows everybody. 29 00:02:03,867 --> 00:02:06,000 It's a tourist town, 30 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,367 so a lot of people from out of town travel through 31 00:02:08,367 --> 00:02:13,066 to get to Death Valley and Mammoth Lakes, which is a huge ski resort. 32 00:02:14,967 --> 00:02:19,734 And we're out here, 10 miles north of town in White Mountain Estates. 33 00:02:20,266 --> 00:02:21,867 It's very isolated. 34 00:02:21,867 --> 00:02:24,433 There's not anything in walking distance 35 00:02:25,367 --> 00:02:27,967 [Zac] The terrain around here is rough. 36 00:02:27,967 --> 00:02:30,000 If you look out our back window, you got mountains. 37 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:30,867 If you look out our back window, you got mountains. 38 00:02:30,867 --> 00:02:32,800 We're just in the middle of nowhere, kind of. 39 00:02:35,166 --> 00:02:40,367 Zac and I met in 2006, and got married in 2009. 40 00:02:40,367 --> 00:02:43,066 We had kids first. Kole and Cody. 41 00:02:43,967 --> 00:02:46,500 [Zac] Before that, I had Cain and Karlie, 42 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:48,700 I was married to their mother, Lindsay, 43 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:53,000 and we separated when Karlie was three, Cain was seven. 44 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,066 [Greg] At the time Zac and Melissa met, 45 00:02:56,066 --> 00:02:59,867 Zac's two children were living with Lindsay in Nevada. 46 00:02:59,867 --> 00:03:00,000 [Zac] Right around the time that Melissa and I got married, 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,367 [Zac] Right around the time that Melissa and I got married, 48 00:03:03,367 --> 00:03:07,266 Cain and Karlie came to live with us full-time. 49 00:03:07,266 --> 00:03:11,266 So we have Cain, Karlie, Kole, and Cody. [laughs] 50 00:03:11,266 --> 00:03:14,166 [Zac] I remember them laughing and playing together. 51 00:03:15,166 --> 00:03:18,266 Karlie was just happy. 52 00:03:18,266 --> 00:03:21,533 She liked being at home, hanging out with us. 53 00:03:23,467 --> 00:03:27,734 [Greg] It's a packed house, but it's bursting at the seams with love. 54 00:03:27,734 --> 00:03:29,867 [Zac] It was good to have a family. 55 00:03:29,867 --> 00:03:30,000 We'd found our purpose in life. 56 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,100 We'd found our purpose in life. 57 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:38,867 We were super busy between sports and school, and holidays, birthdays. 58 00:03:38,867 --> 00:03:41,000 [Tristan] Even though Melissa was their stepmother, 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,700 she really loved Karlie and Cain like they were her own. 60 00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:46,600 [Melissa] We were pretty close. 61 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,600 In middle school, she started drill team. 62 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,800 I took her out of town for all of her cheer competitions. 63 00:03:54,066 --> 00:03:57,266 But she also loved her friends, 64 00:03:57,266 --> 00:03:59,734 she always had one best friend at a time 65 00:03:59,734 --> 00:04:00,000 hanging out and coming over, spending the night and her going to their houses. 66 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,900 hanging out and coming over, spending the night and her going to their houses. 67 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:06,433 Typical teenage girl stuff. 68 00:04:07,734 --> 00:04:09,100 My name is Taylor McCormick, 69 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:11,734 and I was one of Karlie's best friends. 70 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,266 The first time I met Karlie, I was in a new school, 71 00:04:16,266 --> 00:04:19,166 Karlie approached me and was super friendly, 72 00:04:19,166 --> 00:04:21,166 and she was just like, "Hi, I'm Karlie." 73 00:04:21,166 --> 00:04:24,166 And ever since, we've been really close. 74 00:04:24,867 --> 00:04:26,367 My name is Kimberley McCormick, 75 00:04:26,367 --> 00:04:28,100 I am Taylor's mom, 76 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:30,000 and one of Melissa and Zac's good friends. 77 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,867 and one of Melissa and Zac's good friends. 78 00:04:31,867 --> 00:04:38,266 Karlie was a bright light, and she was just always pleasant to have around. 79 00:04:38,266 --> 00:04:41,867 It's really hard to describe someone but like, she was a funny person. 80 00:04:41,867 --> 00:04:44,367 She was crazy, but a good crazy. 81 00:04:44,367 --> 00:04:46,700 [Kimberley] They were just really, really close. 82 00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:49,367 And when Karlie got a boyfriend, 83 00:04:49,367 --> 00:04:51,634 that's when the separation began. 84 00:04:52,734 --> 00:04:54,533 Karlie started dating Donald. 85 00:04:55,734 --> 00:04:58,600 [Greg] The two teens met while attending Bishop High School, 86 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,000 when Karlie was a 16-year-old sophomore, and Donald was a junior. 87 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,266 when Karlie was a 16-year-old sophomore, and Donald was a junior. 88 00:05:03,266 --> 00:05:05,600 [Taylor] I only hung out with Donald a couple times, 89 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,500 but I know that him and Karlie were hanging out more as friends. 90 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:10,734 And then it escalated to a boyfriend. 91 00:05:11,533 --> 00:05:12,734 [Melissa] Like any other girl, 92 00:05:12,734 --> 00:05:14,533 the boyfriend is the main focus. 93 00:05:15,533 --> 00:05:18,734 It was mostly just Karlie and Donald hanging out. 94 00:05:18,734 --> 00:05:22,333 You could tell it was definitely teenage love for those two. 95 00:05:24,867 --> 00:05:28,367 Friday the 12th was your typical day for our family. 96 00:05:28,367 --> 00:05:30,000 It was close to Halloween so we were all gearing up 97 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:30,367 It was close to Halloween so we were all gearing up 98 00:05:30,367 --> 00:05:33,900 for our annual trick-or-treat that night at the Bishop City Park. 99 00:05:36,867 --> 00:05:38,734 [Tristan] At sundown, Karlie called Melissa 100 00:05:38,734 --> 00:05:41,333 asking if she could go to the football game with Donald. 101 00:05:42,533 --> 00:05:44,066 A football game on a Friday night 102 00:05:44,066 --> 00:05:47,600 is very typical for people to do there in Bishop. 103 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,266 [Melissa] She said she had a ride from Donald, 104 00:05:50,266 --> 00:05:52,000 and I said, "Okay, great, no problem." 105 00:05:52,734 --> 00:05:55,166 So, I left and headed home. 106 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,066 [indistinct conversation on police radio] 107 00:05:59,066 --> 00:06:00,000 When I was pulling into the house, 108 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,100 When I was pulling into the house, 109 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:02,967 I got a call from Karlie. 110 00:06:02,967 --> 00:06:04,100 She was frantic, 111 00:06:04,100 --> 00:06:06,333 and wanting to be picked up right away. 112 00:06:07,266 --> 00:06:09,467 I drove really fast to get back, 113 00:06:09,467 --> 00:06:12,266 and she wouldn't let me hang up the phone. 114 00:06:12,266 --> 00:06:15,533 She said she was going to the football game, 115 00:06:15,533 --> 00:06:19,533 but I didn't hear drums in the background from the band 116 00:06:19,533 --> 00:06:21,600 or people cheering, 117 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,734 so I knew she wasn't where she said she was. 118 00:06:25,734 --> 00:06:30,000 I get to town and I said, "Where are you, Karlie?" 119 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:30,166 I get to town and I said, "Where are you, Karlie?" 120 00:06:30,166 --> 00:06:32,433 She said, "I'm running down Dixon." 121 00:06:33,467 --> 00:06:37,433 So, I turn on Dixon Lane, and Karlie's right there. 122 00:06:39,367 --> 00:06:41,367 She had her flashlight on, and she was running down the road, 123 00:06:41,367 --> 00:06:44,467 frantic, white as a ghost, 124 00:06:44,467 --> 00:06:46,500 I then climbed in the backseat with her, 125 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:49,867 and just hugged her and held her and said, you know, like, "What's going on?" 126 00:06:49,867 --> 00:06:52,266 And she's like, "I just wanna go home, I'm really scared, 127 00:06:52,266 --> 00:06:54,066 I didn't go to the football game." 128 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:56,967 And then she told me that she had smoked weed 129 00:06:56,967 --> 00:06:59,266 at a friend's house with Donald. 130 00:07:00,467 --> 00:07:02,867 Melissa is upset that Karlie lied to her, 131 00:07:02,867 --> 00:07:07,000 and is not sure what to make of her erratic behavior on the ride home. 132 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,100 [Melissa] She was very paranoid the whole drive home. 133 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:13,166 She was screaming at me at one point to slow down 134 00:07:13,166 --> 00:07:15,233 because I was driving too fast and that the car was gonna kill her. 135 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,634 We finally got home, came into the house. 136 00:07:23,166 --> 00:07:25,166 [Zac] When I first saw Karlie, 137 00:07:25,166 --> 00:07:29,000 she was in the corner of the kitchen, paranoid. 138 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,000 I actually heard her say "Who is that?" 139 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,634 I actually heard her say "Who is that?" 140 00:07:31,634 --> 00:07:35,367 And Melissa saying, "That's your dad, silly." 141 00:07:35,367 --> 00:07:40,166 I asked her what she had taken, she said, "Smoked pot." 142 00:07:40,166 --> 00:07:45,700 But there was no emergency signs with Karlie, just the paranoia. 143 00:07:45,700 --> 00:07:49,734 I wasn't worried about her nodding out or any of that. 144 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,166 [Tristan] After a few hours, Melissa took Karlie into her room 145 00:07:54,166 --> 00:07:56,166 and laid down with her. 146 00:07:56,166 --> 00:07:58,634 [Melissa] I was just hoping that she would just go to bed, 147 00:07:58,634 --> 00:08:00,000 sleep it off, and that the next day, 148 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:00,867 sleep it off, and that the next day, 149 00:08:00,867 --> 00:08:02,266 if there was still something wrong, 150 00:08:02,266 --> 00:08:06,000 we could take her to the doctor or whatever needed to be done. 151 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:11,166 I went to check on them, to make sure they're okay. They were in the bedroom. 152 00:08:11,166 --> 00:08:13,634 Melissa was comforting her, hanging out with her. 153 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:16,367 And at that point, I went to bed. 154 00:08:22,867 --> 00:08:25,867 [Melissa] Around 5:45, Karlie was still sitting next to me, 155 00:08:25,867 --> 00:08:28,867 just doodling, writing on a piece of paper. 156 00:08:28,867 --> 00:08:30,000 She had more calmed down at that point. 157 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,467 She had more calmed down at that point. 158 00:08:31,467 --> 00:08:35,233 And 6:00 a.m., I just dozed off. 159 00:08:36,867 --> 00:08:40,100 And then, around 7:15 a.m., I woke up... 160 00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:43,100 and she was not next to me. 161 00:08:51,367 --> 00:08:54,700 I got up out of bed in a panic, looked in all the rooms, 162 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:56,700 out in the backyard. 163 00:08:56,700 --> 00:08:59,867 I went over to our bedroom and Zac was still in bed, 164 00:08:59,867 --> 00:09:00,000 and I said, "Karlie's gone." And he's like, "What?" 165 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,000 and I said, "Karlie's gone." And he's like, "What?" 166 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,467 I immediately said "Check the boys' room." 167 00:09:05,467 --> 00:09:07,266 'Cause she would sleep with them here and there, 168 00:09:07,266 --> 00:09:09,100 and the boys would sleep with her. 169 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:11,266 And she wasn't. 170 00:09:11,266 --> 00:09:14,467 [Melissa] I immediately grabbed my keys and I got in my car, 171 00:09:14,467 --> 00:09:16,233 started searching around. 172 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,500 [Zac] And that's when I called her cell phone. 173 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:22,867 [cell phone vibrating] 174 00:09:22,867 --> 00:09:24,734 Saw that her phone was in the same spot 175 00:09:24,734 --> 00:09:27,266 I saw her put it down on, the night before. 176 00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:30,000 At that point, I started panicking. 177 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,800 At that point, I started panicking. 178 00:09:34,634 --> 00:09:36,467 I drove up to the highest point 179 00:09:36,467 --> 00:09:39,066 and I started looking in the whole valley 180 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:43,533 to see if I could see her walking out in the desert. 181 00:09:44,367 --> 00:09:46,433 Something. Anything. Anywhere. 182 00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:49,734 [Melissa] After searching for two hours, 183 00:09:49,734 --> 00:09:52,266 I see our neighbor from down the street, 184 00:09:52,266 --> 00:09:56,266 and I said, "Hey, did you happen to see a teenage girl walking around this morning?" 185 00:09:56,266 --> 00:09:57,467 He said, "Yeah! 186 00:09:57,467 --> 00:09:59,000 She was walking down the street, 187 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,000 and she was headed south." 188 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:00,367 and she was headed south." 189 00:10:00,367 --> 00:10:02,533 At that point, we called the police. 190 00:10:40,533 --> 00:10:41,867 [Jason] My name is Jason Pelichowski, 191 00:10:41,867 --> 00:10:44,280 and I'm lead investigator for the Karlie Guse disappearance. 192 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:45,100 and I'm lead investigator for the Karlie Guse disappearance. 193 00:10:46,533 --> 00:10:48,066 Upon receiving the 911 call, 194 00:10:48,066 --> 00:10:50,700 we sent a deputy to the Guse residence. 195 00:10:50,700 --> 00:10:53,533 It's pretty common to have a teenager 196 00:10:53,533 --> 00:10:55,734 either be upset with mom and dad 197 00:10:55,734 --> 00:10:58,100 or leave the house to go hang out with friends. 198 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:01,867 So, initially, it seemed like a voluntary runaway situation. 199 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,467 But Melissa explains to the deputy 200 00:11:04,467 --> 00:11:07,266 that she's already contacted all of Karlie's friends, 201 00:11:07,266 --> 00:11:10,467 and no one has seen or heard from her. 202 00:11:10,467 --> 00:11:12,367 [Melissa] And I even called Donald, her boyfriend, 203 00:11:12,367 --> 00:11:14,280 and asked if Karlie was with him, 204 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:14,600 and asked if Karlie was with him, 205 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,266 and he said, "No, she's supposed to be with you." 206 00:11:17,266 --> 00:11:18,867 And I said, "Well, I can't find her." 207 00:11:18,867 --> 00:11:22,367 And he instantly started to panic as well. 208 00:11:22,367 --> 00:11:26,100 [Jason] Melissa told us that Karlie had smoked marijuana the night before 209 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:29,467 and she went into quite a bit of detail regarding Karlie's behavior 210 00:11:29,467 --> 00:11:31,100 leading up to her disappearance. 211 00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:34,867 And she expressed over and over and over again that Karlie did not run away, 212 00:11:34,867 --> 00:11:38,467 and the deputy noted that Melissa was extremely worried. 213 00:11:39,066 --> 00:11:40,367 [Melissa] At that point, 214 00:11:40,367 --> 00:11:43,266 I told the officer that I had made a audio recording of Karlie 215 00:11:43,266 --> 00:11:44,280 from the night before to show her as an example of why we shouldn't do drugs. 216 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:48,533 from the night before to show her as an example of why we shouldn't do drugs. 217 00:11:50,266 --> 00:11:53,867 [Tristan] The Guses only offered up the secret audio recording 218 00:11:53,867 --> 00:11:56,100 because they wanted to show the deputy 219 00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:59,000 this isn't just your typical teenage runaway case. 220 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,500 There's something terribly wrong. 221 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,266 [Zac] Never seen behavior like this from her before. 222 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:07,800 Something was scaring the hell out of her. 223 00:12:09,367 --> 00:12:12,166 The responding deputy received information from Melissa 224 00:12:12,166 --> 00:12:14,280 that the next door neighbor may have seen Karlie around 6:30 that morning. 225 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,967 that the next door neighbor may have seen Karlie around 6:30 that morning. 226 00:12:17,967 --> 00:12:20,734 The deputy went and got information from the next door neighbor. 227 00:12:21,634 --> 00:12:25,066 [Richard] Probably about 6:30, 7:00, 228 00:12:25,066 --> 00:12:26,500 I looked out towards the street, and I thought, 229 00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:30,166 "That's unusual, there's a young girl walking by." 230 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:33,266 She had long, kind of long, brown hair. 231 00:12:33,266 --> 00:12:37,000 And she was waving a piece of paper. 232 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,867 And she had a white top and grey bottoms or something, but she had clothes on. 233 00:12:41,867 --> 00:12:44,280 [Jason] The description of what the female had been wearing was different 234 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:45,166 [Jason] The description of what the female had been wearing was different 235 00:12:45,166 --> 00:12:46,634 from what Melissa reported. 236 00:12:51,367 --> 00:12:54,066 The inconsistency was noted by law enforcement. 237 00:12:54,066 --> 00:12:55,266 [Ingrid] My name is Ingrid Braun, 238 00:12:55,266 --> 00:12:57,600 and I'm the sheriff of Mono County. 239 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:58,800 [cell phone vibrating] 240 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,867 [Ingrid] We looked at her cell phone, her computer, 241 00:13:00,867 --> 00:13:03,600 everything that could potentially have information 242 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,233 as to where she might have gone. 243 00:13:05,734 --> 00:13:08,634 But there was nothing. 244 00:13:08,634 --> 00:13:12,500 Maybe whatever she ingested that night is having some effects. 245 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:14,280 And maybe she's out in the sagebrush 246 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:15,500 And maybe she's out in the sagebrush 247 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:17,800 where a lot of people get lost. 248 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,367 [Jason] Early in the afternoon, 249 00:13:19,367 --> 00:13:23,533 we started a large search effort in the desert area around the neighborhood. 250 00:13:24,700 --> 00:13:28,700 [Melissa] Around here, we get probably like two weeks of fall 251 00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:30,367 and then freezing temperatures. 252 00:13:30,367 --> 00:13:33,467 [Zac] And it could be pretty dangerous, I mean, the rugged terrain. 253 00:13:33,467 --> 00:13:36,600 There's lots of coyotes, mountain lions. 254 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,867 You could be in some big trouble out here. 255 00:13:40,867 --> 00:13:43,367 [Jason] A large amount of people were contacted. 256 00:13:43,367 --> 00:13:44,280 Pretty much everybody that could be was looking for Karlie. 257 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,367 Pretty much everybody that could be was looking for Karlie. 258 00:13:47,367 --> 00:13:51,867 Karlie's boyfriend, Donald, and a friend of his, James, were out searching for Karlie. 259 00:13:51,867 --> 00:13:54,367 And we conducted an interview with them, 260 00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:56,266 and we started to find out more information 261 00:13:56,266 --> 00:13:57,867 about the party that Karlie went to 262 00:13:57,867 --> 00:13:59,333 the night before she disappeared. 263 00:14:00,066 --> 00:14:01,467 [Greg] While speaking to both teens, 264 00:14:01,467 --> 00:14:05,800 they learned that James hosted the party at his parents' house. 265 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,367 [Ingrid] She was partying with her boyfriend and some other friends, 266 00:14:08,367 --> 00:14:10,634 and they said they'd smoked some marijuana. 267 00:14:12,166 --> 00:14:14,280 Donald described Karlie starting to act paranoid. 268 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:15,166 Donald described Karlie starting to act paranoid. 269 00:14:17,166 --> 00:14:19,700 [Greg] Investigators asked Donald and James 270 00:14:19,700 --> 00:14:21,634 if the marijuana smoked at the party 271 00:14:21,634 --> 00:14:23,233 was laced with another drug. 272 00:14:24,166 --> 00:14:26,266 [Jason] They told us it was just marijuana 273 00:14:26,266 --> 00:14:28,467 and that everybody smoked the same marijuana 274 00:14:28,467 --> 00:14:30,700 and didn't experience the same negative effects. 275 00:14:30,700 --> 00:14:34,800 But without having contact with Karlie, or any sort of drug test, 276 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,000 we did not know specifically what she had taken 277 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:41,333 or if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs like methamphetamine. 278 00:14:44,166 --> 00:14:44,280 After the party, 279 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:45,500 After the party, 280 00:14:45,500 --> 00:14:50,100 James gave Donald and Karlie a ride back to Donald's residence. 281 00:14:51,367 --> 00:14:54,900 Once they arrived, Karlie continued to get increasingly paranoid. 282 00:14:56,533 --> 00:14:59,100 And she ran away from Donald, 283 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:02,433 and that's when we believe she called Melissa to get a ride home. 284 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,533 Deputies then asked the two teens where they were and what they were doing 285 00:15:08,533 --> 00:15:13,266 from the time Karlie was picked up to the time she was reported missing. 286 00:15:13,266 --> 00:15:14,280 [Jason] James said he went back to his residence where the party was located, 287 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,867 [Jason] James said he went back to his residence where the party was located, 288 00:15:17,867 --> 00:15:21,166 and stayed at home all night long. 289 00:15:21,166 --> 00:15:24,467 Donald said that after Karlie disappeared from him, 290 00:15:24,467 --> 00:15:30,166 he went to sleep and then he woke up from a text from Melissa 291 00:15:30,166 --> 00:15:32,867 asking if he knew where Karlie was. 292 00:15:32,867 --> 00:15:36,367 [Greg] When deputies pushed them about where they got the marijuana, 293 00:15:36,367 --> 00:15:39,367 both Donald and James are tight-lipped. 294 00:15:39,367 --> 00:15:40,867 [Tristan] I think law enforcement were wondering 295 00:15:40,867 --> 00:15:42,367 if they were really telling the truth. 296 00:15:43,166 --> 00:15:44,280 If the marijuana wasn't laced, 297 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:44,700 If the marijuana wasn't laced, 298 00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:47,734 why couldn't Donald and James provide where they got it from? 299 00:15:48,967 --> 00:15:51,533 [Jason] Donald and James accompanied us 300 00:15:51,533 --> 00:15:53,166 to the residence where the party occurred. 301 00:15:53,166 --> 00:15:58,467 I went inside, retrieved the smoking device and marijuana for testing. 302 00:15:58,467 --> 00:16:04,266 While they're there, law enforcement also obtained video from the doorbell cam. 303 00:16:04,266 --> 00:16:08,367 We were able to obtain home surveillance footage from the residence 304 00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:10,700 where the party took place on October 12. 305 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:14,280 The first video we have is a video of Donald, Karlie, and James 306 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,800 The first video we have is a video of Donald, Karlie, and James 307 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,467 arriving to the house at approximately 6:04 308 00:16:19,467 --> 00:16:21,367 according to the time stamp on the video. 309 00:16:21,367 --> 00:16:23,867 So they arrive in a dark-colored sedan, 310 00:16:23,867 --> 00:16:28,467 and walk into the residence using the front door. 311 00:16:28,467 --> 00:16:31,100 She's calm. Seems happy to be there, 312 00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:33,333 seems to be interacting with Donald normally. 313 00:16:34,166 --> 00:16:35,166 The second video we have 314 00:16:35,166 --> 00:16:39,100 is the same camera with the timestamp of 8:00 p.m., 315 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:42,500 it shows the same three individuals, Karlie, Donald, and James 316 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:44,280 exiting the front door and getting in the sedan to leave the party. 317 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,600 exiting the front door and getting in the sedan to leave the party. 318 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,700 Karlie is walking first, not necessarily following Donald. 319 00:16:49,700 --> 00:16:51,800 But other than that, she was able to walk on her own, 320 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,634 it wasn't like she was carried out of the residence or anything. 321 00:16:56,266 --> 00:17:01,000 The video doorbell footage corroborates Donald and James' story. 322 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,166 Specifically the timeline of the events that happened at that party. 323 00:17:04,867 --> 00:17:06,367 [Jason] Donald informed us 324 00:17:06,367 --> 00:17:10,634 that he left the party with Karlie right around 8:00 that evening. 325 00:17:11,467 --> 00:17:13,467 After Melissa picked up Karlie, 326 00:17:13,467 --> 00:17:14,280 he attempted to call Karlie several times, 327 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,266 he attempted to call Karlie several times, 328 00:17:16,266 --> 00:17:21,000 sent her text messages asking if she was okay, and then he went to sleep. 329 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,467 Donald's father confirmed that he was home all night 330 00:17:23,467 --> 00:17:25,800 and did get up in the morning to go search for Karlie. 331 00:17:29,367 --> 00:17:32,867 As the sun's going down, the mood starts to change. 332 00:17:32,867 --> 00:17:34,700 We didn't find her wandering in the desert, 333 00:17:34,700 --> 00:17:36,533 we didn't find her at a friend's house. 334 00:17:36,533 --> 00:17:38,700 She never made contact with anybody. 335 00:17:38,700 --> 00:17:43,367 All the circumstances put together, we said, "Okay, this is weird." 336 00:17:43,367 --> 00:17:44,280 We decided that we needed to come back in the morning at daylight 337 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:45,800 We decided that we needed to come back in the morning at daylight 338 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:47,533 and start all over again. 339 00:17:49,533 --> 00:17:52,800 After a long day, not knowing where she is, no word, 340 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,734 that's when I decided to hit social media and do a Facebook Live video. 341 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,867 [exhales] Karlie Lain Guse 342 00:18:05,867 --> 00:18:08,867 is missing still, 343 00:18:08,867 --> 00:18:13,433 [sniffles] she's been missing since-- [exhales] Breathe. 344 00:18:19,734 --> 00:18:24,467 She's been missing since 6:30 a.m. 345 00:18:24,467 --> 00:18:28,867 I just wanted to get the word out and make it spread like wildfire. 346 00:18:28,867 --> 00:18:30,800 You know, social media, everybody's on it. 347 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:35,467 This was last year's picture. She's a little bit different, but not much. 348 00:18:35,467 --> 00:18:40,166 So [sighs] I'm putting it out there, 349 00:18:40,166 --> 00:18:44,280 and just go for it, everybody, help me out here. 350 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:45,634 and just go for it, everybody, help me out here. 351 00:18:45,634 --> 00:18:47,867 Thank you. 352 00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:52,600 That night, we didn't sleep at all. 353 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:57,100 We just stayed up hoping that she'd be home the next day. 354 00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:12,367 [Melissa] It's Sunday, October 14. 355 00:19:14,467 --> 00:19:16,367 It's officially 24 hours. 356 00:19:19,266 --> 00:19:21,867 At first light, Mono County Sheriff's Department 357 00:19:21,867 --> 00:19:23,900 ratchets up the intensity of the search. 358 00:19:24,634 --> 00:19:27,266 Multiple agencies including the FBI 359 00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:29,266 show up to assist in the search 360 00:19:29,266 --> 00:19:31,734 that has expanded to a 10-mile radius 361 00:19:31,734 --> 00:19:33,734 from the White Mountain Estates. 362 00:19:33,734 --> 00:19:36,520 We spread out from all directions from where she could have gone 363 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:36,734 We spread out from all directions from where she could have gone 364 00:19:36,734 --> 00:19:39,166 and looked all over for her. 365 00:19:39,166 --> 00:19:43,100 We had horses, had dogs, flew helicopters. 366 00:19:50,367 --> 00:19:52,734 It was expansive search. 367 00:19:53,967 --> 00:19:57,533 [Zac] I called Lindsay and told her that Karlie was gone. 368 00:19:57,533 --> 00:19:59,500 And she came to help search. 369 00:19:59,500 --> 00:20:04,967 Our relationships with Lindsay was great all the way up until the day Karlie went missing. 370 00:20:04,967 --> 00:20:06,520 She had told me that the FBI and the Sheriffs had come and talked to her. 371 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:07,734 She had told me that the FBI and the Sheriffs had come and talked to her. 372 00:20:07,734 --> 00:20:13,467 She was extremely worried and very distraught while searching for Karlie. 373 00:20:14,533 --> 00:20:17,266 Lots of people came out to help and search. 374 00:20:17,266 --> 00:20:19,734 You had random volunteers, you had my friends, 375 00:20:19,734 --> 00:20:22,000 you had Karlie's mom and friends. 376 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,500 [Jason] I came into contact with some of Karlie's friends that were searching. 377 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:30,500 Some friends said that they had seen a recent change in Karlie. 378 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:36,520 When she got with Donald, I definitely saw a increase in her marijuana smoking. 379 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:37,166 When she got with Donald, I definitely saw a increase in her marijuana smoking. 380 00:20:37,166 --> 00:20:41,500 After that, Karlie showed a little bit of signs of depression. 381 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:45,967 I told one of the detectives that Karlie had behavioral changes. 382 00:20:45,967 --> 00:20:47,800 And getting worse grades in school. 383 00:20:49,367 --> 00:20:51,500 [Taylor] She was actually in CDS, 384 00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:56,166 which is basically a building on school campus 385 00:20:56,166 --> 00:20:59,867 that's for kids that have been in trouble for fights, 386 00:20:59,867 --> 00:21:01,467 or for drugs. 387 00:21:01,467 --> 00:21:05,266 And she was in CDS for being high in class. 388 00:21:05,266 --> 00:21:06,520 [Greg] Karlie's friends also put a new spin on the party 389 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:08,634 [Greg] Karlie's friends also put a new spin on the party 390 00:21:08,634 --> 00:21:10,367 that the 16-year-old attended 391 00:21:10,367 --> 00:21:13,000 hours before she disappeared. 392 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,867 I've heard that at that house, you could smoke a lot of pot 393 00:21:16,867 --> 00:21:18,967 and you could potentially do other things. 394 00:21:18,967 --> 00:21:22,734 So I think that it's very possible that she smoked something else 395 00:21:22,734 --> 00:21:25,266 that made her how she was. 396 00:21:25,266 --> 00:21:27,634 While law enforcement notes the concern, 397 00:21:27,634 --> 00:21:32,000 the test results show no evidence the marijuana and associated paraphernalia 398 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,000 was laced with another drug. 399 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,520 And Karlie doesn't have a history of mental health issues. 400 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:37,734 And Karlie doesn't have a history of mental health issues. 401 00:21:37,734 --> 00:21:40,367 And at this point, investigators don't believe 402 00:21:40,367 --> 00:21:44,333 Donald or James had anything to do with Karlie's disappearance. 403 00:21:45,967 --> 00:21:49,166 The intensified search does produce something concrete. 404 00:21:49,166 --> 00:21:51,734 A second eyewitness. 405 00:21:53,266 --> 00:21:55,000 [Melissa] This is an update. 406 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:00,634 I just had a neighbor call me and inform me that he saw her yesterday morning 407 00:22:00,634 --> 00:22:05,634 walking down the road towards Highway 6. 408 00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:12,266 [Brad] I'm Special Agent Brad Bilderback with the FBI. 409 00:22:12,266 --> 00:22:16,166 A second eyewitness reported that the day Karlie went missing, 410 00:22:16,166 --> 00:22:19,000 he was in front of his house loading his truck 411 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,867 and he saw a young girl matching Karlie's description. 412 00:22:23,867 --> 00:22:29,000 They made eye contact and she continued walking down towards the mailboxes 413 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,367 until she was out of his view. 414 00:22:31,367 --> 00:22:33,467 And just like the first eyewitness, 415 00:22:33,467 --> 00:22:36,000 he said she was wearing a white t-shirt, 416 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:36,520 grey sweatpants, 417 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:38,166 grey sweatpants, 418 00:22:38,166 --> 00:22:41,066 and that she was holding a white piece of paper in her hand. 419 00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:47,634 [Greg] Then a third person comes forward claiming to have seen Karlie. 420 00:22:49,066 --> 00:22:51,900 But beyond the borders of White Mountain Estates. 421 00:22:52,967 --> 00:22:54,867 [Jason] This person said he saw a female 422 00:22:54,867 --> 00:22:56,967 standing on the east side of the highway 423 00:22:56,967 --> 00:23:00,166 around the intersection of White Mountain Estates Road. 424 00:23:00,166 --> 00:23:04,500 Somewhere between 7:15 and 7:20, if true, 425 00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:06,520 it appeared that Karlie walked south away from her home 426 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,066 it appeared that Karlie walked south away from her home 427 00:23:08,066 --> 00:23:11,600 and all the way up to Highway 6. 428 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,367 At that point, tracking dogs were dispatched out to that area. 429 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:33,000 So Karlie came walking down White Mountain Estates Road. 430 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,000 As you see, we're close to Highway 6, 431 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,520 and the tracking dogs lost scent of Karlie in this area. 432 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:38,967 and the tracking dogs lost scent of Karlie in this area. 433 00:23:38,967 --> 00:23:42,367 What we believe, instead of going right to the highway, 434 00:23:42,367 --> 00:23:45,467 she turned here into the sagebrush. 435 00:23:45,467 --> 00:23:47,100 [Jason] A theory that we're operating on 436 00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:50,266 based on all three witnesses and statements 437 00:23:50,266 --> 00:23:54,967 is that Karlie walked away from the house voluntarily and walked to that location. 438 00:23:54,967 --> 00:23:57,800 Now, what occurred after getting to that location? 439 00:23:58,367 --> 00:23:59,800 We don't know. 440 00:24:00,266 --> 00:24:02,467 Or was this an abduction? 441 00:24:02,467 --> 00:24:04,367 When you have the disappearance of a child, 442 00:24:04,367 --> 00:24:06,520 sex trafficking is always a concern. 443 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:07,500 sex trafficking is always a concern. 444 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:12,634 Sex trafficking is using somebody for the purpose of making money off them 445 00:24:12,634 --> 00:24:15,634 working or having sex with somebody, 446 00:24:15,634 --> 00:24:18,467 and maybe she was picked up for that purpose. 447 00:24:18,467 --> 00:24:23,333 [Zac] "It's possible that Karlie had got into a car with somebody she didn't know," 448 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:26,333 is the worst case scenario. 449 00:24:27,867 --> 00:24:32,367 Thinking about that was absolute horror for me, and terror. 450 00:24:32,367 --> 00:24:33,634 [sniffling] 451 00:24:35,166 --> 00:24:36,367 [cries] 452 00:24:37,867 --> 00:24:39,367 [sighs wearily] 453 00:24:42,533 --> 00:24:44,367 Abduction is a possibility. 454 00:24:45,367 --> 00:24:48,233 Highway 6 is kind of a trucking route. 455 00:24:49,467 --> 00:24:51,734 [Brad] If you go south, it links up with 395 456 00:24:51,734 --> 00:24:53,367 and and continues to Southern California. 457 00:24:53,367 --> 00:24:57,533 If you go north on Highway 6, it leads you up into the state of Nevada. 458 00:24:58,166 --> 00:25:00,800 And so, it can lead anywhere. 459 00:25:02,500 --> 00:25:04,800 [Melissa] I have no idea where she could be right now. 460 00:25:05,467 --> 00:25:06,520 Appreciate all your support, 461 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:07,533 Appreciate all your support, 462 00:25:07,533 --> 00:25:11,266 but I'm really worried because of how long it really has been. 463 00:25:11,266 --> 00:25:15,166 [sniffles] Never thought this would ever happen to us. 464 00:25:17,533 --> 00:25:21,867 [Greg] After heavily combing the 10 square miles surrounding the Guse's home, 465 00:25:21,867 --> 00:25:25,367 and with the thought of an abduction weighing on everyone's mind, 466 00:25:25,367 --> 00:25:27,533 The search for Karlie Guse is suspended. 467 00:25:28,734 --> 00:25:32,066 [Jason] Karlie had vanished without so much as a trace. 468 00:25:32,066 --> 00:25:36,520 At that point, we transitioned into more of a strictly investigative role. 469 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:37,066 At that point, we transitioned into more of a strictly investigative role. 470 00:25:37,066 --> 00:25:38,500 [Tristan] Shortly after law enforcement 471 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:40,867 shifted the focus of their investigation, 472 00:25:40,867 --> 00:25:43,166 Melissa and Zac were contacted by Dateline 473 00:25:43,166 --> 00:25:44,533 to do an online story. 474 00:25:47,266 --> 00:25:49,500 [Melissa] Dateline wanted to do an interview with us, 475 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:53,967 and the Sheriffs told us to not actually do any interviews 476 00:25:53,967 --> 00:25:55,467 and to give out any information. 477 00:25:55,967 --> 00:25:58,533 But instead of saying no, 478 00:25:58,533 --> 00:26:02,066 [clears throat] I said, "Yeah, sure, whatever to bring more awareness." 479 00:26:03,867 --> 00:26:05,266 [Tristan] But during the interview, 480 00:26:05,266 --> 00:26:06,520 Melissa's description of the timeline 481 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:07,000 Melissa's description of the timeline 482 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,867 is inconsistent with what she was telling investigators. 483 00:26:09,867 --> 00:26:14,500 At first she said that she fell asleep beside Karlie in Karlie's room, 484 00:26:14,500 --> 00:26:16,166 but when talking to the reporter with Dateline, 485 00:26:16,166 --> 00:26:18,500 Melissa said that she fell asleep in her own room 486 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:20,600 and then went to go check on Karlie in her room. 487 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,166 And that's when she noticed Karlie was gone. 488 00:26:23,166 --> 00:26:27,634 Not only do Melissa's followers on social media notice the inconsistency, 489 00:26:27,634 --> 00:26:29,367 but so do law enforcement. 490 00:26:29,367 --> 00:26:32,100 They begin to think that Melissa may have had something to do 491 00:26:32,100 --> 00:26:34,734 with Karlie's disappearance. 492 00:26:34,734 --> 00:26:36,520 [Melissa] I wish I would have never even done the interview with them 493 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:37,166 [Melissa] I wish I would have never even done the interview with them 494 00:26:37,166 --> 00:26:40,066 because it was still an open investigation. 495 00:26:40,066 --> 00:26:43,867 I started the lie because they didn't want to give out any information 496 00:26:43,867 --> 00:26:46,100 that might deter the investigation. 497 00:26:46,100 --> 00:26:50,266 And I even called the reporter who had done our interview and asked her to redact it, 498 00:26:50,266 --> 00:26:52,333 and told her blatantly that I had lied. 499 00:26:54,166 --> 00:26:57,500 And that was when I started to receive a lot of backlash 500 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:03,100 from random people, strangers, accusing me of doing harmful things to her, 501 00:27:03,100 --> 00:27:05,734 and that I killed her and I buried her, 502 00:27:05,734 --> 00:27:06,520 and that she's missing because of me. 503 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:09,066 and that she's missing because of me. 504 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,500 Law enforcement was contacted 505 00:27:11,500 --> 00:27:13,600 about Melissa's Facebook Live videos 506 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,734 that really raised red flags for some of the viewers. 507 00:27:15,734 --> 00:27:20,734 I wanna put this on blast because I don't think she's out in the desert. 508 00:27:20,734 --> 00:27:24,634 Why would she say that unless she knew where Karlie was really was? 509 00:27:24,634 --> 00:27:27,500 She left in her jeans and a t-shirt. 510 00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:29,734 An inconsistency that was pointed out online 511 00:27:29,734 --> 00:27:31,467 is that what Karlie was seen wearing 512 00:27:31,467 --> 00:27:35,533 by the witnesses is different than what Melissa reported Karlie was wearing. 513 00:27:35,533 --> 00:27:36,520 But is it an inconsistency? 514 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:37,867 But is it an inconsistency? 515 00:27:37,867 --> 00:27:40,867 We were given a hard time about not knowing what she had on 516 00:27:40,867 --> 00:27:43,166 when I didn't even see her leave. 517 00:27:43,166 --> 00:27:44,800 So how would I even know? 518 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:49,634 The online attacks weren't just limited to strangers. 519 00:27:49,634 --> 00:27:52,367 Karlie's biological mother, Lindsay Fairley, 520 00:27:52,367 --> 00:27:54,734 also grew suspicious of Melissa. 521 00:27:54,734 --> 00:28:00,634 Lindsay called me and said, "Do you think it's possible that Melissa just fell asleep 522 00:28:00,634 --> 00:28:03,634 and rolled over and smothered Karlie in her sleep?" 523 00:28:04,367 --> 00:28:06,367 I said, "Absolutely not." 524 00:28:06,367 --> 00:28:06,520 [Tristan] Everyone reacts differently. 525 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:08,734 [Tristan] Everyone reacts differently. 526 00:28:08,734 --> 00:28:10,600 This is every parent's worst nightmare. 527 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:16,100 And so Lindsay began telling people on social media about her suspicions. 528 00:28:16,100 --> 00:28:18,867 It was pretty much her screaming at me through social media saying, 529 00:28:18,867 --> 00:28:22,266 "What about the eight-minute audio that you did of my daughter?" 530 00:28:22,266 --> 00:28:25,867 So that's when everybody started to say, "Melissa recorded Karlie? 531 00:28:25,867 --> 00:28:30,100 Why didn't she release the audio on Facebook Live on the first day?" 532 00:28:30,100 --> 00:28:32,867 [Tristan] The audio has never been publicly released, 533 00:28:32,867 --> 00:28:35,266 but now the Guse family has given People Magazine 534 00:28:35,266 --> 00:28:36,520 exclusive access to the audio recording. 535 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:37,734 exclusive access to the audio recording. 536 00:28:53,266 --> 00:28:55,867 [Melissa] My name is Melissa Guse, 537 00:28:55,867 --> 00:28:58,500 my daughter, Karlie, is still missing. 538 00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,700 [sniffles] I know everybody has so many questions. 539 00:29:01,700 --> 00:29:04,900 "Why did she leave? Where did she go? What's wrong?" 540 00:29:06,066 --> 00:29:10,634 I'm just concerned that she's just gone. 541 00:29:12,066 --> 00:29:15,266 [Greg] With the flood of accusations coming in about Zac and Melissa, 542 00:29:15,266 --> 00:29:17,967 it doesn't take long for the couple to find themselves 543 00:29:17,967 --> 00:29:20,066 at the center of the investigation. 544 00:29:21,066 --> 00:29:23,700 [Ingrid] Zac and Melissa Guse's house was searched, 545 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:27,600 and we did a forensic search of everything. 546 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,700 [Zac] The investigators asked for our phones, 547 00:29:30,700 --> 00:29:33,600 and then they asked for all of Karlie's things. 548 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,867 And I had to turn over the audio recording. 549 00:29:36,867 --> 00:29:41,266 Zac and Melissa are questioned and polygraphed by the FBI numerous times. 550 00:29:42,266 --> 00:29:45,734 We analyzed phones of Melissa, of Zac, of Karlie, 551 00:29:45,734 --> 00:29:47,734 and we also analyzed a laptop. 552 00:29:47,734 --> 00:29:50,367 It was kind of shared in the Guse home. 553 00:29:50,367 --> 00:29:50,812 Law enforcement also analyzed the cell phone data from Zac and Melissa 554 00:29:50,812 --> 00:29:54,266 Law enforcement also analyzed the cell phone data from Zac and Melissa 555 00:29:54,266 --> 00:29:58,533 to see if they truly were in the area they claimed to be searching for Karlie. 556 00:30:00,867 --> 00:30:05,100 After checking those areas, we were able to corroborate everyone's stories 557 00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:06,533 on what happened the night before 558 00:30:06,533 --> 00:30:08,734 and the morning of her disappearance. 559 00:30:10,500 --> 00:30:15,166 Then, in March of 2019, five months after Karlie's disappearance, 560 00:30:15,166 --> 00:30:19,066 Dr. Phil invited Zac and Melissa to appear on his show. 561 00:30:19,066 --> 00:30:20,812 [narrator] Today, on an all new Dr. Phil... 562 00:30:20,812 --> 00:30:21,734 [narrator] Today, on an all new Dr. Phil... 563 00:30:21,734 --> 00:30:24,867 [Melissa] We were really happy because millions of people watch the show. 564 00:30:24,867 --> 00:30:27,266 We wanted to do something 565 00:30:27,266 --> 00:30:31,367 and you thought it was the right avenue to get the word out there. 566 00:30:31,367 --> 00:30:34,467 Karlie's mother, Lindsay, was gonna be there 567 00:30:34,467 --> 00:30:35,734 and we said yes to it 568 00:30:35,734 --> 00:30:38,500 as long as we're not on the same stage with her. 569 00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:43,166 'Cause I wasn't gonna listen to her lie to everybody about us. 570 00:30:43,166 --> 00:30:47,700 -I received a phone call at 9:35 a.m. from Zac... -[Dr. Phil] Mmm-hmm. 571 00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:50,812 ...and his response was "Lindsay, Karlie's gone." 572 00:30:50,812 --> 00:30:52,367 ...and his response was "Lindsay, Karlie's gone." 573 00:30:52,367 --> 00:30:54,467 What did you think "gone" meant? 574 00:30:55,266 --> 00:30:58,333 Dead. I mean, that's a big word. 575 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,734 [Tristan] Lindsay thinks that Karlie had an adverse reaction to the marijuana 576 00:31:04,734 --> 00:31:10,166 and that she might have died and Zac and Melissa may have had to dispose of her body. 577 00:31:11,066 --> 00:31:13,266 Then Lindsay brings up the recording. 578 00:31:13,266 --> 00:31:14,867 [Dr. Phil] Did you hear the audio? 579 00:31:14,867 --> 00:31:16,000 I heard part of it. 580 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,266 She had asked them to call 911. 581 00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:20,812 No, she was not asking me to call 911. 582 00:31:20,812 --> 00:31:22,066 No, she was not asking me to call 911. 583 00:31:22,066 --> 00:31:24,166 She was asking if something were to happen, 584 00:31:24,166 --> 00:31:25,600 would I call 911? 585 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,367 And I told her, "Absolutely. Yes." 586 00:31:28,367 --> 00:31:30,500 [Tristan] Since Zac and Melissa refused to release 587 00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:33,066 the eight-minute audio recording to the public, 588 00:31:33,066 --> 00:31:36,000 many people thought that they were hiding something. 589 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,367 Once people watched the Dr. Phil show, it got really ugly. 590 00:31:40,367 --> 00:31:44,100 Everybody started attacking us. 591 00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:46,700 [Melissa] I had people calling me saying I'm horrible, 592 00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:50,812 and that I did something to Karlie, and at one point, somebody was stalking us 593 00:31:50,812 --> 00:31:51,367 and that I did something to Karlie, and at one point, somebody was stalking us 594 00:31:51,367 --> 00:31:52,967 and taking pictures of our house 595 00:31:52,967 --> 00:31:55,066 and posting them online. 596 00:31:55,066 --> 00:31:58,467 [sniffles] It was horrible. [chuckles softly] 597 00:31:58,467 --> 00:32:00,100 [Zac] Yeah. 598 00:32:01,734 --> 00:32:03,266 [Ingrid] People said terrible things, 599 00:32:03,266 --> 00:32:06,266 but they don't know anything about this investigation or these people. 600 00:32:06,266 --> 00:32:09,500 And it just pours salt in an open wound. 601 00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:15,000 The Guses are worried, upset, concerned, devastated parents. 602 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,166 There's nothing about them that makes me say, "Okay, they did something." 603 00:32:18,166 --> 00:32:19,467 Nothing. 604 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,266 [Tristan] The Guses are looking to dispel the rumors 605 00:32:27,266 --> 00:32:29,634 that they had anything to do with Karlie's disappearance 606 00:32:29,634 --> 00:32:30,900 once and for all. 607 00:32:32,500 --> 00:32:34,533 The Guse family has given People Magazine 608 00:32:34,533 --> 00:32:37,000 exclusive access to the audio recording. 609 00:32:38,500 --> 00:32:42,266 This is the first time Zac and Melissa are allowing the public to hear 610 00:32:42,266 --> 00:32:44,166 what Karlie was saying that night. 611 00:32:44,166 --> 00:32:45,734 This is the audio of Karlie, 612 00:32:45,734 --> 00:32:49,634 and it's in my pocket, so it's kind of loud and scuffly. 613 00:34:02,100 --> 00:34:04,800 [sniffles] 614 00:34:08,367 --> 00:34:14,066 I didn't want to release the audio of Karlie 'cause that's not her. 615 00:34:15,367 --> 00:34:17,467 That's not what she sounds like. 616 00:34:17,467 --> 00:34:19,467 It's what she sounded like that night. 617 00:34:19,467 --> 00:34:20,812 I hope that people will hear the audio, 618 00:34:20,812 --> 00:34:22,467 I hope that people will hear the audio, 619 00:34:22,467 --> 00:34:26,500 and maybe actually know that we're good people. 620 00:34:26,500 --> 00:34:30,166 And we have a great family. [sniffles] 621 00:34:30,166 --> 00:34:32,066 We just want Karlie back. 622 00:34:35,367 --> 00:34:38,266 [Greg] On the one-year anniversary of Karlie's disappearance, 623 00:34:38,266 --> 00:34:42,000 the Mono County Sheriff's Office and FBI hold a press conference 624 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:47,467 to let the family speak and to assure the public that the case is still active. 625 00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:50,812 Karlie, if this gets to you, 626 00:34:50,812 --> 00:34:51,867 Karlie, if this gets to you, 627 00:34:51,867 --> 00:34:56,166 I want you to know that we love you so very much... 628 00:34:56,166 --> 00:34:58,066 [crying] I miss you. 629 00:34:58,066 --> 00:35:00,800 Miss you more than words can even ever say. 630 00:35:01,967 --> 00:35:04,900 At that point, I was hopeful somebody's gonna see her. 631 00:35:06,634 --> 00:35:09,066 [exhales] Please come home. 632 00:35:10,066 --> 00:35:12,367 Although the press conference is emotionally gripping, 633 00:35:12,367 --> 00:35:14,867 it does little for the investigation. 634 00:35:14,867 --> 00:35:16,600 And time begins to pass swiftly, 635 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,812 providing no further clues as to what happened to Karlie. 636 00:35:20,812 --> 00:35:20,867 providing no further clues as to what happened to Karlie. 637 00:35:20,867 --> 00:35:23,266 I spoke to some of Karlie's closest friends, 638 00:35:23,266 --> 00:35:26,900 and they say they are not giving up hope even after a year. 639 00:35:28,867 --> 00:35:31,600 People around town still talk about Karlie's disappearance, 640 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,700 and there are still posters around the community. 641 00:35:34,700 --> 00:35:38,634 But the efforts to actually find Karlie died down. 642 00:35:38,634 --> 00:35:43,066 [Taylor] Eventually the posters out in Bishop sun-rotted, 643 00:35:43,066 --> 00:35:48,533 and Karlie basically was just like on the backburner for a lot of people. 644 00:35:49,734 --> 00:35:50,812 [Brad] I've worked on missing persons cases before, 645 00:35:50,812 --> 00:35:52,700 [Brad] I've worked on missing persons cases before, 646 00:35:52,700 --> 00:35:55,000 but this is by far 647 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,166 the most frustrating case I've worked on in 18 years. 648 00:35:58,166 --> 00:35:59,734 Um, just lack of evidence, 649 00:35:59,734 --> 00:36:04,166 lack of someone coming forward other than our three eyewitnesses 650 00:36:04,166 --> 00:36:07,333 to give us clues on what might have happened to Karlie. 651 00:36:09,867 --> 00:36:11,734 [Greg] Then in the spring of 2021, 652 00:36:11,734 --> 00:36:16,533 law enforcement receives their first major lead in years. 653 00:36:16,533 --> 00:36:20,000 [Jason] The Mono County Sheriff's Office received a phone call from somebody 654 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:20,812 who wanted to provide information 655 00:36:20,812 --> 00:36:21,867 who wanted to provide information 656 00:36:21,867 --> 00:36:24,800 and stated they know what happened to Karlie. 657 00:36:32,900 --> 00:36:36,333 [Jason] The Mono County Sheriff's Office dispatch center a phone call. 658 00:36:37,266 --> 00:36:40,867 This person provided us information that suggested 659 00:36:40,867 --> 00:36:43,734 Karlie was picked up on Highway 6. 660 00:36:45,367 --> 00:36:48,634 Transported to the area of Tonopah, Nevada. 661 00:36:50,533 --> 00:36:53,700 [Ingrid] The tip we got is that Karlie had been seen 662 00:36:53,700 --> 00:36:55,266 partying with a group of people 663 00:36:55,266 --> 00:36:56,800 and something had happened to her. 664 00:36:58,100 --> 00:37:00,855 [Greg] Investigators and family wonder why Karlie would go to Tonopah. 665 00:37:00,855 --> 00:37:02,066 [Greg] Investigators and family wonder why Karlie would go to Tonopah. 666 00:37:03,266 --> 00:37:06,900 Tonopah's not a big city, it's a mining town in Nevada. 667 00:37:07,734 --> 00:37:09,467 There's not a lot out there. 668 00:37:09,467 --> 00:37:12,967 Somebody driving through would pass by pretty quickly. 669 00:37:15,467 --> 00:37:18,000 But if she got in car or a truck, 670 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,734 if someone known to her or not known to her, willingly or unwillingly, 671 00:37:20,734 --> 00:37:23,367 Tonopah's one of the first places you're gonna get to 672 00:37:23,367 --> 00:37:26,166 if you're headed in that direction from this area. 673 00:37:29,166 --> 00:37:30,855 If something did happen to her there, 674 00:37:30,855 --> 00:37:31,100 If something did happen to her there, 675 00:37:31,100 --> 00:37:33,700 she would be in another state across state lines, 676 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:34,867 it makes it a lot harder. 677 00:37:34,867 --> 00:37:36,800 Then that's where the FBI comes in. 678 00:37:37,867 --> 00:37:40,467 [Brad] This tip did seem legitimate enough 679 00:37:40,467 --> 00:37:41,734 to get a full accounting 680 00:37:41,734 --> 00:37:45,233 of what this person saw or heard. 681 00:37:47,266 --> 00:37:52,100 And during their interview, this person said that they'd had knowledge of this incident 682 00:37:52,100 --> 00:37:54,166 and they were feeling guilty about it, 683 00:37:54,166 --> 00:37:56,900 and that they finally wanted to share it with law enforcement. 684 00:37:58,367 --> 00:38:00,367 [Zac] This person said that they called in the tip 685 00:38:00,367 --> 00:38:00,855 two and a half years after Karlie went missing 686 00:38:00,855 --> 00:38:03,000 two and a half years after Karlie went missing 687 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,367 because they were involved in drugs. 688 00:38:05,367 --> 00:38:07,066 And recently got sober. 689 00:38:07,734 --> 00:38:09,066 [Greg] The tipster doesn't know why 690 00:38:09,066 --> 00:38:12,800 Karlie was partying in Tonopah after she was reported missing, 691 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:16,867 but he does provide investigators with a make and model of the vehicle 692 00:38:16,867 --> 00:38:18,533 that transported her there. 693 00:38:18,533 --> 00:38:20,533 And a rough idea of where it could be found. 694 00:38:22,166 --> 00:38:26,066 Based on the information that had to provide, we located a vehicle. 695 00:38:27,900 --> 00:38:30,855 [Brad] We took the vehicle from its location in Tonopah, 696 00:38:30,855 --> 00:38:31,000 [Brad] We took the vehicle from its location in Tonopah, 697 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,867 and transported it to Reno, Nevada, 698 00:38:33,867 --> 00:38:37,066 to process that vehicle for possible evidence. 699 00:38:38,467 --> 00:38:41,100 They collected numerous items, 700 00:38:41,100 --> 00:38:44,166 and that evidence was sent to a lab to be processed. 701 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:49,467 We're currently waiting on a forensic laboratory to test those items 702 00:38:49,467 --> 00:38:52,100 and give us the results. 703 00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:56,266 [Brad] There is a person of interest that's linked to this vehicle, 704 00:38:56,266 --> 00:39:00,634 but the details of that, I can't speak about as of now because it's still active. 705 00:39:00,634 --> 00:39:00,855 But the tip that came from Tonopah 706 00:39:00,855 --> 00:39:03,100 But the tip that came from Tonopah 707 00:39:03,100 --> 00:39:06,900 is the most promising lead we have right now on Karlie. 708 00:39:06,900 --> 00:39:09,800 I think law enforcement is closer than ever 709 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,066 to finding out what really happened to Karlie Guse that morning. 710 00:39:19,166 --> 00:39:22,333 To solve this case, we need help from the public. 711 00:39:23,166 --> 00:39:25,266 There's still Karlie flyers in Tonopah, 712 00:39:25,266 --> 00:39:29,367 so she's certainly known to people there. 713 00:39:29,367 --> 00:39:30,855 And if there are people who know what happened, 714 00:39:30,855 --> 00:39:31,266 And if there are people who know what happened, 715 00:39:31,266 --> 00:39:34,467 and we need those people to come forward 716 00:39:34,467 --> 00:39:37,867 because there's a family that's missing their daughter. 717 00:39:37,867 --> 00:39:42,700 We'll continue to work until we get answers of where Karlie has gone 718 00:39:42,700 --> 00:39:45,166 or until we can find Karlie. 719 00:39:49,700 --> 00:39:52,467 [Greg] Nearly three years after Karlie's disappearance, 720 00:39:52,467 --> 00:39:54,700 her classmates are ready to graduate. 721 00:39:54,700 --> 00:39:56,100 But the memory of her 722 00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:58,634 still weighs heavily on everyone's hearts. 723 00:40:00,100 --> 00:40:00,855 [Kimberley] I remember Melissa texting me the day of Graduation, 724 00:40:00,855 --> 00:40:04,000 [Kimberley] I remember Melissa texting me the day of Graduation, 725 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,467 and said that they had requested Karlie's name 726 00:40:06,467 --> 00:40:08,000 to be read after Taylor's. 727 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:09,533 [voice shaking] I didn't know that. 728 00:40:09,533 --> 00:40:10,533 [chuckles softly] 729 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,166 And then, Melissa and Zac showed up. 730 00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:19,800 So after Taylor's name was read, we waited. 731 00:40:32,867 --> 00:40:36,467 -[people cheering] -[woman] Love you, Karlie! 732 00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:39,800 They read Karlie's name, and she got her diploma. 733 00:40:43,266 --> 00:40:44,533 It was very special. 734 00:40:45,266 --> 00:40:46,800 Very special. 735 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:51,800 [Taylor] I don't wanna go my whole life, not knowing where my friend is. 736 00:40:52,533 --> 00:40:55,800 She has missed everything. 737 00:41:00,533 --> 00:41:00,855 It's been extremely difficult navigating the different ways you have to deal with this. 738 00:41:00,855 --> 00:41:07,266 It's been extremely difficult navigating the different ways you have to deal with this. 739 00:41:07,266 --> 00:41:09,333 There's no handbook for it. 740 00:41:10,100 --> 00:41:11,867 It becomes a new normal. 741 00:41:12,900 --> 00:41:17,000 [Melissa] We continue every day to be hopeful 742 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,634 that we are gonna get some information as to where she is. 743 00:41:20,634 --> 00:41:23,734 The not knowing is the hardest part of this. 744 00:41:24,867 --> 00:41:28,634 Karlie's an amazing person who loved to laugh 745 00:41:28,634 --> 00:41:30,855 and take care of people and be there for them. 746 00:41:30,855 --> 00:41:30,900 and take care of people and be there for them. 747 00:41:32,266 --> 00:41:34,800 When she smiles, everybody notices. 748 00:41:35,367 --> 00:41:36,734 [sniffles] 749 00:41:38,867 --> 00:41:40,900 [voice shaking] I'll always remember her that way. 750 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:44,467 I hope she comes home.