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Narrator: A summer of fun
turns into a season of mystery
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00:00:07,465 --> 00:00:11,553
when a teenage girl disappears
from a small Michigan town.
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00:00:11,594 --> 00:00:14,055
Cindy: She was vibrant.
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00:00:14,097 --> 00:00:17,559
She was a little
on the wild side.
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Pam: We're thinking somebody
just snatched her up.
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There was just
no way she ran away.
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Gina: She had just
vanished into thin air.
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00:00:27,569 --> 00:00:30,697
Narrator: Police have
no shortage of suspects.
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00:00:30,739 --> 00:00:32,490
Scott: He basically
had no alibi
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00:00:32,532 --> 00:00:36,244
for where he was
when she disappeared.
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Gina: He said I know
her friends are lying.
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We're gonna get
the truth out of them.
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Who refuses to take a polygraph
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and then skips town
if they're not guilty?
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Narrator: But when dark
secrets come to light...
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Scott: She told
police she knew
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where the body
was buried.
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Pam: I think that had
to have been
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the worst moment
of her life.
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Narrator: The truth
is more twisted
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than anyone imagined.
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Scott: I think
he took her out there,
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showed her the hole
in the ground,
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and then she started
to fight.
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Cindy: And something
went terribly wrong.
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[***]
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Narrator: It's a crisp
October afternoon
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in Southwest Michigan.
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But the peace of the perfect
fall day is shattered
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when police arrive
at a farmhouse
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and officers pour
into the backyard.
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Gina: Police got a tip
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that a body may be
buried on a farm.
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It was a wooded area
next to the lake
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under a wood pile.
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Narrator: After digging
for hours
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and not finding anything,
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officers decide they need
mechanical help.
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[***]
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Det. David: It was starting
to get dark,
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I made contact
with a person I know
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who has a backhoe
and he came out there.
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Scott: The idea is you wanna
be as delicate as you can
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and-- and he would move
a couple inches of dirt
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and then he would start
again and he would move
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another couple
inches of dirt.
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Gina: Eventually,
that backhoe
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snagged on
something red.
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And so they stopped digging
and went to check it out.
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And it was
a piece of clothing.
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Scott: And a small portion
of body came with it.
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Obviously, you hope
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that you're not
gonna discover the body
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of an innocent
young girl...
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that had been murdered
and buried
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but it had been ongoing
for two years
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and I think everybody
in the community
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00:03:06,686 --> 00:03:09,230
and everybody in
law enforcement anticipated
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it was gonna
turn out this way.
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[***]
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Gina: Niles, Michigan
is right across
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the Indiana border
from South Bend, Indiana.
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Pam: I've been there
for 43 years in the same house.
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I wouldn't wanna live
anywhere else.
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Gina: Back in 1993,
Niles was a small town.
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Midwestern vanilla
sort of place.
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There's not a lot
going on there
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but it is close
to a lot of places.
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[LAUGHTER]
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Cindy: We live
a half an hour away
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from Lake Michigan,
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so in the summertime
when school gets out,
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we love to go
to the beaches a lot.
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00:04:00,949 --> 00:04:03,785
We love to have a lot
of outdoor activities,
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00:04:03,827 --> 00:04:09,499
cookouts, camping,
and things like that.
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Narrator: For one
of the town's teenagers,
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15-year-old Becky Stowe,
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this summer
is especially magical.
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Cindy: Becky was vibrant.
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00:04:19,801 --> 00:04:22,303
She was a little
on the wild side.
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00:04:22,345 --> 00:04:26,516
I mean, she was
very adventurous.
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When she was younger, like,
I would say around 10, 11,
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00:04:30,603 --> 00:04:32,355
she was more like a tomboy.
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She played baseball
and things like that.
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00:04:35,775 --> 00:04:38,695
And then as she grew
a little older,
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she started to wear
more makeup,
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doing her hair more,
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painting her nails,
things like that.
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Rob was the big crush
that summer,
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00:04:49,914 --> 00:04:52,542
the guy that she told me
that she was dating.
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00:04:52,584 --> 00:04:56,671
She was excited and happy
to have a boyfriend.
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Gina: Rob was
this popular,
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clean cut football hero,
good-looking guy.
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00:05:03,887 --> 00:05:06,639
He was in the
popular crowd.
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And Becky was not.
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She was more one of the rebels.
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Todd: She was
head over heels for him.
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During the summer
of '93, it was the time
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00:05:20,695 --> 00:05:22,530
that Becky's best friend
Jaclyn and I
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00:05:22,572 --> 00:05:24,574
had just gotten together
and started dating.
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00:05:24,616 --> 00:05:26,701
We would spend
a lot of time with Becky.
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The three of us did
a lot of stuff together.
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Gina: Becky lived
with her mom, Diane,
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00:05:32,832 --> 00:05:34,167
who is a single mom.
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And her mom's boyfriend Steve.
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Both of them
worked in factories.
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Becky's sister Cindy
was 11 years older,
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so Becky was alone
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a lot of the time
when her mom was at work.
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I don't think
it bothered her.
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I think she had
a very independent streak
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and was pretty good
at taking care of herself.
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Narrator: Although she is
close to her mother,
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there's been tension
the last few years
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since Becky became a teenager.
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Cindy: My mom and Becky
clashed from time to time.
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Becky was a typical teenager.
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Becky liked doing
her own thing.
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Gina: Back in the '90s,
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00:06:20,463 --> 00:06:21,673
the menthol
cigarettes meant
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00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:23,049
you were one
of the cool girls
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and Becky smoked
a pack a day of Newport.
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Teenagers, they think
they're invincible,
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they know everything.
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Their parents
are old-fashioned
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and, you know, are just
trying to control them.
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Like most other teenage girls,
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she had arguments
with her mom.
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And she would tell
her mom's boyfriend,
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00:06:44,821 --> 00:06:47,657
you know, you can't
tell me what to do.
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Very typical
sorts of teenage things.
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Cindy: When Steve
first moved in,
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he was being a father
figure for Becky.
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But Steve would come across
as bossy to Becky
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and Becky
didn't like that
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and they would
butt heads at times.
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It was rough.
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She did confide in me
how rough that was.
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Todd: They had a lot of tiffs,
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a lot of yelling matches.
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I never saw anything
really serious
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but she got upset
about it a lot.
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Narrator: On July 12th, 1993,
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tempers are threatening
to boil over again.
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Becky says she wants
to go and sleep over
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at her best friend
Jaclyn's place for a while
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to let things between her
and Steve simmer down.
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And her mother Diane agrees.
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[***]
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Narrator: Becky arrives
at Jaclyn's place
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and calm is restored.
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The following day,
Jaclyn and her boyfriend Todd
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head out for some alone time,
returning a few hours later.
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Todd: There was no one
at the house.
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00:08:02,315 --> 00:08:05,151
Becky had recently
been there we could tell
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00:08:05,193 --> 00:08:07,529
because the mirror
was still fogged up
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when she got out of the shower.
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She had left us a note
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saying that she had gone
to talk to Rob.
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Narrator: Becky's boyfriend
Rob lives just a mile away.
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And Becky often
walks to his house.
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Todd: A little while later
the phone rang
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and it was Rob.
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And he asked Jaclyn if--
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if Becky was there.
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And...
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Jaclyn said, "Here.
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We thought that
she was with you."
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He insisted that he had
not seen her all day.
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And Jaclyn hung up
the phone and she said,
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"Well, that's just
really strange."
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Gina: At that point,
they realized
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00:08:53,116 --> 00:08:54,868
her keys were there,
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her wallet was $60
in babysitting money.
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She smoked a pack a day.
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00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:03,752
Her cigarettes
were still there.
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She hadn't taken any clothes.
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Like it just
didn't make sense
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00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:09,049
that if she was gonna
go off somewhere
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she wouldn't bring
some of her things.
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Narrator: Jaclyn starts
calling around
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to friends and family.
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When Becky's mother Diane
hears the news,
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she heads over.
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00:09:21,936 --> 00:09:25,982
She and Jaclyn drive around
town but no one's seen Becky.
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Diane was calling
all of her sisters
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and everybody
in the family.
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That's how we found out.
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Narrator: Then,
Diane phones the police
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and reports Becky missing.
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Scott: When police start
an investigation
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for a missing person,
the first thing to do
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is go to who's
the last person
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they had contact with.
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And what was
the last conversation is.
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You know, police came,
they talked to us.
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It was very surreal.
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00:10:00,433 --> 00:10:02,143
Narrator: Officers asked
Todd and Jaclyn
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00:10:02,185 --> 00:10:04,354
if Becky had shared
anything with them
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00:10:04,396 --> 00:10:06,314
which might explain
her disappearance.
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00:10:06,356 --> 00:10:09,442
They mentioned the note
about meeting Rob.
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00:10:09,484 --> 00:10:13,780
But then Jaclyn
has one more thing to add.
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00:10:13,822 --> 00:10:16,032
Jaclyn knew
what nobody else knew.
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00:10:16,074 --> 00:10:18,451
And that was that
Becky Stowe was pregnant.
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00:10:18,493 --> 00:10:23,039
[***]
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Scott: In over 25 years,
207
00:10:24,708 --> 00:10:27,836
I've never had any
law enforcement agency
208
00:10:27,877 --> 00:10:29,295
consult with a psychic.
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00:10:30,380 --> 00:10:32,090
Gina: They all said
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00:10:32,132 --> 00:10:35,135
she was never
gonna be found alive.
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00:10:35,176 --> 00:10:37,303
Todd: She was
rather desperate.
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00:10:46,396 --> 00:10:47,856
[***]
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Narrator: Becky Stowe
has vanished,
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00:10:51,776 --> 00:10:53,361
leaving behind a note
that she was going
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00:10:53,403 --> 00:10:55,488
to visit her boyfriend.
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00:10:55,530 --> 00:10:57,407
The detectives
searching for her
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00:10:57,449 --> 00:11:00,452
have just learned that
the 15-year-old is pregnant.
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Gina: In 1993,
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00:11:05,206 --> 00:11:09,294
Becky had her first
boyfriend Rob.
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00:11:12,464 --> 00:11:16,259
Scott: Rob Leamon was a year
ahead of her in school.
221
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He was an athlete.
222
00:11:17,844 --> 00:11:20,805
He was in the popular group.
223
00:11:20,847 --> 00:11:22,807
He was a good-looking
young man.
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00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:24,559
And first time in her life
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00:11:24,601 --> 00:11:27,437
somebody like that
paid attention to her.
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00:11:27,479 --> 00:11:30,482
And I think that was
life changing for her.
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Gina: Becky lost
her virginity to him.
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00:11:36,279 --> 00:11:39,282
She would put a little star
in her calendar
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00:11:39,324 --> 00:11:41,785
every time she and Rob had sex.
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00:11:41,826 --> 00:11:43,411
And by that time,
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00:11:43,453 --> 00:11:46,873
Rob and Becky
had had sex six times.
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00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:49,417
When Becky missed her period,
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00:11:49,459 --> 00:11:51,920
she told Jaclyn.
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00:11:51,961 --> 00:11:54,881
Pam: She had gone
to the Kmart store there
235
00:11:54,923 --> 00:11:57,926
and had bought
a pregnancy test.
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00:11:57,967 --> 00:12:00,428
And her and Jackie
237
00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:03,431
went over to Burger King
right there
238
00:12:03,473 --> 00:12:06,226
in the same lot and she did
the pregnancy test
239
00:12:06,267 --> 00:12:07,686
and that's when
she found out.
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Todd: It was early on.
She wasn't showing.
241
00:12:13,525 --> 00:12:16,528
She told me that
it was Rob's kid.
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00:12:19,823 --> 00:12:22,784
[***]
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00:12:22,826 --> 00:12:24,411
Narrator: But when police
bring Rob Leamon in
244
00:12:24,452 --> 00:12:25,912
for an interview,
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00:12:25,954 --> 00:12:27,664
he tells detectives
that he and Becky
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00:12:27,706 --> 00:12:29,749
weren't seriously dating.
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00:12:31,668 --> 00:12:33,753
Pam: I do remember
the comments
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00:12:33,795 --> 00:12:35,797
about him dating Becky.
249
00:12:35,839 --> 00:12:38,842
That he's going on
the other side of the tracks
250
00:12:38,883 --> 00:12:41,886
dating somebody
that was way beneath him.
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00:12:43,763 --> 00:12:46,474
Rob had actually
been dating somebody else
252
00:12:46,516 --> 00:12:47,559
during the school year.
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00:12:48,893 --> 00:12:50,478
Gina: Becky was,
kind of, you know,
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00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:52,313
the girl on the side
255
00:12:52,355 --> 00:12:54,774
while Rob's girlfriend
was in New York for the summer.
256
00:12:57,068 --> 00:12:59,696
[***]
257
00:12:59,738 --> 00:13:01,364
Narrator: Rob admits
to the detectives
258
00:13:01,406 --> 00:13:03,241
that Becky told him
she was pregnant
259
00:13:03,283 --> 00:13:05,285
and that he was the father.
260
00:13:05,326 --> 00:13:07,871
He also admits that he
asked her to get an abortion.
261
00:13:07,912 --> 00:13:12,709
But he says he didn't see her
the day she disappeared.
262
00:13:12,751 --> 00:13:14,878
Scott: Rob said he had
not had contact with her.
263
00:13:14,919 --> 00:13:16,713
That they were
supposed to meet.
264
00:13:16,755 --> 00:13:18,256
They didn't meet,
265
00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:19,549
that he didn't know
where she was at
266
00:13:19,591 --> 00:13:21,426
and didn't know
what happened.
267
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,722
Gina: Rob was very easily
268
00:13:25,764 --> 00:13:28,266
able to account
for his whereabouts that day.
269
00:13:29,642 --> 00:13:31,603
He had done a landscaping job.
270
00:13:31,644 --> 00:13:33,396
Then he went and talked
271
00:13:33,438 --> 00:13:35,607
to his friend
Gary for a while.
272
00:13:35,648 --> 00:13:37,525
Then he hung out
with his mom.
273
00:13:37,567 --> 00:13:40,612
And then he went
to his job as a bus boy.
274
00:13:42,489 --> 00:13:44,949
The police checked
with all of those people.
275
00:13:44,991 --> 00:13:46,743
Gary said
he had seen Rob.
276
00:13:46,785 --> 00:13:50,330
Rob's mom said
she had seen Rob.
277
00:13:50,372 --> 00:13:52,457
Scott: He said
that he was at work.
278
00:13:52,499 --> 00:13:55,335
And we checked that out
and that was verified.
279
00:13:55,377 --> 00:13:57,587
Said that he hung out
with his cousin.
280
00:13:57,629 --> 00:14:00,632
And we checked that out
and that was verified.
281
00:14:00,674 --> 00:14:02,801
So he had an alibi.
282
00:14:02,842 --> 00:14:04,761
This is not the kid
that you pick out
283
00:14:04,803 --> 00:14:08,765
going, "Okay, that kid's
a troublemaker or a liar."
284
00:14:08,807 --> 00:14:10,350
We didn't have
any reason to doubt
285
00:14:10,392 --> 00:14:11,643
that he was telling us
the truth.
286
00:14:13,978 --> 00:14:15,689
-[BIRDS CHIRPING]
-[***]
287
00:14:15,730 --> 00:14:18,316
Narrator: Still,
investigators ask Rob
288
00:14:18,358 --> 00:14:21,111
to take a polygraph test.
289
00:14:21,152 --> 00:14:22,821
Det. David:
He passed the test.
290
00:14:24,572 --> 00:14:26,991
They reported him
as being truthful,
291
00:14:27,033 --> 00:14:30,328
that he had no involvement
in Becky's disappearance.
292
00:14:32,580 --> 00:14:33,790
Scott: So then we're like,
"Okay, well then
293
00:14:33,832 --> 00:14:37,460
that really does
set Rob aside."
294
00:14:37,502 --> 00:14:39,587
Narrator: As the detectives
consider the case,
295
00:14:39,629 --> 00:14:41,548
they can't rule out
the possibility
296
00:14:41,589 --> 00:14:44,509
that the person responsible
for Becky's disappearance
297
00:14:44,551 --> 00:14:46,386
is Becky herself.
298
00:14:46,428 --> 00:14:48,972
[***]
299
00:14:49,014 --> 00:14:50,682
Gina: Becky was pregnant.
300
00:14:50,724 --> 00:14:52,517
And she was really
excited about it.
301
00:14:53,852 --> 00:14:55,937
Todd: From what I understood,
302
00:14:55,979 --> 00:14:59,024
Rob had asked her
to get an abortion.
303
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,652
And initially she thought maybe
304
00:15:02,694 --> 00:15:04,404
she could do that
305
00:15:04,446 --> 00:15:07,073
but I think she just
changed her mind
306
00:15:07,115 --> 00:15:11,036
and she just felt like
307
00:15:11,077 --> 00:15:12,954
she wanted
to keep the child.
308
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,962
Det. David: Not uncommon
that a 15-year-old
309
00:15:21,004 --> 00:15:23,715
becomes pregnant.
310
00:15:23,757 --> 00:15:26,009
And they all handle it
in different ways.
311
00:15:26,051 --> 00:15:30,638
And she may have
taken off and ran away.
312
00:15:32,682 --> 00:15:35,060
Scott: You're 15,
you don't have a job,
313
00:15:35,101 --> 00:15:37,437
you don't have an education,
you don't have any way
314
00:15:37,479 --> 00:15:40,440
to take care of a kid
because you're still a kid.
315
00:15:40,482 --> 00:15:43,902
And so I think Becky
was concerned
316
00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:46,529
that no one else
was going to be
317
00:15:46,571 --> 00:15:49,949
as excited about
this pregnancy as she was.
318
00:15:49,991 --> 00:15:51,785
Narrator:
Still, Becky's friends
319
00:15:51,826 --> 00:15:54,704
find it hard to accept
she would just run away.
320
00:15:54,746 --> 00:15:56,664
[***]
321
00:15:56,706 --> 00:15:58,708
Pam: You know, like I said,
she left her purse,
322
00:15:58,750 --> 00:16:01,753
her cigarettes, her everything
there at that house.
323
00:16:01,795 --> 00:16:04,881
And so everybody said
something's happened to her.
324
00:16:04,923 --> 00:16:07,717
[***]
325
00:16:07,759 --> 00:16:09,511
Narrator: The theory
that Becky had run away
326
00:16:09,552 --> 00:16:11,930
because of her pregnancy
seems even weaker
327
00:16:11,971 --> 00:16:15,100
when detectives break
the news to her mother Diane.
328
00:16:19,646 --> 00:16:24,150
Pam: When Diane heard
that she was pregnant,
329
00:16:24,192 --> 00:16:26,861
she-- she-- she was--
would've been supportive.
330
00:16:26,903 --> 00:16:28,988
She was that way.
331
00:16:29,030 --> 00:16:30,615
Scott: She was upset
by the fact
332
00:16:30,657 --> 00:16:33,743
that Becky hadn't come
to her and told her.
333
00:16:35,787 --> 00:16:38,832
But she knew there was tension
between the two of them.
334
00:16:42,127 --> 00:16:43,545
Narrator:
Diane tells detectives
335
00:16:43,586 --> 00:16:45,088
about the arguments at home
336
00:16:45,130 --> 00:16:46,506
but they quickly rule out
337
00:16:46,548 --> 00:16:47,590
any connection
338
00:16:47,632 --> 00:16:48,883
between Diane herself
339
00:16:48,925 --> 00:16:50,719
and Becky's disappearance.
340
00:16:53,930 --> 00:16:55,765
Gina:
Becky's mom was at work.
341
00:16:55,807 --> 00:17:00,603
So she wasn't a suspect
in her disappearance.
342
00:17:00,645 --> 00:17:03,189
Narrator: But it doesn't escape
the investigator's notice
343
00:17:03,231 --> 00:17:05,692
that Becky's mother
isn't the only person
344
00:17:05,734 --> 00:17:09,112
at home with whom Becky
has sometimes struggled.
345
00:17:09,154 --> 00:17:11,031
Todd: There was some
tension between Becky
346
00:17:11,072 --> 00:17:14,576
and her mother's partner Steve.
347
00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:18,246
They-- they didn't
really get along very well
348
00:17:18,288 --> 00:17:21,666
and-- and I think maybe
he was one of the reasons
349
00:17:21,708 --> 00:17:25,211
that she wanted to get out
of the house for a while.
350
00:17:25,253 --> 00:17:31,718
Their interactions were tense,
sometimes almost hostile.
351
00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:32,802
Narrator:
What detectives learned
352
00:17:32,844 --> 00:17:34,054
from Becky's friends
353
00:17:34,095 --> 00:17:35,221
about the situation inside
354
00:17:35,263 --> 00:17:37,515
Becky's home leads them
355
00:17:37,557 --> 00:17:40,143
to take a closer look at Steve.
356
00:17:43,813 --> 00:17:46,107
Scott: That scenario
where you have
357
00:17:46,149 --> 00:17:48,109
a live-in boyfriend,
358
00:17:48,151 --> 00:17:49,611
teenage daughter,
359
00:17:49,652 --> 00:17:51,821
teenage daughter
becomes pregnant,
360
00:17:51,863 --> 00:17:53,865
when law enforcement
looks at it,
361
00:17:53,907 --> 00:17:55,658
we're looking at it
through that lens
362
00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:58,036
of going why don't you go
to mom or you don't go
363
00:17:58,078 --> 00:18:02,123
to mom because perhaps
the father is not Robbie.
364
00:18:02,165 --> 00:18:04,042
What's going on
between mom's boyfriend
365
00:18:04,084 --> 00:18:05,919
and teenage daughter?
366
00:18:18,098 --> 00:18:18,973
Narrator:
Days after 15-year-old
367
00:18:21,059 --> 00:18:22,727
Becky Stowe vanishes
in Niles, Michigan,
368
00:18:22,769 --> 00:18:25,105
police are asking questions
about the relationship
369
00:18:25,146 --> 00:18:26,981
between the pregnant teenager
370
00:18:27,023 --> 00:18:31,486
and her mother's
boyfriend Steve.
371
00:18:31,528 --> 00:18:34,072
Gina: So the police went
to question Steve
372
00:18:34,114 --> 00:18:38,952
about his whereabouts
on July 13th, 1993.
373
00:18:38,993 --> 00:18:40,954
What they found out
was that he
374
00:18:40,995 --> 00:18:43,206
had not been
at work that day.
375
00:18:43,248 --> 00:18:45,250
He said that
he wasn't feeling well.
376
00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:49,129
He stayed home and no one
had been there with him.
377
00:18:49,170 --> 00:18:51,631
He was just home alone.
378
00:18:54,092 --> 00:18:56,094
Scott: So he basically
had no alibi
379
00:18:56,136 --> 00:18:58,430
for where he was
when Becky disappeared.
380
00:19:01,433 --> 00:19:03,268
Gina: Diane was convinced
that Steve
381
00:19:03,309 --> 00:19:05,353
had nothing to do
with Becky's disappearance
382
00:19:05,395 --> 00:19:08,106
because he was her
longtime boyfriend.
383
00:19:08,148 --> 00:19:12,610
She trusted him.
She loved him.
384
00:19:12,652 --> 00:19:15,155
Narrator: Police placed
a surveillance team on Steve
385
00:19:15,196 --> 00:19:18,533
hoping it might lead to
a clue to Becky's whereabouts.
386
00:19:18,575 --> 00:19:21,619
Meanwhile, Becky's family
and friends are doing
387
00:19:21,661 --> 00:19:26,458
everything they can
to drum up clues on their own.
388
00:19:26,499 --> 00:19:30,003
Gina: Diane needed
the singular purpose
389
00:19:30,045 --> 00:19:32,422
of her life
to find her daughter.
390
00:19:32,464 --> 00:19:36,468
She's nagging
the police almost every day.
391
00:19:36,509 --> 00:19:39,721
What are you doing
to try to find Becky?
392
00:19:39,763 --> 00:19:43,099
She and her family are putting
missing persons fliers
393
00:19:43,141 --> 00:19:45,518
up all over town.
394
00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,481
Cindy: We were making posters,
posting them on grocery stores,
395
00:19:49,522 --> 00:19:51,399
restaurants, utility poles,
396
00:19:51,441 --> 00:19:54,527
and putting them out
on people's cars
397
00:19:54,569 --> 00:19:56,404
in the parking lots.
398
00:19:56,446 --> 00:19:59,449
Rob and all of her friends
399
00:19:59,491 --> 00:20:01,743
were part of the search team.
400
00:20:01,785 --> 00:20:03,536
We searched every place.
401
00:20:05,872 --> 00:20:08,124
Pam: We're thinking
somebody just snatched her up.
402
00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:10,377
There was just no way
we thought she ran away.
403
00:20:10,418 --> 00:20:12,671
So we just started putting out
fliers and doing everything
404
00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:17,717
we could to help Diane
figure out how to find her.
405
00:20:17,759 --> 00:20:19,761
Todd: It was the talk
of the town.
406
00:20:19,803 --> 00:20:24,474
The community was well-aware
that she was missing.
407
00:20:27,435 --> 00:20:29,354
Cindy: Niles is a small town
408
00:20:29,396 --> 00:20:32,357
and we had a lot
of people that kept
409
00:20:32,399 --> 00:20:37,696
saying, well, I've seen Becky
over here or over there.
410
00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:39,197
Just places that they thought
411
00:20:39,239 --> 00:20:41,491
that they had seen someone
412
00:20:41,533 --> 00:20:42,701
that looked like her.
413
00:20:42,742 --> 00:20:45,370
And it was never Becky.
414
00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:51,751
Narrator: Days turned to weeks.
415
00:20:51,793 --> 00:20:53,712
And although many tips come in,
416
00:20:53,753 --> 00:20:55,463
nothing comes of them.
417
00:20:55,505 --> 00:20:59,092
Becky's loved ones
refused to give up.
418
00:20:59,134 --> 00:21:02,137
Todd: We drove
all around Southwest Michigan,
419
00:21:02,178 --> 00:21:03,430
Northern Indiana
420
00:21:03,471 --> 00:21:05,724
talking to mutual friends,
421
00:21:05,765 --> 00:21:10,270
going to places
that she liked to go to.
422
00:21:10,311 --> 00:21:12,480
Just came up
completely empty-handed.
423
00:21:15,316 --> 00:21:19,738
Gina: Diane would just go
around town and look for her.
424
00:21:19,779 --> 00:21:22,824
Diane would, like,
drive to abandoned houses
425
00:21:22,866 --> 00:21:24,743
and look through
the windows and try
426
00:21:24,784 --> 00:21:27,579
to go inside and see
if Becky was in there.
427
00:21:27,620 --> 00:21:30,123
[***]
428
00:21:32,208 --> 00:21:34,753
Narrator: Despite the cloud
of suspicion over him,
429
00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:36,171
Diane's boyfriend, Steve,
430
00:21:36,212 --> 00:21:37,672
seems increasingly
431
00:21:37,714 --> 00:21:39,632
engrossed in the search,
432
00:21:39,674 --> 00:21:42,344
and he begins insisting
that Becky's friends
433
00:21:42,385 --> 00:21:45,138
are hiding something.
434
00:21:45,180 --> 00:21:48,516
Gina: Steve was convinced
that some of Becky's friends
435
00:21:48,558 --> 00:21:50,852
knew what had happened to her.
436
00:21:50,894 --> 00:21:53,229
One time, he even woke up
in the middle of the night
437
00:21:53,271 --> 00:21:57,233
and said to Diane,
"I know her friends are lying,
438
00:21:57,275 --> 00:21:58,943
we're getting
the truth out of them,
439
00:21:58,985 --> 00:22:01,154
we're gonna figure
out what happened."
440
00:22:01,196 --> 00:22:02,655
[***]
441
00:22:02,697 --> 00:22:04,949
Todd: Becky's mother
did contact me.
442
00:22:04,991 --> 00:22:07,827
One day, she showed up
at my house,
443
00:22:07,869 --> 00:22:10,372
completely hysterical.
444
00:22:10,413 --> 00:22:12,791
And she asked me
if she could look in the trunk
445
00:22:12,832 --> 00:22:15,627
of my car
and look at my basement,
446
00:22:15,669 --> 00:22:17,587
and I let her do it,
447
00:22:17,629 --> 00:22:21,800
I let her looked everywhere
she wanted to look.
448
00:22:21,841 --> 00:22:24,761
I totally understood
where she was coming from.
449
00:22:24,803 --> 00:22:26,179
It was just something
that she felt
450
00:22:26,221 --> 00:22:27,430
that she had to do,
451
00:22:27,472 --> 00:22:30,183
she was leaving
no stone unturned.
452
00:22:30,225 --> 00:22:32,435
She was rather desperate.
453
00:22:32,477 --> 00:22:34,854
We all were desperate
by that point.
454
00:22:34,896 --> 00:22:37,774
[***]
455
00:22:37,816 --> 00:22:39,693
Narrator: After weeks
of surveillance,
456
00:22:39,734 --> 00:22:41,486
the police
have seen nothing
457
00:22:41,528 --> 00:22:44,280
connecting Steve
to Becky's disappearance.
458
00:22:44,322 --> 00:22:46,282
But they aren't ready
to clear him,
459
00:22:46,324 --> 00:22:48,576
so they asked him
to take a polygraph test.
460
00:22:48,618 --> 00:22:50,829
[***]
461
00:22:50,870 --> 00:22:52,997
Scott: Originally, he said,
"Oh, yeah, I'll do that."
462
00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:55,333
And then the next thing
you know, we get a contact
463
00:22:55,375 --> 00:22:58,753
from his attorney that says,
uh, he's not doing a polygraph.
464
00:22:58,795 --> 00:23:01,840
[***]
465
00:23:01,881 --> 00:23:04,676
Scott: That usually means
you don't think you can pass it.
466
00:23:04,718 --> 00:23:06,553
Why can't you pass it?
467
00:23:06,594 --> 00:23:08,346
He's not at work
like he's supposed to,
468
00:23:08,388 --> 00:23:11,016
there's tension
between him and Becky,
469
00:23:11,057 --> 00:23:13,643
he's indicated he's angry
with her,
470
00:23:13,685 --> 00:23:15,645
and he has no alibi.
471
00:23:15,687 --> 00:23:18,440
So, that keeps him
at the top of our list.
472
00:23:18,481 --> 00:23:22,694
[***]
473
00:23:22,736 --> 00:23:26,322
Pam: And it got really bad
between him and Diane
474
00:23:26,364 --> 00:23:30,618
because she was mad at him
and he was mad at her.
475
00:23:30,660 --> 00:23:32,871
Cindy: They were fighting
over that.
476
00:23:32,912 --> 00:23:36,374
If he knew he was innocent
and didn't do anything wrong,
477
00:23:36,416 --> 00:23:39,294
go ahead and take the polygraph
and clear your name.
478
00:23:41,713 --> 00:23:44,549
[***]
479
00:23:44,591 --> 00:23:49,596
Cindy: He made himself
look very suspicious.
480
00:23:49,637 --> 00:23:53,558
[***]
481
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,561
Pam: And, uh,
it wasn't too long after that
482
00:23:56,603 --> 00:23:59,564
that he pretty
much packed up and left.
483
00:24:01,983 --> 00:24:04,736
Gina: So, one day Diane
gets home
484
00:24:04,778 --> 00:24:07,614
and Steve is just gone.
485
00:24:07,655 --> 00:24:10,825
They've been in a relationship
for 12 years
486
00:24:10,867 --> 00:24:14,287
and suddenly he's cleared out.
487
00:24:14,329 --> 00:24:16,790
She didn't know
what happened to him.
488
00:24:16,831 --> 00:24:19,751
And he was just gone.
489
00:24:19,793 --> 00:24:22,837
Scott: He couldn't have done
anything else to make himself
490
00:24:22,879 --> 00:24:25,799
look more guilty than the way
that he was behaving.
491
00:24:40,438 --> 00:24:42,065
Narrator: Michigan detectives
looking for missing 15-year-old
492
00:24:43,983 --> 00:24:45,443
Becky Stowe have growing
questions about
493
00:24:45,485 --> 00:24:48,488
her mother Diane's
boyfriend, Steve.
494
00:24:48,530 --> 00:24:50,782
But three months
after Becky vanished,
495
00:24:50,824 --> 00:24:53,743
Steve has apparently
disappeared too.
496
00:24:53,785 --> 00:24:55,370
[***]
497
00:24:55,412 --> 00:24:57,831
Pam: He just took off.
498
00:24:57,872 --> 00:25:02,293
And I know Diane
was totally upset about it.
499
00:25:02,335 --> 00:25:06,214
Todd: I heard
that Steve disappeared
500
00:25:06,256 --> 00:25:08,383
which, kind of,
501
00:25:08,425 --> 00:25:10,010
reinforced my idea
502
00:25:10,051 --> 00:25:13,054
that maybe he has something
to do with it.
503
00:25:13,096 --> 00:25:16,057
And some
of his behavior throughout,
504
00:25:16,099 --> 00:25:20,395
it just seemed so bizarre.
505
00:25:20,437 --> 00:25:22,397
Steve, instead of
taking the polygraph,
506
00:25:22,439 --> 00:25:24,232
moved out of the house.
507
00:25:24,274 --> 00:25:28,111
Well, for us,
that just keeps ramping it up.
508
00:25:28,153 --> 00:25:30,196
Gina: Who refuses
to take a polygraph,
509
00:25:30,238 --> 00:25:32,073
gets a lawyer,
and then skips town
510
00:25:32,115 --> 00:25:34,242
if they're not guilty?
511
00:25:34,284 --> 00:25:36,870
[SIREN BLARES]
512
00:25:36,911 --> 00:25:39,831
Narrator: Police immediately
begin searching for Steve.
513
00:25:39,873 --> 00:25:43,001
[***]
514
00:25:43,043 --> 00:25:46,254
Narrator: But he proves adept
at keeping under the radar.
515
00:25:46,296 --> 00:25:48,214
[EAGLE SCREECHES]
516
00:25:48,256 --> 00:25:51,593
Narrator: Months go by
with no sign of him.
517
00:25:51,634 --> 00:25:53,970
And still no sign of Becky.
518
00:25:54,012 --> 00:25:55,805
[***]
519
00:25:55,847 --> 00:25:58,475
Scott: There were at least
20 or 30 times
520
00:25:58,516 --> 00:26:01,811
that we put together searches,
cadaver dogs,
521
00:26:01,853 --> 00:26:03,605
the whole bit,
to go out to some location
522
00:26:03,646 --> 00:26:05,857
that she was allegedly buried,
523
00:26:05,899 --> 00:26:07,525
and wouldn't find anything.
524
00:26:07,567 --> 00:26:09,944
So yeah,
this went on for months,
525
00:26:09,986 --> 00:26:11,988
and months,
and months, and months.
526
00:26:13,323 --> 00:26:15,450
[***]
527
00:26:15,492 --> 00:26:17,994
Narrator: The not knowing
is mental torture
528
00:26:18,036 --> 00:26:20,455
for Becky's mother.
529
00:26:20,497 --> 00:26:24,000
Pam: With Diane also being,
uh, by herself,
530
00:26:25,877 --> 00:26:27,962
I think it was worse for her.
531
00:26:28,004 --> 00:26:30,006
She's, you know,
stayed in that house,
532
00:26:30,048 --> 00:26:32,509
she didn't wanna leave,
she didn't wanna go anywhere
533
00:26:32,550 --> 00:26:35,011
because she was afraid
that she'd miss,
534
00:26:35,053 --> 00:26:36,429
you know, miss Becky.
535
00:26:36,471 --> 00:26:39,057
[***]
536
00:26:39,099 --> 00:26:40,934
Narrator:
Desperate for answers,
537
00:26:40,975 --> 00:26:43,603
Becky's mother, Diane,
reaches out to anyone,
538
00:26:43,645 --> 00:26:47,190
anywhere who might provide
a fresh clue.
539
00:26:47,232 --> 00:26:49,859
Cindy: My mom contacted
several psychics
540
00:26:49,901 --> 00:26:52,362
about where Becky was.
541
00:26:52,404 --> 00:26:57,617
So, I mean,
you grasp at anything.
542
00:26:57,659 --> 00:26:59,953
Gina: The thing
that they all said the same
543
00:26:59,994 --> 00:27:03,373
was that Becky was dead,
and they were looking
544
00:27:03,415 --> 00:27:05,041
for her body,
545
00:27:05,083 --> 00:27:07,335
but she was never gonna
be found alive.
546
00:27:07,377 --> 00:27:10,005
[***]
547
00:27:10,046 --> 00:27:12,590
Scott: In over 25 years
I've been a prosecutor,
548
00:27:12,632 --> 00:27:16,177
I've never, um, had
any law enforcement agency
549
00:27:16,219 --> 00:27:18,138
consult with a psychic.
550
00:27:18,179 --> 00:27:21,016
In this case, um, because,
again, we had gone
551
00:27:21,057 --> 00:27:22,934
on for over a year and a half
552
00:27:22,976 --> 00:27:26,021
and we were coming up empty.
553
00:27:26,062 --> 00:27:29,566
And the decision was made
to consult with a psychic
554
00:27:29,607 --> 00:27:32,277
that had assisted law
enforcement in another case.
555
00:27:32,318 --> 00:27:34,362
[***]
556
00:27:34,404 --> 00:27:39,993
Scott: The psychic had pictured
an industrial kind of area,
557
00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:42,704
and then she also indicated
there was water nearby.
558
00:27:42,746 --> 00:27:45,999
[***]
559
00:27:46,041 --> 00:27:48,710
Scott: She also
indicated railroad tracks.
560
00:27:48,752 --> 00:27:50,628
There's a couple of them
that run through Cass County.
561
00:27:52,130 --> 00:27:54,090
It was interesting,
562
00:27:54,132 --> 00:27:57,344
um, it wasn't specific enough
563
00:27:57,385 --> 00:27:59,137
for us to pin down.
564
00:28:00,597 --> 00:28:02,390
It didn't break the case.
565
00:28:02,432 --> 00:28:05,477
[***]
566
00:28:07,312 --> 00:28:10,065
Gina: I don't think Diane
ever believed
567
00:28:10,106 --> 00:28:12,025
that Becky was dead.
568
00:28:12,067 --> 00:28:15,403
I think, as a mother,
she thought
569
00:28:15,445 --> 00:28:18,031
that if Becky was dead,
she would feel it.
570
00:28:18,073 --> 00:28:20,575
[***]
571
00:28:20,617 --> 00:28:22,744
Cindy: I feel that my mom
was hoping Becky
572
00:28:22,786 --> 00:28:24,287
would just walk
in the front door
573
00:28:24,329 --> 00:28:27,415
at any given time
574
00:28:27,457 --> 00:28:29,459
and it'd all be over.
575
00:28:29,501 --> 00:28:32,545
[***]
576
00:28:35,632 --> 00:28:38,760
Narrator: An agonizing year
and a half goes by.
577
00:28:38,802 --> 00:28:42,639
Then, Diane's tireless
efforts appeared to pay off.
578
00:28:42,681 --> 00:28:44,474
One of her volunteer searchers
579
00:28:44,516 --> 00:28:47,268
has found something
suspicious in a field.
580
00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:49,396
[***]
581
00:28:49,437 --> 00:28:50,980
She got a call that
there were bones
582
00:28:51,022 --> 00:28:52,190
out at this particular farm
583
00:28:52,232 --> 00:28:53,566
and she, you know, put together
584
00:28:53,608 --> 00:28:56,069
her team of volunteers.
585
00:28:58,488 --> 00:29:00,448
Gina: And so they started
digging up that patch
586
00:29:00,490 --> 00:29:03,743
of dirt and found bones.
587
00:29:03,785 --> 00:29:07,706
They called the police
and it turned out
588
00:29:07,747 --> 00:29:10,709
this poor farmer
had just recently buried
589
00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:14,629
his deceased dog
and they were dog bones.
590
00:29:14,671 --> 00:29:18,133
[***]
591
00:29:18,174 --> 00:29:20,010
Scott: If you put yourself
in her position,
592
00:29:20,051 --> 00:29:23,638
you'll move heaven
and earth to find your kid.
593
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,307
So I don't--
I don't blame her a bit.
594
00:29:26,349 --> 00:29:29,060
But at that point,
by the time we hit that 20,
595
00:29:29,102 --> 00:29:32,022
21, 22 months mark,
596
00:29:32,063 --> 00:29:33,523
we were running on empty.
597
00:29:35,692 --> 00:29:38,445
And we still met
regularly to go, "Okay.
598
00:29:38,486 --> 00:29:41,614
Is there something
we can circle back and do again?
599
00:29:41,656 --> 00:29:45,452
You know, do we need to find
Steve and harass him some more?"
600
00:29:45,493 --> 00:29:47,495
We found nothing
that would indicate
601
00:29:47,537 --> 00:29:49,122
that Steve was involved
602
00:29:49,164 --> 00:29:51,291
in anything inappropriate
with Becky,
603
00:29:51,332 --> 00:29:54,669
or that he had anything
to do with the disappearance.
604
00:29:54,711 --> 00:29:56,338
What else can we do?
605
00:29:56,379 --> 00:29:58,798
[***]
606
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,471
Narrator: With no new leads,
Becky's case goes cold.
607
00:30:04,512 --> 00:30:06,848
Then, in October 1995,
608
00:30:06,890 --> 00:30:09,642
the phone rings in the Cass
County Sheriff's Office
609
00:30:09,684 --> 00:30:13,063
and everything changes.
610
00:30:13,104 --> 00:30:14,814
The woman on the other end
of the line
611
00:30:14,856 --> 00:30:17,776
claims she knows exactly
what happened to Becky Stowe
612
00:30:17,817 --> 00:30:19,819
two years earlier.
613
00:30:19,861 --> 00:30:21,571
Scott:
We couldn't believe it.
614
00:30:21,613 --> 00:30:24,282
It was Angela Snyder.
615
00:30:24,324 --> 00:30:26,743
The ongoing
steady girlfriend
616
00:30:26,785 --> 00:30:30,163
of Robbie Leamon.
617
00:30:30,205 --> 00:30:33,249
[***]
618
00:30:36,586 --> 00:30:38,505
Pam: It just makes me sick
to my stomach
619
00:30:38,546 --> 00:30:42,425
to think that she went
through that at 15 years old.
620
00:30:44,344 --> 00:30:46,638
[ Sighs ]
621
00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:51,142
Cindy: He was evil,
and he was manipulative,
622
00:31:00,819 --> 00:31:02,278
[***]
623
00:31:04,823 --> 00:31:06,533
Narrator:
Becky Stowe has been missing
624
00:31:06,574 --> 00:31:08,660
in Michigan for two years.
625
00:31:08,702 --> 00:31:10,870
But now,
a witness has come forward,
626
00:31:10,912 --> 00:31:13,081
claiming to know
what happened to the teenager.
627
00:31:16,751 --> 00:31:19,754
Gina: In 1993,
before she disappeared,
628
00:31:19,796 --> 00:31:22,882
Becky had her first boyfriend,
629
00:31:22,924 --> 00:31:25,218
Rob.
630
00:31:25,260 --> 00:31:27,178
Scott: At that time,
Angela Snyder
631
00:31:27,220 --> 00:31:30,849
was Robert Leamon's ongoing,
steady girlfriend,
632
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:32,976
except for the time
he was sleeping with Becky
633
00:31:33,018 --> 00:31:34,894
during the summer of '93.
634
00:31:37,647 --> 00:31:39,691
Narrator: Police cleared Rob
as a suspect
635
00:31:39,733 --> 00:31:42,277
early in the investigation.
636
00:31:42,318 --> 00:31:44,237
Scott: He was,
you know, a good kid,
637
00:31:44,279 --> 00:31:46,114
he hadn't been
in trouble before.
638
00:31:46,156 --> 00:31:50,035
He was involved in school,
he was involved in sports.
639
00:31:50,076 --> 00:31:51,870
So when he said,
"Hey, I was at work,
640
00:31:51,911 --> 00:31:55,582
um, I didn't see her."
And then we checked it out,
641
00:31:55,623 --> 00:31:57,250
and it--
and it-- it checked out.
642
00:31:57,292 --> 00:32:00,086
So then
it must be somebody else.
643
00:32:04,174 --> 00:32:06,301
Narrator: But now,
Angela drops a bombshell
644
00:32:06,343 --> 00:32:09,304
on the investigation.
645
00:32:09,346 --> 00:32:12,640
She tells detectives
she knows that Rob Leamon
646
00:32:12,682 --> 00:32:15,226
killed Becky Stowe.
647
00:32:15,268 --> 00:32:17,228
She claims
that he admitted it to her
648
00:32:17,270 --> 00:32:18,938
and she's been too frightened
649
00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:23,360
to reveal the awful secret
until now.
650
00:32:23,401 --> 00:32:25,820
Scott: We said,
"When did he tell you this?"
651
00:32:25,862 --> 00:32:29,157
Seventeen months
before she told us.
652
00:32:30,992 --> 00:32:33,203
And, of course, we're like
"So you've been carrying
653
00:32:33,244 --> 00:32:36,247
this information for 17 months
654
00:32:36,289 --> 00:32:39,709
while her mom, every single day,
655
00:32:39,751 --> 00:32:41,336
is out looking for her daughter,
656
00:32:41,378 --> 00:32:43,380
and all of the law enforcement
657
00:32:43,421 --> 00:32:45,757
has been looking for her
for two years?"
658
00:32:47,467 --> 00:32:50,261
And I never got
a good answer for why.
659
00:32:55,433 --> 00:32:58,019
Narrator: Then,
Angela drops another bomb.
660
00:32:58,061 --> 00:33:02,691
She claims to also know
where Becky's body is buried.
661
00:33:02,732 --> 00:33:04,776
Scott: She said
Becky's body was out
662
00:33:04,818 --> 00:33:09,948
on a farm
owned by Robbie's uncle.
663
00:33:09,989 --> 00:33:12,409
It was a wooded area
next to the lake
664
00:33:12,450 --> 00:33:16,955
on the end of his farm,
and it was under a wood pile.
665
00:33:16,996 --> 00:33:18,832
That's pretty specific.
666
00:33:22,419 --> 00:33:26,881
[***]
667
00:33:26,923 --> 00:33:28,883
Narrator:
On a cold October morning,
668
00:33:28,925 --> 00:33:30,844
investigators arrive
at the farm
669
00:33:30,885 --> 00:33:33,805
and start digging
near a log pile in the backyard
670
00:33:33,847 --> 00:33:36,808
but it's tough going.
671
00:33:36,850 --> 00:33:39,811
Det. David: I made contact
with a person I know
672
00:33:39,853 --> 00:33:41,938
who has a backhoe
and he came out there.
673
00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:43,857
[BACKHOE ENGINE REVVING]
674
00:33:45,984 --> 00:33:49,112
Det. David: After some
scoops by the excavator,
675
00:33:49,154 --> 00:33:51,906
there was some clothing
and body parts
676
00:33:51,948 --> 00:33:53,867
that came up on the bucket.
677
00:33:55,326 --> 00:33:57,120
Scott: It was easy
to recognize,
678
00:33:57,162 --> 00:34:00,999
it was a pelvic bone
and a thigh.
679
00:34:01,041 --> 00:34:04,044
Narrator: The officers believe
they have found Becky Stowe.
680
00:34:05,879 --> 00:34:07,881
They gather
around the burial site
681
00:34:07,922 --> 00:34:10,800
and offer a prayer.
682
00:34:10,842 --> 00:34:13,178
Det. David: In one sense,
it's gut-wrenching to see,
683
00:34:13,219 --> 00:34:16,306
in the other sense,
you feel a sense of relief
684
00:34:16,348 --> 00:34:19,267
because it's probably Becky.
685
00:34:19,309 --> 00:34:23,438
[***]
686
00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,899
Narrator: The bones are taken
to the medical examiners
687
00:34:25,940 --> 00:34:27,817
where the forensic team
checks the teeth
688
00:34:27,859 --> 00:34:30,028
against Becky's dental records.
689
00:34:30,070 --> 00:34:31,488
They are a match.
690
00:34:34,574 --> 00:34:36,451
But because of decomposition,
691
00:34:36,493 --> 00:34:38,870
the medical examiner
is unable to determine
692
00:34:38,912 --> 00:34:41,206
the cause of death.
693
00:34:41,247 --> 00:34:42,874
Gina: The body
was so decomposed
694
00:34:42,916 --> 00:34:44,334
they couldn't find
medical evidence
695
00:34:44,376 --> 00:34:45,752
of the fact
that she had been pregnant.
696
00:34:51,549 --> 00:34:54,386
Narrator: Detectives sadly
bring Becky's mother Diane,
697
00:34:54,427 --> 00:34:57,305
the news she's been dreading
for two years.
698
00:34:59,015 --> 00:35:02,102
Pam: I think
that had to have been
699
00:35:02,143 --> 00:35:04,229
the worst moment
of her life.
700
00:35:04,270 --> 00:35:07,273
[***]
701
00:35:09,109 --> 00:35:11,111
It was horrid.
702
00:35:14,447 --> 00:35:17,325
Cindy: My mom called me
on the phone and said,
703
00:35:17,367 --> 00:35:19,828
"You need to come over.
704
00:35:19,869 --> 00:35:21,913
They found Becky."
705
00:35:21,955 --> 00:35:24,165
I was like, just,
706
00:35:24,207 --> 00:35:26,918
[ Gasps ]
I was just shocked.
707
00:35:29,129 --> 00:35:32,173
[***]
708
00:35:35,135 --> 00:35:36,886
Narrator:
The missing person's case
709
00:35:36,928 --> 00:35:39,889
has become a homicide case.
710
00:35:39,931 --> 00:35:43,101
And Rob Leamon
is the prime suspect.
711
00:35:43,143 --> 00:35:44,853
Detectives are surprised
712
00:35:44,894 --> 00:35:46,813
when he agrees
to speak with them,
713
00:35:46,855 --> 00:35:49,941
and they're stunned
when with no hesitation,
714
00:35:49,983 --> 00:35:51,985
he tells them the story
of what happened
715
00:35:52,027 --> 00:35:53,611
the day Becky died.
716
00:35:53,653 --> 00:35:57,449
[***]
717
00:35:57,490 --> 00:35:59,200
Narrator: He tells them
he picked Becky up
718
00:35:59,242 --> 00:36:01,036
and drove her
to his uncle's farm
719
00:36:01,077 --> 00:36:04,873
so they could spend
some time together.
720
00:36:04,914 --> 00:36:08,209
Scott: He said they got into,
uh, a little bit of an argument.
721
00:36:08,251 --> 00:36:10,962
[***]
722
00:36:11,004 --> 00:36:13,298
Scott: Robbie began to describe
what, in effect,
723
00:36:13,340 --> 00:36:17,469
was a wrestling match
where he was behind Becky,
724
00:36:17,510 --> 00:36:19,846
had his arms
wrapped around her head.
725
00:36:19,888 --> 00:36:21,306
And they kind of rolled around,
726
00:36:21,348 --> 00:36:22,932
and something popped
in her neck.
727
00:36:25,602 --> 00:36:27,437
It was sort of minimizing,
728
00:36:27,479 --> 00:36:30,273
sort of a pseudo-accident
explanation?
729
00:36:30,315 --> 00:36:32,233
That doesn't work
like that in real life.
730
00:36:32,275 --> 00:36:34,444
[***]
731
00:36:34,486 --> 00:36:36,529
Narrator: The investigators
find Rob's story
732
00:36:36,571 --> 00:36:40,033
hard to swallow,
even more so when Rob's cousin
733
00:36:40,075 --> 00:36:45,163
tells them he helped Rob
dig the hole the previous day.
734
00:36:45,205 --> 00:36:48,667
Scott: His cousin
is learning-impaired,
735
00:36:48,708 --> 00:36:52,629
and so he didn't connect
the dots on what was going on.
736
00:36:52,671 --> 00:36:56,508
[***]
737
00:36:56,549 --> 00:36:58,218
Scott: After that interview,
738
00:36:58,259 --> 00:37:00,512
Rob Leamon was placed
into custody
739
00:37:00,553 --> 00:37:03,306
and then charged
with open murder.
740
00:37:03,348 --> 00:37:07,310
[***]
741
00:37:07,352 --> 00:37:09,604
When we found out
742
00:37:09,646 --> 00:37:15,110
that Robert had been arrested,
743
00:37:15,151 --> 00:37:18,279
it was kind of a bit
of relief
744
00:37:18,321 --> 00:37:20,532
because we had spent
745
00:37:20,573 --> 00:37:22,200
a couple of years
746
00:37:22,242 --> 00:37:24,911
looking and hoping and...
747
00:37:26,621 --> 00:37:28,665
Sighs: and, um...
748
00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:32,544
that's pretty stressful.
749
00:37:32,585 --> 00:37:35,588
[***]
750
00:37:38,675 --> 00:37:40,510
Narrator:
Although he was only 16
751
00:37:40,552 --> 00:37:42,429
at the time of the murder,
752
00:37:42,470 --> 00:37:44,931
a judge rules that Rob Leamon
will be tried
753
00:37:44,973 --> 00:37:47,684
as an adult because
of the severity of the crime.
754
00:37:50,645 --> 00:37:52,564
As the trial date approaches,
755
00:37:52,605 --> 00:37:54,232
Becky's family must deal
756
00:37:54,274 --> 00:37:57,068
with another
shocking revelation.
757
00:37:57,110 --> 00:38:00,196
Forensic testing has determined
that Becky's death
758
00:38:00,238 --> 00:38:03,033
was even more cruel
than they had imagined.
759
00:38:04,284 --> 00:38:06,453
Pam: It was awful.
760
00:38:18,715 --> 00:38:20,175
[***]
761
00:38:21,718 --> 00:38:23,928
Narrator: In January 1997,
762
00:38:23,970 --> 00:38:27,474
Rob Leamon goes on trial
for the murder of Becky Stowe,
763
00:38:27,515 --> 00:38:30,101
his pregnant girlfriend,
four years earlier.
764
00:38:31,603 --> 00:38:33,813
[***]
765
00:38:33,855 --> 00:38:35,899
Scott: We did attend the trial
766
00:38:35,940 --> 00:38:38,777
that was held
in Cassopolis, Michigan,
767
00:38:38,818 --> 00:38:41,863
which is even smaller
than Niles.
768
00:38:43,114 --> 00:38:44,866
It was quite a major event.
769
00:38:46,534 --> 00:38:50,580
Pam: I even wrote down
every word
770
00:38:50,622 --> 00:38:52,582
that was said in that trial.
771
00:38:52,624 --> 00:38:54,167
It was something
I felt like I had to do
772
00:38:54,209 --> 00:38:56,586
because I didn't
wanna miss anything,
773
00:38:56,628 --> 00:38:58,922
as far as what he was saying
774
00:38:58,963 --> 00:39:01,800
and what was being said.
775
00:39:01,841 --> 00:39:03,510
Narrator:
Rob sticks to his story
776
00:39:03,551 --> 00:39:05,845
that Becky's death
was accidental.
777
00:39:05,887 --> 00:39:07,722
But prosecutors tell the jury
778
00:39:07,764 --> 00:39:10,475
the evidence
suggests something else.
779
00:39:10,517 --> 00:39:12,060
Scott: I think
he took her out there,
780
00:39:12,102 --> 00:39:13,728
showed her the hole
in the ground
781
00:39:13,770 --> 00:39:15,522
and said, "Do you understand
how serious I am
782
00:39:15,563 --> 00:39:17,023
about you getting an abortion?"
783
00:39:17,065 --> 00:39:18,775
[SCREAMS]
784
00:39:18,817 --> 00:39:20,944
Scott: And then she started
to fight.
785
00:39:22,696 --> 00:39:25,240
She was strangled,
786
00:39:25,281 --> 00:39:27,534
to the point
where she lost consciousness.
787
00:39:29,828 --> 00:39:31,830
And then put in the hole.
788
00:39:34,165 --> 00:39:37,711
She might not have died
instantly from being strangled.
789
00:39:41,172 --> 00:39:43,133
Becky Stowe was buried alive.
790
00:39:45,927 --> 00:39:48,680
Pam: Absolutely
the hardest thing to hear
791
00:39:48,722 --> 00:39:52,517
was that her heart
could've still been beating
792
00:39:52,559 --> 00:39:54,269
when he threw her in that hole.
793
00:39:54,310 --> 00:39:57,272
I mean, that just
makes me sick to my stomach,
794
00:39:57,313 --> 00:40:02,193
and to think that she went
through that at 15 years old.
795
00:40:03,862 --> 00:40:05,655
[ SIGHS ]
796
00:40:05,697 --> 00:40:07,198
It's just horrible.
797
00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:10,285
[***]
798
00:40:12,704 --> 00:40:14,122
Narrator:
Rob's lawyers point out
799
00:40:14,164 --> 00:40:15,749
that he was just a teenager.
800
00:40:15,790 --> 00:40:17,667
He passed
a lie detector test
801
00:40:17,709 --> 00:40:19,336
and he had an alibi.
802
00:40:19,377 --> 00:40:21,212
His time card shows
he was at work
803
00:40:21,254 --> 00:40:22,922
the day Becky went missing.
804
00:40:24,382 --> 00:40:26,760
[***]
805
00:40:26,801 --> 00:40:29,179
Rob was evil.
806
00:40:29,220 --> 00:40:31,139
And he was manipulative,
807
00:40:31,181 --> 00:40:35,185
and he planned this whole thing
out from the beginning.
808
00:40:35,226 --> 00:40:38,355
When they found out
that Rob had someone
809
00:40:38,396 --> 00:40:41,608
clock him in and out
at work for an alibi?
810
00:40:44,069 --> 00:40:45,653
It was just so sick,
811
00:40:45,695 --> 00:40:47,238
his cousin helped him
dig the hole
812
00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,868
the day before, and,
uh, it's just unreal.
813
00:40:53,161 --> 00:40:55,163
[***]
814
00:40:55,205 --> 00:40:57,040
Narrator: After three weeks
of testimony,
815
00:40:57,082 --> 00:40:58,750
the jury delivers its verdict
816
00:40:58,792 --> 00:41:01,670
on January 29th, 1997.
817
00:41:03,713 --> 00:41:06,091
Cindy: When the jury came back
with the guilty verdict,
818
00:41:06,132 --> 00:41:08,593
we were just shedding tears.
819
00:41:10,345 --> 00:41:15,600
Overwhelming feelings
of just, it's over.
820
00:41:17,018 --> 00:41:18,937
We have justice for Becky.
821
00:41:21,272 --> 00:41:24,150
[***]
822
00:41:24,192 --> 00:41:26,820
Cindy: And it was
an overwhelming feeling.
823
00:41:29,864 --> 00:41:32,909
[***]
824
00:41:38,707 --> 00:41:41,835
Narrator: Rob Leamon
is sentenced to life in prison.
825
00:41:42,961 --> 00:41:46,006
[***]
826
00:41:48,425 --> 00:41:52,053
Scott: Becky Stowe died
because she had a crush
827
00:41:52,095 --> 00:41:55,849
on a kid,
and she fell in love with him,
828
00:41:55,890 --> 00:41:59,769
she slept with him,
she got pregnant.
829
00:41:59,811 --> 00:42:02,063
And this kid,
out of all of the people
830
00:42:02,105 --> 00:42:03,940
she could've picked,
831
00:42:03,982 --> 00:42:07,027
was a homicidal sociopath.
832
00:42:07,068 --> 00:42:09,362
And when faced with a choice
of being embarrassed
833
00:42:09,404 --> 00:42:13,324
that he slept with her
or killing her,
834
00:42:13,366 --> 00:42:15,827
he chose killing her.
835
00:42:15,869 --> 00:42:18,913
[***]
836
00:42:23,168 --> 00:42:27,672
Cindy: Rob taking
my sister's life just...
837
00:42:27,714 --> 00:42:32,802
[ Sighs ] just destroyed
my mom's life, literally.
838
00:42:32,844 --> 00:42:37,849
I mean, she had such
major anxiety over it,
839
00:42:37,891 --> 00:42:41,019
um, she cried so much.
840
00:42:44,773 --> 00:42:48,860
Now, we know the truth though,
it was not Steve at all.
841
00:42:48,902 --> 00:42:53,323
But she never saw him again.
842
00:42:53,365 --> 00:42:56,368
[***]
843
00:42:58,411 --> 00:43:01,247
Cindy: I have a poem
I wrote for Becky.
844
00:43:01,289 --> 00:43:04,876
Why did God give you wings
so early to fly?
845
00:43:06,753 --> 00:43:09,798
Now I see you only in my dreams.
846
00:43:09,839 --> 00:43:12,008
I know you're in God's
loving arms,
847
00:43:12,050 --> 00:43:13,927
shining like a beam.
848
00:43:16,054 --> 00:43:18,223
So fly, my angel, fly,
849
00:43:18,264 --> 00:43:20,058
up in the heavens so high.
850
00:43:21,810 --> 00:43:24,854
[***]