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[Jennifer Love Hewitt]
For teenage boys,
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video games are more than
just an escape.
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[laughter echoing]
[boy] You're so going down.
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00:00:09,567 --> 00:00:11,200
They are where friendships
are built,
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[boy] Come on, come on.
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...trust is earned,
and bonds become unbreakable.
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But when the line between
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fantasy and reality
starts to blur,
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00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,868
placing your trust
in the wrong person
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can have deadly consequences.
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-[siren wailing]
-[tense music builds up]
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[theme music playing]
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[Brayson] I remember, like,
all the good times,
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like I was just having a blast.
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[laughter echoing]
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Looking at all of these is
just like, it feels like
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like a fairy tale,
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like none of this happened.
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But like
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having all of it here,
it's just reassuring that
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these are memories that
I'll have access to.
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-[sound distorts]
-[somber music playing]
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I've never really spoken
publicly until now, of course.
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It's crazy that, like,
so long ago, this was us,
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and now it's, like,
10 years later.
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It's like these are memories
that we can't
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make again.
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♪♪
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♪ Whoa ♪
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♪ Hey, oh, hey, oh
What do you say, oh ♪
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♪ Light up
It's a bonfire party, whoa ♪
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♪ Light up
It's a bonfire party ♪
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[Marlene]
Perry's a really small town.
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Everybody knows everybody.
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Everybody knows everybody's
kids and everybody's parents,
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so you can't do
anything silently.
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But I think it created
a sense of community.
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[Zach]
It was really safe in Perry.
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We could go out and run
through the woods.
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We could skateboard,
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you know, late at night, not
have to worry about anything.
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When I was eight, my mom and I
moved out here from California,
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and Sam was one
of the first people I met.
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My mom dated Sam's dad, Chris.
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And Sam and his brother,
Logan, were like
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the first real friends
that I had.
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And we would just sit down
and play video games.
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And then we would all go out
in the woods and stuff like that
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and find like sticks.
There was like sword fight.
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I had met Sam in eighth grade.
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I met Brayson actually
at Sam's house.
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If Sam brought somebody over,
it was like, "OK, cool."
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By the time we were
in middle school,
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video games would be
like our escape
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to like something fun.
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[Zach] We played video games
quite a lot.
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It took up a big part
of our after school,
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especially at night.
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[Brayson] It was video games
and movies and music.
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My boyfriend at the time,
Corrin, was in band drumline,
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specifically with
Logan and Sam.
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With the group, things could get
a little messy sometimes.
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When the drama arose,
Sam was out.
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He left the room.
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He's going to play video games.
He is not...
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He's not feeding into it.
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There was a period of time
where it was just me,
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Sam, and Brayson hanging out
every weekend,
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even after we graduated
high school
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and started going
into jobs and whatnot.
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The dynamic never
really changed.
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The weekend of October 14th,
that was the last weekend
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of the Georgia National Fair.
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Huge fair happens every year.
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And that Sunday, Sam,
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Logan, and Brayson
and I were planning on going.
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[Brayson] Sunday morning,
I was really excited.
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We went every year, Sam and I.
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We would ride with his dad to
the fair, do our normal stuff,
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see the animals,
ride some rides.
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Two o'clock hits.
Chris picks me up.
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And he starts asking me,
like, if I heard anything
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from Sam or anything like that.
I say, "No."
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This is the last text message
that I received from Sam.
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We were texting each other
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at, like, 1:00, 1 AM.
on the 15th.
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He said,
"Is two good for you?"
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"I'll be at work.
I get off right at 2,
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so I'll bring a bag of clothes
so it should be OK."
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He said, "All right,
that's cool."
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I said, "All right, man,
I got to go to bed.
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Good night, man."
And he said, "Good night."
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I knew I would see him
on Sunday
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or that was the plan.
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[Chris] I had stayed
overnight in Atlanta
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and then came back home
noon or so on Sunday.
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And Sam and I were gonna go
grab lunch and then go get
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Brayson and Logan,
and then go to the fair.
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When I got home,
Sam wasn't there.
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I called his mom, Nicole.
I called Logan.
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I called Zach.
Nobody had seen him.
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I called his cell phone.
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I realized he didn't have it
with him.
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It was at the house,
which wasn't unusual.
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Unlike most teenagers,
he wasn't attached
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to the cell phone.
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I remember him forgetting
his phone quite often.
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So I was hoping that
he just, uh, just got lost
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in track of time.
I remember a few times
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going over there.
Sam wasn't there.
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So it wasn't super out of
the ordinary for that to happen.
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I didn't think nothing of it.
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I was thinking, "Yeah,
well, maybe he was at the fair."
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Brayson, Logan, and I had gone
to the fair to look for Sam,
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thinking maybe he'd gotten
a ride there
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and was there waiting for us.
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I don't know why we thought
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it was gonna be easy
trying to find,
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like, a specific person
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within the sea of people
at the state fair.
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We got home
from looking at the fair,
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and Sam still wasn't there.
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I was very concerned.
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I got a text from Logan asking
if I was with Sam,
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and I wasn't, but I said,
"Maybe he's with
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our other friend.
I'll give her a message."
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Chris was calling everyone.
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[Chris] I called basically
everybody I knew,
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and then I found on his laptop
a message...
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[keyboard typing]
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...from his friend Dakota.
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Right after I got off texting
him the plan to go to the fair,
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Dakota messaged him for help
on his computer.
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Sam would help anybody
with anything at any time.
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Even at 1:30.
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[keyboard typing continues]
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So I'm thinking, "OK,
well, Dakota knows where he is."
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So I drove over to his house,
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and Dakota said,
after fixing the computer,
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Sam had left,
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and he hadn't seen him since.
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[sinister tones playing]
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So I've asked Dakota
which way he left,
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and Dakota said he went out
the back through the woods
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'cause it's a much shorter walk.
But he also, he was barefoot,
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which wasn't a big deal
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'cause Sam didn't care
for shoes much, so.
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That, you know, that wasn't
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concerning at the time.
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Dakota and I actually
walked that path
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looking for Sam
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and, you know, didn't find him.
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[as Dakota] Sam!
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At that point, I had
called the police...
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[indistinct voice over radio]
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...and reported Sam missing.
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I messaged Logan again,
and I was like, "Hey,
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did you get a hold of Sam?"
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And, uh, he didn't.
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Everything happened
so fast after that.
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An 18-year-old who has been
missing since Saturday,
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Samuel Poss, was last seen
leaving a friend's house
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on Tucker Road in Perry.
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[Marlene]
There was a lot of press,
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tents put up everywhere,
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search groups, flyers,
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Whole new ballgame.
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Trying to figure out
what's going on.
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Where did he go?
How far could he have gone?
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I wanted answers.
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2
[birds chirping]
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[knocking on door]
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-How's it going, man?
-[Zach] Not too bad.
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-What's up, man?
-[Brayson] What's up?
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How you doing?
It's been a minute.
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Come on in.
Come on in.
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Thank you for inviting me
over, man.
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I really appreciate that.
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Like, I was not expecting
to hear from you.
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[Zach] Ten years, man.
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Ten years since,
like, the last time we've
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actually, like, sat down,
like, near each other,
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or in, like,
the same room and stuff.
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Well, I know.
I completely, like,
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isolated myself.
-[Brayson] Oh, yeah.
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It just felt like
everything stopped.
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Kind of, like, walking around
like a zombie.
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The day that he went missing,
I was actually supposed
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to spend the night over there,
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but I think I worked
a double shift.
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And I was like, "Now I'm just
gonna go to sleep."
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I feel like I should have just
gone over there.
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[tense music playing]
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Sunday night, around 6:30,
we received a call
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of a missing person,
an 18-year-old, Sam Poss,
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from his father, Chris Poss.
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Chris had spoken to his son
Friday before leaving
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00:11:03,234 --> 00:11:04,367
to go out of town.
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00:11:04,534 --> 00:11:06,200
He spent the weekend
with some friends,
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00:11:06,367 --> 00:11:10,667
and when he came back on Sunday,
was unable to locate Sam.
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00:11:14,567 --> 00:11:16,801
So after Chris reported
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00:11:16,968 --> 00:11:20,267
Sam missing, detectives went
out to the house...
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-[sound distorts]
-[indistinct voice over radio]
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...to see if there was any
evidence or anything that just
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00:11:26,534 --> 00:11:28,501
stood out that could have
told us where Sam was.
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00:11:30,067 --> 00:11:33,300
Unfortunately, we do have
a lot of missing person cases
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where teenagers run away,
just don't wanna be home.
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00:11:36,467 --> 00:11:40,367
But speaking to Chris
and Sam's mother,
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they were both pretty adamant
that Sam wasn't just
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up and left
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willingly.
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Even though they were
divorced, they were still
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very involved in Sam's life.
Sam had friends.
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He got along with his friends,
there wasn't any turmoil,
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00:12:00,734 --> 00:12:02,200
but you have to
run down every trail.
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00:12:02,367 --> 00:12:04,701
[crows cawing]
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00:12:07,167 --> 00:12:10,067
[suspenseful tones playing]
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00:12:10,234 --> 00:12:13,601
[Jones] This is the path
that Sam would have taken
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00:12:13,767 --> 00:12:16,067
from Dakota's house
to his house.
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00:12:16,234 --> 00:12:21,534
This way that we're walking now
would take you to Sam's house.
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Back this direction over here,
that is where Dakota lived.
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00:12:29,834 --> 00:12:32,601
So Sam would have been coming
from that direction
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00:12:32,767 --> 00:12:34,000
towards his house this way.
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00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:36,067
[sinister tones playing]
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[Zach]
Dakota was a grade below us.
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So I had met Dakota at school,
and we started hanging out.
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00:12:49,167 --> 00:12:51,267
And then that's kind of how
he had met Sam.
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We did hang out quite a bit,
all three of us.
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And we would all play
video games together.
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Or we would all be hanging out
with his brother's friends
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00:13:00,968 --> 00:13:03,267
and stuff like that too,
kind of just as one big group.
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00:13:04,567 --> 00:13:08,000
[Marlene]
We had heard Sam was with, uh,
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00:13:08,167 --> 00:13:11,501
Dakota and had come over
and helped him
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00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:12,767
fix the computer,
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which wouldn't be unusual
for Sam to help someone
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in the middle of the night.
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And I think they live close
enough to each other
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that it wouldn't be a big issue.
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00:13:26,868 --> 00:13:28,701
I thought maybe Sam was with,
you know, his girlfriend
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he had been on-and-off with.
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00:13:31,767 --> 00:13:34,300
We spoke to
Sam's ex-girlfriend.
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00:13:36,067 --> 00:13:40,100
Her and Sam had basically
split up two weeks ago
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and were no longer together.
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She had some concerns
that Sam was unhappy,
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00:13:46,968 --> 00:13:49,901
but nothing to the point that
she thought he would run away.
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00:13:50,067 --> 00:13:52,701
[tense music playing]
247
00:13:52,868 --> 00:13:55,000
Sunday night, I called
as many people as I knew.
248
00:13:55,167 --> 00:13:56,467
[ringback tone]
249
00:13:56,634 --> 00:13:58,367
Dakota and I had spoken.
250
00:13:58,534 --> 00:14:00,267
I was messaging people
on Messenger.
251
00:14:01,467 --> 00:14:02,667
I was sitting there
just waiting.
252
00:14:04,367 --> 00:14:06,868
[crickets chirping]
253
00:14:07,033 --> 00:14:09,701
The front door was open, just
254
00:14:11,267 --> 00:14:13,400
just waiting for him
to come back.
255
00:14:16,367 --> 00:14:18,901
And I had the thought.
256
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:25,300
"I'm never gonna see
him again."
257
00:14:25,467 --> 00:14:28,000
[soft melancholic music playing]
258
00:14:28,167 --> 00:14:29,100
But...
259
00:14:31,100 --> 00:14:33,467
I couldn't dwell on that.
I couldn't...
260
00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:38,000
freak out because I'm his dad.
261
00:14:39,667 --> 00:14:42,767
I have to protect him
and I have to find him.
262
00:14:49,868 --> 00:14:52,801
[dogs barking]
263
00:14:52,968 --> 00:14:56,767
The next morning, we organized
264
00:14:56,934 --> 00:14:59,334
a pretty large search for Sam.
265
00:15:01,868 --> 00:15:04,000
[Dykes] We set a command post.
266
00:15:04,167 --> 00:15:06,000
We brought out
the special response team
267
00:15:06,167 --> 00:15:08,367
that comes out,
search and rescue.
268
00:15:10,267 --> 00:15:12,000
I spoke to the media.
269
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,467
We're just doing everything
we can to try not to leave
270
00:15:16,634 --> 00:15:18,400
any stone unturned.
271
00:15:18,567 --> 00:15:20,767
We had Georgia State Patrol's
helicopter out.
272
00:15:22,167 --> 00:15:23,501
We had four wheelers.
273
00:15:25,267 --> 00:15:28,200
We had bloodhounds trying
to find a scent.
274
00:15:28,367 --> 00:15:30,200
[dogs barking]
275
00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:35,267
A lot of Sam's friends showed
up to help with the search.
276
00:15:35,434 --> 00:15:37,701
Zach and Brayson and Dakota.
277
00:15:39,467 --> 00:15:42,267
Dakota showed up,
I think, with a guy I knew
278
00:15:42,434 --> 00:15:45,167
from high school, Brandon.
A lot of people were there.
279
00:15:45,334 --> 00:15:48,467
It was weird searching
for my friend in those woods
280
00:15:48,634 --> 00:15:51,667
that we went in as kids,
playing and having
281
00:15:51,834 --> 00:15:52,701
a good old time.
282
00:15:56,567 --> 00:15:58,667
A thousand possibilities
running through my head.
283
00:16:00,467 --> 00:16:02,567
But I remember, like,
looking to my left,
284
00:16:02,734 --> 00:16:05,367
and, like, three, four,
five trees down,
285
00:16:05,534 --> 00:16:07,400
I'd see another guy over there,
286
00:16:07,567 --> 00:16:10,000
bandmates from
the high-school band.
287
00:16:11,067 --> 00:16:14,400
Even people that we haven't
spoken to since, like,
288
00:16:14,567 --> 00:16:15,801
middle school were there.
289
00:16:15,968 --> 00:16:18,467
So it was like, I had faith
with all these people,
290
00:16:18,634 --> 00:16:20,701
we can do it.
We can find him.
291
00:16:22,100 --> 00:16:23,234
We had flyers.
292
00:16:24,300 --> 00:16:27,467
So after we'd go through
the woods for a few hours,
293
00:16:27,634 --> 00:16:29,868
we'd go around town and put
flyers up everywhere.
294
00:16:33,067 --> 00:16:34,968
[crow cawing]
295
00:16:35,133 --> 00:16:38,367
[Jack]
Me and Sam, we were in different
grades in band class.
296
00:16:38,534 --> 00:16:40,367
I was called Little Paws
'cause I reminded everyone
297
00:16:40,534 --> 00:16:41,667
of Sam.
298
00:16:42,501 --> 00:16:47,901
At school, I started hearing
that Sam was missing.
299
00:16:49,667 --> 00:16:53,567
Band was a really
tight-knit group.
300
00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:57,868
It brought a lot
of people together.
301
00:16:58,033 --> 00:17:00,701
[indistinct voices chattering]
302
00:17:03,167 --> 00:17:06,667
The idea of Sam getting hurt
or someone doing something
303
00:17:06,834 --> 00:17:10,567
to him was definitely just
shocking 'cause of how nice
304
00:17:10,734 --> 00:17:11,667
he was to everyone.
305
00:17:16,300 --> 00:17:20,701
While we were searching,
we reached out to Sam's friends
306
00:17:20,868 --> 00:17:22,667
to see if they knew anything.
307
00:17:22,834 --> 00:17:25,767
And Zach seemed to be
the most knowledgeable
308
00:17:25,934 --> 00:17:27,667
about what was going on
with Sam.
309
00:17:27,834 --> 00:17:29,667
We wanted to ask Zach
about Dakota.
310
00:17:31,267 --> 00:17:34,701
Because Dakota's the last
person that saw Sam alive,
311
00:17:34,868 --> 00:17:39,000
and Zach was actually
the connector
312
00:17:39,167 --> 00:17:41,901
between Dakota and Sam.
313
00:17:42,901 --> 00:17:44,400
[Zach] Dakota and I were
definitely close.
314
00:17:44,567 --> 00:17:46,367
He came from
a rough childhood,
315
00:17:47,501 --> 00:17:49,100
and he had some
behavioral issues.
316
00:17:49,267 --> 00:17:51,667
And when he moved in
at my house, actually a lot
317
00:17:51,834 --> 00:17:55,901
of that stopped because we just
stayed busy all the time.
318
00:17:58,367 --> 00:18:01,367
Sam and Dakota didn't hang out
a lot without me being there,
319
00:18:01,534 --> 00:18:03,167
but it was not out of character
320
00:18:03,334 --> 00:18:06,100
for Sam to help him
with his computer.
321
00:18:06,267 --> 00:18:07,667
And Sam definitely would walk
through the woods
322
00:18:07,834 --> 00:18:10,534
barefoot, though.
That was something he would do.
323
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,767
But the big question the police
came to ask me is, "Do you think
324
00:18:15,934 --> 00:18:18,167
"Dakota would be capable
of doing something like,
325
00:18:18,334 --> 00:18:20,868
like, you know, harming Sam
or anything of that nature?"
326
00:18:21,033 --> 00:18:22,467
My immediate response was,
"Well, no, I don't think
327
00:18:22,634 --> 00:18:24,033
he would do something
like that."
328
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:29,267
[Dykes]
It sounded to me that Zach was
a huge support to Dakota,
329
00:18:29,434 --> 00:18:33,167
and that he would know
if Dakota was trying
330
00:18:33,334 --> 00:18:37,167
to hide something, and he didn't
give us that indication.
331
00:18:37,334 --> 00:18:39,868
It definitely did make me feel
like maybe they thought
332
00:18:40,033 --> 00:18:42,100
I had done something,
but at the same time,
333
00:18:42,267 --> 00:18:44,567
it was just like, you know,
they're just looking for Sam,
334
00:18:44,734 --> 00:18:47,300
and they're gonna ask anybody
they can any questions.
335
00:18:51,267 --> 00:18:53,367
On serious cases like this,
336
00:18:53,534 --> 00:18:55,567
we kind of have a motto,
we don't go home
337
00:18:56,767 --> 00:18:57,968
until we have it solved.
338
00:18:58,133 --> 00:18:59,367
[indistinct voice over radio]
339
00:18:59,534 --> 00:19:03,868
We just kept a presence
in that area the entire time.
340
00:19:04,033 --> 00:19:05,267
What if Sam had been murdered?
341
00:19:06,868 --> 00:19:08,801
What if somebody had done
something with Sam
342
00:19:08,968 --> 00:19:10,968
and he is in the woods?
343
00:19:11,133 --> 00:19:14,467
What if that person comes back
to get rid of evidence
344
00:19:14,634 --> 00:19:15,667
they think they dropped
345
00:19:16,767 --> 00:19:20,334
or to try to move a body
that they had hidden?
346
00:19:22,801 --> 00:19:26,100
Our thoughts were stay
in the area, stay focused.
347
00:19:26,267 --> 00:19:28,067
Who knows what may happen?
348
00:19:28,234 --> 00:19:30,267
Somebody may show back up.
349
00:19:30,434 --> 00:19:31,467
[male voice]
Oh, you got something?
350
00:19:31,634 --> 00:19:33,567
[tense music builds up]
351
00:19:35,467 --> 00:19:36,968
And someone did.
352
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:39,667
[male voice] Oh, hold on.
353
00:19:45,067 --> 00:19:48,167
2
When 18-year-old Sam Poss
goes missing,
354
00:19:48,334 --> 00:19:50,667
the police take a long,
hard look at all
355
00:19:50,834 --> 00:19:51,901
his close friends,
356
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,267
especially those that appear
most invested
357
00:19:55,434 --> 00:19:56,667
in the ongoing search for him.
358
00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,667
But after everyone heads home
for the night...
359
00:20:00,834 --> 00:20:02,000
[male voice] Hey!
360
00:20:02,167 --> 00:20:04,200
...a new, yet familiar face
is found
361
00:20:04,367 --> 00:20:05,601
lingering in the woods.
362
00:20:13,167 --> 00:20:19,167
So back over this direction
was where that old barn,
363
00:20:20,467 --> 00:20:22,300
the structure that was
falling apart,
364
00:20:22,467 --> 00:20:23,801
that's where it was located.
365
00:20:26,067 --> 00:20:29,200
It just wasn't a normal place
that you would think
366
00:20:29,367 --> 00:20:30,367
someone would be hanging out.
367
00:20:32,601 --> 00:20:34,167
But that's where we found
368
00:20:35,767 --> 00:20:36,767
Jonathan.
369
00:20:36,934 --> 00:20:38,100
[male voice]
Don't run! Don't run!
370
00:20:38,267 --> 00:20:41,767
Jonathan actually was
a schoolmate of Sam's.
371
00:20:41,934 --> 00:20:44,367
I was very surprised that
Jonathan was a suspect.
372
00:20:46,167 --> 00:20:47,567
He definitely was an odd kid.
373
00:20:47,734 --> 00:20:49,868
We would see him walking,
and whenever we would try
374
00:20:50,033 --> 00:20:52,534
to approach him, he would
just kind of run off.
375
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,367
It's very suspicious when
in the middle of the night
376
00:20:57,534 --> 00:21:00,901
you've got somebody walking
around in the woods,
377
00:21:01,067 --> 00:21:03,567
especially in a location
that has had such a heavy
378
00:21:03,734 --> 00:21:04,801
law enforcement presence...
379
00:21:06,167 --> 00:21:07,200
all day.
380
00:21:09,167 --> 00:21:10,601
So we talked to Jonathan.
381
00:21:10,767 --> 00:21:15,767
His story was he just was
interested, wanted to be
382
00:21:15,934 --> 00:21:17,467
out there, wanted to be
looking around.
383
00:21:17,634 --> 00:21:21,100
We followed up
on his whereabouts
384
00:21:21,267 --> 00:21:22,634
when Sam disappeared.
385
00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:28,100
We found no connection that
Jonathan had anything to do
386
00:21:28,267 --> 00:21:29,667
with the disappearance.
387
00:21:29,834 --> 00:21:32,300
And it was just
another letdown.
388
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,567
Tuesday morning, my stepdad
and I loaded up and went back
389
00:21:39,734 --> 00:21:41,701
out there to do more searching.
390
00:21:43,767 --> 00:21:46,601
And then my stepdad mentioned
something about, like, "Hey,
391
00:21:46,767 --> 00:21:48,000
I don't think he's
in these woods."
392
00:21:51,767 --> 00:21:53,267
And that's when it dawned
on me.
393
00:21:53,434 --> 00:21:54,968
I was like,
"Maybe he isn't here.
394
00:21:56,868 --> 00:21:59,100
But where?
Where could he be?"
395
00:21:59,267 --> 00:22:01,467
[as Brayson] Sam?
396
00:22:01,634 --> 00:22:03,767
[Zach]
Me and Dakota were walking
around town in the morning.
397
00:22:03,934 --> 00:22:05,801
We were kind of just like
going around town,
398
00:22:05,968 --> 00:22:08,367
searching our common
hangout spots for any idea
399
00:22:08,534 --> 00:22:09,868
of clues or anything like that.
400
00:22:13,567 --> 00:22:15,467
There was no way we were
giving up on finding him.
401
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,467
One of the theories was that
it was something to do
402
00:22:25,634 --> 00:22:26,834
with the fair.
403
00:22:28,901 --> 00:22:31,467
Everybody from all over
the state, even out of state,
404
00:22:31,634 --> 00:22:33,000
are coming to Georgia, so
405
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,400
it's a perfect breeding ground
for something bad to happen.
406
00:22:39,567 --> 00:22:42,567
There are rumors that
he became a carny
407
00:22:42,734 --> 00:22:44,767
and ran away with the fair.
408
00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:49,701
Why would he join the fair?
It didn't make sense.
409
00:22:52,167 --> 00:22:55,567
But we were all just
grasping at straws.
410
00:22:59,601 --> 00:23:01,467
Everybody's kind of getting
more anxious.
411
00:23:03,667 --> 00:23:06,501
You kind of had to wonder,
can we trust anybody else?
412
00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:10,000
It definitely felt like
you needed to look
413
00:23:10,167 --> 00:23:11,267
over your shoulder.
414
00:23:14,667 --> 00:23:16,701
You think twice about
stepping outside,
415
00:23:16,868 --> 00:23:20,000
and you think twice about
who's following you too close.
416
00:23:20,167 --> 00:23:23,100
[tense music playing]
417
00:23:23,267 --> 00:23:26,167
I would say by Tuesday night,
I was spiraling,
418
00:23:26,334 --> 00:23:28,901
and Sam's brother, Logan
was spiraling.
419
00:23:34,567 --> 00:23:37,968
I'd never really been scared
for anyone's life before.
420
00:23:38,133 --> 00:23:40,100
[sniffles] Um,
421
00:23:40,267 --> 00:23:42,901
and to have it be
like a close friend was
422
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:45,400
terrifying.
423
00:23:47,567 --> 00:23:50,267
The end of every day,
when he still
424
00:23:50,434 --> 00:23:52,667
wasn't home, was...
425
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,767
It was heartbreaking.
426
00:23:57,934 --> 00:24:00,367
And Annabelle, his dog...
427
00:24:00,534 --> 00:24:02,501
[dog barking]
428
00:24:04,968 --> 00:24:06,167
[voice breaking]
...kept looking for him.
429
00:24:08,167 --> 00:24:10,767
And, you know, whenever
somebody would come up
430
00:24:10,934 --> 00:24:13,167
to the door, she'd, like,
perk her ears up, like,
431
00:24:13,334 --> 00:24:16,767
"Oh, he's home."
-[dog barking and whining]
432
00:24:16,934 --> 00:24:17,868
[whispering] But it wasn't.
433
00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:31,901
We were 100% sure when
we left that night
434
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,400
that Sam was definitely
435
00:24:36,567 --> 00:24:40,467
nowhere in these woods
where Dakota had said
436
00:24:40,634 --> 00:24:41,567
he last saw him.
437
00:24:44,601 --> 00:24:46,567
[Dykes] I was disheartened,
438
00:24:46,734 --> 00:24:48,868
but, you know, we had not
given up hope that
439
00:24:49,033 --> 00:24:50,367
Sam would be found alive.
440
00:24:51,801 --> 00:24:53,901
My focus was to go back,
441
00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:59,567
and Dakota was the first person
we started focusing back on.
442
00:25:03,467 --> 00:25:07,601
I think a lot of the blame was
pointed at Dakota at the time,
443
00:25:07,767 --> 00:25:08,968
for sure.
Like, a lot of people were
444
00:25:09,133 --> 00:25:11,100
speculating, "It was Dakota.
It was Dakota."
445
00:25:13,567 --> 00:25:16,000
My stepdad mentioned, like,
"Do you think Dakota
446
00:25:16,167 --> 00:25:17,100
could have done it?"
447
00:25:18,767 --> 00:25:20,701
And I was like, "No."
448
00:25:20,868 --> 00:25:23,000
I said, "No,
it doesn't make sense.
449
00:25:24,701 --> 00:25:25,767
There's no way."
450
00:25:28,801 --> 00:25:30,100
I didn't trust Dakota.
451
00:25:31,868 --> 00:25:33,901
I know his Facebook was
kind of dark.
452
00:25:35,467 --> 00:25:41,501
He had some cryptic posts
about death in general.
453
00:25:43,968 --> 00:25:46,000
I drove by Dakota's house
at one point.
454
00:25:48,467 --> 00:25:50,400
And I think they either
had it blocked off
455
00:25:50,567 --> 00:25:52,000
or he wasn't there anymore.
456
00:25:52,167 --> 00:25:55,000
But I was ready
to ask him questions.
457
00:25:56,767 --> 00:26:00,267
I was definitely told
to leave him alone.
458
00:26:01,901 --> 00:26:03,767
But I was looking him
up online.
459
00:26:03,934 --> 00:26:05,968
I was trying to get any
information I could on him,
460
00:26:06,133 --> 00:26:08,767
because I wanted answers so bad,
461
00:26:08,934 --> 00:26:10,367
I was willing to do
anything to find them.
462
00:26:10,534 --> 00:26:12,467
[tension in music builds up]
463
00:26:19,567 --> 00:26:22,467
2
[somber tones playing]
464
00:26:22,634 --> 00:26:25,367
While Dakota was on our radar,
we can't get tunnel vision
465
00:26:25,534 --> 00:26:30,467
and end up missing the boat
on something that's important.
466
00:26:30,634 --> 00:26:32,801
We were reaching out to
the public for information.
467
00:26:32,968 --> 00:26:34,868
You know, this thing was
hitting the media,
468
00:26:35,033 --> 00:26:37,267
it was on the news,
and they were covering it,
469
00:26:37,434 --> 00:26:39,000
you know, every hour
on the hour.
470
00:26:39,167 --> 00:26:42,868
[reporter]
Police and family and friends
were out looking for him
471
00:26:43,033 --> 00:26:44,200
all day long.
472
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,100
Bloodhounds scoured the area
where he was last seen.
473
00:26:49,567 --> 00:26:51,667
[Chris]
There were tips and sightings.
474
00:26:51,834 --> 00:26:54,601
One of the sightings,
actually, that they found was
475
00:26:54,767 --> 00:26:57,167
actually Brayson walking
along the road.
476
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,367
Somebody had called
into the police saying
477
00:27:02,467 --> 00:27:04,901
they saw Dakota at the car wash
478
00:27:05,968 --> 00:27:07,400
after Sam was missing.
479
00:27:09,868 --> 00:27:15,100
Then I heard at some point
this boy came forward to police
480
00:27:15,267 --> 00:27:16,968
and said, "Hey,
481
00:27:18,100 --> 00:27:20,767
"somebody on my bus
basically confessed
482
00:27:20,934 --> 00:27:22,067
to killing somebody."
483
00:27:26,567 --> 00:27:28,701
We were checking every lead
that was coming in.
484
00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:34,167
A high-school student told us
that his friend Brandon
485
00:27:34,334 --> 00:27:36,400
asked him on the bus,
"Would you still be my friend
486
00:27:36,567 --> 00:27:38,067
if I told you
I killed somebody?"
487
00:27:39,868 --> 00:27:42,067
I had no idea who Brandon was.
488
00:27:42,234 --> 00:27:43,434
[Zach] Brandon, he went
to high school with us.
489
00:27:43,601 --> 00:27:45,467
He had been to my house
a couple of times to hang out.
490
00:27:45,634 --> 00:27:47,567
[somber chord strikes]
491
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,200
[crickets chirping]
492
00:27:52,501 --> 00:27:54,868
[Dykes] While that was
on our radar, I get a call
493
00:27:55,868 --> 00:27:56,868
that really changed
494
00:27:58,267 --> 00:28:00,801
the direction of
the investigation.
495
00:28:03,267 --> 00:28:07,667
The caller said that they have
information where Sam is.
496
00:28:11,868 --> 00:28:14,000
The caller was Dakota's aunt.
497
00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,267
On Wednesday night,
498
00:28:19,434 --> 00:28:21,100
Dakota had gone to his mother
499
00:28:22,267 --> 00:28:24,701
and basically told her
what he did.
500
00:28:26,767 --> 00:28:30,367
She tells his aunt,
who makes the decision
501
00:28:30,534 --> 00:28:31,501
to turn him in.
502
00:28:33,100 --> 00:28:35,267
We got the information
from the aunt that
503
00:28:38,801 --> 00:28:40,901
Dakota killed Sam.
504
00:28:44,067 --> 00:28:46,267
When we heard that,
505
00:28:46,434 --> 00:28:49,567
we couldn't get to Dakota's
house fast enough.
506
00:28:49,734 --> 00:28:52,367
[siren wailing]
507
00:28:52,534 --> 00:28:56,167
There's an 18-year-old
that has lost their life.
508
00:28:57,467 --> 00:29:01,000
And we had someone that we can
hold accountable for that.
509
00:29:05,100 --> 00:29:06,567
3:43 AM.
510
00:29:08,100 --> 00:29:10,167
Police said, "We found him."
511
00:29:15,167 --> 00:29:16,300
That's not good news.
512
00:29:19,801 --> 00:29:21,901
I knew he wasn't gonna
come back.
513
00:29:24,367 --> 00:29:25,567
There was a feeling.
514
00:29:30,567 --> 00:29:32,067
Something was missing
in the world.
515
00:29:35,767 --> 00:29:36,767
And it was Sam.
516
00:29:38,601 --> 00:29:40,667
When I got the phone call
517
00:29:40,834 --> 00:29:42,601
from my ex
at three in the morning,
518
00:29:42,767 --> 00:29:45,667
[voice breaking] I knew
what I was about to hear.
519
00:29:45,834 --> 00:29:47,667
And all they said was,
"Sam's gone."
520
00:29:51,267 --> 00:29:52,567
[sniffles softly]
521
00:29:54,267 --> 00:29:56,000
[sobbing]
522
00:29:59,601 --> 00:30:01,167
[Brayson] At this point,
I was exhausted.
523
00:30:01,334 --> 00:30:03,868
Probably had, like,
a few hours of sleep.
524
00:30:04,033 --> 00:30:06,267
But I remember
my mother handing me
525
00:30:06,434 --> 00:30:08,467
the phone and crying.
I remember everything
526
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,467
feeling fuzzy.
527
00:30:11,634 --> 00:30:12,968
I felt like I was
still dreaming.
528
00:30:14,701 --> 00:30:16,701
[soft music playing]
529
00:30:18,767 --> 00:30:20,467
[Chris]
We all met at Logan's house.
530
00:30:20,634 --> 00:30:22,701
Some of Sam's friends
were there, and just all
531
00:30:22,868 --> 00:30:24,300
of us were there, just
532
00:30:26,267 --> 00:30:27,601
huddled together.
533
00:30:27,767 --> 00:30:29,567
Everybody was holding on
to somebody,
534
00:30:29,734 --> 00:30:31,567
and everybody was crying.
535
00:30:31,734 --> 00:30:32,901
I remember hearing that
536
00:30:34,167 --> 00:30:36,868
Dakota was in custody.
537
00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:40,100
He's lucky he was,
538
00:30:40,267 --> 00:30:42,100
'cause he shouldn't get
away with it.
539
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:48,501
[sniffles softly]
540
00:30:50,100 --> 00:30:52,000
[sinister music playing]
541
00:30:52,167 --> 00:30:54,434
[siren wailing]
542
00:30:56,901 --> 00:31:00,801
The arrest was the easy part,
and now my job has just begun.
543
00:31:00,968 --> 00:31:02,968
[tense music playing]
544
00:31:11,167 --> 00:31:14,701
This interview is extremely
important, and we're in there
545
00:31:14,868 --> 00:31:20,100
for three, four hours
talking back and forth.
546
00:31:28,968 --> 00:31:32,868
And then he just looked at me
and looked down and was like,
547
00:31:33,033 --> 00:31:34,667
"Sam is not alive,
548
00:31:35,767 --> 00:31:37,267
and I didn't kill him alone."
549
00:31:41,567 --> 00:31:44,300
[Marlene]
When I heard that there was
a second person involved,
550
00:31:44,467 --> 00:31:45,868
that was a shock.
551
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,701
The shocking revelation that
Sam was killed by not one...
552
00:31:51,868 --> 00:31:53,767
[sinister tones playing]
553
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:56,367
...but two of his buddies
554
00:31:57,567 --> 00:31:59,567
leaves every one of
his friends wondering...
555
00:32:01,467 --> 00:32:03,200
Who else betrayed them?
556
00:32:13,100 --> 00:32:15,167
2
[soft music playing]
557
00:32:15,334 --> 00:32:17,267
[birds chirping]
558
00:32:18,667 --> 00:32:20,167
[Zach] All right man,
I knew you were coming over,
559
00:32:20,334 --> 00:32:21,667
so I got the console out
and everything
560
00:32:21,834 --> 00:32:23,467
so we can play some games.
561
00:32:23,634 --> 00:32:24,567
[Brayson] Let's go.
562
00:32:27,901 --> 00:32:29,100
[Zach] Oh, appreciate it.
563
00:32:31,367 --> 00:32:35,267
All right, so Sam would
wreck me at this.
564
00:32:35,434 --> 00:32:37,400
-[Zach] Every game.
-Every game, dude.
565
00:32:37,567 --> 00:32:39,100
[Zach chuckles]
566
00:32:39,267 --> 00:32:41,467
He was pretty good at
whatever game he played.
567
00:32:41,634 --> 00:32:42,601
Oh, yeah, for whatever reason,
568
00:32:42,767 --> 00:32:44,400
he just had, like,
a knack for it.
569
00:32:49,167 --> 00:32:51,901
For a long time,
I did have a guilty feeling
570
00:32:52,067 --> 00:32:54,167
a little bit, 'cause I had met
571
00:32:54,334 --> 00:32:56,367
Dakota separate from Sam,
and then that's how they kind
572
00:32:56,534 --> 00:32:58,067
of got introduced
to each other, so...
573
00:32:58,234 --> 00:33:00,067
There was a period of time
where it was like,
574
00:33:00,234 --> 00:33:01,167
"Well...
[clears throat]
575
00:33:01,334 --> 00:33:02,968
"if they had never met
through me,
576
00:33:03,133 --> 00:33:06,000
then it would have not
ended up this way."
577
00:33:06,167 --> 00:33:09,501
Well, I mean, that's a fairly
thing to think of, but it's not
578
00:33:09,667 --> 00:33:11,467
your fault at all, man.
-[Zach] Right, right.
579
00:33:11,634 --> 00:33:14,601
Dakota being involved in that,
I just, I don't know,
580
00:33:14,767 --> 00:33:16,067
I just couldn't believe it.
581
00:33:24,567 --> 00:33:29,167
Once I talked to Dakota,
and we got a connection,
582
00:33:29,334 --> 00:33:32,868
he felt comfortable telling me
what he had done.
583
00:33:55,901 --> 00:33:57,167
[Zach] Brandon, he went
to high school with us.
584
00:33:57,334 --> 00:33:58,667
He was in the same grade
as Dakota.
585
00:33:58,834 --> 00:34:00,667
He had been to my house
a couple times to hang out,
586
00:34:00,834 --> 00:34:04,501
but I never really got
good vibes off of him.
587
00:34:05,567 --> 00:34:08,367
[Marlene] Brandon Warren,
he was a quiet kid.
588
00:34:08,534 --> 00:34:11,767
He didn't cause any problems,
but he didn't seem like
589
00:34:11,934 --> 00:34:14,400
an extremely
happy-go-lucky person
590
00:34:15,801 --> 00:34:17,868
like Sam was.
591
00:34:18,033 --> 00:34:19,601
Brandon Warren was about
the only other person that
592
00:34:19,767 --> 00:34:21,067
Dakota was close with,
593
00:34:22,901 --> 00:34:25,367
but I just don't understand how
he could get to that point.
594
00:34:38,701 --> 00:34:40,567
Wait, what?
595
00:34:40,734 --> 00:34:43,701
Just because he wanted to know
what it felt like?
596
00:34:46,167 --> 00:34:49,267
Dakota confided in me that he,
you know, there were times that
597
00:34:49,434 --> 00:34:50,567
he thought about suicide.
598
00:34:50,734 --> 00:34:52,200
That was a concern,
for sure, that he may try
599
00:34:52,367 --> 00:34:53,901
to harm himself at some point.
600
00:34:54,067 --> 00:34:56,467
But I never would have imagined
that he would kill anyone else.
601
00:35:08,968 --> 00:35:10,567
[Jones]
He had called Sam.
602
00:35:10,734 --> 00:35:13,868
Sam was gonna fix
an alleged computer issue
603
00:35:14,033 --> 00:35:15,501
that they made up.
604
00:35:17,767 --> 00:35:19,100
They knew he'd come help.
605
00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,000
So they used
his kindness against him.
606
00:35:26,868 --> 00:35:29,300
They went and picked Sam up
at Sam's house,
607
00:35:29,467 --> 00:35:31,534
bring him back
to Dakota's house.
608
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:35,167
Brandon was driving the car.
609
00:35:36,567 --> 00:35:38,767
Dakota was sitting
in the back seat.
610
00:35:38,934 --> 00:35:41,200
And as they're pulling
in the driveway,
611
00:35:43,167 --> 00:35:48,067
Dakota said that he put a wire
around Sam's neck
612
00:35:48,234 --> 00:35:49,868
and pulled back as hard
as he could.
613
00:35:51,968 --> 00:35:54,267
And Brandon took a knife
614
00:35:54,434 --> 00:35:58,000
and was stabbing Sam
in the abdomen area.
615
00:36:28,701 --> 00:36:30,267
I spend way too much time
616
00:36:30,434 --> 00:36:32,601
thinking about Sam's
last moments
617
00:36:32,767 --> 00:36:35,167
and what was going
through his mind,
618
00:36:35,334 --> 00:36:37,200
'cause evidently,
according to Dakota,
619
00:36:38,467 --> 00:36:39,701
Sam asked him why.
620
00:36:43,267 --> 00:36:45,267
I don't think
Dakota answered him, but...
621
00:36:46,767 --> 00:36:48,100
[exhales sharply]
622
00:36:50,267 --> 00:36:52,367
The utter act of betrayal
623
00:36:53,801 --> 00:36:55,467
is mind boggling.
624
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:04,100
It crumbled my world,
my ideas of like friendship
625
00:37:04,267 --> 00:37:05,400
and all that.
626
00:37:05,567 --> 00:37:07,868
Couldn't trust anyone
ever after that.
627
00:37:17,901 --> 00:37:21,167
After Dakota had identified
Brandon Warren,
628
00:37:22,367 --> 00:37:24,300
we brought Brandon down
to the police department
629
00:37:25,467 --> 00:37:29,667
and he lawyered up immediately,
and refused to speak to us.
630
00:37:29,834 --> 00:37:31,667
I knew Brandon
from middle school
631
00:37:31,834 --> 00:37:36,868
and I would have never thought
that they could have done this.
632
00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:43,901
Finding out that Sam had been
murdered was already just
633
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,767
shocking, and finding out,
you know, it's two people
634
00:37:48,934 --> 00:37:51,167
you went to school
with personally,
635
00:37:51,334 --> 00:37:53,667
it's just inconceivable.
636
00:38:09,467 --> 00:38:10,467
[Jones] OK.
637
00:38:22,767 --> 00:38:24,167
Right in here is where
we found him.
638
00:38:27,601 --> 00:38:28,701
You think that's it?
639
00:38:31,167 --> 00:38:34,367
When we pulled back
the tarp and saw the, uh,
640
00:38:35,667 --> 00:38:37,467
the cable wrapped
around his neck,
641
00:38:38,868 --> 00:38:42,567
there was no doubt that
this was Sam Poss.
642
00:38:42,734 --> 00:38:44,667
[melancholic tones playing]
643
00:38:46,667 --> 00:38:50,067
This is the first time that
I've actually walked back
644
00:38:50,234 --> 00:38:52,767
to the location.
Brings back a lot of memories,
645
00:38:54,901 --> 00:38:57,667
brings back a lot of thoughts
for Sam's family.
646
00:39:02,567 --> 00:39:04,467
I miss Sam so much,
647
00:39:06,601 --> 00:39:09,968
that he's in basically
everything I do.
648
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:13,400
And he
649
00:39:14,667 --> 00:39:15,767
was such a good kid.
650
00:39:20,567 --> 00:39:22,100
It was a good 18 years.
651
00:39:25,567 --> 00:39:29,467
I think innocence was lost
that day
652
00:39:31,367 --> 00:39:32,467
for all of us.
653
00:39:33,801 --> 00:39:35,167
And I think...
654
00:39:36,868 --> 00:39:38,767
I think it will affect me
for the rest of my life.
655
00:39:44,868 --> 00:39:46,901
[tense music playing]
656
00:39:47,067 --> 00:39:49,400
Dakota White
and Brandon Warren were
657
00:39:49,567 --> 00:39:53,267
both charged with malice murder.
658
00:39:53,434 --> 00:39:55,267
They both went
on trial separately.
659
00:39:59,767 --> 00:40:02,367
And each of them
blamed the other one
660
00:40:02,534 --> 00:40:04,300
for the murder of Sam Poss.
661
00:40:12,667 --> 00:40:14,567
It felt very unfair,
662
00:40:14,734 --> 00:40:18,934
because Sam was
like a brother to me.
663
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,901
I thought we would always be,
like, together.
664
00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:29,868
And now I had to go on
with life without him.
665
00:40:34,300 --> 00:40:35,868
Do you have any kids
or anything like that?
666
00:40:36,033 --> 00:40:38,000
-Yeah, yeah, I got two kids.
-Sweet, man.
667
00:40:38,167 --> 00:40:42,501
Yeah, so John is my oldest,
and then I named Sam after Sam
668
00:40:42,667 --> 00:40:44,267
with permission of his parents,
of course.
669
00:40:44,434 --> 00:40:45,367
Oh, nice.
670
00:40:45,367 --> 00:40:47,100
Yeah, I have two boys
of my own, too.
671
00:40:47,267 --> 00:40:50,367
We gave Oliver Sam
for his middle name.
672
00:40:50,534 --> 00:40:53,968
We used it in honor of him
and all that, so.
673
00:40:54,133 --> 00:40:55,567
Heck yeah, man.
674
00:40:55,734 --> 00:41:00,200
But, yeah, man, it's kind
of wild having a little Sam
675
00:41:00,367 --> 00:41:02,501
walking around.
-Oh, yeah, it definitely is.
676
00:41:02,667 --> 00:41:04,167
It definitely is.
677
00:41:04,334 --> 00:41:05,868
I haven't really been able
to, like,
678
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,467
talk to anybody about this,
so I do appreciate, like,
679
00:41:09,634 --> 00:41:12,868
having the outlet right now.
680
00:41:13,033 --> 00:41:14,567
For sure.
We should hang out more
after this.
681
00:41:14,734 --> 00:41:16,968
Oh, dude, 100%, man.
Yeah.
682
00:41:18,901 --> 00:41:20,901
[both chuckle]