WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.759 My older sister woke up to get Bella ready for school, 2 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:03.520 and she wasn't there. 3 00:00:04.200 --> 00:00:07.559 Tension began rising as Amanda couldn't find a trace of 4 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:08.160 her sister. 5 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:12.279 Her dad stopped at the elementary school to say, hey, 6 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:13.560 did Anna Bala get dropped off? 7 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:16.960 But no one had seen Bella. Panic set in for 8 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:19.879 Bella's dad. It was as if she had vanished into 9 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:20.600 thin air. 10 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:27.199 This is The Miracle Files. 11 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:30.399 I'm Emily Jones and I'm Holly Worthington. 12 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:34.520 We're two sisters who love a captivating true story, but 13 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:36.679 we're also seeking more light in our lives. 14 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:40.359 So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, 15 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:45.079 uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us 16 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:46.960 on this journey. 17 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:50.079 Welcome back to the Miracle Files. 18 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.240 I don't often use this word, and I don't use 19 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:56.679 it lightly, but this episode is truly special. 20 00:00:57.320 --> 00:00:57.560 Yeah. 21 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.640 I love all of our episodes, but this is one 22 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.560 that I guarantee is going to stick with you for 23 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:04.439 a long time. 24 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.760 It will and please stay after because we have some 25 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.680 really important things to share with you. 26 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:13.280 Yeah, and before we get started, just a little parental 27 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:16.159 heads up. This one does deal with some mature topics 28 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:20.319 like abuse and crime, but I let my kids listen. 29 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.000 It provided some really good teaching opportunities. 30 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.159 So it's up to you. Okay, let's get started. 31 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:27.000 Let's go. 32 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:32.079 Our story starts in June of two thousand and three. 33 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:33.120 Five year old. 34 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:36.599 Bella lived between two homes because her parents were divorced. 35 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:40.599 At her dad's house, she lived with her older sister, Amanda, 36 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:45.040 who was twelve. They also had another sister, Clara, who 37 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:46.159 was nine. 38 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:47.640 And lived with their mom. 39 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:51.200 Though Clara didn't have the same father, the three sisters 40 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.400 shared a strong bond, and Bella loved it when Clara 41 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:58.519 would visit her and Amanda at her dad's house. Bella's 42 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:02.079 single father was doing his to care for his two daughters, 43 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:06.120 but was struggling to make ends meet, so when his bandmate, 44 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.280 Bill Mix, offered to move in and help with the 45 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:15.879 kids and household expenses, Bella's father gratefully accepted. Soon Bill 46 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.680 began moving his stuff into the house, including bringing his 47 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:24.439 pet parrot with him. Bill was soft spoken and sweet 48 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:28.400 with the kids, especially five year old Bella. In fact, 49 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.120 he would often take Bella and her two sisters, Clara 50 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:35.240 and Amanda, out to dinner and would buy them gifts, 51 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:40.520 although he bought more gifts for Bella. When Clara visited 52 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.680 her sisters, she began to notice a trend. Bill was 53 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:47.680 doing more and more with five year old Bella, such 54 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:50.280 as dropping her off at school in the mornings, and 55 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:53.520 as time went on, it became clear to Clara that 56 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:57.879 Bill was giving Bella significantly more attention than the other girls. 57 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:02.240 Here's Clara, and I was over there for a Memorial 58 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:04.919 Day and we were out in the front yard playing 59 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:07.879 like a kiddie pool or something, and he called her 60 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:13.000 inside and I just kept playing and she comes back out, 61 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:16.919 but instead of coming out to the pool, she went 62 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:20.120 and just sat on a chair on the porch, and 63 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:22.919 I remember thinking it was weird, and I went and asked, Hey, 64 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:26.639 what did he say? And she went to go say 65 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:28.719 something and said, oh, I forgot. 66 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.520 Bella seemed a little off, But though the moment fell 67 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:35.400 strange to Clara, she didn't think too much of it, 68 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:38.639 as most kids would do. She went back to playing 69 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:42.000 in the pool, and then things took a darker turn. 70 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.240 It was early June. My older sister woke up to 71 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.240 get Bella ready for school, and she wasn't there, so 72 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.039 she's running all over the house looking for her. 73 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:56.159 Tension began rising as Amana couldn't find a trace of 74 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:59.800 her sister. She ran into her dad's bedroom to see 75 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:00.639 if Bella could. 76 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:03.599 Be there, and you know, she's not here. Where is she? 77 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:08.719 And they didn't know. So her dad sent our older 78 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.680 sister to school, and he stopped at the elementary school 79 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.479 to say, hey, did Anna Bala get dropped off? 80 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:18.800 But no one had seen Bella. It was as if 81 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.879 she had vanished into thin air. Bella's father ran back home. 82 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.240 He searched the house again, this time checking Bill's bedroom. 83 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:31.120 What he found there made his heart race with fear. 84 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:35.079 A letter sat on Bill's bed. It said that Bill 85 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:39.680 had kidnapped Bella. Bill explained that he took Bella to 86 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:43.879 give her a better life. Even more chilling, in the letter, 87 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:51.040 Bill offered Bella's father a disturbing exchange for Bella. 88 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:53.120 And in return, her dad my sister's dad could keep 89 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:56.680 the parrot, Bill's pep parrot, and he would understand if 90 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.959 her dad strangled this parrot out of anger, but that 91 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:03.839 was his to leave and return. 92 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.160 The letter gave an instant glimpse into the maniacal thinking 93 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:12.279 that was taking place in Bill's mind. Panic set in 94 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.680 for Bella's dad, and he hurried to call the police. 95 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:16.959 When Bella's mom got. 96 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:18.800 The news, she cried out in terror. 97 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:22.800 She immediately dropped to her knees and began begging God to. 98 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:23.519 Save her baby. 99 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.000 The officer put in charge of the case set out 100 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:31.279 an Amber alert for all of California and Nevada. With 101 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:34.560 little Bella in his car, Bill drove north across the 102 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:39.439 California border. He was already heading through Nevada and would 103 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:44.079 soon be beyond the reach of the Amber alert. Meanwhile, 104 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.240 over five hundred miles away from Riverside, in the small 105 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:52.720 town of Richfield, Utah, Lisa Hilton was having a bad day. 106 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.399 She had three young children and was supposed to be 107 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:58.879 meeting up with her mom and two sisters to help 108 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.879 her sister move at one but everything seemed to be 109 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:02.519 going wrong. 110 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:03.920 Here's Lisa. 111 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:07.800 The babysitter backed out, and I'm like, oh great, Now 112 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:10.399 what am I going to do? I honestly thought I 113 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:12.800 had another babysitter, and she backed out on me like 114 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.720 twenty minutes before I had to go. So I called 115 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:18.800 a couple other people and nobody was able to help me, 116 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:21.040 So I'm getting a little frustrated. 117 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.560 Lisa finally called her sister in law and asked if 118 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.439 she could help babysit. Her sister in law couldn't do 119 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.959 it right away, but said she would be available later 120 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.759 after teaching piano lessons. That's fine, Lisa thought. Nothing was 121 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.920 going according to plan anyway. As Lisa scrambled to find 122 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:43.759 a sitter. Back in Riverside, California, Bella's nine year old sister, Clara, 123 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.319 was surprised when her grandparents picked her up early from school. 124 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:53.560 My grandparents picked me up from school early and I 125 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.959 didn't know why, and they just were picking you up early. 126 00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:58.720 We're going to go home to our house. We're going 127 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:02.439 to play. And I got there and I went into 128 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:04.079 a family room and they said, you know, you can 129 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.120 watch TV, but please don't change the channel. If you 130 00:07:07.160 --> 00:07:10.399 need to, please come get us. I thought there was 131 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:14.319 some adult movie on. I'm like, okay, but no, it 132 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:15.920 was an Amber alert on the news ark. 133 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.399 Bella's parents didn't want Clara to know that her sister 134 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:23.680 had been kidnapped, but they were sick with worry themselves. 135 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.160 They hoped and prayed that someone would see their Amber 136 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:31.120 alert but so far nothing they knew. The more time 137 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.399 went by, the less likely they were to ever find 138 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:38.600 their daughter. The worst part about it, there was absolutely 139 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:44.079 nothing they could do. In Richfield, Utah. Lisa felt frazzled. 140 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.639 Now three hours behind schedule, she was finally on her way. 141 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:51.800 She drove across town and was nearing her sister in 142 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:56.199 law's house when something caught her eye. Just before turning 143 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.839 into her sister in law's cul de sac, she passed 144 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:02.199 a church house. On the lawn of the church set 145 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:04.120 two individuals. 146 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.160 And I'd make the turn to go into the cult 147 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:10.800 to sack, and right off the bat, I noticed this 148 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:13.920 little girl and she's eating what appears to be a 149 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:18.360 little happy mill or something, and this older gentleman and 150 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:21.680 I thought, huh, really doesn't look like you should be 151 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:25.319 a grandpa. I'm just kind of being judgmental, but it 152 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:28.839 just it kind of struck me, like, what are you doing? 153 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:31.000 Lisa kept driving. 154 00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:35.039 I said, I felt judgmental because he had long gray 155 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.080 hair and kind of looked a little rough. And I thought, 156 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:40.360 which I shouldn't be that judgment be because I had 157 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:42.360 an older brother that kind of looked the same way, 158 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:45.600 long hair and a little rough and the biggest teddy 159 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:48.240 bear ever. And I honestly thought that too. I thought, Okay, 160 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:49.399 you know what, he kind of looks like your brother. 161 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:50.000 So quit that. 162 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:55.799 Lisa shrugged off any concerns. But then something unexpected happened. 163 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:02.240 Very strongly, miss where it said, she does not belong 164 00:09:02.279 --> 00:09:06.919 with him. I'm not what what do you mean? And 165 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:09.879 I kind of looked back as I'm making the turn 166 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:14.200 to go up her street, and it's like, she does 167 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.960 not belong with him. And as I'm driving the few 168 00:09:17.399 --> 00:09:19.360 couple of blocks up the street to get to my 169 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:23.679 sister in law's house, it became stronger and stronger. She 170 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:26.240 does not belong with him. 171 00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:29.759 The voice in Lisa's head, both quiet and powerful at 172 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:34.679 the same time, made her heart pound. Still, Lisa doubted 173 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:37.840 herself and tried to shake the feeling. When Lisa reached 174 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:40.919 her sister in law's house, she unfastened her son from 175 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.720 the car seat. As her sister in law came out 176 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:47.080 to meet Lisa. Her sister in law could immediately tell 177 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:48.480 that Lisa was shaken. 178 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:52.080 Up, and she's like, what's going on? Lisaid, there's this 179 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:55.200 little girl and this guy down at the church, and 180 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.519 I know she doesn't belong with him? And she goes, 181 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:01.919 how do you know that? And I said, I know that. 182 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:06.159 I can feel the spirit whispering that. And I started shaken, 183 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:07.799 and she's like, what are you going to do? And 184 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:09.080 I'm like, I need to do something. 185 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.200 Lisa reached for the phone and began to die on 186 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.840 nine one one, But then her fingers grose. What would 187 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:18.600 she even say that a man was having lunch with 188 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:22.559 a child. It's not like he was doing anything obviously wrong. 189 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:27.679 Would they think she was overreacting crazy? Even as uncertainty 190 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.639 crept in, that same quiet but insistent voice rose within 191 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:36.879 her again, she does not belong with him. Whether it 192 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:40.240 sounded ridiculous or not, Lisa knew she couldn't ignore it 193 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:43.879 any longer. She settled on calling the non emergency number 194 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:45.720 for the Richfield City Police Department. 195 00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:50.600 So I called that number and I said, hey, I 196 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:53.120 just feel like somebody needs to check this out, and 197 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:55.200 she goes, okay, we can we call it a welfare check. 198 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:56.879 We can do that. Where are you at? And I 199 00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:58.799 told her the location. I said, it's on the church 200 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:01.320 Haslon at the end of fourth and it's a little 201 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:02.559 girl and the guy. And she goes well, how well 202 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:04.519 is a little girl? And I says, I don't know, 203 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:07.440 maybe four or five years old. She's pretty little, and 204 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:09.799 I said, but she just I just don't feel right 205 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:11.879 about it. And she goes, well, is there a vehicle there? 206 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:13.559 And I said, well, you know, I actually have to 207 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.440 drive past there again to get out of this cul 208 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:18.519 de sap. So I get back in my car and 209 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:19.279 I'm talking to hers. 210 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:24.080 I'm driving nervously. Lisa neared the church house again. She 211 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.399 wasn't even sure if the older man and little girl 212 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:28.519 would still be there, and she didn't know what to 213 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.440 do if they were. As she came around the corner, 214 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.279 she instantly spotted them. She gripped her steering wheel with 215 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:40.559 shaking hands. Lisa described what she saw to the dispatcher, and. 216 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:42.080 I told her, I said, hey, I'm coming up on it. 217 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:45.960 They're still there, and that feeling was still just so intense. 218 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:49.200 I mean, I was just shaken and it really upset me. 219 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:53.000 I told her it's a gray and burgundy pickup truck 220 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.120 with a camper shell. They're from California, and she's like, 221 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:57.519 can you read me a license plate? 222 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.600 Lisa gave the dispatcher the license plate number in relief. 223 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:06.159 Lisa watched as a police car approached the church. Whatever 224 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.200 the situation was, it. 225 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:10.600 Was now in the hands of the police. 226 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:14.879 She drew in a deep breath, steadied herself, and continued 227 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:16.639 the drive to her sister's house. 228 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:18.960 I get out of the car and I am still 229 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:20.919 just shaking. And I walk in the door and my 230 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:22.799 mom and one of my older sisters said, and they're like, 231 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.480 what's going on? And I said, there's this little girl 232 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.720 and this guy at the church house lawn and I 233 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.480 said she doesn't belong with them. And my sister kind 234 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:34.200 of teased me, and she goes, so, did you call 235 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:37.240 the cops? It is, yes, I dad. She goes, it's 236 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.240 probably some grump and how many of you just kind 237 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:41.559 of being funny? And then she looked at me and 238 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:46.559 she goes, no, I can tell now she's you're right, 239 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.480 something's wrong. And she says, just the way your parents says, 240 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:52.600 the way you're acting, and I said, I know, I'm 241 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:53.639 just sick about it. 242 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.639 Just then, Lisa received a call from an unknown number. 243 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.279 And I picked it up and I answered it and 244 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:06.759 Officer Trent Lloyd was his name. He's like, Lisa, how 245 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:12.320 did you know? I said, what and how did you know? 246 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:17.080 Her name is Annabella and she is kidnapped at a riverside, California. 247 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:21.840 This morning. There was an ambrolert in California, Nevada, but 248 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:24.840 there was not one in Utah. My mom and my 249 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.039 sister came down in the hall and I was crying, 250 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.279 and they're like, what's the matter. She was kidnapped. This 251 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:35.320 guy kidnapped her. I just my Mom's like, hey, just 252 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:38.120 take a breath. And I couldn't stop shaking. And my 253 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.240 sister said, how did you know? And I said again, 254 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:45.279 this spirit was so strong, she does not belong with him. 255 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:52.200 In riverside, Bella's and Clara's family sat anxiously, waiting, praying, 256 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.200 wondering if they would ever see their sweet Bella again. 257 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.320 And then the phone rang. They couldn't believe what the 258 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:06.200 police told them. Bella had been found. Clara's parents finally 259 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:09.080 explained to her what had happened and that her sister 260 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:13.120 Bella was no safe. Their tears and rejoicing were beyond 261 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:17.840 anything Clara had seen before. The Next day, back in Utah, 262 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.600 Lisa received a call herself. On the other end was 263 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:25.360 a calm but serious voice informing her that Bella had 264 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.600 been placed in protective custody, and that her mother was 265 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:31.519 on the way to the police station and asking to 266 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:33.799 meet the woman who had saved her child. 267 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:36.360 Was such a. 268 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:42.080 Tender mean because the officers were there. The lady that 269 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:46.159 answered the phone, well, they're just crying. And I started crying. 270 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.720 And the mother walked in the room and she said, 271 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.399 when I received the phone call that my daughter was taken, 272 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:56.159 she says, I hnt my knees and just pleaded with 273 00:14:56.279 --> 00:15:00.120 God to find an angel to find my baby. And 274 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.840 she said, and you were that angel. You were that angel. 275 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.559 Unfortunately, Bella had already gone through some trauma, but it's 276 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:10.720 absolutely chilling to think about what would have happened to 277 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:14.639 her if she hadn't been found. When she was inside 278 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:17.639 the camper that Bella had been kidnapped in. The police 279 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:21.679 found photographs and evidence of the terror that poor Bella 280 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:22.720 had had to endure. 281 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.919 They also found love letters written to her, songs about 282 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:30.080 written that he had wrote about her. I think he 283 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:32.480 thought he was in a romantic relationship with a five 284 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:33.720 year old. He was forty eight. 285 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:37.720 Bella had gone through a nightmare and would now need 286 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:41.080 time and therapy to heal but her family was so 287 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:44.840 incredibly grateful to have their sweet little girl home again. 288 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:48.440 And fortunately Bill Mix. 289 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.080 Would be going to prison where he could no longer 290 00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:52.559 hurt any child again. 291 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:57.320 So it was taken to trial and he was sentenced 292 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:03.320 to three hundred and fifty something years forty seven felony. 293 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:09.279 Accounts the judge that sentenced him, there is a quote 294 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:13.279 essentially saying he would do anything he could to virtually 295 00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:15.360 guarantee that Mix would never see the light of day 296 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:17.240 outside of a prison for the rest of his life, 297 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000 and then he goes on to say if that were 298 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.360 to happen, civilization as we know it would have ceased 299 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:24.279 to exist. 300 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:28.399 Bella's family considers it a miracle that their daughter and 301 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:32.799 sister was seen by Lisa on that fateful afternoon. Lisa 302 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.080 was truly their angel. 303 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:39.080 I'm on the I don't necessarily believe in God. I 304 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:43.600 am spiritual. I don't want to say religious, but I 305 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:49.200 don't disbelieve. But if there was ever a time that 306 00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:53.559 I believed in an act of God, it was then 307 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.480 something in the universe just said this is not okay, 308 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:01.039 We're going to stop this no, And I just think 309 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.720 it's it is. I think an act of God, if there, 310 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:06.799 if I were to ever believe that, that's what that 311 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:09.480 would be, That's what that is. 312 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:15.400 Lisa credits the experience to God's define intervention with the 313 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:19.119 clarity of passing time. What Lisa thought was an inconvenient, 314 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.839 frustrating morning became something entirely different. 315 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:27.480 So I finally sat down and started writing it out. 316 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:30.799 And I can tell you from the moment I got 317 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:34.599 up that morning, I told you my day was planned out. 318 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:38.160 I had my day planned exactly how it was supposed 319 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:41.920 to go, and there were so many things that got 320 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:44.319 in my way, so many things that changed, besides just 321 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:48.000 the babysitter needing to run and help a neighbor with something, 322 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:51.640 taking phone calls that I wasn't planning on taking, you know, 323 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.279 just all these things. I'm like, why is my day 324 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:56.599 going this way? But as I sat down and wrote 325 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:01.400 it out, I now saw that my Savior had placed 326 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.000 me where I needed to be at that time. If 327 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:07.440 I had been ten minutes sooner, they wouldn't have been there, 328 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.319 not yet. I think the officers said they'd been there 329 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.799 less than five minutes when I saw them to let 330 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:15.400 her eat her little meal, and they said, then he 331 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:17.480 probably would have just got back on the freeway. 332 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:20.000 The timing of Lisa's day had come down to a 333 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:22.720 matter of critical minutes to put her in the. 334 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.480 Right place at exactly the right time. 335 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.440 Today, Bella continues to work on healing from the wounds 336 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.599 of her past. But through the grace of God and 337 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:35.960 an earthly angel who originally thought she was just having 338 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.839 a really bad day, Bella has grown strong and has 339 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:41.319 a beautiful family. 340 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:41.559 Of her own. 341 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.640 Bella chooses to live her life in anonymity now, but 342 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:49.279 Clara shared that today Bella is a devoted and loving 343 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:53.160 mother with a vibrant imagination and a sharp sense of humor. 344 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:56.440 And we want to add one more descriptor to Clara's 345 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:00.960 list about Bella. To us, Bella and the courageous life 346 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.440 she's chosen to live is a miracle. 347 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:07.920 I have chills. 348 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:12.440 I know. Isn't that amazing that Lisa listened. 349 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:12.839 To that voice? 350 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.400 Oh my gosh, I know. 351 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.440 And before we get into that, we have some really 352 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.680 really crucial news to share with you all. 353 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:23.359 Yeah, you are not going to believe this, but Bill Mix, 354 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:26.440 who it turns out his full name is Charles William Mix, 355 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:30.119 He actually was a multiple offender. He was sentenced to 356 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:34.039 basically an eternity in prison. The crazy thing is there 357 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:36.960 is still a possibility that he could get out of prison. 358 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:38.480 Yeah, it's so unbelievable. 359 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:39.160 Yeah. 360 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:44.480 California passed an elderly parola, which basically allows inmates to 361 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:48.559 have an automatic parole hearing if they're over a certain age. 362 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:51.319 And there was just one day where Bella was having 363 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:53.880 this weird kind of gut feeling. She checked the status 364 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:58.000 of Bill's incarceration and saw that Bill had a parole 365 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:01.039 hearing set for September of twenty twenty four. 366 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.960 And here's what Clara had to say. 367 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:06.799 And she called my mom and I in a panic. 368 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:10.279 And that's when I said, that's okay, we're going to 369 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:12.480 figure this out. Let me make phone calls. You don't 370 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:16.319 worry about it. I've got up. I called CDCR, said 371 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:19.960 why is this happening? What's going on? And they told 372 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:22.519 me it was because of the elderly pearl. An elderly 373 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:25.480 pearlong California states that if an inmate is over the 374 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.680 age of fifty and has served twenty or more years 375 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:30.720 of their sentence, then they become eligible for a parl 376 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:36.720 suitability hearing. Therefore, if they're granted pearl, then they get out. Now, 377 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:38.839 twenty years out of three hundred and fifty is not 378 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:44.200 a lot, So that's a big shock. This law has 379 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:48.880 very little stipulations. If you murder a police officer, you 380 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:51.599 don't get elderly parole, or if you are a three 381 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:55.240 strike felon, then you don't get pearl. That's about the 382 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:59.759 extent of their stipulations. So we found this out about 383 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:03.200 early spring twenty twenty four, and I spent the rest 384 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:07.640 of spring, summer, and fall contacting anybody I could, writing 385 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:11.799 opposition letters, reaching out to other organizations, asking for help, 386 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:15.240 asking people to send in letters of opposition to his parol. 387 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.640 H can you believe that twenty nine years sall he's 388 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:21.240 been in twenty years of his sentence. 389 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:26.880 Yeah, no, It's truly shocking because this man horribly abused Bella. 390 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.759 And in preparation for the pearl hearing, Clara and Bella 391 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:34.319 gathered a lot of support, including letters from Bill's prison 392 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:38.279 cellmate who said that Bill is still a dangerous man 393 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:39.480 and should not get out. 394 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:44.200 And Bill's parole was denied. Fortunately, yeah, thank heavens. 395 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:48.319 But yeah, Bella still had to go relive all of 396 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.160 these horrible memories. It's like she was victimized all over 397 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:54.720 again because she had to have all these feelings brought 398 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:58.000 back up. I mean, she's still worried about her own 399 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:00.000 safety if he gets out at the safety of others. 400 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.680 It's just very trumficent for her. 401 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:05.039