WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:14.279 Thousands of people have mysteriously vanished in America's wilderness. Join 2 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:16.800 us as we dive into the deep end of the 3 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.399 unexplainable world and try to piece together what happened. And 4 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:56.719 you are listening to Locations Unknown. What's up, everybody, and 5 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.600 welcome back to another episode of Locations Unknown. I'm your 6 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:03.200 co host, and with me, as always is a guy 7 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:07.439 who never gets information about bears wrong. Mike vander Bogart. 8 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.200 Thank you, and he's our co host, Joe Rotto. He 9 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:12.799 had a little what did I say? You just forgot 10 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:13.200 your name? 11 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:13.959 What did I say? 12 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.400 She said, I'm the co host, and you know I 13 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:19.280 was reading at the same time that I was talking. 14 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:20.599 I screwed it up. But no. 15 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:23.200 Thank you once again to all of our loyal listeners 16 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.239 for tuning in. Just a couple of quick announcements here 17 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.159 we I'd like to get to our Patreon supporters. 18 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:31.480 Well, and we have to introduce our special guest. Andy's coming. 19 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:33.799 Oh yeah, studio Andy is back. Yeah. I should have 20 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.680 We should have probably went over all this beforehand. 21 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:37.719 But in the earlier days we probably would have just 22 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:39.079 stopped and re recorded that. 23 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:41.879 But not anymore. We'll just keep going roll to punches. 24 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:44.680 Yeah, this is our third episode on Gwen Hasselquist. So 25 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:46.680 Andy is back in the studio. 26 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:51.359 Thanks for having Yeah, absolutely, so just whiskey comes out 27 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.159 when you come back, so it's a fun time. Yeah. 28 00:01:53.319 --> 00:01:55.599 Just a quick shout out to our new Patreon supporters 29 00:01:55.680 --> 00:02:02.200 Samantha Porter, Christopher Styles, Angel Sorio, Indy Lindsey. And this 30 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:04.200 was pretty funny as we were typing these into our 31 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.439 show notes, Heather Johnson just supported the page. 32 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:10.360 So thank you Heather for you're like a part of 33 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:13.199 the show. Like we were prepping for the show, Mike's 34 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:15.159 phone lit up and goes, oh, we just got a 35 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.319 patron supporter. I'm like ad her to the list quick. 36 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:21.039 Thank you, And, like we say every episode, if you 37 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:24.360 want to call our phone number and leave a really 38 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:27.479 funny voicemail or a mean voicemail or a review for us, 39 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:30.800 just call two eight three nine one six nine three. 40 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:35.879 Yep. Sure, write it on toilet walls and bathrooms everywhere everywhere. 41 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:37.919 Call it. So this one's gonna be a little bit 42 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:40.599 different because what we're gonna be doing is playing an 43 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:43.479 interview that Mike and I already did about a week 44 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:47.520 and a half ago. We interviewed Gwen Hasselquest's best friend. 45 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:49.840 So we're gonna be playing you that interview. We needed 46 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:51.680 some time to cut out some of the things after 47 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:54.159 we recorded it that you felt was either irrelevant or 48 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:56.560 she didn't want aired. So we're gonna play that interview, 49 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:58.439 and what we'll do is either come in and comment 50 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.560 or just listen through certain parts. So we'll jump right 51 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:07.159 into that, right and Mike and I did the interview 52 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.560 for Andy. This is the first time he's hearing this, 53 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.199 so he's pretty excited to find out what was going on. 54 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.400 All Right, here we go to start. Could you just 55 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:17.479 give us your name and your connection to Gwen. 56 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:21.639 Okay, so my name is John and Gwen and I 57 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:27.840 met in high school and we were friends for thirty years. 58 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:30.479 So we met when we were fifteen. 59 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.960 Okay, And was that high school in the gig Harbor area. 60 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.599 No, Actually, we both went to high school in Ohio 61 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.319 in a rail small town in Ohio called Conyat and 62 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:46.599 we were both brand new students our sophomore year and 63 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:50.000 happened to sit next to each other and just became 64 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:51.680 fast friends really quickly. 65 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:53.039 Throughout the years. 66 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:57.759 How often would you say you would meet up like 67 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.039 in person or at least talk to her if you 68 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:01.199 phone or emailed. 69 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:01.879 Right. 70 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.199 We after high school kind of went in separate directions. 71 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:10.560 She moved out to Texas and was originally planning on 72 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:13.840 going to nursing school out there. I stayed in Ohio 73 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:16.920 and went to college there. So we sort of, you know, 74 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:19.480 through the years, kind of lost track of each other 75 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:22.079 and found each other again. And but we would talk 76 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:23.959 to each other, you know, on holidays and if I 77 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.360 would go. I had moved to California once I graduated 78 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:31.399 from college. I moved to California, and when I would 79 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:34.079 come back to visit my family, I would always go 80 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.439 up to Cleveland because her family lived in Cleveland and 81 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:39.120 that's kind of where she was based after she moved 82 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:42.839 back from Texas, and so I would go and visit 83 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:46.319 her in Cleveland when I when I came home to 84 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:48.680 visit my family, she came to Virginia because then I 85 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:50.560 moved to Virginia. She came to Virginia to see me 86 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:54.480 a couple of times. But once like social media sort 87 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:56.680 of took off and we were able to keep in touch, 88 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:00.399 like through Facebook and you know, we text each other. 89 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:02.600 It got a lot easier and I would say at 90 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:06.759 least probably, you know, communicate in some way at least 91 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:09.680 once a month. The last time I saw her was 92 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:11.199 in twenty sixteen. 93 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:14.439 Okay, So how much did you know about Eric? And 94 00:05:14.519 --> 00:05:17.680 when she got married to him? Were you close en? 95 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:19.519 Did you go to the wedding? How did that all work? 96 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:22.480 I did not go to the wedding. She lived with 97 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:25.519 her parents for a little bit. Then she moved out 98 00:05:25.800 --> 00:05:28.680 from living with her parents and she moved into an apartment. 99 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.240 I think she lived on the top floor and he 100 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:34.199 lived on the bottom. Like they was like a two 101 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:38.319 level apartment and she lived on top. And that's how 102 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.480 they met each other. They were neighbors. I remember when 103 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:44.680 she met him and she said, I met this guy 104 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:47.759 and I really really like him then kind of I 105 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:50.120 don't know how long it was after that that. Then 106 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:52.879 they ended up getting married, but I don't think anybody 107 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:54.879 was at their wedding. I think they went to Vegas 108 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:56.199 and got married, just the two. 109 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:58.839 Of them, gotcha. Okay, what year were they married in? 110 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:00.839 I don't remember if we knew that or not. 111 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:08.079 I do not know, actually, like fourteen or fifteen years ago, okay, 112 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:12.600 because their oldest son is twelve or thirteen. 113 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:16.160 Yeah, and I believe based on messages in that group, 114 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.439 the find Gwen group that their kids are actually in 115 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:20.920 Wisconsin somewhere with family. 116 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:24.240 They are. Yeah, they're in Wisconsin with his family. 117 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:27.160 Okay, Yeah, So what we did hear from some people, 118 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.240 and I'm going to paraphrase just because I don't want 119 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:31.600 to again give away information as asked not to that, 120 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:34.800 I'll just say there were some issues in the relationship 121 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:38.560 throughout the marriage that seemed to continue to get worse 122 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:42.240 as that was happening. Is this something that gwenever reached 123 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.199 out to to talk about or things that you knew 124 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:47.519 that were going on that were something that would rob 125 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:49.800 you the wrong way or make you think something was 126 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:51.759 going on with their relationship. 127 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.759 No, to be perfectly honest, I did not know anything 128 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:01.360 about anything that was happening, you know, in a negative 129 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.000 way between them. She never ever let on one time 130 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:08.160 to me. Like I said, we met in twenty sixteen. 131 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:11.040 We have a mutual friend that lives in Seattle, and 132 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:14.439 so I went out to visit and she came from 133 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:19.639 the Tacoma area up to Seattle to visit, and I 134 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:22.639 hadn't I'd met Eric A couple of times, like maybe 135 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:26.439 twice before that in Cleveland, and he seems perfectly fun 136 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:30.360 and really nice and you know, friendly. And when I 137 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.000 went out there in twenty sixteen and we met there, 138 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:36.800 he was like a totally different person. He had joined 139 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:42.680 the military and was I think playing in the military band, 140 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:48.279 like in the army band. He looked totally different, like 141 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:50.959 he's a thin, small kind of framed guy anyway, but 142 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:56.680 he was like obsessively running, and so he said literally 143 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.720 all he could talk about was running, about his fitness, 144 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.360 about how he his nutrition and how fast he could 145 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.560 run and how many miles he could run. And he 146 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.800 actually even left the group we were all staying together, 147 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.800 and he left her there with her kids and went 148 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.079 running because he's like, I have to get my seventeen 149 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:16.319 miles in today. And it was just like a really 150 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:18.560 weird That was the first time of like what is 151 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:21.959 with him? Like, he's really weird. And my other friend 152 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:24.040 that we were visiting, as you to stay left, we 153 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:25.759 both were like, what was that? 154 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.000 Okay, so it was odd enough that like you both 155 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.080 noticed it. There's something odd. It wasn't just oh I 156 00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:33.559 work out in the mornings, I'm going to go for 157 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:36.200 a run. No, was it like trying to impress you 158 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:38.960 or was it just like he was so deep into 159 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:40.279 it like he needed to do it. 160 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:43.840 Yes, like he was obsessed with it, Like he was 161 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:46.200 completely obsessed with it. And she seemed a little bit 162 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.399 off too, like sort of sad and sort of like 163 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:51.000 she had had some medical issues. I know, you guys 164 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:54.360 talked about the she had an autoimmune problem with that 165 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.639 like affected her lungs, and so she was like, I mean, 166 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:59.399 I think, you know, she was we were happy to 167 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:01.679 all be together, but I think she was like feeling 168 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:04.240 a little bit. She wasn't feeling great, and he was 169 00:09:04.279 --> 00:09:07.480 being super weird. But it was like enough that when 170 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.440 they left, my friend and I were like, what just 171 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.320 happened here? Like he's totally different. 172 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:18.080 When was that, roughly compared to when she initially was missing? 173 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:20.679 Was that a couple of years before then. 174 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:26.360 Twenty sixteen I went to visit and then after that, 175 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.600 like we still kept in touch after that, you know, 176 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.759 and she had had like some kind of long problem 177 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:34.919 that she had to have some kind of medical procedure 178 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:37.840 maybe a year after that, and I remember her parents 179 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.120 came out to take care of the kids because he 180 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:43.840 was traveling or something, and she needs help taking care 181 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:44.519 of the kids. 182 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:49.200 Let's go a year out before she went missing and 183 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:53.399 ultimately was found passed away. Were there Did you have 184 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.720 any communications with her in that period that like final 185 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.759 year that started to make you worry. 186 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:02.519 Or so that's why I was going to say fast forward, 187 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:06.639 like another I don't know, another year, maybe November of 188 00:10:06.679 --> 00:10:10.759 twenty nineteen. Out of blue in November, like I get 189 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:12.279 a phone call from her and she's like, hey, I 190 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:15.000 need to talk to you. Okay, what's going on? And 191 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:21.200 she says, well, Eric's drinking again and so and he's suicidal. 192 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:24.840 She's like, Donnie has a gun and he's running around 193 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.240 outside and every time I try to call the police, 194 00:10:27.879 --> 00:10:32.200 he says he's going to kill himself. And I was like, wait, whoa, 195 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:35.480 whoa hold on? What does that mean? Drinking again? Like 196 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:36.279 what you know? 197 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:38.440 So this is the this is the first time that 198 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.799 you're like aware that he had any issues at all. 199 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:44.360 I had no idea. He has never one time mentioned it. 200 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.879 I had no idea. So this was like a wait what? 201 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:53.320 So she had been trying like to get him help, 202 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:58.039 and every time she reachs out to you know, try 203 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.399 to call somebody to help her. They would say nine 204 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.960 one one, and anytime he said, you know that he 205 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:04.720 thought that they were going to come to the house, 206 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:07.600 he would take his son and go outside and tell 207 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.399 her that you're doing this to me, I'm going to 208 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:14.279 kill myself. And so there were weapons in their house, 209 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:19.440 like loaded weapons in their house all the time. And 210 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:21.679 by this time they had moved. So I don't know 211 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:25.039 where they lived before, but I specifically remember that they 212 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:27.120 moved to a place. She sent me pictures of it. 213 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.960 This when when she purchased this hat, when they purchased 214 00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:31.639 this house, and it was like it's out in the 215 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:34.320 middle of like in the middle of the woods and 216 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:37.480 in order, it's completely surrounded by trees. You can't really 217 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:40.399 see their neighbors. And I was like, wow, it's like 218 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:42.720 very secluded. And she's like yeah, you know, I mean 219 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.440 it is a little kind of far away from people. 220 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:46.240 But you know, Eric kind of likes it that way. 221 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:51.440 And it's like, Okay, that seems creepy, but okay, wouldn't 222 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:53.879 be for me, but that's you know, And she was excited. 223 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.159 She was like going to grow a garden, and she 224 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:59.360 was like super excited about that. So she was like 225 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.840 half or at least portraying it as you know, happy. 226 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:05.080 But so when I got this phone call it in November, 227 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:06.399 I was like, what in the. 228 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:09.919 World did she explain, like what it might have been from, 229 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:12.159 or she just kind of blindsided with you with this 230 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.039 whole thing that you didn't know anything about. 231 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.240 No, she just said, well, she said, he's been an 232 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.799 alcoholic for years. This has been going on for a 233 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:23.440 really long time. You know. She's like, I just never 234 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.840 told anybody, and I've been, you know, trying really hard 235 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.200 to hide it or keep it, you know, just in 236 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.320 our family. So she's like, nobody really knows what's happening. 237 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:33.519 She said, he won't he won't let me talk to 238 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:35.720 my family. He won't let me talk to his family. 239 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.159 I can't reach out and talk to people about it. 240 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:41.120 I just got really scared for her, and I was like, 241 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:42.720 you know, what do you need? What what do you 242 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:44.960 need me to do? She just said, I just need 243 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:45.840 somebody to talk to. 244 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.879 Okay. So she's like at her wits end. Yeah, Okay, 245 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:51.440 I've tried everything. I can't do this alone anymore. 246 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:51.799 Yeah. 247 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:56.279 This definitely lines up with several other people we've talked 248 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.600 to about him, and I believe he was even discharged 249 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.519 from the Milllitary over skinking issues. 250 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:05.480 Domestic violence kind of issues, Like I think there were 251 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:09.120 a couple of times that he was physically abusive to her, 252 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:13.679 but also like emotionally all the time. Yeah, and something 253 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:16.480 about running. She said he stopped drinking for a while, 254 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:20.639 but then he started like obsessively exercising. So when we 255 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:23.159 saw him in that one time and he was like 256 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:25.480 I Polly could talk about, is that was like his 257 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:30.000 replacement behavior? She must there was some And she told 258 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.759 me that he left the military because he didn't like it. 259 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:35.279 And I was like, all right, I don't know anything 260 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.200 about the military. Okay, I guess to do that. 261 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.120 I don't think they let you do that, but yeah, 262 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:43.039 I agree with you. It sounds like he replaced one 263 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:46.080 addiction with another, So maybe he has that addictive personality. 264 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:50.519 And we tried getting police records from November December time 265 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:56.000 frame prior to her disappearance about specifically domestic abuse issues 266 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:59.519 at the home, and we were at least still unable 267 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:03.039 to get that through Floyer requests. So that's definitely corroborated 268 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:03.919 from other people. 269 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.279 Yeah, I mean I did not know anything that was 270 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.519 happening until that moment. But I'm telling you that I 271 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.000 hung up the phone. When I got off the phone, 272 00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:16.200 I said to my husband, this is going to be bad. 273 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:19.120 I really am super scared for her. I just in 274 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.519 my mind, I picture. I just had this vision of 275 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:24.240 it being like a murder suicide. He's just going to 276 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:26.279 kill her and he's going to kill his family. And 277 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:27.679 I go, we're going to see this on the news. 278 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:30.039 This is going to be terrible. And my husband's like, 279 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:32.519 I mean, you're kind of overreacting though you think it's like, 280 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.679 I don't know. I just feel really very uncomfortable with this. 281 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.080 This makes me very nervous. And I because she would 282 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:41.840 not ever reach out to me to share that stuff 283 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:43.960 with me unless she just felt like she couldn't handle 284 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:46.480 it anymore. I know it had to have been really bad. 285 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:50.200 So I like made it my mission to just I 286 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.879 was going to connect with her like almost as many times, 287 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:55.120 like every day, I want to hear from you, because 288 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.559 if I don't hear from me, I'm going to assume 289 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.080 that something bad has happened and that you know, and 290 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:00.759 then I'm going to start calling people and it's going 291 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.480 to get weird for you because people are going to 292 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:03.840 start showing up at your house. You know. 293 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:06.440 Yeah, well that's I mean, that's being a good friend. 294 00:15:06.919 --> 00:15:09.320 I think most people would maybe go, Okay, it's not 295 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:12.159 a big deal, it's none of my business. But so 296 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:15.200 when so you started contacting her regularly, what were those 297 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.600 calls like leading up to the incident. 298 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.519 The funny part about that was every time she would 299 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:24.600 call me was like in the car picking up her kids, okay, 300 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.480 and then she'd be like, I got to go so 301 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:28.879 she was getting home or he was like in the room, 302 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:32.639 so she didn't talk in front of him or anywhere 303 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:34.039 near him, or as soon as the kids got in 304 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.240 the car, she got off the phone with me. But 305 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.679 I texted her like all through the holidays, and she 306 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:41.759 kind of made it sound like things were getting better. 307 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.200 She was like, you know, it's been better. It's okay. 308 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.279 Because I was thinking to myself like, oh gosh, Thanksgiving weekend, 309 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:49.080 they're going to be home the whole weekend. That could 310 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.679 be really bad, you know, And she was like, no, 311 00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:55.240 it seems better, and I was like okay. So time 312 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:57.399 kind of went on and she first said things were 313 00:15:57.399 --> 00:16:00.240 getting better, so I'm kind of like, okay, is. 314 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.039 She at that state where she would have been honest 315 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:03.360 with you if they weren't. 316 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:07.799 I don't know if she felt like it was getting better, 317 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.600 because I didn't sort of like hear that ner that 318 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:14.360 Like I didn't hear that like panic in her voice, 319 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:17.000 okay anymore, you know, so she sort of made it 320 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:18.519 sound like things were going better. 321 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.120 Yeah, And if you want to speculate, you can just say, hey, 322 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:23.159 I'm speculating here, but this is what I think based 323 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.120 on because it's I'm sure you could tell if you 324 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:27.080 knew her that long, you could probably tell, like a 325 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:28.919 crack in the voice or the way she's talking if 326 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:30.039 she's not being truthful. 327 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:35.399 Yeah. I just I mean, yeah, I felt like she 328 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:37.480 was doing better because I kind of could feel myself 329 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.879 like relaxing a little bit. Okay, maybe I just overreacted. 330 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:41.919 Maybe this isn't you know, like maybe it was okay, 331 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:44.399 but I still felt like I needed to talk to her. 332 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:47.960 So for birthdays, the first week in March, I always 333 00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:50.320 text her on her birthday or call her every single 334 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:52.720 year for thirty years. I sent her a message and 335 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.039 I said, I hope you have a really you know, 336 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:58.120 happy people year, you know, just sending me some birthday love, 337 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.919 and she said, I've had a great day and I 338 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.720 think this is going to be my best year yet. Okay, 339 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:06.319 And I like when I think about that now, like 340 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:10.039 I just like she really felt okay about how things 341 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:13.480 were going, and she was like feeling really positive. You know, 342 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.759 she had just kind of reconnected. I know, you guys 343 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:19.839 talked about rekindling a family connection, and she had just 344 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:22.880 reconnected with her stepsister, Dora. They had been kind of 345 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:25.880 estranged for a long time, and she was super excited 346 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:30.279 about seeing Dora and they had visited and were making 347 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.519 plans to do things, and she was very excited, like 348 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:36.200 she was, you know, she seemed really really happy. 349 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.359 This is the March twenty twenty. Yeah, okay, this is. 350 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.920 Like the March fifth is her birthday. So that was 351 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:46.640 like I talked to her and then March I hadn't 352 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.799 heard from her in a little bit, and it was 353 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:53.640 March nineteenth. Actually I texted her at night because I 354 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:55.000 was like, gosh, I haven't heard from her in a 355 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:57.519 little while. And I just then and COVID stuff was 356 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:00.599 happening all of a sudden. Yeah, and I'm a teacher, 357 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.200 so pool got shut down and we were just all 358 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:03.799 sitting here. 359 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.720 Yeah, that was like fresh into lockdown because my birthday 360 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:08.960 is March. My birthday is March nineteenth, and I remember 361 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:11.000 I had planned, I had plans, and then we're like 362 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:13.960 everything got shut down. Everyone was very nervous. Yeah, I 363 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:15.039 didn't know what was happening. 364 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.359 So I sent her a message just so I was 365 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:19.119 thinking about her, and there was like a lot of 366 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:21.400 craziness happening, and so I sent her a message and 367 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.000 I said, hey, everything okay, I haven't heard from you 368 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.680 in a little while. And then I didn't hear back 369 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:30.480 from her. I never heard so then like this, you know, 370 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:32.519 the sequent went by and I'm kind of like, well, 371 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:34.319 maybe I'll give her like a day or two more, 372 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.799 you know what's going on. And I didn't hear a 373 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.440 single thing until I got a phone call from Eric 374 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:41.839 on March twenty fourth. 375 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:43.200 Okay, how did that go. 376 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:46.359 It's the middle of the day, right, my phone ring, 377 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:50.599 and it's when she's calling from her phone and I 378 00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:55.079 get a text message that says, hey, Dawn, this is Eric. 379 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:57.119 I just wanted you to know that the kids and 380 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:01.880 I are okay, and we don't anything, but Gwen's gone 381 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:06.720 and we're missing her so much, And I was like, what. 382 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:10.079 Do you mean you didn't see any of the social 383 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:11.720 media posts or anything prior to that? 384 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:13.480 No, okay, no. 385 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.160 With him break the news to one of her oldest 386 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:18.720 best friends. 387 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:23.279 Yeah, I'm not friends with him. I had no idea 388 00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:26.200 what was happening. I had no and not see one 389 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:28.119 single thing. I had no idea what was going on, 390 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.039 And like, what what does that mean? And then he 391 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:34.039 and then he puts his cell phone number, you can 392 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:34.920 call me if you want. 393 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:35.640 What. 394 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:40.039 Yeah, that's that's really strange. It's like he's almost trying 395 00:19:40.039 --> 00:19:44.039 to get attention from you because like he knew you 396 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.519 were close with her. 397 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:49.440 I think he was looking through her phone and realized like, oh, 398 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:53.000 oh gosh, she's been talking to Don all this time. 399 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:56.480 John knows all of this stuff that has gone on. 400 00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:00.400 I'm really honestly in my I am speculating, but in 401 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:03.319