WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.679 Brian was the kind of neighbor you expected to see 2 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:13.880 every day until one day he simply wasn't there anymore. 3 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:17.160 It was a stark and strange change, and as the 4 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:19.800 days of his absence turned into weeks and then turned 5 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.920 into months, subtle signs began to surface that something inside 6 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:30.559 is now quiet home wasn't right. Then, when the truth 7 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:36.240 was finally uncovered, it exposed a disturbing reality that was 8 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:42.000 hidden just out of view. This is the story of 9 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:43.039 Brian Egg. 10 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:48.439 My name's Ben, I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked Ingram. 11 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:55.880 A true crime podcast. Warning the following podcasts and material 12 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:20.680 intended foreman your audience listener discretion. I have a joke 13 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:24.640 for you. Do you Why was Cinderella so bad at soccer? 14 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.760 Ah, I'm terrible. I don't know, I don't know, I'm terrible. Jokes. 15 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:31.480 She kept running away from the ball. 16 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:35.799 Oh shit, I should have gotten that one. Actually, that's 17 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:36.920 real good. That's good. 18 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:38.680 I figured it would be a good way to start 19 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:40.799 our Friday, sitting here with a little bit of a joke, 20 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.319 you know, get a smile on her face. 21 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.359 Yeah, I freaking love Cinderella. I would say that's my 22 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:46.560 favorite Disney movie. 23 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:48.519 Mine would be Hercules. 24 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:50.840 Yeah, yeah, I knew that. 25 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:52.719 I knew yours was Cinderella. 26 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.480 I even have a tattoo, married gorilla tattoo. 27 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:56.480 I know what does it say? 28 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:01.280 It says it's on my foot. Have courage and be kind. 29 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.640 There we go a little bit of inspiration to go 30 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:07.680 along with your smiling Friday for the Yes, Yes, we 31 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.599 have an interesting story for you today. It's a bit 32 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:15.960 of a weird one. It's got an interesting twist. Yeah, 33 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:17.800 I guess it's all. I'm really safe for now. There's 34 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:19.479 a lot to go with it. But are you ready 35 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:19.800 for it? 36 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:20.439 I am? 37 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:21.000 Are you? 38 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:22.439 Yeah? I mean why not? 39 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:25.000 Let's do her Are you as ready for the story 40 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.240 as you were ready for the snow we woke up 41 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:31.599 to this morning, Yes, almost the end of March, and 42 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:33.479 we just got like two inches of snow overnight. 43 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:35.879 Our weather has been a bit interesting this year in 44 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:39.439 this sense. We've had many false springs. 45 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.400 We've had a lot this year. But I will grant 46 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:44.560 you this snow will be melted probably by the end 47 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:47.439 of the day. Probably, But I'm just ready for the 48 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:49.919 sun to shine in the warm weather. Yeah, but you 49 00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:51.919 guys are probably like, shut up I'm ready for the case, 50 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:53.800 So let's get on the case. 51 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:54.479 Let's do it. 52 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:58.960 So there's a certain comfort in routine, especially in a 53 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:02.759 city where everything is constantly moving. People pass each other 54 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:06.039 on the same sidewalk every day. Maybe they're nodding politely 55 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:09.280 or exchanging small talk, or simply just existing side by 56 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:12.199 side without ever acknowledging one another or really stopping to 57 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:16.240 think about it, but one way or another, over time, 58 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:22.560 those familiar faces simply become part of your background. They're expected, dependable, 59 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:27.000 almost invisible, even in their consistency, Like the person who 60 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:29.719 comes and replaces the water jug in an office building 61 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.719 every Friday, sort of say, he's there, You expect to 62 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:35.800 see him, and it's just a part of what your 63 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:36.599 life has become. 64 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.560 And when it's a different person, you're like, what the heck? 65 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:43.199 Yeah, things can feel different, and it's not unusual to 66 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.680 notice when something new does appear, too, But it's far 67 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:52.120 easier to overlook when something quietly disappears. Maybe it's a 68 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:54.960 missed wave from a friendly face, or an empty doorway, 69 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:59.120 or a routine that suddenly stops without explanation. At first, 70 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:01.400 it's easy to brush. I mean, yeah, sure, people get 71 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:04.759 busy plans, changed life pulls us in different directions all 72 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:08.360 the time, but as days turn into weeks, that absence 73 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:12.240 can start to feel much heavier and much harder to ignore, 74 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:17.040 like a small detail that doesn't quite fit anymore. And 75 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:22.800 sometimes the most unsettling part isn't what's obvious, it's what sits, 76 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.680 just out of sight, blending into that ordinary, waiting long 77 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:30.519 enough that no one thinks to question it until it's 78 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.920 far too late. But before anything in this story was 79 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.519 out of place, there was a sixty five year old 80 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:41.160 man living in a quiet life in San Francisco, California. 81 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.360 His name was Brian Egg, and to people who knew him, 82 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:47.000 or even those who just passed by him, he was 83 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.839 a constant, the kind of person you don't really think 84 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:52.199 about at first until one day they're suddenly not there 85 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:56.399 anymore now. Brian lived in the South of Market district, 86 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:59.279 better known as SOMA. It's a busy part of the 87 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:02.560 city that's always changing and always moving, you know, that 88 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:07.000 kind of thing, But somehow Brian didn't really change with it. 89 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:11.720 For over four decades, he stayed rooted in the same place, 90 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:15.639 in his small home on Clara Street. Now his place 91 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:19.240 wasn't anything flashy. It was just a modest, older house 92 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:23.480 tucked into the neighborhood. But it was his and it 93 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.360 had been for the most of his adult life. Now 94 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:29.480 there he kept his life simple, really simple in fact. 95 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.120 You see, Brian wasn't into technology. He had no cell phone, 96 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.480 no computer, no social media, nothing like that. And if 97 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:39.319 you wanted to reach him, you had to call his 98 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.160 home phone, or more likely, you just ran into him 99 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:45.920 outside on the street somewhere, and most people did. Because 100 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:50.360 Brian was almost always out and about. He had a routine, 101 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:52.720 and not just a loose one. This was the kind 102 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:56.399 of routine people could rely on, like set their watch 103 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:59.199 by sort of thing. Every day, you'd see him walking 104 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:02.759 through the neighborhood, sometimes with a dog or carrying something 105 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:05.279 or you know, sometimes just taking time to go for 106 00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:07.399 a stroll. But he'd stop and he'd talk to people. 107 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:09.879 He'd check in, he'd ask how they were doing, you know, 108 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:13.519 you name it. It was clear he was never in 109 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:16.600 a rush. He also took care of things that weren't 110 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:21.000 technically his responsibility. If there was trash in the alley, well, 111 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.360 you could bet Brian would be picking it up. If 112 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.279 someone had plants, outside and they were going dry, he 113 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:30.040 would water them. Sometimes he'd even actually give plants away, 114 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:33.959 and then when they're sitting outside the neighbor's house or whatever, 115 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:37.040 he'd even quietly keep taking care of them himself so 116 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:38.720 the owner didn't have to worry about it. 117 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.480 Oh my, he sounds just like a beautiful soul. 118 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.040 Really, one hundred percent, Brian is a beautiful soul. And 119 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.639 of course, like these aren't things he's doing for attention either. 120 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.240 It was just how he lived, it was who he was, 121 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.560 and all in all he was a familiar face, not 122 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:58.480 just a familiar individual, not just that familiarity, but he 123 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:02.879 was also very reliable. People expected to see Brian. You 124 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:04.879 could almost set your watch by him, as I said. 125 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:07.319 And in a city where neighbors often come and go 126 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:11.120 without much connection, Brian he was different. He made the 127 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:17.680 place feel smaller, more personal, like a community or even home. Now. 128 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:20.040 Earlier in his life, Brian had worked at a place 129 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:22.720 called the Stud, a well known bar in the city 130 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:25.519 with a long history. Was a part of his past though, 131 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:28.879 and after that he got by doing odd jobs, living 132 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:32.480 frugally and making just enough money to stay afloat. And 133 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:35.120 that's how he liked it. But what really stood out 134 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:37.800 about Brian wasn't where he worked or how much money 135 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:41.560 he had, It was how he treated people. Brian had 136 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.839 a habit of helping those who needed at most. If 137 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:47.519 someone was struggling down in their luck or just needed 138 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.879 a place to stay for a while. I mean, he 139 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:53.720 would often open his door with no big questions or expectations. 140 00:07:53.720 --> 00:07:58.439 There was just help whenever Brian could. And that generosity 141 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.240 was a very defined part of who he was. 142 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.399 So he may not even have enough money for himself, 143 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.199 but he'll always make sure that he can help someone else. 144 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:10.079 He was the give the shirt off his back kind 145 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.519 of person. Gosh, okay, and I honestly have a feeling. 146 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:15.800 I don't know this factually, but I just have this 147 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.199 feeling that I'm sure there would have been a situation 148 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.920 or two where he probably literally did give the shirt 149 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:21.399 off his back. 150 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.319 Yeah, and just from someone who doesn't live in like 151 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:27.560 a huge city. When I go to a big cities, 152 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:29.839 they can feel pretty lonely, So it's kind of nice 153 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:32.799 just to hear that he almost to people around him 154 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:35.080 makes them not feel lonely. 155 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:39.639 Oh, definitely now for years, I mean decades, really, that's 156 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:43.080 exactly how he lived and who he was now by 157 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:46.639 the time of summer of twenty eighteen. Sometime in late 158 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:49.879 May or possibly early June of that year, Brian was 159 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:52.799 seen outside his home on Clara Street doing one of 160 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.919 the things that he become, you know, almost second nature 161 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:59.080 to him. Really. He was cleaning the surrounding area, picking 162 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:02.080 up litter in ten to the alleyways and sidewalks nearby, 163 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:05.159 making sure things were clean in public. It was the small, 164 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:08.720 everyday thing that defined who he was, and because it 165 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:11.720 was so typical of him, it didn't likely stand out 166 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:13.799 to anyone who was passing by. In fact, it would 167 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.559 have seemed even reassuring more than anything else. But after 168 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.720 finishing up, Brian returned to his house and it seemed 169 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:24.240 to be a completely ordinary end to a completely ordinary day. 170 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.399 But what makes that moment significant was not what was seen, 171 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.440 but what was not seen, because in the days that followed, 172 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:38.360 Brian simply wasn't around like he usually was. At first, 173 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:41.679 it didn't exactly raise any concern. In a busy neighborhood, 174 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:43.519 it's easy to go for a short period of time 175 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.039 without crossing paths with someone, right, even if they are 176 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:50.919 a regular, inconsistent presence. People may have assumed that he 177 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:54.320 was inside or resting, possibly out at a different time 178 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:57.799 of day than usual. There's no clear reason, at least initially, 179 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:03.120 to believe that anything was seriously be wrong. However, as 180 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:06.120 more time passed, his absence in the neighborhood became harder 181 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:10.080 to ignore. The daily pattern people had grown used to well, 182 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.919 they were no longer there, and as the days turned 183 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.919 two weeks, the lack of any sign of Brian began 184 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:18.960 to stand out more and more clearly to the people 185 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:21.960 who knew him, and even those who only even those 186 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:25.240 who only knew him in just passing, just seen him before, 187 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:31.279 they couldn't see him anymore, and they didn't know why now. 188 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:34.000 His absence didn't immediately trigger any sort of alarm in 189 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:36.919 the formal sense, but it did begin to create a 190 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:42.320 unique unease. But that same unease soon began to shift 191 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:45.480 when Brian's family, who lived out of state, started trying 192 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:48.200 to reach him and were unable to get hold of him. 193 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:51.639 See his brother, who was used to speaking with him 194 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:54.960 quite regularly, attempted to call him on his home phone, 195 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.639 expecting the usual outcome one of two is either Brian 196 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:02.639 picks up or the call simply goes unanswered. What he 197 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:07.720 encountered instead, though, was something that immediately felt off. For 198 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:12.799 the first time ever, the call was directed to voicemail, 199 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.639 and Brian had never been known to use an answering 200 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:19.240 machine in the past before because remember, as I said, 201 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:23.279 Brian kept his life simple, intentionally simple, avoiding most forms 202 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:27.240 of technology. So the sudden appearance of a voicemail system 203 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:30.200 where there hadn't been one before was enough to raise 204 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:34.440 some questions. Now if that weren't strange enough, but made 205 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:37.600 the situation even more unsettling was the voice on the 206 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:43.200 recording itself, because it wasn't Brian. Now, the message sounded 207 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:48.360 unfamiliar and was delivered by someone his brother just didn't recognize. So, 208 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.679 wanting to be sure that you know, it had not 209 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:53.840 been some kind of mistake, he checked the number and 210 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:57.000 he called it again. This time, instead of being sent 211 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:02.080 to voicemail, someone actually answered the phone. On that call, 212 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.399 The man on the other end identified himself as Nate, 213 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:09.320 and when he was asked about Brian will this, Nate 214 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:12.600 responded in a calm and casual manner, explaining Brian wasn't 215 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:15.480 available at the moment, and you know he was supposedly 216 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.159 out walking the dog. He reassured Brian's brother that he 217 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:22.039 would pass along the message and have Brian return the call. 218 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:27.840 This is really odd. It is the even just having 219 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:31.720 a voicemail would probably have been something his brother would 220 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.759 know that he would have told him about. 221 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.960 It right easily. He would picked up on that right. 222 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:37.279 Away, because it would have been a big deal for 223 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:38.840 Brian exactly. 224 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:43.639 However, there is a caveat that goes with this. The explanation. 225 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:47.200 It was simple enough, and given Brian's known habit of 226 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:49.720 allowing people to stay at his home from time to time, 227 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:54.080 it wasn't entirely impossible that someone else might be there, 228 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:57.120 even maybe hooking up their answering machine on his phone 229 00:12:57.159 --> 00:12:57.799 for a few days. 230 00:12:57.879 --> 00:12:59.480 Right, Yeah, I suppose so. 231 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:03.480 But even so, something about the interaction didn't quite feel right. 232 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:07.279 Days went by again, and there was no return call 233 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:10.120 that ever came. Brian didn't reach out to his family, 234 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:13.200 and the explanation given over the phone remained up in 235 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:16.600 the air. Now, while Brian's family was beginning to feel 236 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:21.120 that something clearly was wrong, a similar realization was slowly 237 00:13:21.159 --> 00:13:25.039 taking shape much closer to Brian's home in the Soma 238 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:28.440 neighborhood of San Francisco. The absence of Brian was becoming 239 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.159 harder and harder for everyone to ignore. People were talking 240 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.559 to each other, and the more they discussed it, the 241 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:38.759 clearer it became that this wasn't normal behavior for Brian, because, 242 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:41.519 I mean, he had spent years establishing this visible and 243 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:46.000 steady presence around the neighborhood, and that consistency worked against 244 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:49.320 any assumption that he simply left town, because if he'd 245 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:51.679 gone somewhere, that too would have been out of character 246 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:55.840 for him to disappear without saying anything to anyone, especially 247 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:59.799 for an extended period of time. He talked with people daily, 248 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.960 it would have come up. One of the people most 249 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:07.600 affected by this growing concern was a neighbor and longtime 250 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:11.159 friend named Scott Free, who had known Brian for years. 251 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:13.519 It'd even worked with each other in the past, and 252 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.879 when Brian stopped, you know, appearing, it stood out right 253 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:21.320 away to Scott. Now, its concerns continued to build. Neighbors 254 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.919 began using online community platforms I'm assuming places like Facebook 255 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:29.080 or whatever to spread awareness and ask if anyone had 256 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.879 seen or heard of Brian. Posts started circulating with people 257 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.600 sharing what they knew and trying to piece together when 258 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:38.799 you know Brian had last been seen at the same time, 259 00:14:38.840 --> 00:14:41.559 some neighbors took a more direct approach. They went to 260 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:45.080 Brian's house. They knocked on the door and waited for 261 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:49.440 an answer, but it never came. There was no sign 262 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:51.399 of any sort of activity that was going on, no 263 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:54.240 indication that he was inside, and no way to confirm 264 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.639 whether he was even there at all. But made the 265 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:01.720 situation especially unsettling was the lack of any sort of 266 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.879 clear explanation. As far as anyone could tell, there was 267 00:15:04.919 --> 00:15:08.600 no reason for Brian to leave like this, and as 268 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:12.480 concern within the neighborhood continued, it eventually reached to a 269 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:16.320 point where residents felt it was necessary to involve law enforcement. 270 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:21.200 Multiple neighbors began contacting the police to request a welfare 271 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:24.320 check on Brian Egg, explaining that he'd not been seen 272 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.279 in weeks and his sudden disappearance was not like him. 273 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:33.360 So officers obliged, and they responded to those requests and 274 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.240 visited Brian's home on Clara's Street several times during August. 275 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.200 Each time they had approached the same sort of way, 276 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:43.080 police would come up to the door. They'd knock and 277 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:47.879 wait for a response. When no one answered, they left 278 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:52.039 the property. They couldn't see signs of forced entry. There 279 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.360 was no visible disturbance and nothing that clearly indicated a 280 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:59.480 crime had taken place. So without those indicators, officers had 281 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.519 no legal grounds to enter the home without permission. There 282 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:08.120 was simply nothing else that they can do. Police were 283 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:10.759 also looking at the belief that Brian might simply be 284 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:14.399 away from his home. The voicemail message that callers had 285 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:17.399 begun encountering when they tried to actually reach him, along 286 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:20.440 with this phone line, it also gave the impression that 287 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:24.720 Brian would return at some point, which from an investigative standpoint, 288 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:27.200 it doesn't immediately contradict the idea that he could be 289 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.919 out of town. Although neighbors continued to express concern and 290 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.759 request additional checks, each visit by the police resulted in 291 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:39.320 the same outcome, with no contact, no visible signs of trouble, 292 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.279 and no further action being taken. 293 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:46.519 I kind of love that he didn't have like a 294 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.559 lot of technology and stuff, but then now that something 295 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:53.639 is kind of clearly going wrong, it makes it a 296 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:57.279 lot more difficult to communicate to make sure he is okay. 297 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:00.720 Yeah, there's definitely benefits to having a cell phone in 298 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:01.159 your pocket. 299 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:04.319 Yeah right, yeah. Or say he did just go on 300 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:06.799 a holiday or something, and you know, maybe he would 301 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:09.240 post on Facebook a little photo and then everyone would 302 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:11.279 be like, oh, okay, like Brian's okay. 303 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:13.759 Right, Like where's Brian? Don't let's check his Instagram. We 304 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.720 go and we just see Brian getting like drunk in 305 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:18.400 an all inclusive Mexican resort or something like, hell yeah, 306 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:19.039 Brian lived. 307 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:21.680 Brian's living his best life exactly. 308 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.440 Now, looking back on this period, it would later be 309 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:28.559 seen as a very critical window of time because it 310 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.039 was during these early welfare checks that if Brian's disappearance 311 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.480 might have been investigated more, the truth about what was 312 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.240 unfolding inside his home it may have come to light 313 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.960 much sooner, and perhaps it would have provided much needed 314 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:47.960 information now as the days passed and concern around Brian 315 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.079 continued to build. At this point, the uncertainty surrounding Brian's 316 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:57.319 disappearance had largely been based on what wasn't happening, for example, 317 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:00.640 him not appearing in the neighborhood, the lack of communication, 318 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:03.319 the unanswered door, that sort of thing. But now there 319 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:08.119 was something new to focus on. People began noticing unfamiliar 320 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:13.680 individuals coming and going from Brian's home on Clara Street. Now, 321 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:16.519 as I mentioned, Brian had a history of helping people 322 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:19.440 who were struggling, and it wasn't uncommon for him to 323 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:24.359 offer temporary shelter to those in need. However, what stood 324 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:27.240 out in this situation was not just the presence of 325 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.039 these individuals, but the way they appeared to be using 326 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:34.480 his home as if it were their own. Neighbors observed 327 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:38.920 them entering leaving regularly, without any sign of Brian himself, 328 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:42.400 and without any indication that he was even still living 329 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:46.839 there alongside them. Usually, if Brian had allowed someone to 330 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:51.000 stay in his home, his own routine would typically remain unchanged. 331 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:55.400 He would still be seen outside continuing his daily habits. 332 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:59.119 But instead, what people were witnessing was a complete absence 333 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:03.720 of him, fined with the ongoing activity of strangers at 334 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:04.599 his residence. 335 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:07.880 This is really alarming, yeah. 336 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:10.279 And the longer this continued on, the more concerning it 337 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:15.119 became for everyone, and neighbors quickly began to question who 338 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:17.400 these individuals were and why they were even there in 339 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:21.480 the first place. The whole situation was wrong, like something 340 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:26.119 had been taken over in Brian's absence. Reports were soon 341 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:29.119 made to the police once again, with neighbors explaining that 342 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.759 not only was Brian still missing, but there were now 343 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:36.240 unknown individuals occupying his house, which added a complete new 344 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.960 layer to the situation, shifting it further away from a 345 00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:42.880 routine welfare check closer to something that required almost a 346 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:48.920 deeper investigation. But still, despite this, the response didn't immediately 347 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:51.960 change in any sort of meaningful way, because it was 348 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.160 still difficult to prove that a crime had taken place. 349 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.640 The individual scene at the house were not actively engaging 350 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:02.960 in behavior your that could be clearly identified as criminal 351 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.519 from the street, and without direct evidence, the situation remained 352 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:10.599 in that kind of legal gray area. 353 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:13.720 Oh no, I feel like if we were his neighbor, 354 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:16.079 we would just be obsessed with him and just love him, 355 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:19.839 and I would just like go and freakin' break the door, 356 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:22.160 break the door down, and be like, what's going on? 357 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:24.680 For sure, But as far as like police are aware, Like, 358 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:27.640 who knows, these people could be out of town friends 359 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.599 who are starting to house it for Brian while he's 360 00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:35.279 on vacation. Maybe Brian has a family member or a 361 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:37.920 friend who's in the hospital, a state over or something, 362 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:40.319 and these people are watching his place while he's gone. 363 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.359 I know there are a lot of reasons why they 364 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:46.839 could be there, but I don't know. Still, especially for 365 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.920 these people that know how strict he is with his routine, Like, 366 00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:52.839 you can see why they would be very uneasy about 367 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:53.119 all this. 368 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:55.759 Oh definitely, don't get me wrong, Like they have every 369 00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:57.039 right to be concerned, but when. 370 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.680 It comes down to what you can do about it, Yeah, 371 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:00.319 in the. 372 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.759 Eyes of the law, there needs to be reason for 373 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:06.920 concern other than while we don't know these people, well, Brian. 374 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:11.079 Might Yeah, yeah, because how well every did people really 375 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:12.839 know Brian right exactly? 376 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.000 So there's always questions and they need evidence before they 377 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:20.519 can act. So up until this point, there had been 378 00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:25.359 unanswered questions and unusual activity, but nothing had definitively pointed 379 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:28.720 to a serious thing happening inside this home. But that 380 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:32.559 changed when the diligent neighbors who were keeping their eyes 381 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:36.400 peeled started noticing that the individuals now living in Brian's 382 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:39.880 home were engaging in to what appeared to be a 383 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.279 very intense and continuous cleaning effort. 384 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.079 Oh my gosh, you're freaking kidding me now. 385 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:51.079 It was an effort that was not the kind of 386 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.759 light tiding that might follow someone moving into a new 387 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.079 space or reorganizing a home, or even spring cleaning. Nothing 388 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:01.559 like that. Instead, it was described as excess and aggressive. 389 00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:06.160 One of the first signs was the presence of soap 390 00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:09.920 and water seeping out from underneath the front door of 391 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:14.039 the house. People walking by could see SuDS being pushed 392 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:18.599 outwards and pouring onto the ground. Also, there was a 393 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:22.599 very strong and persistent smell that began to emanate and 394 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:27.160 linger around the property, a very familiar one. It was bleach. 395 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:32.559 Oh no, this was obviously not just a matter of 396 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:35.160 someone maintaining a home. It looked much more like an 397 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:39.519 attempt to thoroughly sanitize or remove something. 398 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:41.799 Yeah here, At first I was thinking they were like 399 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:45.680 getting rid of a shit or something. But yeah, this 400 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:50.920 is ominous. Yeah, it really gives you an unsettling feeling. 401 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:54.359