MISSING: Suzanne Lyall

[00:00] Hi, Crime Junkies. It's Britt, and I have big news. One of my favorite seasonal shows, CounterClock, is back with a brand new season, and it is wild. Host Delia D'Ambra is digging into the 2008 Lane Bryant murders. I mean, this isn't just a recap. It is a reinvestigation. She's talking to law enforcement, people from the community, even sources who have never spoken publicly until now. And you know I love a show that asks all the questions. Listen to CounterClock Season 8 now wherever you get your podcasts. [00:30] Hi, Crime Junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And today, I am going to tell you all about the mysterious vanishing of college student Suzanne Lyle. [00:43] music [01:14] Our story starts in the state of New York in 1998 with 19-year-old college student named Suzanne Lyle and all of her friends and family called her Susie. [01:26] Susie was super smart and driven and she loved computers, like could build her own computer back in 1998 when I could barely get through Beavis Beacon's typing class. Yeah, I'm not sure I had a computer in 98, but TBD. Right. So Susie was studying computer science, obviously, and she spent the first two semesters of her college career at a smaller school before transferring to SUNY Albany.

[01:56] listen to kept saying SUNY Albany and SUNY is actually S-U-N-Y and it stands for the State University of New York. Oh makes sense. Right so she told her parents that she wanted to switch because in her words like she could have been teaching the class at the other school it just wasn't challenging and she's like I'm going to school not just to check a box but I actually want to learn something. Now I'm going to school and I'm going to school and I'm going to school [02:21] Her parents believed this, but they also suspected that maybe she was moving because she also wanted to be closer to her long-term boyfriend, Richard. Now, before they were a couple of hours away, but since she transferred to this new school, they would be just about 10 minutes from one another. Now, Susie and Richard met in high school when Susie was just 16 and Richard was 17. [02:51] And her parents, it's so funny, when they found out about this computer club at first, they were like kind of sketched out because they all met online, but we're going to meet in person. And they're not loving the idea of her going to meet a bunch of people like IRL that she met online. Yeah, that's kind of... [03:08] still a thing to be afraid of. Oh yeah. And in 1998, like it was brand new. It sounds terrifying. So for the first time that Susie was going to this, her dad insisted that he go with her. When they arrive, her dad was delighted and I'm sure relieved to find out it was actually just a really normal group of super nice kids who just had the same interests as Susie. Now the president of the group was Susie's future boyfriend, though obviously she didn't know it at the time,

[03:38] interested in Susie almost right away, though it took Susie some time to warm up to him. And I'm not sure if she just didn't like feel that spark right away, or if it was because she'd recently gotten out of another relationship and just wasn't ready to jump in. But she was a little bit more slow moving. But Richard was persistent. And after some time, the two became an official couple for the rest of her high school career and on into college with only one or two small breakups in [04:08] details on when those were or why exactly they broke up. You see, Susie was a fiercely private person, even with her family. She was sweet and kind and happy most of the time, but she also had a very deep and introspective side as seen by some of the poetry that she left behind. She would write about questioning herself and her place in the world and say that nobody ever really knew the [04:38] a lot into this. Was there something wrong? Was she depressed? And I didn't know her, so I can never say for sure. But what I can tell you is as somebody who was also a teenage girl, brooding teen was like my default setting. Yeah, I can actually vouch for that statement. Yeah, I like I get the deep introspective thinking. I was always way more dramatic than I ever needed

[05:08] very real. So I can see how she was this happy person on the outside to everyone, but also had this dark side. And I don't think that changed the fact that she maybe still could have been a happy girl. You know what I mean? Oh yeah. [05:21] Like you said, you were maybe a little bit dramatic growing up, but... [05:25] You had a great life and a great childhood. It didn't change any of that. So maybe she showed that side to Richard. Maybe not. But she kept it from a lot of people and also kept from them the ups and downs in her and Richard's relationship. [05:39] As far as her family knows, Susie is really liking her new school, really liking her new classes. And in early March of 1998, they know that she's preparing and stressing over her midterms coming up, which is why they get this sinking feeling on March 3rd when Richard calls her parents and asks, [06:01] did you know Susie's missing? And her parents are kind of taken aback. Like, what do you mean she's missing? She's at school. And no, he says, I've been trying to reach her nonstop since last night. And when she gets off of work, like she was working the night before, she always calls me. And last night she didn't call. And I called her dorm room over and over. And I cannot get a hold of her. And I think something is wrong. So Susie's dad immediately calls campus police to have them [06:31] They notify the RA, have that person go look, but of course she's not in her dorm anywhere. Her dorm looks completely undisturbed. Nothing's out of place. Nothing's noticeably missing. No sign of a disturbance. It just looks like a college kid left everything in its place.

[06:46] The campus police don't feel the sense of dread that the family does. Like, she's 19. She's a college student. She just hasn't called anyone in 12 hours. Like, there isn't a reason to be, like, in such a crazy tizzy. Right. We see this a lot. Right. But Susie's family presses. She is not like this. She's always in contact with someone. Please keep looking. The campus police officer decided to go to Susie's next class. Maybe she was out all night. Maybe she'll show up there. [07:13] but she doesn't. And this is just more confirmation for the family that something is terribly wrong. Susie would not miss class. So her dad decides to drive up to campus and help look for her while Susie's mom stays home and waits by the phone. [07:29] When he arrives to campus, police welcome him and tell him they have people looking for his daughter, and that they've started to talk to people she knows, like her roommates and coworkers, to try and piece together all the time. [07:40] what she could have done, when she was last seen, and where she might be now. What they learned is that Susie had a shift to work the night of March 2nd. She worked at a small computer electronics store in the mall. And that night, she was working with her manager, who said as far as he could tell, everything with Susie was normal. She'd been ultra stressed in the days before her midterm, but she had taken it that morning. And so when she came into work, she seemed much more calmed down and like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. [08:10] Thank you. [08:11] Now, his shift ended before hers, but he said that the whole time she was there, she didn't act weird, never said anything, and it was like any other day as far as he could tell.

[08:23] The night supervisor who was still around when Susie left for the night said that she left the back way out of the mall, which again, I'm not familiar with this specific mall. But if it's like any other mall I've been to, the back way is usually a little sketchy, maybe not super well lit. There's always like a creepy hallway always. Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely not super populated. [08:53] to track down the bus driver from the bus that Susie would have ridden back to her school. And he says, yeah, I remember her. She definitely got on the bus that night around like 9.20 p.m. And this was good news. They were one step closer to her. So where did she get off if she's not at campus, if she's not in her dorm room? And this, the driver couldn't tell them. He said that he wasn't paying attention to her specific movements. [09:23] off before he reached the last stop downtown. [09:26] They all make the assumption, and I think it's a pretty safe one, that if she had gotten on the bus that night, most likely she would have only gotten off at her school stop. So the search refocuses there. [09:38] And they find a witness, someone who had seen Suzanne. Now this girl was in the same dorm building with Susie, saw her all the time up close. And she said that she saw her getting off the bus that night, maybe around 945. But she didn't pay attention to where Susie was headed, or what happened to her after. Like she wasn't

[09:58] expecting something bad to happen. She just happened to notice her and remembered that she noticed her. Now, when they talk to Susie's suite mates, they come to the conclusion that whatever happened that night happened before Susie ever made it back to her dorm room because her access card was never used to get into the building. Now, you can always like slide in behind somebody if like, you know, they're going in and you just happen to be like right behind them. Right. Yeah. But the one thing that they also point to is that her roommates say that she had [10:28] bundle of keys and key chains and every time she would like unlock her door they would jangle and clatter so [10:36] They said, we hear her every night when she would come back. So if we didn't hear her, we know she didn't come back. And on top of that, her phone was ringing and ringing and ringing all night because Richard was trying to call her and she never picked up the phone. So they have to conclude, again, whatever happened to her happened in the time and space between when she got off the bus and before she made it into her dormitory. [11:06] Remember how I said her mom was still waiting at home by the phone? Yeah. So there were no calls coming in. But her mom gets a great idea. She was going to be proactive and check Susie's banking records for any activity. So she decides to call the bank. [11:24] and what she learns. [11:26] flips this case on its head forever changing the course of this investigation.

[11:35] Chime is changing the way that people bank. They offer the most rewarding fee-free banking built for you. Chime has thousands of fee-free ATMs. Like, why pay to get your own money? Plus, you can get savings that grow faster with a 3.75% APY. That is nine times higher than the national average. Chime members can even staff benefits, like up to $1,150 in annual rewards, [12:04] premium travel perks. Their Spot Me feature even lets you overdraft up to $200. And all of that is without fees. There is nothing not to like about this. It is clear why Chime is rated five stars by USA Today for customer service. Real humans 24-7. When you switch, you're not just switching banks. You are upgrading to America's number one choice for banking with a Chime checking account. Chime's not just smarter banking. It's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are [12:34] Thank you. [13:00] So her mom knew Susie kept about $120 in her bank. If she went somewhere or did anything to break her routine, maybe she needed money to do it. And maybe her card transactions could give her a lead. So she calls the bank. And at first, she learns that Susie had withdrawn $[redacted address] from where she caught the bus. Then took out another $20 at the mall where she worked.

[13:30] Her mom knew that. She would always only withdraw $20. Now, to me, it's a little weird that she would make withdrawals back to back like that. Right. And... [13:39] This is something that still hasn't been fully explained to this day, but I don't think that that's the mystery here. Here is the mystery. [13:47] So while Susie's mom is on the phone with this lady from the bank, and she's in the middle of telling her that there's only been these two transactions yesterday, nothing new today, she says, wait, wait. [13:59] Your Daughter's Card [14:01] was just used while we're on the phone. Yes, like in real time. Oh my God. She tells her that the card had been used at an ATM to withdraw money. [14:14] Again, $20, which hello, like we just said this is her go-to. So her mom is like, okay, she's good. Well, not even she's good, but like, okay, this is her. Where is she? Why isn't she contacted us? Like we have to go get her. So she asked her, where is this ATM? And this is where things fall off. Because of the technology in place at the time, all the bank could tell then was that her card was being used. [14:44] next day when the vendor turned in their receipts. So they would be a full day behind her. But this was still the best lead that they had. And again, that $20, it kind of made them think maybe this is her. Like what is going on? So the next day, as soon as the lady from the bank gets the information, she calls Susie's mom back and she tells her that the card was used at a convenience

[15:14] Susie being missing. The campus police had already gone to her first class again to see if she showed and of course she hadn't. We know her ATM card has been used the day after she was last seen. Like clearly she isn't on campus. So finally the family's like okay enough with all this campus police stuff. We need the big guns. We want you to call in the state police. So the state police come [15:44] 48 hours. Yeah. State police really zero in on this convenience store where her card was last used. The clerk doesn't remember seeing anyone who looked like Susie, but they still want to see the video surveillance and like all of the footage from the store to verify. Now, unfortunately, there was only one camera back in 1998 and it was trained on the clerk and the cash register and the ATM was completely out of sight. And I should note that they tried to pull prints off [16:14] ATM, but it was all pretty useless because as you can imagine, that thing had been touched by so many people so many times. It's like trying to print a hotel room. Yeah, they couldn't get anything useful off of it. So what they decide to do is pull all of the transactions from the store and the ATM 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after Susie's transaction to track down who was in the store. In all of the footage, they never saw Susie and this stood out to her mom.

[16:44] Susie was the one who made that transaction and took the money out, she would have bought something, at least a coffee. Like Susie was a caffeine addict. But more than that, why go out of your way to go to this random ATM? Like if you didn't need something from that store, wouldn't you have used the ATM near campus or the one near work, like the same ones you had just used? [17:05] If it was her, she should have been buying something, you would think. Yeah. But clearly, I mean, we're thinking it's not her, so someone had to have had her card. One by one, they're going through the people they see on video, matching them up to their transactions, talking to them about what they might have seen in the store or where they were on the night of the second, and one by one, they rule people out. [17:29] Except there's one man they can't identify. One man who was in the store right about the time of Susie's ATM transaction. He was wearing a hat which partially obstructed his image, but they were able to put together a composite sketch, which Britt, I'm going to send you right now. And this is what they released to the public, asking anyone if they recognize this man, because while they didn't call him a suspect right away, [17:59] who had to have known more. [18:02] Oh man, this one's tough, Ash. It's... [18:05] A guy wearing a... [18:08] Nike baseball cap that's pretty low. You can't even see his eyebrows or his forehead. And it might just be this black and white sketch, but is there a chance that he's African-American? He was an African-American man. So we have to remember the only camera was over the clerk, like facing downward. So I'm surprised they're even able to like show this much of his face. They had to have been guessing on what his eyes look like. Maybe they got some like... Mouth, jaw,

[18:38] It has to be kind of a guess. Yeah. Or maybe they asked the clerk what he looked like because they're looking at overhead. And if you're wearing a Nike baseball cap like he was, it obstructs like the view. So they actually dubbed this guy the Nike man and they blast this image out to the public and wait to see if any leads come in. Now, while they wait, they're also doing extensive searching around campus. They have volunteers doing ground searches. They're walking side by side over campus parking lots. [19:08] might be and they don't find a single [19:12] piece of evidence. Eventually, the searches stop, no one calls in about the Nike man, and things just go cold. Like Susie just disappeared into thin air. So weeks and months go by until May, when family gets [19:33] their very first break in the case. [19:37] Thank you. [19:38] Someone walking through the visitors parking lot at campus finds Susie's old work ID. Wait, what? [19:48] Weren't they searching on the entire campus back in March? Well, yeah. So they searched the parking lot that it was found in. And here are like, to me, the only two real possibilities. You see, when they searched in March, there was still snow on the ground. So it's very possible that this ID could have been covered in snow and completely missed. Because when it was found, it's my understanding that it was pushed to the edge of the parking lot or just like over the parking lot.

[20:18] perhaps a snowplow came and actually pushed it. Oh. Yeah. But the other option is it's possible that someone placed it there [20:28] After the searches, did Susie wear her ID on her like when she was coming back from work that night? Is it something that would have been pinned to her or like in her bag? So this ID was actually her old ID. So not one that she would have been wearing. It's one that she likely kept in her bag. So it could have fallen out if there was any kind of struggle. And I mean, really, more could have fallen out. Again, we don't know if a struggle took place at all. But say there was one and stuff's falling out of her bag. Maybe a bunch of stuff fell out. [20:58] This is just one of the things that the person who took her missed. How crazy though for the one thing to be missed to be the thing with her name on it that would obviously get so much attention months down the line. I know. See, this feels almost intentional. And the other weird thing about it is that from what I heard, there wasn't any rust on the pin park, which you would expect to see after it's been sitting in the snow and then the snow has melted around it, right? [21:28] I mean... [21:29] Maybe, but has enough time elapsed? I mean, maybe. I'm not a rust expert. I'm going off the fact that like I put my bobby pins in the shower and like two days later, there's like rust everywhere. I mean, I guess, but it's still just, I don't know. [21:45] I... [21:45] It seems kind of fast. Well, so if we're saying someone placed it there...

[21:51] Maybe they put it there because they figured people would be in and out of the parking lot and they would see it. But if it was truly dropped there and then maybe there just was no rust on it, again, not rust experts here... [22:03] That means that either Susie went into the visitor's parking lot that night, which wasn't on her way to the dorm... [22:12] Or someone grabbed her and took her to a vehicle that they had in the visitor's parking lot. I mean, again, both of these are scenarios I don't know what to think of. Either it was somebody who maybe she didn't know that took her there. Or if she went there intentionally, who would she be meeting that would be parked there? [22:30] Now, something interesting that I heard her family mentioned about this pin is apparently her boyfriend's mother used to always say to her, like, if anyone tried to grab you, make sure you drop stuff as clues. Right. [22:45] Like, [22:46] I don't want to say go down a crazy person's rabbit hole and say like, oh, the boyfriend's mom was involved or she knew. Like this is very much something all of us crime junkies can relate to. Like how many posts on our Facebook discussion group have you seen about safety tips of what to do if you're in X situation? So, oh, yeah, it just seems crazy. Like maybe someone got her to go with them like unwillingly. Maybe like let's say they held her at gunpoint. They're like, follow me. And was she able to kind of drop stuff and leave a trail? [23:16] up because it had her name on it if it was like a pen no one's gonna turn in a pen you know what i mean yeah i guess it just seems like is this it did she have no other like identifying things that she could drop no jewelry uh i mean she might have been wearing jewelry but again i mean so say she was that's what i'm saying maybe that wasn't totally found like if someone found a ring on campus how many dumb college kids would just take the ring no that's a really good point maybe this is the only thing that she if this is what happened maybe this is the only thing that she

[23:46] name this 100% fits the bill yeah right so [23:51] It's been like two months now since she was last seen. They finally have their very first piece of evidence. Unfortunately, though, it gives them nothing. They tried pulling DNA. They tried pulling prints. And they get absolutely nowhere. And they're back to square one. Now, during this investigation and in the ensuing months and years, tensions between Susie's family and Richard's family get pretty high. [24:21] her boyfriend. At the time of Susie's disappearance, he was playing computer games with his friend and his friend swears it was him. Like he's like, there's no way it could be anyone else. And they weren't talking at all. He's just telling by like the way he's like moving and playing. And I don't a hundred percent understand this because I do not have the hand-eye coordination to make video games enjoyable for me. So I asked my husband who games a lot and he said, totally, [24:51] he's playing with, like not based on the screen name, not based on talking, but just of like the moves of their characters and the things that they're doing. So I also believe that police checked out Richard's computer and they found it was in use as well. Now, a lot of people who still look at him suspiciously would be quick to remind you that he's the president of a computer club. He knows how to log in remotely with VPNs and whatnot. So, you know, it's one of those things

[25:21] due diligence in looking at his alibi. [25:23] I mean, but was their relationship [25:25] going south or was it bad? Like what motive would he have? So Susie's family said that he could be controlling of Susie. Apparently she tried to break up with him a couple of times, but he always talked her out of it. I found a news article from 2010 that actually said after she went missing, Richard told the family that he and Susie were engaged. And this is something that they never [25:55] super crazy about him but they obviously they also didn't like raise any concerns and tell her to break up with him either when they were together. So [26:04] They already had some weird feelings about him at the beginning of all of this. Then his behavior kind of made it worse for them. In the same news article, I read that right at the beginning of the investigation, when everyone was focused on Susie's ATM transaction, Richard made a comment to the police like, [26:22] in a room with Susie's family that only he and Susie knew her PIN number. Now I'm sure [26:29] To Richard, he probably just blurted that out because he maybe thought like, oh, it has to be her, like only her and I know it. But in everyone else's mind, they're like, OK, way to make yourself look like suspect number one. Susie's mom also said she didn't like the way that he was acting at a memorial service they had for her. Like he was either giggling or just kind of goofing off in the back and she thought it was super inappropriate.

[26:59] like a suspect. So he just shuts down. He gets a lawyer, won't take a polygraph, and really stops cooperating with police, which, listen, all the things I would do if people were coming at me. But of course, this only makes the divide between the two families worse. [27:17] I mean, Richard was the one to call the next morning and there were phone calls from him all night. Why call and make people look for someone if you're the one who made them disappear? Oh, I agree. His behavior is off, but he called like first thing in the morning. You probably could have given yourself some more time without making yourself look suspicious. Like there's some point where as the boyfriend, you need to call and say, hey, I haven't talked to her. [27:47] me think that maybe he really was worried about her. Additionally, he and his family purchased a billboard sometime after her disappearance when the case seemed to be cold as ever. And the billboard basically was like, you know, had a picture of Susie, she's still missing, and also put up a picture of that Nike man asking the public to identify him saying, you know, this man is still unidentified, we still need to talk to him, please come forward with any information. So although he [28:17] This was his way of trying to help and push the investigation forward. [28:21] And his efforts do actually help. About a year after the billboard went up and the news outlet started republicizing the case...

[28:30] They find the Nike man. [28:34] For decades, some cold cases have been reduced to files in a cabinet, but not anymore. I'm Ashley Flowers, and me and my team on the deck have been traveling across the country to report on these forgotten cases. And in some instances, it's resulted in these cases being solved after decades. [28:53] Join me every Wednesday as we revive these stories one card at a time. Listen to The Deck now, wherever you get your podcasts. [29:04] So they finally track down the Nike man, and he becomes even more suspicious as police learn about him. He worked at Susie's college, and he had a past conviction for rape and assault. Whoa, so this is like... [29:21] A very legitimate suspect. Yeah, but here's the thing. Police never released his name and never called him a suspect. Wait. Wait. [29:30] What? Yeah, they interviewed him like six times, which to me is a lot of times to try and interview someone that you're saying isn't involved. Yeah, but they end up just letting him go and saying that he wasn't. So as in every case we talk about, I think the police know something big that we don't know. And they never really said... [29:53] Like, was he the one to use the card? Was he not? Do we know who did if it wasn't him? Like, I have so many questions around this man.

[30:02] But we have to let it go. Police want this case closed as much as anyone in the public does. So there has to be a reason that they vetted this man and said it wasn't him. [30:15] I don't know what that reason was. Maybe the guy had an alibi. Maybe they searched but couldn't find any physical evidence linking him to her. Or maybe they started to see what the public did. That there were other cases that looked eerily familiar to Susie's. And maybe all of this stuff with the Nike man was a total mess. [30:36] fluke. You see, years before Susie went missing, 13 years to be exact, another girl went missing from campus, another girl who was 22 about Susie's age, another girl with brown hair, another girl who lived in Susie's same dorm, and it was under very familiar circumstances. [30:57] 22 year old Karen Wilson was attending UAlbany back in 1985. And in March, the same month that Susie went missing, she was planning for a vacation and decided to go to a tanning bed. Like she wanted to get a base tan before she went to Florida for spring break. Now she was last seen on March 27th between seven 30 and eight o'clock when she left for her tanning appointment, but she never made it there yet. [31:22] and would never come back to her dorm, seemingly just plucked off of campus without anyone seeing her and without leaving a shred of physical evidence behind, just like Susie.

[31:35] Now, there's very, very little information on Karen's case online. Really, all I could find were the key facts like where and when. The best police could determine back in 1985 was that this was likely a stranger abduction. They did a reenactment in the parking lot where they think she was taken from, and they found that it would take about 10 seconds, tops, 10 seconds. [31:58] to abduct someone in an open parking lot under the right circumstances. 10 seconds? Yeah. That is a very short amount of time. And it's terrifying. I mean, it's why it's super important to always be aware of your surroundings, even when you're on campus, feeling safe because you've walked that same path 100 times before. Always be aware of what and who is around you. So Karen's case went very cold for many years. [32:28] after Susie's disappearance. But investigators again concluded that [32:33] They weren't going to find answers here. They said these two cases, although creepily similar, aren't connected either. [32:41] Over the years, I have to assume other people have hit police's radar and been ruled out, but there is one person— [32:49] who I don't think anyone can completely rule out. A serial killer who was captured, one with a frightening MO. He would abduct people he had never met before, never interacted with before, and make them vanish into thin air without a shred of evidence. And it just so happens that he may have been in New York at the time of Susie's disappearance.

[33:19] Families left wondering, was it somebody in Susie's life? Should they still be looking at her boyfriend? Did police dismiss the Nike man too quickly? Was it a stranger or was it this serial killer? They have so many questions and God bless her family. They have become amazing advocates for the missing. They channeled all of their pain and established the Center for Hope as a resource to help other families. [33:49] policy about what to do if someone goes missing and about when they have to contact outside agencies for help. They have done so much to try and make sure that this doesn't happen to another family. And while Susie's mom is still fighting strong, Susie's dad actually passed away a few years ago, never knowing what happened to her. But I like to believe [34:14] We get those answers after death, and he not only is with her now, but knows everything that happened, and they're both in peace. So I know we're coming up on the end of the episode, but can you tell us any more about that serial killer that people think might have killed her? I feel like I don't know how to even evaluate that as an option without knowing more. [34:34] Well, nothing has been conclusively linked, obviously. Again, this guy's MO is to be like totally anonymous and leave no evidence. But I think you're right. For you to make a decision on what you think happened to Susie, I need to tell you more about this serial killer, which I can't do in the couple minutes we have left on this episode. And which is why I'm going to do an entire episode on him next week. And if you can't wait...

[35:03] for next week. For the first time ever, we're going to be releasing next week's episode a week early for our fan club members. So if you just have to know about it now, you can go to our website, CrimeJunkiePodcast.com and click the fan club link to listen. You get next week's episode along with about 15 hours of additional episodes for $5. And I don't know if you guys knew this, but you get all of our regular episodes, at least for the last few months and on ad free on there. [35:33] So go check it out. Or if you're down to wait, we will be back next week to tell you about the serial killer who keeps coming up in Suzanne's case. [35:55] While you're waiting for the next episode, go check out our blog on Suzanne's case. There was a photographer who did a beautiful collection on Susie. They wanted her to be more than just her missing person pictures. So it's this whole collection about her life, her room, her parents left her room completely untouched. [36:14] as like a whole person and not just her missing person story. So again, go to our website, CrimeJunkiePodcast.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at Crime Junkie Podcast and on Twitter at Crime Junkie Pod. And again, we'll be back next week with that brand new episode or you can go listen to it right now. And stay tuned for Properly Month.

[36:35] . [36:36] you [36:38] you [36:40] you [36:42] you [36:45] Crime Junkie is an AudioChuck production. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve? [37:09] Okay, Ashley, are you ready for this month's prepped? Yes, I feel like we haven't talked about a prepped in months and years. And I guess there's been five Mondays this month. So it feels like so long. Yeah. So this is from our listener, Elise. And she wrote us about her prepped, Sasha. And I'm going to warn you now, it gets a little bit sad at the end. [37:28] Oh, no. So I'm just going to put that out there. You guys can prepare yourselves. Oh, boy. It's still happy, but there is a bit of a sad note, okay? Okay. [37:39] I'm ready. Okay. So Elise wrote, I met my puppet the summer before fifth grade. The owner of the company where my mother was working offered her up to anyone who wanted her because she was, quote, too much and, quote, hyper. She was only seven months old. She has a puppy. And they had only had her for, like, weeks. So when I met Sasha, she had a mean mug, and I was, like, slightly afraid of her.

[38:09] Being with us would be a temporary thing to see if I was really fit to own a dog. I mean, fifth grade. I get it. Yeah, fair. And after a week of having Sasha, who was a perfect angel, she actually went to stay with a different family to see if she fit in with them. [38:25] Wait, why? I mean, her mom told her that it was a temporary thing. I'm sure it was just kind of like, let's see how this goes. I know she's great, but we, this other family was also involved in the conversation. All right. Elise doesn't really elaborate. [38:39] But here's the best part. [38:40] Sasha peed on everything they owned. Oh, she wanted to go home. Yeah. And within a few days, she was back with Elise and her family. Okay. [38:50] Sasha came into Elise's life when she really needed her most. Elise said, I had just moved to a new place. I was having a hard time making friends and was being really, really bullied. Sasha has been her best friend for the past 13 years. She went with her almost everywhere and they were completely in sync. She went to every single one of Elise's softball games. Oh, come on. That's adorable. [39:20] After getting Sasha. Grew up with Sasha. Always being in the house. And same with their younger sister. Sasha had a love for my siblings that I can't describe, Elise said. She always knew when we were sick or upset. [39:34] And she'd lay next to us. When both my siblings were born, she laid under their cribs to watch them and protect them. Which, like, I can't with that. I've got a picture of Niles, like, watching over May in her crib. And it kills me every single time. Yeah, there's something about, like, a dog and a baby. Like, a protective dog with a baby that makes my heart melt. Yeah, it's...

[39:58] I can't handle it. Sasha made friends easily. People who had hated dogs or were afraid of dogs fell in love with her instantly. Our next door neighbor, who passed away a year ago and could barely walk towards the end, came out every single morning just to say hi to her. And when he died... [40:18] Elise had to physically pick Sasha up to move her for weeks. Oh my god. Because she just wanted to say hi to him one more time. [40:26] Oh, my God. Dogs, you guys. I can't. Why are dogs the best? We don't deserve them. Oh, that is so sweet. [40:33] Unfortunately, on Sunday night, February 18th, Sasha unexpectedly passed away. [40:41] We were all away from the house, and she was staying with our grandparents. [40:44] Thank you. [40:45] She died with love around her. [40:47] but none of us saw this coming. We think she waited till my siblings weren't home to pass away, and she was in no pain, which is something that I'm very grateful for. What the hell? The next day... [40:59] The 19th was my 23rd birthday, and I spent the whole day completely devastated. [41:05] Since Sasha's... Does she come back to life? Since Sasha's death? No, bullshit. You said this was like a kind of sad story. I'm coming up to like an upswing. Stop it. I'm going to cry and I can't. Does she come back to life? Why are we doing this? [41:20] - Yeah. [41:21] since Sasha's death. [41:23] Since Sasha's death, I've gotten message after message of how much Sasha meant to people I hadn't seen in years. Past teachers and softball coaches reached out to me just to express their deepest condolences and tell me their fondest moments with her because they said she changed me after she came into my life.

[41:43] I became more social, made friends, and seemed happier. I was unaware of the impact Sasha, my little puggle, had left on not only my family, but people she met along the way too. [41:55] Are you still there, Ash? [41:58] Barely. And that's Sasha's story. And Ash, do you want to see a picture of her? [42:04] Well, of course I do. [42:06] Okay, I'm going to send you a couple right now. [42:08] Charlie, come here. [42:10] And of course, these are going to be on our website under proper to the month. [42:14] because [42:15] Sasha is too cute not to share. [42:18] Thank you. [42:20] Oh my god. [42:22] Charlie's whining in the background. I'm not even mad because I'm so sad right now. [42:28] Oh, what a cutie. [42:30] Thank you. [42:30] Wait, did they get a pillow made of Sasha for Sasha? [42:34] Elise didn't say that, but I'm pretty sure that's a Sasha fellow. Oh my God. You guys have to go look at this picture. It is a dot, like a, a cutout, like dog. [42:45] picture pillow but it's like of Sasha next to Sasha oh my god there she is in a shopping cart [42:52] What a cutie. [42:55] Well, I'm so glad that she like knew who her family was and found them and was like, don't you dare and try put me with this other family. I will pee on their stuff. I mean, same. [43:05] Same. [43:07] Charlie better pee if he ever gets rehomed somehow. Like if I die and then Eric dies and everyone I know dies and he has to go live with strangers, he better pee on all of their stuff.

[43:15] okay crime junkies you know i absolutely love a twist and a turn especially when it comes to people who turn out to be someone they're not that's why i have been obsessed with the podcast chameleon every thursday host josh dean deep dives into a scam so bizarre it will leave you wondering how did they get away with that [43:39] It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now and I've been listening for years. [43:43] I think you'll love it too. [43:45] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.