Latest / True Crime and Wine Time / Midday Missing- Marie Blee & Norine Brown

Transcript

Midday Missing- Marie Blee & Norine Brown · True Crime and Wine Time

• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Hello everyone, Happy Wednesday. I hope you are all having
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: a great week. Today's episode is pre recorded just like Monday,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: since I am still currently out of the country in Helsinki, Finland.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: But I, as you guys know, I couldn't let that
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: stop us from diving into these important missing person cases.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: For those of you joining for the first time, or
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: for those of you that just like to hear me
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: say it, I am Terry true Crime and this is
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: Midday Missing, where we bring much needed awareness to current
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: missing person cases. Now, before we get started, I am
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: excited to share that True Crime and Wine Time Productions
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: is now officially TCWT Media. Yay. So we are growing
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: and evolving, bringing you even more engaging content. But rest assured, everybody,
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: all of your favorite shows will continue just under our
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: new company name. At TCWT Media, we offer a wide
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: range of shows like the original podcast, True Crime and
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Wine Time, the Hey Host Show, the investigation into the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: disappearance of Chase Lackey, Night Court, Midday Missing, the Transcripts.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Plus you don't want to miss our latest series, Dearest
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Mother's Darkest Secrets, which is exclusively on YouTube, with new
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: episodes dropping every Tuesday at noon. Now Channel members get
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: early access a week before the public, so we do
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: go live several times a week, and we also drop
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: additional content several times a week, so you're going to
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: want to make sure you subscribe. Hit that notification bell
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: to stay in the loop. Also, occasionally JT and I
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: do just decide to pop in and do a quick live.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: If you click on that bell, it will notify you
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: and let you know we're on, so you don't miss
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: any of our shenanigans. There is so much exciting content
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: coming up that trust me when I say you will
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: not want to miss it. But now we're going to
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: jump into our first case. On the night of November
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: twenty one, nineteen seventy nine, fifteen year old Marie Blee
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: attended a four h dance at the Pavilion in Craig, Colorado,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: full of excitement and the energy of a teenager ready
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: to enjoy the night with friends. However, by the next morning,
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: she had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a decade
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: long mystery that has gripped the town of Hayden and
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: all of northwestern Colorado ever since. After the dance, Maria,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: I guess it's Marie, a sophomore at Hayden High School.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: She went with her friend Marty Dean Doolan to a
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: party at the Shadow Mountain Village mobile home park. The party,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: according to witness was rowdy, with a lot of male
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: attendees and drug use, which alarmed Marie's female friends. While
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: her friends made the decision to leave, Marie chose to
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: stay behind. Guys, I have to tell you I was
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: one young I probably would have been Marie and would
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: have stayed behind. Why because when people tell me what
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: to do, I do the opposite. And I was even
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: worse when I was a teenager. So there is no
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: shame for Marie, because Marie, that is what a teenager does.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Doulan later told authorities that Marie said she had to
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: ride home with an unidentified driver between one point thirty
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: and two am on that night. He claimed this was
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: the last time he saw her. Other witnesses reported seeing
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Marie at a store in Craig in the early morning hour,
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: but the accounts from that night remained murky and conflicting,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: with no one able to pinpoint exactly when or where
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Marie was last seen. Guys teenagers drugs, alcohol, probably their
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: brains were not really working and paying attention. The morning
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: after the party, when Marie failed to return home, her
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: parents filed a missing person report. At first, authority suspected
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: Marie had run away, but her family vehemently denied the possibility,
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: stating it was entirely out of character for this dedicated student.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: She was a girl Scout and a four age member.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: As days passed with no sign of her, it became
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: clear that something more sinister might have occurred. Unfortunately, as
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: we hear too often, the initial investigation into Marie's disappearance
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: was plagued with missteps, Crucial witnesses weren't interviewed, and possible
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: suspects slipped through the cracks. The critical early days of
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: the case were marred by a lack of cooperation between
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: law enforcement agencies, and Marie's case went cold with no
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: solid leads to follow. Just a week after Marie disappeared,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: her case took a chilly chilli turn. Marty Dean Doolan,
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: the same friend who had taken Maria to the party,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: was arrested for extortion. He admitted to calling Maurice's family
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: and demanding five thousand dollars in exchange for her safe return,
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: claiming that she was still alive. Doolan eventually pleaded guilty
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: to telephone harassment and was sentenced to six months in jail.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: He maintained that he had no real knowledge of Marie's
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: whereabouts and only made the call to give her family
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: false hope. Guys, I'm going to just say he didn't
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: do it to give them false hope. He did it
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: because he wanted five thousand dollars in my opinion. Adding
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: to the complexity of this case, Doolan was later convicted
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: of an unrelated sexual assault, casting a dark shadow over
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: his credibility despite his criminal record, He consistently denied any
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: involvement in Marie's disappearance, and the disturbing extortion attempt remains
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: a critical but a confusing piece of the puzzle. Guys,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: I want to say, I don't know why they didn't
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: maybe offer to give him a lighter sentence or a
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: plea deal or something on that other sexual assault case
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: to get him to talk about what he knew about Marie.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: In the small town of Craig, rumors about Marie's fate
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: spread like wildflower, wild fire, not flower. Some speculated that
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: she had run away, but most believed something far darker
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: happened to her. One theory, supported by some witness statements,
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: suggested that Marie died of a drug overdose at the
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: party and that her body was hidden by frightened partygoers.
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: Yet despite several excavation attempts, no evidence has been found
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: to confirm this. Authorities eventually identified two additional persons of
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: interest besides Dolan, max Abel Garcia and Stephen Scuffka, both
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: of whom were present at the party. Scuffka in particularly,
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: has remained a figure of suspicion over the years, though
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: he has denied any involvement in Marie's disappearance up until
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: his death in twenty twelve. He was later convicted of
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: drug related charges and served time in prison, but like
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: with Doolan, there was never enough evidence to tie him
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: directly to Maurice's case. In nineteen ninety nine, twenty years
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: after Marie vanished, a task force of local and federal
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: investigators reopened the case, determined to bring closure to the
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: Belief family and the type knit community that had never
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: forgotten Marie. It was led by the Moffatt County Sheriff's Department.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: The task force conducted over two hundred interviews uncovering new
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: leads and possible burial sites. But despite these efforts, Marie's
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: body has never been found, and her fate remains a mystery.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: For Marie's mother, Mona Blee, the years of not knowing
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: have taken a heavy toll. In two thousand and after
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: two decades of hoping for answers, Mona expressed cautious optimism,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: saying it feels like we are closer than ever to
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: finding her. Despite the passage of time, the family has
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: held onto a glimmer of hope, even maintaining this same
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: telephone number in case Marie or someone with knowledge of
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: her whereabouts ever wants to call. In a particularly heartbreaking statement,
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: Mona shared the inner conflict that has haunted her family.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: She said, I'm sure that there's always that corner that
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: as long as she has not appeared, maybe she is
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: still alive. Those hopes have diminished over the years, but
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: until we see remains, it's not an easy thing to accept. Guys,
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: that breaks my heart. Having your child murdered is hard.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: I don't know how I would survive it. But not
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: knowing what happened to your child, to me sounds ten
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: times worse. But I don't know, because I've never gone
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: through it. The disappearance of Marie Blee remains a mystery
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: in the heart of northwestern Colorado to this day. Buttons
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: bearing the question where's Marie are worn by a residence
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: a remind her that her case is still unsolved and
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: that she has not been forgotten. For investigators, the challenge
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: of solving a case now more than four decades old
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: is immense. Foggy memories, conflicting witness statements, and a mishandle
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: the initial investigation have all hindered progress. But despite these opticles,
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: authorities have continued to pursue leads, searching for burial sites
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: and following up on every tip, no matter how small,
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: As under Sheriff Jerry Hoberg said in two thousand, some
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: days I think we're real close. In some days it's like,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: are we ever going to get anything done? For Mona
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: and Paul Blee? The hardest part is the uncertainty. As
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Mona put it, I sometimes wonder what she would look
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: like now. I can't imagine why, after all these years,
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: nobody is willing to come forward and say this is
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: what happened. It's terribly frustrating. I just wish someone would call.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: After all the years, the search for Marie continues. Authorities
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: and her family remain hopeful that one day someone will
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: come forward with the truth. They just want to bring
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Marie home and know what happened. If you have any
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: information about the key to solving this case, please contact
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: the Maffat County Sheriff's Department. The Blee family and their
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: community deserve answers. You can call the Maffat County Sheriff's
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: Office at nine seven zero eight two four four four
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: nine five. Any information is welcomed and we will ask
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: that you please share Marie's missing person flyer that will
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: be posted on our social media pages. Let's help this
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: family get the answers they deserve. Our next case is justice,
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: heartbreaking and is just as old. More than thirty years ago,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: Noreen Hijuchi Brown left her home to buy ingredients for
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: Christmas cookies, never to return. What should have been a simple,
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: joyful task turned into a nightmare that still haunts her
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: family and friends today. On a cold December night in
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: nineteen ninety, this devoted mother of two vanished without a trace,
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: leaving behind a mystery that is yet to be solved.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Born on December thirteenth, nineteen fifty eight, Noreen was known
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: for her warm, loving spirit and her deep dedication to
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: her family. She grew up on Long Island and attended
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: Uniondale High School and later worked in an office before
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: meeting her future husband, John Brown. Together they built a
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: life in New Hyde Park, raising their two young children,
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: Alexa and Anthony. With the holiday season in full swing,
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: Noreen was in the midst of creating treasured Christmas memories
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: with her family. On the afternoon of December twelfth, nineteen ninety,
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: Noreene spent the day Christmas shopping with her children and
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: her sister Susan. The day was full of festive cheer,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: with the stop to visit Santa before Noreene dropped Susan
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: off at her home. After a long day of holiday preparation,
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: Loreen returned home, but around eleven PM, she left again
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: to pick up ingredients for Christmas cookies. She told John
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: she'd be back soon, but tragically that was the last
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: time anyone saw her. Guys, and remember so many times
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: during the holidays that I left late at night to
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: get last minute ingredients for something I was cooking, or
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: to pick up more tape to wrap presents, so I
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: can sew envision how that can happen. I also have
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: to say that that's not unusual, even if it was
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: cold outside. Cookies need to be made, right, she was
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: probably going to stay up till two or three in
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: the morning and make cookies. Now, the next day, which
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: should have been a day of celebration for Noreene's thirty
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: second birthday, her husband John awoke on the couch to
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: find that his wife had never returned. He called Noreene's
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: best friend, Elaine, to ask if Noreene had spent the
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: night at her house following what he described as a
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: minor argument between him and Ireene, but Elaine hadn't heard
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: from her concerns. A lane to check the nearby Pathmark supermarket,
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: where Noreene had planned to shop. What she found there
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: would send chills down her spine. Guys, I have to say,
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: my husband, hopefully all of my husbands, if I left
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: to go get ingredients to make cookies and I didn't
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: come home, I would hope that you wouldn't wait till
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: the next morning to call my bestie to find out
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: if I was there. If I'm not back, from the
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: store in an hour. Yet damn well better be trying
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: to find me. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: I also want to know why didn't he go to
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: the store to check Why did he need a lane
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: to do it. Marine station wagon was parked in the
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: Pathmark lot, locked and packed with Smiths gifts, but there
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: was no sign of Noreene inside the car. Police later
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: found forty five dollars in her pocket book, but her
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: wallet and identification had been left at home. No one
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: could recall seeing Noreen inside the store that night, and
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: her disappearance immediately sparked a desperate search. John Brown was
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: a firefighter with the Fire Department in New York. He
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: mobilized his fellow firefighters to help search for his missing wife.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: Police interviewed Pathmark employees who remembered seeing her car, but
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: not Noreene herself. One unsettling detail emerged, a report of
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: an argument in the parking lot that night. John speculated
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: that Noreene may have been murdered during a confrontation, but
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: police were unable to verify this. As the days turned
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: into weeks, whispers of trouble with Noreene and John's marriage
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: begin to surface. According to Elaine, the couple had a
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: tumultuous relationship, and she had harbored suspicions that John might
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: have been involved in her friend's disappearance. Yet, despite these concerns,
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: John was never named a suspect and no solid evidence
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: connected him to her vanishing guys, I want to tell you,
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: tumultuous relationships do end in tragedy sometimes, And I personally
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: can say my bestie knows every time I get into
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: an argument with double Ah. It's just the way I
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: think most females are now. The pain of Noreene's disappearance
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: was further compounded by a bitterly legal battle that would
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: forever strain her family. Loreen's parents, heartbroken over the loss
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: of their daughter, sought to maintain a close relationship with
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: their grandchildren, Alexa and Anthony. That was the only part
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: of their daughter that they had left. However, in May
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, when they sued John for visitation rights,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: tension between the two sides reached a boiling point. Noreen's
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: mother had been vocal about her belief that John was
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: somehow involved in Loreene's disappearance, a belief she did not
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: keep secret in court. This led to a heartbreaking ruling
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: in favor of John, as a court expressed concern that
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: Noreene's mother might share her suspicions with the children, potentially
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: influencing their perception of their father. The court denied unsupervised visitations,
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: instead recommending supervised visits to ensure that the grandmother's thoughts
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: about John wouldn't be passed on to the children. Guys,
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: I honestly do not know how I feel about that.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: I think a relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren are critical.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: My grandmother was my best friend growing up. My mama
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: knew everything about me. She knew the first time I
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: had sex, she knew the first time I had my
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: heart broken. She knew when I got pregnant before my
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: husband did. So grandparents are important. I do not understand
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: why the courts could not have said, Okay, you can
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: have unsupervised visitation, but if we hear that you share
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: this belief of yours, we're going to have to make changes.
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: Why immediately assume she's going to do that. Just because
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: she's advocating for her daughter doesn't mean she's going to
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: put her beliefs on her grandchildren. This ruling shattered any
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: hopes Noreene's family had of maintaining a transparent relationship with
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: their grandchildren, deepening the emotional scars left by her disappearance.
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: The grandchildren grew up separated from their mother's side of
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: the family as the unresolved mystery of Noreene's fate loomed
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: over their lives. As the years went by, Noreene's case
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: grew cold, media attention faded, and it seemed like her
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: story might be forgotten. However, in twenty seventeen, Noreene's friends,
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: led by Elaine and others who reunited at a high
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: school reunion, vowed to reignite the investigation. Together, they worked
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: to bring Noreene's case back into the public eye, collaborating
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: with Nassau County Police Department in the hopes that new
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: leads might emerge. In twenty nineteen, a tip suggested that
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: noreenes remains could be buried in a sealed well behind
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: the apartment building where she and John once lived. While
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: the well was considered a place of interest, it remains
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: unclear to this day if it was ever searched. Despite
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: the decades that have passed, Noreen's loved ones remain hopeful
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: that the truth will one day come to light. Now,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: John Brown has since remarried, had two more children, and
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: he retired from his position at the FDN Y where
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: he once served as fire Commissioner. Meanwhile, Norange's children, now adults,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: have no known relationship with their mother's family. Guys, that
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: is a tragedy to me. I also can't help, but
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: wonder did police maybe not look into John as much
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: because of his position within the fire department. I don't
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: know how close the fire department and the police department are.
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: I do know police officers and some firemen. I know
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: they get along really well. So I can't help but
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: wonder that today Noreene's disappearance remains an open case and
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: those who knew and loved her refuse to give up
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: the fight for answers. The holidays have never been the
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: same for her family and friends, who's so cling to
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: hope that one day they will discover what truly happened
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: to Noreene on that cold December night. If you have
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: any information about the disappearance of Noreene Brown, please contact
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: the Nassau County Police Department at five one, six five
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: seven three eight eight zero zero, or you can email
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: tips to find Noreen at gmail dot com. Her loved
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: ones believe that together they can bring Noreene home and
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: find out what happened to her. Guys, once again, please
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: share Noreene's missing person flyer that you can find on
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: our social media. I also want to say, anyone that
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: is friends with John Brown, if you suspect or have
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: any information, please share it. Her family deserves to know
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: the answers. And I want to say, if someone else
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: abducted her from that grocery store parking lot, please come forward.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: This family deserves to know the truth. Now. Today, instead
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: of a cute little story, I wanted to share some
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: of the top tips for staying safe. So whether you're
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: walking to your car after work, heading out for a run,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: or simply enjoying a night out, being alone in public
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: can sometimes leave you feeling vulnerable. Kidnappings are rare, but
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: they are real, and taking a few precautions can go
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: a long way towards protecting yourself. Here are some practical
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: tips to stay safe when you're out alone. Help reducing
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: the risks of dangerous situations like kidnapping, muggings, murders. Number one,
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: Stay aware of your surroundings. One of the most important
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: things you can do to protect yourself is to stay vigilant.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Put away distractions like your phone your earbuds, especially when
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: walking in isolated areas or during late hours. Always take
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: note of who and what is around you. Being aware
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: and alert can help you spot potential dangers early and
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: give you time to react appropriately. Now a quick tip,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: regularly scan your surroundings and trust your gut. If something
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: fills off, it probably is, listen to it. Number two.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: Stick to a well lit and populated area whenever possible.
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: Choose roots that are well lit and heavily trafficked with
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: lots of people are less likely to attract someone with
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: bad intentions. If you're walking or jarging alone, try to
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: do so during daylight hours. If it's excuse me after dark,
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: stick to main roads in busy streets. Number three. Share
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: your location, guys. I just did this with my bestie again.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: We were together last Sunday and she was looking at
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: her phone. She goes, oh, I can't see your location anymore.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: We fixed it right then, So check on sharing your
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: location too. It might expire sometimes. Letting someone know where
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: you are when you're out alone is simple but effective
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: way to stay safe. Share your live location with a
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: trusted friend or family members. They're your smartphone. This way,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: someone is aware of your movements and can check in
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: if you don't return as planned. Keep a safe distance
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: Number four. Whether you're walking on a sidewalk or standing
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: in line, maintaining a good distance from others can help
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: keep you out of danger. Avoid letting strangers get too close,
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: and be mindful if someone appears to be following you
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: or matching your pace. If you sense something isn't right,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: cross the street or go into a store or a
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: crowded area to distance yourself from this person. Another quick
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: tip walk with purpose and confidence. Predators are less likely
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: to target someone who appears aware and in control. Number five.
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: Carry personal safety tools. I'm not talking about a gun,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: py well, so don't think I'm gonna go say that,
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: but carry a personal safety tool can give you a
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: piece of mind and serve as a deterrent in case
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: of dunger. Like pepper spray, a whistle, a personal alarm,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: or even a tactical flashlight can be useful for self defense.
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: Make sure you're familiar with how to use any safety
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: tool effective in an emergency. Don't wait until you're in
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: the emergency to use it. Quick tip keep your safety
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: tool in an easily accessible place, such as your pocket
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: or catch to your keychain so you can reach it
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: quickly if needed. Number six. Set strong personal boundaries. Don't
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: be afraid to assert yourself. If someone makes you uncomfortable,
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: it's okay to speak up, move away, or create distance.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: If you feel threatened, use firm body language and a
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: strong voice to let others know that you're not an
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: easy target. A quick tip practice saying no or back
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: off firmly and confidently. It can help prepare you for
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: a situation where you might need to act quickly and decisively.
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: Number seven kind of sounds like I'm beating this horse dead.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Trust your instincts. Your instincts are one of your best
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: tools when it comes to personal safety. Like I said,
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: if something doesn't feel right, whether it's a purchasing, a situation,
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: or location, trust your instincts. Don't hesitate to remove yourself. Okay,
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: you don't need to rationalize your instincts. Your safety comes first,
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: so it's always better to be cautious. And if you
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: feel uneasy, in any situation. Listen to that feeling. It's
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: better to be safe than sorry. Don't worry about being embarrassed.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Number eight no basic self defense techniques. Learning a few
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: self defense techniques can give you an added layer of
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: security when you're out alone. Basic moves such as how
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: to break free from a risk grab or how to
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: block an attacker can make a significant difference in an emergency.
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: Many local gyms, community centers, and self defense studios offer
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: short courses specifically designed for this perfect perfect purpose. Quick tip.
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: Self defense training isn't just about physical techniques. It's also
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: about building the confidence to protect yourself in any situation.
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: Number nine. I'm going to tell you I am bad, bad,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: bad at this, and I am going to to being better.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: If you're going somewhere unfamiliar, plan your route ahead of time.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: Knowing exactly where you're going and how to get there
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: can help you avoid getting lost or wandering into unsafe areas.
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: GPS apps can guide you through safe and populated routes,
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: reducing the chance of getting into a dangerous situation. A
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: quick tip always have a backup plan in case your
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: original route becomes unavailable. Know where you can go for help.
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: Such as a nearby business, police station, fire station. Like
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: I said, I'm really bad at that. I wait until
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: I'm in the car, punch it into GPS and take off.
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: I'm going to work to be better at that. Number ten,
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: Keep your hands free. I'm also bad at this. Whenever possible,
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: keep your hands free while walking alone. Avoid carrying too
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: many bags or holding your phone in a way that
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: distracts you from your surroundings. If you need to use
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: your phone, stop in a safe area where you can
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: remain aware of your environment while you check maps, texts,
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: or calls. Guys, I'm horrible about that, so I will
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: commit to trying to be better about that. Now here's
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: a quick tip. Crossbody bags and backpacks are great for
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: freeing up your hands while ensuring your belongings stay secure.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Number eleven. Have an escape plan. Whether you are walking
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: down the street, sitting in a cafe, or waiting for
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: public transportation, always be mindful of your surroundings and have
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: an escape plan in mind. Guys, anytime I go to
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: a store, a restaurant, a doctor's office, I look for
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: the emergence, see exit, and for other doors. Okay, so
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: it's really important, Okay, you want to identify safe spaces nearby,
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: such as stores, restaurants, crowded areas, because if you feel threatened,
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: you need to be able to go quickly. Like I said,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: quick tip, familiar self. Familiarize yourself with exits whenever you're indoors. Okay,
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: it's important. Number twelve. Let someone know your plans. If
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: you're heading out for an extended period, especially at night,
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: tell someone you trust where you are going and when
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: you expect to return. Having a check in system in
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: place ensure someone will notice if something goes wrong and
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: can alert authorities if necessary. Guys, this is a quick tip.
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: It is something I do with double Ah, my kids,
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: and my bestie. It's simple message to a friend or
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: a family member can be an effective safety measure when
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: heading out alone. Guys, when my girlfriend Catherine leaves my
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: house to drive home, I always say, text me when
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: you get home. When I'm at her house or we
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: meet up somewhere, we both text when we get home.
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: That way, if we're not home in the designated time,
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: we know something's gone wrong. Now, while there are no
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: guarantees when it comes to personal safety, being prepared and
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: cautious can significantly reduce your risk. Like I said, trust
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: your instincts, stay aware of your surroundings, and have a
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: plan in place to keep yourself safe when you're out alone.
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: I want to add to this, if you're going out drinking,
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: make sure you don't drink to the extent you cannot
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: keep your facilities. If you're alone, you do not need
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: to leave a bar walking because you're just not as sharp,
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: you're buzzed. Have a friend walk with you. Okay, because
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: there's nothing wrong with enjoying your wine time. Let's just
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: do it safely, okay. So I want to thank you
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: all for joining me today. I want to remind you
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: please share the missing person flyers for our cases today,
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: and remember when you're out, pay attention to your surroundings.
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: And I look forward to seeing you all again on
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: Monday for our next episode of Midday Missing. In the meantime,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: be sure to join our Facebook group, follow us on
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: social media. You can catch all of our productions right
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: here on our YouTube channel, and don't forget you can
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: listen to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform. And
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: until next time, stay safe, watch out for crime, and
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: enjoy your wine time.