Mercedes Marianna Vega 48:30

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In 2020, in a small California mountain town, five women disappeared. I found out what happened to all of them, except one. A woman known as Dia, whose estate is worth millions of dollars. I'm Lucy Sheriff. Over the past four years, I've spoken with Dia's family and friends, and I've discovered that everyone has a different version of events.

Hear the story on Where's Dear? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder.

This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice. Today I'm discussing the case of 22-year-old Mercedes Vega from Tempe, Arizona.

I want to warn you that today's case is a horrific one, and the person or people responsible are still out there walking free. But when I saw this story and realized that almost no one was talking about it, I knew I wanted to help. When I spoke with Mercedes' mom, Erica, I knew I had to help.

My daughter was burned alive. There was bleach in her throat. She was taken. She was on video camera. She was hit over the head. Her blood splatter and matter from her head.

Her car was taken out of her parking garage. There are cameras. Her car was found by Mill Avenue. There are cameras all over the place. Figure it out. If I had the access, I would figure it out. If you're not going to solve it, then give me all the information you have because I will. Because I'm done. I am tired of this. It's bullshit. My kid deserves justice. I need to know who murdered my child and I need that person to pay for it.

This is the case of Mercedes Vega.

Mercedes Mariana Vega was a woman who knew what she wanted and how she was going to get it. Really, she'd always been this way. When Mercedes was just 7 years old, she created a PowerPoint presentation to explain to her parents why they should take the family to Disney World. When she was older, she made another to explain why she should be allowed to get her first tattoo. In the spring of 2023, Mercedes was on track to achieving one of her newer goals, becoming a personal trainer.

She worked out six days a week and followed a strict diet to prepare for her certification. But Mercedes did allow herself one cheat day a week to go out, have a good time with friends, and just not worry about all that. On Sunday, April 16th, 2023, just before 9pm, Mercedes is sitting in her apartment, texting some people about potential plans for her cheat night.

It boiled down to going to play some games at Dave & Buster's, grabbing sushi, or just hanging out, presumably at someone's home.

Now, Mercedes' mom, Erica, says that they don't know what Mercedes ends up choosing. Apparently, the final decision was made over the phone or FaceTime, because it just wasn't in her text messages. But based on Mercedes' outfit, Erica thinks that she was most likely going to Dave & Buster's. She goes for a cute but casual look, ripped jeans, a black t-shirt, and white sneakers.

At around 9.15, she leaves her apartment and heads to the parking garage of her complex. As Mercedes turns the corner into the garage, she's looking down at her phone. We don't know if she was facetiming someone, watching a video, or what she was looking at on her phone. But we know that she was looking down. That was caught on surveillance video and shared with the public. We basically see Mercedes turning the corner while looking down at her phone. And then the video just stops.

I imagine because what happens next is extremely disturbing. After this, Mercedes is hit over the head and forced into a vehicle. That vehicle then leaves the parking garage.

Four hours pass. Then, at about 1.15 a.m. on now Monday, April 17th, the fire department and officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety respond to a call of a car on fire on Interstate 10 near Tonopah. This is about 60 miles from Mercedes' apartment. Once the fire's put out, they discover Mercedes deceased in the backseat.

Then, investigators from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office are called to the scene.

In my interview with Erica, she explained that they were able to quickly identify Mercedes using her fingerprints. She believes this is because Mercedes held a Las Vegas Sheriff's Card. It's essentially a work permit that's required for certain jobs in that city. They verify your identity, take your prints, and ensure you don't have any felony convictions. I actually had something similar here in Arizona when I worked with kids in foster care. We call it a fingerprint clearance card.

But fingerprints are how they identified Mercedes, and her family is notified of her passing. Now, naturally, Erica wants to see her daughter, no matter what condition she's in. But she's basically told that Mercedes' body is so burned that they won't allow it. You know, I didn't even get to see her after she died. They wouldn't let me see her. They had her...

zipped up upside down in a body bag with a heavy blanket on top of her. I didn't get a ring off of her finger. I didn't get a strand of her hair. I got nothing.

Obviously, this is not only just horrific for Erica and all of Mercedes' family and friends, but Erica says it was also confusing. On one hand, they're saying that Mercedes' body is so badly burned that they can't allow her or anyone in the family to see her, but that her fingerprints are left intact enough that they're able to identify her using them. It doesn't make any sense. Her body was so burned, I wasn't allowed to see her. But you identified her by her fingerprints.

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At this point, it's been a whirlwind for Mercedes' family. Erica and Mercedes' dad Tom just got back from vacation. They were literally flying over Mercedes' apartment while all of this was happening. They have very little information about her death, and they've been told that they can't see her body. And then, on top of all of that, things get even more confusing when Erica gets a call from the Tempe Police Department telling her that she needs to move Mercedes' illegally parked car.

And then I got a call from Tempe police, almost as if... So I co-signed for her car. So he called and he was like, ma'am, you can't park here. And I was like, what? And I knew she was dead. She'd been dead a day. I think I had known for a day. I didn't know. I found out that she was found burning in a car. I assumed it was her car at that time until I get a call from Tempe police. This is how fucking...

discombobulated the Arizona law system is like law enforcement. My daughter was involved in a homicide. She was burned alive. And the Tempe police call me to tell me I can't park there. What the fuck are you doing? What are you doing? I'm like, is this a joke? And then I was like, my daughter, that's her car and she's dead. And he said, this is involved in a homicide. And I said, yes.

And I said, where is her car? And then he wouldn't tell me.

The police later tell the public that Mercedes' 2019 white Dodge Charger was found behind a very trendy restaurant, Culinary Dropout, right off Mill Avenue in Tempe. This is about a mile and a half south of her apartment, and in one of the busiest parts of the city. And I want to discuss that because I think it's really important, and it leads me to believe that the police must have more than what they're sharing. So let's break it down. First,

Phoenix, Arizona is the fifth largest city in the United States, with a population of about 1.6 million people. Tempe is just the next city over. It's about a 15-minute drive depending on where in the city you're coming from. And Tempe is truly a college town. Of the about 184,000 residents, approximately 75,000 of them attend Arizona State University, specifically the Tempe campus. So,

So it's just a very busy city filled with a lot of college students. And Mill Avenue, basically the next block over from where Mercedes' car was found, is the epicenter of nightlife for ASU students. Now, I know this for two reasons. One, because I went to ASU. And two, because I was born and raised in Phoenix. Everyone knows about Mill Avenue. You either love it or you avoid it like the plague.

Our local news, AZ Central, even created a guide to ASU nightlife centered around Mill Avenue. In it, they review 24 bars, clubs, and restaurants on Mill Avenue just between Tempe Town Lake and University Drive. It reads in part, quote, Every college city has one, or at least every college city worth living in, the area to go for food, drinks, and nightlife that's close enough to campus, yet far enough away to forget about homework. And

In Tempe, near Arizona State University's main campus, Mill Avenue is that place. You can't walk one block along Mill without passing multiple bars, clubs, or restaurants. TempeTourism.com even has an entire section on their website centered around all the things you can do on Mill Avenue.

And the reason I'm emphasizing this point so hard is because despite this, Mercedes' family is told that they have no idea who took Mercedes, how her car got to culinary dropout, or how she got in the other car found nearly 60 miles away. They don't even know the color, make, or model of the vehicle she was found in. Nothing. Or, as I always say, if they do, they aren't sharing that with the public or Mercedes' family.

We know that they have surveillance of Mercedes being attacked, but only images of Mercedes are shared with the public. They have yet to release a photo or even a description of a possible vehicle or person involved in this crime. And again, this lack of information was not only concerning to Erica, but also confusing. I worked for Pinal County Sheriff's Office, and PCSO has license plate readers that

Like at almost every intersection. So don't tell me that they don't have that in Tempe. Don't tell me that. So how did her car get to where it was? Where was she? I mean, follow the trail. Do something.

When Erica began discussing license plate readers and investigators seemingly being unable to follow the trail of both Mercedes' vehicle and the vehicle she was later found in, I also found that pretty hard to believe. But my feelings are not fact, so I went down a rabbit hole. I

I wanted to figure out even just a rough estimate of how many cameras both of these vehicles may have passed by on the way to their destination. And Erica was right. The city of Tempe does have license plate readers, as do many major cities in Arizona, including, of course, Phoenix. There are also several traffic cameras that these vehicles would most likely have to pass by in order to make it to their destination.

Now, of course, we don't know which route was taken, but there are only so many options. There's three main routes the killers could have taken to get from Mercedes' apartment complex, the Aubrey, to Culinary Dropout. And every single one passes by a traffic camera on the southwest corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.

Now, of course, they could have also looked up traffic cameras in the area and tried to avoid them. But even in taking a back route, they were very likely to pass by a traffic camera. Not to mention all the surveillance from businesses and residents in the area.

As far as the other unknown vehicle getting to the I-10 near Tonopah, we just have no idea if they came directly from Mercedes' apartment, or if they followed the charger to the culinary dropout. We really just have no idea what happened in those hours between Mercedes being hit and taken and her death. But again, there are only so many options. According to az511.gov, most of the traffic cameras we have in the state of Arizona are on our freeways. Again,

Again, it's very possible that Mercedes Killers could have taken some type of back route to the Tonopah area, but we do know that she was found along Interstate 10. If they left from the culinary dropout or the Aubrey Apartments and took the most direct route down the freeways, they would have passed over 50 traffic cameras along the way.

but if they avoided the freeways and only took the back roads, it is possible that they could avoid each and every one of those cameras on their way to Salome Road near Tonopah where Mercedes was found.

That's a lot, but now while we're here, let's talk about this area a bit. It is a really desolate desert area without a lot of services nearby, but the I-10, specifically on the way to California, is a very busy freeway, which is why I imagine someone saw the fire and called it in so quickly, quickly enough that Mercedes' fingerprints were still intact when they recovered her body from the vehicle after putting out the fire.

So even if a license plate reader or a traffic camera didn't capture whoever did this, I still think it's very likely that someone saw something.

And after going down this rabbit hole of license plate readers and traffic cameras, I began looking at other possible surveillance near the restaurant Mercedes' car was found at and her apartment. Like I said, these are both very popular areas of Tempe, so there's no doubt that many of these surrounding businesses, gas stations, restaurants, gyms, and other apartment complexes have cameras.

But as far as Mercedes' parents know, police haven't been able to gather any surveillance from any of these businesses, or even personal security cameras in the area that show anything related to Mercedes. So I began to look at other options, and one really stood out to me. That's our rather new light rail system.

Now, Arizona is kind of notoriously awful in terms of public transportation, so they spent a ton of money developing a new system that we call the light rail. It's kind of like a trolley mixed with a train, and you can take it to downtown Phoenix or Tempe, among other destinations.

Unlike our regular bus stops, the light rail stations are fully lit and equipped with a ton of security cameras. And they aren't tucked away or really even covered. They're open-air stations. And the light rail itself crosses over streets and at times will be running right alongside your vehicle. They basically move right alongside traffic in most cases.

And again, we don't know the road that was taken that night. But we do know that from Mercedes' apartment complex to where her car was found, there are about 4-5 light rail stations in that 1.5 mile drive from the Aubrey to the culinary dropout. But just to be fair, let's say that whoever did this to Mercedes was a mastermind.

They knew Arizona very well. They looked up all the cameras in the area to avoid them, and they took all the back routes to avoid being noticed as much as possible. They somehow avoided every security camera in the area. There is still another huge, unanswered question in this case. How did they get into Mercedes' apartment complex garage in the first place? In order to enter that garage, you have to have a card or some type of key fob.

or somehow sneak in while another car was entering or exiting. And we know the Aubrey has surveillance cameras.

So, what am I getting to here? Well, after all this research, I can only come to one conclusion, the same conclusion as Mercedes' family. There is just no way that there is zero footage of whatever vehicle Mercedes left that parking garage in. And again, we don't know if that was her Dodge Charger or the vehicle she was found in. They could have walked in and forced her into her Charger. Or they could have brought this other vehicle and forced her into that. We

We don't know. We just know that two vehicles were involved. But whichever it was, there is definitely video of that vehicle somewhere.

And while I have to understand the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is not releasing all that information to the public, what I can't understand is why after nearly a year now, none of that information is being used to invite the public to help identify the car or the person who did this to Mercedes. Not a single screenshot of the person driving that vehicle or the vehicle itself, just those images we have of Mercedes.

So her family just sits with this information, or really, lack of information for quite some time, waiting for answers and waiting for the results of her autopsy report. This would take about six months to get to her family, and as it seems to be a theme in this case, the autopsy was nothing short of horrific and confusing. But this is what the medical examiner determined.

Her cause of death is listed as conflagration, blunt force, and ballistic injuries. Her manner of death is homicide. The report reads, quote, Basically, Mercedes died from burns caused by inhaling smoke in the fire. She was literally burned alive.

But the Emmy also found blunt force trauma and gunshot wounds that contributed. She was shot in her right arm from the front. It exited upward and to the right. The bullet was never recovered. She had a gash on the right side of her head, a scraped bruise on the back of her right arm, and an abrasion on the left side of her back. There was no trauma indicating sexual assault.

However, there was bleach found in her throat. Bleach and gloves were recovered from the front of the car, and lighter fluid was found in the back seat. According to Mercedes' family, the toxicology report only showed marijuana in her system. No alcohol or drugs were present.

While Tom has expressed that it brings him peace that Mercedes likely passed in her sleep, Erica can't help but wonder what type of fight Mercedes put up before her death and has a theory about why the bleach may have been used. There's no way she didn't fight. She was not, she would not do something she didn't want to do. Somebody was forcing her to do something she didn't want to do. She had the sharpest teeth of anyone I've ever met.

She had a cavity once when she was little. And the dentist was like, I cannot get through her teeth. We have to get a diamond drill because they're so hard. They were like knives. That's why I think there was bleach in her mouth. I think she bit someone.

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Nearly a year after 22-year-old Mercedes Vega's body was found burned in an unidentified vehicle off the I-10 freeway, there are virtually no answers in her case, and her family has become frustrated with the lack of progress and what appears to be a lack of an investigation. When I spoke with Erica, she told me that aside from the night they notified her of Mercedes' murder,

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has never interviewed her or asked her any questions about Mercedes' life before her death. Not who she hung out with, if she was dating anyone. Nothing. They don't tell me anything. Like I said, the only time they ever even asked me a question was the night that they came to tell me she was dead. They've not asked me one question about my child since the night that she died. Not one.

This disturbed Erica so much that she took it upon herself to just give them information. She created a list of a hundred things they never asked her about Mercedes, like that she was left-handed and a natural blonde. But as of this episode airing, she has yet to sit down for a formal interview with investigators. And she, Mercedes' father, and Mercedes' friends are now doing what so many families in this position do. They're turning to the public for help.

The stage for the November 2023 press conference for Mercedes was full. Her friends and family stood and sat shoulder to shoulder, some waiting their turn to discuss the hole her murder had left in their lives, others just there to show support. Her parents explained that after waiting seven months without answers, they were ready to speak about the case. The press conference was about 30 minutes long, and it's filled with helpful information that I used to create this episode.

as well as funny and touching stories about Mercedes. But one that hit me really hard and shows how much she meant to her loved ones was a letter her friend Mackenzie wrote. Dear Mercedes, first of all, I love you. I love you so big it's hard to even put into words. I remember the last time we hung out, the last movie we saw, all the Savage Fenty shows we would watch because we had the same love for fashion and dance.

The countless meaningful conversations about life and the difficulties of it all. God, I miss you. I never ever in my life thought that there would be a world that you weren't in. Here I am. You were robbed of your life and your future. We, your family and friends were robbed of watching your future. And that can't just be for nothing. I'll be damned if these vile, evil people get away with what they did to you.

Of all the ways this could have happened, never in my life or any other life would I ever accept the way this happened. Never. Mercedes, you are such an intuitive, empathetic, and beautiful human being. I know for a fact if this absolutely inhumane, horrible crime were to happen to any one of her friends or family, that she would fight. Unfortunately, that has become the reality for myself, her friends, and family. So here again, here we are, fighting for her.

As soon as I had gotten the news of what happened to you, it felt as if my soul was ripped from my body, my lungs ripped out of my chest. It fell onto my hands and knees. This isn't something your parents should ever go through. But I know you have chosen me as one of the people to help comfort your parents, and I will do so for them and for you most importantly. They say they gained other daughters out of your friends and I, but little did they know they would gain a support system they can depend on and trust.

I will fight for you, Mercedes Mariana Vega, until the wheels fall off. I will do whatever it takes. You didn't deserve this, and none of us here deserves this. At the very least, you deserve your justice, and we will get it if it's the last thing I do. I love you, Merlot, forever and always. Your Kenzo.

If you want to learn more about who Mercedes was as a person, I definitely encourage you to watch that entire press conference. It's clear that she was extremely loved and is now dearly missed. Her friends and family have since created pages and groups for Mercedes on every social media platform and are begging people to help share her story in hopes of getting a resolution.

According to Mercedes' parents, the community in Tempe also wants answers. After Mercedes was murdered, they canvassed the area, looking for answers and speaking to business owners. And people were scared. They're afraid to walk to their cars at night. Some of these businesses have Mercedes' flyer and her story posted in their employee areas, just to warn them that the person or people who did this are still out there walking free.

This is also my community. And having so few answers about such a brutal case of a young woman from our college town killed like this is terrifying. But that is pretty much where her case is today. So what happened to Mercedes? Well, no suspects or persons of interest have been named. And there are no arrests in this case.

And there's so much we don't know. We don't know if there was blood found in her charger, how access was gained to her parking garage, why they abandoned the car on such a popular freeway, even where Mercedes was heading.

And I think it's extremely worth noting that as far as her parents know, she was not experiencing any type of harassment that would scare her. Her father Tom says that he saw Mercedes twice a month. He would come bring her medicine when she was sick. She was still on her parents' phone plan. Though Mercedes was 22 and technically an adult, she relied on and had a good relationship with her parents. They believe that if she was scared of something, she would have told them.

That said, the top theory in this case is that Mercedes possibly had some type of stalker she didn't even know about. See, Mercedes danced at nightclubs previously in Las Vegas, and in the Valley twice a week while working on getting her personal trainer certification. She also had kind of a flashy car with a personalized license plate, LUV333.

So some theorize that someone from a club she worked at became obsessed with her, possibly saw her vehicle in the parking lot, followed her to the Aubrey apartments, and planned out the attack. She was so strong. She was so beautiful. She was so impressive. Do I think it might have had something to do with the fact that somebody became obsessed with her? Very possible. She's easy to become obsessed with.

Some have theorized that perhaps Mercedes was the victim of a jealous ex, or even another dancer at the club, but as far as I know, there's no solid evidence to back that up.

One of my first thoughts was a potential motive of burglary. Maybe someone knew Mercedes likely had a lot of cash on her from dancing, or even just saw her Louis Vuitton bag and targeted her. And that is still possible, as we aren't sure if her bag or wallet was ever recovered. But we do know that Mercedes' apartment was not entered after she left, and she did have over $10,000 in cash there that was never touched.

Whatever happened to Mercedes, I can't help but think it was either a targeted attack, or whoever did this just had impeccable timing to be able to attack her right as she was entering her parking garage.

Now, we don't know exactly who Mercedes was texting that night, but the police do, and all we can hope is that either someone comes forward with the information needed to get justice for Mercedes, or the police identify the person or people responsible and make an arrest. But one thing is for sure, those that loved Mercedes are not giving up on her. Not going away. I will not stop. I won't stop until my daughter's killer is caught.

I won't stop. If I have to go and find out myself and do it, I will. I'm so tired of waiting for them. It cannot be that hard to solve her murder. Cameras, license plate readers, the vehicle she was found in, videotape of her walking out into her parking garage, DNA, her cell phone, her car being found. Figure it out.

In March 2023, just a few weeks before Mercedes was killed, she took a trip to Hawaii with friends. It was one of her favorite places in the world. When she came home, she told her mom that someday, far in the future when she had kids, that she wanted them to spread her ashes there. She said that's where her soul belongs.

Of course, Mercedes will never get to have those children, but her family does plan to fulfill her last wish as soon as they can. That brings me right to her call to action. Mercedes' case has not been shared very far in the true crime community yet, so let's make that happen. Share her case, share this episode, and share her family's social media pages for her.

And if you'd like to help even further, her family does have a GoFundMe page to raise money to add to the current silent witness reward for information leading to an arrest. That currently sits at $2,000, and they're hoping to add an additional $10,000 to the reward. So if you can and feel so inclined to donate, you can find the link to their GoFundMe in our episode description.

I would love if we can rally around Mercedes' loved ones and show them the support that they are desperately seeking. This case feels extremely solvable, and there is always hope.

As a reminder, 22-year-old Mercedes Vega was attacked in the garage of the Aubrey Apartments in Tempe on the night of Sunday, April 16th, 2023. She was found deceased in an unknown vehicle around 1.15 a.m. on Monday, April 17th, 2023 off the I-10 freeway near Tonopah, Arizona. Her vehicle, a 2019 white Dodge Charger, was found behind the culinary dropout in Tempe.

Mercedes was Caucasian and Puerto Rican, with a fair complexion. She was 5'9", weighed 150 pounds, with brown eyes and long black hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. You can stay anonymous. But, as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.

Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. If you love what we do here, please don't forget to follow, rate, and review the show on your podcast player. It's an easy and free way to help us and help more people find these cases in need of justice. Welcome to the Secret After Show. I think it's pretty clear in the episode how frustrated I am with this case. It just feels so solvable.

And I stand firm that I believe that there's footage out there. I'm not saying the police should release it. I am saying it might help. At least, like I said, like a still shot of the person who possibly did this, a still shot of the vehicle, anything. I do think it would help, but again...

Again, it is very possible that there is, I mean, obviously there's so much we don't know about this case that they are not releasing to the public. And it's always possible that there's a very good reason for not releasing those things. So I will say that. And it's hard, I think, because it's so close to me. It's right in my backyard. And I kind of know how the police work here. It's hard because on one hand, part of me can't understand why

Why this case isn't bigger. I mean, it's such a brutal murder, and it was done so publicly. I mean, to snatch her from her apartment complex garage, and from what I could find, the Aubrey apartments look pretty nice. They're pretty fancy.

and for them to come in and snatch her in front of cameras, and then, you know, whatever happens next, obviously, leaving her car behind the culinary dropout, one of the trendiest restaurants, not only in Tempe, but in Phoenix, too, and Scottsdale, all their locations are usually packed. It just seems so apparent. They weren't trying to hide anything, and yet they're getting away with it. And then to take...

Whatever that vehicle, the unknown vehicle was, along the I-10, on the way to California, going west towards Tonopah, is a very, very, um, I don't have another word for it, ballsy move. It just is. I mean, that is one of the most common routes that people...

from the East going West to California take. So one part of me is like, how are the police not focusing on this more? How is this not in the news more? This is one of the biggest college towns, I have to believe, existing out there. I mean, Tempe and ASU is just a huge, huge party school.

So yeah, I mean, to have this killer roaming around doing something to a college-aged child, really, 22, is so young, you guys. I don't know if it's not a priority for them at all.

or they don't want to scare the public. But you also have to weigh that in with how we know law enforcement treats cases like this, and not cases like this, I should say, people like Mercedes. She was part Puerto Rican, she was a dancer, and in my experience, that automatically puts her lower on the list of priorities.

I am obviously not saying it should be that way, I am just saying that is what I have seen from my experience. But again, I stand firm that there has to be some type of footage out there, and that someone definitely knows something. These acts were not committed, um, in private. The garage, going out to the I-10, these are all really popular places.

And like I was saying, it's really just at this point that Mercedes' family is trying to get this story out there. They waited months. They were extremely patient, waiting for more information from the police. And more important than that, right? Action from the police. And they're just not seeing it. I mean...

When Erica told me that she wasn't even interviewed, I just, I just want to help them. And I hope that you do too. So please just share this case. It feels like one of those cases that should be way, way bigger than it is. And for whatever reason, it's just not. So like I said, let's try to surround them with some voices for justice, love, and just, I don't know, get this case in front of more people.

Now, moving on to, I'm always so bad at these transitions, you guys. It's really hard to go from, let's talk about the case to what's going on with me. But let's move on to what is going on with me then. So as you have probably noticed, I hope you've noticed, I announced the new show on the Voices for Justice Media Network.

I did that previously here a little bit. I told you guys it was going to be called Media Pressure, and then I told you I couldn't say much more. But it has now been announced. Media Pressure Season 1 will be the untold story of Maura Murray as told by her sister, Julie Murray. This concept is something I've been working on basically since my dad was arrested. When I had to stop the show...

I just wanted to figure out a way to help other people do what I did. To create media pressure. To create, hopefully, just resources for these cases to show the world and law enforcement that we're not going away, that the case is not going away. And at the very least, to just honor those at the center of these stories.

The concept isn't really to, you know, take back the narrative and be the one-stop shop for all facts for these cases. You know, especially in a case like Maura Murray, unless you're going to create a hundred episodes about the case, you're not going to hit each and every detail. And I'd argue that you really don't need to.

But media pressure is designed to be the most intimate place to get these stories from people who actually knew the person at the center of them. It's a place for family, friends, those involved in the case to talk about their experience within it. To talk about the person that they knew.

to share all the details of things that never make a public police report, because I can tell you, a lot does not go into those reports. And in Maura's season specifically, Julie was able to get some pretty amazing exclusive interviews. I mean, that's another thing with people close to the case doing this story, is it makes more people want to talk. You

You know, not everyone is comfortable speaking with a stranger, whether that's a journalist or a content creator, whoever it might be. They're usually a lot more comfortable with someone close to the story, someone where they don't have to question their intentions. So Julie gets some amazing interviews with people who have never spoken before. The show also features a very sweet special song written by Maura's brother.

So again, if you are looking for the most intimate look at Maura Murray's case, along with information that has never been publicized before, definitely check out Media Pressure. Our trailer is out now. Our first two episodes drop on February 5th, 2024. I almost said 2023. You almost got me, guys.

And, you know, Julie did all the heavy lifting for this. I am an executive producer on the show, you know, of course helped Julie along the way, but this is really her project and her baby. And I am so, so excited to be a part of that.

So again, please go over and listen to the trailer. Please follow the show. That helps a lot. We actually just hit top trailers on Apple Podcasts today, which is amazing. But, you know, I'm going to be honest. We want this show to be successful. So please, please go over there and follow it. Please listen to the trailer because that does help. You know, I just want to show that and really not just show.

but carve out a space in true crime for people like me, people like Julie, all the hosts I have lined up for future seasons, which yes, I do have a list of people who want to do these shows with me. I want to carve out space for us. You know, it seems like there is space for every random person on the internet to be involved in true crime, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. I'm just saying, um, we would like some space for us too.

So if you want to be a part of that, a part of changing true crime is what we hope to do. Again, please go check out Media Pressure, follow the show. It's completely free and it does help us a lot.

I also have another announcement. After taking a few years off of events for a few different reasons, I am back. And I will be at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival this July. You may have known it, it used to be called just the True Crime Podcast Festival, but they have invited me to be their keynote speaker.

They have also invited me and Julie to do a panel at the event. So if you, for some reason, would like to come meet me in person, get some stickers for the podcast, meet Julie, just come hang out. I will be at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival, July 12th through 14th, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. You can just go to truecrimepodcastfestival.com to learn more. I

I believe I also have a coupon code. You can use VFJ for a slight discount on your tickets. But I'm excited. It's been a really long time since I've gone to any events where I get to see you guys and meet you guys, and that is my favorite part of doing these events.

you know, outside of the advocacy of it all, I do think that the programming is very, very important. I love seeing you guys face to face. It is one of my favorite things in the entire world. And it still shocks me that anyone will travel to come see me. And I am just so forever appreciative of that. So

If you want to see me most likely cry and give a lot of hugs and just come say hi, please do so. Don't be afraid to come up to me. I love it. Yeah, so come say hi at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival. And let's move right into our segment of hope. So this was actually suggested to me by our reporter, Brooke Haynes. Thank you, Mrs. Brooke. I have to remember to call her Mrs. and not Miss Brooke.

This comes from CNN and the headline reads, Authorities identify remains found in wooded area as belonging to a five-year-old boy who went missing 20 years ago. This was published December 23rd, 2023, so just at the end of last year.

This comes from a case that I'd never heard of. This is the case, the young boy is Logan Nathaniel Bowman, and he went missing in January 2003. Now, he was found in Gallix, Virginia in September 2022, and all I really know it seems is that he was there for an extended period of time. But the article says, quote,

Authorities enlisted the help of a Texas-based company specializing in forensic-grade genome sequencing and genetic genealogy to identify the remains, the release said. The company was able to develop a full DNA profile of the remains and compare them to the child's family members, confirming the remains belonged to Logan. Logan's biological mother, Cynthia Davis, and her then-boyfriend, Dennis...

shirmerhorn were charged in february two thousand three in connection with the child's disappearance according to the sheriff's office davis entered a plea to serve fifteen years in prison and fifteen years on probation on two felony charges of child neglect

and one felony charge of homicide in April 2004. Shermer Horn was sentenced in 2004 to one year in jail on one felony count of simple child neglect, according to court documents. A judge dismissed a murder charge and a neglect charge against him. It appears that CNN has reached out to attorneys listed for these people for comment, and they have not responded.

And of course, the reason that this makes our segment of hope is because he was found and identified. And it's hard. I mean, obviously, the people who put him there are now walking free, and I can tell you how hard that is to deal with. But I do think it's amazing that in a case that was adjudicated, they took the resources to go above and beyond to identify Logan. So that's why it makes our segment of hope.

There was someone out there that cared more than getting a verdict in this case and just wanted to really lay him to rest. But as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.