MISSING: Leah Roberts

[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 Junkie family. I'm Ashley and I'm Britt and thank you guys for coming back for a new episode Don't forget if this just isn't enough for you and you need an extra fix of true crime You can always go to our patreon. It's patreon.com slash crime junkie There are three different levels and at every single level you get more and more episodes. Oh, there's so much backlog Oh [00:57] Yeah. And you guys, I don't think a lot of people know this. You don't have to listen to it on your computer. Like Patreon is amazing. You can get a link and put it in your podcast app or at least most podcast apps and your episodes will download automatically on your phone the way that this one did today. So amazing. It is. I'm a patron of some of my favorite podcasts and it is literally the most convenient, easiest way for me to get extra content from stuff I love. So we encourage you guys to do that. Help support our show. Again, we said this before, we're raising money through [01:27] a second show in addition to Crime Junkie that I think you guys are going to love. So go help support us. Help us do that at patreon.com slash crimejunkie.

[01:57] Thank you. [02:08] Today, I want to tell you about a missing persons case that has stuck with me for a long time. And it's one that I frequently look up information on just to see if there's been any updates because there are some key clues that supposedly were being processed back in 2011, but no results have ever been released. And I'm wondering if this could be one of the first missing person cases that gets solved [02:38] solve murders now. Oh my god, that would be amazing. Yeah, and I'm really confident that there could be some kind of breakthrough. So it's super important now more than ever, like set your Google alerts and watch this case. And I'm talking about the case of Leah Roberts in North Carolina, or at least the story starts in North Carolina. Leah was attending North Carolina State when at the age of 20, her mother suddenly passed away of heart disease. It was a terrible tragedy for Leah and [03:08] Leah ended up taking some time off of school. When she did end up returning to college in 1998, she actually ended up having a terrible car accident. So bad that it was almost fatal. She walked away with a punctured lung and a broken leg. Oh my god. Yeah, and when I say broken leg, it was a fracture so severe that she had to have a metal rod placed in her leg. After she recovered from that and went back to school again, Leah had this attitude of just

[03:38] knew it was short. She had seen her mother get robbed of life. She was almost robbed of it herself. So she spent some time studying abroad in Spain. And then she actually applied for a study, like a work study thing in Costa Rica. But right before she leaves for this work study, her father passes away too of a respiratory disease. Oh my God. Yeah. Like this girl could not get a break. But Leah decides that she needs to go to this work study thing anyways. She goes [04:08] a few weeks after her father passed away and she had lost so much that I think she really needed to do something for herself and her trip really did change her well her trip and all of her life experiences I think leading up to the trip when she got back she told a lot of people that she didn't view life the same she didn't want to live like everyone else she didn't want to be like everyone else I mean I try not to think too hard about it but I kind of even agree with her like [04:38] I got a job just like everybody else. I spend a third or more of my life working so I can pay bills and live in a house and buy things. And at the end of the day, it's just like, why? Like there has to be more. I mean, when you really sit down and think about it, I mean, it's like kind of a screwy like head thing. It's a rat race. I get it. Yeah. And like there has to be something more meaningful. Like what is the reason we're all here? So I think this is the kind of thing that she was thinking.

[05:08] that kind of had the same ideas as her. And they all liked to read the same stuff. They were all talking about the same stuff. And one of the things that they were all very into was Jack Kerouac. And he's a novelist who talks about just hitting the road, traveling, exploring, and finding himself. So this really resonated with her in this time in her life. Now, although Leah had changed, this change wasn't concerning to her friends and family. They just wanted her to be happy. What was concerning, though, [05:38] It happened in March of 2000. On Thursday, March 9th, Leah's older sister calls her house just to chat. And there's nothing out of the ordinary. When they hang up, Leah's sister Kara had every intention of talking to Leah again very soon. Now that same exact day, Leah made plans with her roommate Nicole to babysit on Friday. Well, Friday comes and Friday goes and Leah doesn't show up. [06:08] there either. And at first this isn't super concerning right away. They would sometimes go for a couple of days without seeing each other. So it wasn't weird that her car wasn't there. I mean, they were in college, they were young, they lived their own lives. I mean, when I was with my roommate in college, there would be a couple of days where like, I wouldn't see her, but she had worked in school and I had worked in school and that was not weird. And in 2000, there wasn't texting. So it's not even like she could be like, Hey, you didn't show up tonight. Where are you? No response. There,

[06:38] other friends of Leah's start to call the house asking for her. Now they're saying that she also missed pre-scheduled plans with them. And by this point, it's Sunday, March 12th, and Nicole decides to call Leah's sister to see if maybe she's seen her or anyone in the family knows where she might be. And when she says that she hasn't, she asks her sister Kara, like, what should I do now? And at first, Kara doesn't want to panic. So they start this phone tree. They call everyone they [07:08] see if anyone's been in contact with her or if anyone's even seen her car over the last couple of days but they get nothing when Kara comes over to Leah's house to look around her room shows signs of someone leaving voluntarily like her bags are missing some of her clothes are missing but even though Kara thinks she may have left on her own she still doesn't feel good about the way Leah did it like she again didn't say a word to anyone so Kara ends up going and filing a missing person [07:38] Leah's an adult. Even though it looks like she left on her own, something is not sitting right with her sister. When she files the report on Monday the 13th, there wasn't much for the police to do. They had no clues about where she might be or why she left in the first place. So Kara keeps trying to find answers herself. She goes back to Leah's house and pokes around her room again. And this time, on a cluttered dresser, she finds a note. And it's this piece of paper that's folded

[08:08] And on the front was this hand-drawn picture of a Cheshire cat grin, like the one from Alice in Wonderland. And, Britt, I sent you this picture. How creepy is it? [08:26] Uh... [08:27] what is this? I know. So her sister says that this image actually has some kind of significance. So Leah have loved Alice in Wonderland. And she says that the actual Cheshire Cat, she's like, I think it really was more than just like a character she loved. I think it was significant in like what she was doing. The Cheshire Cat is appearing and disappearing. And when he disappears and reappears, he shows up somewhere else and he's smiling. And she's like, I think that what [08:57] was saying is like, I'm just, I'm going to go away for a while and I'm going to be gone. You won't know where I am, but I will come back. Now this is on the front of this letter. When Kara opens the letter, there was a stack of cash left for her roommate and a note saying that this is to cover the bills when I'm gone. And there was about enough to cover one month of expenses. So Kara's initial thought is that Leah's going to be back pretty soon. But as she goes on to read the note, it gets [09:27] Unsolved Mysteries, and they're notoriously not 100% on point. So I don't know if this was the exact wording or if it was fabricated, but according to that show, this is what it read.

[09:39] remember everyone is together in thoughts and prayers and time passes quickly have faith in me yourself and everyone and then on the side it said I'm not suicidal I am the opposite remember Jack Kerouac um that's super cryptic yeah so I think she knew her sister would be concerned again she had had a lot of tragedy in her life very quickly so it was everyone's kind of initial reaction to [10:09] that she wasn't going to harm herself, but everyone they talked to. And even the note that she left said that she wasn't in any kind of suicidal state of mind, that she just wanted to go find herself. And this is kind of backed up because when Kara shows Nicole this letter, Nicole says, you know what, this actually fits. Apparently just a couple of weeks earlier, Leah had brought up the idea to Nicole of just like taking off on a road trip across the country. [10:39] I have a job and I have school and I like have bills. I can't even afford to take off and go across the country. But Leah could. At the time, she had no job or responsibilities and she had a small inheritance from her parents' death that allowed her to be able to take off like that and still be able to pay her bills back in North Carolina. Even though this note says not to worry, Kara is like any big sister. I mean, Britt, we are both big sisters and I will. Oh my God, like do not get between me and my siblings. I will cut you.

[11:09] Yeah, I will always worry about my siblings, even when they're doing fine. It's just like ingrained in me. A hundred percent. I would especially be worrying if my sister was like, hey, I'm fine. I'm just leaving. Like, bye. Oh, I would be like, no, you take me with you. Yeah, and Kara's the exact same way. She's like very much, oh, hell no. I'm still going to make sure you're okay. [11:39] normally be in one of our if I go missing folders because when Leah went overseas, Kara was actually given power of attorney over her stuff. So she still had access to all of her banking records and she was actually able to go in and see her transactions. From what she can tell, it looked like Leah had actually left the very same day that she had talked to Kara on the phone, that Thursday. [12:09] She watched her debit card and it looks like she just traveled West. Now, Kara knows for sure that on March 10th, Leah was in Tennessee. Then by March 13th, she was in Oregon because those are where her debit card was used for gas each time. The transaction in Oregon was just a day or two before Kara went looking. [12:31] So from all she could tell, her sister was okay and clearly on some journey of self-discovery or a journey of funsies. Like, it didn't matter. And although she didn't love it, she knew that Leah was an adult who clearly left on her own, and she assumed that she needed to kind of sit back, and eventually Leah would contact her. And again, from the note and the money that she left, at the very least, everything seemed like Leah should be home in a month. What Kara didn't know, though, is that she should have kept checking Leah's transactions.

[13:01] If she would have, she would have seen that that transaction on the 13th was the last one Leah would ever make. [13:11] Your college decision is personal. It's a serious choice that no one takes lightly. Well, Southern New Hampshire University is serious about helping you earn your degree your way. We're talking no set class times and 24-7 access to online coursework, so you can build a schedule that works for you. SNHU also understands that you're coming into college with a goal. Whether you're a career changer, an aspiring leader, or just getting started, they've got over 200 online programs to help you take your next step. And when it comes to paying for college, don't stress. [13:40] SNHU has some of the lowest online tuition in the U.S., plus experienced student finance counselors to guide you through your journey. A college that takes your education as seriously as you do? That's SNHU. Visit snhu.edu slash crimejunkie to learn more. That's snhu.edu slash crimejunkie. [14:01] So Sunday, March 19th rolls around, and this is actually Kara's birthday. And she thinks surely there will be some kind of contact from Leah on her birthday. Instead, she gets contacted by someone very unexpected. When she comes home that day, there's a note in her door from the police saying that she should call the sheriff's office out in Bellingham, Washington, because her sister's car had been found. What? [14:31] the sheriff there, this is what she learns. Apparently, just one day earlier on March 18th, a local man and his wife were running the trails in a pine forest when all of a sudden they spot some clothes hanging from a tree. They move closer to the side of the road to investigate, and down this ravine, off the side of the road in a ditch, they see a vehicle. And they actually go

[15:01] There were clothes everywhere, blankets and pillows covering the windows. But also there are some very like private personal items like passport, a checkbook, just laying around. Like no one would have left a site like this. So the couple calls this in to police. When police get there and they see the North Carolina license plate, they call into North Carolina. [15:31] from Kara. And so they're the ones who go and leave the note on Kara's door. So when Kara gets this, she is sick to her stomach. And after she talks to police and realize they found the car, but they did not find Leah, her and her brother Heath immediately go out to assist with the search. And what they learn about the crash when they get there is extremely disturbing. So it appeared, from everything that they could tell, from the way it went off, that the vehicle was going uphill [16:01] miles per hour when it went off the side of the road. And this accident site was, even though it was the Bellingham Sheriff's Office, this area was like 30 miles outside of Bellingham. When it went off of the road, the vehicle was tossed like end over end, just like rolling down the side of this hill. It was a very severe accident. [16:21] But... [16:22] For this very severe accident, [16:25] there didn't seem to be any sign of injury. And moreover, there didn't seem to be any sign that anyone was ever in the car. What? Yeah, so the seatbelt hadn't been extended the way they would normally see in an accident, which means that whoever was driving or in the car, if there was a person in the car, they weren't wearing their seatbelt. So the next thing you would expect to see is damage to the steering wheel or damage to the windshield from somebody's head. Yeah, right.

[16:55] But neither one of those have the kind of damage you would expect to see. And most glaring of all of this horrible accident, there's no blood in. [17:04] anywhere. And there are no foot tracks, no signs of any activity leading away from the crash site. So from all accounts, it looks like this crash happened without a person in the car, which seems impossible because again, this car was accelerating uphill. So giant mystery. So even though the signs are pointing to the fact that nobody was in the car, they again, can't figure out how that would have happened. So they start checking with hospitals. Somebody in this [17:35] So they go around asking all the hospitals if there's someone that was fitting Leah's description, like around the time that she would have been in Bellingham. And there's absolutely nothing. So the police just like all they have to latch on to is this car. And they really think that the answer lays within this car. Now, what they know is that Leah paid for gas in Oregon on March 13th. Then her car was found five days later. [18:04] or after those times is a mystery, but getting answers to that might lead them to Leah. So that's what they focus all of their efforts on. Police and crime scene techs continue to process the car and inside they find some crucial clues. The first one is they find this little box and inside the box is a movie ticket to the movie American Beauty. And she had gone to see this on the 13th

[18:34] also find that gas receipt from Oregon, that same transaction that Kara had seen on her debit card, like banking statement. So, [18:42] That was actually from the same morning. So what they know is that she got gas that morning and then drove like five or six hours to Bellingham. And they figure if she was on the road all morning and then went to a movie, she likely would have stayed in Bellingham for at least a couple of hours before she hit the road again. Yeah, right. So they're hoping maybe that she would have had some interaction with some of the locals. So they start making missing person flyers and posting them everywhere. [19:12] she was and they hadn't seen her so they worked their way out from there near the movie theater is that mall that it's kind of connected to and while they're putting up flyers everywhere Kara sees one of the only sit-down restaurants there and she says that it would totally look like a place her sister would have gone in so she goes in to ask if anyone working there recognized her sister and sure enough they did the person working there said that Leah came in [19:42] bar and she was sitting between two guys but she didn't come with them and he said they just didn't have any more information that he's like I didn't really have any interaction with her like yeah I gave her food but she was by herself and that's it [19:54] Luckily, though, [19:56] Someone important saw the flyers and they call in with another tip. And it was a guy who was actually sitting next to Leah in the restaurant that day. And he says, listen, yeah, I sat next to her, but I really didn't have any interaction with her.

[20:10] But as police continue to question him, he does say that there was a man on the other side of her that she was actually talking to the whole time. So they end up getting a hold of this guy number two, I'll call him. And I assume that they did this through some kind of credit card transaction with the restaurant or maybe he was like a super regular. And they didn't say exactly, but however they get to him, they do. And he admits sitting next to her and even having a conversation with her. [20:40] Jack Kerouac. So they're even more convinced that this isn't just like a fluke. This definitely was Leah. [20:46] But he adds something new to the story. He said that after they chatted and after she was done with her meal, she ended up leaving with a man named Barry. And he gives a super detailed description of this Barry guy, so much so that they bring in a sketch artist and they produce a sketch, which I will post on our Instagram. And Britt, you're looking at it right now. Do you want to kind of describe it for people? [21:16] general sketch. Like, honestly, I think I texted you, it looks like my brother-in-law. Yeah, it's a young guy. I would say he looks like he's in his, like, late 20s, early 30s. He's got, like, a gauge in his ear. It's, like, again, very specific. But, like, strong, like, jaw, like, kind of bigger features. So, you say it's generic. I think this guy would be recognizable. They don't say at all how this guy knew...

[21:41] that this person's name was Barry, or if this guy had any interaction with him. Like, the one thing, as all the research I was doing and as the story goes on, they never identify these guys by name. The guy who initially called in and the guy who she apparently had this conversation with. So, like, I just keep calling them guy number one and guy number two. So, police have this sketch, but something isn't sitting right with them. Because guy number one didn't say anything about her leaving with some guy named Barry. [22:11] Some guy named Barry never even came up. Now, all the police will tell us is they think this Barry character is completely fabricated. And I assume they reached this conclusion after looking into both guy number one and guy number two. And somehow guy number two comes out looking fishier. Because just from the story we have, I have no reason to trust guy number one over guy number two. But they have openly said that they think guy number two is lying. [22:41] and over again he has stuck to his story he says that he never had contact with leah after that lunch and he keeps saying that this berry guy is involved [22:51] You guys, we are finally rolling into summer, and I am ditching the sweaters, packing away the coats, but I am still wearing quince. Because quince is quality I wear all year round, in the field, on stage, at the office, quince, quince, quince. Their clothing and accessories are timeless and long-lasting because they focus on high-quality, beautiful everyday essentials, like 100% European linen pants, dresses, and tops with styles starting at $32.

[23:21] 80% less than similar brands. No lie, I have a silk skirt from a big department store and I have a silk skirt from Quince. And dead serious, my Quince one has held up way better and was way cheaper and machine washable because ain't nobody got time or money for dry cleaning, but I want to look like I do. So elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com slash crimejunkie for free shipping [23:51] Crime Junkie for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash Crime Junkie. [23:59] Now, about this time in the story brings us to March 30th. This is 12 days after her Jeep was found and 13 weeks after she went missing. And the police continue to process all of the contents in her car. And from the looks of it, it seems she left everything behind. So it's very unlikely that she would have just walked away from this car. And one of the things she left behind was all of that money that she took out of the bank. So she can't purchase anything. [24:29] There's no sense in leaving cash behind. I mean, even if you didn't want to be traced, you took out $3,000. And in one of her pants pockets, they found $2,400 of that. Oh, my God. Even more concerning to police and to her friends and family is that under her car floorboard, they found Leah's most sacred possession in the world. It was her mother's ring. Now, it's not just weird to people that it was not stolen or left behind.

[24:59] What's weird is that they said she would never in a million years for any reason take that ring off again. [25:07] It was her mother's. It was like she wore it every single day, rain, shine, shower. It was an heirloom. Yes, exactly. And they're like, I can't. She didn't take it off at home. I can't think of a reason she would have taken it off and left it in her car intentionally. So, I mean... [25:23] And I can't think of a reason she would either. I mean, unless she left it behind knowing that somebody, this would be a sign to someone that something sinister happened. I would say, or hoping that it would be a clue. I don't know. Or if somebody took it off of her, it seems kind of crazy that they wouldn't keep it. I mean, unless they knew it was like a very distinct ring that possibly could get traced back to them. They like had no use to pawn it or anything like that. Maybe they took it off of her and, [25:49] thinking that [25:51] if they were getting rid of a body that it would be detected by a metal detector? I don't know. But it was becoming painfully clear to everyone that knew Leah well that something sinister had in fact happened to her. [26:04] Police decide that the next step is to bring out searchers and track dogs, helicopters, like the whole nine yards, and search around the crash site looking for any sign of Leah or anyone who might have been driving her car. But they don't find a single sign of anyone. And this is kind of unrelated, but something that sticks out to me, like even more than the ring, is they make a point to say that she had pillows and blankets, like covering her windows.

[26:34] They weren't just covering them to keep the sunlight out. It looked like the windows weren't there. So I don't know if the windows were blown out or rolled down. Wow. I mean, I have a thousand questions. Was someone homeless sleeping in her car? But you would think if they were, they would have gone through her stuff, found the money, found the ring, taken some clothes. It just seems like such a weird thing for police to mention, but not really have any theories on. Like expound on, yeah. Why? Yeah. [27:04] I have no idea, but it's something that kind of like itches my brain. And if any of our listeners have theories, I would love to hear them. So after this, when they don't find anything at the crash site, Leah's case begins to go cold. Police and sheriff's office ask Kara... [27:19] what they want her to do with the car. And Kara is such a good crime junkie because instead of selling it or telling them to get rid of it, she tells them, I want you to save it. Keep it there because I have no idea what kind of tests are going to be available in the future. And she's like, I've heard of cases getting solved years later with old evidence and I don't want to ever regret taking that back, so just keep it. And this is such a good call because it's that car [27:49] giving us evidence years later. [27:51] So years go by and that Jeep just sits there and Leah's family waits. And in December of 2006, this is almost seven years after Leah's disappearance, the original detective ends up retiring and he passes along his case files. And when the new detective gets it, he says there's just something about Leah's case that he cannot shake.

[28:21] or anything that he could retest with new technology. [28:26] One thing that really stuck out to this new investigator was how was that car accelerating up a hill with no one in it? Now, when he looks at the case file, like really looks at it, there is a key part of the car that was never processed. What? And that part is under the hood, which to me is freaking crazy. Like you have this mystery of how is this car accelerating, but you never actually look at the mechanics of the car. [28:56] that day. Right, definitely. So this investigator goes out to Washington and sure enough, when they popped the hood on this baby, the cover on the starter relay was removed, which would have allowed the car to accelerate with no one in it. Now it would have taken someone with mechanical knowledge to be able to do that and you know who had experience as a mechanic? Guy number two from the bar. Who... [29:23] by the way, left the country shortly after this investigation about Leah, and he now lives in Canada. Or at least at the time— I'm sorry, what? Yeah, or at least in 2011, I know he lived in Canada. I, again, don't know his name, so I can't, like, Google stalk him now. But under the hood, so we know someone messed with it. They also find fingerprints. So they have some fingerprints, know that some kind of mechanic messed with this.

[29:53] So they ask Canadian authorities if they can have access to this guy and they get his fingerprints and [30:00] but they don't match. What? Right. Now... [30:05] I... [30:06] don't necessarily think that this rules him out because there were no other fingerprints of like unknown males in the rest of the car like on the steering wheel or anything like that so whoever did that could have worn gloves they could have wiped everything down it's also very likely that she took her car to the shop like before she went missing and a person actually worked like a mechanic opened her hood and was actually working on her car they're not wearing gloves so yeah. [30:31] It's not necessarily a sinister thing to have a fingerprint there. It could be very mundane. Right. But... [30:38] We still have this DNA. Now in 2011, they said they were still waiting for DNA, like the results to come in and for it to be compared to guy number two. It is 2018. And... [30:53] there's no way we're still waiting. Like that's the last thing I ever heard. But I can't find anything on guy number two being cleared or... [31:02] still being in the mix? Like, did something go wrong with the testing? Was he not 100% matched but not totally ruled out? Like, I have a zillion questions. Totally. But I have to assume that it's still silent because they haven't really furthered the investigation at all. Like, maybe this guy number two really had nothing to do with it. And if that's the case, is there really a Barry that we should be looking for?

[31:32] number one? Was it just because he called in and seemed more reliable? How many times have we heard of cases where the person wants to get involved or he came forward to point the finger at guy number two? I mean, I'm sure, again, I'm sure they did some extensive research on him, but... [31:49] There's just so many questions. I cannot believe there hasn't been an update on this DNA since 2011. Ugh, I know. And what I would love is for this DNA that they found to be submitted to those genealogical sites the way that Parabon has been doing. Ugh, yes. Right? So if we find out that the DNA in our clothing can be linked back to a certain family or a certain specific person and start asking questions about why their DNA is on the clothing in her car, [32:19] to work backwards. [32:21] So it's 2018. [32:23] They're still looking for Leah. They say if she's out there, she actually will be easier to find than most. Because one of the theories I said of the reason someone might have taken that ring off of her body was to avoid metal detectors. Well, what I bet a stranger who may have taken Leah didn't know was that she was in that car accident. And she still has that metal rod in her femur. So a lot of the times when they're doing searches for her, like out in the woods, in these ravines, they're not looking for a body. They're using metal detectors. [32:53] 18 years later, they're looking for this metal rod. So we either need to find her and hope that it leads to the person who took her, or we need to figure out a way to use this DNA and go backwards and find the person who took her and hope we can find Leah one day. Y'all, science for the win.

[33:23] Thank you all for tuning in for another episode. If you need extra fixes, don't forget that you can find us on social media. We're Crime Junkie Podcast on Instagram and Crime Junkie Pod on Twitter. And for bonus episodes and more information about what we do, check out patreon.com slash crimejunkie. Yeah, don't forget you can get all of those episodes right on your phone the same way you're getting this one. And there's like a ton of content now. There is. [33:53] And we're also doing an AMA. We will see you guys back next week for a brand new crime story. [34:24] 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? It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now, and I've been listening for years. I think you'll love it too. [34:47] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.