Transcripts For MSNBC Dateline 20240923

Narrator Joel Patrick Courtney was sitting in jail in albuquerque. It was december 2004. The married father of three was facing decades in prison if convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault, and battery charges. As investigators began checking out the possible link to Brooke Wilbergers case, a call went out to her family. They had waited more than six months for news, any news, about their daughters disappearance. Now, there was a man in custody who they thought might be able to reunite them with their daughter, just as Elizabeth Smart had been returned to her family. What are you thinking in that when you hear this . Actually, i had prayed so faithfully all fall that whoever had done this would make a mistake. And when i heard the news, i thought, they made a mistake. They tried it again. And No One Else knew what id prayed, because i hadnt told anyone else, because it was always, Find Brooke. You know, help us to Find Brooke. I guess that was a selfish prayer, you know, to help whoever had done this to make a mistake. And then i felt like, they made a mistake. Narrator but if this mistake could help Find Brooke, investigators first had to find out all they could about this latest possible suspect. And specifically, they wanted to know more about that suspects ties to oregon. Detectives quickly determined that Joel Courtney grew up in beaverton, a Portland Suburb about 75 miles from where brooke disappeared. But that had been 20 years before. Police also knew he had lived in several different states. The question was, had courtney been anywhere near corvallis on The Day of the kidnapping . There was one person who could answer that question and many more. Her name . Dina mcbride. She is Joel Courtneys older sister. She lives in portland. My first thought is, cute, dimpled, little blonde hair, mischievous kid, you know, with a sweet little spirit and a hilarious laugh. Narrator days before Corvallis Police got that Phone Call from albuquerque and heard the name Joel Courtney for the first time, dina had received a call herself. It was from joels wife, with word of his arrest in New Mexico. Dina and her mother took in the news together. How did your Mom React . She was horrified. You know, there were very lit very few details. But she felt like The Truth needs to come out. Narrator but The Truth was hard to figure out in those first moments. The Scowling Man in the mugshot was hardly the joel his sister knew when he was little. I remember him coming home from the hospital. I remember him toddling. I remember all the classic childhood milestones. And we were a very, very happy family. At some point, did you see a shift . When he was probably 11ish, he started hanging out with some older kids. I remember my Mom Kind of backtracking and saying, you know, i think thats really when it started. Narrator it was joels drug use. And before long, when joel became a teenager, more reason to worry. He was starting to dabble in some satanism a little Bit And Kind of explaining how much power it gave him, in a sense of, you know, a rush of being in control or whatever. And yeah, he he was pretty good at throwing a punch here or there. Scare you . Yeah, it hurt me. Yeah. So around the same time that he dabbles in satanism, he starts becoming physical . Mmhmm. Narrator but as joel got older and more violent, his sister says he was handsome enough, charming enough, and smart enough to get away with a lot of bad behavior. At some point in time, it was in thing to have Iq Testing in school. I remember not being as smart as i had hoped and hearing that he had a Geniuslevel Iq and Genius Level . Mmhmm. Did he study a lot . Did he read books . He loved to read books, but no, he kind of got away with really good grades with very little effort, which seemed monumentally unfair to me. Narrator Joel Courtneys luck would eventually run out. He had a string of arrests for shoplifting and other offenses and was in and out of Juvenile Detention until he was 18. Thats when joel admitted beating and sexually assaulting a woman he had known in High School. He blamed the crime on drugs and alcohol, and a judge sentenced courtney to probation. He never finished High School and worked various jobs as a fisherman in alaska and as a mechanic. He got married at 23 to rosie, who was from mexico. He and rosie had three children. And eventually, courtney seemed to settle down, savoring his role as a father and building a life in that home in an albuquerque suburb. What kind of father was he . He changed diapers. He got up in the middle of the night. He made lunches. He you know, there are a lot of pictures of him on the Ground Wrestling with the kids and, you know, laying in the grass, you know, looking at Fourleaf Clover Kind of stuff. Kind of just the kind of dad that we had, the kind of dad who was involved and wanted to be there for his kids. Narrator but now, at age 38, this seemingly loving father was facing the trial of his life locked up, caught with a Crack Pipe and a knife, charged with kidnapping and sexual assault. And given his checkered history, something, maybe intuition, maybe the massive Media Coverage throughout oregon of a similar crime, a young, beautiful female College Student snatched off The Street just months before, something compelled dina and her family to ask the question themselves, the very questions Corvallis Police were just beginning to look at. Just the details that we heard about the case in New Mexico, there were some similarities. And so you thought to yourself could it be . No. I mean, you you couldnt even say the whole sentence because it was unthinkable, right . Narrator Coming Up, new clues provide an Answer And Break brookes Case Wide Open this was dynamite to us. Narrator when dateline continues. When you have moderate to severe eczema, its okay to show off. With dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. Because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. With dupixent, the 1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. It helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. Many adults saw 90 clearer skin, some even achieved longlasting clearer skin and fast Itch Relief after first dose. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening Eye Problems such as Eye Pain or vision changes including blurred vision, Joint Aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. Show off to the world. Ask your Eczema Specialist about dupixent. An alternative to pills, voltaren is a clinically proven Arthritis Pain Relief gel, which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medicine directly at the source. Voltaren, the joy of movement. [coughs] when caroline has a cough, she takes robitussin. So, she can have those one on ones again. Hey jim can we talk about Casual Fridays . Oh sure. Whats up . Get fast, powerful Cough Relief with robitussin, and find your voice. Robitussin you can feel it, when your dream becomes a pursuit. And with vitiligo, the pursuit for your pigment is no exception. Its time you had a proven choice to help restore whats yours. Opzelura is the first and only fdaapproved Prescription Treatment for nonsegmental vitiligo. Proven to help Repigment Skin over time. Restoring whats yours. Its possible with a Steroidfree Cream that you can apply yourself. Opzelura can lower your ability to fight infections including Tb Or Hepatitis b or c. Serious lung infections, skin cancer, blood clots, and low Blood Cell counts occurred with opzelura. In people taking jak inhibitors, serious infections, increased risk of death, lymphoma, other cancers, and major cardiovascular events have occurred. The most common Side Effects were Acne And Itching where applied. Repigmentation is possible. Ask your Dermatologist Today about starting or refilling opzelura. Pursue it. About starting or refilling opzelura. Time seemed to tick by so slowly during those long months when investigators were searching for clues in the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger minutes, hours, days. But in early december 2004, more than six months after she went missing, it was as if the clock suddenly sped up. Police in corvallis, oregon were struck by the parallels between Brookes Abduction and the crimes Joel Patrick Courtney was accused of in albuquerque. From our perspective, its his Signature Crime right next to the university of New Mexico campus, a young woman, you know, attractive, broad daylight, abduction in a vehicle, drives away. So yeah, we we were real excited that we were on the right track at that point. Narrator by the time police learned Joel Courtneys name, joels sister, dina, and her family had been thinking about the same connection for days. We couldnt even say the words out loud. We actually were up until late hours of the morning going back over the calendar, thinking, could he have done that . And we decided to pray about it. What were your prayers . We really prayed that god would would give us wisdom that we would make the right choices, that we would speak when we needed to speak and not speak when we when it was not wise. Narrator dina waited, saying nothing, until a week later, Corvallis Police looking for information about her brother, called her. In that moment, do you know in your heart that he did something . In that moment, i did not know that. I thought too many coincidences to automatically discount it, right . You cant just assume because hes your brother, somebody that you love, that he couldnt have, right . Narrator what dina told police was revealing. During their first interviews, she shared some dark family secrets. When she was a teenager, her brother, joel, had attacked her. He would come in in the middle of the night, and put a hand around my neck, and attempt to sexually assault me. More than once . More than once, yeah. And i had a great, oldfashioned Windup Alarm Clock that met his head. Narrator two more Courtney Family members would soon come forward claiming joel had raped or tried to rape them. The further we got into the investigation, as far as the number of people we interviewed, the more sexual assaults came to light. Narrator and more pieces of the puzzle were coming together quickly. Despite their troubled past, Dina And Joel had maintained a relationship over the years. Joels sister now showed police these photographs of joel and his family, not at their home in New Mexico, but visiting dinas home in the Portland Suburbs in may 2004, the very month Brooke Wilberger disappeared. Joel, his wife, rosie, and three kids needed a place to stay. Joel had gotten a job supervising a cleaning crew, a job that meant hed be traveling all over the state of oregon. We were under the impression theyd be there for a couple of months. A lot of the time, there would be you know, he would bow out fairly early on. Ive got to go Do Something for work. And so it was mostly rosie and the kids with the rest of us. So he was traveling quite a bit . That was my understanding, yeah. And then this bombshell. May 24, the Day Brooke was abducted, was one of those days when Joel Courtney was traveling. He had a court date, turns out, over on the Oregon Coast on that drunken driving charge, but he never showed up. According to court records, he called the courthouse and said he was going to be late. And that Phone Call was made from the very town where brooke disappeared, right here in corvallis. Joel courtney then disappeared for about 36 hours before returning to dinas home in the Portland Suburbs. He walked through the door and announced kind of loudly, youll never believe where ive been. And i said, ok, where were you . I was kidnapped. There were these guys. There were guns and knives, and we were in the woods, and it was rainy and cold. And there was a girl there, and we were hiding. And, you know, there was blood, and it was awful. Narrator at the time, dina chalked it up to joels chronic drug abuse. Hes delusional . Mmhmm. You just think hes coming off some bad drugs . Mmhmm. You dont call 911 . No. Narrator dina says she didnt feel like she was in danger in that moment, so she did not call authorities. But all those months later, sitting with investigators, she suddenly realized how crucial that strange conversation with joel might have been. Just as i was saying it, it occurred to me, oh, my word, could he have been was he talking about that . Narrator and she remembered, the very next day after brooke disappeared, her brother, joel, would visit his doctor in portland, complaining of Chest Pains and anxiety. But all this information, while damning, was nothing more than circumstantial evidence of joels potential involvement in brookes disappearance. Without brooke or if she were dead, her body, detectives had no physical proof linking joel to the crime, until, that is, police learned what joel was driving the Day Brooke disappeared, a green Dodge Caravan with Minnesota License plates supplied by the Cleaning Company he worked for. The minute you hear a green minivan with a minnesota plate, somebody remembers that that was one of your tips . Oh, Absolutely. Narrator actually, two separate tips pulled from The Database of thousands called in to police. The first at 9 30 am, just an hour before and 100 Yards North of where brooke was kidnapped. A blonde Osu Student said a white male adult in a green minivan approached her and opened the back of his van to look for a map. When she saw a blanket on the floor, she rushed off, telling the man she was late for class. Then, a University Athletic Official called to report a man in a Dodge Caravan, possibly green, with minnesota plates asking a female student for directions in the Stadium Parking Lot in close proximity to where wilberger was abducted. The witness was later asked to identify the man in this Photo Lineup and picked out Joel Courtney. I mean, this was dynamite to us. This told us, this is our guy at the moment. You know, we needed to focus on him and find the van. Thats our one piece of physical evidence that weve got to get now. Narrator and thats exactly what the fbi did. Agent Joe Boyer found the van in Washington State and had it taken apart piece by piece and shipped to an Fbi Lab across the country. We knew that if we were going to prove that Joel Courtney was responsible for this, the best chance we had was to find evidence of brooke being in the van. Narrator the Wilberger Family was informed. They wanted to know The Truth but were almost afraid to discover more about Joel Courtney and his crimes. I googled him and passed it on to you. You googled him . Sure, yeah. What was it like to see his face . You know, i just looked at him, and and at that point, it was just a numb feeling, you know . Even then, i didnt feel hatred. You know, it was just i was all about getting brooke back. I want to know what you did and where she is. Narrator but neither the wilbergers, nor investigators, nor Courtneys Sister could ever have guessed how they would get the answer to the question, where was brooke . Coming up, evidence finally implicates Joel Courtney in brookes kidnapping. Thats the smoking gun. Thats the nail in the coffin. Narrator but will that help bring Brooke Home . When dateline continues. The moment i met him i knew he was my soulmate. Soulmates. Soulmate [giggles] why do you need me . [laughs sarcastically] but then we switched to tmobile 5g home internet. And now his attention is spent elsewhere. But im thinking of her the whole time. Thats so much worse. Why is that thing in bed with you . This is where it gets the best signal from the Cell Tower ive tried everywhere else in the house theres always a new excuse. Well if we got xfinity you wouldnt have to mess around with the connection. Therapys tough, huh . Mmm. Its like a lot about me. [laughs] a Home Router should never be a home wrecker. Oo this is a good book title. Introducing a revolution in Pain Relief. Absorbine junior pro, the strongest numbing Pain Relief available. Its the only solution with two Max Strength anesthetics for fast penetrating Relief Absorbine junior pro. Nothing numbs pain more. In the months after Joel Courtney had emerged as a suspect in Brooke Wilbergers disappearance, brookes mom had desperately tried to hold on to the hope that her daughter was still alive. But Cami Wilbergers heart was finally giving in to what her head was telling her. I just had this sick feeling. Even though i would never give up hope you know, my My Motherly Hope was always there, i knew Deep Down that, you know, she was probably gone. Narrator and it would be another mom in another state who would move the story forward. Joel courtney had already been interviewed by the fbi but refused to answer any questions. And when shown her photo, he denied ever seeing brooke. But when confronted by his own mother, courtney came perilously close to a confession. She actually asked him point blank, joel, did you do this . And he said, its not really what it seems like, and and ill never be held accountable for this. He said that to your mother . Mmhmm. Theyll never hold me accountable for this . Mmhmm. Why would he say that . Because i dont think that he feels the need to be held accountable for the things that he does. Power . Yeah, power and doesnt have to play by the same rules that other people have to. Narrator the rules. To investigators, it did seem like Joel Courtney thought he was playing a game. The inmate whose sister said he had above average intelligence knew that without physical evidence or Brookes Body, it would be nearly impossible for investigators to charge him with murder. By the spring of 2005, fbi scientists were working feverishly, examining every inch of that green Minivan Joel once drove, hunting for Dna Evidence. On The Day marking the first anniversary of Brookes Abduction, her Family And Police dutifully held a news conference. Privately, the family had held the secret for months that police had a strong suspect and that brooke was likely no longer alive. Yet, in public, they held fast. But as local stations played the story of a grim anniversary, some real news was about to break. We were heading back to eugene, and we got a call. And they said, how far out of town are you . And we said, well, not too far. They said, could you come back . Narrator unbelievably, that very day, on the Oneyear Anniversary of brookes disappearance, fbi supervisory special Agent Joe Boyer had received a longawaited call from the lab. They told me that youre not gonna believe what we found. And i said, well, what is that . They said, we found Joel Courtneys dna in the van. And i said, well, thats good, but that doesnt quite get us there. And they said, we also found Brooke Wilbergers dna in the carpet in the van. Narrator it was the physical evidence theyd been waiting for. Beneath the Back Seat in the minivans carpet, analysts had found material consistent with a mixture of male and female dna belonging to Joel Courtney and Brooke Wilberger. What happens here at Corvallis Police headquarters when you find that out . It was sort of an amazing day. Thats the smoking gun. Thats the nail in the coffin. Narrator the wilbergers returned to corvallis to get the news themselves. And they said, we got a Dna Confirmation that brookes dna and his dna were in the van together. Did you break down . No, you know, you just you get up for certain things. Youre you just steel yourself for that. And it was like, yes, you know . And then and then i of course, i sobbed the whole way home. Narrator the Dna Evidence had revealed details no mother should ever have to hear and no witness had yet disclosed. It was the nature of the Dna Evidence, which told an even bigger story. Narrator benton county, Oregon District attorney john haroldson. The Dna Evidence was in the form of bodily fluids, which were comingled. That told us a story, in terms of what had occurred in that van. Narrator the comingled dna indicated brooke had been raped. So Joel Courtney was charged with that crime, in addition to kidnapping and murder. So youve got him in corvallis. Youve got him near the point of abduction. Youve got evidence that she was in his van, that he assaulted her in that van. The only thing you dont have is Brooke Wilberger. Yes. You charge him with the Death Penalty. Correct. I believed it was justified by the evidence we had before us. Narrator news of the indictment had not leaked out yet. As Joel Courtney sat in a new Mexico Courtroom for a hearing on that case, he was served with the oregon charges. They came to court. They gave it to me. I gave it to the defense attorney, who gave it to courtney in the Jury Box with other inmates. And he starts laughing when hes reading Death Penalty, Death Penalty. And hes laughing. Hes laughing . Hes laughing, and hes showing it off to all of the other inmates, like this is a badge of honor somehow. What does that tell you . Oh, that we read him exactly right, that this is something hes proud of. I think he felt, at that time, particularly because he knew in that case, they did not have the body, that this was just something he could enjoy because it wasnt really going to affect him in the long term. And from that day forward, Joel Courtney did everything he could to delay and disrupt his own case. He knew that the charges here in New Mexico of Kidnapping And Rape would have to be dealt with before he could ever be sent back to oregon. So he did all he could to turn the proceedings here into a farce. That meant he sometimes didnt communicate with his own legal team. He even fired one of his own attorneys, and at other times, he refused to show up for court appearances. And then, finally, Joel Courtney claimed he was mentally inCompetent To Stand Trial. Once that was brought up, when he would come into court, he would come in all bowed down. He would shuffle. He would only look at the floor. His whole demeanor had changed because now he wanted to be incompetent because we couldnt try him. And what did you think was really going on . Oh, it was totally an act. It was Absolutely an act. Narrator nonetheless, courtney had to be tested by Mental Health Experts at the State Hospital in las vegas, New Mexico. The fbi now worried courtney might try to flee. I was concerned that the entire time, he would be looking for an opportunity to escape. Hes fluent in spanish. I felt that he was gonna head south, cross the border, where hed lived before, and disappear into mexico and make it very difficult for us to find him. Narrator and as the fight over whether or not courtney was Competent To Stand Trial dragged on through 2007, brookes mom was struggling. For her, the mission to find her daughter was no longer a Rescue Mission but one of recovery, and her hopes were being threatened by what many saw as the Courtroom Shenanigans of Joel Courtney. I can remember one time, i was near the edge. I knew that if they found him mentally incapable, that that was a Black Hole for us, because we would never get brooke. He would never come to oregon. He would be there forever, you know, playing this game. Narrator it was nearly a year before a new Mexico Judge finally ruled in january 2007, nearly three years after brooke disappeared, that Joel Courtney was Competent To Stand Trial. We were on our way to san francisco, and we got a Phone Call, and he said, they found him mentally stable. And we got out of the car, the girls and i, and did a dance around the car. And it was just like, i just felt like the world was lifted. And i didnt realize how close i was, maybe, you know . Close to what . To just a breaking point, until i felt that being lifted, and then it was like, ok, we can do this. Narrator later that year, in september 2007, Joel Courtney would finally plead guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting that university of new Mexico Student he snatched off The Street, the young woman who somehow escaped. At his sentencing, another circus. It didnt take long for Joel Patrick Courtney to tell District Judge Kenneth Martinez exactly what he thinks of him. I have no respect for this court. This is you are the the rudest person ive ever met. I do believe, sir, that you are, again, attempting to delay this matter, as you have repeatedly. Narrator the judge sentenced Joel Courtney to 18 years in prison, but not before courtney took a parting shot. I would spit in your face if i was close enough. Narrator time had finally run out for Joel Courtney. He would soon be back on his way to oregon, where investigators were ready for his head games. Their goal . The same as it had been for years, Find Brooke. There was a degree of vigor. You are not gonna win, Joel Courtney. We will. Narrator Coming Up, Brookes Family issues a plea to Joel Courtney to help them finally Find Brooke we just wanted her back. We just wanted her, still. We just wanted to bring her home. Narrator when dateline continues. Introducing New Advil targeted relief. The only topical Pain Reliever with 4 powerful painfighting ingredients that start working on contact to target tough pain at the source. For up to 8 hours of powerful relief. New advil targeted relief. Upset Stomach Iberogast Indigestion Iberogast Bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. Six digestive symptoms. The power of nature. Iberogast. Israel launched new attacks on hezbollah forces that what they say is more than 100 aerial attacks by the militant group that the idf says destroyed homes and targeted civilian areas. Kamala harris accepted and all for an October 23rd debate against Donald Trump at trump said it is too late since early voting started in some states. For now, back to the line. It was the spring of 2008, a full four years after Brooke Wilberger had disappeared. The man charged with stealing a beautiful 19yearold from her Loved Ones had also stolen years from their lives. Hed manipulated the legal system, forced delays in New Mexico to avoid returning to oregon to face charges. If he were convicted now, it could mean the Death Penalty. Did you think that he deserved to die . It didnt matter. It was, we know the End Result how did it happen and where is she . And so it wasnt a feeling of revenge or a feeling of retribution. It was just, ok, what now . How do we we now find her and recover her . Narrator the family simply needed to know. Remember, thousands of searchers had covered dozens of square miles in every direction, from oregons coastal range of mountains to its rocky coast, without any success. Joel courtney had not said a word to police or prosecutors since asking for a lawyer years before. The man who had studied Law Books in jail had to know that despite Dna Evidence linking him to Brookes Rape and murder, without a body, the Prosecutions Case would be much harder to prove. So if courtney knew where to Find Brooke, he was keeping the secret to himself. Da john haroldson. You Cant Appeal to this man to just do the right thing, can you . I never saw that as an incentive for him. I felt that the incentives were probably going to be more based from the perspective of a narcissist selfish . Than yes. What can you do for me versus what can i do for society. Narrator and so the prosecutor thought, what could be more precious to a narcissist than his own life . After consulting with the wilbergers, The Da offered courtney a deal admit to brookes murder, reveal the location of her body, and avoid the Death Penalty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole. Actually, that was you know, thats what we hoped for, because the Death Penalty would draw it out years and longer. But you wanted something in return . We wanted brooke. We wanted to her remains. Why was that so important to the family . We just wanted her back. We just wanted her, still. I mean, our goal was still really the same, that we just wanted to bring her home. Clearly, not the way that we had hoped, but i think that it was important to us to have her just to get her back. Narrator so the prosecutor went to courtney with the deal, and true to form, the inmate made everyone wait, again, for months, until his Defense Lawyers delivered the word. Joel courtney was not interested. He did not return a counteroffer. He outright rejected our offer. It feels like holding her Family Hostage in some ways, you know . Narrator Courtneys Sister, dina, watched all this unfold, knowing a trial would mean shed have to testify about the times joel tried to rape her as a teenager, about his unexpected visit to her Oregon Home just before Brookes Abduction, and about his incriminating, presumably druginduced statements. Dina knew her testimony could help put her own brother on death row. My mom and i actually talked about this before she got sick and talked about, you know, weve always said we believe in the Death Penalty, and here it is. Your brother. My brother, her son. And so if you believe in it for some person that you dont know, does that still hold true if its your Loved One . And we did a lot of thinking and praying about it, and we came to the conclusion that, yeah, we still did. Narrator dina says she was ready to testify, but what she didnt know was that the pressure was building on her brother to find another way out. In New Mexico, the courts rejected his appeals, and life in oregons jails wasnt pleasant for a notorious inmate whose alleged crimes against women were now wellknown. More than once, courtney was beaten by fellow inmates, as you can see in this Jailhouse Video in which courtney is being tended to by medical staff after one particularly brutal beating. Then there were new charges of assault after courtney threw a Fax Machine at a Prison Doctor who wouldnt give him what he wanted. That was the very beginning of The End. Why do you say that . We knew then he was frustrated. He was feeling it. It was getting close, because he threw the Fax Machine because he couldnt get some antianxiety medication. So we knew that he was feeling very anxious. Narrator but still, no sign Joel Courtney was willing to reveal the location of Brookes Body. The prosecutor was fed up. He was ready for a trial. Still, the Judge Wasnt quite ready to move on. He asked both sides to try one last time to settle the case before trial. During weeks of tense talks with Joel Courtneys attorneys, the prosecutor finally discovered The One incentive that might appeal to courtney and give the wilbergers their daughter back. Courtney wanted out of oregon. He might admit to murder and reveal the location of brookes remains if he could serve his prison time near his own family in New Mexico. The Wilberger Family quickly agreed. Anything, they thought, to get brooke back. We needed to have the approval of the oregon governor, and we needed to have the approval of the new Mexico Governor. Those were the two final pieces. You would think they would give their approval. We were becoming extremely concerned that this process was taking so long that Joel Courtney was Gonna Change his mind and walk away. And we desperately needed that approval, and we needed it now. Narrator but while Oregons Governor signed off on the deal almost immediately, New Mexicos did not. Brookes Family Couldnt believe it. I was frustrated to think that something like that could stop this whole process that had gone so far. And youve come so far. And wed gotten so close, and here we were, you know, at this point. And then to think that it could all fall apart because of that. Narrator so brookes mom decided to make a personal plea to the governor of New Mexico to try to get her daughter back. This one was unusual. I wanted full details, and i wanted to be sure that i did the right thing. Narrator Coming Up i said that we had gone through a lot already. Youre appealing to their hearts . I was. Narrator the emotional plea from Brookes Mother for the deal that would finally solve the mystery, where was brooke . When dateline continues. [coughs] when caroline has a cough, she takes robitussin. So, she can have those one on ones again. Hey jim can we talk about Casual Fridays . Oh sure. Whats up . Get fast, powerful Cough Relief with robitussin, and find your voice. Robitussin Type 2 Diabetes . Discover the ozempic® trizone. I got the power of 3. I lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. In studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Im under 7. Ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known Heart Disease. Im lowering my risk. Adults lost up to 14 pounds. I lost some weight. Ozempic® isnt for people with type 1 diabetes. Dont share needles or pens, or reuse needles. Dont take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome Type 2, or if allergic to it. Stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a Lump Or Swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. Serious Side Effects may include pancreatitis. Gallbladder problems may occur. Tell your provider about Vision Problems or changes. Taking ozempic® with a Sulfonylurea Or Insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. Side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Living with Type 2 Diabetes . Ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. Upset Stomach Iberogast Indigestion Iberogast Bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. Six digestive symptoms. The power of nature. Iberogast. Choose advil liquigels for faster, stronger and longerlasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels. Because advil Targets Pain at the source of inflammation. So for faster Pain Relief, advil the pain away. Still have symptoms from moderate to severe Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns Disease after a Tnf Blocker like Humira Or Remicade . Put them in check with rinvoq. Rinvoq works differently and its a oncedaily pill. When symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief with rinvoq. Check. When flares tried to slow me down, i got lasting Steroidfree Remission with rinvoq. Check. And when my doctor saw damage, rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. Check. Rapid symptom relief. Lasting, Steroidfree Remission. And visibly reduced damage. Check, check and check. Rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. Serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. People 50 and older with a Heart Disease Risk Factor have an increased risk of death. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. Put uc and crohns in check and keep them there with rinvoq. Ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. And learn how abbvie can help you save. Ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. So many years had passed, and now that the deal was nearly done that might allow Brooke Wilbergers family to bring her body home, could it all fall apart at the last minute . Brookes suspected killer, Joel Courtney, had agreed to tell investigators where Brookes Body was, if he could spend the rest of his life not in an oregon prison, but in New Mexico. Oregons governor was set to sign the agreement. So it was up to thennew Mexico Governor bill richardson, who hesitated. Youre talking about a convicted rapist and a man whos accused of a heinous murder. I imagine you must have thought, well, i dont know if i want this person in our state. Well, thats true. He was a very bad guy. And i said to my staff, lets be sure of all the facts. Lets be sure that were doing the right thing. Narrator richardson wanted to hear from Brookes Family. Brookes mother, cami wilberger, called the State Capitol and spoke with a top aide. Do you remember the exact words that you used in that call . I remember that i said that we had gone through a lot already, and that we were hoping that this could be The End of it, and that we would just hope that they would, you know, consider it. Youre appealing to their hearts . I was. How critical was that Phone Call, that personal Phone Call, from the Wilberger Family to your office . Well, it was Absolutely critical. As long as theres life imprisonment, as long as the family of Brooke Wilberger felt that this would bring closure, i was comfortable in signing this agreement. Narrator it was done, the Word Police in corvallis had been waiting for. I think we were all kind of on pins and needles for several days there. That call finally comes. Yeah, i remember learning that the document was signed, the plea was done. Now its a matter of, weve got to find a way to get from him where she actually is. Narrator what had happened to brooke . Her family and investigators, who had spent more than five years trying to answer that question, would, in the coming days, get their first details from her killer, Joel Courtney. Courtneys lawyers relayed the story to The Da, who then told Brookes Family. I thought everything had been difficult until that time. But when he told us the details of the crime, it was the first time id heard some of them. And it was just all i could do to just sit there and just look straight ahead. And and i just kept thinking, you can get through this day, you can you can get through this day. Narrator the story told by Joel Courtney was this he said that morning in may, he was high on cocaine when he drove up to brooke in the Parking Lot in his green van, asked for help delivering a package, and when she came closer, he pulled out a knife and pulled her into the van. Brooke began screaming as he tore her out of her flipflops. From there, courtney said he drove west toward the town of phillomath. He kept brooke tied up in the van for hours, even going through a mcdonalds drivethrough, he said, doing more drugs. Before night fell, he raped brooke, and when she fought back, he killed her by bludgeoning her in the head with a piece of wood before concealing her body in the forest. But to know that she fought, you know, which didnt surprise us it was just a really difficult time and very emotional, i think, for all of us as a family. Narrator and in addition to those details, Joel Courtney provided the most critical piece of information, what Brookes Family and investigators had been waiting for. He drew a rough, handsketched map that he says depicts where he took her. Do you know this location . Its not too far away. Narrator detectives drove from the Police Department past the Apartment Complex where brooke was abducted west five miles through the small town of philomath. Then five miles further, off the highway, onto a Logging Road shown on the map. Had you been there . Not precisely. Close by, searching . Absolutely. 10 miles is so close by. Yeah, but it may as well be a eternity. We went up into the woods, and were trying again to be quiet. We dont want the world to know. And were looking, and were not finding. And i remember being rather frustrated. Did you think he lied . Well, it certainly crossed our minds that he lied. Narrator the team called it a night. But the next day, they went back with more details supplied by Joel Courtney. And with the help of a Cadaver Dog through heavy timber, just a few hundred yards off that highway the chief deputy Medical Examiner came back and said, i think we got i think we found her. Narrator on a hillside, investigators found some clothing, including a sweatshirt, and before long, small flags sadly marked several spots where Human Remains had been recovered. One of oregons most timeless mysteries had apparently been solved. I certainly cant sit here and tell you that i wasnt choked up a few times. Yeah, there were emotional times there. Narrator but it would take time to identify the remains. So searchers told the District Attorney about one particular item found on that hillside. They wanted him to ask brookes parents about it. He text me and said, can you describe brookes watch . That was the watch that you gave her for christmas . Mmhmm. Narrator that beautiful Watch Brooke had wanted so badly, one of the last Gifts Cami would ever buy for her daughter, now signaled the time had come. So i described her watch, and he said, we found her. It was like having the first day in six years, and then the snowball just came down on top of you. Everything landed on you. Narrator brookes parents then told the rest of the family. The wait was over. When she just said the words, they found brooke, it was i didnt feel excitement at all, and it wasnt what i thought i would feel. I just i sat there, and i cried and i cried. That hope of her coming home alive was was just kind of torn from me. In that moment, i felt such a powerful wave of Emotion And Heaviness in my heart, as a human being, as a parent. I was just personally really, really struck at that point with what that really meant for the family, that the dream of an Elizabeth Smart miracle would be dashed forever. Narrator the next day, Joel Courtney pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Do you remember that day . I just remember thinking, well, how could you have done that to that precious child . I cant imagine holding out for that long without needing to come forward and say, this is The Truth, and here is your precious baby. Narrator after sentencing, most of Brookes Family paid a brief visit to the site where brookes remains were found. I could hardly breathe. And it was wooded and shaded, and someone made the comment that, you know, it was a beautiful, peaceful place, and i thought, it would be if your Daughter Hadnt been murdered here. Narrator and as the news broke that day, Brookes Mother stepped to the podium to say thank you, not only to thank those Investigators Whod worked so hard toward this day, but also, in a moment of incredible grace, to thank brookes killer. It might be hard for you to understand, but at this time, we just really feel gratitude, even to mr. Courtney that he could see fit to tell us where he left brooke. And for our family, what happens to him, we are thankful that justice was served and that he will not have the opportunity for parole, but now he can go on with whats left of his life. And we want to strengthen our family and to go on with our life. Did it surprise you to hear mrs. Wilberger say thank you to Joel Courtney . It didnt surprise me. They are a giving and caring family. You can only hate for so long. At some point, as people, we have to be able to get beyond that. People always throw the Word Closure around. Mmhmm, when people use that term, theyre theyre trying to be helpful and comforting. But i think in the death of anyone, theres no closure. Narrator it is The End of a horrible ordeal, one that lasted much longer than it needed to. For brookes killer, Joel Courtney, A Lifetime Of Solitude awaits at the penitentiary of New Mexico. You have no sympathy for this man . No, i think hes an animal. I hope he feels trapped, caged, defeated, weak. Hes been beaten at his game and, like it or not, accountable. Narrator and many wonder, would Joel Courtney have been caught if a Waitress And Mom in New Mexico named Darrah Finks hadnt taken the time to save another woman from an unknown fate . What would have happened if Darrah Hadnt stopped . The victim would be dead. I have No Doubt that he would have grabbed her again and we would never have found her. Narrator and for Brooke Wilbergers family, they keep this wristwatch of brookes, along with their memories, knowing that time is healing, but only to a point. I dont think that i could be 80 years old and and have my entire life behind me, and i dont think that i will ever reflect on what happened to her and be ok with it, you know . Times not gonna make that ok. She was the person you wanted to be or be like. She emulated everything that was good. She was my sister. And that was its just was a really neat thing. Introducing New Advil targeted relief. The only topical Pain Reliever with 4 powerful painfighting ingredients that start working on contact to target tough pain at the source. For up to 8 hours of powerful relief. New advil targeted relief. Everybody wants super straight, super white teeth. They want that hollywood white smile. New sensodyne clinical white provides 2 shades whiter teeth and 24 7 sensitivity protection. I think its a great product. Its going to help a lot of patients. Dupixent can help people with asthma breathe better in as little as 2 weeks. So this is better. Even this. Dupixent is an Addon Treatment for specific types of Moderatetosevere Asthma thats not for sudden breathing problems. Dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. Tell your doctor right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. Tell your doctor about new or worsening Joint Aches and pain or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines including steroids, without talking to your doctor. Ask your specialist about dupixent. Without talking to your doctor. Had both made mistakes, but there was no mistaking their love. Dayna herroz she wasnt perfect,