and i remember how difficult that decision was. >> reporter: august 2001. nermeen's father, afaf khalifa, flew from her home in cairo to baltimore to visit her daughter. and there was something else. afaf khalifa was asking permission to take her two grandsons and her daughter for a rare weekend trip out of state to new york, to visit a relative. shannon was suspicious but reluctantly agreed. >> i said to my father, i said, well, there's no way she can take them to egypt. i have full custody. i have full rights. i have their passports locked in a safe. how could she possibly get them out of the country? >> reporter: sunday night the boys weren't back. phone calls to the cousin in new york went unanswered. >> and then it just becomes let's get in the car and go find out what's going on. where are they?