her mission. so how many names did you have? about 2,300 names. could cutting-edge technology crack an ice-cold case? i was like, no way. i believe in the devil, and people that don t believe in the devil, i think, they re in for a big surprise. hello and welcome to dateline. michella and jenni were just like most kids their age. they loved riding bikes, and playing outdoors. the fun-loving girls didn t know each other. but they would be forever connected, through tragedy. decades later, a detective would leave no stone unturned, on a quest for justice. and in the process, uncovered a twist that left investigators speechless. here is keith morrison with evil was watching. again and again, she came here. stood under the ancient canopy. walked the damp, narrow paths, to the places the killer used to hide what he had done. as if looking, once more, after all these years would tell her something. as if the dense undergrowth would part and finally reveal a name
Bike. Somebody who is targeting little girls. Exactly. As a little kid, it definitely scared the heck out of me. She was a girl then, too. Solving these mysteries became her mission. So, how many names did you have . About 2,300 names. Reporter could cuttingedge technology crack an icecold case . I was like no way. I believe in the devil. And people that dont believe in the devil, i think theyre in for a big surprise. Hello and welcome to dateline. Michela and jenny were just like most kids their age. They loved riding bikes and playing outdoors. The funloving girls didnt know each other, but they would be forever connected through tragedy. Decades later, a detective would leave no stone unturned on a quest for justice. And in the process, uncovered a twist that left investigators speechless. Here is Keith Morrison with evil was watching. Reporter again and again, she came here. Stood under the ancient canopy. Walked the damp, narrow paths to the places the killer used to hide what he
schwinn bicycle. and a second mother learned all about permanent heartbreak. have you let your mind go to what probably happened to her, that day? i have my fairy tale, i think. and i will just live with it. she was riding her bike. the monster came out of the woods and grabbed her. and killed her. more than that, i can t wrap my brain around. no. twice, in five months. and the victims, very similar. blonde, blue eyed, riding a bike, in a city park. and after? kids in tacoma lost the freedom to roam alone, just like that. turns on a dime, after jenni. yes, it did. it was immediate. we couldn t go down the street and play with friends anymore. chaperoned everywhere. yeah. because there was evil out there. a man, a monster, who needed to be found. everybody, it seemed, wanted to help the police. at one point, i think we were up to nine or ten binders
angles. was it a kidnapping? maybe, they were going to ask for ransom. we just didn t know. or maybe, jenni got lost or was badly hurt. there were, literally, hundreds of people looking through the park for her. everybody wanted to find jenni. gene miller helped run down hundreds of suspected sightings. there was a lot of good-faith effort, on the part of citizens, to call in. and say i think i saw her here or i think i saw her there. pattie waited. still, hoping her jenni would walk right in the door. she was at home, when she got a visit from another mother. barbara. michella s mom. there to offer support. just seemed like the thing to do. she was very, very sweet. very nice. i said, thank you. she left. and i said, to a friend who was sitting there, i m not sure why she came. jennifer s not dead. you represented the outcome she kpraetly did not want to
they found jenni. hidden from view? very hidden. they discovered her body in a shelter, of sorts. one of the original detectives actually described it as something like an igloo, almost. so, like a cave. hmm. that was made out of the vegetation. what do you get out of being at the place where she was found? for me, as an investigator, it was important for me to come out here, and actually see it. to try to understand a little bit better, what happened. and try to get myself into the mindset of the killer. i mean, there were days when i would get frustrated sitting in my office working on the case. and i would just drive down here, and park my car and sit down here, hoping that something would come to mind. one thing that did come to mind? assembling a list of all the names in those binders. persons of interest. witnesses. any male, who had intersected with the original investigation. so,