she never got on a plane. was she depressed? that s what the pastor and his wife told investigators. short on clues, detectives thought they knew one thing. marie didn t just vanish. now the missing person s case had turned into a murder investigation. here is keith morrison with secrets on the emerald coast. reporter: what a nest of puzzles. what happened to marie carlson? where did she go? or did she go anywhere? and what about grace, the baby she d left behind? who, for example, was the father? churches tend to be beehives of gossip, so the detectives asked around. she had a boyfriend, was involved in an abusive relationship, she was beat up. reporter: this is a member of the cavalry emerald coast church. she found out she was pregnant. and she didn t want to go back to the guy, and didn t want to keep the child. reporter: in other words, she was going to have an abortion. but pastor flanders and his wife had strong views about abortion.
for a bit, talked to her briefly when she woke up and then went out for a run. and when he returned marie and her white mazda pickup truck were gone. strangely, the flanders said, marie had packed her bags, but didn t take them. why would she take off and not take her bags with her? reporter: anyway, said the flanders, when she didn t come back that day or the next, they drove around town looking for her. went to the airport. maybe she d parked her car there and flown away. reporter: did they find it? they did. james says that he finds it in long-term parking. reporter: at least part of the mystery was solved, said the pastor. she must have flown off to visit someone. they took her pickup home. so the mazda.
the young detective who happened to be a brand new mother. and the veteran who d seen just about everything. and who soon learned from friends and family that marie was deeply attached to both her daughters. she had a heart of gold and loved her paris more than anything in the world. reporter: but what happened in her life? and how did she end up with another baby? from esta the detectives learne pastor and his wife offered her a place to stay. but the questions about baby grace? esta said her relationship with marie was always supportive, and not judgmental. and when marie didn t tell her who the father was, she didn t push the subject. i ve never questioned her because marie will tell me in her own time if she wants to tell me. i ve learned with my sister i never pry. reporter: but that was the job of the detectives, nesli and keith, to pry and hopefully, find marie. and one of their first calls was on her church pastor, james
loved her paris more than anything in the world. reporter: but what happened in her life? and how did she end up with another baby? from esta the detectives learned about the divorce and how marie had lost her job, and how the pastor and his wife offered her a place to stay. but the questions about baby grace? esta said her relationship with marie was always supportive, and not judgmental. and when marie didn t tell her who the father was, she didn t push the subject. i ve never questioned her because marie will tell me in her own time if she wants to tell me. i ve learned with my sister i never pry. reporter: but that was the job of the detectives, nesli and keith, to pry and hopefully, find marie. and one of their first calls was on her church pastor, james flanders, and his wife. impressive guy, they discovered. james flanders, what was he like? very charismatic i would say he would good at his job. reporter: wonder what it would be like to listen to him
people. the twister touching down hit a mobile home park and a hotel. search and rescue teams are out searching fthe ruins right new. we ll keep you posted. and residents of ft. smith, arkansas, are preparing for historic levels of flooding. floodwaters are expected to reach 41 feet breaking the previous record of 38 feet set in 1945. now back to dateline. welcome back. marley carlson had disappeared without a trace. she hadn t taken any extra clothes or her mystery, her car was at the airport but she never got on a plane. was she depressed? that s what the pastor and his wife she d been living with told investigators. short on clues, detectives thought they knew one thing marie didn t just vanish. and now the missing persons case it hit and runned into a mrpd