two days later, monday june 6th, the family was called back to the police station for an important meeting. the police finally had a chance to search michelle s car and the status of her case had been changed, from missing person to homicide. and the family felt blindsided. and they said, you know, i think you have to get comfortable with - - with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. reporter: and just like that, the information door closed. the hayward police told the family it was a murder investigation now. so department policy they could reveal nothing more. and therefore couldn t or wouldn t tell the family why they thought michelle was dead. but without hearing an explanation or seeing any evidence, how could the family believe the police? no. they simply wouldn t accept what the cops had to say. it was horrible. we were really angry. because, okay. you want to make it homicide.
was scott, the young man the police had questioned a week earlier. giselle esteban s old boyfriend, remember, and father of her child. two days later, monday june 6th, the family was called back to the police station for an important meeting. the police finally had a chance to search michelle s car and the status of her case had been changed, from missing person to homicide. and the family felt blindsided. and they said, you know, i think you have to get comfortable with - - with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. reporter: and just like that, the information door closed. the hayward police told the family it was a murder investigation now. so department policy they could reveal nothing more. and therefore couldn t or wouldn t tell the family why they thought michelle was dead. but without hearing an explanation or seeing any evidence, how could the family
remember, the father of her child. two days later, the family was called back to the police station for an important meeting. the police finally had a chance to search michelle s car. and the status of her case had been changed from missing person to homicide. and the family felt blindsided. and they said, you know, i think you have to get comfortable with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. keith morrison: and just like that, the information door closed. the hayward police told the family it was a murder investigation now. so department policy, they could reveal nothing more. and therefore couldn t or wouldn t tell the family why they thought michelle was dead. but without hearing an explanation or seeing any evidence, how could the family believe the police? no, they simply wouldn t accept what the cops had to say. it was horrible. we were really angry.
maybe she wasn t being prioritized. so what was it like leaving that meeting? it was chaos is probably the number one feeling. we didn t have a place to stay. we were hotel hopping. we were just waiting around most of the time, staying in the hotel. it was like you were you were blind. you know, you didn t know we had no idea where to go. what to do. reporter: the family couldn t understand why the police seemed to be moving so slowly. in their minds, michelle was being held against her will. a week went by. saturday june 4th, eight days after michelle s disappearance. her family held this vigil near the place where her car was found. we wanted the fbi to get involved and all this. and we were just making a lot of noise. reporter: quietly attending was scott, the young man the police had questioned a week earlier. giselle esteban s old boyfriend, remember, and father of her child. two days later, monday june 6th, the family was called back to the police station for an i
the police finally had a chance to search michelle s car. and the status of her case had been changed from missing person to homicide. and the family felt blindsided. and they said, you know, i think you have to get comfortable with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. keith morrison: and just like that, the information door closed. the hayward police told the family it was a murder investigation now. so department policy, they could reveal nothing more. and therefore couldn t or wouldn t tell the family why they thought michelle was dead. but without hearing an explanation or seeing any evidence, how could the family believe the police? no, they simply wouldn t accept what the cops d to say. it was horrible. we were really angry. because ok, you want to make it homicide, you re not going to tell us why. keith morrison: ritchie understood the family s anger, but as far as he was concerned, he had a murder