They were helping her out. Im proud of you. Youre finding god. And one baffling text and she was gone. I know i probably watch a lot of law order. But i have this really gut feeling. Because i was a mom. I knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. Two moms at Opposite Ends of a mystery. Could one get justice for the other . This case, for sure, was an investigators worst nightmare . Soon, clues to a hidden life. A very amorous, romantic, wild relationship. It was blissful. Oh, my goodness. Reporter there were secrets here. Deadly ones. It hit me hard. Come to Jesus Moment . It was. I was scared to death. How to do you catch a Dancing Sprite . Put her in a bottle . Can you capture the joy she brings . Can you keep it when it goes . She was a gravitational pull. Reporter her name was marie. Marie carlson. She was magnetic. Reporter when she was happy, she could make the whole world sing. Live life to the full et. You might not have tomorrow. Reporter she offered herself, her goodness. Gave her vulnerable heart and stored her secrets until what happened. She was always that way, was marie, from the time of the very first secret in her life. She was born in the philippines by a single mother, and taken in by the family of an american serviceman. And it was years later that that Kind Serviceman was actually her father. That means that esther bridges, the best friend she grew up with, was also her sister. What was that like to find that out, that she was your sister . I was happy. I thought she was, since we were little girls. Reporter when they got older, Esther And Marie lived together. We chose an apartment that we behind a karaoke club. We would go there all the time. Like we were stars. Reporter and she wore pink. Always pink. It was her. It was her personality. It is full of life. Reporter and always trying to perk up everyone else, with her favorite word, beautiful. She is so beautiful. I want to be like her. She told me, you are beautiful. She loved that word. Reporter Kay Barber was like a mother to marie. Hers, the second family to take marie in when she was 18 and struggling. Maries nickname that i gave her was rosie. She was always peachy, rosie and happy. Reporter like she was when she met Jeff Carlson. And he fell, hard. It was like, instant. And we spent the night talking. Reporter what are the chances of that . Fate . The fickle finger of fate. Reporter you knew right away . Yeah. Reporter so, they married and had a daughter named paris. And they thought their life together would be grand. Marie got a College Degree in Criminal Justice and became a deputy sheriff. Her ultimate goal was to try to get into the fbi. Reporter then, for all the love between them, there were issues. Jeff learned there were more secrets. As a girl, marie had been sexually assaulted. And sometimes her Love And Joy were chased into a darker place. She carried some baggage around. And when youre in love with somebody, you tend to overlook certain behaviors and low selfesteem. The biggest issue, she didnt love herself. Looking back on it now, i can say that she was always looking for love from somebody else to validate her own feelings. Reporter they tried. But the marriage didnt last. And after that, marie drifted a little. Jobs fell through. She had to move frequently. Jeff suggested paris, then 3, would have a more stable life with him. She fought it initially. She agreed it was probably for the best. So, paris was with me. Reporter though she saw paris often and called all the time. She always doted on paris. She loved her to death. She was it was superimportant to her. It was her daughter. I had concerns about the environment she was in. But not maries love for her ever. Reporter they were always close . Yes. Reporter even when they were distant from Each Other . Yes. Reporter then, marie finally found what her vulnerable loving soul seemed to need. I was actually happy for her because she found god. Reporter marie had found a spiritual home at the calvary Emerald Coast Church. It was in a strip mall. Fancy wasnt The Point. Salvation was. Here, finally, marie felt right. And jesus says, youre missing out. Reporter the pastor was a magnetic Man Named James philanders. Preached in jeans and sneakers. Live streamed and youtubed his service. It was a happening place. Reporter jason was the youth minister. Wouldnt fall asleep listening to his sermons. Reporter but the pastor and his wife, were known for their big hearts, their charity. And that when, for a third time, a family took in marie. She was saying she was there until she got on her feet. Reporter but a whole year went by. And then, what was coming couldnt be hidden. The story floating around, there had been an abusive boyfriend that abandoned her and left her pregnant. And in july 2011, marie gave birth to a Baby Girl and named her grace. The pastor and his wife took care of both of them. It was explained to me, they were helping her out. She was down on her luck. Reporter she was, by all appearances, saved. Spiritually by faith and practically by the paster and his wife. Imagine his surprise when a Group Text Message popped up on the phones of her family and friends. Do you remember the words of that Mass Text . She said that, yesterday, she left ft. Walton beach to do something she had always wanted to do. She didnt want us to try to stop her. Her last words was, i love and appreciate you all. Reporter the biggest surprise, marie did not take her 3monthold baby. She left grace behind with the pastor and his wife. And right away, her sister sensed that something wasnt right. She called her family. I know i probably watch a lot of law order, but can you find out Whats Going on . I have this really gut feeling. She says, oh, you watch too many of those shows. Im like, no, this is different. Reporter it was the fall of 2011, the very same time that a detective named Nestle Sooey Moore became a mother. A fact that may have made all the difference. You get a better understanding of what it is like to love somebody, to the end of the world and back. Reporter it was almost like fate, intended to tie these two together. In a mystery of love and lies and loss. Coming up, where had Marie Carlson gone . The detective with a new baby at home dives into the mystery. The investigator said were going to open a case. That surprised me. It did go up. I knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. When secrets on the Emerald Coast continues. man Go On, girl, Go On and get help thats it, girl [heartwarming music] man ah burke smart dog. With farmers crashassist, our Signal App can tell when youve been in a crash and can send help, if you want it. Its new and one of many Farmers Policy perks. Also, our Signal App could save you up to fifteen percent on your auto insurance. man thats really something burke get a whole lot of something with Farmers Policy perks. [dog barks] both good girl we are farmers. Bumpadum, bumbumbumbum i booked our hotel on kayak. Its flexible if we need to cancel. Cancel. I havent left the house in a year. Nothing will stop me from vacation. No canceling. Flexible cancellation. Kayak. Search one and done. Marie carlson had notified family and friends she was leaving fort Walton Beach and nobody could figure out why or where she went. And this was very strange, she left her 3monthold baby in the care of her pastor, James Flanders, and his wife, tayna, and not her family. Not the woman she looked to as a Mother Figure, Kay Barber. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking. Reporter maries exhusband Jeff Carlson got the text, too. It didnt make sense to him that shed leave without calling her 7yearold daughter, paris. Kay called jeff and said he should file a report. And she said, i i dont know Whats Goin on, but i i think somethin happened. And i said, yeah, i agree with you. Reporter and then jeff called the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office to report marie missing. The investigators said, were going to open a case, an investigation on this. Which surprised me because shes an adult. She couldve just left. Reporter because marie was adventurous. She liked to travel. And when the mood struck her, sometimes she just took off for a few days on some whim. But something seemed different this time. She wouldve never have left without talking to me about it and talking to paris. Reporter what was that like . I didnt believe it. She was going to call us eventually. Reporter that Text Message, something off, said her family. This doesnt sound like marie. Reporter when you got that one, the antenna must have gone up . The antennas did go up. Reporter the detective didnt hear about the case then because i was on maternity leave. Reporter on maternity leave. Correct. And i came back two weeks after she was initially reported missing. Reporter and thats when nesli heard from other detectives about the Case Keith was working on. Poor keith had no idea that i was going to come bully my way into that investigation. Reporter and why did you want to bully your way into the investigation . I think the connection of just having a child i just knew that she didnt leave on her own. Reporter so here they were. Partners. The young detective who happened to be a Brandnew Mother and the Veteran Whod 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. Enough to be able to let Paris Go live with jeff to have a stable life. To me, a sacrifice on her end as a mother. 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 didnt tell her who the father was, she didnt push the subject. Ive never questioned her because marie will tell me in her own time if she wants to tell me. Ive learned with my sister i never pry. Reporter but that was the job of the detectives, nesli and keith, to pry, and hopefully, to 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 preach. You can youtube him. Reporter yes, you can we all, at times, forget the promises of gods word. Reporter the pastor grew the calvary Emerald Coast Church from scratch, spread it through youtube. And by the time marie began attending, every service filled up. They were a tightknit family, that church. Reporter and now, with marie gone, they were caring for little grace. So did the flanders have any idea what happened to marie . Perhaps they knew who the father was, and where that abusive boyfriend might be found. And, oh yes, there was a story, all right. Coming up questions mount, and leads are running out. Was time running out too . We searched it, but it was there was nothing to search, it was clean. This case for sure was an investigators worst nightmare. When secrets on the Emerald Coast continues. We did it again. Verizon has been named americas most reliable network by rootmetrics. And our customers rated us 1 for Network Quality in america according to j. D. Power. Number one in reliability, 16 times in a row. Most awarded for Network Quality, 27 times in a row. Proving once again that nobody builds networks like verizon. Thats why were building 5g right, thats why theres only one best network. This is the sound of an asthma attack. That doesnt happen. This is the sound of better breathing. Fasenra is a different kind of asthma medication. Its not a steroid or inhaler. Fasenra is an Addon Treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. Its one Maintenance Dose every 8 weeks. It helps prevent asthma attacks, improve breathing, and lower use of oral steroids. Nearly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma may have elevated eosinophils. Fasenra is designed to target and remove them. Fasenra is not a Rescue Medication or for other eosinophilic conditions. Fasenra may cause allergic reactions. Get help right away if you have swelling of your face, mouth, and tongue, or trouble breathing. Dont stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. Tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection or your asthma worsens. Headache and Sore Throat may occur. This is the sound of fasenra. Ask your doctor about fasenra. If you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. girl 1 feeling lost. Help . man do what moves you. girl 2 put yourself out there. Lets take a journey to a place where worry, is a person its ok to be lost. Just cant comprehend lets take a journey lets take a journey take a journey the calvary Emerald Coast Church of ft. Walton beach, florida, was far more than just a place to gather on a sunday morning. Led by pastor James Flanders and his wife, tanya, this place was a beacon of charity, too. The pastor and his church sacrificed their own needs to send money to the victims of katrina. And when Marie Carlson needed help, they took her in, too. Its what pastors do for their congregation. Reporter but now . Im left with a missing person whos just vanished off this earth. Reporter a week and a half after marie vanished, or drove away, or whatever she did, the detectives went calling on the flanders. Who said they fully expected marie would return soon. This wasnt the first time she took Spur Of The Moment trips, they said. Never to The Point where she had to be reported to Law Enforcement missing, though. She came back. Reporter although the flanders told the detectives they were quite worried about Maries State of mind. They noticed a downward spiral. Reporter that she was going into a Depression Or Something . She might be going into a depression state, yes. Reporter thing was, said the pastor and his wife, marie could have wild mood swings, and they knew she had a diagnosed mood disorder. Did they tell you that she was bipolar . Yes, told me she was bipolar. She had been taking medication, and was off of her medication, probably because of her giving birth to the child. Reporter but there was another Prescription Bottle too. And then they also showed us a bottle that was empty, you know, that maybe alluding to the fact that she had taken medication and was going to use it to hurt herself. Reporter the day she left . James told the detectives he was so worried about her state of mind, he stayed home from work to keep an eye on her. James says that she was acting up. And he didnt want to let marie take the baby. Reporter he was afraid the baby might be harmed or something. Right. Reporter then, late that afternoon, said pastor james, marie said she was tired, went to lie down, tanya took the baby out shopping so marie could rest. The pastor said he waited around 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 didnt take them. Why would she take off and not take her bags with her . Reporter anyway, said the flanders, when she didnt come back that day or the next, they drove around town looking for her. Went to the airport. Maybe shed parked her car there and flown away. Did they find it . They did. James says that he finds it in longterm 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. What did you do about that car when you got your hands on it . We searched it. But it was you know, there was nothing to search. It was clean. Reporter they went to the airport. We checked the airlines. Theres nothing. She didnt fly out. Reporter so why would maries car be at the airport, if she hadnt flown out of there . Of course she could have been trying to hide her tracks from snoopy friends and family. Or, what if someone else took the car to the airport, someone who wanted to make it look like shed left town. Rather fishy. Then the detectives had an idea. You know the machine that spits out tickets when you enter an Airport Parking Lot . That very ticket goes back to the tollbooth when you leave. Keith and i went to the little Toll Booth where you give the your ticket. Reporter maybe, thought the detectives, the Parking Ticket for Maries Mazda would tell them not just when it was dropped off but, a more important question, by whom. We were thinking lets get a thumbprint, or a fingerprint and went through every single one of them until we found the one that maries car had received. Reporter and yes, they got a print. But no, it wasnt clear enough to tell whose it was. Then, another thought. Hey, lets go pull surveillance video. And of Course Reporter you looked at all of it. Well, no. The video didnt wor it wasnt working. Reporter oh. During the time that we needed. This case, for sure, was an investigators worst nightmare. Reporter Dead Ends everywhere. Yes. Reporter and weeks went by. No sign Of Marie anywhere. Time to embrace the thought theyd frankly had all along. And it wasnt a good one. Keith and i both no longer believed we had a missing person. We believed we were dealing with a Homicide Investigation. But whats the hardest Homicide Investigation you can be given . One without a body. Reporter yeah. And we didnt have marie. Coming up, the startling secret that marie kept from just about everyone. I went up and i put my hand on her stomach and i said Whats Going on with this . When secrets on the Emerald Coast continues. And also 6g. And 4c. And 2r. And 7l. Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Are you tired of clean clothes that just dont smell clean . What if your clothes could stay fresh for weeks . Now they can Downy Unstopables inwash Scent Boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh way longer than detergent alone. Pour a cap of Downy Unstopables into your Washing Machine before each load and enjoy fresher smelling laundry. 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Today reported its 40 Millionth Coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. 651,000 people have died from the Delta Variant in the united states. The Fifa World Cup match between Brazil And Argentina was suspended because four average tin in an players flew for the game and did not follow quarantine regulations. More news later. Now, back to dateline. What a nest of puzzles. What happened to Marie Carlson . Where did she go . Did she go anywhere . And what about grace . The baby she 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 calvary Emerald Coast Church. She found out she was pregnant. And she didnt want to go back to the guy. And didnt want to keep the child. Reporter in other words, she was going to have an abortion. But pastor philanders and his wife had strong views about abortion. Hen they discovered her situation, they offered her a solution. They would help her with the baby. Reporter they wanted another child. But one miscarriage after another. So, the pastor and his wife came to an arrangement with marie. She would stay three months to nurse the baby. And the plan, she would leave. That was my understanding from before the baby was born. With the bbaby . No. The baby was a gift for the land in flanders. Reporter a gift . It was for her to be good to her. But something about the story didnt sound quite right. The father, for example. In fact, the alleged abusive guy didnt seem to exist. But then they talked to exhusband jeff. And the story he heard . Completely different. And it came directly from marie when she came to visit jeff shortly after she got pregnant. I put my hand on her stomach. And i said, whats Whats Going on with this . And she wasnt really showing. And her story at that time was, well, im just being a surrogate for james and tanya. So we did basically the a type of artificial insemination. Reporter well, well, well, the pastor was the sperm donor. In this new story, Maries Gift was to be the pastors artificially inseminated surrogate. But why the conflicting stories . To find out, the detectives consulted three special church ladies, Tanya Flanders closest confidants. Did you have a name for this group . We called them the Inner Circle. Reporter and the Inner Circle said yes, tanya told them. But swore them to secrecy. But then tanya gave up a little more. The method was very homemade. I remember them saying, oh, it was with the turkey thingy. It was with, like, a Turkey Baster . Yes. Now shes got a secret. Yeah, at that point. Reporter wait, at that point . Yes. Because tanya just couldnt leave it there. The next time, she admitted something very, very shocking. And tanya said, well, we did it the oldfashioned way. Reporter james and marie had sex. Which tanya told the ladies was okay with her. And as months passed and marie started showing, there was a Baby Shower. But oh, no. Not for marie. This Baby Shower was for tanya. She put a balloon under her shirt for a funny photo with marie. But something here didnt seem quite right. The Inner Circle had to keep their secret. If the story got out . It could threaten everything she and the pastor had built. And as it got more and more and more into weird stuff, it was just that the stakes got higher. Right . Thats right. Imagine the secrecy that the Inner Circle, that tanya actually told The Truth to, that its james baby. Reporter but no room for secrets in an official investigation. The detectives invited james and tanya to voluntarily come in for a chat. But only tanya showed up. And here in this little room at the Sheriffs Office, she let it all come out. About that night of sake and sex, when grace was conceived. Yeah. Yeah. He had a little bit too. I was the only one that was sober. But yes, i was there. Reporter yes. In the room. But of course she was, said tanya. And almost casually, she revealed the heresy that, should it ever become public, would surely ruin them. Marie was going to move in, and she was going to be number two. A plural wife. Yes. Or whatever you call them. A sister wife, i think. Plural marriage. Reporter it was, in short, polygamy. Or their homegrown version of it. Tanya told detectives she understood the bargain very well. Ive always seen a relationship as its its not sex is not a relationship. A relationship is two people coming together. And sex is just a bonus. Reporter a very secret bonus, of course, kept from almost everyone. But inside the bubble of their relationship, tanya said, they were happy. She goes, you know what . I am so glad that youre going to be raising grace. She said, and i am so glad that im going to be able to be here to do that with you. And i thought, god, you know, how cool is that . Reporter but then, then marie gave birth. And it wasnt cool for marie. Not anymore. And certainly not adoption. Every time we started to broach the subject with her, she did get withdrawn. Reporter so maybe Tanya Wouldnt get Baby Grace. Maybe marie wanted it all, the baby and james, all for herself. Thats what this member of the Inner Circle believed. But i did i hear that from marie, that marie Wanted James . Reporter did tanya Strike Back somehow . Fight for her marriage by getting rid Of Marie . Listen to how Church Members quoted tanyas words. She basically was like, james would never be able to do that, but i could. And that was shocker . Yeah. I told him, youre not capable of killing her. But tanya leans over and goes, well he couldnt, but i could. Reporter so wouldnt that lead you to, like a bloodhound, direct to tanya . She certainly would have a motive. She would. Reporter tanya now the only Mother Figure in graces life. Did she know more than she was saying . Did she do something . Coming up a confrontation with the congregation. This is a, forgive im saying, a come to Jesus Moment . And divine intervention. I remember getting that tip, and thinking no way. When secrets on the Emerald Coast continues. Ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs. Being first on the scene, when every second counts. Or teaching biology without a lab. We are the leader in 5g. 1 in customer satisfaction. And a partner who includes 5g in every plan, so you get it all. Without tradeoffs. Unconventional thinking. Its better for business. Sales are down from last quarter but we are hoping things will pick up by q3. Yeah. Uh. Doug . Sorry about that. Umm. What. Its. Um. You alright . [sigh] [ding] never settle with power E Trade. It has powerful, easytouse tools to help you find opportunities, 24 7 support when you need answers plus some of the lowest options and Futures Contract prices around. Dont get mad. Get E Trade and start trading today. With relapsing forms of ms. 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Reporter an attentive churchgoer might have noticed the intrusion of an odd idea in one of the sermons of pastor James Flanders. What do you think wed experience . Reporter when he mentioned a couple of verses in the Old Testament that seemed to approve, somehow, of polygamy. He wanted to justify his relationship to everybody else through a biblical sense. Reporter so he went to the Old Testament and and pulled up those few lines that suggest polygamy. Thats correct. Reporter a Trial Balloon . If it was, it quickly imploded. And the very practical polygamy in the home of the pastor stayed carefully under wraps. So if the news got out of the to the rest of the church, did tanya worry about what might happen there . Thats what she was covering up. She had to protect james and protect their that was their world. Reporter did she do something to marie, to protect james . Two months after marie disappeared the detectives got permission to look at the Cell Phone records of all three of them. Would they prove tanya was with marie when she vanished and thus maybe did something to her . The Cell Phone Tower Information put her away from the area. Reporter no. Nowhere near marie. So then they checked the Cell Towers for james phone, and what do you know. When Marie Sent that mass Text Message saying she was leaving town, both her phone and the pastors were pinging off the same Cell Tower two blocks from his house. And when Maries Mazda was dropped at the airport . Weve got James Flanders Cellphone Touching towers near the airport. Why would his phone be near the airport . Reporter well, either james innocently drove marie to the airport, and neglected to reveal that, or he drove her car there to cover up a crime. No way to prove it either way. So they were stuck again. Which is when jason, the Youth Pastor, remember him . Out of the blue jason came to call. He had something the detectives needed to hear, he said. I mean, that would take a certain amount of courage. Absolutely. We wouldve never known about that if Jason Wouldnt have come forward. Reporter known what . The secret incident that got junior Pastor Jason involved. It happened soon after marie disappeared. When a very distraught james asked this Church Elder for help. He said, he goes, i need you to get me out of the country. I said, Whats Going on . I said, does this have to do with Maria Marie . Hes like, i cant tell you. He never once said anything to me else but its bad. Reporter james seemed suicidal, said the elder. So he called a doctor friend. And the doctor committed the preacher to a Psychiatric Ward for ten days, during which time Jason Andersen took over preacher duties. But then jason heard things. Not about what happened to marie, but about polygamy. With other church leaders, he confronted james and tanya. This is a, forgive my saying, come to Jesus Moment . It was the hardest thing ive ever had to do, myself, personally, was to confront my pastor. He had been sleeping with two women, in the same house. But then, Youth Pastor jason told the detectives, in that cloistered setting, james kept talking, and told a terrible story. Him and marie had had a physical altercation before she went missing. And she had scratched him on his arms. Reporter james insisted marie was still alive the last time he saw her. I was just so in shock of everything. Reporter that was it. He could not continue as pastor. James would have to resign. He announced that he and tanya were leaving town. Did you realize that . If he was repentant, and we could move to a process of restoration, but the only other option would be to step down. Reporter james announced that they were leaving town. They were supposed to leave the following morning to say goodbye to Church Members. And low and behold, they fled to arizona. They fled. Reporter like thieves in the night. With Baby Grace. It was a few days after they left when jason went to the police to tell his disturbing that they had a physical story. That they had a physical runin the day that she went missing. Reporter then a piece of luck. Before they left, Maries Friend kay had asked the pastor and his wife for maries belongings. They gave her maries computer. The Bad News was it had been erased but i brought it into the Sheriffs Department for them to take a look. We had our forensic Tech Reanalyze the computer, and it gave us a beautiful copy of her Phone Download that she had done when she backed her phone up. Reporter wow. But maybe it wasnt so lucky. There were thousands of Text Messages, but they were an unreadable jumble of symbols and words. This particular Coin Reporter though look at this. Marie shot this video that did survive. Showing the Pastor Hawking Gold And Silver online, apparently while running the church. Valuing this coin at over 500. Lemme tell you, thats exciting stuff. Reporter was james just a pastor . Or part time flimflam man . So this is where things stood when an anonymous tip came in. Crimestoppers. Reporter startling. If true, it would solve the case. And in the tip, it says that james buried her in the backyard. Reporter thats some tip. Yeah. I can remember getting that tip and thinking, no way. Like, who would who would kill somebody and bury them in their own backyard . Reporter could be bogus, of course. Just another false lead. But nesli was hopeful. We brought Cadaver Dogs and groundpenetrating radar and we didnt find anything. Reporter nothing . Nothing. Reporter no body. So what happened to marie . More months went by. Police kept trying to speak with james but got no response. Then after a whole year, they tried again, and he picked up. I had been asked by our attorney not to talk to anyone without him there. Reporter but he did talk talked for two hours, in fact, from his car. At times sounding like he was the victim. What emotions have i felt over the past year and a month, you know . Anger at marie for going and not letting us know Whats Going on, and then back to anger at myself for not making a Phone Call to get her help. And anger at myself for ever letting the relationship became what it became. Reporter the pastor said he knew he was the prime suspect. I am terrified of the prospect Of Marie taking her own life. And if she did, and i pray she didnt, i hope she did it very, very, very, very, very, very, very far away. Because if they find her one little bone that somehow could be connected with her, there its my fault. Im sure its the way people would look at it, its james. Do you know where marie is . No, i do not. If i did, i would go get her. Did you kill Marie Carlson . No. Reporter and that was that. They were stalled. Marie was missing. And the case was getting very cold. Coming up, new revelations from the pastor. They were sending pornographic photos back and forth from the church. And an answer at last to the biggest mystery of all. Where was marie . Nesli passed me a note that said, i missed her. I was pretty devastated. The guilt. The feeling of, i could have found her six months after she was reported missing. When secrets on the Emerald Coast continues. And one we explore one thats been paved and one thats forever wild but freedom means you dont have to choose just one adventure you get both. Introducing the Allnew 3row Jeep grand cherokee l jeep. Theres only one. Welcome to allstate. Where our new Auto Rates are so low, youll jump for joy. Here, better protection costs a whole lot less. Youre in good hands with allstate. Click or call for a lower Auto Rate today. With Voltaren Arthritis Pain gel my husbands got his moves back. Youre in good hands with allstate. An alternative to pain Pills Voltaren is the first full Prescription Strength Gel for powerful arthritis pain relief. Voltaren the joy of movement in 2016, i was working at the Amazon Warehouse when my brother passed away. And a couple of years later, my mother passed away. After taking care of them, i knew that i really wanted to become a nurse. Amazon helped me with training and tuition. Today, im a medical assistant and im studying to become a registered nurse. In filipino youll always be in my heart. brad how is apartmentsdotcom so sure that well still have the most listings in the future . By going there. man no listings in 2178 brad with the possible exception of the year 2178. Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Unlike a fine wine, a Cold Case doesnt get better with age. It just gets colder. And the State Attorney Wasnt optimistic it would ever get solved. What chance did you feel . I felt it was a 50 50 chance of it being solved. There was an equal opportunity it would just go away. There was. I felt it could die. I knew if we were going to make the case, Law Enforcement would have to be very careful and very persistent in their investigation. He decided one of his most experienced prosecutors, Angela Mason, should work on it. I was certainly vulnerable in that i did not have a body. I was also vulnerable with the tonya element, that people thought she could be a suspect. Then, three years after marie disappeared, the most amazing thing happened. Maries computer yielded to a new forensics program. And out spilled in clarity Text Messages between marie and james. I love you. I love you so much. And getting in graphic detail of what he wants to do with her. Pornographic to The Point they were sending pornographic photos. To Each Other . From the church. Some things are hard to unsee. Well spare you. And most important, everything stopped the day she disappeared. No credit cards, no phones. I thought that was strong evidence that she was, in fact, dead, and not, in fact, missing. I think the evidence that this defendant kept her such a secret, kept that relationship such a secret from so many, because it could have cost him everything. I thought that was strong evidence. And her last conversation with a Family Member was she wanted out of the circumstances she was in. But she wasnt willing to leave her bibby behind. And then there was. This one of those sermons posted on youtube just a month before marie vanished. And now, in the Evidence File whenever someone is back stabbing me, lying about me, gossiping about me, trying to tear me down or whatever, you know what i want to do . My feelings say, choke the life out of them [ laughter ] is that what the pastor did to marie . We were definitely very interested in that sermon. What Minister Talks about choking the life out of somebodisome right. Detectives spelled out their case. Circumstantial, difficult. But the prosecutors bought it. And James Flanders was charged with second Degree Murder. Persistence paid off. We were 4 1 2 years in. Most people would have given up by now. But as the pastor waited in jail for his trial, his attorney and former Church Member glenn was optimistic. What did you think your chances were as you went to trial . I did believe the state had second Degree Murder. They didnt have a body. Maybe not. But as the pastor and his attorney looked at the evidence that might put him in prison for life, just before the trial, they made a deal. The state reduced the charge from second Degree Murder to manslaughter and james agreed to tell them what he did to marie and where he put her. Maries family grudgingly agreed. That was the hardest thing, but i wanted to know where my sister was. I didnt want to go years and years and years and not know. As much as i absolutely hated to agree to it, i knew that was probably the only way. First, as part of the deal, the pastor told the story Of Marie. Of the polygamy arrangement. He said Marie Sen had a name for their relationship. Lationshp thrupple. Then the pastor offered his version of that last awful night. He claimed that marie was in a downward spiral mentally and erupted after he told her she should be hospitalized for depression. N a fatal Bear Hug . Not possible, the detective thought. Then she braced for the answer she waited five years to hear. R. At that point, the detective got up and left the room. She passed me a note that said, i missed her. I was pretty devastated. I was in that backyard in 2012. Not like you didnt look. Yeah, but human nature, you still have a guilt, the feeling of i could have found her six months after she was reported missing. The pastor insisted that Tanya Wasnt around, was shopping and knew nothing. Do you wonder whether tonya had more to do this . I think that will always be in the back of our minds . But i think she may have known more than she wants to say. But tanya was never charged, and her Defense Attorney said she was truly shocked by james confession. I could tell you as a matter of fact from having to tell her from what happened, she did not know. Later that afternoon, james flamde flanders was escorted into his former backyard where he marked with little flags the spot he bury mad Rhee Carlson five years earlier, then fell on the ground and cried, and told her she was sorry. It took hours, but finally, almost five feet deep, wrapped in a blanket, they found what was left Of Marie. I lost it that day. Because all i can picture was, oh, my gosh, she really is dead. She really is gone. I mean, you know that 1 that disappears, boom. I think i went crazy. I was shaking, i was crying so much. I dont think ive ever cried so loud. The prosecutor Angela Mason wept, too. It was my fault. Back in court that afternoon, James Flanders was sentenced to 15 years. With good behavior, hell be out. Free to join tanya in arizona. And grace, whose mother he killed. Hes going to get to have a life after hes done. Maries gone forever. She doesnt get a life, especially with her kids, which is for most mothers, the world. Im sure you must have formed a fairly complex opinion of what his personality is. How would you describe him . I think james loves himself more than anybody else. I think i would argue hes narcissistic. This case makes you angry . Yeah. Gets you riled up. Yeah. Because for almost five years, she was painted as an individual that left her children, abandoned her Infant Child to live her own life. And that wasnt The Truth at all. Jeff carlson had to tell his daughter, paris, her mom was not coming back. Wasnt easy. What do you say . You dont know how to prepare them for the future. The future of living with this and the questions that are going to come up as she gets older. You know, he deprived her of her mother. He deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life. He doesnt deserve to walk in society. Later, Maries Family and many others gathered for a celebration Of Maries life. They sang Karaoke And Esta told us when maries daughter, paris, comes to visit her little girl, the two cousins sit down at the Piano And Play music like they did years ago. And grace i want to tell her all about her mom. Its one of those where i just i want to show her your mother really did love you. Maybe some Day Shell know about that uncontainable woman who, while she stayed, brought joy, marie. She was beautiful. Her eyes were remarkable. I was going to be there for her and she was going to be there for me. It didnt matter what it was. I thought maybe she had been kidnapped. No one knew what was happening. There was nothing i or anyone could have done. Skylar, rachel, sheila. Total bffs. They hung out all the time