Case. Elizabeth mattered. She i had gotten a call saying, youll never believe this. Sayin youre like, this is it. It was just a picture, shut up one they on social media back in 2014. It was an early offering on our missing america series. And that bright, open face, the questions that begged for answers. Who was Elisabeth Sullivan . Completely brilliant. She was almost an unacknowledged genius. I dont even know how to describe it, it was like this tornado mom that was disheveled, she was fighting, she will talk here in here and go all over the place. They knew her well, these two. And so they knew in October Of 2014 something very serious was going on. I had never seen her so nervous. She didnt know what to do. Their best friend seem to be on the verge of doing something drastic. She was angry. I dont want to call it frantic, but, you know, it gives you cold sweats. We needed to know. What happened to her . Was she alive . Was she dead . Couldnt know that. There was a story here that we could see, we didnt know then. The following, the mysteries surrounding this woman, all these years, would take us to places a strange as fiction. Then again, from the very beginning, ordinary was not the sort of word you would use to describeless sullivan, smart, maybe, funny perhaps, well read. A little ocd. When i first sarr i thought she was beautiful. And i thought she was a fashionista and we started talking and it was i just needed to know more. She was in her twenties when she met this person. Soon they were like teenagers. It was infectious. Keith i will tell you, there were oftentimes where we spend three for hours maybe a bottle of wine, getting ready to go out to never make it anywhere. The thing was there was Something Else about liz, her friend knew and understood. I think that if the world in itself for a little more introspective we would figure out that we all have a Little Something and we wouldnt judge others for their Little Something. Her Little Something was that she had trouble regulating her emotions which might help explain how tangled her love Life Eventually became. It might have explain her unique flair, her manic enthusiasms. She was exploring being a dancer, she wasnt wearing being a writer. And it made her unpredictable or anxious. She wasnt so different, said her friend. Sometimes you can have a Perfectionist Stick Personality that leads people to think you heard the sources. And in her case . In her case she was very infectious. Elizabeth had a very eclectic personality. They lived near north of virginia, biggest naval station in the country, in the whole world in fact. And somewhere, in that big cauldron of romantic possibilities. Liz encountered him. Her perfect guy matthew sullivan. Minnesota kid in the navy, night and shining armor. So than it became a love story. Could you see the sparkle in the eyes that she was, you know, infatuated with the guy . You could see it when they were around each other. They sparked up very quickly. I think she saw so much potential. She saw a lot of potential in everything, everything had potential. That seemed to promise permanence, stability. It wasnt just a handsome face, he was a ticket to something better. What did she see that he could do for him . Stability an opportunity. And then, possibly a stable loving relationship like her grandparents. The long haul. Its a story as old as more. The navy loves love as much as any institution does but maybe not so much where it comes to personal matters like actually spending time with the one you love. He was reassigned across the country to san diego california, but he just wasnt ready to say goodbye to the most exciting woman he had ever known. And so, a couple of months after they met, matt proposed. And liz said yes. I think they got married too fast because he was having a good time, she was having a good time it seemed like a perfect match, perfect opportunity. So then things were very busy indeed as they bustled around to get ready for their move out to the naval base in san diego. Right in the middle of the preparation, surprise, surprise. She called me and Excuse My French she was like holy [bleep], i think theres a kid in here. Liz was pregnant. A bit overwhelmed. There was an entire period where we could not say stroller, because she could not breathe. Couldnt believe it was actually happening to her . Could not believe. It terrified couldnt believe it, she was our permanent rock star, she did not see that coming. No, she did not. A new town to deal with, a new husband, a new baby. But also, some old demons that werent done with her. Just yet. Coming up sudden news lizs husband matt. 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Feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. Live claritin clear. Elizabeth sullivans story the most wonderful time Elizabeth Sullivans story was like that was like that of many military wives, smashed out of immaturity, leaving everything behind to follow her husband across the country. The newlyweds left north vic moved to san diego but barely had time to unpack before matt was deployed overseas. She was still pregnant, so it was a struggle being alone. Matt was far, far away when their daughter was born. He came home for a long enough for liz to get pregnant a second time, but soon was away again. Raising her kids in a town and state completely foreign to her. Liz felt isolated. Her only contact with friends and family was on the phone. She was by herself, you know, so there came a time when she got jobs so that she could meet people. Be out in the public, you know. Then one day, liz walked into an eye where store where Nathan Caracter worked. She had this plaid shirt on that was two sizes too big and she was carrying this double stroller. And i was just like, oh no, what does this woman want. And she came in and she was a flurry, saying im sorry, i dont normally look like this, and we started talking and told the store closed. She was a little force of nature. Not a little force of nature, she was a huge force of nature. Yes, she was. And complicated. For reasons nathan would understand soon off. Why did you like her as much as you did . The first thing that drew me to her was her sense of humor. She was smart, you know, she went to school. But eventually, a ventral air really began to love liz because i didnt feel like i had to hide anything about myself from her. And she wouldnt judge me. We both knew that we had our flaws, and it was the first person i felt really comfortable admitting stuff like that to, you know . Its a pretty rare thing. Yes. So liz and nathan confided things, very personal things, to each other, like lizs marriage. Matt was back but wasnt going well. She and matt had moved to Liberty Station, a Residential District and what used to be san diegos Naval Training center. She got settled into a routine where she was basically a single mother. Matt didnt know the kids, she had a particular routine and way and that really got disrupted when she came back . When he came back and was back for a while, you know . All of a sudden she had to integrate this new aspect into her life. That was jarring. Its pretty common these days. People coming back from deployments and trying to reenter a life, its hard for them, hard for the family. No one can quite figure out what to do. Yes, especially since there was no past with liz and matt, there wasnt the foundation of getting to know and being with you they werent friends . Exactly. The more liz and matt got to know each other, the more they seem to be leagues apart said calandra when we first interviewed her back in 2020. I remember a very prevalent issue was that matt did not have a drivers license, so if something needed to be done, or someone needed to get somewhere including him to work, it was liz waking up early, taking him to work. She would have to do the grocery shopping. If they had appointments, that was her also. Honestly i think that matt was also disappointed that he lost his good time wife that he thought he was taking to california with him. They both walked slam into a bunch of responsibilities. But it wasnt just the weight of daily life driving a wedge. She would try to excite him about things, lets do this, lets go out here, with their two daughters, she saw all these opportunities for her and them and he was content where he was in life. He didnt want to explore or do much outside of work, go home, work, go home. Sit in front of the television . Have a beer . Thats . That pretty much, yeah. And that wasnt cutting it for liz. Well, you ask a guy to step up and he doesnt step up, must have made her mad . I cant say mad, it was frustrating, i think it was more disappointing, well, now what . I came out here because youre so responsible and were about to be responsible together, build this life, and it is me building. And you not doing much of what you need to do . Right. On top of that . Matt had Just Announced that his family, her in laws, were about to move in with them. He had already made the arrangement. They were on their way. It put her on red alert and freaked her out like nothing. I had never seen her so nervous. Matt mother was coming. And not just her, her partner, and matt sister to. And liz did not like them one bit. Told nathan max mom did not approve of her or her marriage to matt. There were qualities in the Family Members that liz did not want around her daughters, definitely. When liz called nathan she sounded desperate for a way out of that arrangement. Did she ask if she could talk to you . Yeah, it wasnt an ask it was i am in the car over now. Liz spent the night at nathans venting. And the next day, feeling somewhat better, but still wary, went back home. But when they send spoke to her the following day, she sounded tense. She was very her to get off the phone, she was like i have to go, by. Done. Before she hung up, liz told nathan she would call him the next day. On monday. But monday came, and went. It wasnt until i went to work on tuesday around lunchtime and i still hadnt heard from her, and i knew the plane was gonna land with her in laws oh boy. Thats when i thought it was weird. So he called matt. Has he heard from liz . No, no he hasnt heard from her since yesterday. Matt knew liz was upset about his Family Moving in. They had just arrived that morning and figured she was trying to put off dealing with them. Wouldnt be the first time liz had gone off on her own without saying where, where we can. She could be impulsive, as matt and nathan both new. But nathan couldnt shake a nagging feeling that this time there was more to it. And somewhat reluctantly, he made one more call. I called the police. I stress the fact i said look, i know i am just a friend, but she should have checked in with me. I just feel like something is wrong. And, the officer kind of blew it off. But then another day went by and then a third. Lizs daughters waited, matt waited, the inlaws settled in, everybody wondered, where is she . That is when San Diego Police put the word out, the young mother of two was officially missing. Coming up i feel like shes in trouble. We arent going to let this go. A public plea from lizs dad. The Missing Persons unit did not see any signs of foul play. Was she missing, or hiding . She was spotted in a soccer field 1000 feet from her house. When dateline continues. Conti three days after nathan three days after Nathan Caracter called the Police Character called the police to report his friend liz sullivan as missing, investigators job by lizs house, they met matt and the kids. The in laws. And took a Police Type Tour of the place. Eyes wide open. The Missing Persons unit had looked over it fairly well and did not see any signs of foul play. That is detective kim collier, she didnt know back then how much this case would mean to her, wasnt even there the day Missing Persons took their four. And what did they find . Nothing, very illuminating. Liz hadnt taken her car, it was parked in the garage. Some trash and a Parking Receipt were inside. Next to her car, the usual garage stuff, a big broken mirror and a standalone freezer like this one, which they opened. It was empty. Did they search her room in the house that she shared with matt . Yes, outside of it being a little messy there was nothing of note. Except, said matt, one of their suitcases was missing. He felt like she might have left with her computer and her laptop and a phone, but he wasnt sure, but he couldnt find those items. Seem cooperative though. Yes. Matt told the detectives he had found her private journals, and he turned those over. Something else, it was a pretty big deal. He had discovered that liz had transferred all the money in their joint checking account, 1,072 to her individual account before she disappeared. So the cops called lizs credit union, and the people there confirmed. There was activity on her debit card after she was reported missing. What did you think when you heard that . I was very hopeful, i was very excited, because that means that liz was somewhere, she wasnt dead. Still they posted flyers around town. Her photo was all over the news. 31yearold Elizabeth Sullivan went missing on october 13th 2014. And that produced a response. People thought they recognize the woman on tv. She was spotted twice, so she has gone a week and she was spotted in a soccer field 1000 feet from her house. Who saw her . It was an offduty police officer. In fact, an offduty sheriffs deputy and his wife said they saw and talk to liz six days after she went missing. They said she appeared disoriented. Was looking for her phone. And told them she had slept in the park the night before. And then days later another reported sighting, this one near the san diego airport. But after that, a month passed with no sign of liz. Matt gave an interview to People Magazine saying he was at the end of his rope. Im running on fumes right now, i dont know where to look. Liz had gone off before but those times it was just for a little bit, not like this. Lizs dad came from virginia to help look for his daughter, and be with matt and the girls. He was interviewed by nbc station and pleaded with the public for help. I feel like she is in trouble. It can happen to you and when it does it gets very personal. And you get a strength like you never had before because that is my daughter. Im gonna bring her home. I san diego detectives dove into their investigations, they wondered if some people knew more abouts whereabouts than they were letting on. They questioned her friend nathan, for one, nathan who had called in the Missing Persons report. Did you get the impression that they, you know, that you were on the list of possibles . Definitely. How did they make that apparent . They showed up at my job, very awkward, very, very awkward, and i was short with them and said that i couldnt meet them at this time. And we met and it was very in territory. Did they ask you to take a polygraph . Yes. What did you say . Well, i wanted to think about it first. Mason wasnt the only one police leaned on. They questioned matt to, of course, repeatedly.