and dreams. and it s so real, it feels like her. and she just gives me a hug. why did it have to happen to our family? why did it have to happen to michelle? why that they? a young nursing student disappears. she was still dressed in my hospital scrubs. something drew her out to her car. the cousin she grew up with. the brother she raised. desperate to find her. they were able to do what a lot of other families have never been able to do. text messages, security monitors, surveillance videos. were they sons that she was trapped, reaching out for help? one of the things about, this is that didn t make sense. moment by moment dateline was there for every turn. look, there s blood wiped across. was she missing or murdered? was this the key? i will take her life and hers. a threat, a voice seething with hate and rage. you deserve to die for your lies. it s your last and final warning. what s happened to michelle? this case is not going to be over unt
were moving so slowly. and their minds, michel was held against her will. one week went by, saturday, june 4th, eight days after michelle s disappearance. her family, holding a vigil, near the place where her car was found. we wanted the fbi involved, and all of this, and they were just making a lot of noise. scott, the young man, the police had questioned a year earlier. janelle s old boyfriend, the father of her child. the called back for important meeting, and they finally had a chance to search michel s car. the status of her case was changed. from a missing person, to homicide. and, the family felt blindsided. they say, i think you have to get comfortable with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. just like that, the information door closed. the hayward police told
father of her child. the called back for important meeting, and they finally had a chance to search michel s car. the status of her case was changed. from a missing person, to homicide. and, the family felt blindsided. they say, i think you have to get comfortable with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. 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, could not, or would not, to tell the family why they thought michele was dead. but, without hearing an explanation, or seeing any evidence, how could the family believe the police? now, simply, they would not accept what the cops had to say. it was horrible. we were very angry. because, okay, you want to make
her family held this vigil near the place where her car was found. we wanted the fbi to get involved and all of this and we were just making a lot of noise. quietly attending was scott, the young man the police had questioned a week earlier, giselle esteban s old boyfriend, 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. they said, you know, i think you have to get comfortable with the fact that your sister is probably dead. we were horrified. 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.
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. 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