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00:01Do you have any idea what happened to Jerrica?
00:05When was the last time you saw her?
00:07What was she doing?
00:09Do you remember what she was wearing?
00:10I'm not accusing you, but that's a question that I got asked
00:15because I'm looking for what can bring your family closure.
00:21Absolutely.
00:22Because in all reality, everybody is a suspect
00:27until they're no longer a suspect.
00:33I was born in Chicago.
00:35I grew up in Chicago.
00:38This is my city.
00:40I spent 20 years as a Chicago PD missing persons detective.
00:46But when I retired, the work never stopped.
00:50This job never leaves you.
00:54And my mission now is to return to the cases that others left behind
01:01and find that one clue that can finally break the case.
01:14When a case has been cold for 10 years,
01:18you have to start from the beginning.
01:21Investigators say they have no known reason why she wouldn't have come back
01:24and that the tips in this case have been extremely limited.
01:28On August 16, 2015, 24-year-old Jerrica Laws went out for an evening walk
01:36and just vanished.
01:39She says, Jerrica, I'm leaving my purse.
01:43There were no signs of struggle and no witnesses.
01:46Just a young woman gone without a trace.
01:50We've started trying to get anybody who knows anything to come forward.
01:55She said that she had been talking to someone.
01:57I just don't know his name.
01:59As the weeks passed by, the questions began to swirl.
02:03Where was she going that night?
02:06Did she run away?
02:07Was she abducted?
02:09And could there be more to Jerrica's life than anybody knew?
02:20I met Shantanelle, Jerrica's mother, back in 2022.
02:27I attended a missing persons event.
02:31The world keeps going and our world has stopped because our babies are gone.
02:35I feel her pain and I want to provide her some solace, some peace of mind.
02:44Jerrica has been gone for 10 years and still her family has no answers.
02:54This is what I know about this case so far.
02:58She was a church girl.
03:00She had been away from home for a few years.
03:02And she returned home just three months before she vanished.
03:09I want to know why the original investigation stalled out.
03:14Are there suspects?
03:16Who are they looking at?
03:18Who are they suspicious of?
03:21And most of all, I want to know who Jerrica Laws really is.
03:30How have you been feeling?
03:32Oh, yeah.
03:34I'm okay right now.
03:36I know you've been struggling for a long time,
03:39dealing with just the memories of Jerrica not being home.
03:44So here I am, you know, I want to get right into it.
03:49Okay.
03:50Tell me about the night she didn't return home.
04:02I went to my high school reunion, and I came back, and it was around 7.30.
04:09I went downstairs.
04:10I didn't see Jerrica, but I heard the door.
04:13And she said, it's Jerrica.
04:15She said, I'm going to go for my walk.
04:17And she left back out.
04:19When was this?
04:20Later that night.
04:21Jerrica used to leave here and walk all the time.
04:24But then she came back in.
04:26She said, this is Jerrica.
04:28I'm leaving my purse.
04:29So I said, well, that's weird.
04:32She never go anywhere without a big bag.
04:37I didn't check for Jerrica that night at all.
04:42And the next day, I went in her room, and that's when I saw a purse.
04:47I was like, Grandmama, was Jerrica here today?
04:50She said, girl, that child ain't coming here all night.
04:54And I panicked.
04:56What happened next?
04:57I said, I'm going to the police station.
04:59And they said she was an adult.
05:02She's grown.
05:02She could leave, and I kept telling them she wouldn't just leave.
05:08That's just who she is.
05:10I understand.
05:14With no word from Jerrica, Shantanelle quickly turned to Jerrica's childhood friend, Malcolm,
05:22who had dinner with her at a Chipotle earlier that evening.
05:27Tell me about Malcolm.
05:29How did he become a part of Jerrica's life?
05:33They've been friends since, I want to say, kindergarten.
05:37And they graduated the same year.
05:38But they have been friends since they were kids.
05:41They go to Chipotle.
05:44And what happened after Chipotle?
05:47He dropped her off.
05:49And about what time was this?
05:50Maybe it was 7th.
05:52Good question.
05:54So he dropped off Jerrica, and she goes for a walk.
05:59Yes.
06:00But I later learned that night that Malcolm said that Jerrica was going to meet someone.
06:07On that same day?
06:08On that same day.
06:09He dropped her off, but she was going to meet somebody.
06:13Well, now they were in the car together.
06:15So I said, Malcolm, you didn't think to ask her who she was going to meet?
06:19And he said, no, I didn't ask.
06:21So I said, well, that's weird.
06:23She's sitting next to you.
06:25She's saying once she get out the car with you, she's going to meet somebody.
06:28But you didn't think to ask her who was it?
06:31Do you believe him?
06:33No.
06:34Why would you think he would lie to you about it?
06:36I don't want to accuse him or anything, but his story isn't adding up.
06:43Let's say Jerrica was really going to meet some unknown strange man.
06:49Is there anybody you can think of that this person could have been?
06:55I wouldn't know who that would be.
07:00I don't know.
07:04In the three years before Jerrica disappeared, she had been living in Indiana.
07:11Then she came home, and within three months, she was gone without a trace.
07:19When Jerrica was in Indiana, what was going on in her life that you know about?
07:24She was going to church like she always did.
07:29She grew up in the church.
07:30My grandma always took the kids to church.
07:33Okay, so she's a part of a church organization.
07:37Did she discuss that organization with you or any of the people or what type of religion it was?
07:44I don't know.
07:46She said it was different, but she liked the church.
07:49She liked the congregation.
07:51And why is it that Jerrica moved to Indiana?
07:56So Jerrica is actually my biological sister.
08:00My mom was an addict.
08:03She didn't follow the necessary steps to stay clean.
08:06So I raised my mom's kids.
08:10Okay.
08:11Jerrica was at college when mom died, and she didn't get an opportunity to talk to mom before she passed
08:20away.
08:20And I think she had unanswered questions that she wanted to ask her.
08:25Do you know if she held you accountable for that, or is that more of something that you feel?
08:34She expressed it.
08:36She said she would have liked to be here to talk to her more.
08:41And that's one of the things I look back on that I would have done differently.
08:48And honestly, Pam, after Jerrica went missing, I was sick.
08:52I was laid out.
08:55And I get so defeated because it's almost 10 years, Pam.
09:01You know, I don't know anything.
09:04I know that Shantanelle believes that Jerrica told her everything.
09:09But I'm a mom, and I know that that just does not happen.
09:16The person you're trying to reach is not available.
09:19At the tone, please record your message.
09:22Hello, Malcolm.
09:23My name is Pam Childs.
09:25I'm a former CPD detective doing some work on the Jerrica Laws missing persons case.
09:31I need to talk to Malcolm Lee.
09:33Because if Jerrica was meeting with someone else, how do you not ask her who it is?
09:40Does this guy even exist?
09:44But my biggest question at this moment lies with the church group in Indiana.
09:50I'm only on day one with this case, and I've got more questions than I have answers.
10:07In any missing persons case that's this old, it's imperative to dig into a person's life to find out what
10:17secrets might be hidden.
10:20According to Shantanelle, Jerrica left home in 2012 after they had a falling out.
10:28After that, she bounced around with several relatives until she ended up living in Spencer, Indiana.
10:44What my thinking process is right now is that, you know, how do a young girl from close to Chicago
10:52end up in a rural area such as where we are?
10:55I mean, if you look around, this is definitely country-driven.
11:00Through our investigation, my partner Foster and I tracked down a member of the church that Jerrica was going to.
11:08What I want to know is, who is this family, and what do they know about Jerrica's disappearance?
11:18Hi.
11:18Hi.
11:19I'm Pam Childs.
11:20Nice meeting you.
11:21Nice meeting you, too, Roxanne.
11:24Thank you for having us and sharing with us.
11:28Can you go in detail and tell me a little bit about your church?
11:31Well, we believe in the apostolic Pentecostal way.
11:35We're very modest, and we wear dresses, and the ladies don't cut their hair.
11:41And the men dress very modest also.
11:43Did she accept the Pentecostal way of living?
11:47Yes, she did.
11:48And no one ever pressured her for anything, you know.
11:51How did Jerrica come to live with you?
11:54It was in the year 2013.
11:57There was a gentleman from church, David.
12:00He's seeing Jerrica at the bus stop, and he invited her to come down to church.
12:05From there, she just started coming down every Sunday with him.
12:10And so that's how it started.
12:12Did she ever give you, like, any information on how she ended up at this bus stop,
12:18that David would see her on a regular basis?
12:21Yeah, she was, I think she's going to work.
12:24So was David, like, an older guy or more closer to Jerrica's age?
12:30No, he's closer to my age.
12:31Closer to your age.
12:32And he was a church member.
12:34Oh, yeah, he'd been going there at least 10 years.
12:36Mm-hmm.
12:36So he was just a friendly guy that befriended her, seeing her at the bus stop and...
12:42And that's the kind of guy he is.
12:43How long was she here with you?
12:46She was here almost two years, around two years.
12:49Was Jerrica open with you about anything that was going on in her life that could give you some insight
12:58as to, you know, about what her plans were?
13:04She wanted to get on her own.
13:06She had planned to get an apartment.
13:09In Chicago?
13:10No, Spencer.
13:12So I took her around to a couple of apartments there in Spencer and outside the outskirts.
13:19It's interesting that she decided that she was going to go back to Chicago.
13:26Well, she had mentioned to me that there were struggles at home and that's why she ended up moving.
13:33Okay.
13:34All right.
13:35Did she tell you what was going on?
13:37No.
13:39She was very private, a very private person.
13:43As far as what I knew, she was coming back here to get her own place eventually.
13:48Okay.
13:48I can't imagine her not coming home and we all miss her.
13:53We miss her very much.
13:56Yeah.
13:58Wow.
13:59As to how Jerrica came to be a part of this family, a girl standing on a bus stop just
14:06so happens to meet someone that introduced her to a lady out here.
14:11It's a pretty phenomenal story.
14:12It's almost, you know, unbelievable.
14:17According to Roxanne, her daughter Marie was very close to Jerrica.
14:23But she never spoke to any investigators.
14:26And I'm hoping she can give us something new to work from.
14:33Come this way.
14:35You can have a seat.
14:37So, Marie, how did you meet Jerrica?
14:40I met Jerrica through my mom.
14:43My mom was attending this church.
14:46And so I came that Sunday and met her for the first time.
14:51And instantly we were like sisters.
14:54I called her Mama Jer.
14:55That's what I called her.
14:57That was my nickname for her.
14:58Because she was more like a mama.
15:03What did she share with you about her life in Chicago, where she's from?
15:08Not much.
15:09She was very private.
15:11And so she never really talked to me about her experience there.
15:17Did you know of anyone that she may have been romantically involved with?
15:24Well, I know of one in particular that she was talking about.
15:27I just don't know his name.
15:29She told me that she was talking to someone on Messenger.
15:34I remember her saying that he was cute and that he was kind.
15:39And thought she was pretty because he reached out to her.
15:41I know he believed in God because, you know, I said, is he a Christian man?
15:48And she liked him.
15:53I don't recall a name, but I know that he contacted her.
15:59Did this person in question ever come down to visit?
16:01She never went into detail about, like, meeting up with him or anything like that.
16:06Was he from Chicago?
16:08Never got, she never went into detail.
16:09No, she didn't.
16:10She was, like I said, she was very private.
16:12Did she have a cell phone for Messenger?
16:16It was on a laptop.
16:17On the laptop.
16:18When was she talking to this guy on Facebook Messenger?
16:22It was around April 2015.
16:25So that's four months before she goes missing.
16:30Yeah, four months before she goes missing.
16:36Missing persons cases have a way of pulling back the curtain.
16:40The deeper you go, the more you realize how much people really keep to themselves.
16:48I want to know if this Facebook Messenger guy is the same person Malcolm was talking about.
16:55Did she run away with this guy?
16:57Did this person do her harm?
17:00Nobody seemed to ask her any questions.
17:03Nobody asked anything.
17:04And I just don't get that.
17:13Jerrica was a God-fearing young lady.
17:15And she didn't know mother.
17:17Father, sister, brother, whomever.
17:19They shouldn't have to go through this.
17:20It hurts too bad.
17:22It hurts too bad.
17:24When Jerrica's mom stood in front of the cameras that day,
17:28you could see it wasn't just grief.
17:31It was that uniquely maternal ache when your child is gone and you don't know why.
17:39And when it comes to doing missing persons cases where the missing is a daughter,
17:49I reflect back on my interactions with my daughter, my only child.
17:58Yeah, just get in there because you got to really-
18:00I know that.
18:01Daughters are never going to tell you everything.
18:04But that's just the way it is.
18:06That's that mother-daughter dynamic.
18:08Because we want our daughters to be like us.
18:12But they're just not.
18:14They're different.
18:17But the more I learn about Jerrica, the more I find myself wondering what was really going on in her
18:24life.
18:25At this point, we know there were rifts in the family.
18:29She appeared to be in a secret relationship.
18:34She didn't seem to be forthcoming with anyone.
18:39I want to know if she was really meeting someone that night she disappeared.
18:44And what were the troubles that she didn't or wouldn't say out loud?
18:56When you can't turn to family, we usually confide in friends.
19:03So we're heading to meet Jerrica's friend Josh.
19:07He saw her the day before she disappeared.
19:13Josh, I understand that you were really good friends with Jerrica.
19:17Yes.
19:18Me and Jerrica have been friends, like, we probably were like 12, 13.
19:22But when we start meeting each other more, it was in high school.
19:27Did Jerrica have any other friends that you guys hung out with?
19:31Malcolm was one of them that was a mutual friend, morally for her than me.
19:36You know, I was kind of an oddball growing up.
19:38You know what I'm saying?
19:39Like, things just more like personality differences.
19:42So, you know, I just allowed them two to have that relationship.
19:44And I just kept it, you know, when me and her have our relationship.
19:48How did you find out Jerrica was missing?
19:50So, I received a Facebook message from Malcolm.
19:55Where's Jerrica?
19:56He was the last person that saw her.
19:57Like, all these different things.
19:58All from Malcolm.
19:59Okay.
20:00That's why I reached out to find out that she actually was missing.
20:03And no one knew where she was at.
20:06So, Malcolm reached out to you, asking you, as you said, in an accusatory manner,
20:12Hey, do you know where she is? You were the last one to see her.
20:15Correct.
20:15Did you respond to him?
20:17Immediately, no.
20:18Because I was like, what?
20:19Like, I don't know what this is about.
20:21I'm not too sure.
20:22And I think I remember just saying, like, what are you talking about?
20:25So, tell me a little bit about things she shared with you, being her friend.
20:31So, when it came to her home life, of course, you have your disagreements with family members,
20:36or, like, you wish kind of things were different.
20:39But when she did move back, you know, one of the things that she did share was that she
20:42wasn't fine with who her mother was dating at the time.
20:45Okay.
20:46And that was, that came up a few times.
20:48Did she go into detail about things that she didn't like about him?
20:53I guess the boyfriend just wasn't speaking kindly to people.
20:58So, this is the first time us really coming to know about this guy that was a part of Shantanelle's
21:05life and Jerika didn't care for him.
21:07Mm-hmm.
21:08Did he live in the house with them, spent nights?
21:12Was he there a lot?
21:14Did she ever elaborate on any of the things she said or he did that she didn't like?
21:19From what Jerika would say, it was just, no, he just was just a rude person.
21:23And you said you never knew his name?
21:24No, I did not, no, no.
21:28What really gives me pause is when someone that I'm really expecting to be upfront with
21:37me leaves something out that's major.
21:41Whether it was intentional or not, it changes how the detective looks at everything that
21:48came before it.
21:49I know Shantanelle really well.
21:52But now I have to ask, is there anything else she hasn't told me?
22:00In the weeks after Jerika disappeared, the police searched tirelessly.
22:06But no trace of her was found.
22:11What they did find was security footage of Jerika and Malcolm ordering Chipotle at 6.03 PM,
22:20just as Malcolm had said.
22:24According to Shantanelle, Jerika arrived home around 7 PM and left for good at 7.30 PM.
22:34But according to reports, Jerika's last cell phone ping was at a cell tower near her home at 7.11
22:44PM.
22:47If Jerika was going to meet someone, they did not communicate all evening by phone.
22:53Was there another way they were communicating?
22:57And who was Shantanelle's boyfriend that Jerika was not so fond of?
23:03If I'm going to understand what really happened, I need to see what the police documented in real time.
23:10I want to know who they talked to and what they were told.
23:16Today, my partner Foster and I are meeting with a retired detective from the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
23:23He was a part of a task force that reinvestigated this case in 2021.
23:30And he has copies of the original police reports.
23:35I learned from Marie that Jerika was talking to a guy on Facebook Messenger.
23:41I want to know who this guy is.
23:46Do you know anything about a man that Jerika was going to meet that evening when she left here?
23:58No.
23:59So if I told you that there was a man that she was communicating with through Facebook Messenger,
24:04do you know anything about that information?
24:08That would be news to me if she had contacted somebody through Facebook.
24:13Everybody I interviewed, I did not know she even had the Facebook account.
24:18That's the first I've heard of.
24:19So let me ask you this.
24:21I know the state's attorney's office can do some subpoenas to Facebook.
24:26Maybe you could get, you know, one of the people in your missing persons unit to maybe look into it.
24:34Yeah, I believe I can reach out to, uh...
24:36We could see.
24:37We could see.
24:39What did police find out in the days right after her disappearance?
24:44These are the couple of reports that we have, I've obtained from Park Force.
24:52Okay.
24:53And who were you able to talk to?
24:56I was able to talk to Malcolm Lee.
24:57Oh, wow.
24:58And he was, uh, very candid, very, uh, informative.
25:02He gave us his perspective of what went on.
25:05What he said to me and what he, his demeanor and how he acted, he seemed very truthful.
25:10Very truthful.
25:12And he did not try to be evasive.
25:14What was it that he was able to tell you?
25:17He made the statement that when he dropped Eric off, he actually saw Eric Watts and spoke to him before
25:25he left.
25:26Eric Watts?
25:28That's correct.
25:29The boyfriend or something else.
25:31The boyfriend or something else.
25:33So, let's just, to recap the things that we do know, um, as far as her last day being seen
25:41at home.
25:427 p.m., she gets home.
25:45Malcolm drops her off.
25:48Malcolm and Eric actually see each other.
25:50That's correct.
25:52So, was Malcolm Lee the last person to see Jerrica?
25:56No, he wasn't.
25:57Eric Watts was the last person to see Eric.
26:00When he spoke to Park Forest and Detectives, Eric stated that he was on the phone with Chantinelle around 7
26:08o'clock that night.
26:09He was coming back from a high school reunion.
26:12And Jerrica came in through the door.
26:14Yeah.
26:16Then went back out and came back in, dropped her purse off, and went back out in the street.
26:23And that was the last time that he had, uh, seen Jerrica.
26:28So, you're telling me that Chantinelle was not at home at that time?
26:33That's correct.
26:34There are inconsistencies with her regulation and what Eric Watts told the police.
26:41Did Chantinelle or Eric ever take a polygraph test?
26:45No.
26:46By all accounts, they never, ever submitted to a polygraph test.
26:51Mr. Watts agreed or made a statement that, uh, he would come in.
26:56And then he began it later on.
26:59Uh, Miss, Miss Laws just decided not to do.
27:03She kept rescheduling.
27:04And then she said she was going to consult her, uh, attorney considering the, uh, polygraph.
27:11You find that kind of strange?
27:13That is very strange.
27:16The initial Park Forest police report on Jerrica's case spans 13 pages.
27:23It shows investigators interviewed dozens of people, including David, the man who picked up Jerrica at the bus stop, and
27:33Malcolm.
27:34The man who picked up the bus stop.
27:35Both of whom appeared to have answered all questions and were cleared of any suspicion.
27:42It also raises serious questions about the timeline we believe to be true.
27:50Shantinelle told me she heard Jerrica come and go from the house on the night she disappears.
27:57But according to Eric Watts' statement, Shantinelle did not arrive home until after Jerrica had left home for good.
28:09He said that Shantinelle arrived home 15 to 20 minutes later.
28:15The information here is phenomenal.
28:17But some of the initial things that stood out for you.
28:20Really surprising that we didn't know anything about this Watts guy.
28:23And that he wasn't just coming in and out.
28:26It appears that he was, like, living there.
28:29How can you leave that out and forget that?
28:32Yeah, well, that's one of my issues.
28:36I don't know why it was left out.
28:38We thought that Shantinelle was being totally honest and, I mean, could it be just a situation where, you know,
28:47she's out of her mind with grief and, you know, and she just can't remember anything that's happening?
28:52I suppose my whole purpose here is to make some sense out of what we have been told by Shantinelle.
28:59But facts are facts and bullshit is bullshit.
29:15The Jerrica Law's missing persons report has shifted the entire lens of this case.
29:28Shantinelle has never told me that Eric was the last person to see Jerrica.
29:34But before I go back to Shantinelle, I want to see what I can learn about Eric.
29:40The report only gives us one side of him.
29:44But if I'm going to find out who the real Eric Watts is, I need to hear it from someone
29:50who really knows him.
29:54According to the Park Forest Police report, at the time of Jerrica's disappearance, four other people were living in that
30:02home.
30:02Jerrica's sister, Shania, her grandmother, Shantinelle, and Eric Watts.
30:11Jerrica's sister, Serena, was living part-time at the home.
30:18When you were around the house, what was home life like?
30:24Just regular. Just all us there. Jerrica had just moved back. So we were all there. It was just like
30:32a normal house.
30:34Now, all of you guys were, lived in a faith-based household, correct?
30:39Yes. Mm-hmm.
30:40And you all attended the same church?
30:43Yeah.
30:44Would you say that Shantinelle was a strict mother?
30:48Um, yeah, she, in ways she was.
30:51What ways?
30:52We had curfew. We had chores. The girls had to clean the kitchen, do the dishes, then the boys had
30:58to take out the garbage.
30:59But just like normal parenting.
31:02And Jerrica and Shantinelle, tell me about their relationship.
31:08Um, they had a pretty good relationship. You know, kids have, you know, like, fallen outs with their moms.
31:15You know, we fight with our moms just like any other child.
31:18Mm-hmm.
31:18But nothing major or anything like that.
31:21Mm-hmm.
31:21They had a pretty good relationship. A really good relationship.
31:24So, what was the rapport with you girls in the house with, um, Eric?
31:32He like a father.
31:34And how long had he lived with your family?
31:38Maybe two to three years.
31:39What was he like to live with?
31:41Eric real soft. Soft spoken.
31:44Uh-huh.
31:44Um, easy to get along with.
31:48He's like the one when my mom used to tell us, no, we go to Eric.
31:52You still contact him?
31:54Is your mom still in contact with him?
31:56Are they still dating?
31:57No.
31:57So, you were around, you were around Eric quite a bit.
32:01Mm-hmm.
32:01Um, you knew his dynamic in the house.
32:04Mm-hmm.
32:04Was there anything that Jerrica didn't like about him?
32:07Um, no.
32:09Nothing that she ever told me that she didn't like about him.
32:12I've done a lot of interviews.
32:14And Jerrica had made statements to some of the people that she was close to.
32:20Said there was, um, certain things about him that she didn't care for.
32:27I don't know if you know that or not.
32:29I don't know anything about that.
32:31You don't?
32:31Mm-hmm.
32:32So, with what I've shared with you today about Eric.
32:36Mm-hmm.
32:37Um, not that any accusations has been made against him.
32:41But what I do know is that he was at the house when Malcolm brought her home from Chipotle.
32:51Mm-hmm.
32:52Eric and Malcolm said hello.
32:56Jerrica went inside of the house.
32:58She put her bag down.
33:01Mm-hmm.
33:02And she left.
33:04Mm-hmm.
33:05She never returned.
33:07Mm-hmm.
33:08So, that's why I'm asking the questions about Eric.
33:15I don't think Eric had anything to do with Jerrica's disappearance.
33:19Okay.
33:22Had my first opportunity to speak with a family member about Eric Watts.
33:29Serena trusted him.
33:31She trusted him with her sisters.
33:33She believes that Eric is a good guy.
33:38People see what they want to see in others.
33:43One person can see someone as harmless.
33:46And another person can see red flags.
33:49But in this line of work, perception never equals truth.
33:55In Jerrica's case, while Serena paints Eric as a father figure, why does Shantanelle barely mention him?
34:16When Jerrica Laws disappeared in 2015, it started with what appeared to be a simple evening walk.
34:26But it turned out to be anything but.
34:31Now, ten years later, I found new clues.
34:34But I also have new questions.
34:39Who was Jerrica communicating with on Facebook Messenger in the months leading up to her disappearance?
34:48Was Jerrica really moving home?
34:51Or was it just a short trip to repair her family relationship?
34:58Is there something else at play that this family is not telling me?
35:03Most of all, why don't Shantanelle's story and Eric's story line up?
35:17Since I last spoke to Shantanelle two months ago, she's been living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for work.
35:25When I was working for CPD, they sure as hell wouldn't pay for a plane ticket.
35:30But I'll go as far as I can go to get what I need.
35:49So, I wanted to share with you some of the things that we've come across.
35:54Okay.
35:55And I want to ask you about some things that, you know, might seem a little odd to you.
36:03But, you know, these are things that I have to ask you about, okay?
36:07Okay.
36:08I've traveled to Spencer, Indiana, where Roxanne lives.
36:13And I met her daughter, Marie.
36:16So, what has proven to be true is everything that you said about her.
36:20That, you know, she was deep into her religious beliefs, her spirituality, and that was her main focus.
36:29Yep.
36:30But, Marie mentioned to me that Jerrica had a Facebook page, and she would be in contact with some guy.
36:46As it relates to, like, a what?
36:49A mystery person or somebody that, you know, may have had an interest in her, somebody she may have had
36:55an interest in at one point.
36:58Do you have any idea who she could have possibly been communicating with over Facebook?
37:06I would think she would be talking to people she knew, like, from high school or something, but I have
37:16no idea, Pam.
37:17Okay.
37:19So, I guess the next thing I want to discuss with you is Eric.
37:23Eric Watts is the guy that you were involved with at one time.
37:28Tell me a little bit about Eric.
37:33Um, he works a whole lot.
37:35He has two daughters.
37:37Mm-hmm.
37:37He's very active in their lives.
37:39Mm-hmm.
37:40And he's a friend of mine.
37:44So, you, you knew him pretty well.
37:46I trusted him.
37:48So, what I'm about to tell you is a timeline that is factual, okay?
37:55Okay.
37:56It's around seven o'clock.
37:59Malcolm pulls up at your house with Jerica.
38:04Eric is sitting outside.
38:07We know from the phone records that you and Eric were on the phone from 7.15 to 7.33
38:14p.m., which means that you hadn't made it home yet.
38:19Okay.
38:21And according to the phone records, the earliest possible time that you could have gotten home that evening was at
38:29about 8 p.m.
38:32Um, I, Pam, I don't know what time it was, to be perfectly honest.
38:39I know it was still light outside.
38:42Mm-hmm.
38:42When I made it home, I believe Eric was there.
38:47Jerica came in twice.
38:49Cause she left, she said, I'm going for my walk.
38:53And then she came back, I heard the door, and she said she was bringing her purse.
38:59I don't know what time it was.
39:02Okay.
39:04So, is there any way that maybe you could have heard her talking to Eric over the phone?
39:12And you're thinking that you were actually in the house?
39:16I was at home, Pam.
39:19Okay.
39:19It wasn't something that somebody told me.
39:23I was there.
39:24Okay.
39:29Everything that Shantanelle said tonight to me, she has said that to me numerous times.
39:36And it has never wavered.
39:40She believes what she believes.
39:44I've never met Eric Watts.
39:48I don't know what to think of him as a person.
39:54But both of their stories cannot be true.
40:13At the beginning of this case, I wondered if there might be something more to Jerica's life than what we
40:20knew.
40:20The answer to that question is definitely yes.
40:26She was definitely communicating with someone.
40:30It's true to say this investigation stalled out.
40:34Not due to a lack of work done by police, but due to a lack of leads.
40:40But we have a new lead that could blow this case wide open.
40:46We need to find out who this man is that Jerica was communicating with on Facebook Messenger.
40:53And find out if this was the same person she allegedly met with the night she vanished.
41:01And for now, that person may be the only lead left that can unlock the truth of what happened to
41:07Jerica Laws.
41:10I'm gonna finish my report.
41:12I'm gonna get it to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and try and finally figure out the answer of
41:19who she was talking to.
41:21Then.
41:22Then.
41:36So, I've got an infinity.
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