See No Evil

Narrator: WHEN A BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL TEENAGE GIRL

MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS,

HER LOVING FAMILY IS TORN APART.

Missey: WHEN SHE WASN'T THERE,

IT WAS LIKE, "SO, WHERE IS MY CHILD?"

Narrator: THE POLICE HAVE NO CLUE.

Bridges: WE WERE STILL UNSURE

IF SOMETHING CRIMINAL HAD HAPPENED TO HER.

Narrator: BUT ONE WITNESS HAS SEEN IT ALL...

"OH, MY GOD. DID YOU SEE THAT?"

Narrator: ...AND THE SECRETS IT HOLDS

MAY REVEAL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO KELSEY SMITH.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2nd. OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS.

IT'S A REGULAR WEEKEND FOR OFF-DUTY COP GREG SMITH,

HANGING OUT AT HOME WITH HIS FAMILY...

INCLUDING HIS 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER KELSEY

WHO JUST GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.

KELSEY SAID, "I'M GONNA RUN TO TARGET.

I NEED TO GET A PRESENT FOR JOHN."

WHAT TIME IS IT? Greg: WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Narrator: JOHN IS KELSEY'S BOYFRIEND,

AND SHE WANTS TO BUY HIM A GIFT

TO CELEBRATE THEIR SIX-MONTH ANNIVERSARY.

MWAH! I LOVE YOU, DAD.

Greg: I SAID, "OKAY."

AND SHE GOES, "I'LL SEE YOU IN A LITTLE BIT. LOVE YOU."

BYE.

THEN SHE WAS OUT THE DOOR, AND I SAID, "LOVE YOU," BACK.

UM...

Narrator: IT SHOULD BE A QUICK, UNEVENTFUL ERRAND.

BUT IT WON'T BE.

KELSEY CALLS HER MOM FROM THE STORE.

SHE NEEDS HELP FINDING A GIFT, A GIFT BOX.

I SAID, "OKAY, LOOK IN STATIONERY."

AND I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO HER WHERE IT WOULD BE.

AND I REMEMBER, BEFORE I HUNG UP,

SAYING, "BYE, BABY, LOVE YOU. SEE YOU WHEN I GET HOME."

SHE WAS AT TARGET 00, 7:00-ISH.

AND I KNEW SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO OUT WITH JOHN

30 OR SO.

COME ON IN.

Narrator: BUT WHEN JOHN SHOWS UP,

KELSEY'S STILL NOT HOME.

WATER? YEAH.

AFTER A HALF-HOUR, JOHN AND GREG START TO WORRY,

ESPECIALLY AFTER GETTING NO ANSWER FROM KELSEY'S CELLPHONE.

THAT'S ENOUGH.

KELSEY WAS THE KIND OF TEENAGER, UNLIKE MOST,

THAT EVEN IF SHE WAS A FEW MINUTES LATE,

SHE WOULD CALL TO LET US KNOW

BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT US WORRYING.

SHE HASN'T ANSWERED ANY OF MY TEXTS.

I'M JUST GETTING VOICEMAIL ALL THE TIME.

THEN I SAID, "CAN YOU GUYS JUST DRIVE OUT THERE AND SEE?

"MAYBE HER CAR'S BROKEN DOWN IN THE PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING,

AND MAYBE HER PHONE DIED."

Missey: KELSEY'S SISTER LINDSEY AND JOHN

TOOK OFF IMMEDIATELY FOR THE MALL.

Narrator: THEY EXPECT TO FIND HER STRANDED IN THE PARKING LOT,

WAITING FOR HELP.

BUT THERE'S NO SIGN OF KELSEY...

I DON'T SEE IT ANYWHERE.

...OR HER CAR.

MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT SHE HAD BEEN IN A WRECK,

SHE COULDN'T CALL US.

Narrator: 60 MINUTES AFTER SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOME,

GREG HOLDS OUT HOPE

THAT THERE'S AN INNOCENT REASON FOR KELSEY'S ABSENCE.

I'M NOT GONNA PANIC JUST YET.

SO, I STARTED CALLING

THE DIFFERENT POLICE AGENCIES AROUND THE AREA

AND TALKING TO THE DISPATCHERS...

JUST TO SEE IF MAYBE SHE'D BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT

AND, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW YET,

SEE IF SHE'D BEEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE

FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Narrator: BUT POLICE HAVEN'T SEEN KELSEY, EITHER.

I WAS -- I WAS PRETTY ALARMED BY THAT TIME.

EVERYBODY WAS OUT DRIVING AROUND TRYING TO FIND HER CAR.

MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST HEAD HOME.

Narrator: JOHN AND LINDSEY DETOUR

THROUGH A MALL PARKING LOT NOT FAR FROM THE TARGET.

Lindsey: IT'S RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S IT.

OUTSIDE A MACY'S STORE,

THEY FINALLY FIND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR --

KELSEY'S CAR.

BUT NO KELSEY.

HER PURSE IS HERE, BUT...

SHE'S NOT THERE.

Greg: LINDSEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY'D FOUND KELSEY'S CAR

ACROSS THE STREET AT THE MALL IN THE PARKING LOT.

WELL, THAT WAS A BAD SIGNAL TO ME,

THAT THE CAR WAS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.

Narrator: A SIGNAL THAT THIS COULD BE A CRIME SCENE.

Greg: AND SO I SAID, "OKAY, JUST STAY AWAY FROM IT.

LET ME CALL THE POLICE."

Narrator: FOUR HOURS AFTER KELSEY WAS LAST SEEN,

DETECTIVES ARE CALLED IN.

WE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE FAMILY

00 P.M. THAT NIGHT.

Miller: THEY HAD LOCATED HER CAR

ON THE EXACT OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SHOPPING AREA

WHERE SHE HAD LAST BEEN KNOWN TO BE.

AND IT JUST -- IT LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.

[ POLICE RADIO CHATTER, SIREN WAILS ]

Narrator: THEY SCOUR THE CAR FOR EVEN THE SMALLEST OF CLUES...

...ANYTHING THAT COULD TELL THEM WHERE KELSEY IS.

WE DID FIND KELSEY'S PURSE.

AS WE WERE WATCHING THE POLICE BAG KELSEY'S CAR,

YOUR STOMACH IS IN YOUR THROAT.

WE FOUND THE WRAPPING PAPER AND THE PRESENT

THAT SHE HAD PURCHASED AT TARGET.

Miller: IT WAS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS

WHERE YOU LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND GO, "THIS MIGHT NOT BE GOOD."

Narrator: AND THINGS WERE ABOUT TO GET MORE OMINOUS STILL.

Greg: THERE WAS SOMETHING HANGING OUT OF THE TRUNK.

A BAG OR SOMETHING.

IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE A TAIL HANGING OUT OF THE TRUNK.

THAT WAS A SIGNAL THAT SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT.

AND TOOK EVERYTHING WITHIN ME

NOT TO JUST WANT TO WALK OVER THERE AND OPEN THE TRUNK.

Narrator: BUT THIS IS NO JOB FOR A FATHER.

THEY ANXIOUSLY WAIT FOR FORENSICS

TO COME AND OPEN THE TRUNK.

WE HOPED THAT SHE WAS IN IT, BUT PRAYED SHE WASN'T.

I WAS LITERALLY HOLDING MY BREATH

'CAUSE I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT'S WHERE SHE WAS.

AND I WAS HOPING, IF SHE WAS THERE, THAT SHE WAS ALIVE.

Missey: AND THEN WHEN SHE WASN'T THERE, IT WAS LIKE,

"SO, WHERE IS MY CHILD?"

Man: KELSEY ANN SMITH.

YEAH!

Narrator: KELSEY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL NINE DAYS AGO.

SHE WAS GOING TO GO TO KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

TO BECOME A VETERINARIAN.

Narrator: SHE'S A MODEL STUDENT, POPULAR AND INDEPENDENT.

VERY OUTGOING. FUN KID TO BE AROUND.

VERY HEADSTRONG.

SHE WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL WANTED.

MOST LOVING KID AROUND.

Missey: AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REST OF HER LIFE.

Narrator: AND NOW SHE'S SIMPLY VANISHED.

Bridges: WE HAD AN 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL

WHO, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, WAS VERY RESPONSIBLE.

IT'S VERY LATE AT NIGHT.

HER CAR IS FOUND IN A LOCATION

THAT SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE IN.

WHY IS THE CAR NOT WHERE KELSEY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE?

Narrator: POLICE DUST FOR PRINTS SO THEY CAN PUT TOGETHER

A FULL PICTURE OF WHO'S BEEN IN KELSEY'S CAR.

BUT THERE ARE NO FURTHER CLUES TO SUGGEST FOUL PLAY.

Miller: THERE WASN'T ANYTHING TO INDICATE

THAT THERE WAS A STRUGGLE IN THE CAR.

IT WAS JUST DRIVEN THERE AND LEFT.

Narrator: KELSEY'S DISAPPEARANCE REMAINS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY.

BUT DETECTIVES FIND A WITNESS AT THE PARKING LOT

THAT MAY HAVE SEEN IT ALL.

Narrator: KANSAS TEENAGER KELSEY SMITH HAS VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE,

BUT INVESTIGATORS MAY HAVE FOUND A VITAL, NEW WITNESS.

Miller: THE VIDEO CAMERA, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN

KIND OF LOOKING DOWN, SOUTHEAST, INTO THE PARKING LOT.

Narrator: BUT IT'S LATE, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

CAN'T GET HOLD OF ANYONE TO ACCESS THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.

EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE CAMERA REVEALS,

IF IT REVEALS ANYTHING AT ALL.

MEANTIME, POLICE LOOK FOR ANSWERS CLOSER TO HOME...

...STARTING WITH KELSEY'S PARENTS.

WHERE IS SHE, GREG?

I DON'T KNOW, BABY.

THANK YOU.

Greg: I MEAN, THEY PUT US IN A QUESTIONING ROOM,

AND THEY LEFT US THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME,

AND THERE WAS A CAMERA UP IN THE CORNER, YOU KNOW.

AND I LOOKED AT MISSEY AND I SAID,

"YOU KNOW THEY'RE WATCHING US, RIGHT?

YOU REALIZE WE'RE BOTH SUSPECTS RIGHT NOW?"

SHE SAYS, "YEAH."

AND I SAID, "SO, WE'RE GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

"SO THEY CLEAR US SO THEY CAN LOOK FOR THE RIGHT PERSON.

BUT IT'S JUST ROUTINE. THEY HAVE TO DO THIS."

HOW YOU DOING?

I JUST WANT TO FIND MY DAUGHTER.

Greg: AND THEY ASKED THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY NEEDED TO ASK.

Narrator: THE PARENTS ARE QUICKLY CLEARED OF ANY SUSPICION.

BUT THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE THE COPS NEED TO TALK TO.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT KELSEY'S BOYFRIEND,

JOHN BIERSMITH?

HE'S A GOOD KID.

IT'S TYPICALLY THE PERSON WHO SAW THEM LAST,

WHO KNEW WHERE THEY WERE LAST,

JUST HAD GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR LAST LOCATION

OR CONTACT WHO WE KIND OF FOCUS IN ON.

Narrator: OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS,

KELSEY'S SPENT MOST OF HER TIME WITH HER BOYFRIEND, JOHN.

Miller: ALL INDICATIONS WERE

WAS THAT JOHN ABSOLUTELY HAD THE LAST CONTACTS WITH KELSEY --

TEXTS, PHONE CALL, YOU KNOW?

Narrator: SO, WHERE WAS JOHN JUST BEFORE HE ARRIVED AT THE SMITH HOUSE

TO PICK UP KELSEY?