Web of Lies

When a single mom goes online...

Everybody at some point needs love in their life.

...And meets the man of her dreams...

He's cute.

I know.

...Life seems too good to be true...

I didn't know what, but I knew something was gonna go wrong.

Police. Police!

...When the things she treasures most

become the object of obsession...

Crime check. What are you reporting?

hello? Crime check.

This was the first case of this kind that

I had ever been involved with.

...Her whole world is torn apart.

Mom, he's dying!

For a mom to not know where her kids are

is one of the hardest things

that I think any mother can go through.

I don't know what to do!

November 2017.

Police question a young mother

to try and untangle the most elaborate web of lies

they've ever seen.

The extraordinary story they hear is hard to believe,

but it turns out to be true.

my name is lekeishia johnson.

In August 2017, I was 22, living in kennewick, washington.

I was as happy as can be, as a single mother of three,

with my life.

renezmae was 2.

Cormea was 1.

And kyahn was 6 months.

They could be brats, but I think that's all children.

I wouldn't trade them for the world.

I was mom number two. We both shared everything.

We both brought them up. We both raised them.

My mom's great. She's my rock.

Lekeishia's past relationships ended badly,

but now she's ready to try again.

Everybody, at some point, needs love in their life.

We can end this.

I felt lekeishia was craving a boyfriend.

She needed to be loved by someone other than her mother.

Lekeishia is a regular social media user

and looks for love on a dating app called meetme.

I had mixed feelings about posting to meetme

because most of the men on there

just wanted to hook up and have sex.

But I actually wanted to be able to talk to somebody

and enjoy a conversation.

So I was like, "I'll do it anyway.

See where it gets me."

I use social media because I'm a very shy person.

It's easier for me to type things or text it

than to call somebody on the phone or see them in person.

I'd seen that I had a bunch of messages.

And I was surprised at how many people

had actually, like, responded.

But the one that caught my eye the most was from

a man named kanoa.

His picture was very -- very attractive.

He was a decent-looking guy.

He messaged me saying, "hey, I'm new here.

I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out."

and I was like, "okay.

That's a real conversation starter."

and so, we spent that whole night talking to each other.

and he told me he lived in spokane.

It's about 2 1/2 hours away from kennewick.

Although only virtual, their relationship blossoms

and quickly becomes intimate.

We texted all the time.

It was an everyday, all-day conversation.

it was kind of, "wow, you have a lot to say."

most men don't talk this much.

who are you texting all the time?

Just this guy I met online.

I told my mom about 3 1/2 weeks

after we started talking that I met him.

What's his name?

His name's kanoa.

He's cute.

I know.

I always knew when she was texting kanoa.

She was always happy.

There was always a smile on her face.

He was very sensitive with what he said.

It's like he had a woman's mind himself.

he understood emotions.

And that, to me, was attractive.

it was his words I fell in love with.

and then it grew into

liking more than just his words.

one day, kanoa introduced me

to his cousin teressa on facebook.

And she seemed like a real sweet person.

She told me that she and kanoa were, like, best friends.

They talked every day.

three weeks and two days after I met kanoa on meetme,

he asked me to go to spokane

and meet him in person.

I told him that I didn't have a license to drive.

So he asked me if, when teressa went up to spokane,

if I would go with her.

We had talked foso long that I was ready to meet him.

I wanted to know him

and not just the person that I was texting.

mom? Car. She's here.

A few days later, kanoa's cousin arrives

to drive lekeishia to spokane for her big date.

That morning, I was excited and nervous

because I got to go meet kanoa.

- Hey! - Hey!

It's so good to finally meet you!

I know!

Finally, in person, right?

And this must be little kyahn?

- Yes. - Hi!

You're so cute!

Teressa was great with the kids.

She actually enjoyed having the kids around her.

- Aw! - Hi!

It's nice to meet you.

I've heard a lot about you from lekeishia.

I see you've got your hands full with this little one.

- Yes! - Hi! Hi!

I wanted to bring kyahn with me

because without his mom, he would scream.

Of course. Can I take your bag?

And I wanted to see how kanoa was around my kids.

I wanted him to know that he was getting the whole package,

not just me.

I'll be back soon.

I told her, "okay, just text me when you get there."

I could see lekeishia was the happiest I've ever seen her.

And that's what mattered to me.

Driving to kennewick to spokane,

it's like we could really get along with each other.

We were telling each other jokes.

We were laughing with each other.

That's my son.

My goodness.

Brian.

Wow! He's so cute!

When he wants to be, yeah.

She totally got my mind.

It was like we had known each other for years.

I'll just be a minute.

All right.

The plan to meet kanoa was to have dinner --

me, my son, and him --

and teressa was gonna go hang out with her boyfriend.

But when they get to spokane,

kanoa texts lekeishia,

suggesting a change of plan.

Instead of dinner, he wants her to join him

for a game of laser quest.

I was excited, but there was a problem.

And I was like,

"well, I don't have anybody here to watch kyahn."

and he mentioned teressa could watch him.

so...?

Kanoa tells me that I get to babysit this little cutie here?

Teressa. I don't really feel comfortable

leaving kyahn with you.

And then she turned around and told me,

"it'll be okay. Go have fun.

Your son will be safe with me."

I know, but it's just -- it's a big responsibility.

I love taking care of kids.

I am spokane's best babysitter.

And we'll only be 10 minutes away

at my boyfriend's apartment.

Yeah. You know what? You're right.

okay.

teressa had a kid of her own.

And she just seemed like a good person.

So, I was like, "okay."

hey, I've got to get going. But, look, I've got an idea.

Take my keys. Wait in the car.

You know what? It'll be more romantic, yways,

if I'm not around when kanoa gets here.

Are you sure?

This is your moment. Yeah, of course.

Okay, thanks!

it's only gonna be a couple of hours.

Hello, sweetie! Hi!

You must be getting ready for a feed, aren't you?

Have fun with kanoa. I'm so excited.

And, hey, call me or text me any time if you need to, okay?

Of course.

I was like, "I can't wait to meet him.

I can't wait to meet him."

my stomach was jumping up and down from excitement.

Two hours later, there is no sign of kanoa.

Well, I sat there

and I had called him and I had texted him

and nobody answered me.

and I texted teressa,