Web of Lies

Narrator: A LONELY SINGLE MOM...

EVERYONE LOVED MY MOM.

SHE WAS BUBBLY.

SHE WAS ALWAYS LOUD.

LOOKS ONLINE FOR COMPANY.

I WON'T BE LATE.

BUT WHEN A FIRST DATE TURNS DARK...

"SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT HERE."

POLICE ARE LEFT WITH A CYBER TRAIL OF FAILED RELATIONSHIPS.

STAY AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND, YOU BITCH!

SHE TREATED ME LIKE NO ONE'S EVER TREATED ME BEFORE.

AND LIES TO UNTANGLE.

I LOOKED UP AND THEN IT WAS JUST GONE.

WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO ANSWER.

Narrator: NATIVE NEW YORKER MICHELE REITER

IS A 38-YEAR-OLD DIVORCED MOTHER OF TWO.

MICHELE NOW LIVES AND WORKS IN BROWNWOOD, TEXAS,

WHERE SHE'S POPULAR WITH BOTH

THE HARDWARE STORE STAFF AND THE CUSTOMERS.

SHE HAD A REALLY OUTGOING PERSONALITY.

SHE WAS FUN TO BE AROUND.

SHE COULD BE FLIRTATIOUS.

REALLY?

SHE WAS BUBBLY, ALWAYS IN A GOOD MOOD.

COULDN'T REALLY GET HER DOWN.

SHE WAS JUST CHEERFUL, HIGH-SPIRITED.

SHE DEFINITELY STOOD OUT HERE.

I LIKE YOUR ARM TATS.

I LIKE YOURS, TOO. - OH, THANK YOU.

THERE YOU GO. - THANKS A LOT.

THERE'S YOUR CHANGE. - THANK YOU.

SEE YOU LATER. BYE. - SEE YA.

Narrator: MICHELE'S BEST FRIEND IS DENISE WORRELL.

WHAT?

YOU'RE SUCH A FLIRT.

WHAT? NO WAY. - OH, MY GOSH. YES, YOU ARE.

HE HAD NICE TATS.

I KNOW.

THE FIRST NIGHT WE WORKED TOGETHER,

IT WAS LIKE, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE WERE JUST BEST FRIENDS

AND IT JUST WENT FROM THERE.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT GETTING ANOTHER ONE, ACTUALLY.

YOU SHOULD. - YEAH, I MEAN...

I LOVE THIS ONE. YEAH. - THANK YOU.

Narrator: MICHELE TELLS DENISE HOW SHE'S JUST BROKEN UP

WITH HER BOYFRIEND OF FOUR YEARS,

AFTER DISCOVERING HE'D CHEATED ON HER.

DENISE INVITES MICHELE TO BE HER HOUSEMATE.

THE NICE THING ABOUT HER BEING ABLE TO MOVE IN WITH ME

WAS SHE WASN'T COMPLETELY ON HER OWN, YET,

AND SHE HAD SOMEBODY THAT WAS THERE FOR HER, YOU KNOW,

SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO ADJUST TO BEING IN A QUIET HOME.

Narrator: AS MICHELE SETTLES INTO HER NEW HOME,

HER TEENAGE KIDS, ALEXIS AND TY, MAKE REGULAR VISITS.

LISTEN, PUT IT AWAY. WE'RE ALMOST READY.

ALL RIGHT. - OKAY.

MICHELE'S CHILDREN WERE HER LIFE.

SHE LOVED HER CHILDREN BEYOND ANYTHING.

Ty: WE HAD A FUN TIME.

WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME.

EVERY DAY, SHE WOULD MAKE ME MY FAVORITE MEAL,

WHICH WAS SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS,

AND THAT WAS AWESOME.

OH, NO!

SHE WOULD COOK AND IT LOOKED LIKE

SHE WAS COOKING A MEAL FOR 10 PEOPLE.

SHE WOULD MAKE A LOT OF FOOD.

LIKE, LEFT A FACE PRINT.

OH, COME ON, GUYS.

AWW, IT'S OKAY.

IS DAD HERE ALREADY?

WOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN FINISHED.

YEAH. OKAY, GUYS, COME ON. GET YOUR STUFF.

Narrator: MICHELE FEELS HER EX-HUSBAND, STEVE,

ALWAYS ARRIVES TOO EARLY,

CUTTING HER TIME WITH THE KIDS SHORT.

BYE, MOM. - HEY, YOU GOT EVERYTHING?

YOU GOT YOUR SWEATER, YOUR BOOKS?

HEY, COME BACK.

GIVE YOUR MOM A KISS.

Worrell: THEY LIVED WITH THEIR DAD 'CAUSE,

WHEN HER AND STEVE DIVORCED, THEY LET THE CHILDREN DECIDE

WHERE THEY WANTED TO LIVE AND, BECAUSE THEY HAD GROWN UP

IN THAT AREA WHERE STEVE LIVED, THEY CHOSE TO STAY THERE.

BYE, MOM.

BYE, SWEETIE.

WHEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE AND SHE WOULD LIKE HUG YOU,

SHE WOULD KIND OF HOLD ON TIGHTER

CAUSE SHE DIDN'T REALLY WANT YOU TO LEAVE

AND SHE WANTED YOU TO STAY.

BYE, MOM. - SEE YA.

Narrator: THE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENT WORKS FOR THE KIDS,

BUT MICHELE FINDS IT HARD HAVING THEM AN HOUR'S DRIVE AWAY.

SHE KNOWS STEVE STILL HASN'T FORGIVEN HER

FOR LEAVING HIM, FOUR YEARS AGO, FOR ANOTHER MAN.

WHEN IT CAME TO MICHELE WANTING TO SEE THE KIDS,

I WAS ALL FOR IT 'CAUSE SHE'S STILL THEIR MOM.

SHE WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE THEIR MOM,

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN US.

Narrator: WITH NO KIDS AT HOME, NO HUSBAND,

AND, NOW, NO BOYFRIEND,

THE VERY SOCIAL MICHELE IS LONELY.

SHE GOES ON FACEBOOK TO LET PEOPLE KNOW SHE'S AVAILABLE.

RIGHT AWAY, SHE GETS A FRIEND REQUEST,

FROM A MAN NAMED ROCKY SWITZER.

LIKE HER, HE'S A TEXAS TRANSPLANT

AND NATIVE NEW YORKER.

HEY. - HEY.

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?

MICHELE WAS IN HER BEDROOM

AND SHE HAD HER YEARBOOKS ALL SPREAD ACROSS THE BED.

THIS GUY FROM HIGH SCHOOL

IS TRYING TO FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK,

BUT I CAN'T FIND HIM IN MY YEARBOOK.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY KEPT ALL THESE.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

HIS NAME IS ROCKY.

ROCKY SWITZER.

AND, APPARENTLY, HE WAS IN MY SISTER'S CLASS.

THE FACT THAT HE KNEW MELANIE, HER SISTER,

AND KNEW THE SCHOOL THEY HAD GONE TO

AND NEW SOME THINGS ABOUT HER FAMILY,

THAT MADE HER A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE.

SHE WENT AHEAD AND ACCEPTED THE FRIEND REQUEST.

WAS THAT YOU?

OH, MY GOD. GIVE ME THE BOOK.

DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THAT. THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING.

Narrator: THAT WEEKEND, MICHELE AND ROCKY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER

AND FIND OUT THEY'VE GOT LOTS IN COMMON.

Worrell: FROM WHAT MICHELE WAS SAYING,

THEY WERE MESSAGING BACK AND FORTH QUITE A BIT

AND BECOMING MORE AND MORE FRIENDLY.

MORNING.

MORNING.

ARE YOU STILL TALKING TO THAT GUY?

YEP.

SO, HE'S CUTE?

NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.

HE'S... HE'S NICE.

OH, NO, HE'S UGLY?

YOU KNOW WHAT? I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW

WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE, OKAY?

THERE'S NO PICTURE. - WHAT DO YOU MEAN,

HE DOESN'T HAVE A PROFILE PICTURE?

I DON'T KNOW.

HMM. OKAY, I GOT TO GO.

I JUST KIND OF LET IT GO AND THEN,

I THINK LIKE THE NEXT DAY,

HE HAD A PICTURE UP ON HIS PROFILE.

HEY, DENISE.

YEAH?

I FINALLY GOT A PICTURE.

OH, YEAH? AND?

HE'S KIND OF CUTE.

Narrator: MICHELE FINALLY SEES A PHOTO OF ROCKY.

HE LOOKS GOOD, BUT SHE WONDERS

WHO THE ATTRACTIVE BLONDE IS ON HIS ARM.

IT SEEMED TO HER LIKE HE WAS MORE LEGITIMATE.

THIS WAS A REAL PERSON.

Narrator: ON MONDAY MORNING, MICHELE GETS A MESSAGE.

ROCKY IS TRAVELING TO NEARBY ABILENE, TEXAS.

AFTER A WEEKEND OF MESSAGING,

MICHELE IS EAGER TO MEET HIM IN PERSON.

MICHELE IS EXCITED AND NERVOUS ABOUT HER DATE WITH ROCKY.

SHE KNOWS IT'S ONE THING TO BE ATTRACTED TO SOMEONE ONLINE,

BUT THE REAL TEST IS WHEN YOU MEET IN PERSON.

WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK, MICHELE WAS THERE.

HEY. - HEY.

YOU LOOK NICE. - WELL, THANK YOU.

SO, WHERE'S HE TAKING YOU?

ROCKIN' R STEAKHOUSE, SANTA ANNA.

OH, FANCY.

MM-HMM. LISTEN, I WON'T BE LATE.

OKAY. - OKAY.

HAVE FUN. - SEE YA!

IT WAS NICE TO SEE HER ENTHUSIASTIC

AND I WAS HAPPY FOR HER.

Narrator: AS MIDNIGHT APPROACHES,

DENISE CAN'T CONTAIN HER CURIOSITY

ABOUT MICHELE'S BIG DATE.

I SENT HER A TEXT AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, "HOW'S IT GOING?"

30, I SENT HER ANOTHER TEXT AND I SAID, "ARE YOU OK?"

AND I STILL DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BACK.

THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING IN ME THAT WENT,

"THIS ISN'T QUITE RIGHT." LIKE I KEPT REACHING OVER

AND LOOKING AT MY PHONE, YOU KNOW, WAITING FOR AN ANSWER.

THERE'S THAT PART OF MY MIND THAT KEPT WANTING TO GRASP ON

TO THAT, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG, I WOULD KNOW, YOU KNOW?

LIKE SHE WOULD'VE GOT A HOLD OF ME.

BUT THERE WAS A BIGGER PART OF MY MIND THAT WAS SAYING

"SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT HERE.

SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT."

Narrator: BY 4:00 AM, MICHELE STILL ISN'T PICKING UP.

Hey, it's Michele. Leave me a message.

Worrell: I GOT UP IN THE MORNING AND THE FIRST THING I DID WAS

CALL HOME DEPOT, TO SEE IF SHE HAD COME TO WORK.

HEY, THIS IS DENISE WORRELL.

HAS MICHELE REITER SHOWN UP FOR WORK YET?