Sword and Scale - Episode 252

Episode Date: November 6, 2023

In July of 2010, 15-year-old Sidnee Stephens was a troubled teen with a history of mental illness and running away from home so, no one in her immediate circle was too worried when she went missing yet again. Then, her dead body was found in the town creek. The investigation into Sidnee's murder would be long and strenuous, but most of all, it would prove just how unbelievably cruel and shortsighted teenagers can be.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5895676/advertisement

Cree is back. Summer of 99's tour. With very special guests on Selected, three doors down, Dottrie, Switchfoot, Tonic, Big Rack, and Finger 11. Get tickets now at LiveNation.com. Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. audiences. Listener discretion is advised. He uh, burned and took all the in and held it for several minutes. He stopped, checked or pulls, and there was a one. Welcome to season 10 episode 252 of Sword and Scale, a show that reveals at the worst monsters. You guessed it, are real. This month marks the 10th year of sword and scale.

I came up with this idea in October 29th of 2014 on my birthday, by the way. Thank you. Thank you for wishing me a happy birthday. Yeah, and now 10 years later, here we are. It's amazing. Life is really fucking weird sometimes. 3-DORS DOWN on July 25, 2010, a woman named Tracy Stevens found herself at the Pickneyville Police Department. She had reported her youngest daughter, 15-year-old Sydney Stevens missing over a week ago. Now things were getting serious.

No one had heard from her. When did you report her missing? Monday morning, the 19th, around 7 o'clock in the morning is going to call 911. Is that what you found her missing? Yeah, okay. You think she crawled out her bedroom window or no The way that my house is set up it's Flood level and fur room is the entire downstairs It's actually on it to bedroom house and I also have the 17 year old daughter. We live in On water street I'm actually on it to Bedroom House, and I also have the 17 year old daughter. What do you live in? Um, on Water Street. Uh huh. Right past the Grace Goa when it makes that little jig jog right there, and he folding has

her hair shop and all that right behind there is a white house. Most people, that's where Jerry and Lois folding you select? Oh, Jerry. In case you haven't figured it out, Pignyville is a very small town, the kind of place where everyone knows each other. In 2010, the town had just over 5,000 residents, we're talking tiny. It was unusual for teenagers to disappear in towns like this. In Tracy's modest split-level house, Sydney's bedroom was the entire downstairs floor.

Okay, so she had to basically the run of the downstairs at split-level. Right, okay. We gave my son the bedroom upstairs because he's the boy we couldn't have their all-sharing room. Right, right. And then the downstairs, because it's pretty good size, I'm going to have to put this on the side. This is her Sydney's dad. Can I please answer this one? Sure. Hello. It's pretty good size.

Tracy's phone was ringing off the hook. Sydney's disappearance was making the rounds through their family as well as the small town. Sydney had an older half-sister, Dakota, who was 17, and an older half-brother named Zachary. Dakota and Sydney were raised together by Dakota's father until Tracy revealed that Sydney was not actually his biological daughter. Sydney found this out when she was just a little girl and it really rocked her sense of being.

So you found her missing on the 19th? Yeah, the morning of the 19th. I told this story so many times. sense of being. 12. She was there. She was in a good mood. She was fine. She had been playing with the dog. Apparently the dog were sharing string cheese. They were sharing popsicles. Me and her were watching squid billies together. Let me ask you, who lives in the house with you? Me and Sydney and my daughter Dakota. Okay, and was Dakota at home during the time? Yeah. Dakota would have stayed the night at her boyfriend's house. And what's his name? Chad Bennett. He lived in Pinyville.

He lives with his grandparents out in Charlotte Hills. Dakota was out with her boyfriend Chad, so it was just Sydney and Tracy at the house. While Tracy was on the family computer, Sydney played with her dog, sharing a popsicle in a cup. So her and the dog were about to break it out of this cup. Whatever they do, I know it sounds disgusting, but they do it all the time. She had wrecked her bike on Saturday because it was like 7-3 Saturday night before I even really even come and pick me up. She had wrecked

her bike on Saturday and had scratched up her legs and hurt the pomegranate. I mean, it was just that pomegranate was just really bad. She was mad because she wrecked her bike and because her friends weren't home that were supposed to be home because they were supposed to go camp and the friends apparently. That was on Saturday night shoes. That was Saturday. That was Saturday. He was me. Sydney was upset with her friend, but this wasn't unusual. Sydney was played with emotional problems. She lived for drum and most people didn't want it.

They knew the things that she had done in the past. You know, they just, they didn't want to deal with it. She was, she was a load. I mean, she, it was a lot just to be her friend. And she had friends for a very short period of time. And then the next thing, you know, I never see her here from them again and she I was like so whatever happened to someone so well they did disapist me off or blah blah blah are they said this about me or said that about me it was always

somebody else's fault she's a teenager first of all and second of all she's bipolar. Sydney was a moody sensitive teenager and this was exacerbated by her bipolar disorder. Sydney's mental illness was finally taken seriously after Tracy found her in the laundry room of their house with a rope around her neck. She was trying to hang herself. Sydney was hospitalized and her whole life changed. realized in her whole life changed. Tracy was scared to leave her alone. After that, things had gotten really bad again, which resulted in Tracy having to install a lock on her own bedroom door.

It was a Sydney threatened to kill me and was hospitalized for that about two years ago. She made threads that she had a plan one night that she was going to slit my throat and then go ground herself in the bathtub. Who was going to help her? She was going to do it all by herself apparently. Sydney also ran away from home often, but she was always found. She'd be spotted or one of her friends would call Tracy. This time things were different.

It had been a week. Plus, Sidney left her purse in her bedroom when she vanished, and none of her shoes were missing. That didn't make sense. So you're saying she went barefoot? Yeah, and I told the police this. I tried to tell them something was wrong. They would not listen to me.

Yeah. What's her status with her cell phone during this time frame where you let her use her cell phone at all? Where she's sitting does not have a cell phone. Yes, that's all gone. No, it is all gone. Back in May, she got suspended from school. And the end of April, I had surgery.

And she got suspended from school. I took her cell phone away from her because she got suspended from school. Sydney had been in some trouble lately. Dakota and Sydney weren't getting along. Tracy was chalking it all up to the fact that she had two teenage girls under one roof. After finishing up on the computer,

Tracey decided to go to bed. I just want to say long, long, long, I said, you know, I'll see you later. She says, do you have to work in the morning? And I said, yeah, as you said, okay. And I said, good night, love you. And she said, good night, love you too. What time do you think that was?

About 11, 34, till, till somewhere right in there, the reasons I can remember that she said love you too, is because nine times out of 10, she hates me, because I'm mom. She don't like my rules, she don't like anything. So when she says love you, you know, I can say it in their sense she will not answer me. So these times she answered me.

So that's how I know she was in a decent mood. Sydney was happy the night before she vanished. That's what was so odd. Whenever Sydney disappeared in the past, she had been building up to a manic episode. Everyone could tell something was about to implode. This time, Sydney was calm. The next morning, she was gone. You know, something's wrong, and I've been telling the police

all week long, something with all of this is not right. I haven't, I haven't stayed at my, I stayed at my house Monday night and Tuesday night. The Sincen, I feel like I'm being watched and Dakota gets the same feeling. I feel like I'm being watched. There's something creepy about my house and neither one of us will go in there without each other or somebody else. Why do you think so?

I just... Is there something that maybe happened? I don't know. It's just a gut feeling that something's wrong. Another thing Dakota found on her vanity, which is by her bed on the other side of the room, she found the stuff on her vanity had been knocked over. Dakota just picked all that up and just kind of sat it back up, because it's on a very sturdy vanity and it wouldn't take a whole lot to bump it. It's just that real thin. When did she find that? That was Monday evening when me and her were

within Thursidne's room trying to figure out if something was missing. Her... And is there anything that you could think of who would want her? If somebody was not hurt, who worked at Thursidne's body at the takeover? I guess that I know she doesn't have a lot of friends her. If somebody's not heard or worked or seen anybody, you have to take her. I guess that I know she doesn't have a lot of friends. I know she's made a lot of people mad. I know she was into drugs. Who would she have made really mad or been involved with drug wise and would want to do something?

I don't really know. But the reason Tracy was at the police station was because that morning, they had found a body. Doomen had been fishing in the local river and spotted something floating in the creek. When the police arrived, they pulled up the body of a young woman. She was waterlogged and banged up. She was unrecognizable. The body had ratchet straps tied around her waist at one end, and it was tied to a

cinder block on the other. Whoever this was had suffered multiple bullet wounds to the head. The only identifying factor on the body was a piece of jewelry. The dead girl wore a silver necklace with a little musical note charm. The detectives pushed a photograph toward Tracy of the silver music note necklace. That's something she just recently got. And I think she got a clue. Do you know which one? Um... Nope.

What was that on? I had seen her wear that. But I hadn't... I hadn't really paid attention. Whether not she would have been wearing it lightly. I don't know. Is it wasn't on a necklace? What kind of necklace? You know, it's just a shame. I didn't like it.

Then? The girl was Sydney. The 15-year-old had been shot in the head, then tied to a cinder block and thrown in the river. But who on earth in this tiny, close-knit town would want to kill Sydney? If the stories we tell don't keep you up at night, then congratulations. I don't know how you do it. For me, I need a little sleep and the anxiety of modern day life and all the hustle and bustle of running a business and all the other things I gotta do every day. It's exhausting. Yet somehow I still can't get

a good night's sleep. Probably because my mind will just not shut down for a little while. sleep. Probably because my mind will just not shut down for a little while. You know, losing sleep can cause weight gain, mood issues, poor mental health, and definitely lower productivity. Sleeping less than 6-7 hours per night is linked to reduced white blood cell count, and white blood cells protect your body against illness and disease, fighting viruses, bacteria, and all sorts of other nasty stuff. You know, I've had a couple of health scares in my growing old age. And one of the things I've realized that should be obvious is sleep is necessary and important to your health.

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Lomi. That's $50 off when you head on over to LOMI.com. Slash monsters and use promo code monsters at checkout. Thank you Lomi for sponsoring this episode. 15-year-old Sydney Stevens had been found shot dead in a creek and tied down in the water. The teenager had a history of mental illness and running away. Sydney's mom Tracy had reported the troubled teen missing a week prior and told police that Sydney had a long history of running away in suicide attempts, and that she was also bipolar. Sydney had lost a lot of friends over the years and had dated some boys in town, but her mother couldn't think of anyone who would want to kill her.

Starting from the inside and working their way out, the detectives soon brought in Sydney's sister, 17-year-old Dakota, for questioning. They were only two years apart and hung out in the same social circles, though they didn't always get along. Dakota knew her sister, maybe she could shine a light on her period then we asked to leave things not one of me around each other. Sure. But other than that, we were got along great unless she was trying to take my stuff when we were fighting about chores or something. Though the sisters both loved emo music punk bands and dressed like your typical small town teenage golf chicks, Dakota and Sydney were very different people. Dakota is, you see her room,

there's, yeah, there's dust bunnies all over the place but everything is lined up, everything is organized, Dakota is OCD and she knows you can go in and move something quarter of an inch and she's going to walk in and immediately know that there's something wrong in that room. So let's talk about Sydney and her disappearance. Her disappearance is what everybody originally thought it was. Where were you when you were notified of her disappearance? I was at my boyfriend's house. And who's your boyfriend?

Chad Bennett. Okay. Does he live here in town? Yeah. Where's he live at? I don't know. It's address, but it's the same little subdivision that only lives.

OK. Who called you? The Hong Kong Paxson Chad, and he said, have people to call me when she wakes up. And he woke me up and said, call your mom, and then that's when she asked about you. And he said he was or anything, but no. She said, OK.

And I was like, why should I sit next to him again? And I can't find her. And I texted all my friends, and I said, sit next to him again. If you see her or know anyone that gets contact with her just following me around my mom. That's why Dakota said she wasn't super concerned. Sidney had gone missing many times. In fact, she'd run away just last summer, but was found hiding in the woods when she

ratted herself out to a boy she had a crush on. Dakota said that on the night Sydney disappeared she came home briefly with her boyfriend Chad. She only saw Sydney for putting that in the microwave? Okay, and other than that, she was just sitting. And when you were there, from 11, 11, 30 to 3, 3, 30, could you stay there at the house the entire time? Yeah. Do you ever go outside in the yard? No.

Anything like that? No. Do you smoke? No. Okay, does Chad smoke? Yeah. Oh, did you go outside for him to have a cigarette? No. Anything like that? Smoked in did you go outside for him to have a cigarette? No.

Anything like that? Smoked in my room. Because we had smoked a manhouse. Now the room didn't care anymore. Dakota and Chad left and went to meet some of their friends at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. Then they went out and did whatever dumb things teenagers do. Dakota slept over at Chad's house.

The next morning, Sydney and Dakota's mom Tracey called her daughter, tell her that Sydney was missing. And you call your mom, and like you said, you know, Sydney's gone. So what time do you go back to your house? I think his grandma dropped me out about noon. Chad leaves work about 145 and it takes him a little Chad and Dakota had been dating for a while now and things were as serious as serious gets in teenage land. Dakota was obsessed with Chad. He was her entire world. Tracey was not happy about any of this. Chad wasn't exactly the kind of guy you wanted your daughter to be dating. wanted your daughter to be dating. A guy named Chad never is, I hear. He was thuggish, moody, he was a troublemaker, and if that wasn't bad enough, he ran his own gang called

the P-town Saints. So what's the deal with this explain this gang to me that they're all in? I have no clue. I find it stupid and I told them it's stupid because if you're all living down the 5,000 people where the majority of the people are prisoners, you don't have a game. Right, we forgot to mention that about Picniewville. Even though the town has about 5,000 people, 2,200 of those residents are actually inmates at a prison. But they classified themselves as a gang.

I'm not quite sure if something happened at the cops and the cops started calling it again. I don't remember really. Well, what, why would you think the cops would classify this again? Because at first, from what I understood of it, it was just a whole bunch of friends that had each other's back, and it was just how are your friends that are in there. Someone told the cops they were spray paint and getting illegal weapons and illegal drugs.

And then the cops started saying that they were getting after they talked to him and noticed that okay. Well, who's the original gangsters? The only ones I knew of were good, hard, gentle, neat, and billy. Dakota was playing it down, but the P-town Saints took themselves very seriously. Dakota had become the queen bee of their little crew right after she and Chad became official. What an honor. See everyone of them know that if me and Chad are together and they call, and if I say no, that's how it goes.

Until it goes, because I'm Chad's girlfriend and I'm glad. I don't want him hanging out with someone or it's just supposed to be me and him. Dakota had become instantly cool when she started dating Chad. That's what happens when you start dating a Chad, you become instantly cool, didn't you, ladies, know that? She was someone now to be feared and revered. You can't be too, ladies, just go find yourself a Chad. Check the phone book. If y'all still know what that is, I guess. But Dakota wasn't always a cool girl.

When she was little Dakota was extremely strange. Tracy reported that for an entire year when she was in grade school, Dakota was convinced that she was a dog and insisted that everyone treat her like a pet. She didn't speak, she just barked. What is it dogkin or caninekin? Animalkin? He's the general at furries, we'll stop at nothing. That's how you. After about a year of this nonsense, she stopped and went back to being herself again. As Dakota grew into a teenager, she became moody and gravitated towards emo and punk.

She was obsessed with Kurt Cobain and twilight Brooks, whatever that is. Sydney really looked up to her big sister. She wanted to be just like her. I was going to ask you about Chan. How was his relationship with Sydney? What did you always pick up on? He didn't like Sydney a whole lot. I mean, he tolerated her because it was this girlfriend's Dakota's little sister, you know. She never really, there was just one or two times that I can remember that they ever even, like, went together somewhere like if Dakota was going out, I don't think Sydney ever went alone with Chad anywhere. This is like, let me talk to the force you said it. You said it in my chat.

She liked him, but as far as him liking, I mean, her, then he didn't really care for all that many. Sydney was different because I'm herbie and bipolar. And she would, Sydney was all about drama and Chad seemed that he didn't want a lot to do with the drama. And I think more than anything, she just kind of got on his nerves. Tracy admitted that Chad and Dakota would be annoyed if she asked them to keep an eye on Sidney. But the only thing that I think what I was going to say earlier is the only thing that I could think of that Chad why he wouldn't like her because

with Sydney being bipolar there were times like whenever I go to work or if I had plans to go and do something or whatever Dakota wasn't able to go and do what she wanted to do because I would have to have her stay with Sydney. Not all the time. There was, dependent on how Sydney's mood was and how she'd acted days before. As to whether or not I would leave her by herself or if I would make sure that Dakota was with her. Then the police got a hold of chat. So I understand here that you'd decode his voice. Is that right? Yeah. And how long have you and decode been together? The Tony, through this month, it'll be a year and a half.

Okay. So you've been around Sydney for a little while, during that time frame? Yes, sir. I didn't know I talked to her too much. I mean, that's just a lever now, and then we'd have little conversations, like, say, like, all I use in the shower, you know, or something like that. So did you and decode have ever with her, her boyfriend's or anything?

No. You guys never want to place it together or anything like that? Nope. She was really jealous of me and Dakota, like what we had, because we've lasted for so long, and her boyfriend's on the last for maybe a week, if that. Chad claimed that Sydney would go through Boyfriends quickly and that he didn't really know any of them except that time she dated his good friend Carl Dane. As soon as her boyfriend that she'd been singing over the last four or five six months anybody in particular. I don't know if she is not like Carl for maybe two weeks. There's Carl.

Carl then. Carl banded you to help. Because they were together for a little bit, like I said, maybe two to an hour weeks. But I know as soon as her and Carl broke up, she got real mad at him because he's the one that I'm not Turkish. She kind of cheated, whatever. And what time frame has been in? When was that happened?

The Carl was murdered. I mean, being a 4-year-old like the first time. The police decided they should get in touch with Carl Dane. See if he knew anything about what happened to Sydney. But before they reached him, they got a call from Sydney's older brother, who said that when he ran into Carl a day prior, Carl had told him that he witnessed Sydney's murder. Carl Dane was a greasy teenager with a shaggy mushroom cut and a red goat tea. The cops were familiar with Carl Dane. The cops were familiar with Carl Dane. He had been arrested for minor charges over the years, mostly drugs and stealing, so they

brought him in for a little chat. No, but I've such a He'd talk to anybody about Sydney's family recently Well, I talked to brother yesterday of the times Okay, I wanted to tell her brother your statement down Nothing really He was asking if I knew anything nice. I didn't So you didn't tell her brother that you witnessed the whole thing? No. You're sure about that?

Yeah, I didn't tell him that. I didn't tell him that. What did you tell him? I told him I didn't know him trying to get it. Well, I mean, I do think that's pretty far off from... I mean, those two segments are just completely opposite, aren't they? So how can anybody make a mistake about what you said? I don't know.

So did he get mad at you after you talked to him? He seemed pretty pissed while I was talking. Why did he seem so pissed? It's just that all this shit happened to me. I do pissed as long as I have a no sister to him. Carl's story was suspicious, and he was acting sweaty and strange. to do something else has to do. Carl's story was suspicious and he was acting sweaty and strange. Did you see pretty nervous, is there any particular reason why you're nervous?

I'm not really, I don't really like getting in the cow stations. Did you see the day, Sydney? Yeah, when? Like March or April. Tell on about week. One week? Why did it end so quick? Well, she got mad one day because I didn't take her fishing.

I think she just left. You know, I went up school next day. I'm like, hey, if you're not, like, right now, we done. So you broke up with her and she'd break up with you? Yeah, it's been a half-life, right now. We done. So you broke up with her and she'd break up with you? Yeah, that's good. So if you're making things somebody, anybody about being a mad at Sydney? No, I was mad at her for a little bit, but I got over it.

Why were you mad at her since you broke up with her? Just the way she acted. When we were together. Which was how? She didn't get a wish on that. Carl said that he and Sydney only dated for a week or so, and that they did normal couple stuff. The relationship wasn't that big of a deal. at the time. I've set it up at the park, you know, when I say, like, no, I'm at an air house. Belonger, the detectives, talked to Carl. The more they realized he was just a

nervous, lying teenager. You remember where you were on Sunday night, the, what was it? Eight, eight, the eight teeth. I was sitting at home. It's a pretty quick answer. How do you know where you were that long ago? I just remembered, you know, I remember long down there, every once in a while. Carl claimed he was home with his friend James Glasier. Nothing happened.

They just hung out. Carl wove his story as he nervously tapped his toe and stuttered. to find that out. Sheriff Jolman's like, I never said anything to him. And what did you find out that city was sitting with Dave? Just, tough days ago, you know, it was only days. Nobody told you you just saw him these. Nobody's talked you about since then. Not really. After the interview, detectives took Carl back to his grandfather's house, where he'd been

living for a while. When they walked onto the property, the police were taken through the garage and spotted something jarring, a pile of cinder blocks, and the same orange ratchet straps. The exact same two things that had been tied to Sydney's dead body in the creek. They immediately arrested Carl and took him back to the station. Before they even read him his rights again, Carl said this. What's that? You're going to tell me here's a little kid that's a guy. If you was a guy? Well, you're the guy you mean? We'll talk about that in my team coming in and we'll talk about it all together, okay?

Show me how you confess to a murder without actually confessing to a murder. That's how. What is it you need to tell us? The person that killed you? The person that killed? The person that killed? The person that killed you? The person that killed you? The person that killed you? The person that killed you? The person that killed? Sydney students. Sydney students.

And how did you do that? Well, none of the doors one locked. So I climbed up on a porch. That door was unlocked. So I walked in there. You're talking about Sydneyney's sandwich. Yeah. Walked out of stairs where she usually was at. And she was there that night. So I woke up, told her, hey, let's go. She didn't want to. So I showed her out. She already didn't call. She's called. My car.

Carl spoke quietly as he confessed to kidnapping Sidney out of her bedroom that Saturday night and stuffing her into his car. with your hands. Yeah. And she didn't try to struggle her hand. She tried. Did scratch you, didn't do nothing like that. You're shaking your head no. No she didn't. So who else was in the car? Nobody. Okay so did you try to restrain your hand? No I put her in the trunk to her. The brakes, the shodder cup of time, is pushed her off. What car were you in? The Pontiac. Did your grandpa's plan? Did you shoot her while she was in the car?

No. What was your shoot at them? I don't really do sure. I didn't see where it was at. Where was she at? I ran on the bridge. What she passed out there, or was she like? She passed out. Was she passed out there? Was she like, she was passed out?

Was she still breathing? I didn't say it, I didn't think like it. Carl said that after he shot Sydney and threw her off the bridge, he went back a few days later, with that ratchet strap and the cinder block, so he could tie it to her and keep her under the water. And how many times did you shoot? I shot four times. I don't know about many times I hit.

Shot four times. With what? 22 pistol. Where's that pistol at? The bottom of the lake. What lake? Um, no, be sure it's somewhere in there. Could you show us?

I really can't remember where it's at. I went out and got a problem with my toy. Okay, where did you get the 22 pistol? To Honda. Well, I know you didn't find it, but what did that pistol look like? It looks like a old-time luke. Okay, what is it? Was it a rigor?

Yeah, it's a rigor. Rigor 22. While the sun did you decide to do this at this point? What triggered it? Did you see your somewhere or something? I don't know, I just heard she was a snitch. Okay, and is there some sheets of snitch on you about? Carl's story wasn't adding up. It would have been very tough for him to handle this operation all on his own. Not impossible, but it's unlikely. Plus, by his own admission, Carl dated Sydney for

a week before they broke up. That's not much of a motive to murder someone, even for teenagers. The cops knew Carl was a part of the P-town Saints when they brought in James Glasier. They found out he was also in the gang. James, I know at one time you was part of a gang, right? What's the name of that gang? P-town Saints, P-town Saints, are you still a part of that gang? Yes. You are still a part of that gang? What's your affiliation with the gang? with his childlike speech impediment. James seemed years younger than he actually was. I mean, he sounded like about 12 and not 17.

But in the grand scheme of things, these boys were all still kids. The brains were not fully developed yet. And here they were at the pulley station, being questioned about a murder. That's some great parenting guys. James took his duty as head soldier of the P-Town Saints very seriously and. Who's the two ahead of you? Uh, Colin, Chad. Carl. Who?

Dang. See, how do you mean he's the head of you? He's second command. Okay. And what's his title? Second command. He just seconded. Yes.

What's his duties? He's one-hawled me, so he makes sure I do my duties on keeping everybody else. And what? And he was this other guy you're talking about? Chad Bennett. And what's he? OG. And what does he say?

He's top original Game Store. James said he was at Carl's house the night that Sydney disappeared. In fact, James had been living at Carl's grandpa's house for weeks. Now that the cops had Carl's confession, they knew that James was wrapped up in this, too. The mind-knowledge, your name has been brought up, and now you're going to be charged here and I'm going to leave here. That's not the time to play games. That's the time for the game.. That's the time for the game. So that's the time for the truth.

If you wanna talk to us, we're more than happy to talk to you, to get to the bottom of it, because that little girl did not deserve what happened to her. I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't want to know one. The people that was there with you said you was there and you didn't end on it. I didn't do anything. I wasn't no well. I wasn't no well.

I was at Carl's. He was with Carl. You know where Carl is? I think he's at his mom's. No. He's sitting back here. He is in jail. For what?

You think he did it? He is charged with first. He said he did. With first degree murder. When he'd do it. When you was with him. When with first degree murder. When he do it. When you was with him. When you was with him. I was in one of them.

He said you was. And he said he was with him the whole time. Yeah, for the last three weeks, you've been with him. You meet him left his side. Everything he's done, he's done. That's when James asked to stop and have an attorney present.

The cops agreed and left the room. After a while, they came back and James changed his mind. He didn't want a lawyer, he was willing to talk. He just wanted his mom there with him. So they think that's the only thing to keep Carl from hurting you. Okay? Do it. Okay, James. So you want to talk to us now, right?

Is that what you like, I do, but? He's scary. James, there's no, you know what's already equivocating me? No. Well, there's no, you know it's already equivocating? No. Well, there's no compromise, okay? In other words, you either want to talk to us, or you don't want to talk to us, okay? Talk.

Talk. No. You can't help me since you're a victim, you can't help me. Yeah, so he's in jail. He's in jail. He can't hurt you. No, he's in a situation. James confessed everything.

Carl hadn't done this alone. And there was another boy there from the gang. Robbie Mueller. They all drove to Sydney's house in Carl's grandpa's car. Literal children murdering other children. He told us on the way what he was doing. He said, if we ever taught, we were dead. Okay, then what did he say?

He told you what we were going to do? He told us, we were wrong. This is the takes in theinkel. He told us we were going to. And he had to go down his pants at 22 pistol. And if we didn't cooperate, he would shoot us on this spot. When they got to Sydney's house, James and Carl snuck in together, while Robbie waited outside as the lookout. Do you want to be told to be the wakeer of the table, or upside-down?

Try to run it and scream, I don't know what can I take to you. I had this real or like white tape. Okay, and then what happened? No, I could have done some traces and wake up. Because of traces you woke up cold and shooted. I don't want to be killed, tracey. How do you know that the girl was going to shoot tracesy as well? You told us before we walked in.

He said, no, leave no witnesses. James tried to get Sydney to come with them, but she fought. I asked her to be quiet. She started walking. And I taped her hands up. James tried to get Sydney to come with them, but she fought. That's when James and Robbie tackled Sydney and choked her until she passed out. Then Robbie and Carl dragged her out the door while James pulled the car around. They shoved Sydney's limp body inside and Carl took over in the driver's seat. He went down to almost a cush town down by the bridge. I closed my eyes. Robbie turned around and called but like full shots. I hold.

Carl shot Sydney and then gave his instructions. He pointed to the enemy and Robbie told us to put your head. And we did. He told me to kick right here and told Robbie to push right here when I did. The whole body went with the head. James and Robbie kicked Sydney's lifeless body through the rails. And she tumbled down into the water with a splash. The boy has got in the car and left.

So they went ahead and went back, buried the gun, buried the clothes. and left. Listen to James' reaction here. He's truly shocked that the cops found the gun they buried. Teenagers can be so fucking shortsighted, literally stupid. Yet they think they're so much smarter than everyone else. Have you noticed? After burying the gun, they buried all the clothes they were wearing along with their late-text clubs. And nobody will find those. Just like Carl had confessed, they came back a few days later and attached the cinder block and ratchet straps to Sydney's body. I really feel like touching the body, I was saying anything, so I just wrapped it like right here. Yeah, insert it in.

Well, how did you get to where she was in the water? No, she was underneath the bridge and she floated back up towards the land. The detectives wanted to know if Chad knew about this. After all, he was their gang leader, the original gangsta. Since Chad's the leader, what do you know about this? The original Gangsta because Toda's Chad's girlfriend. Right, was there ever a time that you and you and Carl and Chad talked about this in front of Dakota? If she was sleeping one time and me and Cole talked about it, I don't know if Chad was playing it.

If she was in the back, ho and Chad, well I think they were sleeping. And me and Cole were talking about it in the front. You talking about it in the car, didn't you? Me and Cole talked in the front. And Dakota? Ah, well Dakota had claims she knew nothing about any of this, even though she was the queen of the P-town Saints. But then Tracy said something and passing that stopped the detectives dead in their tracks.

Sydney wrote a lot of things down, thoughts, feelings, things that were kind of weird in my opinion. There had been rumors a while back and somewhere written down in a notebook that Dakota come across. It said something about it at one point in time. Sydney had slept with Chad. The Dakota played it off like she was the most confident girl in the world. She was always a little skeptical of Chad when it came to other girls.

You ever look at a soulful? No. OK, yes. I was going to say don't even go there. Don't even go there. It's only to see you. We text the most of the time. It's just text messages for me.

Okay, did you look at us all that night? No. When was the... when did you look at it? By the time I looked at it, I know where I'm on since I looked at it. Because there's been... I've heard sometimes that he was cheating on me so I was looking big, so I was seeing a thing and I never seen anything. But it was just people trying to start stuff.

So in terms of people aren't starting stuff. Some people sometimes they just don't know how to go about telling somebody that they know that they like, that they care about, that this guy could be a creep bow and he's messing around on you. I hope it's them. What would happen and he's messing around on you. I hope it's him. What would happen if he was messing around on you? I'd be very, very upset.

If Dakota admitted she would be very, very, very upset if Chad cheated on her with another girl, how much rage would fill her? If she thought that girl was her own little sister? . Sydney Stevens was a troubled teen with bipolar disorder and a history of running away from home. But this time, she'd really gone missing. She was found dead in a creek and her ex-boyfriend Carl Dane along with his friends James Glasier and Robbie Mueller had admitted to kidnapping and murdering Sydney. The boys all belonged to a gang named the P-town Saints, and the head of the gang Chad Bennett also happened to be Sydney's older sister's boyfriend.

Carl, James, and Robbie were all arrested for Sydney's murder. But it was still unclear as to who truly killed Sydney. James confessed to choking Sydney until she passed out, while Carl admitted to shooting her. However, if she was already dead when Carl shot her, then James was the one who actually caused her initial death, not Carl. The police needed to figure this out. If only, for the benefit of the family. Sydney's sister Dakota and Chad basically walked free. Dakota was arrested briefly for obstructing an investigation but was released.

There was nothing concrete tying them to the murder other than the suspected motive and their affiliation. Carl James and Robbie didn't have any real motive to murder. Sydney, either. Other than the fact that they didn't like her. But Dakota had a motive. She thought Sydney had slept with Chad, and she was sick of the fact that she had to babysit her sister's mental illness, all of the fucking time.

While Carl James and Robbie sat in jail, Dakota and Chad went on living their lives. They even talked about getting married. Tracy was beside herself. Because Chad got into Dakota something for her birthday that cost over $800 and she thinks it's an engagement ring. Dakota was about to turn 18 and Tracy knew that her daughter would no longer be under her legal guardianship. Like the police, Tracy also had a feeling that he was behind Sydney's murder plot. So Tracy asked her boyfriend's daughter to try to talk with Dakota. And I had text Laura in a couple other family members asking them to please talk to them since and to her to not house this evening and side outside for a couple of hours, actually, at least.

Outside with nobody else around, and she more opened up to Laura than she has with me or anything else. She would say things about her and how much his involvement was, and Dakota would either agree or disagree with what she was saying. The cops got Laura on the phone and she relayed what Dakota had confessed. I said, but if Chad is so innocent, then what the evidence proves that he's innocent and you have nothing to worry about. I said, but you're sitting here worried right now.

So correct me if I'm wrong. And she just kind of looked up and she started bawling and I said, you know more than people know you know. And I know that. I said, and I have known that. And all she do is kind of shake her head, yeah. Shake her head, yeah. people know you know and i know that i said and i have known that and she just all she did is kind of shaker head yeah shaker head yeah shaker head yeah

and i said now you tell me is it fair you want to keep your boyfriend but your mom didn't get to keep her daughter and i just kind of and it sounds horrible because i was trying to honest god i do care about the girl but i just kind of cut and it sounds mean, but I just kept kind of breaking her down, breaking her down, and breaking her down. And I said, now look, let me help you.

I can help you. I can help you have a future. You can go to college. You can, you know, all the reality of things. I said, or you can keep things the way they are and either end up in prison because you look like a liar because you're not talking or end up in a mental institution because it'll fester at you and after you lose your mind. Dakota was a scared little girl pretending to be tough. So she told Laura she would talk to the cops on her terms. She's like anti-authority 17-year-old kid.

She doesn't want it to be an interrogation on her. And I told her it wouldn't. It'd be polite questions being asked. OK, you know what about this? And it really needs to be anonymous as possible, because she's scared. I think there's more than she even led on to me because she didn't say a whole lot, but she would agree or disagree.

There was a lot more than Dakota led on and everyone was about to find out. In the fall of 2012, Robbie Mueller decided to give a proper statement to police, clarifying who actually killed Sidney that night and why they all plotted her murder. Maybe Robbie was trying to save his own butt, but maybe he was telling the truth. The state needed to charge these kids. Sydney needed justice and this would get them one step closer. Carl had to go to play that and that's when she kind of flipped out and James grabbed her and they wrestled to the ground and everything and Carl walked over towards me and stood by me and she was kind of wrestling with everything

and Carl told me he'll help him and I went over and I put her in a chokehold. Sure, sure. Like, and she wanted conscious. This is just so sick and vicious. These boys had a rule in their gang, no hitting women. Yet kidnapping and choking a woman until she passed out was somehow acceptable. I guess with fire wasn't at or something like that, because I know I wrote a trip and fell in the back. And James ended up putting her chokehold and kept it on her for quite a long time. He put her in chokehold and held it for several minutes.

And he stopped, checked her pulse, and there was a wound. It must have been three or four minutes of guessing. According to Robbie, it was James who killed Sydney with his chokehold. If Sydney was dead, when they put her in the car, then Carl's gunshots were not murder. Robbie also told the cops that the P-town Saints had some rules everyone had to follow. Yeah, you're not supposed to talk about stuff like the phone. Not supposed to say it was 70, which I would. It was part of the games rules or excuse me, the P-town Saints rules.

You couldn't talk to certain people, and what-town St. Rules. You couldn't talk to certain people. And what I'm assuming. Yeah. It was unclear as to who made this rule, to code a chat or Carl. But it was a rule that the gang had written down on paper and told every member to memorize and follow. Robbie then said that he heard Chad, James, and Carl planning Sydney's kidnapping and murder.

It was Carl, James and Chad. It was my Chad's truck. I wouldn't use it back when I came out. It was a sandblast truck. And I, the only words I would heard was, tell me what night you want to do it. And I'll make sure Dakota leaves the door locked. Did you hear that? I'll make sure Dakota leaves the door locked. Did you hear that? I'll make sure Dakota leaves the door unlocked.

James Carl and Robbie were all looking at life sentences. If they could prove their involvement, Chad and Dakota could face the same. The town was disgusted with this savage murder and the state wanted these bullies to pay. About a week after Robbie's proper statement, the cops had to code up back in to talk. Now, she had died pink hair and it was cut short. She looked skinny and sickly as she sat down. Jessica also tells us that you unlocked the door for cat, a sliding glass door. Remember on the balcony? She said, you guys talked about that. Now you remember when I talked to you about that, you never would admit to me that you

unlocked the door for cat. Why would Jessica tell you that tell the the past she has nothing to gain she has nothing to gain she didn't because they were trying to know the reason she saying that is she saying that you believed that that she's supposed to what you told her is that you believed that they were going to come and scare her. Scared of the sleep in the old witch-add, with Sidney and Chad possibly sleeping together. And we're on our way to the beach and then you can go. Well, she was briefly locked up to Coda confessed to her cellmate that she had left the door unlocked so the boys could scare Sidney. And she did it because her sister had slept with Chad.

She's saying that you did it. So they could come in and scare Nath to kill her. And she's not adding to this. She's saying that if she even says in her statement, she told me that if she knew that they were going to kill her sister, that she wouldn't have done it. I mean, that's in detail. This doesn't make sense.

With what you're saying, I don't remember telling her that, though. And this one here, she says that you come in and told how much you hated your sister and was glad that she was gone. And she asked me why I was in jail and I told her what it was for. And I said, well, I think it's a lot to do with my love. And she was like, well, why? I was like, well, I was in my mom's case that I wanted my sister to because she was apparently sweeping with my boyfriend, but I never knew it was true or

not, that's what I told her. And then she asked me if I believed it, I told it, I really did. No reason I knew you cheated on me before, but I didn't think that Sydney would want to do that to hurt me. While Dakota was whimpering to the officers, Chad was down the hall and they were about to arrest him. But what you have to understand is, chances are ready to be arrested right now too. One of these days, what's Chad gonna tell us, that's gonna hurt you down the road. I had everything to do with it.

That's what you said then too, but you may say something like that. But you know what? You're the one that's here first right now with us, and you're the one that can make it right first. Okay. You're the one that's been on the earth, you know what I think you're the one that's been hurting. The police pressed Dakota for hours until she finally cracked. It took two years, but she admitted to the truth.

What did you do in that door? Tell me. Huh? What did you do? You told me to lock it with a phrase. Okay. Look at that. You can handle it. I'm not looking at me.

What did you do? You told me to do the lock and you told me to do it. You have a staff lock. And you unlocked the door. I want to be prepared for the player on something about this door's pack. You're telling the truth when you say that you left it unlocked. The chat asked you to. Is that all right? And that's the only reason you're telling us that The P-town Saints had planned Sydney's kidnapping and murder together. Dakota was aware, even though she didn't know everything.

She unlocked the door so they could execute their plan. James strangled Sydney until she was dead. Carl drove the car and shot Sydney. Robbie was forced to go along at gunpoint. All the boys together rolled Sydney into the creek and tied her down with a cinder block. And Chad, Chad allegedly provided the guns. Chad organized the plan, Chad motivated his crew, but Chad kept his hands clean. He was the OG, after all. He didn't have to get his hands dirty.

He just had to point his finger and say, go. 15-year-old Robbie Mueller took a reduced sentence for his proper statement. He was originally given 26 years, but after some complications with his lawyer, the appeal and a heartfelt court date where he received Tracy Stevens forgiveness, he was given a lighter sentence. He will be out this year.

James Glasier got 60 years. Carl Dane pleaded guilty to murder and was given 60 years as well. But the day before he was supposed to be transported to the prison, he hung himself in a cell. Chad Bennett was initially arrested for kidnapping, home invasion, and first-degree murder, but in 2013 all the charges were dropped. The DA filed a Nolay Prosecui, which means he did not wish to prosecute the case at the time. The reason there weren't any witnesses to testify. All the living P. Town Saints as well as Dakota refused to testify against their precious

leader, even though they were offered immunity. Dakota Wall was given 26 years on the home invasion charge. She is now out of prison and living her life. Judging by her Facebook page, she seems to be doing just great, and by the looks of it, she's even got a new boyfriend. Sydney Stevens may have been a pain in the butt little sister who required as much attention as the next needy teenager, but that was Sydney.

She was 15. What 15-year-old is in a bit annoying, moody, and headstrong. She had an unstable upbringing and a lot of severe mental issues. What Sydney needed was love from her family, so she would know that there was more to life than the sad little cycle she was stuck in. Instead, she got neglected, rejected by her big sister, and left downstairs in the basement. Sydney would likely have grown up and matured into a decent young woman. Maybe she would have found therapy and tackled her demons head on. Maybe not.

We're all imperfect. May all have our own problems. The point isn't what Sydney could have become. The point is, what she never got the chance to try to become, because of her own sister. And for displaced, dysfunctional boys, who decided to try to prove to each other just how tough they all really were, by killing a defenseless teenage girl. The P-Town Saints were a bunch of children playing gangster.

Now one of them is dead and the other will be in jail until he dies. And Chad? Well, Chad finally got his. In 2018 he pleaded guilty to the home invasion charge in order to avoid the first degree murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Speaking of years, it took eight of them, but justice was finally served. Rest in peace, Sydney. You didn't find love in this world, but maybe you'll find peace in the next. Well, that's gonna wrap it up here. Thank you for joining us once again. If you haven't heard it yet, check out Certain Scale Nightmares. It's available now for free on Spotify, Apple, all the things.

And you might like it. And there's like 30 episodes now, so go check it out and stay safe. ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ‍ʻ� Hey, great show. Colin's the Wayne on the figure. Figured to be so I'm going to give a little background. I watched a lot of Formula One Moto G Team ended space out of Europe and all the commentators are English and they say figure. So I'm pretty sure they invented English language. So I think you win in this one, Mike. 1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5-1-1.5-1-1-1.5-1.5-1.5-1.5- nd nd

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