Hey, Tenderfoot listeners.Do you have a minute?We'd love to hear from you.We want to know what you think about the shows you love.What keeps you coming back?What could make your listening experience even better?
Your feedback helps us grow and deliver the content you care about most.It's super simple.Just fill out our quick survey.You'll be part of determining what stories we tackle next.Plus, you could win a nice prize just for sharing your thoughts.
Head over to tenderfoot.tv slash survey and let your voice be heard and you'll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card plus a Tenderfoot merch pack.It only takes a few minutes and it makes a big difference.
Thank you for being part of our community.We can't wait to hear from you.
Episode 12, Chapter 25, Memory Problems.
I'm retracing the route from Divine Compare's house in Calabasas to the spot in Malibu where Elaine Park's car was found at the exact time she left Divine's house a year earlier, trying to see if I notice anything that helps explain what happened to her.
It is a pretty time to drive down to the beach and actually watch the sunset.
So why not sit there and watch the sunset?I'm just about to be at her spot. Obviously, I meant to say sunrise.It's about 6.25 a.m.
And what I notice is that even at this early hour in the winter, there are people here stopping, talking, and taking photos.Here I am, I'm pulling into the exact spot where Elaine pulled in.
So any unusual activity, such as a struggle or someone walking into the water fully clothed, would likely be noticed.And just to clarify, it remains uncertain if Elaine actually drove her car there herself. I mean, so there is activity.It's not dead.
The first car since I've pulled in at this spot is about to pass me right now.
All right, we're getting in my car.
The sun's rising.It's rising, like, right in your face.Tomorrow will be the actual anniversary of her disappearance. I guess I would do this again tomorrow and do the full drive again from Tim's house.
And with the help of Rosemarie, the rest of the Malibu team, Elaine's friends, and Elaine's brother, we put together an event called Holding Onto Hope to mark this sad occasion.
Well, it's been a year now since a 20-year-old Glendale woman went missing without a trace.Elaine Park's friends and loved ones gathered today to mark the anniversary.
Hey, good to see you.I guess we can start it.I just wish there were more people here.Hey, nice to see you, man.By the way, guys, I'm recording.I'm always recording.Unfortunately, at the event, Elaine's father is not there, nor is Elaine's mother.
But Elaine's brother, Dustin, is.
Yeah, like my parents have been saying, especially my dad, he just doesn't want us to keep all this attention on us.But in my head, I was just like, no, F that.
And that's what I've decided in my head is that my sister's more of a priority than my mom or my dad.I don't really care if I'm doing something that they're not cool with because my sister's more of a priority to me.
Exactly.It's not something girls should forget about.
Family and friends of Elaine Park send messages of hope to the now 21-year-old who disappeared a year ago today.
My heart feels like it's ready to drop at any moment.
For her older brother, the past 365 days have been difficult to say the least, and he's making another plea to help find her.
One of the reasons why Elaine's mother isn't here is because a month earlier, there was a problem. At this point, we'd been renting Elaine's room for half a year, paying $1,500 a month.
And the police, although they'd remained very interested and receptive, still hadn't been able to come through on the warrants they'd been talking about or brought anyone in to ask some of the tougher questions.And we began to worry they never would.
So we thought bringing in fresh, professional eyes to look at the case and talk to those involved might help.
If we had all the resources that the police have, man, this thing would have been solved.
But that's the thing, is they don't even have the resources that they have.Because, like you said, they have to go fill out paperwork, you have six months of getting permission, $3,000 to open up the fund.
They're responding to budgetary constraints, resource constraints, their superiors, and then public opinion and all that.In a sense, you're freer than the PD is, even though you may not have the resources they have.
The voice you hear speaking with Ingrid is that of the former head of the Behavioral Analysis Program at the FBI, Vince. Vince flew in from Washington, D.C.
with his colleague, Scott, who'd worked for seven years with the FBI and 18 years with the CIA.We briefed them on the case, they researched the material firsthand, and then began their own series of interviews with Elaine's family and friends.
We also consulted a Korean-American agent at the FBI who works in the Korean community.And like us, they ended up in a rabbit hole around Susan's behavior.Here's Scott.
just can't clarify what exactly it is that she's holding back.But my belief is that she's not telling the whole story, whatever all's involved in that whole story. the discussion seemed contrived.
And she got, you know, very nervous and anxious about, you know, more pointed questions.And there's a clear change in her demeanor from when we're going, you know, with the past, her past and Elaine's past.
And all of a sudden, you know, she starts having memory problems. And so, again, you know, the overall conclusion is there's just a lot of discrepancies and some very atypical behavior, which, you know, adds suspicion.
Because they were asking Susan harder questions, the interview ultimately accomplished two things.One, it provided even more inconsistencies than we already had. Two, it let Susan know what some of our questions and concerns were.
And consequently, she began to distance herself from us.And in the end, that's why she wasn't at the event we helped organize to mark the anniversary of her daughter's disappearance.
And, you know, she openly admits that she understands that as a relative, as the mother, that, you know, she, as well as everybody else, would be a suspect until cleared.
And when we keep pressing on her, she says that she would take a polygraph and so forth.And then towards the end of the interview, she says that she's not going to take it.It's because she no longer trusts us.She doesn't trust you.
She doesn't trust the team of people that she's got involved with as the reason why she's not going to take a polygraph.
Again, just kind of running it with probabilities, most family members will say, sure, if that's what it's going to take, because I'm telling you, you're trying to get up the wrong pole here.I am not involved in the disappearance of my daughter.
But if that's what it takes to clear, then sure, I'll do it.
As Scott notes, there still are people who would be indignant or offended at the suggestion of taking a polygraph test, or worried that even though they're innocent, they might fail the test anyway, or concerned, in Susan's case, that the blood pressure medication she takes might affect it or that the examiner might be biased.
After completing their interviews, Scott and Vince's conclusions reaffirm where so many others have landed.
But at the same time, it's discouraging to see that no one, not us, not the police, and not investigators who've worked at the highest level of security, are able to find out where Elaine is and what happened to her.
I know this has been wearing you out, and I know this is emotionally bad. moment, and you're paying a price for it, emotionally and psychologically.
It's just hard for me to accept that we might not get an answer or a solution to find out what happened to her.I just can't accept that.
OK, you're now experiencing the angst of the professional investigator.You've been in this long enough, the two of you, that it's now closing in on a year, and you're feeling like a lot of cops now.Career investigators have this happen all the time.
And they go a year, two years, five years, 10 years, 20 years, and they run up against the wall.
Yeah, man, it's so hard to accept.
And you as a non-law enforcement, you're not a cop, but you're feeling what cops feel all the time.
Chapter 26.I'm sorry I took her away from you.
Basically, after the FBI guys came and interviewed Susan, she's upset and she's like, you can just release the room.I've got a job now, so I don't need the money anymore anyway.
I'm on the phone with Jade and Brant, trying to figure out next steps and if we should just stop paying rent for Elaine's room and give up on the hope of anything officially being done there.
Why do you think, after saying they're getting warrants so often, they haven't pulled the trigger?
you know, it produces nothing.I've been on the other side of those warrants and that's like not a great thing to have happen.
You know, you take time and resources and money and, you know, also kind of, you know, also kind of the social capital, you know, and trying to convince your boss to move forward with the warrant and then going to a judge and saying, you know,
and swearing the facts on a warrant and the judge gives you the warrant, like anything, he's less likely to give it to you next time.
This lesson would play into what happened next on this call, because Jayden was in a similar situation on another case.
So I wanted to ask you a question about this other case that I'm working.Yeah.So I don't know, you might have seen it in the news.I don't know.But, you know, it's another missing persons case.Her name's Adaya Shabani.
This call from Jayden led to the events of season one.
It was a chance to take what I learned and help another person who'd recently gone missing, because there were a lot of things I would have done differently in this investigation if I'd had more experience.
And the shocking thing about Adea's case is that although conclusive answers were found, thanks in part to tips that came in through this podcast, once again, justice was elusive.
Despite delivering enough evidence to the police to at least merit an investigation into one of the alleged co-conspirators, nothing happened afterward.And I realized that the only justice sometimes is just to share your story.
And that's when Elaine's brother Dustin re-entered the picture.
My sister and I, we didn't really have that close of a relationship growing up. Growing up, I was so not verbally loving.
Not in the way that I was a complete mean person to her, but I could have been more loving with my talk and how I said things, but it always came from a place of love.I always had her best interests at heart.
Dustin is visiting Mike's house to discuss some concerns he has. Season one of this podcast had just ended, and I was returning to Elaine's case, which the rest of the team had been working on diligently in the meantime.
Dustin begins by sharing the last interaction he had with his sister.
I remember the last conversations I had with my sister ended with a fight.It was December, and we planned to go snowboarding, because my sister and I, snowboarding was our thing.We would go.
previous seasons, like just us two and we would just like shred for the day and it'd be a fun trip.
But yeah, that's that's like kind of hard for me to like live with, especially because, you know, you always I feel like I always hear it in movies and TV shows, like, you know, like you never know when it might be the last thing you say to somebody.
So you always want to like treat them with love and kindness.And so like for me, that's just something that I have to live with.And I like just take comfort in the fact hoping that she also thought that we were getting closer.
And just like us, and many people involved in the case, as time went on, Dustin began to notice what appeared to be inconsistent answers and behavior from his mom.
I should have seen it back then, but when she immediately texted me and was like, oh, hey, can you reach out to Elaine's friend?She's not answering me.To me, I've literally witnessed my sister going on a trip for a few days, maybe a week.
where she doesn't tell any of us and she's just away for that long and comes back and she's like, hey, I just went to like Colorado.And we're like, what?Oh, I totally didn't realize that.
But like never within that time, my mom would be like, oh, where is she?Like, I have no idea where she is.Like, can you reach out to her friends?All of that.I think maybe it was just the way that my mom was acting too played a part into it.
super heartbroken about it and I mean for me too like it's almost like I could I could sympathize because of how abusive it was both ways that like for her it might be like a relief type of thing like she doesn't have to deal with fighting with my sister all the time anymore
So that's what I thought might be the reason why she's not reacting so emotionally.
But just seeing her responses and like certain things, like I remember in the police report, it was like she immediately wanted to like talk about like her drug use and like dealing drugs or something or being suicidal.I forget which one it was.
But to me, I guess like all those little things like started adding up to a point where I just couldn't not be suspicious. Her room being rented out, it felt like a month or two afterwards.
The things she was saying was like, oh, well, maybe she'll come back home.I'm going to stay at home and be here just in case she does.She would say that, but then you're renting out her room.So it's like, well, which is it?
Because those tell different messages, in my opinion.
It was always odd to me that she rented, she was renting the room, but your room had been empty for years.
Exactly.And she always kept my bed in, my old bed in there, a dresser with like old clothes, just in case I ever wanted to stay for a bit.
I can't, I can't be like rose colored glasses and like not admit that I feel like my mom saw me as the more favorable child.That could play a part into why she like immediately rented out the room and stuff like that.
But even with that factor added to it, I still think it's weird that like, in regards to my room being like untouched basically, to her clearing out her room, you know, like that's such a big discrepancy.
Especially if you're worried about her coming back, you know, if you're worried about her being able to come back home, like, if there's even a possibility, how could you move so fast, you know?So that stuff never made sense to me.
So all those little reasons, like, it just started playing into my intuition to where I got to a point where I was like, I can't say for sure or not, you know, in regards to being suspicious about my mom.
But what really pushed Dustin over the edge was after his first conversation with his mom, when he asked her if there was anything she wasn't telling him.
She denied this, and then the next day sent him out of the blue a tip she wanted to investigate.The tip originated on the Help Find Elaine Park Facebook page.A woman in San Jose had spotted a homeless person she said looked like Elaine.
She sent a photo, and Susan sent this to Dustin.
The image that she shared is just so obviously not Elaine that I'm like, what are you saying?You know, like it just seems so purposefully misleading, like trying to like come up with something to like almost appease my suspicions type of thing.
After that moment, I just had like way less understanding for my mom because I was like, it's so obviously not her.What are you saying? So for me, seeing that picture, I was like, that's not her.That's 100% not her.
And the way that I thought, too, at the time was like, she's your daughter and you're mistaking this person for her?Yeah, it just was bewildering to think that she could even possibly think that that was my sister.
Susan committed to this tip, perhaps more than any other, because I ended up driving five hours to San Jose with her to find this person, knowing that it was likely just a way to show Destin how hard she was working to find Elaine.
The first person I seen, your daughter-daughter?Uh-huh.I know where she hides.
We met with the tipster there.The tipster pointed us in the right direction.I did a few risky things.
Isn't that dangerous if he goes in?No, no, no, no, no.Because they don't know who he is.Okay.
And in the end, we actually ended up finding this person.
We're looking for a missing girl who was seen around this neighborhood.Have you seen anyone who looks like that at all?
And the result was predictable.
So this is the girl who got dropped off from that white van?The one that comes out from the white van.Yeah, this is the girl?Yes.Oh, then that's not Elaine.
And then we drove five hours back to LA.I should note that we did nothing to discourage Susan from following this lead because she seemed so certain and we worried she might cut us off again if we disagreed.
I just don't believe her anymore.For lack of a better term, the only word that comes to mind is like frisbees, like random frisbees to like show that she's trying, but
To me, it's just so obviously, like, you know that that's not gonna lead anywhere type of thing.
Dustin began having dreams where he saw Elaine, and he decided to be a little more direct with his mom.The results shook him.
I remember I came unannounced.I just showed up because I felt like, at the time, I was getting so many, like, dreams and visions of my sister, like, kind of nudging me, like, you know, I think mom knows something.
She knows something that nobody else does.And so that's, like, the main point I, like, relate to her in person, to my mom.
And I broke down a little bit, like crying, cause you know, it made me realize stuff about my sister not being at my future weddings.And so I was like revealing all of that to my mom.
And I think it probably caught her off guard because we never talked about like heart to heart things.And especially about Elaine for that matter, like a very sensitive topic for me, you know?So,
I just remember her stumbling, I feel like, and catching herself off guard.And she just slipped some words that made me think, like, whoa, why did you say that?Why did you have those choice of words?
I asked Dustin for some examples of what he means, and he's uncomfortable at first.But after a while, he says he wants to share the whole experience.
I remember one of the things was telling me, I'm sorry I took her from you, when she was consoling me.And then, I don't know what came over, and then it's almost like she caught herself, and then she said, her.
To me, I know my mom, and even though she's been here since she was nine years old, Her grammar's always been funky sometimes.
Like, yeah, her format could be wrong, but the way that she was saying it, I'm sorry what came over, like most people would say me, you know, as like to finish that sentence.
But for her to say, I don't know what came over of her, like if I were to stretch it, I could maybe see her thinking like, oh, I don't know what came of her, which is like, you know, I don't know what happened to her.
But just the fact that she chose the words, I don't know what came over of her.That in itself, the way that she structured it was very suspicious to me.
That always struck such a wrong chord in my heart and that I've always, that moment will probably stick with me for a long time, if not till I die.
I ask if there could be any other explanation for what his mom said.
I remember she said, like, oh, it's my fault.And I think she was trying to reinforce the idea that what she meant to say was she's sorry that she was such a bad mom and, like, maybe drove my sister away from me, like, if I were to, like, stretch it.
But to me, like, Again, I just feel like it's a slip up.Like that was on her mind.She meant to say, or like she was thinking, I'm sorry I took her away from you, you know?And I remember at that time too, she was like hugging me.
So it felt like almost like a chill went over me when she said that.Like, it was just like, oh, did you really just say those words type of thing, you know?
Dustin stresses, and we want to stress, that this doesn't mean that his mom was involved in what happened.It just means that he feels she's hiding something.We tell Dustin that at different points, Susan has been asked to take a polygraph test.
Each time, for various reasons, she's declined to take the polygraph.
I mean, in my perspective, I always consider the other side where it's like, maybe I'm just thinking this because this is what I would do.
as a maybe normal person, but I don't see why she wouldn't take it, especially if she really had nothing to do, nothing to know about it.For me, I would take that in a heartbeat.No question.Strap me up.
But for me, it would give me probably more peace of mind if she was able to do the polygraph and pass all the hard questions that could help me not be so suspicious of my mom.
And so, which leads to the question, like, you lose your sister, don't know where she is.And in a sense, you also, to whatever degree you had your mom, losing her in the process, too.Like, just how are you dealing or feeling through this?
It just affected me so hard.Still to this day, even, because I feel like I'm trying to find that fire and passion again for The work I do in life, and it's it's just not there.
It's not the same anymore and like The best way that I'm able to verbalize it especially with rapping is that before I had so much to say But once my sister went missing I'm like speechless like I don't have anything to say anymore like I don't want to say anything I don't have a message for people anymore
That in itself just scares me, because for people that know me, since I was 13 and even in high school, I was known as that B-boy kid that would breakdance and stuff.
I just had so much of my identity of who I was within hip-hop that once my sister went missing and I started losing that, I had a lot of self-doubt about who I was.Who am I if I don't rap?Or who am I if I don't love breakdancing anymore?
It's been a long, hard process.
Crime Writers On is the podcast where authors and journalists talk about the latest true crime series, documentaries, and podcasts.
Talk about what's on the charts and find those up-and-coming podcasts you'll be talking about.
It's like a fun and smart book club, discussing what makes good storytelling and teaching how to become a critical listener.
Or not. And stick around for The Crime Writer's Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down Reviews.
It's the original true crime review podcast.Crime Writers On, wherever you get your podcasts.
Like probably right here.
We've been helping Dustin go to therapy to process everything that's happened to him.And the therapist happens to work with a polygrapher that she uses for couples trying to recover from affairs.
So it's eventually decided that Dustin will bring his mom to therapy and tell her he wants her to see a polygrapher. Susan eventually agrees.
It's kind of cold in here.
No, I mean, like, you know, I don't want you guys to... Okay, so what's today?
This is Susan in the office of the polygraph examiner.The following audio is from the examiner's video of the session.
Let me just start with, I'm sorry about whatever's happened to your daughter.That's an unfortunate thing to deal with.But I do have to ask questions because I'm I'm completely in the dark here.Obviously, something's going off with you and Dustin.
I'm going to sit over here because that chair's just not... Obviously, you and Dustin have been dealing with this for a while.I think he said three years.Is that correct?No.I mean, in terms of your daughter, Elaine.Is that correct?
So my daughter, Elaine Parr, she went missing January 28th.No, I'm sorry. January 28, Saturday, 2017, and last scene of her image was 6.05 a.m.And the video gets cut off at 6.05 a.m.
as soon as she walks out the door of the ex-boyfriend's place, private gate, and it just cuts off.
Susan goes on to share a number of suspicions about the Comparis video.Many of these we've already covered in the podcast, and Jaden has thoroughly investigated these.She then returns to Dustin.
In September or something, all of a sudden Dustin comes unannounced, which is rare for him. He always tells me when he's going to be at my house.Are you going to be home, mom?Can you make me kimchi jjigae or, you know, kind of food?
I'm hungry or whatever.But he just came with this envelope sealed.And he just all of a sudden showed up.And mom, I have to show you something.And he opens up and he started crying.
This is Elaine's last birthday card from her and I haven't seen it yet.I'm going to open it in front of you and just open it and start bawling and crying.And it's like, I didn't know what to do.
And then all of a sudden he said, cause it's not like him.All of a sudden he says, Elaine was in my dreams.She says, you know, something, um, you know, and he's constantly looking at me like checking me out.And I'm like, something is wrong here.
because it's odd character of him.But up to that point, after he left all upset, thinking when he was leaving all upset, to my thought, it was kind of mutual feeling that he thinks I have something to do with it.
I have some information that I had some responsibility of disappearance of Elaine, my daughter.But then I realized that after he left, I don't cry.
I was raised in a family where I don't show my emotions because so many bad things happened to me as I was growing up, like sibling fighting.I was adopted, so I found that out when I was
After discussing Dustin, the polygrapher returns to his interview.
Rather than playing the whole two-hour-plus session, I'm just gonna play some moments that stood out or presented new information.
Beginning just after the point that Susan always starts her story of the disappearance, two days earlier, when Susan and Jeff helped Elaine after she ran out of gas on the freeway.
So you get her at the, and where do you guys go from there?
So there I went to my house.
Okay.You and Jeff and her?
Me and Jeff and her.And then I got her inside the house and I said to Jeff, you know, Sometimes she was kind of sad and something is up to her, something is wrong.
And I know whenever she does that or, excuse me, I don't want to leave the car key, excuse me, with her because she might just run out.Especially the car being problems with the mechanical problems, it just dies.
I didn't want to risk that again to drive off and get into a car accident or, you know, car totally, the battery just dies too.Something was wrong with the car.So, um, I, I tried to take the car with Keith away from her, but then she just refused.
She didn't want to.So I couldn't, I can't go physical with her.You know, I, I, she's, she's a grown woman and I can't be there 24 seven.
Yeah.That's another thing.When I call the, Oh my God.When I call the cops, this is, she's over 18.That's another story about Glendale corruption.So, um, all right.
And when's the next time you see Elaine?
Then the next time I see her was at like Friday morning, that same morning, the morning that she went to see movie Friday morning, we're on 10 30.Um, I needed to do something in the house improvement project.
This may simply be a mistake.Susan has previously stated that she and Jeff last saw Elaine on Thursday morning, not Friday.
Did you guys have a pretty volatile relationship?A lot of yelling, a lot of screaming, a lot of cussing, a lot of stuff like that?
She did all the cussing.And every once in a while, I get so upset, I cuss too, once in a while.But she does all the cussing.We're in the same household. She just slams the door when she comes inside the house in her bedroom.She doesn't come out.
I said, you know, you need to sleep so you could go to work or go to school.She doesn't listen to me.She always looks like she's intoxicated.And, you know, a lot of her friends come over and they're always drunk or always intoxicated or whatever.
She just doesn't want me to say anything to her.
So that morning, okay, so you see her at 1030, she goes into her room when you get home.Did you see her again after that?
After that I did, that's the 27th.I didn't see her after that.
So that day at seven o'clock, um, and, and, and during that, um, investigation on her texts, I found out, you know, things that had happened that day is that she went to her dad's to get some money, like $50 or whatever.
And then she came back at seven o'clock to get the curling iron from Sadie.And then Sadie saw her at seven o'clock.
Then, and then... Again, it just may be because time has passed, but she told Jaden in her initial interview, which we aired as a bonus episode, that Elaine told her she was seeing her dad to get some money.
Were you guys in communication at all that day, either by phone or by text or anything?
At 7.15, I think, I was on my way to Jeff's house on Friday night, and then she texted me, can I have $20?And then I said, I forgot it was 7.10 or when she wanted the $20.
That's right, sometime that day she asked you for $20.
Sometime that day.I did give it to her, and then I texted her saying, when are you going to pay me back?Because it's not about paying me back, it's about her discipline about money. She does her own loan, like 3D loans, $800.She spends it in one day.
She thinks she's a rich girl, because you know, we used to live in a rich household.So it's about irresponsibility about money.So I'm trying to teach her about money management, how important the money is in survival or life.
But she just spends it like that.So I'm trying to just kind of not too easy, because her dad, Her dad gives her whatever she wants, whenever she wants.
So you guys, so at some point in time that day, she asked you about the 20 bucks.
So then I said, when are you going to pay me back?She says tonight sometime.So it has to be before seven o'clock because at nine o'clock, Oh, I think I was like seven 30 or something.I don't remember.
So when are you going to pay me back or something?And at nine o'clock sometime that time, she texted me saying, I'll pay you back tonight sometime.That was the last, that was the text.
Did you know she wasn't home at that point in time?Or were you over Jeff's?
I was at Jeff's.I didn't know where she was actually.I don't wait a minute.I come seven o'clock.I was at Jeff's. I was at Jeff's.I don't think I worried that night.I didn't worry that night.
Okay, so Saturday morning comes around.
You text her a couple times, call her.
What's worth noting here is that Susan has told us many times that she came home from Jeff's that night specifically because she was worried about Elaine.
I called her.First two times, it rang two, three times.And then, At around 11, 30, one o'clock, I don't remember exactly, the phone just died.Phone just died.It just was straight, it just died.It's kind of strange.
So I kept like, throughout the day, I kept calling and then no response.So I let the dad know and then that day I called the police.
Why'd you call the police that day?
Was it on Sunday I called the police? because I know Monday they came and took the report.
Just a few quick notes for accuracy.She first called the police on Saturday night, the same day Elaine disappeared.
And according to Ray, and this is supported by Susan's phone records, he first found out that Elaine was missing when the police called on Monday after they took the report from Susan.
The conversation turns to some of the specific questions we've had about Susan.
That's that die, die, die, die, die one?
Yeah, well, at first I said, I'm tired of you bullying me and pushing me around and you know, this and that.And after I send that, that happened because she just slammed the door on me and walked away and drove away.And I can't hit her.
I can't push her, you know, and she just, she's a big girl.And so she just slammed the door and just drove off.Only way I could do is to get upset over the phone.So I said, I'm tired of that. I'm looking at Elaine's texts right now.
and the argument does not appear to have occurred because Elaine slammed the door and walked out of the house and drove away.That day, she went to see a dentist and was texting normally with her mom.
The fight erupted while Elaine was still out, when Elaine said she wanted to go eat at El Torino and then afterward go to her chiropractor appointment to support her insurance claim.
What set Susan off further is during the argument when Elaine said she wasn't going to the chiropractor, she was just going to go home. Mom responded, fuck you, in capital letters.And this is when the conflict escalated.
The insurance claim and settlement check are specifically mentioned in this argument, which we've previously discussed, with Susan texting, in all capital letters, die and leave me alone.I fucking hate the bullying ass of yours and you make me sick.
Die, die, die, and so on. The polygrapher goes on to ask Susan about two calendar items on the day of a dog search at her house.The first said, hide it.The second said, put back hide items, shed.
Susan has said the items were little bits of marijuana she found in Elaine's room and hid in a jewelry box.
So I said hide, you know, because it was embarrassing for me. to have that in my possession, the drug in my possession, and it was out in jewelry box.
So I hide that, you know, whatever, I'm into those... She switches topics here and gets into the insurance claim that we noted she was calling the attorney William Hudson about during the time she was reporting Elaine missing.
When the investigators I brought in asked her about it, she initially said she was unaware of any insurance claim.
When they mentioned the $5,000 payment and the initial release of all claims that was signed less than two months after Elaine went missing, she stated that the only $5,000 she's aware of is the $5,000 reward initially offered by Elaine's father.
When pressed a little further, she eventually remembered the claim.And this is what she discusses with the polygrapher now.
So that happened, and then there was a... Elaine got into an auto accident. a year and a half before she disappeared.And it was ongoing process.And she went to the doctor and, you know, and, um, it finally settled for $5,000 from William Hudson.
And with that $5,000, because she's missing, they couldn't release that money because that was that point where she was missing second year.And I signed the release in anyway because I wanted to release the case because she's missing, right?
So I signed it.And then they were holding onto the money.And then even if they were to distribute, $1,600 goes to the lawyer, $1,600 goes to the doctor, and $1,600 or something, the total of $5,000 is supposed to be the settlement that comes to us.
So without, if I was the investigator and I was the FBI guy and I was to interrogate you, I would do my check, my search first.
So they're saying you signed, did you have to sign Elaine's name on there?
No, my name, because we went together.
But it was Elaine's case?
It was Elaine's case, but she was missing.
Did you sign her name at any point in time?No.
So I couldn't. They know all about Elaine's case too.
Did you write her name?Did you file a release for her or anything like that?
No, nothing.But it does say Elaine's case on top.So if I was the guy, I would call William.I said, you know, all you have to do is call William Hudson.
So because of this, they thought you.
They thought that I was selling something like selling her story.I don't know what it is.I don't know what they were thinking, but it's just all of a sudden they asked me those questions like, What kind of dumb question is that?
I mean, I didn't say that, but it's like, all you have to do is call William Hudson.What is this money about?
So you never got that money?
How did you get the money without her signature?
It was a release.The attorney finally said, you know, she's been missing close to three years and you have less things to worry about.And, you know, I'll just go ahead and let it go.
And so I got the $1,600, which is part of the GoFundMe I gave all to them.
Again, to be clear, this money was never given to us.Susan may have spent it on the investigation itself, but we have no record or knowledge of that.
The only other explanation I can think of is that Susan put the money in the GoFundMe account, then deposited that money into the Elaine Park Reward Fund account that was funded in 2017.
But the problem is that she's claiming she received the money almost three years after Elaine disappeared, around 2020. So how could she have deposited money she hadn't received yet? Chapter 27, Clear My Name.
The examiner begins to prepare for the polygraph portion of the test.
What you get today, I'm just going to give you a straight-ahead polygraph.I've been working with Marnie a long time, and it's not uncommon to get last-minute calls.I mean, you're good doing this today.
Well, let me ask you some of the things that are going to be on this test.Were you involved in any way in Elaine's disappearance?
Okay.And what does involved mean to you?When I say were you involved in Elaine's disappearance, what does that mean?To me... Or have you been involved in Elaine's disappearance?
Because that would be before, after, knowledge, assisting, hiring, paying, Anything that has to do with anything like that.
Thank you for that.None of the above.
Why did you say thank you for that?
Because I don't know what you mean by getting involved.I was thinking one thing.What's that?Data killer.Yeah.That's it.But when you give me all that scenarios, none of the above.
Yeah.When I say involved, I'm talking about, okay, the physical act of making her disappear.
Secondly, paying somebody.
Having somebody. Knowing who did.Right.Helping them cover it up afterwards.Lying, cheating, manipulating, doing anything like that that has to do with the disappearance of your wife.That's bull****.
Susan accuses another individual associated with the case here.
Okay, but let's stay focused on you.
Good.Do you know for sure?
Okay, when I ask you if you know for sure something, there's only three ways that you know something for sure. It happened to us?
Okay, so I'm going to ask you, do you know for sure where Elaine's body is right now?
Where Elaine is right now?
Okay.You don't know for sure, do you?No.How would you know for sure?
How would I know for sure?Where Elaine is?
But if you did, how would somebody know for sure?
If they put her wherever she's at?Put where she... Listen, I don't want to make you sad by assuming that Elaine has passed away.
No, I don't even want to file that certificate.
Right.So we don't know that.
We don't know what happened.
So we're going to say that you would know for sure if you had placed her somewhere or put her somewhere or helped get her somewhere.
If somebody told you directly that they had or if you yourself were present when it occurred, maybe somebody else could have done, but you saw it.So there's only three ways I know for sure if something happened.
Like if I say, okay, I sat in this chair, There's only three ways I'd know if I sat in this chair.If I sat in this chair, if I saw me sit in this chair, or if someone told me they saw me sit in this chair.
150% sure.I didn't have nothing to do with this appearance.
So you weren't involved in the aliens?
I don't even know where she is.I don't even know if she's alive, if she's sex trafficked.I still have some percentage.
That she's as bad as it sounds. I'd rather have her sex trafficked and alive and somehow escape and show up in front of my door.That would be everything.That would be a miracle.I mean, that would just like, I'm getting goosebumps.
That would be a God's gift to me.If she just showed up, I learned my lesson to love her.You know, I still have that hope.I still have that hope.
You need to stretch out or anything?I'm going to take some questions up.Okay.We'll get this thing going.I'll just let you sit over here.We'll do this thing.Move your face away from me.You're in it.Just so you're not distracted.
I'm going to go put something down here real quick.Okay.Not underneath you.This pad's going to go underneath you.
Okay.Just sit down right on there.Okay.
Just sitting here with this pad, just letting you know my heart's kind of... Of course, yeah, yeah, of course.
No, I would expect that, of course.Is your real first name Susan?
I have so many things I could still share with you.Just in terms of your suspicions and different... Yeah, suspicions, leads, tips, things I could just... The clothes that I have.
And when you try to contact Linda with that, they don't?
Nothing.They don't even respond to emails.I have some Thai iced tea that has a lot of caffeine.Just letting you know.
That's okay.So let's put your feet flat on the floor directly in front of you.
No, you're fine.Those are flat enough.Okay, sit all the way back in the chair.Okay.Do your feet reach if you sit all the way back?No.No?Okay, so let me... I have a small... Let me... Yeah, yeah.Find something.
How far down the... Oh, okay, you're pretty close.
Oh, yeah, that one thick book would work.This one?Yeah.But I think it'll be okay after this.
Right?And if it is, then it'll be worth it, right?
Yeah. It needs to be done.
Yeah, it sounds like too many people are asking the same question, right?So it's just... One, and here's the thing.If you have leads and you want other things to be explored, and you're like, listen, I had nothing to do with this.
What better way to get everyone to focus on what they're supposed to than to prove that you had nothing to do with it?
Let me evaluate a couple of things I need to take a look at, okay?
It's five questions long, and we're going to do these questions one time and one time only.
These questions are, is your first name Susan?
Have you consumed any alcohol or illegal drugs in the past 24 hours?
OK, when's the last time you smoked marijuana?
OK.Besides what you've told me about, have you consumed any alcohol or illegal drugs in the past 24 hours?
Do you intend to tell me even one lie during this test today?
No.What was your question?
Do you intend to tell me even one lie during this test today?No.
That's why I let you know.
Good.Did you do anything to try and cheat on this test today?
All right.Close your eyes and remain still.This test is about to begin.
Is your first name Susan?
Do you intend to tell me even one lie during this test today?
What is half of 17 times 2?
Half?What is 17?Half of 17.Okay, that's fine.
There's no talking.Just give me an answer and that's it.You're fine.Besides what you told me about, have you consumed any alcohol or illegal drugs in the past 24 hours?No. Did you do anything to try and cheat on this test today?
I want to ask you about Elaine's disappearance so you can answer each question truthfully.
Before the day Elaine disappeared, did you ever physically harm her or anybody else?
Do you know for sure where Elaine is right now?
Prior to Elaine's disappearance, did you ever lie to anyone about hurting someone?
Have you been involved in Elaine's disappearance?
Prior to Elaine disappearing, did you ever lie to protect yourself or just somebody in a position of authority?
Okay, how'd you feel?Good.
the polygrapher calls Dustin afterward to give him the results of the test.And it turns out that Susan passed.The polygrapher adds that he personally believes that Susan is telling the truth.
The fact that she passed is meaningful and certainly a step forward in the investigation.The polygrapher delivers the video to Dustin, and the following day, we discuss our mixed feelings after watching it.
How do you feel now that the polygraph test occurred?Your mom passed it.How does that make you feel as far as your suspicions or where are you at now?
Like, it didn't help at all, because, you know, if she lied about all these other things and then it passed, like, then what's the reliability of this test, you know?Like, I thought it would give me some peace of mind, but it didn't.
Keep in mind, this conversation took place immediately after Dustin watched the polygraph video.It's worth noting that since then, Dustin and his mom have repaired their relationship, although the doubts understandably remain.
Next week, on part two of the season finale of To Live and Die in LA, we catch up to the present day and find out what happened when Elaine's phone was finally unlocked. Thank you for listening.
This podcast is an extension of The Investigation, and one of the goals is outreach.
We're asking anyone who has any information about Elaine Park or any of the people mentioned in this podcast to call us at 213-204-2073, or you can email us anonymously at live.la at tenderfoot.tv.
Please note that this is still an active investigation and the police have not named any suspects.Everyone mentioned should be presumed innocent.
We are sharing the step-by-step documentary of our experiences while searching for Elaine Park with you in hopes that this podcast leads to justice for Elaine.To Live and Die in L.A.
is a production of Tenderfoot TV and Neil Strauss in association with Cadence 13.Executive producers are myself, Donald Albright, and Payne Lindsey. Produced and edited by Tristan Bankston.Consulting producer, Alex Vespistead.
And additional editing by Mariah Winter.Mixed and mastered by Cooper Skinner and Devin Johnson.Original music and score by Makeup and Vanity Set.With additional musical services by Tristan Bankston. The theme song is Love and War by Flurry.
Cover design by Trevor Eiler.And special thanks to Chris Corcoran and the team at Cadence 13, Oren Siegel, Oren Rosenbaum and Grace Royer at UTA, The Nord Group, Station 16, and Beck Media and Marketing.
If you haven't already, please subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
Need the latest crime news fast?Whether it's the latest developments in a high-profile case or urgent alerts about missing persons, Crime Alert Hourly Update delivers the news you need to know as it happens.
I'm Nancy Grace, and with our team of investigative reporters and experts, we bring you the top crime headlines you need to know every hour on the hour.
Listen to Crime Alert Hourly Update on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sign in
