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Hi, everyone. This is your host, Raven Siyad,
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and welcome back to Forgotten Echoes, a podcast
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where we dive into the mysterious and unexplained
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cases of Black women and girls that often get
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lost in time. So if you didn't notice even just
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with those couple of sentences, I am sick. fighting
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to like breathe right now but I am here. I feel
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like I gave this exact announcement like three
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episodes ago because me and the cold are playing
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ping -pong right now between work because I have
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a full -time job outside of this and the gym
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which is my second job outside of this. I keep
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getting the sickness that doesn't want to quite
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leave me so very congested and um Yeah, so if
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you hear me fighting to breathe, that's because
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I really am. Uh, bear with me. We're gonna get
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through it today though. But I'm feeling good
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and excited to get into today's case. So as always,
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don't forget to subscribe to Forgotten Echoes,
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download this episode, and leave a comment so
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you can tune in anytime, anywhere. Now, I've
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got to fan out for a moment, and I wish I wasn't
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so sick, because I go really crazy, because as
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of last episode, Forgotten Echoes hit 1 ,000
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downloads and listens across nine countries.
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Like, seriously? A thousand downloads across
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nine countries is just so phenomenal. I have
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no words. I'm so grateful and so thankful for
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all of you guys. I know that might not be big
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numbers to a lot of podcasts, but I couldn't
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have imagined that at episode 13, that's the
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type of stats Forgotten Echoes would see. So
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just want to share how incredibly grateful I
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am that you're here, because these aren't just
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stories, they're real lives, real families, real
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pain. And my mission has always been to bring
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these cases to light, amplify awareness, and
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just push for action for Black women who are
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so often overlooked. So if you've been with me
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on this journey from the beginning or in any
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capacity, just know I love you for real, Pharrell.
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Now let's get into today's cases. Yes, cases.
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Not all disappearances come with flashing lights
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or breaking news. Some unravel in silence, leaving
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behind nothing but questions and fear. Today
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I'm diving into two haunting cases, separated
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by a decade and over 1 ,400 miles. Both women
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vanish near bus stops, and both might be tangled
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in a dark, rarely spoken about theory, sex trafficking.
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The signs are there if you know where to look.
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Our first case unfolds in August of 2006 in Auburn,
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Washington. An 18 -year -old girl left home with
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a kiss, a hug, and a simple promise, I'll call
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you later. But that call never came, and she
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never returned home. And just like that, she
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vanished in a thin air, leaving behind only silence
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and a family still waiting on answers. Our second
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case takes us to Aurora, Colorado. where a 16
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-year -old honor student with a bright future
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vanished without a trace just after 2 .30 in
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the morning, one moment she was there, and next
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minute she was gone. No goodbyes, no answers,
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never seen or heard from again, or was she? This
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is episode 14, the bus stop disappearances of
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Coletta White and Lashaya Stein. Sources for
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today's episode include Seattle Times, The Charlie
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Project, Fox 13 Seattle, Denver 7, True Case
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Files, Our Black Girls, Trace Evidence Podcast
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episode 107, The Vanished Podcast, Denver Post,
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DHS .gov, PolarisProject .org, MissingKids .org,
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Undoc .com, Love146 .org, and last but not least,
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Thorn .org. Say all that five times fast. Now,
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let's get into today's episode. Black girls in
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the United States face a disproportionately high
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risk of sex trafficking, influenced by systemic
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factors such as poverty and societal biases,
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to name a few. Here are some key statistics highlighting
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this issue. Number one, 40 % of sex trafficking
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victims are Black women and girls. despite Black
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individuals making up a way smaller percentage
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of the U .S. population. Number 2. 57 .5 % of
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all juvenile prostitution arrests involve Black
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children, indicating a trend of criminalizing
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victims rather than identifying them as individuals
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in need of support. Here are also a few county
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and state -specific stats I found that were equally
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alarming. Number 1. In Los Angeles County, 92
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% of Black girls in the juvenile justice system
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identified as trafficking victims are Black,
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underscoring the intersection of race, the justice
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system, and victimization. And number two, in
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Louisiana, Black girls represent nearly 49 %
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of child sex trafficking victims, although they
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only make up approximately 19 % of the state's
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youth population. These disparities are exacerbated
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by factors such as over -sexualization and adultification,
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which can lead to misidentification and just
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a lack of protection overall. And on top of all
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of this, Black girls are more likely to experience
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poverty, which is a huge risk factor for trafficking,
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according to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
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Addressing this crisis requires systemic change,
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including policy reforms, community education,
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and support systems that recognize and combat
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the unique vulnerabilities faced by Black girls.
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But it all starts with knowing the preventative
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signs. And I'll dive deeper into that at the
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end of the episode. For now, let's start with
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our first case. Our first story begins in the
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summer of 2006 in Auburn, Washington, where 18
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-year -old Coletta Shade White, known as KK,
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was preparing to start her senior year at Auburn
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High School. And she couldn't wait to be a senior,
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and like, let's talk about the excitement to
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walk through your high school's main entrance
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and know this is your last first day of high
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school. Like, that's a feeling that just can't
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be replicated. Now, Coletta was your typical
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teenager in the early 2000s. The pictures I've
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seen of her, I spy the 2000s coated oversized
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puffy white bombers, the icy blonde tips in her
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hair, and she had the stray and bangs with the
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curly hair. And I stan because I was doing the
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same thing. You just had to be there. And to
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bring home the point, she just seemed like such
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a fun and sweet, typical teenage girl. Coletta
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was the middle child, born March 19, 1988, and
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she was really close with her entire family,
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specifically her mother, Rhonda White. Her mother
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remembers her daughter stating, quote, she is
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so funny. If you're down, she'll pick you up.
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If she sees anyone down, she'll always pick them
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up, quote. They spoke all the time in stating
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constant communication. Especially with it being
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the early 2000s, and everyone and their mom had
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the new flip phones. So it was really unusual
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that on August 21st of 2006, Kalata told her
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mom she was heading to Tequila, Washington, about
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20 minutes away to visit her boyfriend. But she
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never returned home. Now to be more specific,
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August 21st was a Monday. And because it was
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late August, but not quite Labor Day, I'm assuming
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that the teenagers were still on summer break.
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Coletta received a call from her boyfriend that
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day while at home. And heads up, his name was
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never disclosed, so I'm referring to him as the
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boyfriend. And her mom says that she pretty much
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immediately headed out the door once she got
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that call. She took the metro bus 128 to go visit
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her boyfriend, who lived in the nearby city of
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Tequila. And I hope I said that right. I listened
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to that a million times, but can't seem to get
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it right. So if I am incorrect, yell at me in
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the comments. Now, Tequila was about 20 or 25
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minutes from Auburn, so she gave her mom a kiss
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on the cheek and hugged her goodbye. And quickly
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shouting out the door, she called her mom later.
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But that call never came, and that would be the
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last time Rhonda ever saw her daughter walk out
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the front door. As the hours go by, Coletta's
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mom is starting to get worried because she's
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not home and she's also not answering her phone.
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At this point, Rhonda called the Auburn Police
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Department to report her daughter missing. Now,
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there's not much information on the case, so
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I don't know if the police department immediately
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did a formal search for Coletta or they waited
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a bit to maybe see if she would turn up because
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she was 18. We just don't know. But what we do
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know is it was reported by Detective William
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Sundquist with the Auburn Police Department that
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Coletta had a doctor's appointment a couple of
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days later, so her family as well as detectives
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were waiting to see if she would show up to the
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appointment, and when she didn't, they knew foul
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play was suspected. Auburn Police Department
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began their investigation, but early on, they
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hit a wall. Friends and associates of Coletta
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gave conflicting stories about when they last
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saw her, and then Coletta's phone went straight
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to voicemail. I couldn't find any information
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on if the phone was tracked or not, but if it
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was, police are being tight lipped about it.
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It also was 2006, so I'm not sure if the information
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was readily available at the time, and then on
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top of everything, the boyfriend that she had
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gone to see? Well, he said she never made it
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to his house. So what really happened to Coletta?
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As months went by and Coletta's case went cold,
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more information came out about her boyfriend,
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which was suspect to say the least. He had a
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criminal record and also started giving inconsistent
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statements to the police. And the more investigators
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dug, the more suspicious they became. Coletta
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was 18 when she started dating her boyfriend
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and he was a bit older. I don't think. too much
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older where it was alarming, but definitely something
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to note. It was also her first boyfriend, so
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she was really naive about the whole dating scene
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and whatnot. About five months before her disappearance,
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Coletta worked at a daycare and met her boyfriend
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at the bus stop on her way home. The two were
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inseparable from that day on. But what seemed
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like love at first sight turned to something
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much darker. Now let's rewind two months before
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Coletta went missing. It was reported that police
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responded to a 911 call involving Coletta and
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her boyfriend. FOX 13 Seattle News stated, quote,
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during this dispute, it came out that her boyfriend
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was actually acting as her pimp, prostituting
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her in downtown Seattle. Quote, I'm not sure
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who made this 911 call, but to be honest, it's
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not important. And it's really, really sad. I
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don't know what action was taken, but looking
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at the dates, Coletta was 18 at the time, so
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I'm not sure if police really did anything about
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it, because once again, it's not like they were
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arrested. This was a 911 call of something that
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may or may not be happening, but it wasn't necessarily
00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:47.019
factual. They weren't arrested, and they were
00:12:47.019 --> 00:12:50.220
both over 18. And then playing into the fact
00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:52.779
that this was Coletta's first real boyfriend,
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A lot of red flags, but I don't think anything
00:12:56.580 --> 00:12:59.279
was done considering her mom knew that they were
00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:03.700
still dating and her mom allowed her to leave
00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:06.720
and go visit him, you know, at the drop of a
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.279
dime. So I don't know, but it's extremely alarming.
00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:13.840
But I do think there is some merit to it, because
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that's just not something that someone makes
00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:19.419
up just because. And soon after her disappearance,
00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:23.059
her boyfriend moved out of state. which is questionable.
00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.500
Now, police haven't named him a suspect or even
00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:29.220
a person of interest, but foul play is still
00:13:29.220 --> 00:13:32.860
suspected in her case. Some reports speculated
00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:36.080
that Coletta may have traveled to Tacoma or even
00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.799
as far as Detroit, but none of those have ever
00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:42.240
been confirmed. And with little media coverage
00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:46.019
and almost no national coverage, Coletta's case
00:13:46.019 --> 00:13:49.480
went cold. She's never been seen or heard from
00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:53.519
again. Her mother Rhonda has never given up hope,
00:13:54.019 --> 00:13:57.019
stating, quote, she gave me a kiss and a hug
00:13:57.019 --> 00:13:59.940
and told me, I'll see you later, mom. I love
00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:03.139
you. I'll call you. I'm still waiting on her
00:14:03.139 --> 00:14:06.200
to call. I still hope to hear her voice again.
00:14:06.820 --> 00:14:09.740
I know that she's still alive. All I'm asking
00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:13.960
for is for someone to bring her home back to
00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.879
me, quote. Now here's the call to action. At
00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.840
the time of her disappearance, Coletta stood
00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.960
5 '1 and weighed approximately 83 to 100 pounds.
00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:28.679
She had brown eyes and dark hair with red tips,
00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:32.039
and her ears and nose were pierced. She was last
00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:34.980
seen wearing a yellow Adidas jacket, blue jeans,
00:14:35.379 --> 00:14:39.179
yellow boots, and earrings. Today, Coletta would
00:14:39.179 --> 00:14:42.860
be 37 years old. And after nearly two decades,
00:14:43.299 --> 00:14:47.039
her family still waits, still wonders, and still
00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:50.620
hopes. If you have any information about the
00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:53.379
disappearance of Coletta White, please contact
00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:57.240
the Auburn Police Department at area code 253
00:14:57.240 --> 00:15:03.559
-931 -3080, or call Crime Stoppers at 1 -800
00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:08.220
-222 -TIPS, or the National Center for Missing
00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:13.000
and Exploited Children at 1 -800 -The Lost. You
00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:15.820
can remain anonymous, and you may even be eligible
00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:19.419
for a reward. But most importantly, you can help
00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:21.519
bring peace to a family that's been searching
00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:25.200
for far too long, sending so much light and love
00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:29.159
to the white family. Coletta White's story is
00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:31.700
a haunting reminder of how easily black women
00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:34.840
and girls can vanish without the world even noticing.
00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:38.279
As we shift to another case, it's important to
00:15:38.279 --> 00:15:41.539
recognize a disturbing reality. Black girls make
00:15:41.539 --> 00:15:45.379
up 40 % of all sex trafficking victims in the
00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:49.000
United States. despite being only 15 % of the
00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:53.039
female population. Many are mislabeled as runaways
00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:56.179
or even criminals, instead of being treated as
00:15:56.179 --> 00:15:59.240
victims. This brings us to the heartbreaking
00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:03.500
disappearance of Lashaya Stein, a bright 16 -year
00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:06.620
-old girl whose promising future was cut short
00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:10.960
when she vanished from Aurora, Colorado in 2016.
00:16:13.160 --> 00:16:15.899
Colorado is a state known for its breathtaking
00:16:15.899 --> 00:16:20.019
mountains, fresh alpine air, and postcard -perfect
00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:23.299
winters. But beneath the serene landscape of
00:16:23.299 --> 00:16:26.080
Aurora, the third largest city in the Denver
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.480
metro area, there are stories that can shake
00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:33.299
even the stillness of snow. One of those stories
00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:36.659
belongs to Lashaya Stein, a 16 -year -old honor
00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:39.000
student who had her whole life ahead of her.
00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.840
Lashaya Ney Stein was born on February 8th, 2000,
00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.179
the only daughter of Sabrina Jones, a devoted
00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:50.759
mother raising six children. Lashaya had an older
00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:54.679
brother and four younger brothers. And whew child,
00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:58.340
five brothers, I don't know how she did it. But
00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:01.460
she loved them fiercely, even through their usual
00:17:01.460 --> 00:17:04.839
sibling squabbles and whatnot. Her place in the
00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.339
family was unshakable. Lashaya was a bright,
00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:11.099
ambitious young woman attending George Washington
00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:14.400
High School. She had dreams of becoming a nurse
00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:17.220
and was already making moves to turn those dreams
00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:21.259
into reality. She secured a competitive nursing
00:17:21.259 --> 00:17:24.539
internship with the University of Colorado School
00:17:24.539 --> 00:17:27.500
of Medicine and was on her way to a promising
00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:31.680
career. But she also was a typical teen, dealing
00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.880
with the basic teen issues, you know, online
00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.220
shopping, prom dress shopping, and she was in
00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:41.700
the midst of filling out job applications. and
00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:44.420
filling out job applications paid off as she
00:17:44.420 --> 00:17:47.339
was scheduled for a job interview the very next
00:17:47.339 --> 00:17:51.200
day after she disappeared. She was navigating
00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:55.039
her teen years just like so many others, shopping
00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.559
online, picking out dresses, and planning her
00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.839
future. There were no signs of trouble, no warning
00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:06.019
signs that her life was about to take a tragic
00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:11.329
turn. On the night of July 14th, 2016, Everything
00:18:11.329 --> 00:18:13.970
seemed pretty normal. The family ended the night
00:18:13.970 --> 00:18:17.769
with dinner and TV, and everyone eventually settled
00:18:17.769 --> 00:18:20.470
down to their rooms around 2 a .m. the following
00:18:20.470 --> 00:18:23.410
day. But after the rest of the family had fallen
00:18:23.410 --> 00:18:26.710
asleep, Lashaya quietly slipped through her side
00:18:26.710 --> 00:18:31.390
bedroom window, leaving it unlocked. The morning
00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.430
of July 15th comes around, and her mother Sabrina
00:18:34.430 --> 00:18:36.690
asks one of her brothers to go upstairs and wake
00:18:36.690 --> 00:18:39.450
up their sister, remembering she had a job interview
00:18:39.450 --> 00:18:43.299
that day. But he's shocked to find out her room
00:18:43.299 --> 00:18:47.779
is empty. And what's even stranger is her wallet,
00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:51.339
clothes, and phone charger are all left behind.
00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:54.279
Obviously, everyone is freaking out at this point
00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:57.019
because she's nowhere in the house. And Sabrina
00:18:57.019 --> 00:18:59.400
immediately calls the Aurora Police Department
00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:02.460
to report her daughter missing. At this point,
00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.920
her family's trying to desperately get in contact
00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:07.640
with her, but her phone's going straight to voicemail,
00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:10.660
and there's no social media activity whatsoever.
00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:15.339
And this is really not normal because Lashaya's
00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:17.400
a Gen Z, and if you know anything about Gen Z,
00:19:17.420 --> 00:19:20.319
they are glued to their phone, so this is really
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:23.660
strange and unlike her. Now, what's crazy at
00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.319
this time is the family contacted the police.
00:19:26.779 --> 00:19:29.859
The police initially treated the case as a runaway.
00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:32.660
and they really wouldn't take it seriously and
00:19:32.660 --> 00:19:35.660
didn't even immediately come to the house. So
00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:37.720
her mother and brothers take it upon themselves
00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.700
to canvas the neighborhood, knocking on doors,
00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:44.279
asking if anyone had seen her. But unfortunately,
00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:49.519
no one had. At this point, police finally arrive
00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:53.380
at 6 p .m. to the family home. Yes, you heard
00:19:53.380 --> 00:19:57.210
me correctly, 6 p .m. So at this point, it's
00:19:57.210 --> 00:19:59.869
been at least eight hours or so since they called,
00:20:00.289 --> 00:20:03.049
and as I stated earlier, they still stood by
00:20:03.049 --> 00:20:06.509
the runaway theory. But Sabrina knew her daughter.
00:20:07.069 --> 00:20:09.569
Lashaya wouldn't have just left, not with the
00:20:09.569 --> 00:20:12.509
job interview lined up, not with her internship,
00:20:12.970 --> 00:20:16.009
and definitely not without a word. It literally
00:20:16.009 --> 00:20:20.029
made no sense. On top of everything, what teen
00:20:20.029 --> 00:20:22.130
willingly leaves without their phone charger
00:20:22.130 --> 00:20:24.529
and wallet? And that's a true question, because
00:20:24.529 --> 00:20:28.390
the answer is none. But days later, a chilling
00:20:28.390 --> 00:20:31.430
clue emerges. A surveillance camera captured
00:20:31.430 --> 00:20:35.609
Lashaya walking alone near East Montview Boulevard
00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:39.450
and Peora Street at 2 .23 in the morning, just
00:20:39.450 --> 00:20:42.450
a few blocks from her home. And it was the last
00:20:42.450 --> 00:20:45.029
confirmed sighting of her. She didn't appear
00:20:45.029 --> 00:20:48.220
panicked. and no one was visibly following her.
00:20:48.539 --> 00:20:50.859
But that video is the last known proof of her
00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:53.779
existence. And I'll attach a link of this footage
00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:57.619
in the show notes. More puzzled than ever, police
00:20:57.619 --> 00:21:00.680
really didn't know where to turn. Is she a runaway,
00:21:01.059 --> 00:21:04.180
or is she not? At this point, they had already
00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:06.700
questioned her friends and all possible suspects,
00:21:07.180 --> 00:21:09.700
including her ex -boyfriend, and they were all
00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:12.779
ruled out. And investigators ended up back at
00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:15.700
square one. There were really no connections
00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:18.940
to follow up on, and there wasn't a digital trail.
00:21:19.940 --> 00:21:23.900
So weeks passed. But after weeks of labeling
00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:27.079
La Shea as a runaway, eventually the Aurora Police
00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:31.160
Department began to shift focus. And it all started
00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:34.839
after lead detective Nick Metz returned for vacation
00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.819
and took the case more seriously. A press conference
00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.599
was held and flyers were distributed across the
00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:45.349
state. And while all that was great, by then,
00:21:45.690 --> 00:21:48.630
so much time had already been lost, so the effort
00:21:48.630 --> 00:21:52.109
didn't really amount to much. As time went on,
00:21:52.509 --> 00:21:55.230
disturbing reports started coming in. Leshea
00:21:55.230 --> 00:21:58.210
may have been abducted into sex trafficking.
00:21:59.410 --> 00:22:02.609
And at this point, tips are coming in of possible
00:22:02.609 --> 00:22:06.210
sightings of Leshea. But there really isn't any
00:22:06.210 --> 00:22:08.450
proof to back up the claims people are making.
00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:11.059
People are saying they've seen her in motels
00:22:11.059 --> 00:22:15.440
across Denver, Kansas, New Mexico, and even Arizona.
00:22:16.359 --> 00:22:19.420
I mean, even survivors of trafficking claimed
00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:22.500
to have seen her and even described her distinctive
00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:25.599
quarter -sized scar on her chest. And in one
00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.720
case, a girl says she'd even been with Lashaya.
00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:32.859
And they always mention seeing her with one particular
00:22:32.859 --> 00:22:36.559
man. But like I said, investigators follow up
00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:39.759
on these tips. but they don't really lead anywhere.
00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:43.200
At the same time, there's so many that it's hard
00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:47.759
to ignore. Is Lashaya out there, or is she not?
00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:50.700
But the family made sure they also followed up
00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:53.619
on these tips, and at one point, they started
00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:57.220
going out on their own to find answers. The family
00:22:57.220 --> 00:22:59.980
even heard from a local pimp that Lashaya was
00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:03.160
alive and was always with the exact same man.
00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:06.920
But law enforcement and family members conducted
00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:10.180
undercover searches in known trafficking hotspots
00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:13.839
near Colorado, but no confirmed contact was ever
00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:18.059
made. The family really showed up for her, and
00:23:18.059 --> 00:23:20.039
that's why it makes it even harder that nothing
00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:24.259
concrete ever came from it. And to this day,
00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.220
cliche is still missing. As of possible theories,
00:23:28.509 --> 00:23:30.609
Her mother believes that she might have met someone
00:23:30.609 --> 00:23:33.930
online and planned to see them that night and
00:23:33.930 --> 00:23:36.869
then come back home. But she never was able to
00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:40.630
make her way back. And that theory is plausible,
00:23:41.049 --> 00:23:43.849
considering she left her side window open and
00:23:43.849 --> 00:23:47.650
left everything important at home. But despite
00:23:47.650 --> 00:23:51.089
the mounting circumstantial evidence, no suspect
00:23:51.089 --> 00:23:54.890
has ever been named. Even this mysterious man
00:23:54.890 --> 00:23:57.289
that she's been suspected of being seen with
00:23:57.289 --> 00:24:01.029
on numerous occasions has never been identified.
00:24:02.049 --> 00:24:04.730
Fast forward to today and Sabrina Jones has become
00:24:04.730 --> 00:24:07.750
a voice for the voiceless, sharing Lashaya's
00:24:07.750 --> 00:24:11.589
story wherever she can. On the Vanish podcast
00:24:11.589 --> 00:24:15.849
and interviews, at fundraisers, she's never stopped
00:24:15.849 --> 00:24:19.240
fighting for answers. In the search for her daughter,
00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:22.779
she has been faced with cruel taunts, scams,
00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:25.240
people claiming to have information but they
00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:28.200
really don't, and has been given so much false
00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:31.500
hope. People have told her to give up, but she
00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:35.920
never has. Sabrina stated, quote, I used to be
00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:39.279
afraid to hear someone say she was dead. Now,
00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:43.500
I just wanna know, whatever it is, good or bad,
00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:46.220
I just need to know what happened to my baby,
00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:51.119
quote. The latest update was in November 2020.
00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:54.799
The FBI searched a home on Lansing Street, just
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:58.240
blocks from where Lachey was last seen. Investigators
00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.200
spent a total of three days breaking down concrete,
00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:07.119
hoping for answers. But again, nothing. And it's
00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:09.420
a little unclear why police were so interested
00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:12.220
in this home to begin with. But what I gathered
00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:15.000
from online reports is that Lashaya may have
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:17.359
possibly been dating one of the kids that lived
00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:20.880
there at the time. So maybe they thought she
00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:23.599
was on her way that night to visit him, since
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.839
the home was pretty close to where she was last
00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:28.680
seen. But the family that lived there said that
00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:31.119
they have no knowledge of what happened to Lashaya.
00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:34.319
And I just said investigators didn't find anything.
00:25:34.930 --> 00:25:38.569
So that was the end of that lead. And as of today,
00:25:39.109 --> 00:25:42.369
that's where the case ends. Lashaya would be
00:25:42.369 --> 00:25:46.569
25 years old today. She stood five foot six,
00:25:46.930 --> 00:25:50.309
weighed about 150 pounds with long black hair,
00:25:50.690 --> 00:25:54.349
brown eyes, and a scar on her chest. The last
00:25:54.349 --> 00:25:56.930
time she was seen, she was wearing a black phoenix
00:25:56.930 --> 00:26:00.829
shirt, black stonewashed jeans, silver hoop earrings,
00:26:01.190 --> 00:26:05.079
and a silver watch. Now here's the call to action.
00:26:05.799 --> 00:26:09.160
There is still time to bring Lashaya home. Someone,
00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:12.640
somewhere knows what happened. Maybe that someone
00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.859
is listening right now. If you have any information
00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:19.240
about the disappearance of Lashaya Nay Stein,
00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:22.200
please contact the Aurora Police Department at
00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:29.980
area code 303 -627 -3100. or Metro Denver Crime
00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:37.319
Stoppers at area code 720 -913 -7867. And reminding
00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.519
you that you can remain anonymous, sending so
00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:43.400
much light and love to Lashayya's family and
00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:47.440
friends. Before we end today's episode, I want
00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:49.500
to take a moment to highlight the warning signs
00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:53.000
of sex trafficking predators. These tactics are
00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:56.380
really subtle, but they're calculated and easy
00:26:56.380 --> 00:26:59.029
to miss. especially when someone is looking for
00:26:59.029 --> 00:27:03.009
connection or stability. And to reconfirm, both
00:27:03.009 --> 00:27:04.950
of today's victims weren't officially linked
00:27:04.950 --> 00:27:07.809
to sex trafficking, but it's a plausible theory
00:27:07.809 --> 00:27:11.789
in both cases. So here are five key red flags
00:27:11.789 --> 00:27:16.190
to be aware of. Number one, grooming and charm.
00:27:16.809 --> 00:27:19.869
Predators move fast emotionally, sharing you
00:27:19.869 --> 00:27:23.950
with gifts, love bombing, giving you ample attention,
00:27:24.329 --> 00:27:27.839
and all these promises. but behind the kindness,
00:27:28.180 --> 00:27:30.880
they often try to isolate you from your friends
00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:36.559
or family. 2. Control Tactics Predators often
00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:39.140
monitor your phone or social media accounts,
00:27:39.660 --> 00:27:42.700
build emotional or financial dependence, and
00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:46.900
use guilt or threats to maintain control. Usually,
00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:51.680
this happens really slowly, so maintaining some
00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:56.720
sort of independence is key here. 3. targeting
00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:00.200
vulnerability. They specifically seek out people
00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:04.480
with low self -esteem, past trauma, or maybe
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:08.460
unstable homes and pretend to get it just to
00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:12.359
build false trust. And not saying that everyone
00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:15.759
they target has low self -esteem or some type
00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:19.099
of trauma, but they're gonna try and use any
00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:21.880
type of vulnerability you bring up to relate
00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:27.259
to you. Number four, online red flags. Fake profiles,
00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:30.819
sketchy recruiters, DMs that move too quickly
00:28:30.819 --> 00:28:33.440
to private apps, and if they're asking for photos
00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:37.240
or personal info too soon, that's a big red flag.
00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:42.960
Number five. Too good to be true offers. Modeling
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:46.900
gigs, trips, fast money. If the offer sounds
00:28:46.900 --> 00:28:50.119
amazing, but the details are vague, it could
00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:53.619
be a trap, so be weary. If any of this sounds
00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:57.400
familiar for you or someone you know, don't ignore
00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:00.740
it, trust your gut, ask questions, and speak
00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:05.579
up. Thank you for tuning into episode 14 of Forgotten
00:29:05.579 --> 00:29:09.359
Echos. If you appreciate the cases I cover, please
00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:12.000
consider downloading this episode and leaving
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.220
a five -star review on your favorite podcast
00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:17.279
platform. Also, don't forget to follow us on
00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:20.359
TikTok and Instagram for visuals of the cases
00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:23.920
covered. I'm Raven Siyad and I'll see you next
00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:26.279
week with another case that needs to be remembered.
00:29:27.079 --> 00:29:29.660
Stay vigilant, stay aware, and keep the echoes
00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:32.380
of the forgotten alive. I'll see you soon.