1 00:00:00,199 --> 00:00:04,669 Narrator: They were high-school sweethearts with everything going for them. 2 00:00:04,803 --> 00:00:09,307 He's this handsome teenager, and she was gorgeous. Both of them were very 3 00:00:09,441 --> 00:00:14,846 attractive, very well-liked. Narrator: But their lives change forever in the blink of 4 00:00:14,980 --> 00:00:17,949 an eye. The beautiful young girl vanishes into thin air. 5 00:00:18,083 --> 00:00:21,686 Did somebody snatch her? Did she run away? Is she rebelling against 6 00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:24,355 something? There's lots of rumors going around. 7 00:00:24,490 --> 00:00:27,992 Narrator: The search for the missing teen unites her hometown. 8 00:00:28,127 --> 00:00:33,464 Searches started, and hundreds of people turned out. Narrator: But a horrifying 9 00:00:33,599 --> 00:00:39,771 discovery will send shock waves through the community. How could someone 10 00:00:39,905 --> 00:00:45,576 take her and just throw her away like she was a piece of trash? What kind of person 11 00:00:45,711 --> 00:00:47,011 would do such a thing? 12 00:01:02,262 --> 00:01:05,296 -- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com 13 00:01:09,001 --> 00:01:11,069 Narrator: March 12, 2014. 14 00:01:11,203 --> 00:01:13,371 It's a quiet Wednesday afternoon 15 00:01:13,505 --> 00:01:15,540 in Hope Mills, North Carolina, 16 00:01:15,674 --> 00:01:17,775 a thriving suburb just south of 17 00:01:17,910 --> 00:01:18,876 Fayetteville. 18 00:01:19,011 --> 00:01:20,344 The town has really grown. 19 00:01:20,479 --> 00:01:21,612 A lot of new development, 20 00:01:21,747 --> 00:01:22,980 commercial and residential. 21 00:01:23,115 --> 00:01:24,582 Narrator: Despite the growth, 22 00:01:24,716 --> 00:01:26,017 there are parts of Hope Mills 23 00:01:26,151 --> 00:01:27,318 that retain their idyllic 24 00:01:27,453 --> 00:01:28,619 Southern charm. 25 00:01:28,754 --> 00:01:30,822 Places like Rockfish Creek. 26 00:01:30,956 --> 00:01:33,224 The creek area is 27 00:01:33,358 --> 00:01:35,259 right in between the school 28 00:01:35,394 --> 00:01:36,294 and our neighborhood. 29 00:01:36,428 --> 00:01:37,662 After school, there'd be a 30 00:01:37,796 --> 00:01:39,097 lot of young people down at the 31 00:01:39,231 --> 00:01:40,965 creek socializing, swimming, 32 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:41,866 that sort of thing. 33 00:01:42,167 --> 00:01:46,604 Narrator: But this warm spring afternoon, the creek's not crowded with teenagers. 34 00:01:46,738 --> 00:01:49,841 It's crawling with local law enforcement... Danielle! 35 00:01:49,975 --> 00:01:54,979 Narrator: ...searching for 15-year-old Danielle Locklear. Danielle! 36 00:01:55,114 --> 00:01:59,650 Narrator: Danielle, who lives with her grandparents, disappeared the previous 37 00:01:59,785 --> 00:02:06,491 evening. Hey. Where you going? I just have to take 38 00:02:06,625 --> 00:02:10,194 this book back to Amber's. Well, all right. Be careful. 39 00:02:10,329 --> 00:02:14,866 Okay. I will. I'll be right back. Narrator: But Danielle 40 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,834 never returned. 41 00:02:17,136 --> 00:02:18,336 My husband said, "I got in 42 00:02:18,470 --> 00:02:19,670 the car and I drove around to 43 00:02:19,805 --> 00:02:20,905 see if I seen her anywhere. 44 00:02:21,039 --> 00:02:22,173 I didn't see her anywhere." 45 00:02:22,307 --> 00:02:24,308 Her grandfather did report 46 00:02:24,443 --> 00:02:26,577 her missing to law enforcement. 47 00:02:26,712 --> 00:02:27,512 Danielle! 48 00:02:27,646 --> 00:02:29,447 Narrator: Now, less than 24 49 00:02:29,581 --> 00:02:31,382 hours later, Hope Mills police 50 00:02:31,517 --> 00:02:33,251 are scouring the woods behind 51 00:02:33,385 --> 00:02:35,286 her home in hopes of finding the 52 00:02:35,420 --> 00:02:36,287 missing teen. 53 00:02:36,421 --> 00:02:37,889 The officers went down and 54 00:02:38,023 --> 00:02:39,223 searched the creek area. 55 00:02:39,358 --> 00:02:40,324 We called our K-9. 56 00:02:40,459 --> 00:02:41,392 He ran the search. 57 00:02:41,527 --> 00:02:42,760 Narrator: While there's no 58 00:02:42,895 --> 00:02:43,961 sign of the missing teen, 59 00:02:44,096 --> 00:02:45,463 there's disturbing evidence that 60 00:02:45,597 --> 00:02:48,166 suggests she may be in trouble. 61 00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:48,766 Hey! 62 00:02:48,901 --> 00:02:50,468 It's a message scrawled in 63 00:02:50,602 --> 00:02:51,903 the mud along the creek. 64 00:02:52,037 --> 00:02:53,371 Almost like you would 65 00:02:53,505 --> 00:02:55,106 as a young child, 66 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:56,541 with a stick or something. 67 00:02:56,675 --> 00:02:59,477 Real big. Very readable. 68 00:02:59,611 --> 00:03:00,711 I was kind of taken aback. 69 00:03:00,846 --> 00:03:02,046 The message was a single, 70 00:03:02,181 --> 00:03:02,914 desperate word -- 71 00:03:03,048 --> 00:03:04,715 "Help." 72 00:03:08,887 --> 00:03:10,721 Narrator: For 15-year-old 73 00:03:10,856 --> 00:03:12,757 Danielle Locklear, Hope Mills 74 00:03:12,891 --> 00:03:14,225 was home away from home. 75 00:03:14,359 --> 00:03:15,560 Danielle had a lot 76 00:03:15,694 --> 00:03:16,594 of family here. 77 00:03:16,728 --> 00:03:17,929 Her mother was living in the 78 00:03:18,063 --> 00:03:19,363 Myrtle Beach area, and she had 79 00:03:19,498 --> 00:03:20,464 spent some time there. 80 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:22,433 Off and on, she would live 81 00:03:22,568 --> 00:03:25,303 with us, with my mom. 82 00:03:25,604 --> 00:03:30,208 It was a change of pace. They lived at the beach most all her young life. 83 00:03:30,342 --> 00:03:34,612 She got to where she wanted to see something different, she wanted to expand. 84 00:03:34,746 --> 00:03:41,886 So coming down to stay with me, she knew she'd get to see more. Narrator: In the fall of 85 00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:47,158 2013, Danielle moved into her grandparents' home in Hope Mills and enrolled at 86 00:03:47,292 --> 00:03:53,564 South View High School. She was excited about changing schools, and... 87 00:03:53,699 --> 00:03:56,467 She was just happy. She was happy with the transition. 88 00:03:56,602 --> 00:04:00,371 Narrator: Danielle was also very involved in her church's youth center. 89 00:04:00,505 --> 00:04:05,509 She would just do little art projects with them, and all of the kids, they adored her. 90 00:04:05,644 --> 00:04:09,947 [ Children shouting ] Narrator: They weren't the only ones who flocked to 91 00:04:10,082 --> 00:04:15,219 Danielle, though. The pretty 15-year-old soon caught the eye of 17-year-old 92 00:04:15,354 --> 00:04:19,624 Je'Michael Malloy. Hi! Hey. 93 00:04:19,758 --> 00:04:24,262 To us, he was family. We all grew up in the church together. 94 00:04:24,396 --> 00:04:29,033 And so I just remember seeing him as a little kid, then he pops up and he's this handsome 95 00:04:29,167 --> 00:04:32,670 teenager. He was just kind of, like, hanging around Danielle. 96 00:04:32,804 --> 00:04:37,608 And then she was just looking. I could see little eyes looking at each other and everything. 97 00:04:37,743 --> 00:04:42,446 Narrator: A star soccer player, Je'Michael was quite a catch for the incoming freshman. 98 00:04:42,581 --> 00:04:47,151 He was popular. He was one of the preppy kids. He was super goal-oriented. 99 00:04:47,286 --> 00:04:51,622 He had a promising future. He was interested in going into the United States Marines. 100 00:04:51,757 --> 00:04:54,325 Hey, I wanted to ask you, uh, you think you'll be able to make it to the game tonight? 101 00:04:54,459 --> 00:04:58,129 Yes. Uh... My grandma said that she is going to take me, so yes. 102 00:04:58,263 --> 00:05:00,598 Perfect. Well, I'll see you then. 103 00:05:05,504 --> 00:05:10,174 Narrator: Danielle and Je'Michael soon became an item, with her family's blessing. 104 00:05:10,309 --> 00:05:14,612 Danielle's family really embraced Je'Michael. He kind of became one of the 105 00:05:14,746 --> 00:05:19,483 family, going to dinner with them, socializing with them, church activities with them. 106 00:05:19,618 --> 00:05:25,022 I would take her to the movies and take her to the fairground, she and Je'Michael. 107 00:05:25,157 --> 00:05:28,426 She was happy. She was very content. And she's blossoming into 108 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:35,900 this beautiful young woman. Narrator: But on March 11, 2014, Danielle's promising 109 00:05:36,034 --> 00:05:37,968 future seems to be in jeopardy. 110 00:05:38,270 --> 00:05:40,671 Danielle told her grandfather 111 00:05:40,806 --> 00:05:42,773 that she was going to take a 112 00:05:42,908 --> 00:05:44,942 book back to a friend's house 113 00:05:45,077 --> 00:05:46,410 in the same neighborhood. 114 00:05:46,712 --> 00:05:49,480 But she never returned, and Danielle's grandfather is worried. 115 00:05:49,614 --> 00:05:52,383 So he calls his wife, who is on a trip to Atlanta with their daughter. 116 00:05:52,517 --> 00:05:56,220 Narrator: The news sends Danielle's grandmother and aunt into a panic. 117 00:05:56,355 --> 00:06:00,391 We're speeding back to Hope Mills, and I'm like, "Dad," you know, "you have to 118 00:06:00,525 --> 00:06:04,595 call the police." Narrator: As day breaks the following morning, officers with 119 00:06:04,730 --> 00:06:08,733 the Hope Mills Police Department form a search party across the neighborhood. 120 00:06:08,867 --> 00:06:12,903 When that report was filed, patrol went down to the creek area. 121 00:06:13,038 --> 00:06:16,173 Hey! They're searching by the water, and they find the word 122 00:06:16,308 --> 00:06:22,246 "Help" scratched into the mud. At this point, we didn't know whether "Help" scratched in the 123 00:06:22,381 --> 00:06:27,451 ground had anything to do with Danielle's disappearance. But when Danielle's 124 00:06:27,586 --> 00:06:31,555 grandmother and aunt join the search, they spot something else. 125 00:06:31,690 --> 00:06:36,927 Oh, my God! I looked down, and I can see her night sock. 126 00:06:37,062 --> 00:06:41,665 Just one night sock. It was a sock she usually wore to bed, and probably the 127 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,536 same sock she'd been wearing when she left the house at 9:45 the night before. 128 00:06:45,670 --> 00:06:50,608 It was a very concerning clue, because we thought that it may be a possibility 129 00:06:50,742 --> 00:06:54,545 that somehow she had met with foul play. 130 00:07:00,869 --> 00:07:02,603 Narrator: Danielle Locklear 131 00:07:02,737 --> 00:07:03,938 was a bright, bubbly 132 00:07:04,072 --> 00:07:05,239 15-year-old. 133 00:07:05,373 --> 00:07:07,608 She was super positive. 134 00:07:07,742 --> 00:07:10,644 She really, really enjoyed life. 135 00:07:10,779 --> 00:07:12,213 Danielle! 136 00:07:12,347 --> 00:07:13,414 Narrator: But on March 12, 137 00:07:13,548 --> 00:07:15,082 2014, Danielle's sudden 138 00:07:15,217 --> 00:07:16,951 disappearance has left her 139 00:07:17,085 --> 00:07:18,953 family and the authorities in 140 00:07:19,087 --> 00:07:20,888 Hope Mills, North Carolina, 141 00:07:21,022 --> 00:07:22,490 desperate to find her. 142 00:07:22,624 --> 00:07:24,125 I blew her phone up. 143 00:07:24,259 --> 00:07:25,359 Like, I kept calling her, and I 144 00:07:25,494 --> 00:07:26,427 was leaving voice messages, 145 00:07:26,561 --> 00:07:27,561 like, "Danielle, you need to 146 00:07:27,696 --> 00:07:28,295 answer the phone. 147 00:07:28,430 --> 00:07:29,330 You need to call me back. 148 00:07:29,464 --> 00:07:30,097 Where are you at?" 149 00:07:30,232 --> 00:07:32,333 For her to just vanish into 150 00:07:32,467 --> 00:07:33,868 thin air and not be 151 00:07:34,002 --> 00:07:35,769 communicating with anyone 152 00:07:35,904 --> 00:07:36,704 was very unusual. 153 00:07:37,005 --> 00:07:41,509 Narrator: Even more alarming are the ominous clues a search party has just found along 154 00:07:41,643 --> 00:07:45,613 the banks of the creek behind her home. The word "Help" had been 155 00:07:45,747 --> 00:07:50,584 written into the dirt there around the creek. Narrator: Additional clues by 156 00:07:50,719 --> 00:07:55,289 the waterfront suggest Danielle had been there recently. Her sock was laying right 157 00:07:55,423 --> 00:07:58,792 there, at the very end of the trail to the creek. 158 00:07:59,094 --> 00:08:00,294 We could not tell for sure 159 00:08:00,428 --> 00:08:01,562 that if she was wearing that 160 00:08:01,696 --> 00:08:02,463 sock that evening, 161 00:08:02,597 --> 00:08:04,698 but we knew it was hers. 162 00:08:06,067 --> 00:08:10,771 Narrator: As darkness sets in, police call off the search for the night and open a formal 163 00:08:10,906 --> 00:08:15,976 missing-persons investigation. First things first -- we get the child entered into NCIC. 164 00:08:16,111 --> 00:08:20,047 It's the National Crime Information Center. We also contacted the 165 00:08:20,182 --> 00:08:24,985 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Narrator: Next, detectives 166 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,155 sit down with Danielle's family. Thank you so much for coming in. 167 00:08:28,290 --> 00:08:30,958 We know you've been through a lot. We just have a few more 168 00:08:31,092 --> 00:08:35,629 questions that we need to ask. Was your granddaughter getting into any kind of trouble? 169 00:08:35,764 --> 00:08:39,767 Anything that we should be aware of? She was never in any trouble. 170 00:08:39,901 --> 00:08:44,104 But she did just break up with her boyfriend. Je'Michael was older. 171 00:08:44,239 --> 00:08:48,642 He was 17 years old, finishing up with school and hoping to go into the Marines, 172 00:08:48,777 --> 00:08:53,347 and Danielle was still young, had many years to go there at South View High School. 173 00:08:53,481 --> 00:08:57,418 Because of that, there was an on-and-off nature to their relationship. 174 00:08:57,552 --> 00:09:01,222 When did this go down? Um... Around February, I would say. 175 00:09:01,356 --> 00:09:06,493 Narrator: But according to Danielle's family, after a few days of tears, it appeared that 176 00:09:06,628 --> 00:09:10,431 she had bounced back. It didn't seem like it really phased her. 177 00:09:10,565 --> 00:09:15,302 She seemed like she was okay. Narrator: Still, Danielle's grandmother says she can't shake 178 00:09:15,437 --> 00:09:19,807 the feeling that something was off with Danielle the night she left for Atlanta. 179 00:09:20,108 --> 00:09:21,742 We was talking, and it's 180 00:09:21,876 --> 00:09:23,611 almost like I could tell that 181 00:09:23,745 --> 00:09:25,579 she was probably agitated about 182 00:09:25,714 --> 00:09:26,513 something. 183 00:09:26,815 --> 00:09:29,683 Have any of y'all been in touch with Je'Michael? No. 184 00:09:29,818 --> 00:09:32,953 But I do have his phone number. If you want to, I could call him. 185 00:09:33,088 --> 00:09:36,257 Please. I'm like, "Je'Michael, this is Chena. 186 00:09:36,391 --> 00:09:40,394 Have you heard from Danielle? She's been missing since last night." 187 00:09:40,528 --> 00:09:44,298 And he goes, "Oh, no, no, no. We broke up. I haven't talked to her." 188 00:09:44,432 --> 00:09:48,269 Narrator: But what Je'Michael says next sends chills down Chena's spine. 189 00:09:48,403 --> 00:09:53,073 He was saying that he felt like maybe she ran away. He said that she was 190 00:09:53,208 --> 00:09:58,612 considering or threatening to harm herself or to kill herself at some previous time in their 191 00:09:58,747 --> 00:10:03,584 relationship. He says that Danielle had threatened to drown herself. 192 00:10:03,718 --> 00:10:08,622 Narrator: The news comes as a shock to Danielle's family. Her family knew 193 00:10:08,757 --> 00:10:12,926 nothing of this. Nothing of the drama going on, nothing of the threats. 194 00:10:13,061 --> 00:10:17,965 Narrator: But despite the family's surprise, detectives can't discount the possibility 195 00:10:18,099 --> 00:10:23,103 Je'Michael may be right. We're looking for any kind of evidence that would suggest that 196 00:10:23,238 --> 00:10:27,875 this kid might have run away. That she was unhappy, that she was putting on a show 197 00:10:28,009 --> 00:10:34,081 for everybody about being this happy-go-lucky girl. Narrator: That evening, 198 00:10:34,215 --> 00:10:37,751 detectives head to the neighbor's house where Danielle was supposedly going 199 00:10:37,886 --> 00:10:39,153 the night she disappeared. 200 00:10:39,454 --> 00:10:40,988 She told her grandfather she 201 00:10:41,122 --> 00:10:42,489 was going to a friend's home 202 00:10:42,624 --> 00:10:43,490 named Amber Cook. 203 00:10:43,625 --> 00:10:44,925 Amber Cook was a minor, 204 00:10:45,060 --> 00:10:46,627 so her parents had to be present 205 00:10:46,761 --> 00:10:48,128 for questioning. 206 00:10:48,430 --> 00:10:51,031 We just have a few questions for you, Amber. Okay. 207 00:10:51,166 --> 00:10:55,502 On the day that Danielle went missing, she was coming over to return a book. 208 00:10:55,637 --> 00:10:59,773 First I've heard of it. You had no idea she was coming over? 209 00:10:59,908 --> 00:11:04,244 No. Narrator: Though Amber admits she had seen Danielle earlier 210 00:11:04,379 --> 00:11:09,283 that day, and nothing about her behavior suggested she was contemplating suicide 211 00:11:09,417 --> 00:11:13,887 or running away. She said, "Look, she was fine that day. 212 00:11:14,022 --> 00:11:18,359 She was happy. Outgoing." We even skipped school and went down to the creek. 213 00:11:18,493 --> 00:11:23,630 You and Danielle? Yeah. Us and...a couple of guys. 214 00:11:23,765 --> 00:11:29,570 Here. Let me show you. She actually had photographs of her that day 215 00:11:29,704 --> 00:11:32,473 down at the creek. It looked like she had been swimming. 216 00:11:32,607 --> 00:11:36,276 She had on swimming shorts, and her hair was pulled up in a bun, and it was curly. 217 00:11:36,411 --> 00:11:40,247 So we knew what she was wearing as of that afternoon. And we figured there was a 218 00:11:40,382 --> 00:11:44,551 good chance she'd probably at least still be in that shirt. These guys at the creek, 219 00:11:44,686 --> 00:11:48,355 who were they? Would any of them have reason to hurt Danielle? 220 00:11:48,490 --> 00:11:54,995 No. They were cool. Well...all except Aaron. What about Aaron? 221 00:11:55,130 --> 00:12:00,901 She indicated that he was a troublemaker, and that he had made some advances towards young 222 00:12:01,035 --> 00:12:04,471 Locklear. She turned him down. Maybe that prompted Aaron 223 00:12:04,606 --> 00:12:10,010 to hold a grudge. Narrator: The next morning, detectives ask 17-year-old Aaron 224 00:12:10,145 --> 00:12:14,748 and his mother to come down to the station for questioning. He said he wasn't even at the 225 00:12:14,883 --> 00:12:19,119 creek that day, which we knew was a lie. You were there, Aaron. 226 00:12:19,254 --> 00:12:25,559 Amber has pictures. > [ Sighs ] Okay. I was there. But I didn't do anything to her. 227 00:12:25,693 --> 00:12:30,664 You can ask my mom and dad. He had a very good alibi. He had left the creek at 228 00:12:30,799 --> 00:12:35,369 approximately 3:00 or so, which is about the same time Danielle left. 229 00:12:35,503 --> 00:12:41,575 He had gone to sports practice. After practice, he went home. He had dinner with his family. 230 00:12:41,709 --> 00:12:46,613 He actually went to a movie with his family that evening. Whatever happened to her 231 00:12:46,748 --> 00:12:51,084 happened during the evening hours, and during the evening hours, we could account for his 232 00:12:51,219 --> 00:12:57,224 whereabouts. So, you're free to go. Narrator: With Aaron ruled 233 00:12:57,358 --> 00:13:01,662 out as a possible suspect, detectives pull Danielle's cellphone records. 234 00:13:01,963 --> 00:13:03,297 Law enforcement loves 235 00:13:03,431 --> 00:13:04,097 cellphones. 236 00:13:04,232 --> 00:13:05,399 In the last 10 years, 237 00:13:05,533 --> 00:13:06,767 cellphones have gotten 238 00:13:06,901 --> 00:13:08,535 GPS chips put into them, which 239 00:13:08,670 --> 00:13:10,571 tell exactly where you are. 240 00:13:10,872 --> 00:13:15,209 Narrator: But when detectives get the data from Danielle's phone provider, it raises a 241 00:13:15,343 --> 00:13:21,849 frightening new possibility. She left her grandfather's at 9:45 p.m., and the last 242 00:13:21,983 --> 00:13:30,824 transmission from her phone was at 10:40 p.m. that same evening. And the last GPS coordinate was 243 00:13:30,959 --> 00:13:36,530 near I-95. We immediately had concerns. Look how fast it got from 244 00:13:36,664 --> 00:13:42,603 her neighborhood to I-95. It told us she wasn't walking. We were concerned that 245 00:13:42,737 --> 00:13:45,706 perhaps she had been kidnapped. 246 00:14:16,871 --> 00:14:19,273 Narrator: March 13, 2014. 247 00:14:19,407 --> 00:14:20,841 It has now been more than 248 00:14:20,975 --> 00:14:22,476 24 hours since 15-year-old 249 00:14:22,610 --> 00:14:24,244 Danielle Locklear disappeared 250 00:14:24,379 --> 00:14:26,079 from her grandparents' home in 251 00:14:26,214 --> 00:14:28,081 Hope Mills, North Carolina. 252 00:14:28,216 --> 00:14:30,083 It really started to set in, 253 00:14:30,218 --> 00:14:31,518 like "Maybe something 254 00:14:31,653 --> 00:14:32,753 really is wrong." 255 00:14:32,887 --> 00:14:35,322 When that feeling sets in, 256 00:14:35,456 --> 00:14:36,957 it's indescribable. 257 00:14:37,091 --> 00:14:38,759 My mind was going everywhere, 258 00:14:38,893 --> 00:14:41,395 because I didn't know what had 259 00:14:41,529 --> 00:14:42,462 happened to her, where she was. 260 00:14:42,597 --> 00:14:44,064 Narrator: But thanks to 261 00:14:44,198 --> 00:14:45,766 Danielle's cellphone records, 262 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:47,467 detectives now have a better 263 00:14:47,602 --> 00:14:49,202 idea of the general direction 264 00:14:49,337 --> 00:14:50,938 Danielle was headed the night 265 00:14:51,072 --> 00:14:52,005 she disappeared. 266 00:14:52,140 --> 00:14:53,640 Her cellphone, if you 267 00:14:53,775 --> 00:14:55,542 followed the GPS coordinates, 268 00:14:55,677 --> 00:14:57,477 had left the area of her home 269 00:14:57,612 --> 00:14:58,812 there in Hope Mills 270 00:14:58,947 --> 00:15:02,516 and headed north on I-95. 271 00:15:02,650 --> 00:15:05,152 And the last transmission was 272 00:15:05,286 --> 00:15:07,454 15 or 20 minutes up I-95. 273 00:15:07,589 --> 00:15:09,523 Interstate 95 is the 274 00:15:09,657 --> 00:15:11,458 main highway between 275 00:15:11,593 --> 00:15:13,460 Florida and New York. 276 00:15:13,595 --> 00:15:15,329 So it is heavily traveled. 277 00:15:15,463 --> 00:15:17,397 We get alerts all the time 278 00:15:17,532 --> 00:15:19,533 of people being kidnapped down 279 00:15:19,667 --> 00:15:21,168 south, from Florida to 280 00:15:21,302 --> 00:15:22,636 up north in New York. 281 00:15:22,937 --> 00:15:28,108 The theory of, Did somebody come off 95, seen this young lady walking at night, grab her, and 282 00:15:28,242 --> 00:15:33,347 get out of town? It was definitely a concern. Narrator: With Danielle's 283 00:15:33,481 --> 00:15:38,785 possible whereabouts becoming an ever-widening circle, detectives in Hope Mills call for backup. 284 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:43,624 Our State Bureau of Investigation became involved, the FBI became involved. 285 00:15:43,758 --> 00:15:47,894 Narrator: It's a trying time for Danielle's family, especially her mother, who's 286 00:15:48,029 --> 00:15:51,498 made the journey from Myrtle Beach back to Hope Mills. 287 00:15:51,799 --> 00:15:55,068 My sister, she was just... 288 00:15:55,203 --> 00:15:57,104 Just like any mother would be. 289 00:15:57,238 --> 00:15:59,039 She lost it. She really did. 290 00:15:59,173 --> 00:16:00,540 All we could do, we could 291 00:16:00,675 --> 00:16:02,209 just hold each other real tight. 292 00:16:02,343 --> 00:16:03,644 And we just cried and cried 293 00:16:03,778 --> 00:16:04,778 and cried, 'cause we 294 00:16:04,912 --> 00:16:05,679 didn't know what to do. 295 00:16:05,980 --> 00:16:09,916 Narrator: While Danielle's family bands together, the search for the missing teen 296 00:16:10,051 --> 00:16:13,920 intensifies. There were searches. Volunteers turned out. 297 00:16:14,055 --> 00:16:19,092 Probably 300 people. I mean, it was massive. Nobody wanted to be that one to 298 00:16:19,227 --> 00:16:24,698 overlook that one crucial piece of evidence, so they spared no expense. 299 00:16:24,832 --> 00:16:29,870 Narrator: Leaving no stone unturned, detectives sit down with Danielle's ex-boyfriend, 300 00:16:30,004 --> 00:16:33,573 Je'Michael Malloy, on March 15th. We wanted to talk to him, 301 00:16:33,708 --> 00:16:38,011 see when the last time he'd talked to her, heard from her, corresponded with her, 302 00:16:38,146 --> 00:16:41,581 anything like that. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. 303 00:16:41,716 --> 00:16:43,417 No problem. Anything I can do to help. 304 00:16:43,718 --> 00:16:44,618 His family was very 305 00:16:44,752 --> 00:16:45,986 cooperative, and allowed him to 306 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:47,220 speak to detectives. 307 00:16:47,522 --> 00:16:51,058 He definitely was eager to want to find her. Seemed like he was down to help. 308 00:16:51,192 --> 00:16:54,928 When was the last time you saw Danielle? It's been a couple of weeks. 309 00:16:55,063 --> 00:16:57,831 We broke up. And how did she feel about that? 310 00:16:57,965 --> 00:17:02,903 She was pretty upset. Je'Michael was very forthcoming, and said Danielle 311 00:17:03,037 --> 00:17:09,076 was really wanting to hold onto the relationship that they had. She kept texting me, 312 00:17:09,210 --> 00:17:13,980 wanting to get back together. What did you do? At some point, he blocks her. 313 00:17:14,115 --> 00:17:18,885 He got tired of her sending him messages. I just hope she didn't 314 00:17:19,020 --> 00:17:23,323 do anything crazy. So where were you Tuesday night -- the night that she went 315 00:17:23,458 --> 00:17:26,626 missing? I was home, studying with my friend Dominic. 316 00:17:26,761 --> 00:17:30,664 According to Je'Michael, his friend Dominic Lock had spent the night at his house, too. 317 00:17:30,798 --> 00:17:34,267 The two of them were gonna study for some standardized testing the next day. 318 00:17:34,402 --> 00:17:38,905 Narrator: When detectives follow up with Je'Michael's mother, his story checks out. 319 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,343 His mother was there, his younger cousin was there at the home. 320 00:17:43,478 --> 00:17:48,815 And so there were individuals that could put him at his home that evening. 321 00:17:48,950 --> 00:17:53,787 Narrator: After talking to Je'Michael's mom, detectives head to South View High. 322 00:17:53,921 --> 00:17:58,792 They went to school and started interviewing her friends about what was going on 323 00:17:58,926 --> 00:18:01,161 with her near the time she went missing. 324 00:18:01,462 --> 00:18:02,129 These are minors 325 00:18:02,263 --> 00:18:02,996 they're dealing with, 326 00:18:03,131 --> 00:18:04,164 so parents have to be notified 327 00:18:04,298 --> 00:18:05,198 for them to get permission 328 00:18:05,333 --> 00:18:06,333 to even talk to anyone. 329 00:18:06,634 --> 00:18:10,337 Narrator: It's a frustrating day for detectives. Chasing them kids around 330 00:18:10,471 --> 00:18:13,907 and getting them to sit down with us and tell us what they heard just -- 331 00:18:14,041 --> 00:18:18,178 man, that slowed us down. There were so many stories going around. 332 00:18:18,312 --> 00:18:21,615 Everybody was saying different things. So, basically, there was 333 00:18:21,749 --> 00:18:25,919 these kids in drama, right, and then there's Jessica, who was talking about Chad... 334 00:18:26,053 --> 00:18:31,725 And then my friend Becca told me that her little brother was also spreading rumors, so... 335 00:18:31,859 --> 00:18:35,729 The rumor mill started, and you talk to the kid, and he tells you he heard it from 336 00:18:35,863 --> 00:18:39,499 so-and-so, so now you got to go find so-and-so, and he heard it from so-and-so, 337 00:18:39,634 --> 00:18:43,336 now you got to -- And you got to chase this rumor through about 30 people before 338 00:18:43,471 --> 00:18:47,207 you get to a source who says, "That's just what I heard, and I don't remember who 339 00:18:47,341 --> 00:18:51,444 I heard that from." Or, "I did say that, but that's just what I heard." 340 00:18:51,579 --> 00:18:55,715 Narrator: Despite all the rumors swirling around Danielle's disappearance, 341 00:18:55,850 --> 00:18:59,820 there's one story that remains constant. Apparently Je'Michael's 342 00:18:59,954 --> 00:19:05,926 friend Dominic and Danielle were intensely jealous of one another. 343 00:19:06,227 --> 00:19:07,060 What's up, Je'Michael? 344 00:19:07,195 --> 00:19:07,994 Hey. What's up, dude? 345 00:19:08,129 --> 00:19:09,029 Je'Michael was Dominic's 346 00:19:09,163 --> 00:19:09,763 best friend. 347 00:19:09,897 --> 00:19:10,797 They rode to school 348 00:19:10,932 --> 00:19:12,132 together a lot. 349 00:19:12,266 --> 00:19:13,300 They spent a lot of time 350 00:19:13,434 --> 00:19:13,900 together. 351 00:19:14,035 --> 00:19:15,068 Perhaps too much time 352 00:19:15,203 --> 00:19:15,902 for some people. 353 00:19:16,204 --> 00:19:18,572 Hey, look, man, we're about to go play 21. You want to come? 354 00:19:18,706 --> 00:19:21,041 Uh... No, actually, he's gonna stay here. 355 00:19:21,175 --> 00:19:26,680 We're -- we're studying. Narrator: As proof, several of Danielle's friends point 356 00:19:26,814 --> 00:19:31,351 detectives towards a social-media post Danielle made shortly before her breakup with 357 00:19:31,485 --> 00:19:35,589 Je'Michael. In it, she said she felt unloved because some people were 358 00:19:35,723 --> 00:19:39,759 too busy with their other friends to pay attention to their girlfriend. 359 00:19:39,894 --> 00:19:44,064 Detectives are wondering, how deep does this rivalry go? Is this a teenage drama 360 00:19:44,198 --> 00:19:46,233 or a catalyst for revenge? 361 00:19:51,155 --> 00:19:55,892 Narrator: After speaking with Danielle Locklear's classmates at South View High, detectives 362 00:19:56,027 --> 00:20:00,864 have uncovered evidence of a rivalry between the missing teen and her ex-boyfriend's best 363 00:20:00,998 --> 00:20:02,732 friend, Dominic Lock. 364 00:20:03,034 --> 00:20:04,334 It doesn't appear to be a 365 00:20:04,468 --> 00:20:05,201 love triangle. 366 00:20:05,336 --> 00:20:06,636 But Dominic and Je'Michael's 367 00:20:06,771 --> 00:20:08,104 bromance does appear to have 368 00:20:08,239 --> 00:20:09,539 caused some jealousy between 369 00:20:09,674 --> 00:20:13,243 Danielle and Dominic. 370 00:20:13,544 --> 00:20:18,348 Narrator: When detectives sit down with Dominic, he doesn't deny the rumors. 371 00:20:18,482 --> 00:20:22,719 So, thank you for agreeing to speak with us, Dominic. Yes, sir. 372 00:20:22,853 --> 00:20:29,059 We understand that there was some jealousy between Danielle and you and your relationship 373 00:20:29,193 --> 00:20:32,896 with Je'Michael. Yeah, I'll admit, like, we never really got along. 374 00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:35,999 But her and Je'Michael are over, so I don't even see her anymore. 375 00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:37,801 Dominic says he has no idea 376 00:20:37,935 --> 00:20:39,169 what could have happened 377 00:20:39,303 --> 00:20:39,970 to Danielle. 378 00:20:40,104 --> 00:20:41,638 So, where were you on the 379 00:20:41,772 --> 00:20:42,806 night of the 11th? 380 00:20:42,940 --> 00:20:44,007 At Je'Michael's. 381 00:20:44,141 --> 00:20:44,908 All night? 382 00:20:45,042 --> 00:20:46,476 All night. 383 00:20:46,611 --> 00:20:47,944 Uh, we were studying for a test, 384 00:20:48,079 --> 00:20:49,279 and then went to school that 385 00:20:49,413 --> 00:20:49,846 next day. 386 00:20:49,981 --> 00:20:51,448 He said, around 8:00, 387 00:20:51,582 --> 00:20:53,383 he drove to Je'Michael's home. 388 00:20:53,517 --> 00:20:55,251 The two of them are preparing 389 00:20:55,386 --> 00:20:56,419 for a test the next day. 390 00:20:56,554 --> 00:20:57,821 He spent the night over there, 391 00:20:57,955 --> 00:20:58,922 and they went to school 392 00:20:59,056 --> 00:20:59,990 the next morning. 393 00:21:00,124 --> 00:21:01,324 Dominic's story lines up with 394 00:21:01,459 --> 00:21:02,659 what Je'Michael and Je'Michael's 395 00:21:02,793 --> 00:21:03,727 mother have already told 396 00:21:03,861 --> 00:21:04,294 detectives. 397 00:21:04,428 --> 00:21:05,562 Narrator: But while Dominic 398 00:21:05,696 --> 00:21:07,030 appears to be a dead end, 399 00:21:07,164 --> 00:21:08,732 detectives have no shortage of 400 00:21:08,866 --> 00:21:10,400 new leads to follow thanks to 401 00:21:10,534 --> 00:21:11,968 news coverage of Danielle's 402 00:21:12,103 --> 00:21:12,902 disappearance. 403 00:21:13,037 --> 00:21:14,504 When it hit national news, of 404 00:21:14,639 --> 00:21:15,872 course you're getting phone 405 00:21:16,007 --> 00:21:17,007 calls from everybody. 406 00:21:17,141 --> 00:21:18,208 Tips were coming in, 407 00:21:18,342 --> 00:21:19,676 hundreds, and then we quickly 408 00:21:19,810 --> 00:21:20,877 got into the thousands. 409 00:21:21,012 --> 00:21:22,379 Narrator: The flood of tips 410 00:21:22,513 --> 00:21:23,580 gives Danielle's family 411 00:21:23,714 --> 00:21:24,514 much-needed hope. 412 00:21:24,649 --> 00:21:25,849 Maybe she did run away, 413 00:21:25,983 --> 00:21:27,117 because there's multiple 414 00:21:27,251 --> 00:21:28,618 accounts of people saying that 415 00:21:28,753 --> 00:21:30,887 they seen her somewhere. 416 00:21:31,188 --> 00:21:35,358 Narrator: Detectives consider most of the tips to be long shots, but not all. 417 00:21:35,493 --> 00:21:42,599 A girl in Raleigh applied for a job at a hotel. Her name was Danielle Locklear. 418 00:21:42,733 --> 00:21:46,169 Looked like her. Enough that people called. Narrator: Law enforcement 419 00:21:46,303 --> 00:21:49,973 scrambles to follow up on the sighting. FBI had the ability to get 420 00:21:50,107 --> 00:21:53,677 her address, drive out to her house. It was someone who looked a 421 00:21:53,811 --> 00:21:57,113 lot like Danielle, but it was not Danielle. A tip came in out of 422 00:21:57,248 --> 00:22:01,051 Virginia, at a Waffle House. They came in so fast that the FBI even got to that 423 00:22:01,185 --> 00:22:04,387 Waffle House while she was still eating. They had to take a picture and 424 00:22:04,522 --> 00:22:07,590 send it to us to show her mom. And it wasn't her. It looked like her. 425 00:22:07,725 --> 00:22:12,228 Narrator: As the false sightings pile up, what had been hope for Danielle's family 426 00:22:12,363 --> 00:22:16,866 slowly gives way to the gnawing fear that they may never see her again. 427 00:22:17,168 --> 00:22:18,301 It was horrible. 428 00:22:18,436 --> 00:22:19,402 It was horrible. 429 00:22:19,537 --> 00:22:20,470 I was so afraid 430 00:22:20,604 --> 00:22:21,538 what they were gonna tell me. 431 00:22:21,839 --> 00:22:26,276 It was just one downfall after the other. It went on for a month, 432 00:22:26,410 --> 00:22:32,782 you know, and that was... one hell of a month. Sheer hell. 433 00:22:32,917 --> 00:22:38,855 You don't know if someone kidnapped her, if she's being held hostage somewhere, 434 00:22:38,989 --> 00:22:43,426 if she's dead. Narrator: As the family's anxiety begins to mount, the 435 00:22:43,561 --> 00:22:47,731 town of Hope Mills does everything they can to buoy their spirits. 436 00:22:48,032 --> 00:22:49,733 The community came out and 437 00:22:49,867 --> 00:22:51,501 supported Danielle's family. 438 00:22:51,635 --> 00:22:53,036 They had candlelight vigils. 439 00:22:53,170 --> 00:22:54,738 They launched 1,000 balloons 440 00:22:54,872 --> 00:22:55,572 on March 29th 441 00:22:55,706 --> 00:22:56,673 to basically pledge 442 00:22:56,807 --> 00:22:58,174 their support for Danielle, 443 00:22:58,309 --> 00:22:59,242 and for her safe return. 444 00:22:59,543 --> 00:23:03,279 Narrator: Danielle's fellow students turn out in force at every event. 445 00:23:03,414 --> 00:23:06,182 They were strong for each other. They loved her. 446 00:23:06,317 --> 00:23:11,421 It was just blatantly obvious. Narrator: During this time, it also becomes obvious that, 447 00:23:11,555 --> 00:23:15,592 despite their breakup, Danielle's ex-boyfriend Je'Michael still cares 448 00:23:15,726 --> 00:23:21,631 for her and her family. He was there with us at the search, the balloon release, 449 00:23:21,766 --> 00:23:24,634 coming by my house, bringing food. 450 00:23:25,903 --> 00:23:30,140 Narrator: Despite the love and support of everyone in Hope Mills, law enforcement is 451 00:23:30,274 --> 00:23:33,676 growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in the case. 452 00:23:33,811 --> 00:23:40,984 The Hope Mills police chief said that they'd received more than 500 tips and leads, but 453 00:23:41,118 --> 00:23:45,421 none of them had panned out. Narrator: Then, on the evening of April 2nd, another 454 00:23:45,556 --> 00:23:48,725 lead comes in -- the one everyone has been dreading. 455 00:23:56,133 --> 00:23:59,969 He took an alternate route. He said he usually don't go that route too often, but he went 456 00:24:00,104 --> 00:24:03,640 that route that day. Narrator: But as he passed the South River, he stopped. 457 00:24:03,774 --> 00:24:07,911 Out the corner of his eye, he saw something in the river that caught his attention. 458 00:24:08,045 --> 00:24:11,848 There's something that's floating in the river down below. 459 00:24:20,391 --> 00:24:26,296 It in fact was a body. [ Police radio chatter ] Narrator: As the sun sets, 460 00:24:26,430 --> 00:24:30,166 the rescue team descends upon the bridge. It was quite a while before 461 00:24:30,301 --> 00:24:37,707 they were able to move the body. A cinder block had been tied around the waist of the body, 462 00:24:37,842 --> 00:24:43,713 and a cinder block had been tied around the feet of the body using yellow rope. 463 00:24:43,848 --> 00:24:49,252 Narrator: Due to the level of decomposition, the rescue team quickly bags the body to contain 464 00:24:49,386 --> 00:24:54,490 as much evidence as possible. The body was in a stage of decomp that was pretty severe. 465 00:24:54,625 --> 00:24:59,462 Couldn't tell any really distinguishing facial features. Narrator: It's grim work, 466 00:24:59,597 --> 00:25:04,500 but the rescue squad eventually brings the body to shore. What they found was a body 467 00:25:04,635 --> 00:25:09,505 that appeared to have been there a while, probably a matter of weeks. 468 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,876 However, despite decomposition, one thing is sadly obvious to everyone 469 00:25:13,010 --> 00:25:15,745 present. The body definitely appeared to be a female. 470 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:20,516 Narrator: It will take DNA testing to make a positive identification, but detectives 471 00:25:20,651 --> 00:25:24,587 are convinced that they've found Danielle. The shirt that was on this 472 00:25:24,722 --> 00:25:29,893 young lady was the shirt in the pictures from the creek. Narrator: After weeks of 473 00:25:30,027 --> 00:25:33,663 chasing down hundreds of leads, it appears the search is finally over. 474 00:25:33,797 --> 00:25:38,401 I was dreading the news of telling this family that we weren't gonna be able to 475 00:25:38,535 --> 00:25:42,972 bring her home alive. Narrator: But even in death has Danielle managed to leave 476 00:25:43,107 --> 00:25:47,043 detectives a clue about her killer's identity. This wasn't just a 477 00:25:47,177 --> 00:25:51,247 coincidence. She put herself in that situation because of her trust. 478 00:25:51,382 --> 00:25:56,452 This body was found not even a stone's throw away from his house. 479 00:26:03,761 --> 00:26:05,495 When Danielle's body was 480 00:26:05,629 --> 00:26:07,530 discovered in the South River, 481 00:26:07,665 --> 00:26:09,165 it was like a gut punch 482 00:26:09,300 --> 00:26:10,433 to the community. 483 00:26:10,567 --> 00:26:11,334 It just -- boom. 484 00:26:11,635 --> 00:26:16,773 It took the breath right out of you, because I think there was a lot of hope. 485 00:26:16,907 --> 00:26:20,977 That's what you do. You remain positive, and you pray that things will end 486 00:26:21,111 --> 00:26:26,416 for the best. And so when her body was found in that river, I think it 487 00:26:26,550 --> 00:26:31,120 really was just gut-wrenching for a lot of people. 488 00:26:32,206 --> 00:26:33,072 [ Police radio chatter ] 489 00:26:33,207 --> 00:26:35,708 Narrator: On April 2, 2014, 490 00:26:35,843 --> 00:26:37,644 22 days since her disappearance, 491 00:26:37,778 --> 00:26:39,479 it appears that the search for 492 00:26:39,613 --> 00:26:41,080 Danielle Locklear has come 493 00:26:41,215 --> 00:26:43,516 to a tragic end. 494 00:26:43,651 --> 00:26:45,084 They reach out to my sister. 495 00:26:45,219 --> 00:26:46,419 The detectives come over, 496 00:26:46,553 --> 00:26:49,856 and they say, "We found a body." 497 00:26:49,990 --> 00:26:53,026 And, of course, my sister, 498 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,528 her concern was, "Is it her?" 499 00:26:55,663 --> 00:26:57,263 They couldn't really tell her 500 00:26:57,398 --> 00:27:00,099 that it was, but the description 501 00:27:00,234 --> 00:27:02,101 fit Danielle. 502 00:27:02,236 --> 00:27:03,670 Narrator: The autopsy 503 00:27:03,804 --> 00:27:05,438 uncovers additional evidence 504 00:27:05,572 --> 00:27:07,140 suggesting that the body is 505 00:27:07,274 --> 00:27:08,708 the missing 15-year-old. 506 00:27:08,842 --> 00:27:12,211 In her mouth was a sock. 507 00:27:12,513 --> 00:27:14,914 The sock matched the sock 508 00:27:15,049 --> 00:27:16,783 that was found by Chena Papa, 509 00:27:16,917 --> 00:27:18,951 Danielle's aunt, 510 00:27:19,086 --> 00:27:21,554 on the path near the creek. 511 00:27:21,855 --> 00:27:26,459 Narrator: The autopsy also suggests that the sock is, for all practical purposes, 512 00:27:26,593 --> 00:27:30,797 the murder weapon. The medical examiner was able to confirm that the 513 00:27:30,931 --> 00:27:37,103 cause of death appeared to be asphyxiation, that she was suffocated. 514 00:27:37,237 --> 00:27:41,174 There was no other real trauma to the body. 515 00:27:41,475 --> 00:27:44,110 Narrator: On April 4, 2014, 516 00:27:44,244 --> 00:27:46,245 everyone's worst fears 517 00:27:46,380 --> 00:27:48,614 are officially confirmed. 518 00:27:48,749 --> 00:27:50,249 We were able to positively 519 00:27:50,384 --> 00:27:51,851 confirm through mitochondrial 520 00:27:51,985 --> 00:27:53,152 DNA and dental records 521 00:27:53,287 --> 00:27:54,253 that this was Danielle. 522 00:27:54,388 --> 00:27:55,955 She had been in that water, 523 00:27:56,090 --> 00:27:59,258 in that dark, nasty water, 524 00:27:59,393 --> 00:28:01,094 for a month. 525 00:28:01,228 --> 00:28:03,029 And that is crazy to me. 526 00:28:03,163 --> 00:28:05,231 How could someone 527 00:28:05,365 --> 00:28:08,101 take her and do this? 528 00:28:08,235 --> 00:28:09,035 I was really -- 529 00:28:09,169 --> 00:28:10,236 I was, like, dumbfounded. 530 00:28:10,370 --> 00:28:12,105 You didn't know what to do, 531 00:28:12,239 --> 00:28:13,873 where to go, what to say. 532 00:28:14,007 --> 00:28:16,743 It was very scary. 533 00:28:16,877 --> 00:28:18,544 Very scary. 534 00:28:18,846 --> 00:28:23,082 Narrator: With the search for Danielle finally over, detectives double down on their 535 00:28:23,217 --> 00:28:26,052 efforts to bring her killer to justice. We need to figure out 536 00:28:26,186 --> 00:28:29,789 what happened. This family needs some closure. Narrator: To detectives, 537 00:28:29,923 --> 00:28:36,062 the location of Danielle's body leads them to one conclusion. She was found 3.2 miles, 538 00:28:36,196 --> 00:28:41,067 about a four- or five-minute drive, from Je'Michael's house. It was like a big red arrow 539 00:28:41,201 --> 00:28:45,304 pointing at him. Narrator: That afternoon, detectives descend upon 540 00:28:45,439 --> 00:28:49,509 Je'Michael's home with a search warrant. I remember pulling up to the 541 00:28:49,643 --> 00:28:54,480 house, and I seen a pump house right there next to the driveway, and there was some 542 00:28:54,615 --> 00:28:59,418 cinder blocks. And I was like, "Oh, man." They looked to be the same 543 00:28:59,553 --> 00:29:04,590 type of cinder blocks that were tied around Danielle's body. [ Knocking ] 544 00:29:07,294 --> 00:29:10,496 Yes? We have a warrant to search your home, 545 00:29:10,631 --> 00:29:13,966 and we need to talk to Je'Michael back at the station. He came out. 546 00:29:14,101 --> 00:29:17,103 I said, "Young man, it's time to come with me. We need to go talk. 547 00:29:17,237 --> 00:29:19,338 Are you good with that?" "Yeah, I'm good with that." 548 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,240 He was not bothered 549 00:29:21,375 --> 00:29:23,242 or annoyed at all. 550 00:29:23,377 --> 00:29:25,978 He was as calm as anyone 551 00:29:26,113 --> 00:29:27,180 could ever be. 552 00:29:27,481 --> 00:29:31,551 Narrator: Je'Michael maintains that calm demeanor even back at the station, 553 00:29:31,685 --> 00:29:34,687 where detectives waste no time interrogating him. 554 00:29:49,736 --> 00:29:52,238 He just basically keeps saying, "I've had no involvement." 555 00:29:52,372 --> 00:29:58,778 He really didn't have an explanation for why she was found 3.2 miles from his house. 556 00:29:58,912 --> 00:30:04,383 He just maintained that he was not involved in the disappearance, and not involved 557 00:30:04,518 --> 00:30:05,785 in her death in any way. 558 00:30:10,090 --> 00:30:13,960 Narrator: Je'Michael continues to be unfazed when detectives confront him with the 559 00:30:14,094 --> 00:30:18,331 evidence their search warrant has uncovered. They went and searched his 560 00:30:18,465 --> 00:30:22,134 home, and they found the same cinder block and rope there. 561 00:30:36,049 --> 00:30:42,421 Je'Michael is about as calm and cool as anyone I've ever seen on video. 562 00:30:42,556 --> 00:30:44,757 Narrator: Still, detectives keep the pressure on. 563 00:30:50,964 --> 00:30:51,697 The investigator 564 00:30:51,832 --> 00:30:52,531 tries to break him. 565 00:30:52,666 --> 00:30:53,833 He's not successful. 566 00:31:00,674 --> 00:31:01,807 Narrator: Je'Michael 567 00:31:01,942 --> 00:31:02,541 is correct. 568 00:31:02,676 --> 00:31:04,043 At the end of the interview, 569 00:31:04,177 --> 00:31:05,611 detectives have little choice 570 00:31:05,746 --> 00:31:06,512 but to let him go. 571 00:31:06,647 --> 00:31:07,413 We have nothing 572 00:31:07,547 --> 00:31:08,180 to hold him on. 573 00:31:08,315 --> 00:31:09,015 We let him walk. 574 00:31:09,149 --> 00:31:10,616 At this point, all of the 575 00:31:10,751 --> 00:31:12,184 evidence the detectives have 576 00:31:12,319 --> 00:31:14,553 is purely circumstantial. 577 00:31:14,855 --> 00:31:19,191 Narrator: Stonewalled by Je'Michael, detectives decide to try a different approach -- 578 00:31:19,326 --> 00:31:25,264 his best friend, Dominic Lock. They wanted to chip away at the alibi of Je'Michael. 579 00:31:25,399 --> 00:31:30,136 Lock and Je'Michael. Those two said they were together that night. 580 00:31:30,270 --> 00:31:34,640 Dominic said that he spent the night over there, and they went to school the next morning. 581 00:31:34,775 --> 00:31:39,312 Narrator: But when detectives reach out the Dominic, the investigation hits a snag. 582 00:31:39,446 --> 00:31:44,517 He declined to be interviewed further about what had happened. Said he wanted to talk 583 00:31:44,651 --> 00:31:48,220 to a lawyer first. Narrator: Though Dominic isn't willing to speak with 584 00:31:48,355 --> 00:31:53,059 police, a couple days later, Je'Michael has a change of heart. 585 00:31:53,193 --> 00:31:58,197 Two, three days go by, I believe it was. Get a call, "Hey, Je'Michael's 586 00:31:58,332 --> 00:32:04,870 on his way to the courthouse." Je'Michael decides to come in and give at least his version of 587 00:32:05,005 --> 00:32:09,008 what happened on the night of March 11th. I was just dumbfounded. 588 00:32:09,142 --> 00:32:12,812 I was, like, absolutely dumbfounded. 589 00:32:19,169 --> 00:32:22,038 Narrator: April 8, 2014. 590 00:32:22,172 --> 00:32:23,339 News that 15-year-old 591 00:32:23,473 --> 00:32:24,974 Danielle Locklear's body was 592 00:32:25,108 --> 00:32:26,709 discovered in the South River 593 00:32:26,843 --> 00:32:28,544 has sent shock waves through the 594 00:32:28,679 --> 00:32:29,945 tight-knit community of 595 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:31,981 Hope Mills, North Carolina. 596 00:32:32,115 --> 00:32:33,949 We had lots of prayer 597 00:32:34,084 --> 00:32:35,718 sessions to come just 598 00:32:35,852 --> 00:32:38,087 spiritually help uplift us and 599 00:32:38,221 --> 00:32:40,256 keep us, you know, somewhat 600 00:32:40,390 --> 00:32:42,358 peaceful during that very, 601 00:32:42,492 --> 00:32:43,793 very tough time. 602 00:32:43,927 --> 00:32:45,161 Narrator: However, there's 603 00:32:45,295 --> 00:32:46,429 one person missing from the 604 00:32:46,563 --> 00:32:48,531 events -- her ex-boyfriend, 605 00:32:48,665 --> 00:32:50,599 17-year-old Je'Michael Malloy, 606 00:32:50,734 --> 00:32:52,334 who is on his way to the 607 00:32:52,469 --> 00:32:54,336 Hope Mills Police Department. 608 00:32:54,471 --> 00:32:55,805 He had to have known that 609 00:32:55,939 --> 00:32:56,872 everything was just 610 00:32:57,007 --> 00:32:58,107 coming down around him. 611 00:32:58,241 --> 00:32:59,275 He didn't have a choice. 612 00:32:59,576 --> 00:33:03,546 Narrator: Compared to his last interview, it's a very different Je'Michael 613 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:05,247 who sits down with detectives. 614 00:33:14,424 --> 00:33:15,257 Je'Michael starts off 615 00:33:15,392 --> 00:33:16,358 interview by admitting that, 616 00:33:16,493 --> 00:33:17,393 on the night that Danielle 617 00:33:17,527 --> 00:33:18,894 disappeared, he and Dominic 618 00:33:19,029 --> 00:33:20,396 had snuck out of his house. 619 00:33:20,530 --> 00:33:22,164 They had climbed out a window 620 00:33:22,299 --> 00:33:23,566 so as not to be detected. 621 00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:24,734 So, of course, when we 622 00:33:24,868 --> 00:33:25,835 interviewed his mom, 623 00:33:25,969 --> 00:33:26,669 "Was he home?" 624 00:33:26,803 --> 00:33:27,570 "Yeah, he was home." 625 00:33:27,704 --> 00:33:28,804 But she didn't know he'd left. 626 00:33:28,939 --> 00:33:29,872 Narrator: According to 627 00:33:30,006 --> 00:33:31,807 Je'Michael, once he'd snuck out 628 00:33:31,942 --> 00:33:33,609 of the house, he and Dominic 629 00:33:33,744 --> 00:33:34,944 drove to Danielle's. 630 00:33:35,078 --> 00:33:37,880 They go to Danielle's house 631 00:33:38,014 --> 00:33:39,782 because Je'Michael 632 00:33:39,916 --> 00:33:41,183 wants to talk with her. 633 00:33:41,485 --> 00:33:45,254 Narrator: What Je'Michael says next takes detectives by surprise. 634 00:33:54,030 --> 00:33:55,264 Je'Michael didn't know if 635 00:33:55,398 --> 00:33:56,766 this was just a ploy to get him 636 00:33:56,900 --> 00:33:58,200 back or if she was telling the 637 00:33:58,335 --> 00:33:58,667 truth. 638 00:33:58,802 --> 00:34:00,069 He wanted to find out once 639 00:34:00,203 --> 00:34:01,670 and for all, was she pregnant? 640 00:34:09,412 --> 00:34:11,747 According to Je'Michael, he had bought a pregnancy test, and had 641 00:34:11,882 --> 00:34:12,848 took it with him to Danielle's. 642 00:34:33,370 --> 00:34:36,605 Dominic stays at the top of the car, according to Je'Michael. 643 00:34:36,740 --> 00:34:43,512 Je'Michael and Danielle start heading down the path, and they go down the path probably 70, 644 00:34:43,647 --> 00:34:44,580 100 yards, something like that. 645 00:34:47,417 --> 00:34:50,252 I need you to take this pregnancy test. Narrator: But according 646 00:34:50,387 --> 00:34:52,721 to Je'Michael, that's when tempers flared. 647 00:35:06,236 --> 00:35:10,172 Narrator: Based on what detectives know from the autopsy, there's a reason 648 00:35:10,307 --> 00:35:15,411 Danielle refused. She was not pregnant at the time of her death. 649 00:35:15,545 --> 00:35:20,416 It was probably a cry for attention from Danielle to kind of stay in contact with him. 650 00:35:20,550 --> 00:35:22,885 Narrator: But did Je'Michael know that? 651 00:35:39,769 --> 00:35:43,305 Je'Michael alleges that she smacked him and started hitting him. 652 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,408 You supposed to trust me. I don't. You just -- 653 00:35:46,543 --> 00:35:49,745 Well, I don't trust you, so take the te-- 654 00:35:53,917 --> 00:36:00,556 He said he grabbed her around the neck, and the next thing he knew, he blacked out. 655 00:36:04,561 --> 00:36:08,197 Je'Michael claims that he doesn't actually remember killing Danielle. 656 00:36:08,331 --> 00:36:15,604 Danielle. Danielle! Oh, my God. 657 00:36:15,739 --> 00:36:22,011 He runs back up to the car, tells Dominic, "Look, she's not breathing." 658 00:36:22,145 --> 00:36:25,247 I need your help. She's not breathing. What do you mean 659 00:36:25,382 --> 00:36:27,583 she's not breathing? I think she's dead. What? 660 00:36:27,717 --> 00:36:31,287 Come on! Je'Michael gets Dominic to go down to the river with him 661 00:36:31,421 --> 00:36:37,893 and help him move her body. [ Gasps ] Oh, my God. Come on! 662 00:36:38,028 --> 00:36:43,465 We don't have time for this. Just grab her! At that point, 663 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:50,839 the two of them are able to get Danielle in the car. Narrator: Once Danielle was 664 00:36:50,974 --> 00:36:55,144 in the car, Je'Michael says he and Dominic drove back to his house, ditching Danielle's 665 00:36:55,278 --> 00:36:56,645 cellphone along the way. 666 00:37:02,953 --> 00:37:08,724 Then they took her to the creek and dumped her in the creek. 667 00:37:08,858 --> 00:37:11,927 Like she was garbage. He's arrested. He's taken before the 668 00:37:12,062 --> 00:37:16,332 magistrate. And the charges at that time are second-degree murder. 669 00:37:31,548 --> 00:37:37,186 Narrator: Detectives arrest Je'Michael's friend, Dominic Lock, that same evening. 670 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:41,256 He did appear remorseful for what had happened, and his involvement. 671 00:37:41,391 --> 00:37:46,195 Narrator: Questioned by detectives, Dominic essentially corroborates Je'Michael's story. 672 00:37:51,801 --> 00:37:56,839 He says, a few moments later, that Je'Michael comes running up the path. 673 00:38:01,478 --> 00:38:08,117 We had absolutely no evidence that Dominic had any idea that this was gonna happen to 674 00:38:08,251 --> 00:38:11,820 Danielle. However, Dominic does admit to helping Je'Michael 675 00:38:11,955 --> 00:38:15,991 get rid of the body. He felt like he was in a corner with his best friend. 676 00:38:16,126 --> 00:38:21,130 Loyalty will make you do silly things when you're a teenager. Narrator: But while Dominic's 677 00:38:21,264 --> 00:38:24,500 account largely corroborates Je'Michael's, there is one difference. 678 00:38:24,634 --> 00:38:28,437 They each blame one another for putting the sock in Danielle's mouth. 679 00:38:28,571 --> 00:38:31,273 Dominic says, "Yeah, he asked me to shove it in her mouth." 680 00:38:34,110 --> 00:38:38,247 Other than that, their stories were remarkably consistent. 681 00:38:38,548 --> 00:38:40,382 One of my friends called and 682 00:38:40,517 --> 00:38:42,217 said, "Did you see the news? 683 00:38:42,352 --> 00:38:44,620 Oh! Je'Michael confessed." 684 00:38:44,754 --> 00:38:47,089 And I'm like, "Oh, my God. 685 00:38:47,223 --> 00:38:49,458 It's real. It's real." 686 00:38:49,759 --> 00:38:53,796 Narrator: However, Danielle's family isn't convinced by Je'Michael's claim that her 687 00:38:53,930 --> 00:38:59,568 death wasn't premeditated. There's no way that anyone could ever make me believe that 688 00:38:59,702 --> 00:39:04,006 he was just coming over to just have a conversation with her. He lured her out. 689 00:39:04,140 --> 00:39:10,312 He tricked her. He knew exactly what he was gonna be doing to her. 690 00:39:10,447 --> 00:39:14,416 He did all this because he thought that young girl was pregnant. 691 00:39:14,551 --> 00:39:18,887 That's the bottom line. We felt like that we could have argued to the jury 692 00:39:19,022 --> 00:39:24,159 premeditation and deliberation. Narrator: But prosecutors never get a chance to make that 693 00:39:24,294 --> 00:39:27,663 case. Rather than risk taking Je'Michael to trial, the 694 00:39:27,797 --> 00:39:32,901 prosecutors worked out a deal where Je'Michael pled guilty to second-degree murder. 695 00:39:33,036 --> 00:39:37,372 We just wanted it all to be over with, just to save ourselves more heartache from 696 00:39:37,507 --> 00:39:41,176 seeing photos and going through the trial. Narrator: It's difficult 697 00:39:41,311 --> 00:39:45,714 enough for the family when Je'Michael addresses the court at his sentencing hearing in 698 00:39:45,849 --> 00:39:50,285 May of 2016. Je'Michael stood up. He apologized. 699 00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:56,358 And I was just disgusted, 'cause I'm like, "She trusted you." And she -- she loved him. 700 00:39:56,493 --> 00:40:05,300 How could you stand up and say you're sorry when you sit there and you 701 00:40:05,435 --> 00:40:12,774 choked the life out of her? Narrator: The judge sentences Je'Michael to a minimum of 25 702 00:40:12,909 --> 00:40:18,213 years in prison. Dominic Lock eventually pled to accessory after the fact to 703 00:40:18,348 --> 00:40:25,621 murder, and received a sentence of six to eight years in jail. Narrator: While justice in 704 00:40:25,755 --> 00:40:31,460 the case has technically been served, it hardly makes up for what Danielle's family has lost. 705 00:40:31,761 --> 00:40:33,262 Maybe one day I will 706 00:40:33,396 --> 00:40:34,596 learn forgiveness, 707 00:40:34,731 --> 00:40:36,465 but it's not any time soon. 708 00:40:36,599 --> 00:40:38,767 He took somebody from us, 709 00:40:38,902 --> 00:40:40,936 somebody that was loved 710 00:40:41,070 --> 00:40:43,172 very deeply, that didn't 711 00:40:43,306 --> 00:40:44,239 deserve that. 712 00:40:44,374 --> 00:40:46,308 She was this gorgeous girl, 713 00:40:46,442 --> 00:40:48,010 but she had personality, 714 00:40:48,144 --> 00:40:52,014 and she was goofy and creative 715 00:40:52,148 --> 00:40:54,049 and just full of life. 716 00:40:54,184 --> 00:40:56,018 Really never seen her without a 717 00:40:56,152 --> 00:40:57,286 smile on her face, 718 00:40:57,420 --> 00:40:59,288 and she was always laughing, and 719 00:40:59,422 --> 00:41:00,989 that's the way that I know 720 00:41:01,124 --> 00:41:02,858 she wants to be remembered. 721 00:41:02,992 --> 00:41:05,460 Not supposed to question God, 722 00:41:05,595 --> 00:41:07,496 but you wonder sometimes 723 00:41:07,630 --> 00:41:09,131 what's the reason? 724 00:41:09,265 --> 00:41:10,766 And that's terrible. 725 00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:11,900 Never in a million years 726 00:41:12,035 --> 00:41:13,135 had I thought that anything 727 00:41:13,269 --> 00:41:14,369 like this would ever happen 728 00:41:14,504 --> 00:41:16,138 to anybody in my family. 729 00:41:16,272 --> 00:41:18,240 Now she's gone.