>> so who do you think is involved in michelle's disappearance? >> reporter: what is this guy saying, that he has -- what could he tell you? >> he said he has information as to a potential site where michelle may be. >> reporter: frame made the trip out to the jail for a face to face interview. >> the parolee's information was that she had been abducted and was being held at a house in hayward. and it turned out, unfortunately, that this information was related to another criminal act and had nothing to do with michelle's disappearance. >> reporter: back in hayward, the police might have been accomplishing something, but were saying nothing beyond their belief that michelle was dead. and as far as the family could tell, the police investigation seemed to be getting nowhere. and now the family's own private investigator seemed lost in the weeds as well. hoping to shake loose a lead, they increased the amount of the reward money from $20,000 to $40,000 to $65,000 to $100,000, all from private donations, much of it out of the families own