Did not take her car, did not take her purse. We realized something was wrong. They could not possibly have guessed how wrong. There is another level of evil here, the person who did this was trying to create a vanishing. Good do such a thing . First thing you look is who is closest to her, romantic lee or geographically. The list was long. They boyfriend, an ex and Fellow Students. Had somebody been studying more than textbooks . He would ask people, how would you commit the perfect murder . His roommates said he thought he was smarter than everybody else. Smart, maybe. But had he slipped up . What they had found told us everything we needed to know. A confounding case that would come down into a damning piece of video that no one was supposed to see. Sick, twisted. What was it like to see that . I knew that we had him. Hello, and welcome to dateline. Lauren giddings spooked south to law school, and immediately felt right at home. Smart and vibrant, she turned heads on campus, but kept her own eyes on her bright future. Then, suddenly she vanished. Turns out that someone close to lauren was hiding a secret and hiding in plain sight. But here is Keith Morrison with, the watcher. It was a summer morning in the heart of georgia. Heat rose thick and damp among the old macon antebellum mansions. As the Morning Traffic drove by. Something in the air that morning. Something off. Maybe just the trash truck. This was a 90degree day. Towards the end of june. There was a hot wind blowing that day. Joe kovac was down at the local paper. But and all of the sudden i could remember the buzz in the newsroom. Oh, this would be big. Big, and disturbing. Sometimes, things can be like that in the south, says joe. It was the shock, a shock to the system. But, there is Something Else about the south, something sweet, magnetic. It draws people in, and macon, with a storied history and his Cherry Blossoms at its very heart. But slow, relaxing. Everybody here is welcoming. Even for a new yorker but, who signed up at the Mercer Law School over here. You never meet a stranger i guess, in the south. That is what makes it so wonderful, comforting. It is where she met Lauren Giddings. When we found out that we were both from the north, we just instantly connected on that but, then why would you not want to connect with lauren . She was bigger than life. She was infectious. I mean, you could not be around her for more than five minutes, and not already be having a good time. She was the adored eldest of three sisters. Youngest, sarah. We would always go on runs together. Kaitlan, in the middle. She was more like a book warm. She loves to read, academics. Lauren grew up in maryland, halfway between baltimore and d. C. , with her friend, katie ohare. She was a riot. The things that will come out of her mouth sometimes, she would not have a filter. Why did she go with self for school . She loved the south. She was a country girl at heart. When she got there, she loved it. She did not want to come back up here. Lauren certainly knew what she wanted, she wanted to be a lawyer. But not one of those corporate types, or even a crusading prosecutor. Lorraine wanted to be a public defender, a voice for the poor and the accused. Why did you want to do that . She always wanted to help people, always. And Mercer Law School, perched on its hillside in one of macons sweet spots seemed just right for her. She was a friend fan of nancy grace, who graduated from there. Lauren found the great apartment right across the street from the law school, full of aspiring lawyers, the next Door Neighbor was a classmate, even the Maintenance Man was a student. And soon, she was everywhere, running in the park, active in her church. Eventually, president of her law schools federalist society. She was hard to miss she showed up in her pink outfit. Always pink . All these pink or even seersucker and always with her dog, butter bean. Fluffy, blond haired, just like she was. And she carried it around all the time . Always. She was basically Elle Woods In legally blonde. We always kind of jived her for that. It was no surprise that she attracted a lot of men. She always had people kind of infatuated with her, that is how she was. Like david. She interned at his law firm in atlanta, he was 20 years older, but their relationship seemed pretty serious. Until apparently, it wasnt. Being in school was hard. They were not living in the same city or anything. Besides lorraine was a flirt. I mean, she liked attention. And she got it, from a classmate named joe. He was more on the goofy or side, and also her age. So they became an item. But, there was something about david, some chemistry that drew her back. And she gave joe the bad news. Lauren was up front, told joe, and that was that. A bit broken hearted, on joe is part . I think so, he really liked or. Who wouldnt . Anyway, at graduation time, may, 2011, david was there to cheer her on. It was a big event for the whole family. We went out after her graduation with her family, got to know everybody. Just a month later, another celebration, up north. Her sisters wedding. I did want to say how special this wedding is, obviously not lauren was made of honor. And then, back to macon for the final hurdle. The bar exam. A busy, scary time for a young lawyer . Absolutely. But first it was everybodys last hurrah. It was friday night, end of june, 2011. The graduates gathered at a local bar, for one last blowout before hunkering down to study. They closed the bar, went to ashleys boyfriends place. Lawrence ex, joe, was his roommate. Eventually, we just all kind of decided we are going to go to sleep now. Right. I will remind you, there was alcohol involved. Surprise, surprise. Right lorraine stayed the night in joes room. The next day, everybody was moving a bit slowly. Wly. Wly. And with lowes pay, its never been easier to shop at lowes. Labor day savings are here. Instore and online. [ ] did you know, sweat from stress is actually smellier than other kinds of sweat . Thats why i use secret clinical antiperspirant. It provides 3x stress sweat protection. Danielle . [ ] secret works. [ ] air wick. Air wicks limited Edition Fragrances are infused with natural Essential Oils for authentic seasonal scents that fill your home with warmth and cheer. Nice footwork. Tman, youre lucky, watching live sports never used to be this easy. Now you can stream all your games like its nothing. Yes [ cheers ] yeah woho running up and down that field looks tough. Its a pitch. Get way more into what youre into when you stream on the xfinity 10g network. I may be known for my legendary football career, but truth is, i love a bunch of sports. The only trouble is knowing where to find them. Thats why i got xfinity. So, i can easily find and watch whatever sport im into all in one place without missing a thing. Even if its football, australian football, or football football. In a word its fitzcredible. I got to trademark that one. This season, eligible Xfinity Rewards Members can get up to 100 off Nfl Sunday Ticket from youtube. Sign up for Xfinity Rewards now. I did not see lauren that photos from that wedding trip up north that set off the alarm. The selfies katie ohare snapped and then nine days later, morning. I also did not see joe that morning. We just assumed they were in the room together. It was then time to buckle down. All of the friends, joe included, went off to cram. You just kind of go into this hole, and you study constantly, you have no contact with anybody. So it took a few days to realize that nobody had heard from lauren. No reason yet to assume anything was wrong, but soon, there would be. Coming up i was immediately like, this is not right. Alarm bells for one friend, while another steals herself, to enter laurens apartment. I said, are you ready for whatever we will see when we walk in there . When dateline continues. It was the trip north that set off the alarm. The selfies katie or hear snapped and then nine days later, texted to her friend down in macon, lauren guidance. They were kind of funny, so i know shes going to respond to me. And i said oh my gosh, if you post that online. Im going to get. You but no response. Was she studying too hard to look at a few photos . Katie tried again the next day. And the day after that. And again, no response. Thats not normal for her. We would talk a lot. Katie called lauren cell phone. And her phone was off. And i immediately was like, this isnt right. So i called her say Sister Caitlin and i said, lawrence phone is off. She hasnt been answering me for days. Have you heard from her . No, she had not. So caitlin reached out to Laurens School friend ashley. Her sister contacted me over a message on facebook. Hey, trying to get into touch with lauren. Have you seen her . Can you let her know were trying to get in touch with her. We havent heard from her. This was wednesday. Now thinking back, actually hadnt seen lauren since that prestudy party friday night. Actually went to laurens apartment. Her car was there. She knocked out the door. When she didnt answer, i didnt think anything of it. I soon she was running, i assume she was studying somewhere. So, she let it go. But then a few hours later, her sister her sister contacted me again and said this is an emergency. Weve been trying to call her and she still is not answering. Now actually began to worry. So she and her boyfriend referring return to Laurens Police and use the spare key to go inside. First, she warned her boyfriend. I said, are you ready for whatever were going to see when we walk in there. Because at that point in time, you just have this almost sort of dread. It was dark by then. We had to walk pretty far back into the apartment to find a light to turn on. Searched her bedroom, shes not in there. What they did find was quite puzzling. Her purse, her keys, her cell phone, her i. D. , all on the couch. Her laptop on her bed. As if she just gone out for a run, or something . Exactly like that. But know her . And butter been, her dog. Had been at home with her parents in maryland. So the fact that was her dog wasnt there wasnt concerning to us. The fact that she wasnt there, that was later. Thats when it became real. Something else occurred to them. He lauren was due to move out the next day, june 30th. But nothing was packed in boxes. But it definitely looked like she was getting her stuff together to be able to pack it. Shed already told her friends, her plan was to move to her boyfriend davids place in atlanta. An hour and a half up the highway. That was supposed to be the plan. That was laurens plan. Even though some of Lawrence Friends for thought they werent right for each other. Werent right for each other. Best thing ive ever done. Thats what freddie told me. It was the best thing ive ever done, and really . Yes, without a doubt i dont have any anxiety about money anymore. Great people. Different people, thats for sure, and all of them had Different Reasons for getting a Reverse Mortgage, but you know what, they all felt the same about two things they all loved their home, and they all wanted to stay in that home. [announcer] if youre 62 or older and own your home, you could access your equity to improve your lifestyle. A reverse Mortgage Loan eliminates your monthly Mortgage Payments and puts taxfree cash in your pocket. Call the number on your screen. Why dont you call aag. And find out what a Reverse Mortgage can mean for you . [announcer] call right now to receive your free noobligation info kit. Call the number on your screen. 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Com and order yours now i dont know if i want to is a special torture hto being far awayom when a loved one is missing. Keith morrison go to sleep that night or Kaitlyn Wheeler no, i basically had the laptop in front of me, and my cell phone, and kept going back and forth. Use the word flaky, but the relationship with david was flaky. Laurens called david. He said he hadnt doctrine days. I remember specifically him hanging up and calling back a few minutes later saying, whats going on . Back at the apartment, ashley rounded up laurens Law School Friends. Including the exboyfriend joe. With whom shed spent the night last time any of the friends saw her. Joe immediately went to the law school to search the law school for her. While the other friends took a careful look around the apartment. They found some Food Wrappers and in her car, a receipt from a restaurant drivethrough time stamped saturday, six away pm. The evening after that prestudy party. But now it was wednesday night. The restaurant was at that 0. 4 days old. So, where did she go . For a run . Did she have some sort of accident . Or was it something even worse . Friends laurens knew she spent time visiting prisoners when she was a public defender at the it make you wonder about which encountered . She encountered all sorts. People should visit the jail often. Maybe someone took an unselfie liking to her. And then they remembered something lauren said the night of that last prestudy party. She had thought someone had been stalking her. But we didnt really pay much attention to it. Because of who lauren was. She was a girl who always had admirers who stood out. Just about everybody who lived in the Apartment Complex new lauren. Including of course, her Fellow Student and next Door Neighbor, and he wanted to help search for her. He asked about window locks. Somebody check her windows to see if they were open . Or locked . Yes, i think one might have been on lock. Friends also checked lauren s computer and discovered that her last Online Activity was an email sent saturday night. This was disturbing. It was an email to david. It was eerie. What did it say . Essentially that she thought someone was trying to break into her house the night prior. I think she worded it, the person being a hoodlum. A macon hoodlum. The ultimate fear. That some evil stranger had taken their friend, lauren getting. Coming up. Investigators search lawrence apartment with a forensic tool that reveals a critical clue hiding in plain sight. The black light switch. When dateline continues. There is a special torture to be far away when a loved one is missing. Did you go to sleep that night . No, i basically have the laptop in front of me, the cell phone, kept going back and forth. Around 2 am, thursday, laurens sister woke up their dad. He has 100 questions, and i do not have an answer to any of them, i did not know anything, you know . Her apartment was empty. Her stuff was there. Unable to sit and wait for answers, laurens dad packed up his car and started the 11 hour drive to georgia. Macon police, now part of the Sheriffs Department looked around laurens apartment the night before, but then by morning, there was still no sign of her, so detectives were called in. And with them, crime scene investigator steve mcdaniels. Do crime scene techs do Missing Persons cases . Not normally, but this was a little different. She was a social animal, and they do not just vanish, right . Exactly, to just disappear with no trace, without talking to anyone, it was unlike her. So, he looked up at laurens front door, second floor, left side. Nothing seemed amiss. Up front, a Garbage Truck Lumbered up. But, blocked by the police cars, it was unable to empty the compactness trash bins. The truck moved on. By then, the lieutenant was in the apartment, looking around. It felt like somebody walked out, shut the door. Puzzling. The day was hot already. A humid breeze scattered across the yard. We came up over here, that is when the wind kind of hit you in the face, and you could smell something. You could smell a foul odor. A recognizable foul order . Pretty much. That was the small that the lieutenant was all too familiar with. He followed his nose, to one of the trash bins outside the apartment. I opened it up, looked in there and i saw, to trash bags. He pulls out of the bag on top, ripped it open. Typical household trash. Then, i went to the bigger one, which was a large sized package. It was a trash bag, that as i felt it, reached down, touched it and felt it, it felt like it had some Human Remains in it. And then, to his growing horror, he realized that it was only part of a body. A womans torso. Nothing else. We started to cordon everything off with crime scene tape, leaving sheets, barriers on the other side of the fence so the news media and general public could not see what we were doing. At that time, with this investigation, they did not yet closer look at that apartment. Take each room, trying to an blue when it comes wlieute sep laurens bathroom and the whole what did you see whu almo, h but this was swhen they