You learn about the argument with the boyfriend. This is a guy trying to build an alibi. Thing still at it. You didnt think it was someOne Close to her . It answers. Someone that could do this could hurt other people. I just knew he was in the house. 901. What city . November, 2003. Two women were barricaded inside of their Bathroom And Las cruces, New Mexico. And desperately calling 911. Whats your emergency . Someone is by the house. Whats your name . Reporter theyd seen the intruder before. Watching them. Lurking. Waiting. Now he was inside of the apartment. They shared his College Roommates. You will want to remember this 911 call. Because, although No One knew it at the time, what happened to those terrified women on that night held the key to solving a murder. It was a mystery that went on for years. And Spend Hundreds of miles. But it began just a few weeks before that frantic call. And just a few miles away. Thats where our story begins. Soon a Sheriffs Investigator was interviewing them at the scene. A body appeared to have been there for several hours. I kind of get the feeling it would have been quite possible for the want to find it for months. If they were out target practicing it would have been a while. Reporter back then Robert Jones was a captain with the county Sheriffs Department. He took me to where the body was found. Age of his Power And Stuff like that, but it was definitely a message. Josh mankiewicz and her killer had attempted to burn her corpse. He did. He poured some kind of liquid on her more on her Shoulder Area and on her back and then lit it On Fire. Josh mankiewicz that attempt to hide or destroy evidence failed. Instead, the killer or killers left behind a partially nude body, scraped and badly burned. The woman appeared to be in her 20s. Dark, Shoulder Length Hair, big, blue eyes, and no id. Robert jones there was a Tire Track there that we got some good photographs off of that we could use for comparison purposes. Josh mankiewicz and youre reasonably sure that, that belonged to the killers vehicle. Robert jones yeah, we were almost 100 sure. It was the only track that was backed up right to the body. It had to be the vehicle. Josh mankiewicz to cops, the scene suggested shed been killed somewhere else and then brought to this area near an old landfill. So where was that original Crime Scene . And more importantly, who was she . Around 3 00 pm, about four hours after the body was found, the Phone Rang at the Las Cruces police department. A woman was reporting her College Roommate missing. Shed last been seen at a House Party with her boyfriend. Mark myers we would get several missing person cases a month. Josh mankiewicz Mark Myers was a detective with the Las Cruces pd. Mark myers i think what was concerning about this one was the close proximity to her house to where the party was. Josh mankiewicz more troubling was that the woman had left her car at the party and didnt take any of her personal belongings with her. She didnt have any means. Her purse, her keys, everything was left at the party. And shes just off the map. Mark myers she should have been home. And so when her roommates got home and she wasnt there, they were really concerned. Josh Mankiewicz Police already knew a body had been found in the desert earlier that day. Officers responded to the home of the caller. A woman named Tracy Waters. The first officer there had asked me for a photo of her. So i had gone and grabbed a photo off my Bulletin Board and given that to them. Josh Mankiewicz Police left with a photo of a 22yearold woman. She had dark, Shoulder Length Hair and big, blue eyes. Coming up, would that photo solve the mystery . Who was that woman in the desert . I screamed. She looked like she was in pain. And it was awful. Josh mankiewicz a disturbing twist was ahead and an ordeal that would test them all. One by one, youre asking everyone to give you a Dna Sample. Yes. Josh mankiewicz how many people say yes . Everybody, except her boyfriend. He says no. Josh mankiewicz when dateline continues. When you have moderate to severe eczema, its okay to show off. With dupixent, show off your clearer skin and less itch. Because you have plenty of reasons to show off your skin. With dupixent, the 1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, you can stay ahead of your eczema. It helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. Many adults saw 90 clearer skin, some even achieved longlasting clearer skin and fast Itch Relief after first dose. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Tell your doctor about new or worsening Eye Problems such as Eye Pain or vision changes including blurred vision, Joint Aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. Dont change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. Show off to The World. Ask your Eczema Specialist about dupixent. Ask your Eczema Specialist it was the long Labor Day Weekend in Las Cruces. A college town, home to New Mexico state university. Tracy waters it was a weird time in our current group. Josh Mankiewicz Things were going to be different this School Year for Tracy Waters and for her roommate, Katie Sepich, who was starting Grad School to study business administration. And for Katies Boyfriend, Joe Bischoff. He was moving home to gallup, New Mexico to help with his familys business. Tracy waters they had plans to still be together, were Making Plans for which weekends one would come and one would go to see the other, but distance was happening. Josh mankiewicz that holiday weekend, joe was in town to pick up the last of his stuff. Of course, he and katie made plans to get together. Tracy waters she worked that day in between doing things. And joe took well, maybe i should better say she took joe and he bought her a ring. It was her birthstone that she had been eyeballing. We had gone the day before to the store and looked at it. This is like a Promise Ring. I mean, i dont think i would ever tie a Promise Ring to the ring that it was. But i think it was definitely, a look to the future. Josh mankiewicz right. I mean, that would certainly seem to suggest that joe was thinking of a future, just as she was. Yes. Yeah. Josh mankiewicz then when the sun set in Las Cruces, they all went out. Katie flashing her new ring with joe by her side. Tracy waters so we had gone to a couple of bars. Closed down one of our favorite bars. Sort of, just one eveninglong party. An eveninglong party. Josh mankiewicz as usual, by The End of the night, they were at a friends home where the parting continued. Tracy had fallen asleep in one of the bedrooms. And in the middle of the night, she heard whispers. Tracy waters i remember hearing down the hall, wheres katie . But i was more Hearing It in a term of like, where in the house, not like, where in The World. And i just, never came out of the room. Josh mankiewicz the next morning, joe knocked on the Bedroom Door and asked tracy if shed heard from katie. Joe said katie was gone, and he didnt know where she was. Tracy waters so i went to grab my phone, and he said, ive called her. Her phones here. Josh Mankiewicz Tracy had some questions for joe. Tracy waters right out the gate, i said, did you guys get in an argument . Was she mad . He said no. Josh mankiewicz did he know why she left the party . Tracy waters i dont know that he was even saying that she had left, except that she wasnt there, and he was like, do you know where she went . Have you heard from her . And im like, i was asleep. Josh mankiewicz she thought katie must have walked back to the house they shared. Tracy waters i go home. Josh mankiewicz and expecting to see her in her room. Yes. Any sign that katie had been there . Tracey waters no. I looked in her room, nothing. All the doors were locked. There was no, like, sign that she had come in or left or anything. Her Purse And Wallet and Cell Phone were all back at the party. In her car. Her car was at the party. Josh Mankiewicz Tracy started calling every friend who lived within walking distance. Had anyone seen katie . Tracy waters as more and more people were telling me no, i was getting more and more nervous. So i asked joe, seriously, what happened . And he said we got into an argument, but i dont know where she went. Josh mankiewicz that sounded a little different from what hed said earlier. Did he describe the nature of that argument . Tracy waters no, not at that time. No. Josh mankiewicz he wouldnt say what it was about. Tracy waters no. I also wasnt asking because them getting into an Argument Wasnt unheard of. But her storming off without her things was what made me nervous. Josh mankiewicz all kinds of scenarios raced through tracys mind. Tracy waters if she were walking and shed gotten hit, like if someone had hit her, so i called hospitals. And then if she were walking and got picked up by police because she was definitely intoxicated, so i called the jail. To all of this, you get a pretty quick, no, we got nothing. Tracy waters no, we have No One. We have No One. And at this point, joe and a friend of his are driving up and down The Street just looking to see if she was on The Street. Joe more worried or Sort Of exasperated . Like, why are you doing this to me . Tracy waters i think he was frustrated, for sure. And as time was going on and none of the people that i was calling were saying she was there, he was getting more worried. Josh mankiewicz that afternoon, Tracy Called Katies parents, Jayann And Dave sepich, more than 200 miles away in carlsbad, New Mexico. Katies mom, jayann, picked up the phone. Jayann sepich her roommate said, have you talked to Katie Today . So i said no, i havent. Whats going on . And she explained that she and joe had had an argument and she had stormed out. And she said No Ones seen her since. And i said, oh, shes probably hiding out at a friends house, probably trying to scare joe. And she said no, weve called everyone. And i told her that i was very worried, and that i wanted to report her missing. And jayann said absolutely, call. Josh Mankiewicz Thats when tracy called Las Cruces pd and gave the cops that photo of katie. She did that not knowing a body had already been found earlier that day. Tracy waters it wasnt long before they were back. I would say, within the hour, they were back. And i took that as a good sign. And the officer asked me if i could come to identify someone. And i said yes, like enthusiastically because i guess, Im Thinking theyve arrested some woman who was walking down The Street intoxicated. And thats what im going to do is say yeah, thats her. Josh mankiewicz it was far from what tracy imagined. The officer drove her to the local hospital, where she was escorted down to the basement. And is it like in tv and movies, they pull a Sheet Back . Tracy waters she was in a body bag. And they folded back the top to about, chest area. And i screamed because all i saw initially was the side of her head, and i saw a silver earring. And it was her. Like, i didnt even have to look at her face, and i knew it was her. And she looked like she was in pain. And it was awful. Josh mankiewicz Coming Up Dave Sepich literally, i fell to my knees. It was horrible. Jayann sepich he said, shes gone. And i said, for sure . And he said yeah. He said, i just saw her. Shes dead. Josh mankiewicz who would want to kill katie . It has to be a stranger. Because no One Close to her would hurt her like that . We didnt think so. Josh mankiewicz when dateline continues. My moderate to severe crohns symptoms kept me out of the picture. With skyrizi,. Feel significant Symptom Relief at 4 weeks. Many people were in remission at 12 weeks, 1 year,. And even at 2 years. Serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections. Or a lower ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a Vaccine Or Plan to. Liver problems may occur in Crohns Disease or uc. Ask your gastroenterologist. About skyrizi. Control is everything to me. Now approved for uc. Air wick how far would you go to set your Home Ambiance . Try Air Wick essential mist diffuser. Its perfectly portable and glows with a fragrant mist. Transform your space with Air Wick essential mist. Always dry scoop before you run. Listen to me, the hot Dog Diet got me shredded. Its time we listen to science. One a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. One a day. Science that matters. Being a parent involves a lot of things, but close to the top of the list is commitment. The minute Tracy Waters called the sepichs to let them know katie was missing, katies dad, dave, got in the car bound for Las Cruces to look for his daughter. Dave sepich i dont know where shes at or what shes doing, but im going to go give her my peace of mind if i find her. Josh mankiewicz if he went prepared to give his daughter a lecture, everything changed once he arrived. Dave sepich when i walked in the door, there was a Police Captain and a victims advocate and a minister. And i knew immediately, when i saw him that it couldnt be good. And of course, they told me that they had found her body that morning, but they didnt know who she was because she didnt have any id on her. I mean, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Josh mankiewicz any father would have to see for himself. Dave sepich ill never forget going down the hallway in the basement of that hospital to the morgue and going in there. And when they pulled that Sheet Back, it literally, i fell to my knees. And then i can remember walking out of there. And it was a the feeling that youre leaving your child for the last time. It was horrible. Josh mankiewicz Dave Sepich steadied himself and called his wife, jayann. Jayann sepich and he said, shes gone. And i said, for sure . And he said yeah. He said, i just saw her. Shes dead. Josh mankiewicz shed hoped it wasnt true, but shed had a moment earlier that day. Jayann sepich i just had a feeling. Call it mothers intuition. I had had a very anxious feeling from the time i woke up that morning. And as the day went on, when i didnt hear from katie, i got more and more anxious. And then when tracy called, i had i knew. And i turned to a friend of mine who was visiting for that weekend, and i said, i think katies dead. I just have this dark feeling. Josh mankiewicz it was jayann who told katies brother, aj. Aj sepich it was such a blow to your soul that you really just dont know how to keep moving forward. And theres no sight from anything beyond the next minute, the next breath. Josh Mankiewicz Aj immediately left albuquerque, where hed just started college, to be with his family. Caraline, the youngest of the sepich kids, watched through her nineyearold eyes. Caraline sepich my visual memories of my life right after my sister died are really crisp and really clear, but theyre not vibrant. Its as if this very bright light of love was just gone, because it was. My sister was gone. Josh mankiewicz it was a sei