Even, say, in the Amish Country of western michigan, where Authorities Say x box live was used to hatch a monstrous crime. One that had detectives seeing double and a father scared to death and loaded for bear. We were sort of prepared for the worse, because i was sleeping with a. 9 millimeter loaded on my nightstand. Cold sweats are not the way nights are meant to pass in the small towns of st. Joseph county, michigan. Its definitely the kind of place where you would expect people to leave their doors open at night and not really worry y no se proeceocupan de este tipo about thins like this happening. A homicide is not an every day occurrence. Its country out here, cornfields everywhere. Twolane roads. And its where a cheerful kid named venus was growing up with her family. The youngest child of larry and theresa, venus, a goddess to her mom even before she was born. Beautiful little girl with big, dark eyes. When she came out, i looked at her and said venus, i couldnt tell you how much i loved her. Who spoiled her . You or theresa . She did. But she came over to our house, she sat in her moms lap like she was a little girl. As a grownup. 32 years old, she sat in her moms lap. She sure loved her mom. Was she more trusting than she should have been in it was her naivete that worried her parents. She came home and said that she had met this young man. We laughed, she said, venus, if theyre in the mafia, they dont tell you. He worked at mcdonalds and was she was a soon to be College Graduate with a degree in criminal justice. She found out that she doesnt like guns, so that didnt work. What did work and instantly was her attraction to a marine she just met named doug stewart. No sooner than hello, my name is, and they were inseparable. What did you see in her . She was smart, beautiful. Four days later we were married. Pretty fast. A lot of people would go on a second date before getting hitched hitched. To say that venuss marriage was a surprise to her parents is a bit of an understatement. She showed up, and she was married. And we were dumbfounded. We were like, this is so out of character for her to do this. So this had to be big news for you. Oh, yeah. By the way, im getting i already am hitched. But her older brother got along okay with his new brotherinlaw. They both liked outdoorsy stuff. We went hunting together and fishing together. It was a year after their quickie wedding that doug left the marines to keep his bride happy. She had this fear that something was going to happen to me. So she wanted me to get out of the military in 2003. Were you okay with that . I love my wife very much, and i wasnt willing to choose the military over my wife. So in 2003, venus and doug began civilian life together. They moved into this house in school craft, michigan, not far from where they both grew up. Venus worked at a bank and doug at applebees and pizza hut. A year later, a daughter came along. Then a year later a second baby. Hoped and played for two healthy babies, and we both got our wish. So did venus like being a mom . Oh, she loved being a mom. That was like her number one priority. But stayathome mom wasnt in the picture for venus, not right away. They were too reliant on her check from the bank, and she was the familys bigger bread winner. So you became mr. Mom. Absolutely. And it was the best years of my life. Change the diapers, do all the tuff stuff . You bet. Its what truly makes a man a man. If they had a second place passion after their daughters, doug said it was playing games on x box, just like the blowem up games. She didnt like the First Person Shooter games as much. But as doug blasted away day after day and seemed to look for work less and less, the marriage began to crack. He was very immature. And she wanted to be a mom. So a few years along, things werent going so well. Thered be screaming, in your face arguments between doug and venus, followed by time outs, trial separations and shared custody arrangements. But venus wasnt ready to throw in the towel. Lets start someplace new. She wanted to go to Miami Florida or houston, texas. Why did she want to go to far farflung places . Theres bush gardens. Six flags. Hi, mom. Newport news turned out to be the place . That was it. It put us 30 miles from Virginia Beach and approximately 25 miles away from bush gardens in opposite directions, smackdab in the middle of everything that we wanted. Isnt it . Theres the carousel, i told you if the home videos are to be believed, the move from michigan to virginia was working. Doug had found a job as a truck driver, and home was an apartment on the ninth floor of this building. It was the best year of our marriage. The best year of our life. But doug and venuss problems ran deeper than anything an Amusement Park ride could paper over. And a year later, there were screaming arguments again and venus had enough and bolted to her parents place in michigan. Doug was left alone in virginia more than 700 miles away. Big surprise to you. Very big surprise. Two months later, a chilly monday morning started like any day at venuss parents house. Her dad was sleeping, and venus and the kids were slowly getting up. Then, about 8 00, venus dad, also a truck driver, was groggy from a late shift on the road. He was startled awake. I heard the girls being really loud in the front room. And i thought why isnt venus quieting them down . She knows im in here asleep. He got up to see what was going on. Venus wasnt in the house, but her cell phone and keys and purse were. He immediately called 911. Shes just not there . No. Anything . No. Now, im scared and went outside and looked for her. She wasnt there either. Venus, wearing nothing but her thin pajamas, had vanished where had she gone . When we come back, the search for venus begins. We might have a crime scene here. Signs of a struggle, and a light bulb went off, and i knew exactly what happened. And. But hurry, 0 financing for 60 months on ford suvs is a limited time offer. See your ford dealer today. Ive been claritin clear for 14 days. When your allergy symptoms start. Doctors recommend taking one claritin every day of your allergy season. For continuous relief. With powerful, 24 hour. Nondrowsy claritin, live claritin clear. Every day. Enamel is your teeths first line of defense. But daily eating and drinking can make it weak. Try colgate enamel health. It replenishes weak spots with natural calcium to strengthen enamel four times better. Colgate enamel health. Sfx ziploc bag opening sfx ambient School Cafeteria sounds, children talking life doesnt cry over spilled milk. It cheers. Life needs ziploc. 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Mmm dannon you can help prevent blindness in undernourished children all over the world. When you get your vitamins at walgreens, you help give lifechanging vitamins to kids across the globe. Get vitamins here. Change lives everywhere. This woman had gone up and disappeared in her pajamas. The disappearance of Venus Stewart, the mother of two, in april 2010 was the first big story that reporter Danny Carlson covered for nbcs affiliate in michigan. Left her phone, her purse, her identification. The vehicle is here, the kids are here, and she is gone. Have you tried calling her or anything . Yeah, we cant get ahold of her. Larry also called his wife theresa who was already at her restaurant job. Her coworkers tried to calm her down. And they said oh, she probably went around the block. And i just looked at them and said get a grip. My daughter doesnt do that stuff. And i said, im out of here, and i went out the door and was shaking the whole way home. The Michigan State police was on scene. Missing, police customarily ask the family to wait 2448 hours for things to shake out. But right away shall the officer suspected this might have been someone who took a hike of her own volition. We might have a crime scene here. So thats why we cordoned it off. Venuss dad showed the patch of gravel that was scuffed up. It looked like a struggle had taken place. The father also pointed out a pink hair tie on the ground and Something Else he hadnt spotted earlier. A tarp cover, a piece of plastic wrapping with the bar i didnt realize what it was or anything. I just said thats out of place. Crime scene of techs were able to lift what they believe was a fingerprint off the plastic wrapper and send it of o for analysis. And detectives at the scene made notes about the wrapper and bar immediately, officer steinsman got an earful from her parents about their trouble marriaged. Blaming everything on their soninlaw. With venus and him living in separate states, they were battling over custody of their kids. Venus had won custody. Doug was granted phone contact. I think the hair on the back of my neck stood up. After speaking to the mccombs. Larry and Theresa Mccomb believed in their bones that doug had abducted venus, maybe in a wrongheaded attempt to have more time with the kids. A light bulb went off, and i knew exactly what happened. Doug, doug got my daughter. And then larry decided to take matters into his own hands. I put a gun in my hand and went looking for doug stewart. He drove down back country roads and came up empty handed in his oneman search to find doug and venus. So your working theory going in is foul play. By this time, one of been brought up to speed about the marriage on the rocks. And, as he put it, didnt look good. And there was a history between them, wasnt there. Yes. Law enforcement had contact with them. Yeah, Domestic Violence issues. They had received Domestic Violence investigations from both venus and doug. Him on her, her on him. Where was he right now . Knew he was living g virginia. Yes, newport, news. The day venus went missing, her mother and father repeatedly dialed dougs cell phone. I kept dialing over and over, doug, where is venus. Finally, detective scott reached him that night. What did he say to you. That hed been in virginia all day. Youre in virginia receiving this call. Yes, im about 20 minutes away from my apartment. And he goes, doug, your wifes missing, and my first reaction is, is i, is my wife pulling he gave knee a couple locations to support where he was to support he was in virginia. One of those being at his Lawyers Office in newport news, virginia. The fbi was asked to run down his story and it checked out. Two women confirmed it. They said think saw him come in that day. A bit shocking when they said, we checked it out, and he has an alibi. What were the investigators to do . The parents accusation that doug had come and snatched venus away made some sense after they heard of the trouble between the two. But eyewitnesses were putting him in newport news, virginia, more than 700 miles away. And there was surveillance camera video in his apartment building, in his garage, and his car, to back up his story. How could doug be in two places at once . I couldnt be. Coming up. He called me, are you sitting down . A tiny piece of paper is when dateline continues. M. Wow. Yep, geicos mobile app works like a charm. Geico. Expect great savings and a whole lot more. Hey steven stay strong whats that . You. You want me to eat you . Honey, he didnt say that dont fight your instincts with each for 150 calories or less, try our lemon bars, brownies, and cheesecakes. Stewart went missing, shed found religion. Jesus, you are the only way her brother was the devout one in the family, and he was thrilled with venus was baptized in 2009 at the age of 30. In the first days after her disappearance, dustin would need his faith to believe shed be found soon and alive. Police searched miles of rolling farm country and thick, wooded areas throughout western michigan. Helicopters came out. Yeah. Dogs. Dogs. Immediately after her disappearance, lead detective mike scott had zeroed in on the on vows, the husband. But when fbi agents verified dougs story that he had been in virginia, scott had to start thinking bigger picture. Your person of interest has an alibi. So then you need another theory . A couple theories. Either Douglas Stewart enlisted michigan, abduct and kill his wife or we had either a stranger abduction or someone that venus was having a problem with type of thing. A woman goes out the front dor in her pajamas and is never seen again. Someone would be rightfully fearful, is there somebody crazy on the loose abducting people . Yes. And people saying they saw somebody. They worked around the clock but found nothing. It was miserable conditions. I didnt hear anybody complain once. Friends and family, meanwhile, were looking for venus on their own. In her car just in case. Living in newport news in virginia. A weekend he gave a Television Reporter an interview. Im getting very worried and very concerned. Marital battles, doug insisted he still cared about her. I dont know what is next, to be honest with you, i keep watching the news and braypray and hope for the best. And even though he had an alibi, police went down to newport news to talk to him. So we went down there to investigate the disappearance of Venus Stewart. A detective with the state police rolled in with his own forensics team. What were you expecting to do and hoping to find there . We knew we wanted to search his apartment for her clothes. Thats the last thing she was seen in. We wanted to find her clothes if possible. Any signs of venus being around that apartment . No, nothing. But the forensic investigators kept looking. Then they went outside to search dougs truck. The truck looked like a sty. It had not been cleaned. Fries and a crumpled receipt. They were able to locate a receipt in there for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and a hat. They couldnt believe their eyes or their luck. We thought they were joking, because who leaves that in their truck . An investigator on the Forensic Team immediately called detective scott back in michigan. When he called me, he says are you sitting down . In all the garbage, heres this receipt, huh . Yeah. The receipt was from ohio, about two hours from where venus disappeared. We realized those items were purchased the evening before venus went missing. This is a buryyourwife kit. Yes. Investigators were now holidaying a couple of ace cards, but they still couldnt knock down dougs alibi that hed been in virginia, 715 miles by the fbi. Nonetheless, chief prosecutor mcdonough was itching to arrest him. I said all right, lets charge him now. You know, i had to listen to chuck and detective scott telling me, calm down. Lets get everything ready to go. Fact was, they were still missing key evidence, not least, a body, a major hole for any wouldbe prosecution. Venuss family and friends prayed she was alive but were intent on finding her body if she wasnt. Meanwhile, investigators still hadnt cracked dougs alibi, so detective krooeger focussed on dougs cell phone records. The biggest part was two or three days prior to venuss disappearance, there were numerous calls to and from doug to one particular number. But the detectives also noticed a gap. The day before venus went missing the cell phone was it didnt go back on until the next night. And all of a sudden the calls start coming to and from this other number. The question is who is on the other end of the phone call. Right. It was quick work. They were traced to bear, delaware. In june, they got in the car and headed east. 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