They had taken her in, they were helping her out. I was like, im proud of you, youre finding god. Reporter then, one baffling text. And she was gone. I go, i know i probably watch a lot of law and order but i have this really gut feeling. Because i was a mom, i just knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. Reporter two moms at opposite ends of a mystery. Could one get justice for the other . This case for sure was an investigators worst nightmare. Reporter soon, clues to a hidden life. A very amorous romantic, wild relationship. It was lustful. Oh my goodness. Reporter there were secrets here. Deadly ones. It hit me hard. Im like, no, no, no, no, no. A come to jesus moment . It was, yeah. I was scared to death. Hello and welcome to dateline. Bree carlson was a force of nature. Enthusiastic, spirited, beautiful. Behind the radiant glow, she hid a darkness. For awhile marie drifted. Then a pastor and his wife welcomed her into their lives. It was a spiritual awakening, which made maries sudden disappearance all the more mysterious. It would take a detective with a special bond and some divine intervention to find out what happened to marie. Heres Keith Morrison with secrets on the Emerald Coast. Reporter how do you catch a dancing sprite . Do you put her in a bottle . Can you package the joy she brings . Can you keep it when she goes . She was like a gravitational pull. Reporter her name was marie. Marie carlson. She was magnetic. Reporter when she was happy she could make the whole world sing. Live life to the fullest, is what marie would tell me. You know, you might not have tomorrow. Reporter and so she offered herself, her goodness. Gave her vulnerable heart, and stored her secrets. Until, well, what happened. But she was always that way, was marie. From the time of the very first secret in her life. She was born in the philippines to a single mother, then taken in by the family of an american serviceman. And it was years later when she learned that kind serviceman was actually her father. Which meant that esta bridges, the best friend she grew up with, was also her sister. What was that like to find that out, that she was i was happy. Was actually your sister . I was really happy, because i always thought she was, since we were little girls. Reporter when they got older esta and marie moved to florida and lived together. The location ideal. We chose an apartment that was behind a karaoke club, so that we could perfect. Just go there all the time. Like we were stars. Reporter and she wore pink. Always pink. It was her. It was her personality. Its full of life. Reporter and always trying to perk up everyone else up with her favorite word, beautiful. I was, like, oh, shes so beautiful. You know, i want to be like her. But she always used to tell me, no, you are beautiful. She loved that word. Reporter kay barber was like a mother to marie. Hers the second family to take marie in, when she was 18 and struggling. Maries nickname that i gave her was rosy because she was always just, you know, peachy and rosy and happy. Reporter like she was when she met jeff carlson, and he fell hard. And it was like instant. Reporter so they married. And they had a daughter named paris. And thought their life together would be grand. Marie got a College Degree in criminal justice, became a deputy sheriff. Her ultimate goal was to try to get into the fbi. Reporter but then, for all the love between them, there were issues. Jeff learned there were more secrets. That as a girl, marie had been sexually assaulted. And sometimes her love and joy were chased into a darker place. The Biggest Issue was she didnt love herself. Reporter they tried. But the marriage didnt last. And after that, marie drifted a little. Jobs fell through. She had to move frequently. Jeff suggested paris, then 3, would have a more stable life with him. She fought it initially, but she agreed that it was probably for the best. So paris was with me. Reporter though she saw paris often, and called all the time. And then . Marie finally found what her vulnerable loving soul seemed to need. I was actually happy for her because she found god. Reporter marie had found a spiritual home at the calvary Emerald Coast church. It was hardly a fancy cathedral. Place was in a strip mall. But fancy wasnt the point. Salvation was. Here, finally, marie felt right. And jesus is saying you know what youre missing out. Reporter the pastor was a charismatic man named James Flanders who preached the bible, foursquare. Preached in jeans and sneakers. Livestreamed and youtubed his sermons. It was a very happening place. Reporter Jason Anderson was the youth pastor. Didnt fall asleep listening to his sermons. Reporter but more than that, the pastor and his wife, james and Tanya Flanders, were known for their big hearts, their charity. And thats when, for a third time, a family took in marie. Shes saying that she was there until she got on her feet. Reporter but a whole year went by. And then what was coming couldnt be hidden. The story floating around, there had been an abusive boyfriend who abandoned her and left her pregnant. And in july 2011, marie gave birth to a baby girl and named her grace. The pastor and his wife took care of both of them. It was explained to me that they were helping her out. That she was kind of down on her luck. Reporter she was, by all appearances, saved. Spiritually by faith. And practically by the pastor and his wife. So imagine the surprise when a Strange Group text message popped up on the phones of her family and friends. Can you still remember the words of that mass text . She said that yesterday she left Fort Walton Beach to do something that she always wanted to do. She didnt want us to try to stop her. Her last words was, i love and appreciate you all. Reporter but the Biggest Surprise . Marie did not take her 3monthold baby. She left grace behind with the pastor and his wife. And right away her sister esta sensed that something wasnt right. She called her family. I go, i know i probably watch a lot of law and order, but can you find out whats going on . Because i have this really gut feeling. Shes like, oh, you watch too many of those kind of shows. Im like, no, this is different. Reporter it was the fall of 2011, the very same time that a detective named nesli suhimoore became a mother. A fact which, as you will see, may have made all the difference. You get a better understanding of what its like to love somebody to the end of the world and back. Reporter it was almost like fate intended to tie these two together in a mystery of love, and lies, and loss. Where had Marie Carlson gone . The detective who just became a new mom felt a special connection to the case. Coming up the investigator said, were going to open a case. Which surprised me. The antenna must have gone up, huh . The antennas did go up. I just knew she didnt leave on her own. There was no way she left that baby. When dateline continues. Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. Frontline plus. Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years. My job is to help new homeowners who have turned into their parents. Im having a big lunch and then just a snack for dinner. So were using a speakerphone in the store. Is that a good idea . One of the ways i do that is to get them out of the home. Youre looking for a grout brush, this is garth, did he ask for your help . No, no. No. We all see it. We all see it. He has blue hair. Okay. Blue. Progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. Keep it coming. You dont know him. Thats why ive got the power of 1,2,3 medicines with trelegy. The only fdaapproved, oncedaily 3 in 1 copd treatment. 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And this was very strange, she left her 3monthold baby in the care of her pastor, James Flanders and his wife tayna, and not her family. Not the woman she looked to as a mother figure, kay barber. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking. Reporter maries exhusband jeff carlson got the text too. It didnt make sense to him that shed leave without calling her 7yearold daughter, paris. Kay called jeff and said he should file a report. And she said, i i dont know whats goin on, but i i think somethin happened. And i said, yeah, i agree with you. Reporter and then jeff called the Okaloosa CountySheriffs Office to report marie missing. The investigators said, were going to open a case, an investigation on this. Which surprised me because shes an adult. She couldve just left. Reporter because marie was adventurous. She liked to travel. And when the mood struck her, sometimes she just took off for a few days on some whim. But something seemed different this time. Reporter she wouldve never have left without talking to me about it and talking to paris. Reporter shed been gone a week when the sheriff asked detective keith matz to look into it. That text message. Something off, said her family. This doesnt sound like marie. Reporter huh, so when you got that one the antenna must have gone up, huh . The antennas did go up. Reporter detective nesli suhimoore didnt hear about the case then. Because i was on leave. Reporter on maternity leave. Correct. So and i came back, two weeks after she was initially reported missing. Reporter and thats when nesli heard from other detectives about the case keith was working on. Poor keith had no idea that i was going to come bully my way into that investigation. Reporter and why did you want to bully your way into the investigation . I think the connection of just having a child i just knew that she didnt leave on her own. Reporter so here they were. Partners. The young detective who happened to be a brandnew mother. And the veteran whod seen just about everything. And who soon learned from friends and family that marie was deeply attached to both her daughters. She had a heart of gold and loved her paris more than anything in the world. Reporter but what happened in her life . And how did she end up with another baby . From esta the detectives learned about the divorce and how marie had lost her job, and how the pastor and his wife offered her a place to stay. But the questions about baby grace . Esta said her relationship with marie was always supportive, and not judgmental. And when marie didnt tell her who the father was, she didnt push the subject. Ive never questioned her because marie will tell me in her own time if she wants to tell me. Ive learned with my sister i never pry. Reporter but that was the job of the detectives, nesli and keith, to pry, and hopefully, to find marie. And one of their first calls was on her church pastor, James Flanders, and his wife. Impressive guy, they discovered. James flanders. What was he like . Very charismatic. I would say he would good at his job. Reporter wonder what it would be like to listen to him preach. You can youtube him. Reporter yes, you can we all, at times, forget the promises of gods word. Reporter the pastor grew the calvary Emerald Coast church from scratch, spread it through youtube. And by the time marie began attending, every service filled up. They were a tightknit family, that church. Reporter and now, with marie gone, they were caring for little grace. So did the flanders have any idea what happened to marie . Perhaps they knew who the father was, and where that abusive boyfriend might be found. And, oh yes, there was a story, all right. Coming up questions mount, and leads are running out. Was time running out too . We searched it, but it was there was nothing to search, it was clean. This case for sure was an investigators worst nightmare. When dateline continues. Hey, can i. Hold on one second. Sure. Okay. Okay safe drivers save 40 guys guys check it out. Safe drivers save 40 safe drivers save 40 safe drivers save 40 thats safe drivers save 40 . It is, thats safe drivers save 40 . Hes right there. Its him hes here. Hes right here. Hi hi. Hey thats totally him. Its him thats totally the guy. Safe drivers do save 40 . Click or call for a quote today. The calvary Emerald Coast church of Fort Walton Beach, florida, was far more than just a place to gather on a sunday morning. Led by pastor James Flanders and his wife tanya, this place was a beacon of charity too. The pastor and his church sacrificed their own needs to send money to the victims of katrina. And when Marie Carlson needed help, they took her in too. Its what pastors do for their congregation. Reporter but now . Im left with a missing person whos just vanished off this earth. Reporter a week and a half after marie vanished, or drove away, or whatever she did, the detectives went calling on the flanders. Who said they fully expected marie would return soon. This wasnt the first time she took spur of the moment trips, they said. Never to the point where she had to be reported to Law Enforcement missing, though. She came back. Reporter although the flanders told the detectives they were quite worried about maries state of mind. They noticed a downward spiral. Reporter that she was going into a depression or something . She might be going into a depression state, yes. Reporter thing was, said the pastor and his wife, marie could have wild mood swings, and they knew she had a diagnosed mood disorder. Reporter did they tell you that she was bipolar . Yes, told me she was bipolar. She had been taking medication, and was off of her medication, probably because of her giving birth to the child. Reporter but there was another prescription bottle too. And then they also showed us a bottle that was empty, you know, that maybe alluding to the fact that she had taken medication and was going to use it to hurt herself. Reporter the day she left . James told the detectives he was so worried about her state of mind, he stayed home from work to keep an eye on her. James says that she was acting up. And he didnt want to let marie take the baby. Reporter he was afraid the baby might be harmed or something. Right. Reporter then, late that afternoon, said pastor james, marie said she was tired, went to lie down, tanya took the baby out shopping so marie could rest. The pastor said he waited around for a bit, talked to her briefly when she woke up, and then went out for a run. And when he returned marie and her white mazda pickup truck were gone. Strangely, the flanders said, marie had packed her bags, but didnt take them. Why would she take off and not take her bags with her . Reporter anyway, said the flanders, when she didnt come back that day or the next, they drove around town looking for her. Went to the airport. Maybe shed parked her car there and flown away. Reporter did they find it . They did. James says that he finds it in longterm parking. Reporter at least part of the mystery was solved, said the pastor. She must have flown off to visit someone. They took her pickup home. So the mazda. What did you do about that car when you got your hands on it . We searched it. But it was you know, there was nothing to search. It was clean. Reporter they went to the airport. We checked the airlines. Theres nothing. She didnt fly out. Reporter so why would maries car be at the airport, if she hadnt flown out of there . Of course she could have been trying to hide her tracks from snoopy friends and family. Or, what if someone else took the car to the airport, someone who wanted to make it look like shed left town. Rather fishy. Then the detectives had an idea. You know the machine that spits out tickets when you enter an Airport Parking lot . That very ticket goes back to the tollbooth when you leave. Keith and i went to the little toll booth where you give the your ticket. Reporter maybe, thought the detectives, the parking ticket for maries mazda would tell them not just when it was dropped off but, a more important question, by whom. We were thinking lets get a thumbprint, or a fingerprint and went through every single one of them until we found the one that maries car had received. Reporter and yes, they got a print. But no, it wasnt clear enough to tell whose it was. Then, another thought. Hey, lets go pull surveillance video. And of course reporter you looked at all of it. Well, no. The video didnt wor it wasnt working. Reporter oh. During the time that we needed. This case, for sure, was an investigators worst nightmare. Reporter dead ends everywhere. Yes. Reporter and weeks went by. No sign of marie anywhere. Time to embrace the thought theyd frankly had all along. And it wasnt a good one. Keith and i both no longer believed we had a missing person. We believed we were dealing with a Homicide Investigation. But whats the hardest Homicide Investigation you can be given . One without a body. Reporter yeah. And we didnt have marie. Coming up, the startling secret that marie kept from just about everyone. I went up and i put my hand on her stomach and i said whats going on with this . When dateline continues. In. But we went to work. Building an experience that lets you shop over 17,000 cars from home. Creating a coast to Coast Network to deliver your car as soon as tomorrow. Recruiting an army of customer advocates to make your experience incredible. And putting you in control of the whole thing with powerful technology. Thats why weve become the nations Fastest Growing retailer. Because our customers love it.