WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=RGGSm6aRXZM

Part: 1

1
00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:23.439
We're so glad to see you here and we're so touched that Ottawa share some of their story and some of if you could give us ways we could help or we could even help other people in the future

2
00:00:23.439 --> 00:00:43.120
because we didn't know what to do. So, thank you Thank you, Rosie. Will I be using both of these mics? Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. Um, and thank you for all those watching at

3
00:00:43.120 --> 00:01:00.320
home. My name is Autumn Lari and I'm here to talk to you about my sister that was kidnapped two years ago, Nicole Anderson of Randolph, Minnesota, who is also known by her maiden name, Nikki Me. Nikki is a Randolph native.

4
00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:17.200
She graduated from Random High School in 1986. She was a top cheerleader while in high school and had an impressive Letterman jacket that we donated to the Random Historical Society. Nikki loved fashion and beauty. She became a model as a young adult and did

5
00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:32.799
many modeling gigs, including hair shows, photography, and movies. She was a standin for Daryl Hannah in the 1993 movie Grumpy Old Men. Her love for fashion and beauty inspired her to become a hairdresser.

6
00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:48.560
She loved to go thrift shopping and had an obsession with clothes. She always dressed so cute and was fussy about her appearance. My mom said she was planning to open her own thrift shop. [clears throat] Nikki was such a sweet, beautiful

7
00:01:48.560 --> 00:02:05.439
person. She was thoughtful, caring, and kind. She was kind of shy, easygoing, and liked by everyone. She made everything so much fun. One staple about my sister is her Boston Terrier Bulldog. She never had children,

8
00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:22.080
so her dog was her everything. Her dog went with her everywhere. Holidays, the laundry mat, to plant flowers at our family grave site, thrift shopping, you name it. She was never without her dog. [clears throat]

9
00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:37.680
My sister and I actually have two matching tattoos. One is of our dogs and the other is his heartbeat sister tattoo on her biceps. Unfortunately, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and the baratu gene a couple years ago. She went through many

10
00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:53.200
chemo and radiation treatments. She lost all of her hair and became very weak and ill. She underwent many surgeries to remove the cancer, including her lymph nodes, a double masectomy, and a surgery to remove her ovaries.

11
00:02:53.200 --> 00:03:09.680
She was finally done with all of her treatments and surgeries and her hair was growing back. She was so happy to be done with cancer and was looking forward to my daughter being born in just a few weeks. Tragically, Nikki was not here to meet

12
00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:26.400
my daughter when she arrived. [laughter] [cough and clears throat] Our family believed Nikki was kidnapped on July 6th, 2024. It has now been two years since she disappeared, and not a single day has gone by that we have stopped searching for answers.

13
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:42.799
Nikki never intended to leave the property that day. She left behind her glasses, her cell phone, her wallet, her car, her cancer medications, and her beloved Boston Terrier Bulldog. She would have never voluntarily walked

14
00:03:42.799 --> 00:03:58.720
away down a gravel road, leaving everything she needed behind. Just two days before she disappeared on the 4th of July, Nikki called 911 because she believed someone was trying to break into her home. Nikki was not someone that called law enforcement

15
00:03:58.720 --> 00:04:14.319
unless she truly believed something was wrong. For her to make that call tells our family just how frightened she was. Two days later, she was gone. There are two individuals our family believes investigators should closely

16
00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:29.440
scrutinize should have closely scrutinized. One is a man who had been found around the property allegedly cutting wood and whom our family believes had been stalking Nikki. He is a suspicious character and

17
00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:45.280
according to the Ring camera, he was the last person to see her alive. Nobody ever hired him to cut wood on the property. And when my brother asked my mother how much she was paying him to cut down these branches, she replied that he was doing it for free because he

18
00:04:45.280 --> 00:05:02.320
was in love with Nikki. The other individual is Nikki's ex-boyfriend who has a history of violence. She had recently ended the relationship on July 2nd, just 4 days before her disappearance. The morning my sister was kidnapped, my

19
00:05:02.320 --> 00:05:20.479
mom, my sister, and the wood cutter were sitting on the deck having coffee and they heard a four-wheeler buzzing around back and forth at the end of the driveway. My mom made a joke to the wood cutter, advising him to run because if the ex saw next to Nikki, he would be jealous.

20
00:05:20.479 --> 00:05:36.000
My mom told me that she thinks the reason Nikki walked outside was to confirm it was the ex-boyfriend at the end of the driveway on the four-wheeler harassing her. Once again, the last clip we see of Nikki, she is walking out to the end of the driveway

21
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:52.160
kind of towards the wood cutter's truck, but the way that the trees are on the property, it's heavily wooded. She would have to walk that way to get a clear view to see who was at the end of the driveway. Um, so the last clip we see her is

22
00:05:52.160 --> 00:06:08.160
walking towards the driveway towards the wood cutters truck and then the camera cuts out and we assume due to lack of motion. Sadly, the ring camera doesn't pick up any additional motion until the wood cutters truck leaves a couple minutes later. The wood cutter left and then the ring

23
00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:24.000
camera shows him returning just 5 minutes later where he proceeds to empty the trailer of branches. Then he leaves for good. Um, and this whole time, you know, we never really got to see Nikki go to the end of

24
00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:40.479
the driveway because um, the motion sensor picks up vehicles, but not necessarily animals or people walking um, you know, out of the radius. We are unclear as to how the police cleared both of these men as suspects.

25
00:06:40.479 --> 00:06:57.680
The search efforts on this case were also limited. Initially, the property where Nikki lived and the property where the ex-boyfriend lived were searched by police and fire officials. We had many people from the public reach out to our family, offering to help search, but Dakota County said they did

26
00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:13.520
not need the public's help at that time. Later, our family tried to organize a public search around Lake Bilsby after we were notified that a clue had been found. That search was later cancelled after we were told the clue, which was a shoe,

27
00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:28.880
did not match the footwear that Nikki was seen wearing on the written camera. Without a clue, it was nearly impossible to know where to begin searching. This is rural Randolph, where neighbors are not close by, and there aren't ring

28
00:07:28.880 --> 00:07:44.960
cameras covering fields. These are gravel roads where people don't walk to get places. They use vehicles or ATVs. Out of desperation for answers, we hired a private investigator. Due to his efforts, we were able to

29
00:07:44.960 --> 00:08:00.800
identify several locations we believe should be searched using cadaavver dogs. We coordinate those efforts and we're prepared to move forward. However, the organization that conducts the cadaavver searches required law enforcement assistance and would not perform the

30
00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:17.280
cadaabver duck searches solely at the request of the family or a private investigator. We had hoped the Dakota County Sheriff's Office would assist so those searches could take place. Sadly, that assistance was not provided and those searches never happened. Additionally, our private investigation

31
00:08:17.280 --> 00:08:34.240
has uncovered significant new evidence and raised questions about the exboyfriend's reported timeline. We brought those findings forward because we believe they warranted additional investigation since it contradicts his alibi. However, the discrepancies and timelines

32
00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:51.839
were dismissed due to suspected drug use by the individuals involved. And to be clear, these are not minor memory lapses. They are serious contradiction contradictions that warrant deeper spernity. These inconsistencies could be critical

33
00:08:51.839 --> 00:09:07.839
to understanding what happened to my sister. Earlier this year, the ex-boyfriend was in custody in Dakota County on an unrelated matter just a hundred yards away from the Dakota County Sheriff's Office. I asked the Dakota County investigator assigned to my sister's

34
00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:25.279
case to use that opportunity to re reinter him to determine whether his account had changed over time. It's common practice to rein someone. The Dakota County investigator did not reinter him, stating it would not be effective without new information.

35
00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:40.000
dismissing the significant new evidence we have shared with her. Furthermore, over the past two years, our family has become deeply disappointed in what we believe has been an inadequate response to many tips and

36
00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:56.320
leads provided by the public. I have personally heard from numerous people who said they reported information but never received a return call. Others told me they did receive a call back but felt their information was quickly dismissed. [clears throat]

37
00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:11.279
I received two additional reports from people just yesterday. One report involves suspicious activity behind a Rand resident's property near the railroad tracks involving a truck and a four-wheeler. This location is close to Nikki's

38
00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:26.880
ex-boyfriend's property. [snorts] According to what was reported to our family, a deputy responded to the call, but he left without searching the area where the suspicious activity had reportedly been seen. In the other report, the man said he did

39
00:10:26.880 --> 00:10:42.160
get a call back from the tip line regarding the suspicious activity from the wood cutter, but he needed to obtain additional information. And when he had that additional information and called back, um the tip line never called him back to to receive that additional

40
00:10:42.160 --> 00:10:58.560
information. And so hearing people reporting experiences like this to our family makes us lose confidence in the efforts given to my sister's case. Another source of frustration for our family has been the lack of communication throughout this investigation.

41
00:10:58.560 --> 00:11:16.480
For much of the past two years, we were told very little about the status of this case, the leads being investigated, or the tips that had been received. We often learned more from news stations than we did through official updates. that has left us feeling like Nikki was

42
00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:31.839
not a priority and that little to no work was being done on her case. Our family has many concerns about how this investigation was handled during those critical early stages. We feel like officials dismissed the true level of urgency because they viewed Nikki as

43
00:11:31.839 --> 00:11:47.839
a wild party girl. If she went missing for a few days, it's not a big deal. Looking back at the response, the missed opportunities, the followup on leads, those efforts still do not sit well with our family. Our goal here today is not to criticize

44
00:11:47.839 --> 00:12:03.360
for the sake of criticizing. Our goal is to advocate for Nikki and to ensure that every credible lead is fully investigated until our family has the answers we've been seeking for the past two years. Nikki wasn't only a sister, she was a

45
00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:20.800
daughter. Our mother lived every day wondering what happened to her daughter. She never stopped losing hope that we would find Nikki and that someone would finally tell the truth. Losing Nikki took years off my mom's life. Unfortunately, our mother passed away

46
00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:36.079
this past Christmas without ever learning what happened to our daughter. She died still waiting for answers. No parent should ever have to leave this world carrying that kind of heartbreak. We continue to advocate for Nikki

47
00:12:36.079 --> 00:12:52.160
because we refuse to let her become just another forgotten case. We are asking for accountability and immediate action from Dakota County. But we need your help, too. Many of you have lived in this community for decades. You know the

48
00:12:52.160 --> 00:13:09.600
people, the roads, and the history. If you have information or if something has weighed on your conscious heavily for the past two years, now is the time to speak. My sister deserves to come home. She deserves justice.

49
00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:31.320
Our family deserves answers and our community deserves confidence in its law enforcement. Thank [snorts] you all for listening, for caring, and for help keeping Nikki's story alive. Thank you. You know, we don't know whether

50
00:13:31.554 --> 00:14:03.199
[applause] [applause] people is a suspect um ex-boyfriend boyfriend in Randolph. Is he back on his property? >> Um, >> repeat the question. >> Sure. Um, the question that was asked is if the ex-boyfriend is back in Randolph and back at the property. Um, thank you

51
00:14:03.199 --> 00:14:18.639
for that question. He has been coming back and I've called the police and had him trespassed. Um, and um, you know, >> is did he move back to his other

52
00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:36.079
residence? >> No, he he is not allowed to live there. Um, and he's been trespassed from that property. Yeah. >> And I also have to say, um, the private detective that we hired is here as well. >> Tom Tracy. Um,

53
00:14:36.079 --> 00:14:51.760
>> sure. My name is Tom Tracy. I'm a licensed private detective in Minnesota. Wish I had met Nikki, but unfortunately came along afterwards. Uh, the gentleman we're talking about really has nowhere to go. He's a junkie. His parents live in Houston, uh, and they won't take him

54
00:14:51.760 --> 00:15:07.839
back. He steals from everybody. He's essentially in a horrible situation. Uh, he can't get work. He's got no place to stay. Nobody trusts him for good reason. Um, to me, this investigation begins and ends. We know who was on that

55
00:15:07.839 --> 00:15:24.639
four-wheeler, on that ATV out front. We know who the four-wheeler belonged to. Ironically, it was Nikki and Autumn's cousin. We know they used to run back and forth out front there just to harass Tootsie and and Nikki. We know she broke up with him a few days before that. That

56
00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:40.560
section of road, if you live north of Tootsz, you take the highway into Randolph. If you live south of Toots, you take 290 a second into Randolph. Nobody drove by the that house very often. The only reason that that ATV was out there was to harass him. We know who

57
00:15:40.560 --> 00:15:55.920
was on it. She walked out to confront him and never returned. We also know this wasn't a planned murder or abduction. Nobody abducts a girl 40 ft away from mom at 9:00 a.m. I know where he was at 8:17 in the morning. We have bank transaction

58
00:15:55.920 --> 00:16:10.079
records showing him at Woodies buying iced tea. I know where he was at 10:30. He was back returning the ve the ATV to uh the owner. We do know what happened on July 4th that he had fitted a coffee

59
00:16:10.079 --> 00:16:28.240
can full of steel wool over the exhaust in order to muffle that particular ATB in order to go up and sneak up on Nikki on the 4th of July. We know all this stuff. There's no question. There's the questions in my mind are there's really

60
00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:43.519
only two reasonable things and that is Dakota County knows something I don't know which is quite possible which is why they won't proceed with a grand jury to get an indictment on this gentleman. Uh or they just simply are not familiar

61
00:16:43.519 --> 00:17:00.480
with how to do murders. Fact is that Randolph as you well know has no police force in and of itself. So any murder will fall to Dakota County. Dakota County works meth labs and and they have a drug task force. They just don't work murders and they don't know how to do

62
00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:18.160
it. I actually was so frustrated with the detective I went down and reined uh the suspect in the Dakota County Jail when he was being held there. But I got to tell you, it's pretty normal standard procedure when a case goes cold to go back and reinter everybody involved. The

63
00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:33.919
other thing is that if the law enforcement knows that if they reach out to me and say, "We have eliminated this person. We're not going to pursue this." Even if they said, "We won't tell you why," which is very common when I'm working with law enforcement. It's a one-way street of information where I

64
00:17:33.919 --> 00:17:49.520
give them information, but they can't contaminate the investigation by giving me information. But they've never even said to me, "We have reason to believe that this gentleman is is innocent." We can track his his movements that entire morning. The uh the bank transaction

65
00:17:49.520 --> 00:18:06.080
record at Woody's blessed gentleman he was going to work with that afternoon has an ignition interlock on his truck because he had a DWI. So we know when that truck started and we know that it he doesn't have an alibi for that. In fact, they didn't leave until afternoon. The unfortunate abduction took place at

66
00:18:06.080 --> 00:18:21.840
9:00 in the morning. But he headed up to Maple Grove. No, they didn't pour concrete. They did some some yard work for somebody up there and returned about 7:00 that night. They were also up until about 3:00 a.m. working on uh Derek's truck and so that they could get to the

67
00:18:21.840 --> 00:18:37.039
job the next day. Derek got up in the morning and still had a problem with it. He figured out it was a fuel line issue and went and Maddie helped him for a little bit. Then he went back and crawled underneath and fixed the truck himself before they left. But the whole point was that we know exactly where he

68
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:52.720
was. There's nobody else on that 4x4 out front. Both Tootsz and the wood cutter were sitting on the deck, heard the ATV. [clears throat] Everybody agrees with that. And there's only one person that would have been on that ATV. This was a crime of opportunity. Nobody planned this. You

69
00:18:52.720 --> 00:19:08.160
don't plan to murder somebody or kidnap them at 9:00 a.m. 40 ft away from mom. This was an act of pure rage. And I can't tell you what happened once Nikki walked out to that road, but I can tell you that I know who she met.

70
00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:24.960
Now, I don't know why they won't go for a grand jury. My guess is if they got an indictment grand jury, then they interrogated the suspect, you would guess that that he might crack under the pressure. By the way, he has no place else to go, so he might as well, you know, confess to what he did. When I

71
00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:40.799
talked to him, it seemed like he was in denial. He kept telling me that that Nikki and he were going to get married, which is absurd. >> Uh, I think he's living in denial. I think he's got a horrible life. Um, I would like to see some information, more information coming back out of Dakota

72
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:55.840
County. I'd like to see them engaged. I would like to get the cadaavver dogs out there. The detective did tell me that specifically called me to tell me that she wasn't the one that told Dakota County Search and Rescue Cadaavver Dog Team not to go out there. When I first

73
00:19:55.840 --> 00:20:12.000
contacted the Cadaavver Dog team, they seemed very sympathetic and said, "Yes, let's do it, but let's wait until the fall when the foliage is down so it's easier to get through." By the time fall rolled around, another gentleman from Dakota County Search and Rescue called back and said, "Well, we're not going to do it unless law enforcement gives us

74
00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:29.200
the go-ahad." Now, according to the detective, she never told them they couldn't do it, and all she'd have to do is give them a call and say, "Go ahead and do it," and they would. So, it it just seems odd that they that just every time we turn around, they throw another roadblock in front of us. And that

75
00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:45.600
again, if they had told me that they know something I don't and that that's why they're not pursuing it, I would respect that. But I get nothing. Does anybody else have any questions for me? >> Have you talked to the county attorney or >> I talked to her immediate Nicole Young

76
00:20:45.600 --> 00:21:01.679
is a detective on this by the way. I talked to her immediate supervisor. Uh Ryan Fitzgerald. Uh we haven't gone beyond Ryan Fitzgerald. Ryan is a little bit more sympathetic and reasonable. Nicole Young just seems disengaged. Um, but that's he's one of the ones that

77
00:21:01.679 --> 00:21:18.200
I asked. I said, "How many murders have you worked?" And he said, "Very few." Because people don't get murdered in small towns without police forces. That just doesn't happen. Again, their major thing is drugs, bar fights, and stuff like that. They just don't work murders.

78
00:21:19.520 --> 00:21:36.159
>> Autumn mentioned something about a truck in a trailer behind somebody's house. Was it behind Toots's house or behind um where Matt was at at the other house?

79
00:21:36.159 --> 00:21:55.840
>> It was at my mother's property. >> I don't know about the truck. When I first got got on this case, I had talked to well, somebody called me and they didn't give me a name, but they said that they live between Lake Bsby and the railroad tracks. They said about 2:30 in the morning, uh, they heard that ATV

80
00:21:55.840 --> 00:22:11.600
running down the service road for the rail railroad trucks or a an ATV. Um, I don't know if you want me to go into the gruesomeness of of what I think actually happened that morning, but I think that was the suspect moving the body at 2:30 in the morning. Does it make sense? Head

81
00:22:11.600 --> 00:22:28.240
down was at Fulton Avenue. What's the name of the street? >> Felton. >> Felton Avenue down to the railroad tracks. Nobody's going to see you at 2:30 in the morning at Randolph. go down to the railroad tracks and then once you're heading westbound on that on that service road, you can go to the cemetery of the lake and go down to the cascades.

82
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:44.240
>> Flooding, too. >> It was flooding. There was an enormous hole in the ground from the fire department. >> Um, but frankly, once once that body's moved, you're not going to know where it goes unless you get a confession or we can guess it. It's fab dogs out there.

83
00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:59.760
>> Do you have information on the trucking trailer? Was that a tip that was placed? I I placed a tip on a truck in a trailer. Um, and I was never called back by anybody.

84
00:22:59.760 --> 00:23:15.520
>> That I hear all the time that that people contacted uh the the investigative team for Dakota County offered up information and never got a call back. >> I had never heard of a truck in a trailer on the news or I've read a lot about the case. For some reason, the

85
00:23:15.520 --> 00:23:30.320
news ran >> hearing you speak of that today just really >> for some reason the news kept running with the idea that she walked out to the end of the driveway to get the mail. And I don't know where that started, but that wasn't accurate. As far as the truck in the trailer, the wood cutter

86
00:23:30.320 --> 00:23:45.360
had told me that he saw a tan truck, but he's the only one that mentioned that. And I don't know how useful that is. Both of them heard the ATV out front and that's the key. >> That was the tip I sent in. >> Okay. that um

87
00:23:45.360 --> 00:24:01.600
um a friend of mine had told me that um there was a a tan or gold truck parked near your mom's house with a trailer and ATV on the back. >> I fall back to the nature of the crime

88
00:24:01.600 --> 00:24:18.080
itself. I don't think anybody planned this truck in a trailer would in involve two people in some planning. I think this was an immediate rage murder. I don't think and quite frankly uh if somebody did have plans to do away with her, why wouldn't they just go pick her

89
00:24:18.080 --> 00:24:34.960
up for a party at 9:00 at night, take her off and never bring her back? She traveled to, you know, various places. If she just disappeared on the road at the casino or someone like that, nobody would question it. But if you're going to do it 40t away from mom at 9:00

90
00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:51.320
a.m. broad daylight, that is a rage murder. It was not planned. You know, Maddie knew she was weak. He's like one of the only ones that would have known she'd be weak. You know, >> she just had

91
00:24:51.360 --> 00:25:05.919
>> Can I just clarify when you say he's living in Houston, you Minnesota or Houston, Texas? >> He's his parents won't take him in Houston, Texas. He's still in Minnesota. He's in the Randolph area. I think he's couch surfing with anybody that'll put

92
00:25:05.919 --> 00:25:24.320
up with him. Can we have his name in case we encounter him? [laughter] >> I we weren't going to say it, but we already have said Maddie several times, so I think most people know who he is. >> No. >> Uh well, >> it's in the newspaper article.

93
00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:39.120
>> Yeah, it it's it's the boyfriend of the newspaper article. He doesn't have any property. He doesn't have a place to stay. Um in short, it's like as she said, you can look it up in the newspaper. What I really don't understand is he was

94
00:25:39.120 --> 00:25:56.640
discounted as as a suspect pretty early on within a few days they search his property >> but I don't know what alibi he could have possibly have as I said I've attracted again Nicole Young said well you know you can't trust people's memories I don't go off of people's

95
00:25:56.640 --> 00:26:12.960
memories an odd thing she said to me when I sent her the transaction it was on Mikey V's debit card I was able to pull the transaction from Woody's And this is a debit card. I think anybody if you've ever used a debit card to pay for gasoline, you know, they they tap the card immediately to make sure

96
00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:28.400
it's it's valid. He bought IC Tea at 8:17 in the morning when Mikey's card. That's not a memory. That's a hard transaction record. Nicole Young said to me, "Oh, yeah, but how can you trust that? It's a debit card." >> They're transacted the moment you run

97
00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:45.360
the card. Uh, and she didn't know about the ignition interlock on Derek's truck. Um, she >> she said that nobody ever called. None of her friends ever called and gave tips or anything. There was multiple >> There was multiple many.

98
00:26:45.360 --> 00:27:02.799
>> I can guarantee you I I interviewed dozens more people than the Dakota County Sheriff did. And most of them actually said, "Yeah, you know, I tried to call up and get my information." And here's, you know, God bless him. It's hard to separate small town gossip from hard data and you're going to get a lot

99
00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:17.679
off the small town gossip. But that's just the that's the job of detective. Separate the signal from the noise. >> And you're never going to get the information if you don't follow up. Even you follow up 100 leads and then only one of them pans out. You got to follow them all up.

100
00:27:17.679 --> 00:27:33.200
So, and you know, God bless them. I I think they're doing their best. But again, I fall back. They must know something I don't and they're not going to share it with me. and they're not going to share that they know something I know. Uh I wouldn't even ask him what it was. But if she was to say, you know,

101
00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:50.880
I've got good reason to know it wasn't him, then I'd probably leave it alone and go with something else. But quite frankly, there's only two other suspects. One of them, another thing she didn't do is that one of them was actually an Islamic Republican Guard member. Uh and he uh Yeah, but here's

102
00:27:50.880 --> 00:28:06.320
the thing. He had an ice tracker on his phone. And because I know people at ICE, I well, right off the bat security, but I contacted them and he was with uh Heather Thompson just outside of Mano at 9:00 a.m. Um, and as far as wood cutter

103
00:28:06.320 --> 00:28:23.120
goes, he was sitting on the porch next to the mom. Like, how the heck is he going to get out to the end of the driveway, do something nefarious before she walks back and and then come back 10 minutes later, you know, Tootsz was right there. She would have seen everything and known everything. She

104
00:28:23.120 --> 00:28:39.039
said it couldn't have been him. He was right there with me. So, we eliminated all the ex-boyfriends and sub subjects except >> another thing. Sorry. Another thing about Mandy is after Monday when I found out that she was missing. We went there to High Prairie on Tuesday cuz Dubes was

105
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:55.200
staying up there >> and it was me, Bob, and Angie. We went up there and Dubes was up there and they were in the camper and I was just walking out. It was super hot outside and I was just walking around outside kind of like stepped on the ground. She could be anywhere, you know. But um all of a sudden I hear this motorcycle come

106
00:28:55.200 --> 00:29:11.360
up and it's Maddie on this motorcycle. He's dressed in black, black leather, everything all the way down to his feet because his head was all wrapped up and left. Why is he going up there? He hates dubes. >> Yeah. >> The only thing I can think of is going up there to kill Dick,

107
00:29:11.360 --> 00:29:26.240
you know, like he got away with it, so why not? >> I don't know. It was weird cuz I know we're like I'm like, "Maddie, where the hell is she?" And I threw my hands up in there and started crying and he just gave us every excuse like 20 different

108
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:44.399
excuses anywhere but ran out where she could be, you know. I'm like he called me that Monday morning, you know, and that's how we kind of initiated the whole investigation was he called me because he couldn't reach Sandy and I live above Sandy. So he

109
00:29:44.399 --> 00:29:59.039
calls me and says Nicole and his mom, her mom were were at odds, I guess, fighting. But I'm like, that's not unusual. Like, yeah, but that was false. >> She tried to get her out of bed. >> Yeah, but that was false. But, you know, for me though, for him to call me though

110
00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:15.200
was I was awed already because I just met him. I've known Nikki a long time. I've known Sandy a long time, but I've only just at that point had only recently met him. [snorts] And so I was surprised that he even called me and how

111
00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:30.240
did he get my number and you know what I mean? It was like weird. But he said to me, you know, he goes, "Yeah, um, yeah, she's she's uh she's missing, you know." And I go, "Well, did you report it? What do you mean she's missing from where? Like, what are you talking about?" I had

112
00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:45.360
no idea, you know, what he really was saying to me. And he goes, [cough] "You all be number one suspect." I tell Nicole the investigator this crap because why? I go number one suspect of what? I go what did you do? Because you

113
00:30:45.360 --> 00:31:02.880
know what are you suspected of for my thing I'm like oh my god. So my head went right there like he did something to her because of the whole conversation how he went about telling me that she was missing in essence but trying to get a hold of his hand because he was trying to get a hold of her too probably. But I

114
00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:18.480
I sat with it for a minute and then I was like, "No, you know what? I'm going to call Toots." So I called your mom. And the instant she picked up that phone. She goes, "Shauna." Because she's got my number. She probably has it programmed under her name. She knew who I was called, who's calling, and she says, "Nikki's missing." And I go, "Oh

115
00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:34.559
my god." So I I don't worry. I'll get Samuel will come up. That's how it all began. But my my thing just I kept going back in my head though. number one suspect like of what if you have I mean if she's just missing why what would you be suspected of

116
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:51.120
>> unless you were part of the next boyfriend a husband or whatever is usually the first person to look at why are they >> but why did he hide yeah why did he hide all day he never presented himself he knew the investigation that started at

117
00:31:51.120 --> 00:32:06.880
that point because he kept in contact with us >> and didn't come home from work never bothered to come back to help look for her. Nothing. So, it's weird how it was handled. You know, >> the working theory is this, that um first of all, he's up until 3:00 a.m. wrenching on Derek's truck.

118
00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:22.640
>> Right. Right. >> Um then by before 8:00, he's back up in the morning in order to go borrow a debit card to buy some iced tea. >> Uh I'm going to tell you, there's a little chemical assistance with staying up like that. And this and this guy >> was not a stranger to chemical

119
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:39.440
assistance. Um, but he's also known to be very violent, very jealous, >> and controlling. >> He She broke up with him on Tuesday. This is a Sunday, I believe it was. And, uh, >> day she went missing. >> Saturday. Okay.

120
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:56.640
>> Monday is when Monday. Yeah. We were like I was confused. >> So, Saturday morning, you'd have to remember the woodcutter and Maddie hated each other. They just hated each other. And Maddie was just dumped by Nikki because he's so violent and controlling. He drives by on the 4x4. He sees Jimmy

121
00:32:56.640 --> 00:33:13.440
sitting on the on the deck and she's in her jammies. So he's thinking Jimmy spent the night >> and he's not allowed on the property. So Jimmy's there, but he can't be there, >> which is why he rush races back and forth out front. He's been barred from going on the property. He has to harass

122
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:29.279
him some somehow. So I I can understand in his state of mind or lack of mind, he uh he sees uh the wood cutter there and assumes that he had spent the night and in a fitted jealousy as soon as she walks out basically

123
00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:44.559
>> to tell him to go pound sand, he does something and we don't know what that was. I have some guesses about how he could have pulled it off, but from the moment she got to the road and met him, we don't know what took place. >> Can you tell us what your next step's going to be?

124
00:33:44.559 --> 00:34:00.320
Well, uh, I would like to see if if Dakota County won't move forward on this. Uh, one of the things is the publicity. We're probably going to do a podcast, too, to try and get a little public stuff. But one of the things I'd like to see, and we've been talking about this back and

125
00:34:00.320 --> 00:34:16.960
forth, is a civil suit for wrongful death, similar to what they did with OJ. If you can't get a criminal conviction, at least get a court of law to say he's responsible for a death. See if we can move forward on that. When the wood cutter left the deck and was gone a few

126
00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:33.919
minutes, I don't know how long he said, and returned, did he say he saw anything? >> No, but I I do believe that he knows more than he's saying. >> I don't think I am. >> Part of the problem is that these people are involved in a drug culture and even

127
00:34:33.919 --> 00:34:49.839
if they're 100% innocent, they do not want to talk to police. And so that's what actually puts me in kind of a better situation because they can confess a crime to me and or say, "Yeah, you know, I smoke a little meth now and then," but they're not going to

128
00:34:49.839 --> 00:35:05.119
say that to an officer, >> right? >> So I I mean, I've come to the conclusion I think you could get an indictment. I'm 100% certain that you could get a civil liability suit. Number one, I you win by default. The guy's not sophisticated

129
00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:20.240
enough to audit himself in court. And there would be some closure on the on the fact that you had a court find him legally responsible for her disappearance and probable death. And that would give you some leverage with law enforcement as well, but it give you

130
00:35:20.240 --> 00:35:37.359
some satisfaction at least. >> So, how do we go about getting more getting them searches? >> Yeah. How does the family or the community press law enforcement to take the next steps to recover her or locate

131
00:35:37.359 --> 00:35:52.560
her? >> Uh well, I having a meeting at Canon Falls Town Hall [laughter] [snorts] is one step. I think the question is that you really need to uh I think they have all the information they need. I think that somebody they've got Dakota

132
00:35:52.560 --> 00:36:07.280
County has to answer. Why are you not moving forward on this? That's right. >> Yeah, they did put an they put a thing on Facebook saying how they were working. >> No, they're not. They're not working on it at all. >> I've never been questioned again. Never been talked to I've had I've called in

133
00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:25.200
numerous times on several occasions that you know presented things to them and nothing. >> Several people have. >> Yeah. >> How about going through the TV channel 4, channel 5, channel 9, channel 11? They've all got investigative reporters

134
00:36:25.200 --> 00:36:42.800
and I we watch it all the time, but um they get out there and they ask for interview people and and get answers. Either that or when it comes time to elect a new sheriff, get out there and

135
00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:59.680
elect a new sheriff. >> That's right. Well said. Um, we did talk to news outlets at the beginning and we were told by the Dakota County Sheriff's Office not to talk to the media and not to share anything because we didn't want, you know, the guy who did this to

136
00:36:59.680 --> 00:37:16.880
know what we know. Um, and so we were told not to say anything and that shut down a lot of the media involvement. Um, but now, you know, games on. So, um, we're starting here today. I've reached out to WCCCO and Fox 9 News. Um, and we

137
00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:31.920
plan to reach out to 2020 and there's several other podcasts that deal with cold case and stuff like this. And so it's [clears throat] game on now, guys. >> Maybe the sheriff's department tainted the case, so to speak, from the

138
00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:50.000
beginning unknowingly or without um the knowledge or education of an investigation like this. and they're maybe they're just afraid to backtrack, so to speak, and have things come into light that they're >> that they're that they're ashamed of or

139
00:37:50.000 --> 00:38:06.880
>> I think you're right. I think they know they screwed up, but there's no way they're going to sweep this one under the rug. >> Yeah. As long as we don't let it die. As long as we continue brings it up or talks about it, they don't >> Would you consider a lack of a body an

140
00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:23.280
obstruction? to ongoing investigation by law enforcement. >> In the case of a murder of the body, it's the number one issue. You can't even prove somebody's dead without a body. There's no evidence whatsoever. You don't have a time of death, a location of a death, or a manner of

141
00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:38.240
death, >> right? >> Is there any possibility of reaching out to other law enforcement like the state? >> No other no other law enforcement has jurisdiction at this point. You could

142
00:38:38.240 --> 00:38:53.359
probably contact the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. They have some state law enforcement people, but they also don't work murders. That typically come down to a state trooper sort of thing. You only have county and city cops that handle this stuff. Who are you thinking of that might be a

143
00:38:53.359 --> 00:39:08.160
>> Well, I mean, that's someone from the state. I was thinking of if they would is there anybody at the state? >> Is there a criminal jurisdiction in here for the entire state? I mean, other than the state troopers, I can't think of a statewide law enforcement. The BCA does

144
00:39:08.160 --> 00:39:24.480
have statewide murder investigator. >> They do have investigators. >> Then I would say contact the BCA. >> Although you you might run across the same problem. If if the detective from Dakota County isn't coordinating with BCA right now, why not?

145
00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:41.200
>> I think it seems agency said something about they would coordinate with BCA. >> Well, we can certainly contact BCA and see if it's on their radar. You >> probably putting a undercover uh person, you know, I have reason to think they

146
00:39:41.200 --> 00:39:57.440
already have a person undercover working with the Dakota County Drug Task Force, but nothing's coming of that over two years, and I wouldn't hold my breath >> because I know they're good at sting operations and barns and stuff like that. >> Right. Well, selling meth is one thing. Murder is a different thing.

147
00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:14.960
>> Uh, by the way, Tracy Investigations, if you guys I'm on the internet. Just Google Tracy Investigations. I'm in Apple Valley. You can shoot me an email, give me a call, leave a message. If you want to get some information to somebody uh to coordinate it, feel free to reach out to me.

148
00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:32.079
>> Does the family have like a specific like social media like Tik Tok account or anything like that that they're using just to be super loud and put the heat on? You know, the louder you are, the more the you know, response you get. I'm just wondering like I just haven't seen anything like TikTok constant. I'm just

149
00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:47.200
wondering if there's something I can follow. >> No, but that is a great idea. Um, we've been, you know, sharing things and like tagging my sister and, you know, trying to do public and sharing and stuff, but um, we did a GoFundMe right away to try to secure some resources to do some

150
00:40:47.200 --> 00:41:02.079
things um, for him and for Cadaavver Dogs. And we'll see how he's been really generous uh, with his time and stuff. And so, um, you know, we'll see, you know, how that all goes. But, um, yeah, a Facebook page dedicated to this is a good idea.

151
00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:18.079
>> Thank you for that suggestion. >> I just have a thing. Just keep keep on this because Jesse was missing from years before we found her. >> So, don't give up. >> I have two questions, one for each of

152
00:41:18.079 --> 00:41:35.440
you. You're a private detective. What do you advise people to look for to remember if they see something strange and maybe write it down and don't put yourself down because you're just suspicious, but what

153
00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:52.079
could we be made aware of if we see another situation? >> We don't know it's bad. >> No. Well, first of all, I'd say having worked with abused women, the number one thing you probably need to watch out for is uh some guy that's controlling, but more specifically trying to isolate the woman,

154
00:41:52.079 --> 00:42:08.240
>> making sure she doesn't talk to her friends or family because they're the ones who are going to talk her out of the relationship. >> If she feels isolated, she is isolated. If you can't get a hold of her, if he's running interference, she's already in trouble. >> Yeah. Um, as far as stopping somebody from

155
00:42:08.240 --> 00:42:28.160
getting abducted and murdered, >> don't date methods. I [laughter] >> Okay. But my [snorts] second one for you would be what? We did not know what to do to help you. And for one thing, we didn't know you

156
00:42:28.160 --> 00:42:44.000
and but what kind of things were comforting to you that another situation we could step in and help the next person. >> Um, that's a great question. I feel like people were flooding trying to help and

157
00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:59.040
it was so almost overwhelming. Um, because I didn't know where to start that this isn't something that people know how to navigate through. Um, and you know, everyone was so supportive and they did some meal things for my mom so that you know, she could focus on

158
00:42:59.040 --> 00:43:15.040
finding her daughter. And you know, the support was just amazing. Um so many people reached out trying to do searches, trying to help us and yeah it was really it was almost overwhelming um trying to respond to and then people were flooding with tips and you know up

159
00:43:15.040 --> 00:43:31.119
you know it's just amazing but um you know we just didn't have a starting point you know um in the cities if someone disappears there's blocks and there's cameras and you know you can kind of track activity and see some clues but on gravel roads in the middle of fields it's just it's nearly

160
00:43:31.119 --> 00:43:40.085
impossible to know where to So, >> thank you. >> Thank you guys so much for this opportunity. >> Thank you. [applause]

