"I thought for a while my body chills were broken a little because like maybe the podcast had ruined me or hardened me, but this case full body chills." — Ashley Flowers
"My biggest fear is trying to find someone I love and their phone going straight to voicemail. Like I think about it every time I call someone I need or want to talk to, it's terrifying." — Britt
"Everything you thought was true is not." — Britt
The episode recounts the disappearance of Caitlin Aiken, a vibrant 19-year-old with a distinctive style and aspirations of becoming a beautician. After graduating high school early and moving to Arizona to be with her fiancée, Amber, Caitlin returned to Virginia to visit family and retrieve her diploma. Her planned departure from Virginia on December 5th, 2015, became the starting point of a bewildering mystery. She was reportedly dropped off by her ex-stepfather, James, first at Springfield Mall and then with instructions to take the metro to the airport. However, conflicting statements from James and cryptic text messages sent by Caitlin to her mother and fiancée raised immediate alarms.
As the investigation unfolded, several pieces of evidence seemed to contradict each other. Caitlin's luggage was found abandoned in a drainage ditch near her hometown, containing most of her belongings but missing her clothes, phone, and high school diploma. This discovery, coupled with the fact that her phone's last known activity was near this location rather than the airport, significantly shifted the focus of the investigation. James's account of the day's events became increasingly questionable as phone records indicated he was at his home, not near the mall or airport, when he claimed to have dropped Caitlin off. Despite extensive searches and interviews, Caitlin has never been found.
The case remains a significant mystery with multiple theories, including foul play by James, Caitlin intentionally running away, or an encounter with an unknown individual, possibly met online. The lack of concrete evidence and James's continued refusal to fully cooperate, even after his initial willingness to take a polygraph was rescinded, leave the disappearance of Caitlin Aiken unresolved. Her family remains active in seeking information and answers through a dedicated Facebook page.