"I don't know if it was a gut feeling, but again, like, it's one thing if you think she's a runaway, but to tell the whole public to not look for her doesn't seem fair." — Britt
"Police aren't feeling great about her. She feels a little sketchy and dishonest, and now they're saying, 'Listen, she obviously ran away before. She probably just ran away again.'" — Ashley Flowers
"If he couldn't be involved in the investigation, he wasn't going to help them at all." — Ashley Flowers
The episode begins with the disappearance of 14-year-old Misty Copsy from Puyallup, Washington, on September 17, 1992. After missing a bus home from the Puyallup Fair, Misty called her mother, who was unable to pick her up and instructed her to find another ride. Misty's mother had reservations about one of Misty's potential rides, an 18-year-old named Ruben. Misty was never heard from again. Initial attempts to report Misty missing were met with resistance from law enforcement, who suggested a 30-day waiting period and initially labeled her a runaway, significantly delaying a formal investigation.
The investigation faced numerous hurdles, including conflicting witness accounts and a controversial individual named Cory Bober, who became obsessed with connecting Misty's disappearance to the Green River Killer case. Bober's theories, while persistent, often overshadowed more direct leads. A significant suspect, Ruben, demonstrated suspicious behavior, including providing contradictory alibis and comments about knowing Misty's burial location. Another potential suspect, Robert Hickey, a convicted sex offender with a history of abducting young girls in the same area, was also identified but not thoroughly investigated by authorities.
Despite the passage of years and the eventual capture of the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgeway, a definitive link to Misty's case remained elusive. Forensic evidence, including hairs and paint chips found on Misty's jeans, yielded inconclusive results or did not match known databases. The case highlights a pattern of investigative shortcomings, including delayed actions, focus on less plausible theories, and a lack of thoroughness in exploring concrete suspects like Ruben and Hickey, leaving Misty Copsy's disappearance an unresolved mystery.