"He super glues her eyes shut. What? Isn't that like one of the most horrific things you've heard?" — Brit
"The police say, give it a couple of days, if she's not back in another 48 hours, then we can start really investigating and looking for her." — Ashley Flowers
"Most of the time, medical examiners and police get it right. But you guys, we're all humans too, and it's good to double check. Why did we rule out this girl so long ago now that there's new technology? Can we go back? Can we double check?" — Ashley Flowers
The episode begins by celebrating the podcast's first anniversary and the hosts' shared upcoming 30th birthdays, before delving into the 1984 disappearance of Colleen Orsborn from Daytona Beach, Florida. Initially dismissed by authorities as a runaway due to her mother mentioning past truancy, Colleen's disappearance began to be taken more seriously as days turned into weeks with no sign of her. The investigation gained a significant, albeit chilling, dimension when the FBI alerted local police to the presence of serial killer Christopher Wilder in Daytona Beach around the time of Colleen's disappearance. Wilder, known for a spree of abductions, rapes, and murders across the US, had a pattern of luring young women by posing as a photographer.
The narrative then extensively details Christopher Wilder's violent criminal history, outlining his modus operandi and the tragic fates of several victims, including Rosario Gonzales, Teresa Ferguson, Linda Grover, Terry, Suzanne Logan, Cheryl Bonaventura, Michelle Corpman, Tina Marie Reciko, Donna Wilt, Beth Dodge, and others. The episode emphasizes the brutality of his crimes, such as supergluing a victim's eyes shut, and the relentless pursuit by law enforcement. While the FBI suspected Colleen might be one of Wilder's victims, his death in a confrontation with New Hampshire state troopers before she could be officially linked to him left her case unresolved and her family without definitive answers.
The latter part of the episode focuses on the long and arduous journey to identify Colleen. The discovery of two unidentified female bodies in Florida shortly after her disappearance, initially ruled out as Colleen, were re-examined years later due to advancements in DNA technology. Through persistent efforts, particularly by a medical examiner dedicated to identifying John and Jane Does, the second unidentified victim was finally confirmed to be Colleen Orsborn in 2011, 27 years after her disappearance. The episode concludes by discussing the human errors that led to the initial misidentification and the importance of continued efforts to identify other victims, emphasizing the ongoing pursuit of justice and closure for families.