“On Sunday afternoon, Candace was seen in Kingman, Arizona, by a student, at approximately three o’clock. She was in her blue Volkswagen. On Sunday night around ten p.m., Candace was seen in the same vehicle driving into the Mountain View parking garage, which is dedicated to the sorority dorm. Her card key was used to access the dorm at 11:10 p.m., but no one saw her enter or exit. On Monday afternoon, her phone was found on the charger by her roommate after she couldn’t reach Candace. Her vehicle was found in the parking garage on Tuesday morning. There’s no indication as to how long it was there.

“According to the autopsy report, Candace was alive and well almost the entire time she was missing—no signs of captivity, malnutrition, or dehydration that might indicate that she had been kept against her will for any length of time. She was killed between ten and one Saturday night, a full week after the party, and her body was found early the next morning, Sunday, in Hope Springs Lake. People rarely disappear into thin air, and I believe there are more people out there who saw Candace. One reason I asked Ms. Merritt to join me this evening is because of her experience interviewing witnesses. Ms. Merritt, after three years do you think that the information from the caller on Friday and the email my podcast received last night are valid? Do you think they remembered the information accurately?”

“Yes. People often attach memories to specific events, and those are more reliable than, for example, a witness to a bank robbery giving an accurate description of a suspect. Because the caller had mentally attached her sister’s birthday—a fixed date—to her memory, I would rank the memory as valid.”

“And the email?”

“I put some credence on the email. However, I would want to ask the writer follow-up questions. How does she know it was a Sunday night? She says it was at ten o’clock. That means it was dark. How can she be accurate about the time and day three years later? If it was dark, how could she be certain it was Candace’s car? A jolt of fear can etch a memory—such as almost being hit by a car—but if she was angry or fearful, did she mention the event to anyone? Did she see Candace exit the parking garage or enter the dorm? We can assume that she didn’t know that Candace was missing—no one reported it until Monday afternoon.”

“Is that unusual?”

“No. With an open college campus and an adult student with a vehicle, no one would be suspicious unless she didn’t show up when expected.”

“That confirms what the community relations officer told me,” Lucas said. “People might leave campus for the weekend, not think to tell anyone, come back before classes on Monday.”

“Exactly.”