Dark Pattern Emerges in Dancer Burned Alive Case

As we continue the coverage of the. savage killing of 22-year-old Mercedes. Vega, new details are emerging, suggesting she may not have been the. only target. We are going to speak with. her parents, who knew her best, as well. as a former NYPD detective, to try to. uncover the truth and try to understand. what happened here. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. Hey everybody, this is another Law and. Crime legal alert. If you received. Depropa birth control shots and were.

later diagnosed with a brain or spinal. tumor called meningioma, you may be. eligible for a lawsuit. That's right. Morgan and Morgan is investigating. claims that patients weren't properly. warned about this risk. It's free to. check, just takes a few minutes, and you. don't pay unless they win. So, scan the. QR code on screen, click the link below, or go to forthepeople.com/lcdepo. to see if you qualify. We are continuing. the conversation and the coverage of. 22-year-old Mercedes Vega. Now, we. reported about her relatively recently. This is all in connection with her 2023.

murder that two men now face charges. with. We have Jared Gray and Sincere. Hayes. And then there's a third man, Kud. Joe Young, who the sheriff's office in. Maricopa County is recommending charges. be filed against. That hasn't happened. as of this recording. Again, all in. connection to Vega's abduction, torture, and killing. But new information may. suggest that Vega's killing may not have. been an isolated act of violence. We are. now learning that she is one of at least. three dancers from Phoenix's Le Girls.

Club targeted in a string of armed. robberies between 2019 and 2020. The. case, which has stunned Arizona with its. sheer brutality and cruelty, has slowly. unraveled over the past two years, exposing a disturbing alleged pattern. and shilling motive, silencing a. witness. That seems to be the main. theory here. Now, if you haven't been. following the case, I'm going to get you. caught up to speed. April 16th, 2023, Mercedes Vega was last seen on. surveillance footage walking into her.

Tempe apartment parking garage. And. minutes later, two cars were seen. leaving that garage simultaneously. Her. Dodge Charger and a Chevrolet Malibu. And police eventually found her Charger. about a mile away from the garage, blood. stains, but empty. The next morning, firefighters discovered Vega's body in. the backseat of that burning Malibu. along I 10. Now, the medical examiner. confirmed that she had been shot in the. arm, beaten, dowsted with bleach, which.

by the way was found in her throat, and. burned alive, ultimately dying from. smoke inhalation. For months, the case. stalled. That was until November of. 2024. That is when 22-year-old Sincere. Hayes was arrested out in Tennessee. A. fingerprint on a grocery bag in Vegas. car allegedly matched his and DNA. apparently tied him to the scene as. well. Prosecutors later announced that. they would seek the death penalty. against him, basically because of the. depraved nature of this crime and also.

potentially alleging that Hayes killed. Vega to prevent her from testifying. against Young in this armed robbery case. that he apparently has been accused of. You see, Vega had identified Young as. the mass man who robbed her in 2020, and. she was set to testify against him, reporting indicating the day she was. murdered. Now, her family long suspected. retaliation, and prosecutors now argue. that this killing was a calculated move. to silence her. Young, a suspected drug. trafficker, was free on bond at the.

time, but wearing an ankle monitor. His. trial for the robbery is set for later. this month, July 29th. Now, before we. talk about the two people who have been. charged, let me first just take a step. back because there is new reporting from. NBC News that is shedding more light on. what may have been a disturbing pattern. According to police reports that were. reviewed by the outlet in interviews. with former dancers, this may have. started years before Mercedes Vega's. murder. November 2019. One dancer who.

asked not to be named apparently told. police that she was robbed at gunpoint. in her Scottsdale condo parking lot by a. mass man apparently matching the. description of Kudjo Young or at least. matching the description that Mercedes. Vega gave of the person who robbed her. And that description has been matched to. Kudo Young. At least that's the. allegation. Now, she believed that she. had been followed home from the club, but she says she was never informed if. detectives actually pulled security. footage from the club to see if she was. being followed. Then you go to November.

2020. Another dancer claims that she was. approached by a mass man with a gun in. her garage. He apparently runs off when. another car pulls in, and that incident. reportedly was included in Young's armed. robbery case file. Now, we go back to. the other suspects who are implicated in. Vega's death. You have 25-year-old Jared. Gray whose fingerprint was apparently. found on a cup inside the burned Malibu. He was arrested in Georgia, faces. charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. 29-year-old Kudu Joe Young, as I. mentioned, going to be going on trial.

for allegedly robbing Vegan 2020. He is. potentially facing charges because the. sheriff's office is recommending he be. charged with conspiracy to commit. first-degree murder and conspiracy to. commit kidnapping. The criminal. complaints, according to Arizona. Central, indicate that police were also. able to get their hands on travel. information, including purchases for. plane tickets for Hayes and Gray to fly. out to Arizona. And it is believed that. the credit card information connects. back to Young. Hayes reportedly told. police he had quote business with.

another man out west, but wouldn't say. who. Cell phone location evidence going. to be critical in this case. Why? According to court records, the plane. tickets were connected back to a cell. phone number and police were able to. track it, showing that the phone was. apparently following the same path the. Malibu took on the day that Vega died. and was in the area where her body was. found. Now, Maricopa County. investigators also reportedly talked to. a man whose cell phone location was near. the scene of the burning car. And get. this, he told authorities that Young had.

called him to go quote pick up a. package, which according to him. apparently turned out to be two men, likely Hayes and Gray. So the court. paperwork indicates that the man told. detectives he was given the location as. well as a car. He picked up two men, drove them back to the Phoenix area, and. the man and Hayes phones, both. apparently show them on I 10 in the. hours after Vega's death. And police. were also able to confirm that the phone. number connected to the plane ticket. purchase was the same number that called.

this unidentified man at around 2 am. And there's no word on whether the man. who allegedly gave Hayes and Gray a ride. is going to be facing any kind of. charges, but interesting to say the. least. Now, authorities believe that. Hayes and Gray took a Greyhound bus. together back to Chattanooga, Tennessee, but now they're going to be back in. Arizona. This time in jail and. eventually a courtroom. So, I want to. talk a little bit more about this and. first I want to bring in Tom Smith, retired NYPD detective and co-host of. the Gold Shields podcast. Uh, it's a.

great listening. If you're interested in. a little bit more about investigative. work, um, Tom, thank you so much for. taking the time. It's good to see you. Excellent police work here. That's the. first thing that stood out to me when. you are tying at least two potentially. three suspects to the brutal slaying uh. of Mercedes Vega and you look at the. different layers of this investigation. Cell phone records, fingerprints, DNA. Excellent police work, right? >> Yeah, it's amazing. And and that's where. the credit should go to because when.

you're dealing with a case like this, it's not easy. It's very meticulous. It's very time consuming because you're. going from one thing to another hoping. there is another. So, you know, nothing's laid out perfectly. So, you're. kind of searching for that next step. And because of the hard work that they. did, they were able to connect all the. dots in this case, which was remarkable. But like I said, Jess, very time. consuming, very dedicated work for sure. >> Were you surprised they were able to. recover fingerprints and DNA material?

Not the DNA. The DNA is is these days. kind of not a given but easier than it. used to be. The fingerprint is always. the mystery. Is always the hold your. breath kind of thing with crime scenes. and collection of evidence because it's. so volatile whether it stays on. something or it's able to be lifted. And. just because you lift something doesn't. mean it's going to be identifiable. So. to put all of that together and have it.

work out the way he did way it did was. great. >> You think Young is going to be charged. based on what we've seen so far? >> Yeah, I think so. Uh because I mean my. kind of view of it is talking to the. other two, see what incriminating. evidence you could get from the others. that are involved in this to loop him. into it. But I think in the end, yes, he's going to be charged with this for. sure. And the digital evidence is key, right? I mean, when you talk about uh, you know, Haye phone showing uh the.

presence on I 10 in the hours after. Vega's death, when you talk about the. fact that the Maricopa investigators uh. talked to a man whose cell phone. location was near the scene of the. burning car and told authorities that. Young called him to go pick up a. package. It turned out to be Haze and. Gray. And then you couple that, they. were able to confirm that the phone. number connected to the plane ticket. purchase was the same number that called. this other person at around 2 am. This. unidentified man, you know, again, the.

person who allegedly gave Hayes and Gray. a ride. That is something that suspects. can't escape. Is there any which way to. say, "Hey, that data might be. compromised. It's not reliable, or in. your experience, that's not a winning. argument.". >> Well, they're going to argue. They're. going to they're going to give it a. shot, but it's not going to work because. the technology today that is at the. hands of law enforcement is incredible. The ability to do that, not even pick up. the cell phone of the bad guys, pick up.

other cell phones in there to create. witnesses and go out and speak to them. about what they saw or others in that. area. The technology that's used today. and the resources that law enforcement. has is so great that when you get into. cases like this, it's kind of rock solid. because now these people, these suspects. have to navigate through coming up with. an alibi of why this technology and why. these technical pieces of evidence are.

in front of them, which they can't do. like you said. >> And I have to ask you about the attack. I mean, she was brutally killed. You're. talking about beating. You're talking. about shooting, the bleach down the. throat, the burning alive. What does. that say to you from an investigative. point of view? >> You can't put it into words what this. young girl went through. It's just. horrible. But the big thing, you know, the one that stood out to me was the. bleach down the throat. That's a message. that is a absolute clear-cut message of.

of talking or giving up, you know, testimony or whatever it might have been. later on down the line. That's been used. in other cases that I've heard about and. been involved with. You know, that. bleach thing is a horrible and that was. probably the first thing they did and. then the other aspects of her killing. took place which is just incredibly sad. and, you know, tough to tough to hear. about. So, you believe that this motive. to silence a witness would make sense if.

that's what prosecutors decide to move. forward with? >> That's what I think happened. That was. the first thing that that I just put two. and two together and came up with that. because of, you know, the past robberies. and all that. You know, the coordination. it takes to pull something like this off. is what they're going to piece together, which will lead to the absolute. premeditation of this, which will, you. know, enhance the prosecution so much. But, you know, that that's what I. thought was was the past cases that are. going to come up and and taking care of. her. >> This pattern though, this case revealing.

a pattern of prior armed robberies. targeting dancers from the same club. A, how important is that for detectives to. connect seemingly separate incidents? How does that affect the investigative. work here? How do you think that's going. to maybe affect a prosecution? And B, is. that common? Have you seen something. like that before where there is. targeting of dancers when they leave. clubs? >> Well, not just dancers, people who leave. clubs. And why? Because clubs close. late. No one's around. Just the people.

in the club might be lingering around. That's about it. There's no vehicular. traffic. There's very little, you know, uh, pedestrian traffic. So the the ease. in which victims can be targeted from. either a strip club or just a regular. club is really heightened in in any big. city or any area like that. As far as. the investigation goes, it's always. paramount to close other cases and to. put cases together to show how dangerous.

these people are and the attitude that. they have going after victims. It's. always good to coordinate other cases. into one. So, it just shows how. dangerous these people are. >> Is it difficult for an investigator in. one state to coordinate the arrest uh of. suspects in another state? When you're. talking about this, this does have an. aspect of multi-state uh investigative. work and you know, extraditions. Does. that make it complicated or tough?

>> No, not necessarily. Uh I've I've done. it quite a few times where it's just. coordination. I it's getting in touch. with the places or departments that that. person is in and just coordinating your. efforts. And then once it's done, like. you said, extradition hearings take. place, whether the suspect says yes or. no, depends on the next steps with court. hearings and so forth. Most of the time. when I've had to deal with it, the. suspect has just waved it and then we. just transport him back to New York. But. each suspect is different. But the.

coordination is is phone calls and just. being in front of each other and. coordinating these cases, which in my. estimation, my experience has always. worked out well. >> So, what do you think the next steps. are? Uh because there's obviously to. what information is gathered, what. evidence is gathered to make an arrest. and move forward with charges. Once. someone's in custody, what's the next. step now uh with respect to these two. defendants and potentially a third? >> Who's going to give what up? Who's. looking for a deal? who wants to get.

away from this, who has the most to give. up when it comes to the others. participation and what they can provide. as a, you know, state witness. That's. certainly going to be the next step. You're going to see these guys just. jumping at the opportunity to uh to talk. to the DAs, to have a a day to sit down. and explain what they did and maybe come. up with a plea deal. No doubt about it. By the way, assuming they did this, they're all. innocent until proven guilty. Let's be.

clear. However, assuming they did this, there is an aspect of trying to. outsource it, right? There is an aspect. of trying to cover up evidence, whether. it's the burning of the car, whatnot, you know, taking her car, putting her in. another car, the surveillance footage. Doesn't it seem to you in your. experience, again assuming these. allegations are true, that the people. who spend the time trying to cover. things up and the people who try involve. more players and try to outsource it and. not do something directly, the more. breadcrumbs they leave, the more.

evidence they leave behind. I don't know. if you want to call it sloppy or. whatnot, but uh you know, from an. investigative point of view, it seems. they are giving a lot for authorities to. work with here. >> Oh, sure. Listen, the more people the. better because the more people have. something to lose and the more people. want to stay out of trouble. So, this. wasn't surprising, you know, and that's. what I mean by who's going to flip. first, who are you going to approach. first? And in my experience and what we.

always did was if you have three of. them, who's the weakest link? Who has. the most to lose? Who can give up the. most? Who's the most scared? And that's. who you're going to approach first. So, you know, the more people the better. because someone out of this is going to. flip. Absolutely no doubt about it. >> We'll wait and see. Tom Smith, thank you. so much for coming on. I hope everybody. can check out the Gold Shield show. I. encourage everybody to go check it out. and see a little bit more of the work. that you do. Thank you so much, sir. Appreciate it. >> Thank you, J. It's always a pleasure. >> So, I am joined by two special guests. right now. I'm joined both by Erica and.

Tom Pillsbury. These are Mercedes. parents. Thank you so much for coming. on. Really, really appreciate it. Um, first of all, you know, Eric, it's been. some time since we last spoke. Um, and. for both of you, how are you doing at. this point because a lot has happened. since we last had an opportunity to. speak. How are you both doing? How's the. family doing? >> You know, it's um it's still hard every. day. We um we miss her. There's days. that we feel like we can get through,

okay, and then there's days where I just. have to just miss her. But we are happy. to see that justice is slowly moving in. the right direction and that we're. hoping that we will get some peace for. her and for our family with the way. things are moving. Um, obviously it's. extremely slow and it's a little. frustrating, but we think we'll find we. think we'll get there. We can see a. light at the at the end of the tunnel. I.

guess it's a long tunnel, but we can see. it. It's difficult to be happy and sad and. angry and frustrated all in one emotion. because I'm happy that these people are. we're finally going in that direction, but I don't want to be happy because I. don't have my daughter. Like Erica said, it's it's still frustrating because it. is very slow. But we've got a mental. state that we're going to be years. before we actually see a verdict on this.

case. Because with the state pursuing. the death penalty on sincere hayes now, does that mean they're going to pursue. the death penalty on the other two. defendants? I don't know. I've asked. that question. No one can give me that. answer. It's just going to be a lot of. things. We do know that they're going to. eliminate Sincere's case number and then. eventually put all three as codefendants. on one case number. Ju. >> just to clarify, did you get word that. uh Young has officially been charged? I.

know that there was a recommendation. that charges be filed. Do you know what. the status of his case is besides. obviously the robbery case uh with. respect to your daughter in terms of I. know the the the Maricopa County. Sheriff's Office has recommended. conspiracy charges um with respect to. what happened to your daughter, but do. you know what's going on with that? >> Officially, um we don't believe he's. been charged. We know he's being held. and he's not getting out. Um, and they. uh I know they were waiting on some DNA. that we just found out yesterday or the.

day before that they got back that. confirmed some of the things that they. had thought. Not sure officially what. that was, but um what they were waiting. on in order to put the charges through. The detective called us and said that uh. that it confirmed everything that they. thought. And so um I'm sure it's going. to happen at any moment. Um, we know. that Jared Gray has been charged um in a. warrants and put out. We believe he's. fighting extradition, but eventually the.

detective will go and and pick him up. and bring him back to Arizona. Uh, we. did see that there was some warrants on. him. Um, just last week, so I try to. check it every once in a while. Try not. to obsess too much about it cuz I know. that it's going to happen. Sometimes it. just makes it harder if I keep checking. and keep looking. But we do know that he. will be he will be charged. Yeah, I. think they're going I think they'll. charge Kujo um when they bring Jared. Gray back. I think then because then.

they'll have all three here in the state. of Arizona because I asked that. question. How can you put it out to the. public and then not follow through what. you're telling the public that these. people are accused of and not arrest. them or charge them? And I didn't get an. answer to that because it to me it. doesn't make sense. If you put it out. there where everybody can see it and. hear it and then you haven't officially. charged these individuals, well, how can. you accuse them of something without. actually charging them? >> And when you saw the arrests of Hayes. and Gray, when you saw the evidence that.

has been laid out linking them or. allegedly linking them to the crime, were you shocked? Were you like, who are. these two guys? Um, I can't believe, you. know, the DNA, the fingerprints, the. cell phone records. Um, what was your. reaction to all of that? >> Well, we had thought from the beginning. that Kujo had something to do with this. It was the one of the very first. questions that I asked the detective. when they came here and told us she was. dead. Before we knew anything whatsoever.

about what had happened to her, I said, "What about the guy that she wrote that. statement about that she had picked out. in the lineup?" And they at that point. said, "We we don't know. We don't know. anything." They didn't even tell us that. she was burned alive. We found that out. on the news. But I I mean it was one of. my very first questions. And so hearing. that Kujo is connected is not a. surprise. Jared Gray is a name we had. never heard before. But finding out that. he's connected to Kujo is not a. surprise. And that sincere Kujo and.

Jared are all connected is no surprise. to us whatsoever. The hard part I have. about that whole thing is like you were. asking, were we surprised is that these. people were young and that they had. never been to Arizona and that they flew. here to do what they were told to do and. they're in their 20s. You know, they're. giving up their lives and their kids'. lives for ultimately a cell phone and a. couple thousand dollars because Kujo. either asked them to come here or I'm.

assuming I mean he paid for them to come. here. He put them on the bus to go back. I just don't know how someone ultimately. at that age could let somebody influence. their lives to do the things that they. did to my daughter. And that's where I. struggle with it is because she didn't. know them. Never met them. I don't know. how they were able to even get that. close to her. Um that's why I believe. that there's still more people because. they weren't from here. >> There's something that really kind of. struck me that it was a big eye opener. to me is they had flown here. I believe.

it was March 3rd. Um, and they had been. here for over a month trying to get to. her. And this was the 11th hour. This. was the night before she was supposed to. testify. And I think that's why it was. done so sloppy because they were like, "It's now. We have to do it now or she's. going to testify tomorrow." And so they. were sloppy and they were stupid and. they've been trying to get to her. And. I'm so proud that she, you know, was. looking over her shoulder and being safe.

that whole time that they were trying. They tried and then they tried so many. different ways to kill her and. ultimately they had to burn her alive. because she wouldn't die. They couldn't. catch her and she wouldn't die. They're. just fools. I mean, I obviously they're fools. Otherwise, they wouldn't have done what. they did. >> Yeah. It's shocking and heartbreaking. and disgusting uh all at the same time. and and I can't imagine what you and the. family are going through as you have to.

hear these details and live through it. Um you know NBC did this report and we. talked about it earlier that Mercedes. was one of several dancers who were. apparently targeted over the years. followed back home or robbed or. attempted to be robbed. What did you. make of that? um because they're talking. about a pattern here and you wonder. about whether or not it's going to be a. part of whatever criminal case follows. Um did you what was your reaction to. that? >> Well, you know, we knew she danced a.

couple nights a week. We knew it wasn't. her life and she wasn't there all the. time. We weren't happy that she was. doing it, but we were understanding and. we still supported her and loved her and. she had so many other dreams. When it. came to that happening at the club, we. don't blame the club. They have been. extremely supportive and helpful. Lay. girls has given footage and DNA records. and given information to the police and. worked with the police.

>> We also don't know how many people were. involved. We do know that there's. another woman that was involved and what. ultimately was the main reason why he. was caught because he was caught on. video. He didn't actually rob her. because somebody showed up. his car was. caught there. It was odd to hear that it. had been going on, but I understand why. young women didn't come forward because. they didn't know who it was. They. probably worried kind of like what. happened to Mercedes. So to hear that. this had been going on was very. frustrating because honestly Mercedes.

had no idea because she would have said. something to us on the lines of like. girls are getting robbed when they. leave. I think it was kept quiet. I I. don't know all that because one thing I. when I would go see her, I would get mad. at her if she parked in a certain place. If she had money in her purse, I'd be. like, "You can't do that. You know, you. need to pay attention to what's going on. around you." And she never once had told. me, you know, a couple girls that got. robbed. I don't think people came. forward until after the fact, >> after Mercedes. >> I think people started to say, "Okay, well, this had been going on. I believe.

it had been going on for a while." Um, and they were just afraid to come. forward. um because I only know of two. other cases. >> Did she ever express that she was. scared? I mean, did you know that she. was about to testify? Was she Did she. say that she was scared? She was looking. around her shoulder. Did she mention. anything strange? >> She wasn't afraid to testify. >> She wasn't afraid to testify. I feel. like she had the law on her side and she. knew she wasn't doing anything wrong and. she felt protective. And you know, I.

taught all of my children, you know, look over your shoulder, be careful. We. found the safest place we could think of. where she would live. And we believed. that, you know, she obviously she was. the only one who would stand up and say, "Nope, that's him." And point him out. And everybody else was too afraid. Obviously, for good reason. She's the. only one that's dead. But after she came. forward, then more people came forward. And then the club became more aware. And. then they became more protective of the. girls that worked there. And Mercedes.

made sure that everybody knew and. everybody was safe and she had no fear. in in pointing out. And no, she did not. express that she was afraid at that time. whatsoever. >> Yeah. In fact, he went back to the club. after doing that and that's how they got. him and arrested him. I think in the. beginning when she came home, she was. terrified. >> But because this is why in the. beginning, I didn't think he would be. that stupid to wait till the very last. minute to have something to do with this. when it happened, you know, three years. ago, two years ago. I think that it kind. of got in the back of her mind because.

it was two years ago and it wasn't like, oh, it just happened last week or last. month. It was two years. That's why if. you see the video, she's walking out. with her phone because she felt safe and. didn't feel threatened. Um because if. she did feel threatened, I think she. would have noticed. >> She also told me that she she at that. moment had believed he was in custody. >> Yeah. M. a and by the way, real quick, this. unidentified third person who may or may. not have picked up and dropped off Hayes.

and Gray. You have any information about. who that p about what's going on with. that person? >> No, >> we we we don't know. We believe that. person's obviously working with the. police in order for them to have that. information. I mean, I can go through. and speculate by looking at the. associates that Joe was arrested with or. sincere was arrested with and you know. who their roommates were and who. purchased this and that. We do believe. that there's at least one if not two. people that are speaking and if kind of.

coming forward and saying this is what. happened. That's how they figured out. who was purchasing the tickets and right. >> um and who purchased the vehicle. Well, yeah, I believe the guy that purchased. the vehicle, especially under a fake. name, I believe that he might be someone. that's of a point of interest for them. for communic, you know, as a witness. But I do believe, like you said, I I I. know that there's at least two to three. more people. Um, right now, the only. thing the state can prove is these three. people. And it's going to be very hard.

to prove that these other people knew. what was actually going to happen to. Mercedes. Putting aside now the criminal. case, how do you want people to remember. Mercedes and how can they support how. can they support her memory living on? Um, you know, if they they want to help. in some way, they want to know about. more about Mercedes. What can you tell. them? >> Mercedes um, she was a protector of so.

many people. She was so strong. Um, we've been discussing things that we can. do um, in her honor. We never want her. name to be forgotten. Some of the girls. at ASU who were going to school for. criminology, I've been speaking with. them and we've been considering things. that aren't always considered when it. comes to protecting yourself. Like, park. on the top floor of the parking garage. you're going to have more lights, more. cameras, and they're not going to abduct. you from the top floor and spiral down.

six levels with you in the back of their. car. Simple little things like that. Um, obviously, you know, sharing your. location, having a buddy, those are. little things, but sometimes we think of. these little strange things like, "Oh, yeah, I should park on the top floor.". We're trying to start kind of that. consideration. There's been a lot of. women that have come to me and said, "Hey, I've been followed. You know, I. hid. This is what worked for me." Um,

you know, obviously how to protect. yourself a little bit better. That's. what Mercedes wanted to do. That's why. she came forward. Mercedes wanted people. to know what was going on so they could. protect themselves. One thing I want. from this is um and I felt this from the. beginning is that because Mercedes. danced that she was judged because she. was danced. And as you probably more. aware of this than there are so many. young women that are kidnapped and. killed that are in this maybe this. industry or doing something that society.

may not think is perfect or whatever. I. just want people to know that no matter. what you do and who you are, you do. matter. And that's why we fight for our. daughter because I want every woman if. they're victim like the criminals that. it's you know if there's multiple women. that got robbed I want them to be not. afraid and be able to step forward. I. don't think, and I believe this to my. core, if my wife and her friends had. stepped up, we wouldn't be sitting where. we're sitting now. Because when it. originally came out, people were like,

"Oh, it was a drugrelated. Oh, you know, she was doing in a bad situation. Oh, and it was immediately judged her." And. that's what I worry about society, and. that's what I want people to take from. this. Just because she did what she did. two nights a week, she was a beautiful. young woman, and this was easy money for. her, and she realized that this is not. what she wanted to do. And there could. be other cases that are out there where. people don't feel they're getting their. justice because of what their son or. their daughter did. And I want people to. to understand that you have to you have.

to be that voice and you have to be. there for them. And that's ultimately. what I want for my daughters is to show. that you can step forward even in the. darkest times and you do matter and to. see the like people come forward and and. want to talk about her and and it just. explode. I never in my wildest dreams. thought I would be sitting here talking. to you or anyone else about my daughter. Ever. I thought that this would be this. very quiet case and and that would be.

the end of it. >> I I I wish you weren't. I really do. I. re I really wish we weren't talking. about this. Um but listen, uh I I think. you said you both said it so perfectly. Um we will continue to follow this. We. will keep attention on this. Uh Erica. and Tom Pillsbury, thank you so much uh. for being so generous with your time and. generous with what's going on uh as. these cases progress. Again, our hearts. and our prayers go out to you and the. family as you go through this and we. wish you nothing but the best moving. forward. Thank you so much for taking.

the time. >> Thank you. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us and as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your. podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to. you next time. [Music].