The Day After | Chapter 2
This episode of Three explores the mysterious disappearance of Skylar, a teenager who vanished after climbing out her bedroom window. As police investigate, they grow increasingly suspicious of Skylar's friends Sheila and Rachel, whose testimonies match suspiciously well. Surveillance footage contradicting the girls' accounts heightens the police's doubts.
With Sheila and Rachel exhibiting strange behavior, the authorities persist in scrutinizing the two friends despite initial pushback. Officers note Sheila's lack of concern, her calculated emotional outbursts, and her provocative dressing at the station. As the investigation unfolds, listeners gain insight into the complexities of a missing persons case and the intricate process of examining potential suspects.
This is a preview of the Shortform summary of the Feb 16, 2024 episode of the Three
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1-Page Summary
Sheila and Rachel's Accounts Raised Suspicion
According to Sheila and Rachel, they picked up Skylar around 11 PM, drove around smoking weed for 30-60 minutes, then dropped her off at Crawford St per her insistence. Sheila even wrote down these events. However, Officer Colebank was immediately suspicious—their stories matched exactly, suggesting rehearsal.
Surveillance Video Contradicted Their Stories
Surveillance footage revealed Skylar climbing out her window into a waiting car—but never returning. This made Officer Normand doubt Sheila and Rachel's accounts of simply dropping her off.
Police Grew Increasingly Suspicious of Sheila and Rachel
From the start, Officer Colebank found Sheila and Rachel's behavior suspicious. Sheila lacked concern, only posting on social media when prompted. Rachel deflected questions to Sheila. During questioning, Sheila's emotional outbursts seemed calculated to Colebank. Sheila also dressed provocatively at the station, possibly to distract officers.
Initially, the school VP and Skylar's parents felt police pressure on the girls was too harsh. But as Sheila and Rachel's questionable behavior continued, Skylar's parents urged the investigation to persist.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- Officer Colebank grew suspicious of Sheila and Rachel due to their rehearsed and matching stories about picking up Skylar. He found Sheila's behavior during questioning calculated, especially her emotional outbursts. Sheila's provocative dressing at the police station raised concerns about her intentions. Rachel's deflection of questions to Sheila also contributed to the officers' suspicions.
- Sheila's behavior on social media and at the police station raised suspicions due to her lack of concern for Skylar's well-being, her deflection of questions, emotional outbursts that seemed calculated, and dressing provocatively, which could be interpreted as an attempt to distract officers.
Counterarguments
- The exact matching of Sheila and Rachel's accounts could be due to the event being recent and memorable, rather than rehearsal.
- Surveillance footage not showing Skylar's return does not necessarily mean Sheila and Rachel's account is false; there could be other explanations for her absence.
- Officer Colebank's initial suspicion of Sheila and Rachel could be influenced by unconscious biases rather than objective evidence.
- Sheila's lack of public concern for Skylar could be due to shock or a way of coping with the situation, rather than indifference.
- Rachel might have deferred questions to Sheila because Sheila was more confident or articulate, not necessarily to evade responsibility.
- Emotional responses to questioning can vary greatly between individuals, and what seemed calculated to Officer Colebank might have been genuine expressions of stress or fear from Sheila.
- Sheila's choice of attire at the police station may not have been intended to distract officers but could simply reflect her personal style or a lack of awareness of appropriate dress codes.
- The initial perception of police pressure on the girls as too harsh could be valid if it was disproportionate to the evidence available at the time.
- Skylar's parents' change in attitude towards the investigation could be driven by grief and the desire for answers, rather than a rational assessment of Sheila and Rachel's behavior.
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Sheila and Rachel's stories about the night Skylar vanished
Sheila and Rachel presented a unified narrative about the events of the night Skylar disappeared, raising suspicions from law enforcement due to the exactness of their accounts.
They claimed they dropped Skylar off about an hour after picking her up
According to both Sheila and Rachel, the evening followed a simple pattern: they had picked Skylar up at around 11 PM as she snuck out of her house. The trio reportedly spent the time driving around Star City, smoking a little weed, but the outing was brief—lasting about 30 minutes to an hour. Then, as per their accounts, Skylar insisted on being dropped off at the end of Crawford Street, and that was the last they saw or talked to her. Sheila even jotted down this sequence of events on a small yellow legal pad, ensuring to underscore that there was no further communication post-drop-off.
Both repeatedly insisted they didn't know anything beyond dropping her off
In the wake of Skylar's vanishing, Sheila took to social media to express her concern and inspire efforts to have Skylar return home safely. Despite being pressed by the investigation, Sheila maintained her ignorance regarding any additional details that could aid in discovering Skylar's whereabouts.
Their stories matched precisely
Jessica Colebank, one of the officers involved in the investigation, noted immediately that Sheila's and Rachel's stories did not just align—they were an exact match for one another. This precision between their narratives was s ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Sheila and Rachel's stories about the night Skylar vanished
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- Jessica Colebank was one of the officers involved in the investigation into Skylar's disappearance. She played a role in noting the precise alignment of Sheila's and Rachel's stories, which raised suspicions among law enforcement. Colebank's observations about the similarities in ...
Counterarguments
- The exactness of Sheila and Rachel's accounts could be due to the event being recent and memorable, rather than a sign of rehearsal.
- It is possible for two people to have a similar recollection of an event without any foul play, especially if it was a shared experience.
- Writing down the sequence of events on a legal pad could be an attempt by Sheila to be helpful and organized, not necessarily indicative of deceit.
- Expressing concern on social media is a common reaction when someone goes missing, and it does not automatically imply guilt or knowledge of the disappearance.
- The police interpretation of the stories as well-rehearsed could be subjective, and without concrete evidence, it remains an assumption.
- The unwavering adherence to the same story could be seen as consistency and ...
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Surveillance video showing Skylar getting into a car
In a critical turn in their investigation, authorities reviewed surveillance footage that captured Skylar's last known movements.
Showed her climbing out her window and getting into a waiting car
In a space not much larger than a closet, officials including the building's landlord, a police officer, Mary, Dave, Sheila, and Tara, crowded together to observe the grainy video. Jessica Colebank made note of the video's clarity, but the footage was clear enough to show the crucial moment when Skylar slipped out of her bedroom window and made her way to an indistinct car waiting in the shadows.
Police realized she never returned after getting into that car
As they scrutinized the footage further, Mark Normand and Jessica Colebank noted that the video did not capture Skylar returning home. The car's sole appearance in the footage marked the only instance Skylar was seen leaving—she never reappeared at her bedroom window again.
Thi ...
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Surveillance video showing Skylar getting into a car
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Clarifications
...
Counterarguments
- The surveillance footage is described as grainy, which could mean that the identification of Skylar and the car might not be as certain as suggested.
- The fact that Skylar was seen climbing out of her window and getting into a car does not necessarily indicate foul play or voluntary departure; there could be other explanations for her actions.
- The absence of footage showing Skylar's return does not conclusively prove that she never came back, as there could have been issues with the surveillance equipment or gaps in the coverage.
- The increased suspicion towards Sheila and Rachel based on the surveillance video alone may not b ...
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Police investigation into Skylar's disappearance and suspicions of Sheila and Rachel
The circumstances surrounding Skylar's disappearance quickly led to suspicion falling on her friends Sheila and Rachel. Officer Jessica Colebank, who played a significant role in the investigation, shared insights into the early stages of the case and the behavior of the two girls that led to increased scrutiny from law enforcement.
Officer Kolbank thought their behavior was suspicious from the beginning
Officer Jessica Colebank was immediately suspicious of Sheila and Rachel's behavior after Skylar's disappearance. One of the first red flags noticed by Officer Colebank was Sheila's apparent lack of concern for Skylar, not reaching out to her directly after she went missing and only posting on social media when prompted by the police. According to Colebank, the inability to observe their body language and reactions during initial phone interviews made it difficult to judge their truthfulness. Rachel, in particular, appeared evasive, often deflecting questions and suggesting that Colebank talk to Sheila instead.
Police kept pressing the girls for more information
When the police pressed for more details, Sheila's reactions during questioning were cause for concern. Jessica Colebank noted that Sheila's tearfulness seemed to occur at times that felt manipulative, as if to evade difficult questions. "The waterworks would come when she wanted them to, not when they were appropriate," Colebank articulated. Both Sheila and Rachel held firm to their stories about only driving around with Skylar briefly, which appeared suspicious to the investigators.
Sheila showed up at the police station dressed provocatively
Additional suspicion arose when Sheila made appearances at the police station dressed in a manner that was interpreted as an attempt to distract the male officers. The provocative dress was seen as possibly calculated to shift focus away from the investigation.
Mary an ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Police investigation into Skylar's disappearance and suspicions of Sheila and Rachel
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- Officer Jessica Colebank was a key figure in the investigation into Skylar's disappearance. As an officer, she played a significant role in assessing the behavior of Skylar's friends, Sheila and Rachel, and determining the direction of the investigation based on her observations and interactions with them. Colebank's suspicions and insights influenced the investigative approach taken by law enforcement in scrutinizing Sheila and Rachel's involvement in the case. Her assessments of the girls' behavior and responses during questioning were crucial in shaping the investigation's focus and intensity.
- The community initially felt the police were being too harsh on Sheila and Rachel, believing the pressure on them was unnecessary. Some individuals, including the school's vice principal, thought the police actions, like serving search warrants at school, were excessive. Mary and Dave Neese, Skylar's parents, also share ...
Counterarguments
- Officer Colebank's initial suspicions could be influenced by unconscious biases, and it's important to ensure that investigations are based on evidence rather than gut feelings.
- Sheila's lack of direct outreach to Skylar and delayed social media posts could be due to shock or not knowing the best way to respond to a friend's disappearance, rather than a sign of guilt.
- Rachel's evasiveness and deflection to Sheila could be a result of being overwhelmed or intimidated by the police, rather than an indication of wrongdoing.
- Displaying emotions like tearfulness under stress can be unpredictable, and it may not be fair to judge Sheila's reactions as manipulative without understanding her emotional state.
- Maintaining a consistent story is not inherently suspicious and could simply indicate that Sheila and Rachel were telling the truth about their last encounter with Skylar.
- Sheila's choice of attire at the police station should not be used to draw conclusions about her involvement in the case, as clothing does not indicate guilt or innocence.
- Community concerns about the police being too harsh on S ...
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