Transcript of The Knot (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Hey, Prime members, you can binge eight new episodes of the Mr. Ballon podcast one month early, and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. On a September afternoon in 2000, an FBI forensics analyst stood in her lab in Quantico, Virginia, staring into a microscope in confusion. She was looking at two strands of hair that were evidence in a murder investigation, and something just wasn't right. She checked the label on the evidence bag the sample came from and then looked back into the microscope, and she knew she was not imagining this. The label had to be wrong, which meant that the detective who had packaged the hairs and sent them over here for analysis had not understood what he was even looking at. And this was not a small mistake, because if the analyst was right about what these hairs really were, then this entire murder investigation was about to change. But before we get into that story, if you're a fan of the Strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in story format, then you come to the right podcast because that's all we do, and we twice a week, once on Monday and once on Thursday.

So if that's of interest to you, make the follow button jealous by posting pictures of yourself with other cooler buttons like the subscribe button. Okay, let's get into today's story. Hello, I'm Jon Robbins, comedian and host of WNDRI's How Do You Cope podcast.

I'm also, Plot Twist, an alcoholic. I've written a book, Thirst: Twelve Drinks That Change My Life, published by Penguin. Thirst is a book about alcohol. It's mystery, it's terror, it's havoc, it's strange meditations. But, John, I hear you cry. Isn't that a rather odd book to write for a sober man who, more than anything, wants to stop Stop thinking about alcohol? Well, yes, but I had to go back to find out why the one thing I know will kill me still calls out across the night. It's the story of what alcohol did for me and what alcohol did to me. If that's of interest to you or someone you know, Thirst, 12 Drinks That Change My Life is available to pre order now online and from all good bookshops. I'm John Robbins, and on my podcast, I sit down with incredible people to ask the very simple question How Do You Cope? From confronting grief and mental health struggles to finding strength in failure. Every episode is a raw and honest exploration of what it means to be human. It's not always easy, but it's always real. Whether you're looking for inspiration, comfort, or just a reminder that you're not alone in life's messier moments, join me on How Do You Cope.

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In the early evening of July 19, 2000, 22-year-old Misty Morse carried her surfboard out of the water and onto the beach in Indian Harbor Beach, Florida. She laid the board down on the sand, then sat down next to to catch her breath. Her heart was still racing from the last wave she had just caught, and the adrenaline was exactly what she needed. Between her waitressing job and her sales clerk job and the community college courses she was taking, she basically had no time to do anything for herself. And so to get out here and to be out on the ocean and just be away from it all was not only a great respite, but was also very calming for her. And so looking out over the horizon, she dug her feet into the sand and watched the waves until her heart rate finally slowed down. After a few minutes, Misty got back up and carried her board over to some rocks where she had left her bag. She needed to check the time because she was going out with her friends later and she still needed to get home to shower and have dinner and get ready.

And as she reached her bag, she heard her phone ring. So she pulled it out and saw the name of the person who was calling her, Ricky Franklin. Then she was about to pick it up, but then she stopped. Ricky was one of the guys that she was seeing. They'd gone out with some friends together yesterday and then watched a movie afterwards, just the two of them. But Misty wasn't so sure. Ricky was a sweet guy, but he called a lot, and Misty had a feeling he wanted to be more serious than she did. And she just wasn't looking for that because she was having fun dating around. Aside from Ricky, she was also seeing another guy named Teddy Underwood, who she actually did really like. Misty worked with Teddy's sister at a restaurant, and they'd gone out a few weeks ago, and it had been great. They had a lot in common, and it just felt easy to be around him. So she hoped that they would keep on hanging out, and who Who knows? Maybe that would become more serious, and maybe she'd be open to that. So Misty let Ricky's call go to voicemail and then tossed her phone back in her bag.

She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do with him yet, but she figured she would talk it out with her friends later that night. Misty checked the time and saw it was 07: 00 PM, so she had to hurry. She pealed off her wetsuit and organized her things, and as she was getting ready to go, she heard barking, and she turned and saw this shaggy dog run past her with its owner. And immediately, it gave Misty this wave of sadness because because it reminded her of her old dog, Chiba. Misty used to share Chiba with her ex-boyfriend, Brent Huck, and she loved that dog more than anything. But when she and Brent broke up and Misty moved in with her mom, her apartment complex didn't allow for dogs, so Misty had to leave Chiba behind, and she really missed her. But Misty had seen Chiba a few times recently because Brent, despite being her ex, was actually still another person that Misty was seeing right now. Just more like a friends with benefits thing, not a relationship. Relationship. Now, Misty knew this very likely was a bad idea because their relationship had been fraught with drama, and Brent now had a girlfriend as well.

But being with him felt nice and familiar, and plus, she got to see the dog, so she'd been putting off ending things. And so Brent was yet another thing she was planning to talk about that night with her friends. And so after watching the dog and the owner run off, Misty turned, dusted the stand off her legs, picked up her board, and walked off the beach headed for home. Less than 10 minutes later, Misty walked into the apartment she shared with her mom, Linda, and dropped her stuff next to the door. She made her way into the kitchen where there was a big plate of lasagna her mother had left for her, along with a note that read, Sleeping, eat up. This was pretty typical. Misty's mom, Linda, was a bookkeeper, and so she always had to get up really early in the morning to get to work, and so she was usually in bed by the time Misty got home at night. And so Misty happily grabbed a fork and sat down at the table to dig in. And as soon as she did, her phone rang. And when she checked it, she sobbed because it was Ricky again.

This time, though, she decided to answer it and see what he wanted. And he told her he was just calling to touch base and also wanted to make sure they were still on for Friday. Misty felt annoyed by this, but she did tell him they were good for Friday, and then they talked for maybe a minute or so before she told him that she had to go. After dinner, she spent the next few hours watching TV and texting her friends about their plans for the night. They were all going to drive to the Holiday Inn Beachside Hotel Bar, which was just a short drive south. A little after midnight, Misty took a shower and did her hair. Then she tiptoed to her mother's room and pushed open the door. She could see her mom sleeping in the darkness and felt bad waking her up. However, Misty did want to check in before she went out. So she walked over and gently shook her mother awake. And when Linda opened her eyes, Misty did a spin and asked how she looked. And even though she was very groggy, Linda smiled and said, You look great. Misty gave her a kiss and said she was heading out in the next hour or so, but she'd be home tomorrow.

And also, could she borrow her mother's car to see a movie? Linda mumbled yes 10: 00 closed her eyes again. Then Misty slipped back out of the bedroom. And about an hour and a half later, Linda woke up again. And when she did, she heard the sound of Misty's cell phone ringing just outside of her room. Three days later, on a Sunday afternoon, a man was at his home on the banks of the Indian River, located about 22 miles away from Misty's home. He'd gone outside to enjoy the last few moments of his weekend, and he was just taking in his beautiful view of the water. However, when he walked down to the edge of the river, he noticed something floating in the current towards him. It was large, gray, and slick, and even from several feet away, he could tell it was a dead manatee, which actually was not unusual for the area. The Indian River was a mix of salt and fresh water, and it was connected to the ocean, so it was a big feeding ground for manatees. But when this manatee floated past him, the man's stomach twisted, because now that he was getting an actual close-up view, he realized it was not a manatee at all.

The man stumbled backwards, then turned around, and ran to his house to call 911. Within the hour, Agent Gary Harrell, who was an investigator with the Brebber County Sheriff's Department, stood on a dock downriver from a private home on the Indian River in Florida, and he was staring at the water where the body of a dead woman with redish-brown hair floated face down near the dock, caught between some trees and some rocks. All around Harold, the area was swarming with investigators, taking photos and looking for evidence. A dive team was also nearby, preparing to wade into the river with a body bag to get the floating woman onto dry land so Harold could examine her. Harold didn't want to rush them, but at the same time, he did need them to hurry. Because the longer the body was in the water, the more physical evidence the current would wash away. And it wasn't just the loss of tissues or fibers that Harold was worried about. It was also the condition of any wounds on her body that might tell him how she died. Both moving water and marine life could damage a body, which could obscure the cause of death.

The only information Harold had at this moment was that this woman had been spotted floating down the river by a man who ended up calling 911. Done. And Harold didn't know who she was, how she got in the water, whether this was accidental or intentional. And now it seemed like the water was washing away any clues that might help him figure all that out. So Harold watched anxiously as the dive team wrapped the woman in the bag and then pulled her onto shore. Once she was on dry land, Harold hurried over to take a look. And as soon as he laid eyes on the body, he knew he had enough evidence to make at least one determination. This was no accident. This woman had been murdered. She naked, and there was white duct tape across her eyes and some loose tape that was around her neck, which Harold assumed had at one point been in her mouth, but then slid down. Her hands and feet were also bound except by rope, and Harold could see that the rope she was tied up with was unusual. It was a red and white diamond pattern with a big knot in it.

There were also two ripped plastic bags that were tied to her feet, which Harold guessed had once contained rocks or something else that was heavy to weigh her down. They very likely at some point ripped on the rocky river bottom, and then at that point, she floated up to the surface. So whoever killed her must have tried to sink her body in hopes that it would never be found. Harold just shook his head. He also suspected, since the woman was naked, that she had been the victim of sexual assault as well. But that was all he could guess right now. The woman was so bloated and already so decomposed, he couldn't even tell how old she was. He assumed she'd been in the water for at least a few days, which meant it was unlikely they'd be able to recover any DNA or forensic evidence from her body. But Harold did have a few things to work with. The rope could be analyzed. It had that distinctive pattern, so it might be traceable. Harold also made a mental note to show it to the Coast Guard, too, in case there was a boating or marine connection.

And he was excited about the duck tape. Tape is an adhesive and can collect and hold on to things like hair or skin or other materials, even in a harsh underwater environment. So Harold asked a nearby crime tech to photograph and bag all the items and then get her body ready to transport to the coroner's office. Harold hoped the medical examiner would be able to find some more clues during the autopsy, like how his victim died, when she died, and most importantly, her name. The following afternoon, so July 24th of 2000, Harold parked his cruiser in front of an apartment complex in Indian Harbor Beach. He'd just come from the autopsy, and he had been right about the condition of the woman's body. It was so deteriorated, The medical examiner couldn't figure out when she died or how she died. He couldn't even tell whether she was alive or dead when she went into the water. But the medical examiner's best guess was that she either drowned or she suffocated from the tape or from someone putting a hand over her mouth and nose to smother her. She didn't have any drugs in her system, and there were no bullet wounds, stab marks, or broken bones.

There was also no evidence of sexual assault that they could see. But again, it was very hard to tell. Even though there were a lot of unknowns here, this examination had told Harold a few key things. The first was that his victim was not thrown into the river from a bridge or cliff because she didn't have that trauma or physical injury to her body. Whoever had killed her had most likely dropped her gently into the water, likely from a boat. And the woman did not have any defensive wounds, which could mean a lot of things. Like, for example, maybe her killer had a weapon, and they used that to scare her into compliance without any physical fight. But Harold thought it was more likely that she didn't physically fight back because she knew and trusted her killer. For one thing, women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner. And also, there was no evidence of sexual assault, and that made a stranger attack a lot less likely since she was not targeted for the purpose of assaulting her. She was targeted for potentially something very personal. Plus, there was the tape over her eyes.

Harold didn't think that was about the killer protecting their identity. There was no chance of a dead victim identifying you. Harold thought it was the thing you do if you know your victim personally, and you can't stand your victim staring at you while you kill them. But the biggest lead Harold had gotten from this autopsy was her identity. They had taken the woman's fingerprints and found a match. She was 22-year-old Misty Morse. So now Harold was in front of Misty's apartment where he'd learned she lived with her mom, Linda Morse. And as the detective sat in his car, he took a deep breath because no matter how many times he had done this, notifying loved ones about a death was always awful. As As he made his way to the door and knocked, he felt this pit in his stomach. Moments later, a woman opened the door. Harold figured this had to be Linda. And as soon as he introduced himself, he saw her facial expression change. She gasped and her eyes filled with tears as she asked, It was her, wasn't it? Harold was caught off guard before he realized that news outlets had already been reporting that a body had been found in the river.

Now, they had not released Misty's name yet, but he guessed that Linda must have seen the news and had been filled with dread ever since that that was her daughter. So he just replied that, yes, it was her, and her death looked like a homicide. And when he said that, Linda just broke down and began to sob. Hey, listeners. Big news for true crime lovers. You can now enjoy this podcast, ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. Listen to all episodes of my podcast, Mr. Ballon's Medical mysteries and Mr. Balin's Strange, Dark, and Mystious Stories, along with a huge collection of top true crime podcasts, completely ad free. No more waiting through cliffhangers or dealing with ads, because let's be honest, ads shouldn't be the most nerve-wracking part of true crime. To start your ad-free listening journey, download the Amazon Music app for free or head to amazon. Com/balen. That's amazon. Com/ballin. Dive into Uninterrupted True Crime Stories today. About a half an hour later, Harold was sitting inside the apartment across the kitchen table from Linda. She had calmed down enough to give a statement, but she was still having trouble speaking.

In a shaky voice, she told Harold that the last time she saw her daughter was four days earlier on July 20th. She said Misty had woken her up after midnight to say goodbye, and then she left a while later to go out and see some friends at a bar. Linda began to cry as she explained she hadn't seen or heard from Misty since. And she'd been so worried. But Misty was an adult who went to college and worked and had a robust late-night social life. And so despite her worry, she told herself it was okay. Also, they had opposite schedules most of the time, so it was normal to go a few days without seeing each other. Linda had not even tried calling her daughter until Friday, which was over 24 hours since the last time she saw her, and Misty didn't pick up. Then, Linda said on Sunday, she had heard that a body had been found. And when she said that out loud, Linda trailed off, unable to continue. Harold just sat there quietly as Linda tried to gather herself. He felt certain that her grief was very real, and he would love nothing more than just to leave her alone.

But it was also critical that he get as much information about his victim from her as possible. So once Linda seemed to be a little bit more composed, Harold asked her if there was anything else she could think of. Linda frowned, and for a moment she was quiet. But then she said, Yes, actually there was. After Misty said goodbye to her that night, Linda said she fell back asleep. But then very shortly after she fell asleep, she woke up again to the sound of Misty's cell phone ringing in the other room. And then shortly after that, she heard the phone ring for a second time. So clearly her daughter had gotten two calls before she went out. Linda said she couldn't hear what was said or who the collar was on either of these calls, but it seemed like whoever was calling her was going to be the one giving Misty a ride. Harold wrote this down, and then, with Linda's permission, he took a look at Misty's bedroom. He didn't see anything significant, but he did take note of the fact that Misty's driver's license and her phone were not in there. Those two items had not been found with her body, so it was possible that her killer had them or had tossed them.

Before he left, Harold got the name of the bar that Misty said she had been going to that night, as well as the name of some of her friends who were going to be there. Harold wanted to see if Misty had ever actually arrived. Later that night, Harold headed back into his office and sat down at his desk. Week. The whole day had been nonstop, and he was exhausted. Harold and his team had spent hours locating and interviewing Misty's friends, and they all said that Misty never showed up to meet them at the bar and that no one had talked to her since. This meant that whoever called Misty before she left home, in particular, the second phone call where apparently Linda thought she overheard that person signaling they were coming to pick Misty up, well, that possibly was the last person Misty spoke to. If Misty's mom was right that that person had to pick Misty up, well, they might very well be the killer. So Harold had pulled Misty's phone records, and they did indeed show that Misty had received two phone calls roughly around the time that Linda believed she heard the sound of two phone calls.

However, in the year 2000, when this took place, phone records did not include the name or number of the caller. So the only thing Harold could see was what time the calls were made and how long they lasted, not who made them. He could see that Misty got one call at 1: 58 AM that was very quick, and then she got another quick call at 2: 23 AM. And then after that, her phone was not used again. Even without a name or number of the caller or callers, this record was huge. And so even though Harold didn't know for sure if these two calls were made by the same person, given the fact that Linda said she overheard her daughter clearly making some plan about getting picked up when she took these phone calls, it seemed likely that both of these calls were made by the same person who was coming to pick Misty up. And if that's And true, well, we know Misty didn't arrive at the bar, and so very likely this collar was her ride, and her ride was her killer. None of Misty's family or friends said they were the ones who called Misty or picked her up that night.

However, Harold was told that Misty was dating at least two different guys, and maybe one of them had given her a ride. Harrell had these guys' names, and some officers were already doing some background checks on them. Just then, Harrell's phone rang, and when he picked it up, he was very excited to hear it was the Coast Guard, and they had gotten a chance to look at that red and white rope that was used to tie Misty's hands, and they told Harrell it looked like the kind that was used on sailboats. And they said the knot that was tied in it was very distinct. It was called a cow hitch knot, and it was taught in the Navy. Harold leaned back and smiled because he could now add another detail to the profile he was building. He was looking for a suspect that had access to a boat and connections to the Navy or military. So Harold quickly thanked the to Coast Guard and hung up and then went to go update his officers on the call. When he did this, one of them said something that sent Harold's heart racing. The backgrounds on the guys Misty was dating had come back.

One of them, Teddy Underwood, was a convicted felon with a history of sexual battery. And before Harold could even respond, the officer added that they had already picked Teddy up, and right now he was waiting for Harold in a nearby interrogation room. A few minutes later, Harold walked into that interrogation room and sat down across a table from Teddy. Now, based on Teddy's criminal history, Harold expected him to be hostile or maybe defensive, which would have prevented Harold from getting good information from him. So Harold had planned to start with very friendly, non-aggressive questions and just hope that Teddy got relaxed enough to maybe let something slip. But Teddy was not what Harold expected at all. He was polite, cooperative, and seemed genuinely stunned to hear that Misty was dead. And when If Harold asked about a Navy connection and a boat, Teddy said no to both. He also had an alibi. He said he was with some friends early in the morning of the 20th, and then he gave Harold their information to confirm it. Then Teddy leaned forward and told Harold he knew that he very likely looked guilty here because of his criminal history.

But he said he did not kill Misty, and he would do whatever Harold needed to help solve this thing, including giving police a DNA sample. Harold was shocked because he just hadn't expected this level of cooperation operation. But Harold said yes immediately to Teddy's offer. Now, the crime scene text had not found any forensics on Misty's body, and the rope and the tape were still being examined. But Harold still had hope, and he wasn't going to miss a chance to get a swab from one of his best suspects. Plus, Harold knew it was possible that Teddy was pretending to be cooperative as a manipulation tactic. In the year 2000, DNA testing technology was not nearly as advanced or as fast as it is today, and so Teddy could banking on the water, having washed away any testable evidence. But regardless, Harold jumped up and said that a detective in a forensics tech would be in shortly, and then Harold headed back to his desk. When he got there, he called the phone numbers of the people that Teddy had given him to confirm his alibi, and when he called them, each one confirmed the alibi, which meant Teddy could be accounted for during the time Misty was likely killed.

However, an alibi and a DNA sample were still actually not enough to completely eliminate Teddy, especially since Misty's time of death was just a theory. But Harold knew for now, he would need to move on to other suspects. Just then, a uniform police officer appeared at Harold's desk with a message from the medical examiner's office. They had found a few short hairs on the white duct tape from Misty's body. And this really intrigued Harold because Misty had long hair. And hair on a body that did not belong to the victim usually belonged to the killer. But the Brevard County Sheriff's Department did not have the capacity to do that level of advanced DNA analysis, which meant that the last phone call Harold made for the evening was to the FBI labs in Quantico, Virginia. This was where most local police sent DNA for testing. Unfortunately, though, those kinds of tests took a long time. So as Harold arranged with the FBI to send the hairs from the duct tape along with Teddy's DNA down to Quantico, he knew he would not get any answers for at least a few months. On July 25th, so two days after Misty Morse's body was found in the river, Detective Gary Harrell parked his cruiser in front of a house that belonged to a man named Ricky Franklin.

Ricky was the second man that Misty's family and friends said she was dating. And according to them, he and Misty had been on a few dates and spoke often. But Misty had also told people that she was not nearly as interested in Ricky as Ricky was in her. Harold had his team do a background check on Ricky, and they hadn't seen anything suspicious in his history. But a one-sided attraction was definitely something that Harold needed to look into. And now, sitting in his cruiser, Harold saw something else that set off alarm bells. There was a boat in Ricky's front yard. Shortly after seeing this boat, Harold had Ricky inside of a police interrogation room. Harold had decided to do the interview at the station rather than at Ricky's house. That way, Harold could have more control over the conversation, which had apparently been a good idea because Ricky was a mess. He was incredibly flustered and kept crying as he explained that he'd only heard yesterday that Misty was dead. Harold knew he needed to calm Ricky down if he wanted this to go anywhere, so he told Ricky to take a breath and to just start with how he knew Misty.

Ricky stammered as he said they met about two weeks ago and went on a date last Tuesday, the 18th, a day and a half before she was killed. They had some drinks with friends and then watched a movie together. They did have plans on Friday, and so he'd been calling her every day to confirm them and thought she was just blowing him off when she wasn't answering. And then his voice broke as he said to the detective that even though he had just met Misty, he loved her. At the mention of these repeated phone calls that Ricky said he was making to Misty basically every day, Harold sat up a bit straighter and then asked Ricky point blank if he had spoken to Misty on the phone in the early morning hours of July 20th, like after midnight. And Ricky said no. He said he called her the night before on the 19th at about maybe 7: 00 or 7: 30, and then also a few times throughout the day on the 20th, but he did not call her in the middle of that night. Harold jotted this down. Now, Ricky could be lying, but even if he was telling the truth, it didn't mean he was innocent.

It was crazy that Ricky was already in love with Misty, and if Ricky felt rejected or angry she was seeing other people, well, then he had a motive. Also, the fact that he called her multiple times after she was already likely dead could have been an intentional ruse to make himself seem innocent. However, a hunch, along with there just being a boat parked in the front of his house, was not enough for an arrest here. Also, Ricky did not have a Navy background, or at least said he didn't, and And he said he was home with his family during the time Misty was likely killed, and he quickly volunteered that Harold could talk to his entire family, and they would all confirm that he really was home. And so likely, his alibi was actually legit. And so feeling disappointed, Harold told Ricky he could go and he would be in touch. And then right as Ricky was about to leave, he stopped and told the detective that he almost forgot something. He said he had something of Misty's that the police likely wanted. And then Ricky pulled out his wallet. From it, he pulled out Misty's driver's license and gave it to Harold.

Harold just stared at the license in shock. This license, along with Misty's phone, had not been found on her body, and they were missing from Misty's room, and so Harold had assumed her killer must have them. And now here was Ricky offering up a murder victim's property like it was nothing? Ricky must have sensed the new tension in the room because he quickly explained that when they went on a date last Tuesday, two days before her murder, Misty didn't have any pockets and didn't want to carry her license around. And so she'd asked Ricky to hold on to it, and he just forgot to give it back. Harold nodded, but now his mind was racing. Suddenly, this whole interview felt like Ricky was just trying to get ahead of any evidence that connected him to the murder. And so that's when Harold decided to take a risk, and he asked Ricky if they could go take a look around his property. And to his surprise, Ricky agreed. The next day, three days after Misty was found in the river, Harold walked up yet another walkway to knock on yet another door. They had searched Ricky's house and boat, and had not found any of what they were looking for.

No red and white rope or white duct tape or really anything that could be connected to the crime. Also, Ricky's father had confirmed that Ricky really was home during the time Misty was likely picked up and killed. However, during this property search, Ricky had actually offered up another suspect, Misty's ex-boyfriend, Brent. According to Ricky, Brent had been abusive while he was dating Misty. Now, at first, Harold thought Ricky was just trying to point the finger at somebody else, so he had followed up with Misty's mom, Linda. But Linda had confirmed it. Misty's ex, Brent Huck, had been very possessive, and their relationship had been really rough, and it ended about a year ago. Following his discussion with Linda, Harrell had some of his officers do a background check on Brent, and he was stunned at what came up. Brent had gone through naval training, but he was kicked out for not passing a swim test. Now, Brent worked as a private charter boat captain, and he owned multiple boats. And Brent's house was even on the Indian River, right near where Misty's body was found. And so Brent literally had all the criteria Harrell was looking for in a suspect.

And so once Harrell reached the front door, he knocked, and right away, he heard a dog barking inside, then footsteps coming towards him. A man opened up with a large, very friendly-looking dog panting right behind him, and the man asked Harold what he wanted. A few minutes later, Harold was inside the house sitting in the living room with Brent Huck and his dog Chiba, who kept nuzzling Harold's knee. Brent was explaining that the reason he had this dog was actually because of Misty. She had bought Chiba when they lived together, but her new place had a no pets policy, so Chiba stayed with Brent when they split up. As Brent spoke, Harold noticed how calm he was, which could either be the demeanor of an actually innocent person or of somebody trying to seem innocent. Harold wasn't sure yet, so he asked Brent to tell him more about Misty and their relationship. Brent said they broke a year ago, but he still cared about her, and actually, they'd still been seeing each other on and off. He said the last time they slept together was July 11th, nine days before she was killed. But they were keeping their relationship a secret since Brent had a serious girlfriend.

Harold was amazed Brent was being so candid here. If what he was saying was true, then he definitely had a motive for killing Misty, like if he was worried that his current girlfriend would find out about them. So Harold pressed harder, and he asked Brent whether he saw Misty early in the morning on the 20th or whether he picked her up. But Brent said no. He said he had been at a bar and then partied with his friends before a girl dropped him off at his parents house around 04: 00 AM. Brent was cooperative and answered every question that Harold threw at him. And so Finally, Harold told Brent they would want to talk to him again, but at the station, and he would be in touch. As Harold left the house, he couldn't shake this feeling that Brent had to be their guy. Now, he was not acting guilty, and possibly he did have an alibi. But the details of his life, the Navy background and the boats, and his ongoing secret sexual relationship with Misty made him a perfect match for the suspect Harold had been looking for. However, this was also the third time that Harold had been certain he had found his killer.

In the other two instances, he had found some fact that made his theory impossible. So he knew he was going to need something much stronger than just a profile based on circumstantial evidence if he wanted to connect any of his possible suspects suspects to Misty's murder. For the next two months, Harold obsessed over this case. He thought about it at work. He thought about it at home. He thought about it when he laid in bed at night. He just went over and over the details again and again, including his suspects. Harold had confirmed Brent's alibi with the girl who had given him a ride, which meant that at the time, Misty was receiving phone calls from her killer, very likely, and then also being murdered. Brent was out with friends. But he did have a few boats and a Navy connection, and he was also involved in a love triangle with Misty, which gave him a motive. Teddy Underwood, who had been seeing Misty casually, was a felon with a history of violence, but he willingly gave up his DNA, which could mean he had nothing to hide, or it could mean he was confident that the river would have washed away any evidence.

And it might have, since Harold still had not received those DNA results back yet. Then there was Ricky Franklin, who was falling in love with Misty, even though she didn't really care about him, but she seemed to know, which might have given him a motive. He also had a boat, and he had her license in his possession. But they also had not found anything incriminating when they searched his property. And so all of these men knew Misty well and were romantically involved with her. She certainly would have trusted each of them enough to let them pick her up, but they all had alibis. However, the time frame Misty died in was just an estimate, so Harold could not fully eliminate anyone just because of that. So Harold agonized over his list until September when his phone rang. When he picked up, a lab tech from the FBI was on the other end. They said they had finished looking over the hair samples Harold had sent over, as well as the swab from Teddy Underwood. And what they discovered was Teddy was not a match for this hair. But when Harold heard what the tech said next, he felt almost dizzy because the tech was absolutely certain, even without conducting additional DNA testing on Ricky or Brent, that the hair found on that duct tape on Misty's body was not going to match any of Harold's suspects.

However, this actually was a good thing because it told Harold everything he needed to know. Based on the police investigation and forensic evidence, the following is a reconstruction of what investigators believe happened to Misty Morse in the early morning hours of July 20th, 2000. At 1: 58 AM on July 20th, the killer sat at their home with their phone pressed to their ear, listening to it ring. When Misty picked up, the killer told her they wanted to talk. Misty told them she already had plans, but the killer said they really wanted to see her. When Misty said yes, the killer said they'd be right over. Then they hung up, jumped in their car, and started driving. As they drove, the killer gripped the wheel tightly, angrily. They had just lied to Misty. They didn't want to talk to her. They wanted to hurt her because Misty had ruined their life. And tonight, they were going to finally show her how angry she had made them. They got to Misty's apartment at 2: 23 AM, at which point they called her to say they were there. Minutes later, the killer saw Misty come outside and began walking towards them.

And when Misty opened up the car door and climbed inside, the killer pretended like everything was just fine and told Misty if it was okay with her, they were going to drive back to their place and they could talk there. Misty said, Sure. And so the killer casually turned the car around and headed down the road. Once the killer finally arrived back at their house and parked, the two of them climbed out, went inside, at which point the killer told Misty to make herself comfortable. And then the killer left and went into the other room and grabbed a few things they knew they would need for what they were about to do, which was rope and duct tape. Then the killer returned where Misty was, and she was sitting with her back to them. And so as quietly as they could, the killer snuck up right behind her, and before she could scream, they reached out in front of her with the duct tape and pulled it tight over her mouth. Misty began to struggle, but she was so confused and shocked by what was happening, the killer was easily able to get rope around her hands as well and tie it in a knot.

Misty looked at the killer both pleading and confused like, What's happening? And the killer couldn't stand to have her watching them because it made them ashamed. And even angrier. So they put more duct tape on her face, this time on her eyes. The killer could clearly hear her struggling to get loose and struggling to breathe, but they ignored her, and instead took off all her clothing and then gathered up the other supplies they would need, plastic grocery bags, rocks, and some more rope. The killer then carried the struggling Misty outside out to the water and put her onto a boat. They hopped on after her, untied the mooring, then floated out to the middle of the Indian River, and then once they were out in the deepest part of the river, the killer casually tied bags of rocks around Misty's ankles and dumped her overboard. Misty immediately sunk below the surface and vanished. The killer waited for a long time, but Misty never came back up. So they eventually steered their boat back to shore, then headed inside their home and went to sleep with their beloved dog curled up at their feet. It would turn out the hair that Harold had sent to the FBI lab was not human hair.

It was dog hair. And investigators eventually matched it to Misty's beloved dog, Chiba, who now was living with Brent Huck. The night Misty died, Brent really was at a bar. But while he was there, he heard a rumor from his friends that Misty was apparently pregnant. Now, it was not true. She was not pregnant. But for a moment, Brent panicked that it was true and that maybe the child was his. And even worse, his current girlfriend, who he was serious about and wanted to marry, she might find out and leave him. So even though he actually did have a friend, that girl, drive him home that night, it was way earlier than he or that friend had initially claimed, giving him plenty of time to pick up and then kill Misty. But unfortunately for Brent, the tape that he used to bind Misty had, of course, those hairs from Chiba on it. Brent was ultimately convicted of first-degree kidnapping and murder and was given two life sentences. A quick note about our stories. They are all based on true events, but we sometimes use pseudonyms to protect the people involved, and some details are fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

The Mr. Ballen podcast, Strange, Dark, and Mysteria's Stories, is hosted and executive-produced by me, Mr. Ballen. Our head of writing is Evan Our head of production is Zack Levit, produced by Jeremy Bone. This episode was written by Kate Murdock. Story editing by Karris Pash Cooper. Research and fact-checking by Shelleyshue, Samantha Van Hoos, Evan Beemer, Abigail Shumway, and Camille Callahan. Research and fact-checking supervision by Stephen E. Ar. Audio editing and post-produced by Whit Lacassio and Cole Lacassio. Additional audio editing by Jordan Stidham. Mixed and mastered by Brenda Cain. Production coordination by Samantha Collins. Production support by Antonio Minata and Delaina Corley. Artwork by Jessica Clauxton-Kyner. Theme song called Something Wicked by Ross Bugdon. Thank you for listening to the Mr. Balan podcast. If you enjoyed today's story and you're looking for more bone-chilling content, be sure to check out all of our studios' podcasts. There's this one, the Mr. Balan podcast, as well as Mr. Balin's Medical mysteries, Bedtime Stories, Wartime Stories, Run Full, Redacted, Late Nights with Nexbo, and A Twist of History. All you have to do is search for Balin Studios wherever you get your podcasts. To watch hundreds more stories just like this one, head over to our YouTube channel, which is just called Mr. Balin.

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