Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Justice for Chase: The man Nancy grilled about vet's disappearance pleads guilty & heads to prison

Episode Date: December 23, 2018

Iraqi war veteran Chase Massner was missing from his Georgia home for 3 years when Nancy Grace launched Crime Stories and started digging into the mystery of the young husband and father's disappearance. After visiting with Chase's mother and wife, Nancy knocked on a cheap motel room door in Atlanta to grill Brad Clement, the last person known to have seen Massner. That interview helped cold case detectives find Massner buried under a slab of concrete in the home once owned by Clement. Now, Clement has pleaded guilty to lying about Massner's death and hiding his remains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. She dropped him off at a quick trip in Cobb Town. His family says he was last seen at a friend's house in Kennesaw three years ago. It's like he vanished from that home, not to be seen or heard from again. Despite some intense searching, few clues have been found. We have absolutely no answers at all. Police are trying to determine if remains found in a backyard are those of an Army veteran who has been missing now for three years. This is the home where three years ago, 26-year-old Chase Masner was last seen. The search continues for a man wanted in connection with the disappearance and now death of a young Cobb County father and veteran. It was the last person to see Masner alive and

he is now charged with concealing a death. You have to question why somebody would make the decision all of a sudden to run. A beloved son, a husband, a father goes missing. And to top it all off, a United States veteran. In the prime of his life, Chase Masner goes missing. But in the last hours, breaking news in the Chase Masner death and disappearance. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us

oh how we investigated the disappearance of chase masner in the last hours a man in court brad clements that i actually helped track down and banged on his door in an overnight motel to get answers clements appearing in court, but still no answers. Listen to this. right hand to the best of your ability. You swear affirm that any testimony you should give is not an outing before this court should be the truth, the whole truth, but none of it is true. You can put your hand on the yard. I'm correct. Yes, sir. Having heard everything

that the state has said, having heard your attorney's statement, do you believe that it is in your best interest using the case of Alpert v. North Carolina to enter into the case. Yes, sir, Your Honor. And under Alford v. North Carolina, you wish for me to accept this guilt.

Yes, sir, Your Honor. But how did we get here? Chase Masner missing for years. Years go by. His wife wondering, did he just leave me? Did he abandon me and his own children? I recall sitting in the living room and dining room with his mother as she broke down in tears going through family albums wondering what happened to her son. A beautiful young boy, that's the way his mom describes him, that beautiful boy turned into a young man that everyone loved that went off to fight for our country, an Iraqi war vet, comes home to his lovely wife, absolutely lovely. I wish you could meet her like I did, Amanda. And their little girls, only to meet with what he escaped in Iraq, and that is death.

Chase's remains were found behind a so-called friend's home. This young guy, Chase Masner, an Iraqi war vet, went missing March 27. After a search which many people found questionable, it seemed as if law enforcement was not taking his disappearance seriously, telling his mother they think he just dropped off the grid. The people that knew him the best knew that was not true and that somehow he had met foul play and after i spoke to his mother and his wife amanda i knew for sure chase didn't just go missing he just didn't walk away deciding never to come back listen the first several weeks they were not actively investigating because, in their words, it's not a crime to be missing. If he wanted to walk away, it's not a crime.

Can you take me back to the day that Chase went missing? What happened? Chase was at our house. He was staying with us for a few days and spoke with Amanda, his wife, on the phone. Now, hold on. He's married with two little girls at this time. Yes. Two little, little girls. So he's fighting with Amanda and he came to stay at your house for a few days. Correct. All right. Okay. Then what? He had been with us for three days and he had the next two days off work and Amanda had asked him to go back to their house for those two days and she came to pick him up from the house and they were arguing.

Already? At the pickup? Before, even on the phone before the pickup. Why? Over what? what you know i don't was it money i didn't know they were having problems until amanda asked me if chase could come and spend some time at our house so they could have peace space okay so he finally lands a job at quick drip but he was having a hard, so landing that job and going to it on a regular basis and assimilating was kind of a triumph, right? Yes. Okay, so they leave together. Where were the babies, the girls?

In the car. Okay. He leaves. When did you hear from him next? Never. That was it? That was it. When he left, what do you remember about him leaving? What little thing do you remember? He was just so frustrated.

That's the only word I can come up with is frustrated. He was very irritated, agitated, and just... About what? This could be important. What do you think he was agitated about? Whatever was going on in their marriage. Was it that or was it just life in general or the argument he was having with Amanda? I really think it was just what was going on between he and Amanda.

Okay. Well, they've all been there. So he leaves around 6.30 that evening, 3.26, March 26, and you never saw him again? Never. And you never spoke to him again? No. Did you ever text with him again? No. I texted him, with him again? No.

I text him, but I didn't get any response. That's significant. When did you text him? Not until the next day. Is that normal for him to have gone the whole night without texting or anything? Well, yes, because like I told you before, I just assumed they went home and were working things out. So I didn't try to call him or text him that night. The next day.

Yeah, the last thing a married couple needs is the mother-in-law butting in. Okay. So he left, and for all you knew, the girls, they went out to dinner or went home, and you just assume no news is good news. Right. Okay. So next day what happens? Next day I got up, just proceeded as a normal day,

and I got a text from Amanda later in the afternoon. Did you text him that day? Not until after I heard from Amanda. Okay, what did she say? She said, I just wanted to let you know that Chase did not come home with me last night. I mean, really? They couldn't just hold it together for five or six hours until they fell asleep? So something went bad there. Did she tell you what? No, she didn't give me any details but she she told me that she took chase to brad's house between eight and nine the night of 326 she took him to brad so they made it for about three hours yes got into an argument she took him to brad's so you texted

him at what time that day 327 well as? Well, as soon as I found out that Chase was not with Amanda, as soon as I got that text, I started calling his phone. Sent Thursday, March 27 at 3.37 p.m. Hi, baby, will you please give me a call? I'm assuming that you're just sleeping, which is totally okay, but I need to know that you're all right. I love you. End of message. Chase Masner missing for years. Years go by.

His wife wondering, did he just leave me? Did he abandon me and his own children? I listened to what police had to say. I thought, well, would this guy have just bagged it? I mean, he was arguing with Amanda. I mean, here's the deal. He had been in Iraq. He came home.

He could not re-assimilate to civilian life. He had a wife and two beautiful baby girls that he had to support. He couldn't find the job he wanted. He finally just took a job at Quick Trip. This guy was making money for his family he was coming home at night to his wife and his children all couples argue and that night everything went sideways and what's interesting trey with me is amanda's mom is that brad clement

who by his own admission was the last one to be known with chase actually tried to point the finger at amanda and told us what he really thought happened was that amanda was quote blowing up chase's cell phone that night to come back and he thought the next day while he ran errands that amanda came and picked him up and did away with him and he was never seen again take Take a listen to this. Stephanie Kadena is with me right now. When I called and reported Chase missing and Amanda came into the middle of the report, she actually said that she took Chase to Brad's house and that she dropped Chase off at Quick Trip. You know what, I used to have an old judge. He was 84 years old on the bench, and he was dead set on proving everybody he was the fittest judge in the courthouse, which he was, I might add.

And he would tell every jury, it is your duty to make all witnesses speak the truth and impugn perjury on no one, which means different witnesses can see or hear different things, and they can all be telling the truth in one way or the other so that could have been true for all i know she took him to brad's house and he wasn't there and then dropped him a quick trip or whatever it could very well be that way the fact is brad says they met a quick trip and she says she left him with brad and we know we believe anyway that he was with brad from that point on. So quick trip or house.

How far did he live from quick trip anyway? Two minutes. Okay. So we know that he was with Brad that night. Yes. By 10 o'clock he was with Brad. Yes. And you never saw or heard from him after that.

That was the last time anyone but Brad saw him that we know of. Yes. Stephanie Kadena is with me right now. Also with me is Daniel Wilkerson from CBS 46, who has also been on the story. At Brad's house, he was having roofing done. Is that correct? Yes. And did any of the roofers ever see him there alive?

I don't know. Do you know, Daniel? No. I talked to or spoke with the owner of the roofing company, and he says they never saw Chase. Would they have? Was he in a bedroom asleep the whole time or what? According to Brad, yes, he was in a bedroom sleep.

And never came out of the bedroom? According to the roofer no now where the roofers in the home or outside the home they were outside the home primarily they had a barbecue Brad had a barbecue it at some point the roofers yes I mean why I just cut him a check why would you give him a barbecue Brad says that he invited him in for a barbecue and while there the roofers say Brad gave them a tour of Brad's home including the bedroom they went all over according to well did they say did they see chase no they't. I'm not even going to ask why would he give the roofers a tour of his home,

but that's significant. If he gave them a tour of his home, then you would have expected him to go in that bedroom. Did the roofer say he went in the bedrooms? I don't know specifically where they went. He just said that Brad gave them a tour of the home, and the roofer said that he thought that was odd. Well, I agree with that. Okay, so at that time, we have no reason to know that Chase is dead or alive

or asleep in the bedroom or gone. No. So the last time anyone can corroborate him being alive is that night around 930. Yes. Now, if you take Brad's testimony you know he saw him but as far as more anyone more than Brad no that and a dollar won't even buy me a gallon of gas okay so let's just move from we know he's alive around 10 o'clock that night all right let me ask you this if he went to great trip it's my

understanding that he was in quick Trip for about 30 minutes. Is that true, Stephanie? That's what I've heard, yes. Heard from? Brad. That's Brad. Brad Stethemeyer. Okay.

So, well, you know what? That can kind of be corroborated because Amanda says she left him there. All right. Guys, what we're trying to do is nail down a timeline. This is what goes into nailing down a timeline as best as possible. If we've got them alive at that time, who's the police authority? Cobb? Cobb County. Cobb County PD. What are they saying about surveillance video at Quick Trip? I mean, you might as well be in NASA or a Vegas casino because quick trip is tricked out with surveillance typically.

So what about that? Cobb hasn't said anything to me. They've said more to Stephanie, right? Yes, and I don't believe they have any surveillance. Have they tried to get it or just dropped the ball? I don't believe they tried to get it, no. Now, we don't know for sure that Cobb didn't pull it. We don't know for sure, but the first several weeks,

they were not actively investigating because, in their words, it's not a crime to be missing. If he wanted to walk away, it's not a crime. Okay, if he wanted to walk away it's not a crime okay let's talk about that had he ever in his life gone this long without texting you or calling you ever never and you know what i say if you don't know a horse look at his track record so what somebody has done in the past they're likely to do again if he had gone his whole life texting you and calling you every what, day, other day, what? All the time.

Then why would he quit that day? Right. And say, to H-E-L-L and my mother. I don't believe that. I don't either. Brad tells me that he told Chase that, hey, you can come with me. I'm building a computer. We'll go back to my house.

You can watch me build a computer. He said they went back to the house. They went up in Brad's room. When they got there, Chase laid on Brad's bed. Brad was on the floor with the computer. He said they talked all night, basically, about Chase's relationship with Amanda and his aggravations. And he said they ended up just falling asleep.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster. You're up all night. One of you may or may not be drinking or doing drugs. And then suddenly the person goes missing. Have you noticed that everything goes bad after midnight? I mean, really? Really? Okay, so 1030 pickup, and that's confirmed by the people at QT?

Yes. Okay, and then he's never seen again by anybody other than Brad? That's correct. Now, Stephanie, according to Brad, they stay up all night working on a computer and talking. Yes. Then what happens? What do we know from brad according to brad the roofers arrived around seven o'clock seven a.m brad says he went down he let the roofers in got them started or i

shouldn't say let them in he says that he uh got the roofer started on the house he says he then went back inside and moved chase from his room to a guest room because I guess the area where the roofers were going to be working would be right over his bedroom. And he said he left Chase there. He said that he helped Chase carry some bags out of his room because I asked him, I said, well, was Chase, could he walk? I mean, you know, how did you help him? He said, I picked up his bags. I helped him to the room, and Chase fell asleep there. And I guess an hour or two transpires, and Brad goes downstairs.

He comes back up. He gets Chase's phone, and he then leaves. He left a total of twice. One, the first time he left, Brad says, was to take a computer to a friend. He said he came back. The computer that they worked on all night? Yes. Okay.

Yes. He says he came... It's starting to make a little more sense to me if they stayed up all night talking, why Chase was still asleep. I mean, he wasn't coming, wasn't going to go home to Amanda, so why not? He'd been up all night fixating on his relationship with his wife. So why not sleep it off? Breaking news in the Chase Masner death and disappearance. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for

being with us. In the last hours, a man in court, Brad Clements, that I actually helped track down and banged on his door in an overnight motel to get answers. What happened to this beloved son, husband, and father? The more we investigated, the more murky the waters became. Listen. We're back at square one, Stephanie, because we have to talk to Brad. That's the missing link here. Listen. And I am going to find him. And I'm going to ask him what happened. I'm going to see what story he's going to tell me. And we'll take it from there. But I want to know from you, as we sit here together right now, what are your thoughts?

I just want to know the truth. I want to know what happened to Chase. Do you believe Chase is still alive? I do not. Now, are you saying that with your heart and your head, or...? Yes, I don't believe he's alive. Can you think of a reason that anyone would have wanted him dead? Not a single reason. Well, we looked and we looked and we searched,

and we found the wild card, as I like to call him, Brad Clements. We found him. I beat on his door. He opened the door and he let me in. I want you to hear what he said when I questioned him, grilling him over an hour and a half about the disappearance of Chase Masner. Let's hear what the wild card Brad Clement has to say. I'm trying to figure out, especially after I met Chase's mother yesterday, that about broke my heart. I mean, it's been all this time. She still doesn't even know what happened.

She thinks Chase is dead. Do you think he's dead? I don't know. I mean, I hope that he think he's dead i don't know i mean i i hope that he's not but really i i don't know like i i've you know i've wondered about it and you know the the last time that i was with him like i hardly knew them really like i met him maybe three or four times i thought you've been over to their house thought you'd been over to their house. No, I've been over to their house like after all of this happened.

Like I went over there- Didn't you go put together a ping pong table or a pool table or something like that? No, no, never. That was the only time I'd gone over to their house is when, what's her name, Amanda? Yeah. Amanda called and asked me to come over there

and like talk to her. And I went over there with my dog to like, you know, talk to her about all this. And, like, it was kind of odd, me being over there. Because you only need her through Chase. Right. And I never really, you know, talked to just her. And it was, you know, I kept hearing all these, you know, mixed things, you know talked to just her and it was you know i kept hearing all these you know mixed things you know well this is later i guess like about her and like his friends and stuff when you mean

her and his friends i don't want to throw her under the bus or anything but i mean it's just you know i don't are you saying that she'd slip around i mean that's kind of the word is that what chase i mean that's kind of what i thought what I thought when I went over there to see her. Like, that she, you know, wanted, like, I don't know. Did she hit on you? It was odd. Oh, yeah. I mean, like, she was like, well, she called me up and was like,

hey, can you bring me some pot to, like, smoke some pot? Do you want to smoke some pot with me? And I was like, at this point in my life, I wasn't smoking. And I was like, I think I have, like, a grinder that you can scrape. And pot with me and i was like i at this point in my life i wasn't smoking and i was like i think i have like a grinder that you could scrape and she was like yeah bring it over here and i was like okay should take it out of a grinder it was like you know the resin stuff that you could like scrape yeah and uh i mean because apparently they smoked like a lot because you know the whole thing where um she called up what's like her mother or someone to like help them clean up

something in the house like they were growing pot plants you know they had a bunch of pot plants they were growing in the house and that's why she was like hey i need you to come over here and help me clean this up because they were cleaning out all the pot plants before the cops came over there so that was like a big thing with that but um that could be part of the reason she doesn't want to talk anymore because she doesn't want to be dragged in some way yeah they were she was really like you know you know just uh i guess uh worried about that and uh it's not even that big of a deal it's like people grow pot plants all the time in the backyard you know especially here in the south but um yes i don't

know about that but okay i'll just take your word for it let's pause for just one moment i want it clear this is brad's story this is his explanation of how he is not involved in the disappearance of chase masner so take it with a box of salt and you be the judge now then I want to get to so I mean see I the thing is like I hardly knew them like they were good friends so some I good friends with my friend Alan who lived in the house with me and so he told Amanda and them that I like shot hair up shot heroin into chasing killed him and put this all in their head just to get me in trouble. Why would you use up heroin on somebody else?

And it's not somebody that I don't even know. You know, I mean, why would you do something where there's that? That's another thing. It's like, I just don't know. Why would you take somebody that you hardly know and then get them high with heroin where you know people over in us all the time? Okay, what do you think Chase was on? I don't really think he was on much other than pot and alcohol that night. I mean, that's...

I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, I mean, he was trying to get more, and I gave him some cash. What did he want? He was trying to get the Roxy's. Coat, crap, or... The 30 milligram Roxy pills. That was what everybody was taking. Alan was giving him those sometimes because Alan would take those.

And so he assumed that I could get them because Alan could get them. And, you know, I brought him and, you know, I was in a motorcycle wreck and I was on those at one point. And, you know, so I took him to my, like, that's one of the main areas I picked him up just just to kind of talk to him that night and be like, you know, dude, you don't want that s**t. Like, I was in a motorcycle wreck, man. Coming off of those pills is terrible, you know. I mean, and I figured I could just, you know, hang out with him and, you know. If you didn't really know him that well, why did you let him come to your place? I mean, because he'd been over there before.

Okay. Like, and I mean, he worked at the Quick Trip right down the street from my house, so. So what do you think just take me through what happened that when he goes missing I mean it's really not that much like it's like everybody says I like changed my story and all this stuff but it's like that was like what I did that day you know I mean that wasn't really anything to do with Chase it was like you know I ran a bunch of errands what I was doing you know most time when I was fixing up my house like he was there that night and then you know basically left sometime between when I was coming back from uh the store to when I started cooking like I mean

he had to have like I mean that that's the only logical thing right So you go on, I think it was March the 26th-ish, to pick him up at Quick Trip. And it was at night around 10.30 or something. Okay. All right. You pick him up and bring him to your place directly or do you all drive around? No, we just go direct. I mean, it was right down the street. Okay.

So you didn't drive around to hit, to score, nothing like that. You got straight home. All right, so you go home. What does he do? I mean, we just sit there and start talking. Actually, I had a bunch of stuff that I was building a computer with, so I had him help me carry a bunch of stuff in, and then I started building the computer that I was,

it's actually not this one, but a different one. And I had, you know, we just sat there and kind of just talked because we had talked you know two or three nights ago about the same thing what about him and amanda fighting and all this stuff they fight about i mean it was like money and stuff like that because she wasn't working and uh you know he didn't really talk too much about it but i just told him you know that know, that, you know, he was a lucky guy and, you know, he's got two beautiful kids, got a beautiful wife. Like, I don't know, you know, it's okay. What most people want, you know, in life is to be, you know, fulfilled with those two things. Yeah.

And, you know, how much, you know. Why was he not happy with that? Was it money problems? Dope? What was it? I think it was more or less money problems. I mean, because, you know, like I said, I just, I really didn't know him that well. Like, I mean, this was so long ago that we actually talked about this. Like, you know, and it was mainly me talking, you know, other than him, you know, just sitting there listening.

And, you know, he said that he was, like, telling Amanda he was going to run off and, like, sleep in the woods and all this stuff. What? Yeah, you didn't hear that? Uh, no. Yeah, that's been another big thing. Like... Go off and sleep in the woods? Yeah.

Why? Why? I wonder if he tried to do that and died. I mean, I figured they would have found him by then. Like... Well, let me just... Go off and sleep in the woods did you hear him say that yeah he said it you know a couple times and i was like i always thought it was bs and you know i was just

because he wants to go sleep in the woods yeah exactly he went in the other bedroom door open shut door open so later that day you gave the roofers a tour of your home. Was he there? See, I didn't really give them a tour of my home because they'd been there before. They told me that you gave them a tour of your home, that you showed them around your house. I mean, I guess, but that would probably be at like 4 o'clock or something, 4 or 5 o'clock. I mean, I didn't really think that was significant. Later in the day. Yeah. When you came back from Publix, was he there?

I didn't check. Were in the day. Yeah. When you came back from Publix, was he there? I didn't check. Were the bedrooms upstairs? Yeah. So you leave for Publix at what time? It was probably 12-ish or something like that. And he was there? Mm-hmm. For you to leave him, go to Lowe's, go to Publix, get back, start a fire, put the fire out, and go up there.

It was probably more like 2 o'clock. And he was gone. And he was gone. And he was gone. And, like, he had taken his bag and everything that he had. Like, he had a little bag, and then he had his, he left his two little bottles of beer in the closet. But other than that. Did you see it coming, that he was leaving?

Yeah, he did that every time. Like, he would just disappear every time. Every time that he was over at my house, every time he was leaving, he would just disappear. And man, it always took him off. Like, he would just disappear every time. Every time that he was over at my house, every time he was leaving, he would just disappear. And man, it always took him off. Like, so that was his M.O. So I wasn't too worried, you know. How many times had he been over and disappeared?

Two or three. I mean, each time he'd been at my house, he always just left. So would the roofers have been in a position to see him leave? They should have. Like, that's what I thought. You know, that's why I assumed they just saw them leave because i mean they were work there the house had a steep um see at this point when it was really smoky they had to get down off the roof there because that's you know and that's why i assumed you know that chase had heard them running around or whatever i don't even know how

he was sleeping with all that noise. It was just like... Why do you think everybody's pointing the finger at you? Because I'm the person that nobody knows, and I'm just like that odd piece of the plane. The last one to see him and all that. And his disappearance doesn't make sense, but in a way, it does. If he kept telling people

he was going to leave and go live in the woods. Are you sure about that? Yeah, that's well known too, I'm pretty sure. I think his mom knows that. In the last hours, so-called friend Brad Clement in court,

he pleads guilty to concealing the Army vet Chase Masner's death, but never gives real answers. It is in your best interest using the case of Alford v. North Carolina in your building. Yes, sir. And under Alford v. North Carolina, you wish for me to accept this bill. Yes, sir. But how did we get here? Listen, Daniel Wilkerson from Channel 46.

Daniel is standing outside the medical examiner's office. Daniel, what happened? I'll tell you, it's been a shock for everyone. Right now, I'm standing outside, again, the medical examiner's office here in Cobb County, and we think we may get the preliminary results. Right now, they have just told us that they found a body in the backyard of that home in Kennesaw. They have not made a positive ID as of yet, but I was speaking with Chase's mother, Stephanie, late last night, and she feels that this is Chase. Police told her something that has made her think that apparently there was something that they found with the body that makes them think that this is, in fact, Chase. Daniel, right now, Brad Clement on the run.

I don't understand it. If he had spoken at all with a defense attorney, the attorney, if he was worth his salt or she was worth her salt that goes in her bread, would have said, look, we don't know any cause of death. You can probably get off with disposing of a body. But instead, this guy goes on the run. What do we know right now? Where is Brad Clements?

Well, the latest coming from my source close to the investigation says that the fugitive unit here in Cobb County, they have searched Brad's mother's house, and they did not find him. Of course, she has a basement in that house. I've been there several times. And so the thought was, the general thought was that he may be there. Of course, her address was listed on his arrest warrant. So they did not need a search warrant to go over there. But I just got that news that they searched that house. I've been told by my source that the fugitive unit, they know the general area where he is. In their words, they said we are one step behind him right now. But of course, he is not in custody. Right now, we have breaking

news in the search for Chase Mazur from NBC 11 Alive. Face down, handcuffed, and in the rain, the fugitive accused of covering up the apparent death of a Cobb County Iraq War veteran was arrested today outside of a Publix. Brad Clement was on the run for six days. Ryan Krueger now joins us live from the Cobb County Jail, where Clement is now being held without bond. Last Friday, Clement had told authorities he was going to turn himself in for those charges of covering up the apparent death of Chase Masser. Instead, Clement decided to run. He didn't get very far. He was arrested just one county over. Brad Clement apparently ditched the 2003 blue Honda Civic that authorities had warned about late last week. A car was found

at his mother's house. Instead, it was this U-Haul that posts say he was driving. Investigators say Clement rented the truck under a phony name and then didn't return it. On Thursday, acting on a tip, the county sheriff's office's fugitive task force, along with U.S. marshals and backup from DeKalb County police, arrested Clement at the Toco Hills Shopping Center off of North Druid Hills Road. In this photo, you see him face down while it's pouring down rain. Clement is the last person to ever see Chase Massner alive. Three years ago, family friends tell us Massner stayed the night at Clement's home. Fast forward to last week when authorities found human remains buried in the yard of that home.

Those remains haven't yet been positively identified as Massner, and it's not clear how the person died. All of these are answers that investigators hope to get to, as the only suspect in this case is now behind bars. It's often said that when a case ends in court, there's closure for the victim's families. I, on a personal level, can say there is no closure. There will never be closure for his widow, for his children, for Chase's mother. Listen. This is her words, Judge.

My only son is gone forever. After March 26, 2014, my life changed forever. My only son, Chase Master, said, Vitamina drove away, never to be seen alive again. The last person he saw, Brad Clement. We searched high and low for Chase and begged and pleaded for answers. For almost five years and still today, I experienced agony, turmoil, sleepless nights, nightmares, panic attacks. And on many

days I could hardly get out of bed. My son was not suicidal. He didn't do this to himself. He was a loving father and husband and would have never left his two little girls. He loved life. He was funny, happy-go-lucky and an entertainment

and joy to all who knew him. I write these words, but words cannot begin to explain the torment me and my family and Chase's friends have been put through at the hands of Bradclin. Living each day without Chase is a death sentence to me. Someday I will see him again. Until then I ask God for strength to get through each day

and to make my son proud. Judges, I told the board this had such an impact on Chase's wife Amanda that she eventually moved down west. And we had in-depth discussions about the case and about issues with the case with family members. And you said you spoke to Amanda today? Today, yeah. I just spoke by phone today. And I'm authorized to share with the court that both she and Stephanie Chase's mom said that they believe this plea is the right thing to do to finally close out this case.

So we're here with their support. We can only pray they can go on with their lives. Mr. Clement, please raise your right hand to the best of your ability and swear affirm that any testimony you should give is a matter not to him before this court should be the truth before the truth. And none of it is true, so help me God. You can put your hand on the yard. You're on in truth. None of the truth. Selfie. Got your hand on your feet. Bradshaw. I'm correct. Yes, sir.

Lemon stands charged in this indictment. That I've referenced 183146 of two counts concealing death of another and making false law enforcement. Um, there's a span of years included in count one. The dates specific to this re-indictment are crimes that occurred on between March 26, 2014 and August 21, 2015. Count two of the indictment involves a different date, April 4, 2014. It involves a discussion that this defendant had with the lead detective on the case detective chris twiggs um that police officer is now here in the courtroom in support of this resolution today judge i'm about to give you a factual basis he's going to receive a plural sentence

of 15 years with eight years to serve the balance will be served on probation there will be a fine applicable fees and surcharges. There's no contact permission the defense is asking that this plea be tendered pursuant to the decision of North Carolina versus Alford. We don't have an objection to that. Part of the agreement that I was stating for the record, which was a component of our discussions, is that the state will not have any recommendations to the parole board about when, if at all, the defendants are going to receive parole. Nancy Grace, Crime Stories, signing off. Goodbye, friend. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.