Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Young Mom of 3 Vanishes on Morning Walk

Episode Date: November 22, 2022

Olivia Fowler, 26, was last seen near Manchester, Georgia, on August 13, 2021, at her boyfriend's home around 2 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. that same morning, a Department of Natural Resources ranger spotted Fowler walking along Pebblebrook Road in Meriwether County. After that sighting, there has been no trace of Fowler. So far, there haven’t been any solid leads to help Fowler's family find her. Fowler was last seen wearing white cut-off shorts, black flip-flops, and a white tie-dye shirt. She has a tattoo on her right arm that reads, "I love you,” and a missing front tooth. Anyone with information on Fowler’s whereabouts should contact the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office at 706-672-4489. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Tamara McCoy - Victim's Aunt Natalie Khawam - Vanessa Guillen Family attorney, The Whistleblower Law Firm; WhistleblowerLF, Facebook: "Whistleblower Law Firm" Caryn Stark - NYC Psychologist, CarynStark.com, Twitter: @carynpsych, Facebook: "Caryn Stark"  Lisa M. Dadio - Former Police Lieutenant, New Haven Police Department; Annie Le Lead Detective; Senior Lecturer; Director of the Center for Advanced Policing and Graduate Program Coordinator, Investigations program, University of New Haven (West Haven, CT) Amanda Peralta - Reporter, WRBL News 3 (Columbus, Georgia), Twitter: @AmandaPeraltaTV John Elwood - Deputy Chief, Manatee County Search and Rescue; Twitter: @KarmatheSARdog; Principal Evaluator for the National Search Dog Alliance and Instructor/Evaluator for the National Association of Search and Rescue; 35 Years Sarasota County Fire Department See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. The search is on for a beautiful, young, missing mom of three. Take a listen to Crime Online's John Limley. Authorities in Meriwether County, Georgia, are asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman. 26-year-old Olivia Fowler was last seen on August 13, 2021. She was spotted leaving a residence near Long Road around 2 a.m. in the city of Manchester. Fowler was then seen again at 10.30 a.m. walking along Pebble Brook Road in Merriweather County. Fowler was said to be wearing a tie-dye shirt, white cut-off shorts,

and black flip-flops. She's approximately 100 pounds and is 5 foot 2 inches tall. Anyone with information on Fowler's whereabouts is asked to call the Meriwether County Sheriff's Office. That number, 706-672-4489. Repeat, 706-672-4489. Where is Olivia? I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Fox Nation and Sirius XM 111. You know, we hear so many names over and over and over. We hear Gabby Petito. We hear Kelly Anthony. We hear one name after the next, Kristen Smart.

Just over and over. I have not heard Olivia's name, Olivia Fowler, but we're hearing it now. This is a beautiful young mom, Lassie, wearing a tie-dye t-shirt, white shorts, and flip-flops. What happened? How could she be there taking a walk and then now she's gone and nobody knows anything? With me, an all-star panel to make sense of what we know right now. You just heard about her going missing. I want to go straight out to her aunt. This is Tamara McCoy. She is the creator of Olivia's Army. And you can find her on Twitter at Olivia's Army 26. Tamara, thank you for being with us.

When did you first learn that Olivia seemingly vanished? I was notified on August the 14th, 3 30 in the afternoon. Where were you when you got the call? I was actually working in Manchester. Where do you work? I have my own business. I'm a residential cleaner. So you're at your business. You're doing your business and you get a call from who? Her sister. And what were you told? That Olivia was missing and nobody had seen or heard from her since Thursday. Okay, just what you don't want to hear. Now, you are her aunt. What is your relation?

Were you guys close? Did you speak frequently? Do you know her children? Yes, ma'am. I actually had custody of Olivia and Roxanne in their younger years. And Olivia and I, we've always been really close. Kind of estranged a little when my mom passed away, but we always kept a good connection. And I did see her children. I used to keep them for her when she would just need a little break

for a day or so. And, you know, we were always close always close you know that's some of my favorite memories of keeping my two little nephews I had already you know graduated law school and was working and I would go back home to Macon Georgia and my little nephews who lived in at that time Warner Robins Georgia would be at my mom's for the weekend. And she would take them just about every weekend. And it wasn't like my brother and his wife said, oh, please take the children. We wanted to see them. And so they would come spend the weekend and I would come home from where I was prosecuting in Atlanta and just spend the weekend and I loved it and it builds a bond it's like they're your child in a way yes ma'am and you know so many years past I never thought I was going to have children and I viewed those two boys as mine because I got to spend so much time with them so you would babysit

for her and you actually helped raise Olivia I heard you say you had her for a while. Yes, ma'am. I had, I was there when Olivia was brought in this world. I was there from day one. First six months, she slept in the bed with me and she was my baby. She's my baby. I'm just looking at her right now, and she is gorgeous. That is one. I mean, no victim in my mind is any prettier than another victim. But I've got to say, she's stunning. Yes, ma'am. Now, of course, another side to that, she's out walking,

and she's alone walking and suddenly goes missing. With me is Olivia Fowler's aunt, Tamara McCoy. Tamara, what were you told about the conditions of her going missing? I was just told that she went out on the porch to smoke a cigarette and walked off and never seen again. Okay, there's so many things wrong with that story. I don't know where to start. Let me just straight out to Lisa Daddio, former police lieutenant with the New Haven PD. And she's a senior lecturer and director of the Center for Advanced Policing at University of New Haven. Lisa, thank you for being with us.

There's a lot missing from that story, and it's not Aunt Tamara's fault. She's telling us what she's told. She goes out for a cigarette, and she's apparently going for a walk, and then somehow she just vanishes off the face of the earth. It's hard for me to believe that no one saw a thing, Lisa. Nancy, it's really hard to wrap my head around as well, especially in this day and age when everybody's aware of everything going on. And how does somebody just literally disappear walking or even on the

front porch of a home having a cigarette. I mean, there's just so many things there that just don't make sense as to how she disappeared. Amen. I'm just looking at pictures of her. You know, Jackie, if you looked at her, she looks like some TV star, and I can't place. She reminds me of Gabby Petito. She does look a little like Gabby Petito. I was thinking of Catherine, is it Heigl or Heigl? Heigl. That's it.

That's her. That's who she looks like. She looks like Catherine Heigl, and she looks like, oh, oh, okay. My daughter has recently gotten into G girls have you ever seen that okay i know more about it now than i ever wanted to blake lively they're all great okay the mother the mother of blake lively that's who she looks like that's who she looks like except a younger a younger version she's she's beautiful um guys we're talking to Olivia Fowler's aunt. And I have by your name, like a mom, to Olivia.

Yes, ma'am. And the reason I often give they look like X is so people have a mental image. If they can't see her missing poster, they have a mental image of Olivia and she's right there in broad daylight in the morning hours. Isn't that right, Jackie? You know what? Let me go to Amanda Peralta joining me. Investigative reporter. I can't believe I didn't already go to you. Amanda Peralta is with us with WRBL News 3. You can find her on Twitter at Amanda Peralta TV. Tell me about her missing. She goes out for a cigarette.

She is later seen taking a walk down the street. And then suddenly, bam, she's gone. First of all, let's start with the area. Where did this happen exactly? So this happened on Pebble Brook Road, which is located in Manchester, Georgia. It's a very rural area, small town, southwest Georgia. The population is about 3,982 people. Hold on.

Hold on, Amanda. 3,082 people. 3,982. 982. So about 4,000. And we're talking about Merriweather County, right? Yes, ma'am. That is some of the prettiest

countryside I think in the world. In Merriweather County. I agree. It's beautiful. And I can tell you, we were just in Merriweather County because we took the children camping the whole shebang where you cook on a fire and hot coals, that whole thing, near Pine Mountain and Warm Springs where Roosevelt had the little white house.

So we went through Merriweather County to get there, and we all were driving on looking and said, this looks like heaven. I wonder if this is what heaven looks like. And that's the backdrop for this girl to just vanish off the face of the earth. So Amanda Peralta with me, WRBL News 3. Tell me how this went down. She was seen walking in the morning hours wearing white shorts, a tie-dyed shirt, and flip-flops, right? Yes. So, family has confirmed to me and police have confirmed that Olivia was walking down Pebble Brook Road. The last time that she was seen was on the 13th when a DNR, Department of Natural Resources officer saw her walking down the road.

Okay. Well, wait, hold that thought, Amanda. You know what? Let me go to you. Natalie Quam is with us. You should know that name and I'll tell you why. Vanessa Gim. Remember Vanessa, the gorgeous young soldier

at Fort Hood who was taken and murdered and many people think the whole thing was covered up by the military. At the very least, they weren't doing their jobs. Amen.

Natalie can be found at the whistleblower law firm, quamlaw.com. Natalie, it's so great to speak to you again. What do you make of what you're hearing right now? I mean, you can't get much of a better witness than an officer with DNR, Department of Natural Resources. Nancy, thanks for having me on. You know, when I read this article, it gave me goosebumps when they said they saw her walking. This is the same story we heard with Vanessa when they said they saw her walking across the parking lot. That never happened.

No one saw her walking across the parking lot, but it was three guys, quote unquote, smoking a cigarette that said this. And of course, everybody wants to go with whatever the whatever anyone witness says when sometimes witnesses are wrong or lying not sure what happened with vanessa's case and vanessa never walked across the parking lot vanessa was murdered bludgeoned to death in the armory room so those facts facts didn't help, or I should say those witness statements didn't help because it stopped everybody from looking further out, looking where the problem really was,

which was in the armory room right below their nose. But I think this is, I think that this is very credible because a lot of times people will say, oh, I saw her here. I saw her there. You've got an officer with the Department of Natural Resources seeing Olivia Fowler, and I think that's a pretty darn good witness. You know what? I'm not doubting anyone's witness statement, but we had three soldiers and three officers seeing Vanessa. So, again, I can't say which two are not.

What bothers me here is where is that? Where are the authorities? What's happening? Like you said, people just don't vanish. No, they don't. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. All the stops have been pulled out thanks to Olivia's Army. Guys, take a listen to our friends at WXIA 11. Olivia Fowler is the first name listed in the National Missing Persons Database for Georgia.

She's the most recent disappearance reported. She's been gone for 38 days today. Her baby boy just turned a year old. He's walking. I know Olivia would never just leave her kids. Olivia Fowler missed her son's first birthday since she's been gone. Her grandmother died and Olivia missed her funeral. Her aunt Tamara McCoy, knows Olivia would have been there if there was any way she could. Olivia loves family. Loves, loves, loves her family.

She's a great mother with the biggest heart. Joining me right now, our friend from New York, psychologist Karen Stark. You can find her at karenstark.com. That's Karen with a C. Karen, thank you for being with us. It really hit me when I heard she missed her son's first birthday. Karen Stark, you were with me when I was planning the twins first birthday. Remember we had it at Moon Soup. It was a play place for children on First Avenue. Let's see. First. Yes. First Avenue between 56

and 53. That was their hangout where we would go to mommy and me and bendy exercise classes. The first birthday, right, that was a blowout because you should have seen the outside of that Karen Stark because there were so many strollers of other friend babies there outside of Moonsoup. They could not be contained inside of Moonsoup, the play place. They blocked the sidewalk. I mean, that was a one-year-old party blowout, let me tell you. And for this young mom to miss her son's first birthday, uh-uh. No, you'd have to pull up my fingernails before I would miss the twins' first birthday. It's not just you, Nancy. I mean, you know more than anyone, right, that

a mom doesn't miss a birthday. A mom, well, besides that, she wouldn't miss the funeral. None of that sounds like the person that she was. And something doesn't make any sense because she really is seen, it seems to me, by a credible witness. I do want to say that the family is quite incredible. I love that they put together Olivia's Army and that they have that approach, that they're going to be fierce about this. It's the best thing you can do in a situation where you feel hopeless and you have no control. So really, bravo to all of you. Speaking of Karen Strzok, you really hit the nail on the head about victims' families feeling hopeless and not having any control.

There's nothing helpless and hopeless. There's nothing you can do. So Tamara McCoy mobilized Olivia's army. Joining me is someone that knows a lot about that feeling. Whitney Sick, founder, president of A Voice for the Voiceless. And you can find her on Facebook, A Voice for the Voiceless Inc. On Twitter,

at True Crime Sister. Whitney, weigh in about that feeling that Olivia's family is suffering right now of hopeless and helpless. There's nothing they can do. A lot of families come to me and they say, I never thought this would happen to me

and now it's happened to me and I don't know what to do. And that's what happened with Aunt Tammy. She messaged me and they say I never thought this would happen to me and now it's happened to me and I don't know what to do and that's what happened with aunt Tammy she messaged me and said I saw you share my Olivia I'd like to talk to you about her and so we just started brainstorming about Olivia and how to bring awareness and she was very adamant that she did not just disappear she wouldn't leave her family she wouldn't leave her children and so here't leave her children. And so here we are. We just haven't stopped. And we're a force to be reckoned with until she comes home or until we find her. You know, Natalie Quam is with us. This is the high profile lawyer that represents

Vanessa Guillen's family. Natalie, how sick does it make you when a woman goes missing? Cops and others say, oh oh she's just off with her boyfriend she's found a new boyfriend if she just needed time alone that's all bs you know it's it's and you know i mean the rules of evidence um some kind of habit is admissible if she wasn't like that before if she'd ever missed first like i agree with all of you moms don't miss their kids birthdays they don't miss this stuff. And there's no history of it. So it's admissible to say that there was no habit of this or she never did that before.

So it's shocking that it's – and thanks, Tammy, for you putting together that army. But it's shocking that this is still happening. It's – nobody – we're not calling in the forces here, you know? And I saw her, her beautiful face. Nancy, I think you were talking about Kelly Rutherford.

Yes. Yes. That's her name. That's who she looks like. Kelly Rutherford. She's kind of a mix between Kelly Rutherford and Gabby Petito. Get that on your head. That's what Olivia Fowler looks like. Guys,

take a listen to our friends at Fox five. The town of Manchester is about two hours south of Atlanta. It was just outside of here, a few miles away, that a DNR ranger provided the last sighting of Olivia Fowler, and that was more than a month ago. It was 10 30 in the morning on August 13th that a DNR ranger saw 26-year-old Olivia Fowler walking along Pebblebrook Road in Merriweather County. That's the last known sighting of her, according to law enforcement and her family. Doesn't have a purse. She doesn't have a phone. She doesn't have a license. She doesn't have a

security card. She doesn't have a bag, as far as we know, an overnight bag. Now, Tamara McCoy, her aunt, walks the same road searching for any sign of her niece. Didn't have her purse, her cell phone, her social security, her driver's license, nothing. That tells me she did not intend to be away for very long. When I go out on a walk or a jog, I plan to come back. I don't take my driver's license with me for sure or my social security card if I can find it. No, because I'm planning to come back. And that is the clear implication here. This is Joseph Scott Morgan, host of Body Bags. This week, I'll be examining the forensics behind the Idaho murders and what we know about the crime scene. Like my students right now, I'm away. I'm away from class.

And I felt as though that Jackie, you and I need to have a chat as soon as we possibly could about this case. Well, we both did indeed plan some time off, Joe, but you're right. This was really important. When the police entered that residence, they found something that was just mind-blowing. So two points of entry only. So that actually narrows down what the police investigators have to look at. And there's a wood line over to the left. It would have been a perfect location for somebody that had targeted this home to be able to stand back there in the dead of night because they believe this happened under cover of darkness. And a lot of people are asking questions about the two roommates who survived. The authorities were looking for what they termed as a military-style knife.

What I find interesting is the fact that in using this style of weapon, it tells me that it probably was a targeted attack because somebody had to bring that weapon with them. And those are what we refer to in forensics and in investigations as weapons of convenience. That's not what we're talking about here. The information released by the coroner in the case says some of the victims had defensive wounds. Even the most highly skilled forensic pathologist that gets on the stand and testifies, they will always have this disclosure. But what exactly are they looking for? Someone who followed the girls when they went to the looking for? Someone who followed the girls when they went to the food truck? Someone who might have been outside the home? I mean,

as forensic scientists, it's your job to make sense of the chaos. But we do know they are going to have a Herculean task to be able to try to separate this out. Listen to this week's brand new Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, now on iHeart Podcast, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Take a listen to Doug Evans, Fox 5. The Meriwether County Sheriff's Office says Olivia Fowler was last seen wearing a tie-dye shirt, white cut-off shorts, and black flip-flops. The Sheriff's Office here is asking for the public's help in locating Olivia, saying they have talked to witnesses, conducted ground and air searches, and

have followed up on leads, but she is still missing. Olivia wouldn't go 40 days without reaching out to her family at all. Olivia Fowler is 26 years old and the mother of three small children. Her family says her youngest child had his first birthday during her disappearance. Straight back out to Tamara McCoy. This is Olivia's aunt that helped raise her. Tamara, you go up and down that stretch of road searching for her by foot. Tell me about it. What is there? Do you pass homes with mailboxes and potentially ring doorbell cams? I mean, what kind of area is it? It is a country, rural area. I mean, it's a lot of woods. There's houses out there. We actually went out there a few months after

Livia went missing and questioned several of the locals and just trying to see if anybody had cameras and just to see any find out anything. And that's when we found out that none of them had been questioned. And we later on found out that Olivia had been seen that same day in the afternoon between three and five at the end of Pebble Brook Road. Wow. So that completely changes the timeline. So she's seen that afternoon between 3 and 5, the very same afternoon that she was spotted that morning. It's very disturbing. Lisa M. Daddio joining us, former police lieutenant with the New Haven PD,

now the director for the Center for Advanced Policing and Grad Program. Lisa, why is the family having to go door to door to find out if residents along that stretch of the road have ring doorbells? Why is that happening? It shouldn't be happening. But as we've seen more times than any of us can count, it's always the families who are going

a thousand steps ahead of law enforcement in a lot of cases to really look for information, pretend they're loved ones. The reasons, you know, I don't want to make excuses for a law enforcement agency, but it could be staffing. It could be other cases. OK, wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Lisa Daddio, I appreciate you throwing the local police and sheriffs a bone, but Meriwether County is extremely rural. You just heard the county has about 4,000 people. They are not inundated with murder cases.

Okay? Thanks for trying to cover for them, your fellow brethren in the law. But that's total BS. And I'm calling you on it. What about it? You can call me on it. Yeah, you're called. Whitney, joining us, founder, president, voice for the voiceless.

Why is the family out trying to get ring camera video? That's a great question. I've seen Aunt Tammy knee deep in mud and sticks and holes in the woods. Out in the middle of nowhere looking for Olivia and no law enforcement in sight. I wish that they would do more. They say that they're working diligently on it. I haven't seen any wide scale searches or flyers or things like that. Yeah, I haven't either.

Tamara McCoy, you're Olivia's aunt. What is happening? Why are you the one out re-walking the scene in the mud and going door to door trying to get ring camera video? Well, I mean, they just kept saying that she might be taking a break. A break? From what? I don't know. Life? I don't know.

That's a good question. She was ignored for 38 days before she was actually taken seriously. Question to you. Who actually fixed their mouth to say she might be taking a break? Who said that? Chief Hadley in Merriweather County. Can you please give me his email and phone number? Chief Hadley in Meriwether

County, that'd be the Meriwether Sheriff's Office, said she might be taking a break. Okay. Natalie Quam, does it never end? Because that's what they said about Vanessa Guillem. Before her burned, dismembered

body was found, what was left of it. it yeah she was taking a break all right right and the same kind of facts she didn't take her driver's license you're right nancy when people go missing well how about this when people want to go take a break or they want to leave or they want to get away or something they're taking their things with them they're going away they plan this they don't leave with nothing i mean that's just not how it works. The problem is, is once this narrative is released by law enforcement, it tells the public, don't worry. And so here we are left with everyone not worrying but us, the family, and hopefully a few people

in the army that we've built. Amanda Peralta joining us, investigative reporter WRBL. What does the sheriff have to say about this asinine statement? Maybe she's taking a break. Now, he did not say that directly to me. I'm sure. Were you holding a microphone when you talked to him? Yes, ma'am. So what are they saying? As far as what I know, there have been over 20 search warrants executed and multiple counties and states have been searched and there have been land and air operations. Okay, that is heartening. That is very heartening, Amanda Peralta. When, may I ask, were those searches initiated?

How far into her being missing did we have a search? I do not have a specific date. Okay. Well, I'm glad to hear that. That makes me feel a little bit better. What about Tamara? When did they start performing air searches? I haven't heard.

I just heard a helicopter was going through the town, but I was told they were looking for someone that was stealing some lawnmowers or something. But I didn't know that it was anything to do with Olivia. I haven't seen them do any searches. And I've planned searches weekly all the time. And, you know, with only three and four, ten people at the most have showed up. And, you know, I grew up in this town. And, you know, I grew up in this town and, you know, this is my hometown. And when the chief, the sheriff of the town tells you, let me know when you find her.

Then that shows you that there's issues. Did the sheriff say that? Chuck Smith did. Who is Chuck Smith? He's the chief sheriff. He's the sheriff of the county jail. What's his name again? What is his name?

Chuck Smith. He is the what? sheriff of the county jail. What's his name again? What is his name? Chuck Smith. He is the, what, he runs the county jail? Let me know when you find her. Yes, ma'am. Did you get that info for me, Jackie? Working on it. Okay, send it to me as soon as you get it. Guys, this young mom missing, and the days are ticking by.

Take a listen to our friends at WSB-TV. They're worried, very worried that something terrible may have happened to her. That's why they're very relieved to hear that investigators here at the FBI have been working on this case. They hope they might be able to find the answers they've been waiting nine months for. Definitely foul play was definitely involved. The family of 27-year-old Olivia Fowler fears something awful happened. Her mother and sister told us they're worried someone may be holding Olivia against her will. She's somewhere where she can't get to us.

She's somewhere she can't get to a phone. Someone's holding her is how I feel. I just feel that something wrong or something bad's happened. We went to the rural road in Merriweather County where Olivia was last seen in August of last year. It's here along Pebble Brook Road in Manchester where a witness spotted Olivia walking. Then she seemingly vanished. I believe that she might have been walking and someone picked her up that wasn't the right people. Someone picked her up that wasn't the right people.

Okay, to Tamara McCoy, why do you believe that? Because we did also have a tip that Olivia was seen at the end in that same area talking to a four-door sedan, gray or tan, and that she got in the vehicle. And law enforcement said that the guy that reported the tip was, didn't make sense. What about that didn't make sense? I don't know. I guess the way he talked, he's country, you know, and maybe not clear enough for him I'm not sure. Well I hardly think that a rural background makes you a moron. I agree he's actually this gentleman he reaches out frequently just to see if we've heard anything and he just wonders why nothing has been done and you know I even sent him a picture of a couple vehicles possibly could

have been it and he actually recognized them a couple what kind of car does he think it was a ford focus ford focus Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. It's just amazing to me that you're having to do this and the police are not. Guys, I want you to take a listen to our friends at Crime Online. The last known credible sighting of Fowler was by a Georgia DNR officer on Friday. He reported seeing Fowler walking along Pebble Brook Road in Merriweather County. Investigators began canvassing the area, following up with witnesses besides the DNR officer who reported seeing Fowler. Ground and

aerial searches were conducted even outside the county and state. Canine searches were conducted and more than 20 search warrants executed, but there are no leads. The FBI is now joined in the search. Fowler's family also launched a social media campaign on Facebook, hashtag bring Olivia home to help find her. Now, what do we know about the night before she is seen for the last time? Take a listen to our friends at WXIA 11. Olivia was reported missing after seeing a man she was dating, according to her aunt. Police have not named him as a suspect and reported she went

missing wearing a tank top and flip-flops. McCoy drives around in their hometown in Meriwether County endlessly looking for her niece. I got her clothes in the back seat of my car. I've had them riding around with them for four weeks now because one ad says she had no shoes and only a tank top. So I want to make sure she's got what she needs. You're hearing the voice of Olivia's aunt. This is Tamara McCoy. Tamara, you just said something that reminds me of Beth Holloway. That's Natalie Holloway's mother. She and I recently went back to Aruba to retrace Natalie's steps and see if we could generate more leads. And her disappearance, I believe her murder.

And she told me that for, I think, 10 years after Natalie went missing, she never went anywhere without Natalie's passport because she held out hope that Natalie had been kidnapped and sold into the sex trade and that she would be found alive in case she needs them when you find her. out no shoes and I know they said a tank top and and shorts and I just she doesn't have her stuff and I just felt like I wanted to have it when I found her. Tamara what do you tell Olivia's children about mommy? Well the unfortunate thing is I haven't been able to see them very much because I don't know the reasoning but I'm not allowed to see them right now, I guess because I'm putting her name out there too much.

I find that really, really interesting. Guys, take a listen to our friend Caitlin Ross. Meriwether County Police told 11 Alive Olivia's case is open and they are actively searching for her, but did not share any new information. We've followed leads, we've organized searches, we've got flyers out and it's been 38 days today. McCoy says she's holding out hope that Olivia is alive, that she'll come back to her family. Her last words is I love you with all my heart. Tamara says she tells Olivia's children every day how much their mom loves them. And then if she could be, she would be there with them right now.

To Karen Stark joining us, a renowned psychologist joining us out of Manhattan at karenstark.com. Karen, unless we solve this case, these children may grow up buying into what the sheriff said. Oh, she just took a break. Unless we solve this case, the rest of their lives are going to be plagued with abandonment. Well, Nancy, not just abandonment, but grief over the loss and not knowing. That's the key ingredient here is that you never get to know what happened and so that just leaves you in the state where you're searching you're searching and I think the great example is you're driving

around with clothes in the car I mean hoping and you don't give up hope and that's not okay to spend your whole life hoping that somehow your mom who disappeared will show up again. It's heartbreaking. To think that, wow, my mom just got tired of us. Was it my fault? She just left. Guys, to get in touch with the sheriff

who claims that Olivia just, quote, took a break, his name is Sheriff Chuck Smith and his phone number is 706-672-4489. Sheriff Chuck Smith, 706-672-4489. That also goes for Sheriff Hadley in Merriweather County, 706-672-4489. The ones that said, let me know if you find her. And she just took a break. What more do we know? Take a listen to our friends at Crime Online. On Thursday, Olivia Fowler

stayed at her boyfriend's house in Manchester, Georgia. It's a small town about two hours south of Atlanta. The boyfriend tells Olivia's sister Roxanne that as he went to bed that night, Olivia said she would be outside on the porch for a bit. When he woke up, Olivia was gone. Witnesses reported seeing Fowler walking in the community early that Friday morning. A Georgia Department of Natural Resources officer reported seeing her walking at 10 a.m. On Saturday, Roxanne Fowler's mother called and asked if she had talked with Olivia. When no one can find Fowler, a missing person report was filed. I want to go back to Tamira McCoy. A missing person report was filed what if anything has been done since then to find Olivia well uh as far as I know Nancy nothing um they haven't updated me on anything and they felt that

I was I was calling them on some things and that's when they basically said I was interfering with the case. And, you know, they wasn't going to talk to me anymore. And that was it. What can you tell me about the boyfriend that was with her the night before? I know she was seen after the night she spent at his place. But what can you tell me about him? Has he been ruled out? No, ma'am, he hasn't.

He was actually never labeled as a person of interest. He's currently incarcerated for unrelated charges. But they did have a history of domestic altercation. There's actually a current case pending with him and Olivia and two other gentlemen where he was holding her against her will. I was able to retrieve some messages between the two of them where he made a comment. You'll walk away one day and never be seen again. And he was never labeled a person of interest. No, ma'am.

They questioned him. They said that he just said he went to sleep and when he woke up, she was gone. And he was he was trying to, you know, be involved. And then I realized after I was able to retrieve the messages, I just had to cut those ties because I knew he was lying. And he had been sending me on some different areas to go search and look and and by the time I'd get there he messaged me to send me somewhere else so that's when I that light came on that okay he's playing a game. Sounds like a wild goose chase and to Natalie Quam that's something you sniff out pretty quickly a A wild goose chase misdirection.

Didn't you all and Vanessa's family go through that? That's correct. I think it was since she went missing in April 22nd and wasn't found until we defined her remains until June 30th. Amanda Peralta joining us to be rbl i find that really interesting in light of the fact that the boyfriend who has not been named a suspect or person of interest in this case had a prior history according to the aunt of domestic violence with the victim and he is not being considered at the very least a person of interest amanda i agree i found it also very strange when reporting on the story that he hadn't been named the person of interest especially when i agree i found it also very strange when reporting on the story that he hadn't

been named the person of interest especially when there is somewhat of a history between the two of them and as tammy has shared with me in the past um they were part of the same friend group with other people and they had participated in different they had possibly gone to a river party where um which would have caused olivia's disappearance but to think that he was at no point questioned or named a person of interest what do you mean by that amanda how can a river party cause someone to disappear because of the history that they had with the domestic violence and the other people that are that are rumored to have attended the same party are also people that are that are facing charges for similar things. The tip line 706-672-4489. Where is Olivia Fowler?

Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.