Murder In America - EP. 107 ILLINOIS - DARK FAMILY SECRETS: The Disappearance of Rachel Mellon Skemp

Starting point is 00:00:00 This week's episode is sponsored by Hocum, the new film that critics are calling Damian McCarthy's most unnerving horror yet. From the director of Oddity, Hocom stars Adam Scott, in a deeply monstrous horror that bloody disgusting called Pure Nightmare Fuel that holds you firmly in its grip. Don't miss Hocom, the groundbreaking new horror from Damian McCarthy, now playing in theaters. I really love to get dressed up every once in a while when I'm going out with my girlfriends or on a date night with Colin. But lately I've been trying to be more intentional with my everyday wear. And I've found that the best options that work for me are good quality, effortless pieces that will last me forever and they still look cute. Which is why Quince has always been my go-to. The thing I love about Quince is that all of their fabrics feel elevated.

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Starting point is 00:02:30 Quins.com slash America. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life is a journey. I know this. I think we all know this. Some days feel good and other days feel absolutely overwhelming. Whatever's keeping you up at night, it's easy sometimes to feel like you have to figure it all out on your own.

Starting point is 00:02:50 But the truth is, nobody has all the answers. and no journey should be taken alone. However, having someone with you to listen, to understand, and to support you can make all the difference. I know that I'm a huge therapy advocate I've advocated for therapy for years, and if you want to give therapy a try, BetterHelp is a great place to start. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the U.S.

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Starting point is 00:04:13 against children. This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned. I came across an alarming statistic the other day, a number that made me sick to my stomach. 337,195. According to the FBI, that's how many children went missing in the U.S. in the year 2021. Again, that's 337,195 children that went missing within one year. year. Now, don't get me wrong, the majority of these children will eventually be found. Some were just

Starting point is 00:04:52 visiting a friend and forgot to tell their parents. Others maybe ran away, unhappy with how things were going at home, and a large number were taken by a parent and a custody dispute. And while it is a bit of a relief that the majority of these children are found, there are still thousands that aren't. kids that are there one second and then gone the next, never to be seen again. Which is exactly what happens in our story for today. In January of 1996, 13-year-old Rachel Mellon Skimp wasn't feeling very well, so she stayed home from school. At the time, Bowling Brook, Illinois was facing sub-zero temperatures, so it wasn't the kind of day where Rachel would be outside.

Starting point is 00:05:43 where random strangers could drive by and abduct her off the street. In fact, in that kind of weather, there were barely any people outside at all. But even so, Rachel Skimp would vanish from her home, leaving her winter coat and snow boots behind. And still, over 27 years later, no one knows what happened to her. But throughout the investigation into her disappearance, detectives would find Rachel's diary. As a 13-year-old, she poured her heart out onto those pages, revealing a very dark family secret and possibly even leaving clues as to who could have harmed her.

Starting point is 00:06:26 This is the story of Rachel Mellon Skimp. I'm Courtney Browen. And I'm Colin Brown. And you are listening to Murder in America. Rachel Skempe was born on October 13, 1982 in Melrose Park, Illinois. Her parents, Amy and Jeff, were thrilled to bring their beautiful girl into the world, and like many parents, I'm sure they dreamed about the person she would one day become. From the beginning, it was clear that Rachel would have a bright future ahead of her,

Starting point is 00:08:04 always wearing a smile and bringing joy to the people around her. Amy and Jeff were both very involved in the Baptist Church, so Rachel grew up with a community of support, but her parents' marriage would not last very long. When she was just three years old, the two would divorce, and shortly after she and her mother would move to Bollingbrook, Illinois, and her father would eventually move to Texas. But while Amy and Rachel were in Bolingbrook,

Starting point is 00:08:26 Amy would meet a man named Vincent Mellon, who everyone called Vince. Now, he and Amy would eventually get married and have two beautiful children of their own. And from the outside looking in, it seemed like they had a great blended family. Rachel was thrilled about having a little brother and sister, and she even took her stepdad's last name.

Starting point is 00:08:43 Instead of Rachel Skemp, she was now Rachel Mellon Skempe, and she, along with her mom, stepdad, and two siblings, would all settle down in a house on 612 Melissa Drive in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the very home that Rachel would disappear from years later. Growing up, Rachel seemed happy. She was a very curious child with a big and creative imagination. In her free time, she would sit at her desk and write short stories, completely invested in her made-up character's lives.

Starting point is 00:09:15 She was also very nurturing, being the oldest of her story. two siblings, Rachel was really good with children. And any time someone in their neighborhood needed a sitter, she was the first person they would call. And the kids loved her. She was always very fun. And she would even help them out with their schoolwork by making little practice quizzes for them. Her father always said that Rachel would have made the best teacher. She also loved nature, And at a young age, she saw the importance of protecting the earth, so she was really big on recycling. Rachel loved animals, science. And as she grew older, she found a new passion and music in playing the guitar.

Starting point is 00:10:03 But she never took herself too seriously. Here is a video of her playing twinkle-twinkle little star to her classmates. She even laughs at herself in the beginning for forgetting the chord. Rachel was a seventh grade honor roll student at Bernard J. Ward Middle School. And as you can tell from that video, she was very outgoing and well-liked among her classmates. And she wasn't afraid to get up in front of people and express herself. It was something that her friends really admired about her. And Rachel had a very close group of friends, but her best friend of all was Carrie Skaglione. The two met in the class and immediately they knew that they would

Starting point is 00:11:22 be friends for life. Carrie described Rachel as fun, loyal, and full of life. She said Rachel loved music, especially the Beatles, and even though they were just 13, it was obvious that she had an old soul, far more mature than most of the girls their age. And part of the reason she was so mature for her age was because she had to be, even though Rachel always put on a brave face and made it seem like everything was okay. Under the surface, there were problems going on at home. And they had been going on for years. In the summer of 1990, when Rachel was eight years old, her stepfather Vince pushed her mom down a flight of stairs.

Starting point is 00:12:04 And I think it's important to note that a husband and wife just don't go from a happy and loving relationship to pushing their spouse down the stairs. The domestic violence and their home had been going on for quite some time before it escalated to that. And according to Rachel's father, Jeff, the police were called to their home pretty frequently, which is incredibly hard on children who have to witness that. As you can imagine, this incident was very traumatic for the entire family. Fearful for their lives, Amy left fence and reported the assault to police.

Starting point is 00:12:43 She even filed a restraining order against him, but it wouldn't last very long. Like in many instances of domestic violence, Amy would eventually go back to him, which is extremely common. And something else to note here is that Amy immigrated from the Philippines, and she didn't have a huge support system here in America. Even further, life as a single mother of three is far from easy. So, after a while, she dropped the restraining order and got back together with fins. But from what I could tell, nothing really changed. And Vince even started making threats towards Rachel. The relationship between a step-parent and a teenager can be complicated.

Starting point is 00:13:30 And knowing that Vince was abusive towards her mom, I'm sure Rachel didn't think very highly of him. The two were known to butt heads. And in 1995, when Rachel was 12 years old, she decided to run away from home. Apparently, her siblings had broken something, and she was afraid of being blamed for it. So she wrote a note explaining this to her parents

Starting point is 00:13:48 and left to go to her friend Jenny's house. Then after about 12 hours, she called her grandparents and asked them to pick her up. And from what I could find, that was the only time Rachel ever ran away. And listen, it's not that uncommon for kids to do things like this. I mean, like I mentioned in the beginning, nearly half a million kids go missing every year,

Starting point is 00:14:11 and the majority of them are eventually located. And how many stories have you heard of kids getting mad at their parents, packing up their bags and walking off down the road. Now obviously 12 hours is a really long time for your kid to be unaccounted for, but Rachel was with a friend and she came back. And according to her loved ones, she was not one to just run away for good, which is important to note here. And despite the issue she was having with her parents,

Starting point is 00:14:45 Rachel was still in good spirits. Here she is at Christmas in 1995. Here's the Christmas party, 1995. I'm Rachel. That's me. I like the snow. And here she is again at her best friend Carrie's birthday party, just 11 days before her disappearance.

Starting point is 00:15:18 This is the last known footage of Rachel before she would vanish, which brings us to January 31st, 1996. It was a Wednesday, and Rachel was supposed to go to school that morning, but she woke up with a sore throat, so her mom said she could stay home. The temperature in Bolingbrook was around negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and the streets were piled with snow. It was the perfect day to stay home in your warm bed and get a few extra hours of sleep, which is exactly what she would do. Also at home that day was her stepdad Vince. At the time, he was unemployed and often spent the day at home watching TV. At around 10.45 that morning, Rachel called her grandma Lucy who lived in Texas.

Starting point is 00:16:10 The two spoke for about five minutes, but randomly out of nowhere, Lucy said that Rachel got really quiet on the other end of the phone. So she asks Rachel, is he there? referring to Vents. To which Rachel responds, yes. And then the phone call ends shortly after. Now, apparently Rachel wasn't allowed to speak to her grandparents, so that explains why they were being cautious since Vince was home. And Lucy would later say that there was nothing about the phone call that raised any red flags.

Starting point is 00:16:49 At least, not at that moment. But what she didn't know was that this. This was the last time anyone would ever hear from Rachel Skim, ever again. Now, according to Vince, he and Rachel spent the day playing video games together, and then afterwards, Rachel went to her room to take a nap. So at around 2.30 p.m., Vince decides that he's going to go on a walk with their white German shepherd named Duke. Now, normally, an afternoon walk is pretty common, but it was negative 20 degrees out that day,

Starting point is 00:17:21 and there was snow everywhere. So it's definitely not ideal walking conditions. Nonetheless, Vince claims that he and Duke went out the front door and that he left it unlocked. And then, as they begin making their way around the neighborhood, a rabbit runs by, and Duke slips out of his collar and begins to chase it. Vince said that he didn't feel like chasing Duke around, so he just went back to the house, and he figured Duke would eventually find his way back when he was ready to come home. And this was immediately a red flag for me, because why would you go home and leave your dog outside in negative 20-degree weather? I mean, I guess there are people out there that just don't care about animals that much, but if you care enough to take him on a walk,

Starting point is 00:18:04 he would think he would care enough to catch him so he doesn't get hit by a car or freeze to death. But anyways, Venn said that he returned home about 30 minutes later at around 3 p.m. And he just hung out inside while Duke was running around in the snow. Now, at around 3.15, Rachel's little sister comes, home and she immediately goes to Rachel's room to hang out with her. But she's not there. So she goes room to room looking for her, but Rachel isn't anywhere in the home. She asks her father where Rachel is, but he doesn't know either. And from what I could find, it doesn't

Starting point is 00:18:48 seem like he was really worried about it either. In fact, he would later speak to a reporter with a very stoic demeanor saying this. I didn't really look around the neighborhood as far as thinking, you know, something might be suspicious. So, you know, I don't know what to say other than, you know, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary at that point. So not only did he not search for his dog in negative 20-degree weather, but he didn't care to look for his stepdaughter either.

Starting point is 00:19:21 Now, Rachel's mom, Amy, ended up coming home at around 5 p.m. And when she found out her daughter was missing, she began calling around to Rachel's friends. Surely she had to be with one of them. And have you ever been in this situation where you can't get a hold of someone and you're starting to get worried? But at the same time you're thinking to yourself, like when I find them, I'm going to be so mad at them. I'm sure that's exactly what Amy was thinking. But phone call after phone call, no one had to be so mad at them. seen Rachel. And as the minutes pass, that fear starts to sink in. And then finally, at around

Starting point is 00:20:03 5.30 p.m., Amy decides to call the Bollingbrook Police Department to report Rachel missing. Carrie, Rachel's best friend, would later tell case files Chicago that she remembered getting home that day, and her parents asked if she had seen her heard from Rachel. And she hadn't. She had been at school all day. And that's when they told her that her best friend was missing. So Carrie, immediately calls Rachel's mom, Amy, to figure out what's going on. And as you can imagine, she's freaking out. Rachel is her best friend. And at 13 years old, you never imagine that your best friend can just vanish from their home. But that was the reality that everyone was facing that day. And Amy would later say that it took the police about an hour to arrive at their home.

Starting point is 00:20:47 I wasn't able to find out why it took them so long, but if I had to guess, I would bet that they saw Rachel had run away before and they just didn't think it was that serious. But they eventually came by their house and, like any investigation, they start by speaking with the people who last saw Rachel, which in this case would be Vince, her stepfather. He told the investigators that he left for his walk, leaving the front door unlocked, that their dog Duke ran off, and that he came back home and Rachel was gone. Now, interestingly enough, not one single neighbor saw Vince walking Duke that afternoon, but someone did eventually find Duke wandering around the neighborhood. But as the investigators are listening to Vince's dog walking story, they're a little suspicious

Starting point is 00:21:42 considering the weather conditions. Now, inside of the home, there were a number of things that raised some red flags. For one, Rachel's pillows and blue blanket that she always slept with were missing from her bedroom. And they had just been there that morning, so where did they go? Amy also found Rachel's winter coat in snow boots, which was very concerning given the sub-zero temperatures. Rachel's favorite jewelry was also still on her dresser in her bedroom. And something about that was very alarming to Amy because Rachel always wore that jewelry. So the fact that she didn't put it on that day kind of points to the fact that Rachel hadn't planned on leaving the house. And the last thing she was wearing was a pink sweatshirt, yellow sweatpants, and red slippers,

Starting point is 00:22:41 which were not found inside of the home. So it's assumed that that's what she was wearing when she vanished. And all of this is a little bit of the same. is just confirming that Rachel didn't leave on her own free will. There's no way she would have left wearing slippers, leaving behind her winter coat and snow boots. But believe it or not, according to Rachel's father, Jeff, the investigators didn't even search their house that day. And like many investigations we see,

Starting point is 00:23:13 despite all of these concerning details, the police tell Amy to wait 24 hours. And they tell her that surely Rachel's just off with a friend and she'll make her way back home soon. And with that, they leave. The Bowling Brook Police Department, however, will soon learn that this was a huge mistake. Amy had already called all of Rachel's friends and she wasn't with any of them, meaning something terrible likely happened to her. And as we all know, those first 24 hours are crucial in finding a missing.

Starting point is 00:23:50 person. Now, Rachel's father, Jeff, was living in Dallas, Texas at the time when he got the call that would change his life forever. His daughter was missing, but he didn't get the call from Amy and Vince. Somehow, his father Ken got word of Rachel's disappearance, and he was the one who passed along the news. And as you can imagine, he felt hopeless, being nearly a thousand miles away. So he quickly dropped everything and made his way to Bolingbrook, Illinois to help find his daughter. And something that really upset Jeff about this investigation is that the Bolingbrook police waited days after Rachel's disappearance to thoroughly search the Mellon household. Days where important evidence could have been destroyed. On February 4, 1996, the Bolingbrook police announced that although the circumstances surrounding Rachel's disappearance were suspicious, there was, quote, no evidence of foul police.

Starting point is 00:24:46 And although technically there wasn't blood at the scene or evidence of a struggle, to anyone that sees this case, it's clear that something bad happened to Rachel, and that foul play was likely a factor here. In the meantime, investigators were keeping an eye out for Rachel, but day after day, there was still no sign of her. No phone call, no sighting, nothing. She also hadn't used her debit card, so it was becoming clear that she was not a runaway. So finally, the Bowling Brook police started to properly investigate her disappearance. Carrie, Rachel's best friend, said that she will never forget the day where officers pulled her out a class to ask her questions about Rachel, something no 13-year-old should ever have to do. Rachel's entire 7th grade class was devastating.

Starting point is 00:25:44 stated over her disappearance. And her teacher said that they all spent the week crying, especially seeing her empty desk day after day. Rachel's father, Jeff, came to Bolingbrook, and he was doing everything he could to help find his daughter. He spent the week passing out flyers that read, missing. Rachel Skim, 13 years old, 5 feet 2 inches tall, 78 pounds, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Jeff went door to door asking if anyone had seen her. He also went searching through the brush throughout all the surrounding neighborhoods,

Starting point is 00:26:24 but still no sign of Rachel. Here he is speaking with the media. I need to keep both alive, that she's still alive somewhere. And one of the first things Jeff did when he got to Bolingbrook was ask Vents what happened. After all, he was the one who had been home with Rachel that entire day. But Ventz just replied, quote,

Starting point is 00:26:48 I don't know what happened. I was out and when I came back she was gone. Somebody came in and snatched her. End quote. According to Jeff, some of the things Vence was saying just didn't really add up. But he gave him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't want to believe that Vence could have done anything to harm his daughter. So he took his word.

Starting point is 00:27:14 But Jeff didn't have all of the details just yet, and soon enough, he would change his mind. There were many things about this case that were suspicious, things that just didn't make sense. If this was the act of some random person like Vince was alluding to, then that means that that person was prowling the neighborhood in broad daylight when they suddenly came across their unlocked door. and within the 30 minutes fence was out walking,

Starting point is 00:27:46 they had to find Rachel inside and take her without anyone noticing. And this theory doesn't make a lot of sense because 30 minutes is a very small window to, 30 minutes is a very small window to break into a home and abduct a teenager from her room. There were also no witnesses, and there were no signs of a struggle in her room. her home. According to Rachel's loved ones, she definitely would have put up a fight if a stranger came inside and tried to take her. Now, throughout all of this, Jeff Schemt felt helpless. When a parent loses a child, their entire life gets put on pause. They often can't eat. They can't sleep. They obviously can't even go to work. And all they can do is worry.

Starting point is 00:28:41 Jeff told the Daily Herald that one day he went into Rachel's room and he saw her headphones attached to a music player. Sitting on her empty bed, he put the headphones on and pressed play. The song Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette was playing. The last song Rachel had listened to before she vanished. And Jeff couldn't help but think about their last Christmas together. He had given her a TLC album, and she laughed at him and told him that they were so last season, very typical of a 13-year-old girl who was growing up. Jeff also thought about how that Christmas, Rachel had told him that she wanted to come live with him in Texas.

Starting point is 00:29:32 If only she would have. Investigators actually looked into the fact that Rachel could have fled to Texas. Dallas PD even searched Jeff's home and his sister's home in Oxford, Mississippi, but clearly she wasn't there. They even circulated her photo around the Philippines, where Amy was from, thinking that maybe she fled the country. But that theory quickly dwindled, given that she was only 13 years old, and someone would have noticed if she flew overseas alone.

Starting point is 00:29:59 But back in Bolingbrook, large searches were held all over the city to try and find Rachel. It was clear that she didn't run away, so investigators were doing aerial searches with helicopters. Dive teams were searching for her in nearby waters. They were using drones, geothermal imaging, canines, everything. But throughout their extensive search of the city, Rachel was nowhere to be found.

Starting point is 00:30:19 So seeing that the case was at a standstill, the Mellons actually hired a private investigator named Cynthia Gorgantus. But even then, months would pass, and there was still no movement. Here are Amy and Vince speaking with the media about Rachel's disappearance. How are you going with us?

Starting point is 00:30:35 How are you getting by through all this? A little bit of everything. Devastation, frustration, not learning, not knowing where she's at, not knowing anything. We had asked to have him put it out as a, you know, misdeme report right away as opposed to just a runaway because someone doesn't run away with no coat and shoes in the wintertime. Eventually, Rachel's father, Jeff, was forced to go back to Dallas. But being so far away from everything was too much for him. By October of that year, Rachel's 14th birthday would pass, with no sign of her.

Starting point is 00:31:13 And just days later, Jeff decides to pack up all of his things and move back to Bolingbrook to, quote, stir things up. He couldn't handle being so far away from everything when there was no movement in the case. And he would truly go on to be Rachel's biggest advocate throughout this entire story. By January of 1977, Rachel had been missing for an entire year. Strangely enough, the day before the one-year anniversary of her disappearance, Ken Skempe, Rachel's grandfather, received two anonymous letters in the mail, demanding that he returned Rachel, or they would kill him. Now, obviously, Ken didn't have Rachel, and it ended up being some kind of sick hoax.

Starting point is 00:32:03 And by now, both Amy and Vince were no longer cooperating with investigators. They had caught on to the fact that Vince was the main suspect in Rachel's disappearance, and they were no longer interested in helping out with the investigation. Amy would tell reporters, quote, I found out that they made up their minds that Vince was a suspect, and that's that. And as you can imagine, this was very upsetting to Rachel's father, Jeff. He would later say, quote, It's really kind of hard to understand where Vince is coming from,

Starting point is 00:32:40 why he would be uncooperative, because I think he has something to hide. He was the last person there, and there are some other circumstances that kind of point in his direction. Unfortunately, it's all circumstantial. But I really can't understand why Amy acts the way she does. It's her daughter, and she's trying to sweep it under the rug,

Starting point is 00:33:03 and forget about it." Now, in August of 1977, an investigator named Richard Daraugh announced that they were working with the FBI after receiving new leads in the case, but they weren't announcing exactly what those leads were. Then, on September 3rd, Rachel's father Jeff receives an anonymous letter in the mail.

Starting point is 00:33:29 It was a card, and written on it with green marker read, I keep receiving a vision of a shoe now burned within walking distance of a park or place where she liked to go meet people her own age, her friends. I think it is or was buried there. The police investigation is not going rightly now, but the prevailing opinion they have is correct. Your daughter is very happy, praising God and thanking him in heaven. I know earthly passing is difficult to take, but no, she is exquisitely happy. unclear whether or not any handwriting analysis was done on the letter,

Starting point is 00:34:13 and there really isn't much information out there at all on what investigators did with it. But a lot of times in cases like this, sleuths or psychics like to give their two cents on what they believed happened. So that could be the case. Or it could be the killer trying to lead investigators in a certain direction. We don't know. But even though years would pass, and it seemed like there weren't any new developments, detectives were still following leads behind the scenes,

Starting point is 00:34:47 and they were keeping a lot of the details close to their chests. But in the year 2000, the Bolingbrook Police Department would finally announce that a grand jury had been looking into all of the evidence that they had been investigating over the past few years, and that the evidence did point to the fact that. that Rachel had been a victim of homicide. It was discovered that right after Rachel went missing, the police interrogated Vince Mellon for about nine hours.

Starting point is 00:35:20 And at some point, they noticed he had fresh scratches all over his body. But when they asked him about it, he said he got them from working on his car. Following this, they were able to get a warrant for samples of his hair, blood, and saliva. But when they went to his house to serve him the warrant, he and Amy had all of their stuff packed up, and they were in the process of moving to Joliet, Illinois, which is about 45 minutes away from Bollingbrook. There are some sources that say they were moving because of financial struggles. But you would think they would want to stay in Bollingbrook to help find their daughter,

Starting point is 00:36:03 something about them leaving the city shortly after she disappeared. is a little strange to me. Now, the investigators did take Vince's DNA, but it's not really going to be useful unless they find Rachel's body. So nothing really came of it. Now, obviously, Vince is looking like a likely suspect here. But the question is, why? What motive did he have to kill Rachel?

Starting point is 00:36:31 Well, all of Rachel's loved ones were about to learn of a huge motive. In the early days of the investigation, detectives found a diary in Rachel's room. Like many teenagers, she poured her heart out onto those pages. I'm sure she talked about boys, her friends, what was going on in school. But she also talked about the struggles she was facing, struggles that no 13-year-old should ever have to face. diary entry was dated August of 1995, just five months before her disappearance. And in it, she wrote all about how her stepfather had been kissing her on the mouth and touching her

Starting point is 00:37:19 inappropriately. She said that Vents pretended it was all for educational purposes, and as he would kiss and touch her, he would say this is what predators do to young girls, and how this quote, shouldn't happen until she's older. But then he would proceed to do it himself. As you can imagine, Rachel was horrified by these sexual assaults, and she never told anyone about them, likely ashamed at what was going on. Her father, Jeff, would later say that Rachel was such a people-pleaser. She was probably too scared to tell anyone. After all, for years, She had been watching Vince abuse her mom, and he was known to make threats towards Rachel, so who knows what he told her in order for her to stay quiet.

Starting point is 00:38:15 And the saddest part is Rachel kept this secret to herself, only feeling comfortable enough to write about it in her diary. But now that she's gone and unable to tell the story herself, this gives some insight into what she was going through in the months before her disappearance. Another concerning piece of evidence found early on in the investigation was a steak knife that was recovered from underneath Rachel's bed. And to me, the only reason that would be there is for protection. Now, I have no clue if there was DNA on the knife or what,

Starting point is 00:38:55 but I do think it is a little concerning that a 13-year-old would have a steak knife under her bed. Now, according to the private investigator working the case, they also found a book under her bed titled Daddy's Kiss. I tried to find this book and what it was about, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so I don't know if it was a children's book or what, but the private investigator mentioned it,

Starting point is 00:39:24 so it did seem to be important to the case. Another interesting thing to note here is that according to a medium article, several people from Rachel's middle school said that the day before her disappearance, Rachel was seen crying by her locker. And apparently, a few friends tried to console her, but she wouldn't tell them what was wrong. It's possible that the problems she was having with Vince were escalating, which is just so sad because she clearly felt scared to talk about it, with anyone. Now, clearly after looking at all the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and her diary,

Starting point is 00:39:56 investigators had a pretty good idea who their suspect was, and they did eventually give a polygraph to both Amy and Vince. Amy passes her exam, but Vince fails part of his. And again, there isn't much information out there about this case at all, so we have no idea what questions showed deception. But I do think it's interesting that he didn't pass. And it's around this time when Vince and Amy stopped cooperating with the police. In fact, Rachel's father said he was at their house when the... The police came by to tell them about Vince's polygraph results. And he said that Vince immediately pulled Amy to the side and told her that they couldn't

Starting point is 00:40:35 talk to the police anymore. It was clear that the investigation was turning on him and he would later say, quote, They went out of their way to get me and we still have no promising leads. Everybody's out to get me." End quote. Which, yeah, Vince, they found a diary. where Rachel said you were sexually abusing her. Obviously you're going to be a suspect here. But in response to this, the Bowlingbrook PD announced that they didn't make a rush to judgment at all,

Starting point is 00:41:09 and that they were simply following the evidence, which all led right to Vince Mellon. He was the only one home with Rachel that day. He claims he left, and within 30 minutes some random stranger walked through their front door and took Rachel without anyone noticing. And the diary entries point to the fact that Vince was sexually abusing Rachel, which gives him a pretty big motive. And most people who follow this case believe that after Rachel spoke with her grandma at around 10.45 that morning,

Starting point is 00:41:44 Vince came in her room, something happened, and she was attacked in her bed. And the pillows and blankets that went missing were like, disposed of, along with her body, to conceal evidence. And since Rachel's sister didn't come home until about 3.15 that day, he would have had at least four hours to dispose of her body. But again, this is just a theory. Now in terms of the grand jury, we don't know what evidence was shown to them, but we do know that both Amy and Vince testified. And at some point, Vince pleaded

Starting point is 00:42:23 the fifth and decided to remain silent on certain questions he was asked. And unfortunately, at the end of it all, Vince was not indicted. As we know, it's usually very hard to indict someone on murder charges when a body was never recovered. So following this, they were free to move on with their lives. And I do have to mention that because this is still an open case, it's told totally possible that Vince Mellon is innocent. Do I believe that to be the case? No. But apparently a grand jury didn't think there was enough to indict him, so here we are. But regardless, anyone who is capable of throwing their wife down a flight of stairs and molesting their 13-year-old stepdaughter is a monster in my book. So even if he didn't kill Rachel, Vince still deserves

Starting point is 00:43:23 to rot in prison. Now, following the grand jury, Amy spoke at a press conference and said, quote, The police have asked me to buy into their theories in speculation, but I cannot believe it. I know my daughter and I know my husband. End quote. And I'm very curious on what she thinks about Rachel's diary entries. I don't know if she thought Rachel was lying or if she took Vince's side on that. I have no idea, but I can't imagine a mother reading that and still deciding to side with their husband.

Starting point is 00:44:00 Anyways, while Amy said all of this at the press conference, Vent sat beside her expressionless. Here is a small clip from that day at the press conference. Do anyone who knows where Rachel is or what happened to her, please come forward and help this parent blink closure to this tragedy. And there are a lot of people out there that have a lot to say about Amy and how they believe she's covering for her husband. But I think it's important to note that at the end of the day, we don't have the full story.

Starting point is 00:44:33 And Amy lost her daughter that day. She was also a victim of Vince Mellon herself and endured years of abuse. And she did hire that private investigator to look into Rachel's disappearance. And to me, if she knew Vince killed her, she likely wouldn't have done that. If anything, it seems like she may have been in denial. For years after Rachel's disappearance, Amy made statements that she believed her daughter was still alive. Amy would also file a lawsuit against the Bolingbrook Police Department because apparently one day, early on in the investigation, police searched their home while she was at work and while Vince was being interrogated.

Starting point is 00:45:07 And while they were there, Amy claimed that they stole some pictures of Rachel that were in her underwear drawer and that they tapped their phones. Apparently, a private detective found that their phones were being tapped, and Amy and Vince weren't too happy about it. but a judge would later dismiss Amy's lawsuit. Now, the case actually started to gain some traction around the year 2000, and America's most wanted even reached out to air Rachel's story, which Jeff, her father, was really excited about because finally more attention could be brought to Rachel's case. But according to the Mellon family attorneys,

Starting point is 00:45:39 the Bolingbrook Police Department asked them not to air it for unknown reasons. By February of 2001, it had been over five years since Rachel's disappearance. and it didn't seem like the case was making any progress. But a new state attorney had been elected who was looking into Rachel's case and they believed it had a lot of potential to be solved. And at the time, they were in the process of trying to get a new grand jury. And there's something that I have to mention here because when I first started researching this case, I saw that it was in Bolingbrook and I was like,

Starting point is 00:46:25 that city sounds so familiar, where do I know it from? And it turns out it's the same city of the Drew Peterson case we covered in episode 95 and 96. As a little recap, Drew Peterson was a police officer in Bolingbrook and he was charged for murdering his third wife Kathleen Savio and his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson, went missing in 2007 and to this day she has never been never been found despite extensive searches. And believe it or not, Drew Peterson actually worked Rachel's case before he was arrested. Now, there isn't any evidence whatsoever that Drew and Vince knew each other or that there was any corruption going on there. But I do think it's interesting that both Stacey Peterson and Rachel Skimp went missing from their Bollingbrook homes. They were both

Starting point is 00:47:23 suspected of being homicide victims, and despite extensive searches for both of them, they have never been seen again. And Stacey Peterson's family have been very supportive towards the Skem family, and they even have joined them in press conferences, advocating for their missing loved ones. Now, by 2001, Rachel's father, Jeff, said that the reality of the situation had begun to set in, and it was clear that he was probably never going to see his daughter again. He would later say, I still dream of Rachel coming home. I'll probably never get that thought out of my mind. But realistically, I don't think that there's a lot of chance that Rachel is still alive,

Starting point is 00:48:03 but that doesn't mean we can't find her and get some justice for her. The police had even told Jeff that Rachel likely died from a homicide that day, but there was nothing they could do until they got more evidence. At this point, everything they had was circumstantial. But Jeff believes that if the Bollingbrook Police Department would have handled the investigation better, right when Rachel went missing, they probably would have found her body that very day. I think that if the police search their garage, the night that they first get called there, especially knowing how many times they've been called to that house,

Starting point is 00:48:40 if they search that garage and open up the trunk of that car that didn't run, I bet they find her. So as you can see, Jeff believes that Rachel died. that day, likely at the hands of her stepfather. But Amy, on the other hand, was still adamant that Rachel was still alive. She even claimed that Rachel had called her three times one night in April of 2001. And I couldn't find anything about these phone calls. I don't know if they were looked into or even what this person said to Amy, but it's pretty widely known that the person on the other end was not Rachel. And if she actually did receive these calls, it was likely

Starting point is 00:49:15 another sick prank, which is sadly not that uncommon in cases of missing persons. But the rest of Rachel's loved ones had come to terms with the fact that she was likely gone, and they wanted to have a ceremony to celebrate her life. So on National Missing Children's Day, May 25th of 2002, the city of Bolingbrook dedicated a tree to Rachel, and it was located in a park right by the melon home where Rachel disappeared from. At the foot of the tree was a plaque that read, quote, remembering Rachel, Rachel Marie Mellon Skimp, missed since January 31st, 1996,

Starting point is 00:50:00 missing from Bolingbrook, present in our hearts. On that day, all of her loved ones gathered to remember Rachel and her legacy, everyone but Amy and Vince. The people who did attend the ceremony signed and filled a time capsule, filled with notes and sentimental things that reminded them of her. It was a beautiful and cathartic experience for all who knew Rachel because they never got to have a funeral for her, a place to visit when they miss her.

Starting point is 00:50:35 Here are some members of the Bollingbrook Police Department who spoke at the ceremony. Rachel disappeared on January 31st, 1996, when she stayed home from her. school. With the planning of Rachel's tree and time capsule, Wilford Park will become a place where Rachel's friends can go and remember her. Rachel disappeared. Some people might say that her case is cold. I say just the opposite. Time is absolutely on Rachel's side. I believe that someday someone were stepped forward with a piece of information that will absolutely lead to her case

Starting point is 00:51:13 being solved. At that point, we will see the justice is served. The people who love her will have closure. And Rachel, we've received the dignity and respect that she deserves. Next, Rachel's father, Jeff, had a few words. Several people I want to thank for keeping Rachel's spirit and memory alive for all these years. First of all, I want to thank Representative Bigger, the village of Bolingbrook, Mayor Claire. I also definitely want to thank Detective's Terry Briley and Tom Ross, who have worked tirelessly towards giving us the closure that we all need and for Rachel's justice. I want to thank Anne Drell and Ann Bilby, who have worked a lot towards putting this tree and this plaque together and putting this program

Starting point is 00:52:18 together. But most of all, I want to thank all of you who are here and who have always remembered my daughter, Rachel. We're here today to remember her and wherever she is to let her know that we still love her. And we're also here to make sure that no other friends. We're also here to make sure that no other family has to go through this because there's thousands of missing children throughout the United States throughout the world and like Mr. Eats said watch your children know where they're at be careful thank you Rachel's best friend Carrie also spoke by now Carrie was a grown woman a lot older than she was when she lost her best friend six years early First, I'd like to say another prayer for Rachel, if everybody could please.

Starting point is 00:53:20 Lord Almighty God, we thank you for this day. We know you are the greater of all things, and there is nothing hidden from you. We know that you, Lord, know where Rachel is and that we trust in your perfect timing when you reveal this to us. Until then, we pray for your patience, strength, and endurance. I also just wanted to say that when I heard about this and they told me, put something in a time capsule, I really didn't know what to put in a time capsule. There's nothing really that you could put in that could describe the way things have been

Starting point is 00:53:56 the past couple of years. I just want to say to everybody that thank you for being here and supporting her, like all of a group of friends have done. She was a great person, and we all still miss her and think about her every single day. A few of her teachers spoke at the ceremony as well. I was Rachel's teacher. I think this is wonderful. She was a wonderful spark in our classroom.

Starting point is 00:54:25 And obviously, for all of the friends that are here that still remember her six years later, I think it's wonderful. And I know how much they miss her. And I hope we can keep this alive until something is decided on what happened to that beautiful child. I was Rachel's music teacher. My name is Virginia Ireland, and I turned over a video to the police of her playing the guitar. She was such a sweet little girl. She used to come into a classroom.

Starting point is 00:54:52 Then she used to say, welcome to music class. Welcome to the music class. Of course, this was before the bell. Then everyone would sit down. And she just was so outstanding as a musician. I was totally shocked. All of us were crying when she was missing that day. And wherever you are, may God be with you.

Starting point is 00:55:09 you. I'm so sorry that this happened to such a sweet little girl. And with that, Jeff Skimp put the time capsule into the ground and ended the ceremony with this. Again, I just want to thank everybody here. It brings such joy to my heart to know that after all these years, so many people still remember and love Rachel. And I know I feel Rachel's presence in my heart. every day, and I know everybody else here does too. And thank you. Rachel, we love you. We miss you.

Starting point is 00:55:52 As you can tell, at this ceremony, people were still holding on to hope that Rachel's case would get solved soon. But again, years would pass, and there were still no answers. In 2003, police responded to the Mellon household again after Vince assaulted his then-15-year-old son. Apparently, he was pushing and slapping him one night in a drunken raid. So Amy called the police, and this assault would result in a domestic battery charge. Vince was in jail for a few days before he bonded out and he would eventually plead guilty and serve time in jail.

Starting point is 00:56:23 He was also ordered to take anger management and domestic violence classes. Then, in October of 2005, Vince was leaving a strip club and pulled out in front of a car, which resulted in an accident. When the police arrived, they discovered that Vince was drunk, so he was quickly arrested and charged with a DUI. and the person that he pulled out in front of was well aware of who Vince was. Almost everyone in Bolingbrook knew who he was, and as you can imagine, he wasn't very well liked in his community. So sometime after 2006, Amy and Vince actually moved out of Illinois and settled down in Cleveland, Tennessee,

Starting point is 00:56:57 and I'm sure they were happy to move where no one knew who they were, far away from their dark past. On the 10-year anniversary of Rachel's disappearance, Jeff held another memorial service at the Baptist Church Rachel grew up in. And again, Amy and Vince were not in attendance. And Jeff continued to talk with the media about his suspicions of Vince Mellon and how it was hard to get closure. He knows Rachel is gone, but without finding her body, it's a wound that never quite heals.

Starting point is 00:57:32 At the memorial, Jeff told the Chicago Tribune, quote, As a parent, you always have hopes and dreams that Rachel is going to come back, but from the beginning, in the pit of my stomach, in the depths of my heart, I knew she was gone. It's apparent that Rachel has probably passed away and is no longer with us. I think it's time for us to get together, comfort each other, and say goodbye to Rachel, give her a proper send-off. And sadly, by this point, even the police, admit that they don't have any more leads to work with. But despite her case going cold, the city of Bolingbrook never forgot about Rachel's skin. In fact, a few months after

Starting point is 00:58:18 this memorial, a private detective named James Miller donated $30,000 as a reward leading to Rachel's body or an arrest in the case. But even then, Rachel still hasn't been found, and her killer still walks free. And sadly, this is where our story ends. From what I could find, Amy and Vince are still married, living in Tennessee. And the last time they ever spoke to the media was in 2009 when Vince told reporters, quote, we've been through an awful lot. We appreciate you keeping Rachel's name out there and to keep the story going in the news. But we have nothing to say. They pretty much put us through hell and high water." But despite everything, Jeff Skemp and Rachel's childhood best friend, Carrie, have never

Starting point is 00:59:15 given up hope. And although they know Rachel is likely dead, they continue to keep her name alive, and they spread awareness on her case whenever they can. Here is Carrie speaking with WGN News. To me, it's just very important to keep out there what we do have. The sharing on the social medias, you know, which is amazing that we have now because we didn't have that when she went missing. Carrie also acknowledges the fact that Rachel's case could very well be solved if someone decides to come forward. Somebody knows something, you know, and even the littlest thing could lead to big answers.

Starting point is 01:00:00 just come forward. In 2016, on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance, another memorial was held in Rachel's honor. Terry Kerrinch, who was the lead investigator in her case, spoke at the memorial describing Rachel's case as the biggest disappointment and failure of my life. She went on to say, somebody knows what happened to Rachel,

Starting point is 01:00:21 for the sake of the family, they need to come forward. Carrie and Jeff Skimp still go to Rachel's tree whenever they can, whether it be on the anniversary of her disappearance or her birthday or whenever they are just missing her and every time they go they can't help but wonder what kind of person Rachel would be if she were still around today her dad often imagines her as a college graduate a teacher or even a mom of her own like Jeff said Rachel was always helping those in need And he says she would have made a huge difference with everything going on in the world today.

Starting point is 01:01:05 And I believe that if she was around today, she would be fighting against racial injustice, social injustice, police corruption, would be doing everything within her power to help those of us who are struggling and suffering. During the pandemic, that's who she was. And that's what she'd be doing right now. That makes me happy. But at the end of the day, Rachel never got the opportunity to be any of those things. Because her life was stolen from her. She would be 41 years old this year.

Starting point is 01:01:50 But everyone who was affected by this case still holds on to hope that one day she will get the justice she deserves. Terry Kirk, the lead investigator in her case, released a message in 2021. It reads, quote, To Rachel's killer, by all accounts Rachel was a great big sister, well regarded in her large circle of friends,

Starting point is 01:02:18 an excellent student, and most of all, a funny, kind, and loving girl. At 13, she had her whole life ahead of her, full of tremendous possibilities. In one second, you stole her hopes, her dreams, and her life. For almost 25 years you have lived a nightmare. Rachel is with you day and night. Her memory and your deed have destroyed your life.

Starting point is 01:02:49 Death is imminent. And you fear meeting your maker with this horrible sin, hanging over your head. You have no peace on earth, and you fear you will have no peace after death. There is only one thing to do, and help the police bring Rachel home. Give Rachel the Christian burial she deserves. Give her loved ones closure. Give yourself the peace that your soul has been searching for." End quote. And finally, we will leave you with a message from Rachel's father, Jeff, something that serves as a great reminder to all parents. Do you parents out there? Love your children. Enjoy every minute that you have with them.

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Starting point is 01:08:05 like we say every single week, we cannot thank you all enough for joining us on this weekly basis to discuss some of these horrific crimes. And yeah, we have an awesome family of listeners out there and we're just so blessed to have all of you out there listening. I want to thank our new patrons

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Starting point is 01:08:37 Sorry if I ever slaughter anybody's name. If you're wondering what that is, all you have to do is head to patreon.com and search for murder in America. And on our Patreon, we post the ad-free version of every episode, every single week as soon as the episode drops on all streaming platforms.

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Starting point is 01:09:21 from every case that we cover on the show as soon as the episode drops. But yeah, I'm going to leave you all alone. Happy Friday. We hope you have a great weekend, wherever you're listening to from. We love you guys and have a great weekend.

Murder In America - EP. 107 ILLINOIS - DARK FAMILY SECRETS: The Disappearance of Rachel Mellon Skemp

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