True Crime with Kimbyr - Murdered After a Night Out: The Tragic Story of Rebecca Koster

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

In this episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, we explore the heartbreaking case of Rebecca "Becky" Koster, a vibrant 24-year-old who was brutally murdered after a night out with friends in Long Island. Known for her bubbly personality and deep friendships, Becky's life took a dark turn that no one saw coming. What happened that fateful night? Join Kimbyrleigha as she unravels the mystery and sheds light on the life Becky lived before her untimely death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We interact with strangers every single day. Everyone is a stranger before that first conversation. Then we call them acquaintances, friends, or are significant other. We shouldn't have to be fearful of other human beings, but some of them are monsters hiding behind smiling faces. And for some people, by the time they find out, it's already too late. Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. My name is Kimberlya. If you've never been here before, nice to finally meet you. So I stumbled upon this case when I was watching some updates on the Long Island serial killer case. Now, if you have not heard about that case, there were a series of murders that occurred between the years of 1996 and 2011.

The remains of up to 18 people were found on the south shore of Long Island, New York, specifically, the remains of several sex workers who were found wrapped in burlapsed. sacks and buried in an area called Gilgo Beach. Because of the similarities between the way they were disposed of and the circumstances surrounding who they were and their lifestyle, it was suspected that a serial killer may be responsible for at least four of these murders. The remains could have been left uncovered if it wasn't for the disappearance of a woman named Shannon Gilbert. She went missing in the early morning hours of May 1st, 2010, after making a 911 call, telling the operator that someone was out to get her. When they looked in the area where Shannon was last seen, also a sex worker, authorities with cadaver dogs uncovered the bodies of four other sex workers who became

known as the go-go-for. They are Megan Waterman 22 years old, Melissa Bartholomei 24, Maureen-Barns, who's 25 when she was killed, and Amber Lynn Costello, who was 27 years old. This past month of July, on the 19th, 2023, a 59-year-old, architect, married, father of two working in Manhattan, was arrested and is currently being detained and investigated for his involvement in the Gilgo Beach serial killings. I am following that case and all the developments very closely, and this case is not related today. But when I was searching the serial murders that occurred in Long Island, a place that I've never talked about on this channel as far as I can recall, this case came up because it happened there as well. I debated doing

this case, it's talked about on other channels before, and I usually try to focus on lesser-known cases, but when I really started digging in, I felt like many of the articles just scratched the surface of the person who lost their life in such a horrific manner. Later in this video, you'll know why I didn't just decide to do this case. I had to do it. That's something inside me. I stopped what I was working on, and I focused all of my attention on everything I could learn about, what happened, and also through my diligent research, I hope to dispel some rumors that I've seen about this case. It's one of those cases where a lot was left in the imagination in the news and elsewhere in the media, and that leaves room for speculation, which can breed judgment. There's no place for that

when we're talking about someone we have never met. You'll know exactly what I mean once we get into it. I'm telling you. I expect you to have strong opinions one way or the other. Today I'm taking you to, of course, as I mentioned, Long Island, New York. One reason it's so important for me to understand locations is because I'm a very visual person. Things don't always make sense to me unless I can see how they're all mapped out. The pieces just come together once I understand where things took place. I've never been to Long Island, although I love New York, but Long Island is exactly what it sounds like. It's a piece of land in the state of New York that it's surrounded by water. And instead of being a small, round island, it's a Long Island. So there you go. That there's much much

more to it than that, especially since it's central to this case. And of course, the Long Island serial killer case. Long Island itself is famous for other things besides unsolved murders. For example, the beautiful coastlines. They've been called some of the best beaches in the world, Jones Beach, Long Beach, and Fire Island. And it has a variety of other natural attractions like Boris, lakes, and wineries. And it makes a great vacation destination.

And also, since there are a lot of places that have a lower cost of living than New York city, but are close enough to get there. It's only about an hour driveway. It's ideal for commuters who work in the city. The neighborhoods are known to be both safe and exciting with a lot to do. And as you get closer to the tip of the island, you find places like the Hamptons. I'm sure you've heard of the Hamptons before. It's a group of towns, villages, and hamlets on the eastern end of Long Island. And the Hamptons are described as a popular seaside resort town with iconic mansion neighborhoods and a wild nightlife and I'm very curious as to what that means. If you're familiar with it, let me know in the comments. Many celebrities have

summer homes in the Hamptons like Beyonce and Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin just to name a few. But as you get more inland and closer to the city, there are very diverse pockets and lifestyles at different income levels. Today I'm taking you to Medford. It's a blue collar hamlet on Long Island and a hamlet is just smaller than a town or a village. It's about 10 square miles and the population is at around 20,000. Medford is full of modest homes with hardworking people residing in a close-knit community. And we will be talking about one of those families today. I want to introduce you to Rebecca Koster. Her friends and her family referred to her as Becky and Becca, among other things, like cute

pet names, Becca Boo and Becky Boo like her mom would call her. She was born on June 12th, 1985, a June baby like myself. Her mother, Barbara Miller, was beyond enamored looking into her newborn baby girl's eyes for the very first time. Barbara said from the minute she came into this world, Becky was just the sweetest thing. I mean, look at those big, beautiful eyes, those cute pouty lips, a head full of dark hair and her olive skin. She was her mother's joy. She brightened her life in the world as soon as she entered it. As Becky got older, she remained having that sweet disposition and kind nature. Barbara noticed that Becky wouldn't even hurt the smallest creature. She said you couldn't even hurt a fly. When Becky was nine, her brother Damien was born and that's when

Barb said, then the two of them became a trio and it was a lot of fun. Barbara was very close to her children, especially Becky, having all those years with her before Damien came along. Her world revolved around giving Becky the best that she could. They were more than just mother and daughter. They were best friends. Barbara was a single mom until she met and fell in love with Larry Ross. They hit it off and had so much in common and were definitely very much in love. Both he and Becky, had June birthdays. So many times the family would celebrate them together. Here's one of those birthday cakes with Larry and Becky's picture on it. Larry considered Becky his daughter, even though he wasn't her biological father. The family was very close. Ultimately, Barbara Miller became Barbara

Ross when she married Larry and Becky looked gorgeous as she watched her mother exchange vows with Larry. Now officially her stepdad and Becky and her mom loved roses. It was their favorite flower, and I know that I've said this before, call me basic. It's mine too. Becky wore a pretty pink rose flower crown to her mother's wedding. Pink was also her favorite color. Many times she would wear pink eye shadow, nails, jewelry heels. She was definitely a girly girl. She also loved butterflies. In these pictures, you can just tell she just radiates happiness. She and Damien looks so adorable and I can tell how excited Becky was for her mother's wedding. This embrace says it all. They just rocked back and forth hugging on the dance floor, a little mother-daughter dance.

They lived on Falcon Avenue in Medford. Larry worked as a truck part salesman, Barbara workshifts at the hospital, and Becky attended Patrick Medford High School only nine-minute drive from their house. And when she was 14 years old, she met Nicole Longo. Nicole was new to the area at the time, but she was so happy to have met Becky because they became inseparable.

They were truly best friends. And over the years, they grew up together, and Nicole called Becky her soulmate. She didn't think that soulmates only referred to someone's boyfriend or husband or partner. Instead, Nicole believed that soulmates can be anyone that you have such a strong, unbreakable connection with. And that's what these two girls had. They bonded over what most high schoolers do.

Sleepovers where they would stay up all night talking to each other until they fell asleep, walking around the neighborhood at night with other girls just laughing, making memories inside jokes. And Becky was a loyal friend. She was always there when you needed her, even if it was just to help pass some time in detention. Yes, she sat through Nicole's detentions with her, and that made them a lot more tolerable. Becky was always by her side through thick and thin. She was easy to take it along with because she saw the good in everyone. She quickly merged into Nicole's friend group as well.

At first, Nicole's friends from back home, like another friend, Nikki, was sad when Nicole moved away. But when she introduced Nikki to Becky, the move was worth it because they gained another amazing friend. Soon the three of them became the two Knicks and Becca. Over the years, they formed a core group of friends and hung out all the time. Becky enjoyed helping others. It either came naturally to her or it could have been something to do with her mom, because Barb was a CNA, a certified nursing assistant. And it's not an easy job.

It takes a lot of patience and being very helpful, a loving person that cares for others, and that's part of who Barbara was that seemed to rub off on Becky. She would happily babysit her mom's friends' kids, help braid her friend's hair when they came over to hang up. out and even babysit for some of her friends' kids as I got older and started families of their own. But Becky, she just had the look and the personality that left an impression on people even once she barely knew. If you met her even once, you would remember her face.

She was what people would call unforgettable. That cute, freckle face, bubbly personality, it definitely attracted the boys as well and Becky was no stranger to having boyfriends. That guys were always trying to flirt and talk and date Becky. She was very popular and gorgeous, but humble. Her friends would tell her how pretty she was all the time and how other girls were jealous of her, but once they got to know her,

they couldn't stay jealous because she was just too nice. After high school, Becky decided she wanted to work in the healthcare industry alongside her mom at the hospital. So she too studied to become a CNA, passed a test, and landed a job in the cardiology department at the same hospital in the same department as her mother.

Becky and Barbara lived to be a test, together, they worked together, they hung out together. People saw them more like sisters than mother and daughter. When they weren't putting in the long hours at the hospital, they were shopping together, they were cooking, curled up next to one another on the couch, watching a movie. Becky always confided in her mother. And as she got older and more independent, she still made sure to keep in touch with her mom every single day. She let her know her plans where she would be, when she would be coming home, and call or text her when she got back from anywhere, running errands, going out with friends, she made even more friends at work.

One of them was Jamie Redis, who was just drawn to Becky right away. Because for bubbly warm personality, they became instant friends. And Jamie admired the way that Becky treated every patient like it was her own family member. It showed that she was a genuinely loving person. In 2006, when Becky was 21, she dated a guy named Jay, but it didn't last that long. And as Becky progressed in life, her standards got higher.

Her and her friends would joke when they went out that they only talked to guys who had business cards and they were just being cute and cheeky. But Becky was known for her witty banter, cracking jokes and making her friends laugh. She was the friend that would get out there on the dance floor by herself and do silly things to make everyone smile. She made things fun.

Friends said you couldn't be sad around Becky. It was impossible. She would find a way to cheer you up. That's why so many people gravitated towards her. She just didn't have a bad day. She knew how to be grateful, and, Many people would turn to her when they needed uplifting or positivity in their lives. Case in point.

There were times Becky would steal some bologna from her mom's sandwiches, hide it in her purse for later. And then when she was hanging out with her friends, she would just magically slip this piece of bologna out of her bag and start munching on it. And they'd be like, where did that come from? And she would grab some from her purse and say, right here, you want some bologna? I can just picture her saying this with this big smile and just laughing.

It's like she created those try-nobes. to laugh moments without even trying. People want to be around someone who makes them feel good, and she did everything with her girls. They even got matching tongue piercings. I remember how popular that was in the 2000s. I had one too. Hers was pink with a butterfly on it, combining two of her favorite things. She definitely had a spunky personality and a sense of humor. Here she is on her 23rd birthday and June of 2008 decked out in everything pink, the earrings, the tanked up the heels. She loved fashion. She would talk about her dream of either being a painter or designing her own club fashion clothing line and jokingly she said she would call it skank attire. Even though her

friends knew she was joking, they knew she would be great at whatever she chose to do. By 2009, Becky was 24 and single again. That was okay because she had a lot of other things going on. Her main focus was work and of course spending time with family and friends. She had a very active social life. Her close-night group of friends love going out to local bars for some drinks and dancing. It was a routine for them. When they had a very active social life, she had a very active social life. When they had free time, they would take the opportunity to get together and meet up. And it's usually a town away in Holbrook, just a five-minute drive from Medford. There was an Irish pub they like to go to called The Irish Times, an alehouse called Kellys.

And one of their other go-to places for a bite to eat, playing some pool and drinks, was called Butcher Boys, Bar and Grill. I think it's pretty similar to what most of us enjoy. Good food, friends, and fun times. Friends would say that they like to have a joke and a smoke. And speaking of which, I'm going to to address it now. Remember I told you that there have been a lot of judgment surrounding this case and Becky? Well, that's one thing that's mentioned. Smoking pot. Weed, marijuana, whatever you want to

call it. Yes, Becky like smoking. It wasn't a habit as much as a necessity for Becky because in the medical field, it is used for medicinal purposes and I'm sure she had somewhat of an understanding of the benefits that had opposed to things like prescription pain meds, for example. Even though I know that back then it was still illegal and actually was surprised that it only recently became legal in 2021, March 31st in New York. Becky had injured her back so much so that she had to undergo a back surgery, not only leaving her with scars on her lower back, but with dependency on OxyContin, and she did not want that becoming more of a problem than a solution to her ongoing pain, so she turned to marijuana for help. It was a much

safer alternative to Oxy without such addicting properties. I don't pass judgment on individuals that I don't know personally and their choices. Instead, I rely on those closest to the person, their descriptions, and their perceptions. Those are the ones I count on to understand who someone like Becky was. She wasn't a reckless drug addict, for example, but she dabbled. She was actually very responsible. She held down jobs and she had just transitioned from working in the hospital as a nursing assistant to home health aid.

Becky was determined to find a job where she could make more of a difference in someone's life. She helped the elderly and autistic individuals as well as people described by her mom as having developmental disabilities. She wanted to help others live their best lives. That was very fulfilling to her, and she would treat them like they were her own family. She was very dedicated, and for example, in 2009, her current position was part-time in-home caregiver for a developmentally disabled 16-year-old that struggled with everyday tasks. Becky would get up right and early in the morning before 6 a.m. so that she could arrive at this boy's house with enough time to help ensure he

was prepared for school. She would help him get dressed, feed him breakfast. then get him on the bus and then off the bus after school was over every day. She truly loved him, but as fulfilling as it was, her job also came with difficulties. So after work, she liked to let loose, like many of us do. Everyone needs something to escape. Becky loved music, friends, and going out. Years ago, Nicole had introduced her to a friend named Jason. He ended up becoming Nicole's brother-in-law years later,

but Jason merged into part of their very close friend group to become a best friend of Becky's. He remembers the impression Becky left on him when they were introduced. He didn't know that such a genuine person like her existed. She had the biggest smile. He said it would reach past her ears. Well, Jason ended up getting a roommate named Dan Mayer, who was 28 years old. In the fall of 2009, Dan started to accompany Jason when all of them went out, and eventually

Dan met Becky. He was infatuated right away. Everyone could tell he really liked her. And soon, by October of that year, they were getting to know each other, hanging out more and more, he would pick her up from work, then they would go grab a drink or a bite to eat, go to a movie, or just hang out with friends back at Jason's place. Soon, Becky confided in her mom that she and Dan were a thing, but it wasn't very serious. They were just starting to get to know one another. Fast forward to December of the same year. So just a couple months later, it's Thursday,

December 3rd. Becky's mom worked the night shift at the hospital the night before from 7.45 p.m. until 8.15 in the morning. And she had another night shift that night, so she slept in until about 2.30 or 3 in the afternoon. Barbara did her normal everyday routine. Then later in the evening, when she was making dinner and getting ready for work, Becky and Damien were laughing and joking around as Becky was hovering over her brother trying to steal some of his friend tries. Well, Barbara said to Becky, what are your plans for tonight? And Becky told her that her and Nicole were going down to Kelly's ale house for some drinks, and then they were going to meet up with Dan and some friends and she should be home later because she had to work early the next morning.

So she needed to be at work at 6 a.m. Barbara was like, okay, just text me when you get home. Becky said she would like she always did. Becky knew that Barbara worried about her. Even though she was 24, she kept in constant contact with her mother throughout the day. Whenever she ventured out to a bar or went anywhere in town with a friend, she texted her mom to let her know she arrived home safely. No matter what she was doing, Becky made sure that she was like, always in communication with someone. Whether it was a call, a text, a MySpace message, she always had her phone on her like most of us do. It was basically glued to her. So it was easy for her to answer right away, and she would. That night, Barbara was very busy with her rounds at the hospital,

but around 3.30 in the morning, she's on break, and she has time to check her phone. She sees a text come in from Becky around the same time that said she was home and going to bed, and that I love you. Barbara responded would sleep well. You have to be at work in a couple hours and she said, I love you. Nothing out of the ordinary. But a few hours later, Becky's stepdad, Larry is at home. He's getting ready for work that morning and he gets a call around 6 a.m. It's from Becky's boss. Apparently, Becky had not shown up at her patient's house at her normal time and they wanted to know if she overslept and was coming in. Larry was already rushing. He could hear her alarm going off at 6.20 in the morning. He's leaving and he checks the driveway and he sees Becky's car.

outside so he's calling her name, he's like, Becky, thinking that you would hear him and get up, Barbara is still at work for another couple hours, and he's got a rush to work, and he'll be there all day. So we quickly text Barbara to let her know what's going on. The text read, Becky's boss called the house. She didn't show up for work. I'm late for work and racing out the door, will you call her? Well, when Barbara sees this message, her first feeling is of anger. She told Becky that you better get some sleep because you had to work early in the morning. And it wasn't like Becky just not show up like this. The family that hired Becky counted on her. So Barbara was very disappointed and I think that's understandable. So she immediately calls Becky and it rings and rings.

It rings six times and then it goes to voicemail. Barbara's not happy. Becky always answered her calls. So when she hears that voicemail kick in, she goes off. It was a pretty heated message and in no uncertain terms she let her know that her job is her responsibility, that she needs to get to work now. And as a mom, I know that feeling. I know those heated messages. I got so many of them when I was growing up as well. Barbara expected to hear back from Becky pretty quickly, as it was typical for her to respond back right away,

especially when it was her mother. But after about 10 or 15 minutes and not getting a call or even a text back, acknowledging that Becky got her message, Barbara calls Becky again. This time her phone seems to be turned off or she's purposely ignoring Barbara's call because it goes straight to voicemail. Now, some people may not be alarmed, but Barbara was. She knew right away something wasn't right. She told herself, this is not the way that Becky operates. Something's off.

So she goes back to texting, thinking that maybe Becky did go to work, and now she's busy. So maybe she can't call her back. It's still unlike Becky. And she's trying to come up with reasonable explanations for her not reaching back out. She's saying things like, hello, did you get my text? Did you get my call? Where are you? Get up. Wake up. Why aren't you answering? and they were getting a little more aggressive over time. And over the next hour and a half or so, Barbara sent a number of messages. At some point, she was even kind of yelling at Becky,

kind of reprimanding her for not being responsible. Barbara and Becky's former co-workers from the hospital, they knew that she never missed one day of work. And even if she was running late, she would let someone know. She cared so much about her patients. She would never just leave them hanging like that. At 8.15 in the morning, that Friday, December 4th, Barbara is finally leaving work. At this point, Becky would have been two hours late for her job.

And still, there's no word from her. So Barbara is trying to get back to the house as fast as she can, so that she can wake up her daughter and hopefully salvage her job. As she's driving, she is filled with mixed emotions. She's worked all night. She's worried, she's disappointed, but she's also scared. And when she pulls up in that driveway and she sees Becky's car, Her emotions went straight back to anger.

She figured, you know what, Becky partied too hard than I before. Her phone died, she overslept, and she was racing inside on a mission at this point. Definitely upset. She runs right into Becky's room, opens the door, and she's not inside. So Barbara's trying to figure out what is going on. She sees Becky's purse in her room. She doesn't leave her purse. Most of us know that our purse contains our lives.

We don't go far without it. So Barbara was worried. She doesn't see Becky's phone, and she's no. nowhere in the house. She knew that Becky was supposed to be with Nicole the night before, so she calls Nicole, letting her know. Her daughter didn't show for work, and she wants to know if Nicole knows what's going on. Nicole says no.

She has no idea where Becky would be because she went home earlier than Becky. Last she saw her, she was at Kelly's Alehouse around 1.30 in the morning, and Nicole was heading out. Becky wasn't ready to leave. She told her she was going to get a ride from Dan who had met up with them with friends. tells Barbara to maybe call Dan and check with him. Maybe she crashed over there than it before and her phone died. Barbara doesn't really know Dan that well,

but she decides to check with him anyway to see if there's some reason that he decided not to drive Becky back home and maybe she was still over there with him. So she calls him. Dan's like, Becky's not in my place. He says, I dropped her off at home around 3.15, 3.30 and he said he even made sure to walk her inside up to the door and everything. Barbara feels like Dan may be trying to cover for Becky. Maybe because of how

angry Barbara had been and those messages that she left and the text messages. So she says, Dan, please don't lie to me. I'm not mad at her. I just want to make sure she's okay. But Dan swears, Becky is not at his place. So Barbara goes into panic mode. Nicole, Becky's best friend and Dan, her new boyfriend, the two people that should be the closest to her, especially the night before when they were all hanging out or unaware of her whereabouts. Barbara tells Larry maybe to call Nicole and Dan himself to see if he could get a different response. You know, maybe hearing from the dad being more stern or something, they would tell him. Meanwhile, Barbara's calling everyone else she knows her daughter is close with. Co-workers, friends, family, her cousins, everyone. It's not long

before all Becky's close friends are made aware of the situation and none of them have any information about where she could be. It's concerning to them. They know how much respect. Beck Becky has for her mother, she would never leave her like this without telling her where she was. And of course, they're trying to come up with the most logical scenarios. Like, okay, maybe her phone died. She has no way to call them back, let them know where she's at. But why was her car at home? How would she have gone around?

Dan was the one that said he dropped her off at 3.30. That's around the time she texted her mom to let her know. She was at home. So Larry calls Barbara back and says, you know what? Nicole and Dan both say that they don't know where she is, They were together at Kelly's Alehouse, then Nicole left around 1.30, and then the other group of friends went to Butcher Boys.

It's a bar and grill, and they went there for the rest of the night. Then Dan took Becky and two other girls home, dropping Becky off first around 3.30 in the morning. He walked her to her door and left. Neither one of them has heard from Becky or seen her since then. Well, at this point, Barbara wants to see for herself, so she gets Dan's address, and she takes her drive over there, hoping that Dan is, like I said, covering for Becky,

and that she just scared that Barbara's really, really upset. She's hiding out until it blows over. Remember that this is also the house of Becky's close friend, Jason. He lives with Dan. Barbara shows up and again, ask Dan if Becky was inside because she's desperate for answers. And he's adamant. He tells her, no, Becky's not at my place. She begged Dan to please let her know if she hears anything from her daughter.

She's exhausted. She's feeling defeated. She's been working for hours and would usually go to sleep at this point, but she can't sleep. She can't think. She just keeps calling and texting Becky. She would text things like, Becky, please call home. We're so worried about you. I love you so much. Please call home immediately. Are you okay? Do you need us to come get you? The text just went on and on. And I can only imagine how this would feel because as a mom, if I was in the situation, my mind would be going crazy. Everyone's concerned. They're constantly checking in with Barbara, who is now waiting for Larry to get off work, so that he can help her figure out what is going on.

Hours go by, and at this point, Becky's friends are trying to call people, check social media, trying to see if they could locate Becky and still nothing. Several of Becky's friends, Nicole, Lindsay, her uncle, Khalid, and many others made their way over to Barbara just sitting in the living room with their phones and their laptops trying to do whatever they could to help. Barbara called out of work that night.

She couldn't function. She had to find her daughter. She was so tired, but she was keeping herself awake. She would only fall asleep when she was so exhausted that she couldn't fight it anymore. By the time Larry was off work that evening and gets back at home, it's around 7.30 p.m. And Becky's friends had now camped out on her parents' living room floor. They had blankets and food, and they had managed to log into some type of phone location app on their computer. It had the capability to provide a general vicinity of where Becky's phone was as long as it was on and within an area of the cell tower.

so you could ping it, so to speak, and get the location. I don't think it was fine. My iPhone. I don't think it existed back then, but it was something similar. And they're just waiting and waiting to see if it would light up so they could drive to that location that it pinged from. It is an ice, cold winter in Long Island in December. The weather's brutal.

The temperatures drop down to like the 20s. And that's negative 5 Celsius. It's snowy, it's icy, it's just unbearable to be outside for an extended period of time. And Barbara is really starting to think about that. She doesn't want to imagine her daughter out there in the cold all alone somewhere. Larry decides it's time to call the local police department in Suffolk County to notify them about Becky's disappearance. He explained that she would never remain out of touch this long.

She never had. It wasn't like her. She wouldn't just leave her loved ones worried like this. She also didn't do things like drink excessively either. And anytime she wasn't feeling well, she would let you know. Even if she did miss work on purpose, she would be up by now, doing things by now, running errands, eating, being in her room, talking to her friends, going on social media, something. It had been all day with no word and no activity. No one close to her had heard anything.

Something wasn't right. It had been 16 hours since she was last seen. They sent an officer out to Larry and Barbara's house to take a report. They asked them the basics about Rebecca, who she was, her age, when she was seen last with who. They tell them everything that I've already told you. But of course, in a lot more detail, Barbara says Becky has never. disappeared like this before and Larry added that there isn't a day that goes by that she wouldn't call even if she had a disagreement she would call her friends

that phone was stuck to her ear she wouldn't leave her purse behind like that either so what was the urgency even her wallet and ID were still there and that's when her parents explain that Dan who was Becky's new boyfriend was the one that was last seen with her she didn't know him very well he seemed nice enough, but it wasn't a very serious relationship and Becky had confided in her mom that they had their little issues here and there. And as they are in the middle of this conversation, guess who shows up? Dan, he's there to help. He's wanting to look for Becky, track her down, and he seems concerned, but also angry. As everyone's providing information, Dan starts to question

Barbara about whether Becky had another man in her life. She's like, really? That's your concern right now? She said, no, she doesn't. Dan responded by saying, are you sure? And she was like, wow. Yes, I'm sure. And this is really not the time to be self-centered, accusing her of doing something with someone else because we can't even find her. Barbara did not like the way that Dan was coming off. She thought it was odd. Then in the middle of them trying to locate her daughter, he's worried about her cheating on him. But maybe it was because he was trying to think of alternative places she could be. Dan's behavior raises suspicions with Barbara. After the report was put in, there wasn't much else for them to do, but wait. And it was really hard on Barbara.

Fear was setting in. She was breaking down in tears. She just wanted to hear Becky's voice again. She wanted to see her face to know she was okay. And she was constantly texting her, please, please call me. I was shocked to find out that over 200,000 women go missing every year in Suffolk County in Long Island. That's so many. And 19 hours had gone by. It's close to 9 p.m. and the group is still trying to ping her phone. Every 15 minutes, Larry is doing it so that they can contact her. Larry also calls the officer back from Suffolk County PD and provides him with the login information

to access Becky's cell phone. They have a family plan, so they're able to get in and see her call log. He also explains that they're keeping tabs on her location through a phone locator app, and we'll update the police with any new information. And sure enough, they see her phone. It is actually moving, and it's an exhilarating feeling

because in that moment, it had just come up for a minute and then it would be gone. And it would come up and then it would be gone. It wasn't steadily tracking her location. It was like disappearing as if the phone was being turned on and off and on and off. They were trying not to even blink so they could pinpoint where it was and they were just sitting there diligently making notes of every location that it would flash at. They were hoping that the police could use this information to narrow down a search or to tell other police departments to be on the lookout in that area. There was nothing concrete because the app would light up in an area, but it wouldn't stay let up for long, so they weren't confident

that Becky would still be there. Even though this app gives a radius of about one mile from where the pinpointed ping is. Around 2 o'clock in the morning, they do get a strong signal, though. The app is showing that Becky's about 12 miles west, and it is steadily blinking, not moving. It's about a 20-minute drive, but it's close enough to where they decide to all get in their vehicles and race over there. Her friends are trying to think of anyone they know when they're. that area. Why would Becky be there? They had no idea, but along the way, they're screaming her name out the windows. They're again scanning the streets, keeping their eyes open for any signs of her. They get closer to the area where her phone pinged and they're driving slower. They're looking

around and they realize it's an industrial area. There aren't a lot of houses. It's in the middle of the night. So nothing's open. And they're confused. But they get out and they look around. They even knock on businesses' doors. They're desperate to find out. if anyone knows where Becky is. And there was no one. They had no choice but to go back to Larry and Barbara's house and wait. The next morning, it's Saturday, December 6th. The group decided to create missing persons flyers.

They go have a bunch of them printed hundreds so they could go door to door, starting in Becky's neighborhood, and then expand outward everywhere just so they could ask people if they had seen her. They were taping these flyers up everywhere. They lived in a pretty tight-knit community. Becky had grown up there, so many people came together,

to help find her. Here is what the flyers looked like. It says, have you seen Becky? It has her name on it. Rebecca Koster answers to Becky. She's 24, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 112 pounds. Her birthday is June 12th, 1985. She has dark brown eyes, dark brown, straight hair to the middle of her back, and she'd been missing since 3.30 in the morning on December 4th. As far as clothing that she'd been wearing the last time anyone saw her, she had on a black puffy rockaware brand zip-up jacket with pink lining, black boots with gray fur on them, and light blue jeans. They also list identifying characteristics. She had butterfly tattoos.

One was a large lower back tattoo where she had that surgical scar from her back injury. The other tattoo was a smaller one on the right outer side of her ankle. She had her acrylic nails done with a French manicure and designs on both of the ring fingers. And a tiny nose ring stud in the right side of her nose. She also had a cartilage ear piercing that had had a cartilage, that had a bar that goes to the top. You can see it right here. Oh, and she had the tongue pierced. Everyone went all over in different areas and passed these flyers out. Larry passed out at least 180 flyers. He was showing Becky's picture to as many people as he could. They went door to door

in the neighborhood and no one had any clues for them. Barbara started to lean more and more into thinking that Dan may know more than he's saying. Barbara didn't want to say anything about it yet, but she was beginning to ask all of Becky's friends what they thought. thought about him. Jason was his roommate. He knew him very well, and he said, you know what, Dan loves Becky. They seem happy together. They have a great relationship as far as he can tell. He didn't think anything could have happened between Dan and Becky that would cause her to go missing. He'd never seen Dan give off any clues that he would hurt Becky, but they know that people can snap. Sometimes the least likely person is responsible. But as more friends gave their opinions,

it was revealed that Dan was definitely a lot more interested in Becky than she was in him. So they started to wonder if something happened at the bar to cause him to be jealous. And then that led to something worse, something that put Becky in danger. This is all they had to go on. Everyone else checked out. He was the new guy. Friends were really coming down on him. They were asking him a bunch of questions and not really accepting his answers,

even though he hadn't changed his story from the first time that Barbara reached out. I don't blame them for being laser-focused on Dan. He was the last known person to have admitted seeing her. But there were two other witnesses in his car. And even Dan's sister, she told them, Dan dropped Becky off and they haven't seen her since. At this point, he's getting frustrated by all the attention being put on him.

Larry even went to his door. He's asking what happened to Becky, saying things like we think you know more than you're saying. And he just broke down. He started to cry. He said, I love Becky. and I would never do anything to hurt her. He felt attacked.

But he was still helping the search. He, Jason, and some of their other friends, they went out to Butcher Boys, that bar and grill, where they were all hanging out before Dan took Becky home. They spoke to the bartenders and the managers and even patrons that were there, and no one knew anything or had any information about Becky. By now, Barbara had relayed her suspicions about Dan

to everyone helping them search. She thought that he might have Becky hidden somewhere. There were people involved in this search that were like armed-tier detectives, but more like Neighborhood Watch, because they were keeping track of Dan's every move. There were people parked on his street, basically doing their own surveillance on him. While this didn't go over well with Dan, he was not okay of being accused of harming Becky or lying about where she was. He felt like everyone was against him. And despite this, his own roommate, Jason, felt certain Dan was not responsible.

However, Becky's family didn't see it that way. They felt Dan had more information and he wasn't letting onto it since he was the last person to have seen her. They let police know what they believe that he has something to do with their disappearance. And the police always tried to build out a timeline. Starting in the days leading up to a person's disappearance, they need him.

They need every detail he knows because many times the last person to see someone is the person who made them disappear. Well, they are about to get an even bigger reason to look into Dan. Barbara can't sleep. It feels like the hours are going by so slowly all the thoughts that are going through her mind. It's been over 24 hours since her daughter has been seen. All she wanted to do is make sure she was safe. But the night seemed to stretch on endlessly.

The next day on Sunday, December 6th, Barbara goes to find comfort at the home of her sister Elaine's house. They tried to have a normal visit. They were wrapping presents together and talking about what could have happened to Becky. They even had some friends go to a psychic who told them, you know what, Becky's fine. She's going to come home. She's alive, but she's in a dark place. Don't worry. They're going to find her.

It was hard not to think about the possibility that Becky wasn't just missing, but that something worse had happened to her. Barbara was having a very hard time not breaking down. She stays over Elaine's into the later end of the night, and at 1140, she looks at her phone screen when it lights up, and she is shocked. She just received a message from Becky. There are so many emotions rushing through her. What it said was very concerning.

The text read, Mom, Dan has me tied up in the basement. He doesn't know I have my phone. I'm not sure where I'm at. Please help. Barbara doesn't hesitate. She calls Becky right back, and she doesn't answer. So she's sending a text to Becky saying,

Call 911. They will find you. Barbara was frantic. She didn't know what to do, but at least there was hope. It was running through her. running through her. She was mixed with fear and confusion and the feeling of, I knew it. Her beliefs were confirmed. Dan had her daughter and she was in danger. She couldn't help

but feel overwhelmed, knowing that the first person that Becky reached out to do was her mom. She knows that when a child is in need, they usually call out to their mother. But at the same time, she wished she had just taken that moment to call 911. And maybe she had, but not knowing was driving Barbara crazy. Filled with adrenaline, she calls the officers on her daughter's case, and she lets them know what happened, that Becky is being held captive by Dan Mayer, and she alerts everyone that's helping them with the surgeon. They're like, oh my God, she's alive. We've got to find her, and they're on a rescue mission. Barbara races back home, and she and Larry jump back on the computer with all of Becky's friends standing right next to them, and they paying her phone on that

locator app. But it won't stay active long enough to register a location. So they're Obviously, forget it. Let's just race over to Dan's. That's where the cops were headed. I mean, obviously, she said, Dan was the one holding her hostage. It makes sense. They waste no time and they get over there. They need to hurry.

They know he's got their daughter and they don't want to tip him off because that might risk him taking her somewhere else or worse. Before Barbara, Larry, and the herd of her concerned friends and family get to Dan's house, the cops are already there. They're inside questioning him. The police came ready. They weren't taking any chances due to the nature of Becky's text messages. They also had probable cause to do a full search of those premises, and that's what they do.

Every room was thoroughly searched. Unfortunately, it turned up nothing, and Becky's family had trouble accepting this fact.