True Crime with Kimbyr - Part 1: Psycho In-Laws, Missing Mom, Burned Car & Baby Left Behind | Rose Goggins

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

In this chilling episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, the mysterious disappearance of Rose Goggins unravels into a haunting puzzle. A burned car, a missing mother, and a baby left behind—what really happened? As suspicion circles her in-laws, disturbing questions emerge about family, secrets, and betrayal. With her signature compassionate and analytical approach, True Crime with Kimbyr dives deep into the evidence, relationships, and unanswered clues. Was this a calculated crime—or something even more sinister? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every parent instantly understands this. You can leave your phone, your purse, even your pride behind, but you're not going to leave your baby. It was January of 2010 in rural Tennessee, and there's a baby inside of a house on a family property. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th.

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What does that one mean? Oh, that's just piggy. He gets excited when we talk about rewards. Savings of up to $1 per gallon redeemable with $20 rewards dollars in your loyalty account. At participating locations, terms and conditions apply. Who's only 10 months old. Still in his routine. Still needing his mother for everything.

But she isn't there. No note. No call. No, I'll be right back. She was just gone. And if you're a mother, you already feel the panic in your chest. Because you know what it would take to walk out the door without your child. It's not needing space. It's not cooling off and it's not starting over. It's something is wrong. Something happened. Hi everyone. Welcome back to my channel and if you've never been here before. I am Kimberlea.

It's nice to finally meet you. I want to bring you back to January of 2010, We're out in rural Tennessee. I'm talking quiet roads, long driveways, and a family property where life happens at a little slower pace, kind of removed from the rest of the world. Sounds like paradise to some. And inside this home, down a private road in Clifton, there is a 10-month-old baby. His name is Aden, and he's still on his little schedule. He's still needing his mama, all-consuming ways that babies do, you know, for everything.

and his mom rose is gone. There's no diaper bag packed, no message that I'm just heading out, and no note that says, you know, I'll be back after class, just absence. And that really doesn't make sense. And here's the thing people love to say when you find cases where an adult goes missing,

you've probably heard it before. Oh, she probably needed space. Or maybe she's overwhelmed. She's got a lot going on. Perhaps she wanted a fresh start, and that makes me so angry when you know better. Mothers know the difference

between needing some space and disappearing without your child. As I said, you could leave your phone behind, you could just leave it right there on the counter, and that would still be weird. You can forget your wallet. You could even walk out on someone mid-argument, but you don't vanish and leave your baby behind

unless something is very wrong. And people tell the police with absolute certainty that Rose would never abandon Aden. The question is, what happened to? Rose that made her leaving possible in the first place. And who Rose is as a person makes this case different right away. But let me bring you to Saturday, January 16th of 2010, because two people walk into the Wayne County Sheriff's Office

in Tennessee, Steven Beersdorf, Sr., and his wife, Sylvia. And they look really worried. They're reporting their son's fiance, Rose Goggins, missing. And I know that already sounds confusing, because there's a lot of moving parts to this. You probably have a ton of questions with just that information and no more. Like, wait a minute, where are Rose's parents?

And where is her fiancee? And why is her fiance's parents reporting her missing? Don't worry. I know if you're new here, you might be worried, but I'm going to walk you through everything. People who watch my videos know you're going to get every detail. But what's important in this moment is that they don't walk in saying,

oh, she hasn't answered her phone or we haven't heard from her. They walk in emphasizing one detail over and over again, Rose left, and she left her baby behind. And that stood out. Think about what I told you. Aidan is 10 months old. He's still in the stage where his entire world is wrapped around in bottles and naps, diapers. And the person you're bonded to the most in your whole universe is your mom. And his mom is Rose Goggins. And by every account, she was obsessed with this baby in the best way. The kind of mom who barely put him down.

down, the kind of mom who lived by his routine. So when Sylvia says, Rose would never abandon her child, investigators don't hear it as dramatic. They hear it as a flashing red light because mothers don't do this, not unless they can't come back, at least mothers like Rose. So Stephen and Sylvia tell the deputies that Rose was last seen on Thursday, January 14th, when she left her class around 4.30 p.m. Now, she had been taking EMT classes through Columbia State. She was trying to get certified, trying to build a future and trying to make sure that she and Aden weren't stuck depending on someone else forever. And we'll get to that. So there's one clue for you. Rose was dependent on others, but she was doing her best to try to be more independent. Now Stephen said he watched her pull down

their long rural driveway and it was a normal afternoon. But then after hours passed by and then the whole night by the next day Rose wasn't back. There were no calls, no text, message is nothing. So deputies put out a below, be on the lookout for Rose and her vehicle, and they start working the obvious angles. They're checking roads nearby, they're scanning ditches, anywhere that a car could have run off the road. They're thinking maybe she wrecked somewhere and no one can see her car. And then they do the simplest, most important verification. They go ahead and call her school and they speak to Rose's EMT instructor. And the instructor tells them something that immediately changes the shape of this entire case. Rose never made it

class on Thursday. She wasn't late. It wasn't like she just stepped out. She wasn't there. She didn't show up at all. So now the story everyone's been repeating that she left for EMT class and never came home, that has a big hole in it. Because if Rose didn't go to class, then where did she go when she left that driveway? And if she didn't leave willingly, if she didn't walk away from her baby, then we're not talking about a young mom who needed space, are we? We're talking about a young mom who vanished, who could have been taken. And that's the angle they were going with, that she was taken from somewhere. Was it down the driveway after she left? Did somebody pretend they were a police officer and pull over?

There were so many theories happening right now. And I told you, I would answer a lot of questions for you. And I need to do that by starting to tell you who Rose Goggins was before she became a name in a missing person's report, before investigators were calling her school, looking for her car, and trying to figure out how a mother could vanish and leave her baby behind. I want you to truly get to know Rose because the truth is these cases will not hit you as hard unless you understand what kind of person we're talking about. Rose wasn't someone who drifted through life. She wasn't reckless.

She wasn't flaky. She wasn't a takeoff for a little while and come back and I'll, you know, feel it out when I'm feeling better type of woman at all. So know that. Rose was a fixer. She was a builder. She was a get it done kind of girl because life had trained her to be that way. Rosemary Marie Goggins was born in Georgia in May of 1988 to her mother, Catherine, who went by Kathy, and her father, Donald Goggins, and from the time she was little.

People described her the same way. Friendly, social, and fearless. The kind of kid who smiles easily doesn't hesitate to talk to adults and other kids, or basically anyone. Relatives and neighbors remembered her as a little girl who would just connect with you, like she was wired for being friends with other people and loving them. And one of the biggest connections in her world was with her father, Ronnie. Rose was especially close to him, so close that even people outside their home could see that bond. They spent so much time together, doing simple kid things, games that don't cost money, and they didn't need anything fancy. They would do like pretend store, pretend house, using their imaginations and just spending time in a meaningful way.

But when Rose was nine years old, everything about her life as she, knew it changed in one violent and traumatic moment. Her dad died. And no, he didn't have heart attack or cancer. It was very tragic and sudden. He died in a housefire. And there is no way to soften what that does to a child. It was so unpredictable and terrifying. And it doesn't just take a parent. It takes the structure of your entire household. The before and the afterline is so sharp. You feel it in the way that people talk about Rose's life. And after her dad died, Rose's mother, Kathy, was grieving, but that grief didn't make her sit quietly.

The reality was that Kathy had been struggling with things like substance use and what may have started as a way to dull her pain. It unfortunately became dependency. And as that dependency tightened, Rose's home life became very unstable. Some days, Kathy was proud of her. She was functioning, she was engaged, able to do the basics.

And other days, she was completely gone in a way that matters so much when you're a kid, because everything matters. You rely on your parents. There are things that children will assume an adult will always handle, you know, like getting them up on time for school, cleaning their clothes, making sure there's something to eat in the house, and being able to take them to appointments. Well, that was not guaranteed for Rose. Her life didn't have that dependable rhythm to it at all. It was more like you woke up and then you assessed the situation. You read people's moods and you adjusted your expectations. That was Rose's reality.

She made do with what she could. And honestly, it's a reality that so many children know all too well. And if you do, I am sorry. I know that's hard. Adults around Rose notice this pattern in her life. But what's so heartbreaking is that people often assumed that she was managing because she didn't complain. And Rose did manage, but not because it was okay, it was because she had to. She learned how to cover for her mother because you still love your parent. Even when you know

they're broken. She knew how to make excuses that sounded normal, saying, oh, I'm just tired. My mom's running late. You know, the kind of simple explanations that don't trigger any questions from outsiders. She learned how to navigate situations that most kids should never have to. And Rose learned to to problem solve very quickly. She learned to anticipate conflict. She learned to stay alert to anything in the way her mother's mood shifted. Coping mechanisms can become our superpowers. Remember that. I know a lot of us who have been through things, we think it's going to shape us in a negative way, but they can become powerful. And this kind of childhood does something to you. It teaches you that depending on people can be dangerous because at any moment, they can disappear, whether that's

emotionally, physically, or both. And that's tough. And by the time Rose hit adolescence, she understood something most shouldn't have to understand. Adults around her were not reliable. And if she wanted stability, she was going to have to manufacture it herself. Can you imagine you're a teenager having to navigate all that? But she did. She was resilient. She learned to regulate her needs, to make her own plans, to take disappointment without expecting comfort afterward. She carried the unfair weight of being the steady one in her life. She counted on herself. And you can hear even the way Rose operated later in her life

how deeply these years shaped her. Because Rose didn't grow up believing someone was coming to save her. She grew up believing, I have to save myself. And you know what it's called? A self-rescuing princess. I even have a shirt that says that. Because you know your prince charming may not be coming. And all jokes aside,

the lack of stability created this fierce sense of independence in her. Rose learned to make decisions without waiting for permission to rely on herself before relying on anyone. And by the time she reached her senior year of high school, she understood something else as well. If she stayed in the same environment, she was going to risk repeating the same patterns. She wanted more for her life.

So in 2006, right after she graduated, Rose did something that most people who are age don't have to do a loan, at least not without financial help or backing of some kind or a place to land if, you know, it doesn't work out. She had no safety net that she could fall back on. With only a small amount of money that she saved, she packed up what she owned, which really wasn't much, and she left Georgia behind. She moved more than 300 miles away to Tennessee, a place where she knew no one. And that matters, because this was not a fun adventure. This wasn't, I'm going away for college and I'm going to come back for the holidays. This was Rose trying to reset her life.

It was just one state over, so not too far from Georgia, but far enough that it felt like she could start new. Once in Tennessee, she found work as a nursing assistant at Perry County Nursing Home. Now, this was an entry-level job, modest training, but it was the kind of work that quietly tells you who somebody is, because caregiving requires patients. consistency, and empathy. The ability to treat people like they matter, even when the work is completely exhausting, so I give you a lot of credit

if you were in a helping profession like this. And the pay can be actually insulting, but Rose had all of those qualities. And coworkers knew her to be reliable and approachable and residents. Oh my gosh, they loved her. Rose was described as treating her patients with attention, eye contact,

like their needs were not a burden to her. into her. She learned all of their routines. Who preferred which meals, who needed extra encouragement, who relied on maybe some humor to get through their day. She paid attention. She remembered the little things. She made people feel special. They were important to her not because it was just a task for her to get through during her shift. It was because they were important and they mattered. And in a place where staff turnover was very high, Rose stood out. But of course, being good at your job, doesn't mean it pays your bills. And the position barely was above minimum wage, even with overtime. And Rose understood the numbers were not going to stretch far enough for her. And you know that she's

already been in survival mode her entire life and she wasn't going to go back to where she had to rely on anybody else, no matter what. So she took a second job as a waitress, serving tables on her feet all day. Many of us know the long hours, the late nights and the double shifts, stretches where she went days without real time off because she had no other choice. And listen, most people would look at this and say, that's too much. But Rose looked at all of this and you know what she thought? This is freedom. And that actually gave me the chills because we all know someone like Rose. Maybe we see ourselves in her because she is relatable. She preferred to feel exhausted. It was better than feeling dependent on someone because she was building her life from the ground up and she wanted to be able to say,

I did this myself and I did it for me. She also wanted her father, even though he was no longer with her, to be proud of who she became. She wanted to be proud of herself. And it's in that season of her life where she's grinding, working, trying to become unbreakable, that she meets someone who felt like a missing peace in her life. In 2007, while working shifts as a server, Rose met Stephen Beersdorf, Jr., who were going to be calling Steve because his father is also Stephen Beersdorf, Sr. He actually goes by Big Steve, but I'm not going to try to confuse you. I'm going to say Stephen when I'm talking about Steve's dad, and I'm just going to call Steve

Steve. But you have to know this because his family become a big part of Rose's life. You're going to be hearing those names again. So keeping it simple, Steve's father, Steve, and Steve himself to set them apart. Steve stood out immediately to Rose. First, it was his big, piercing blue eyes, but it was also because at the time, he was working as a police officer for the local Wayne County Sheriff's Office, and Rose was always impressed by a man in a uniform.

She associated that uniform with things that she hadn't got much of growing up, reliability, structure, protection. And Steve was friendly. He made a conversation. He came back in to see her time and time again, and every time he remembered little, details about her life. And she could tell he was interested in her. She reminds me a lot of Priscilla

Presley. I don't know why. It's just something about her. She had these big brown eyes, though, and brown hair with highlights. And of course, she had a kind and sweet personality which stood out to Steve. But he was interested in her beyond surface level characteristics like looks alone. And for Rose, someone who had spent years surviving by handling things alone, this kind of attention, It didn't just feel flattering. It felt like this was very valuable. And I don't have to tell you this. But if you lose your father or a parent or anyone that's really important in your life,

it creates a hole, especially for a young woman. And sometimes they desire to fill that void with a man who can be there for them, who can possibly become maybe the father of their children one day and provide what they never had with their own dad. It didn't take long for Rose to develop an interest in Steve. And then he started asking her to spend time with him outside of, you know, her waiting on his table. And soon it became a rhythm. They went to dinners.

They would drive around together, go to movies. And they learned each other's schedules and kept making plans. And they started including each other in their daily decisions. Their lives were naturally stitching together. Both of them were only 19. And this was the first real relationship that Rose ever had. Yes, she had dated in high school, but this was different. And once they officially began dating, things accelerated fast.

They spent most of their free time together and rarely went more than a day or two without seeing each other. Friends described them as inseparable and they really were. Rose told her friends that Steve treated her really well. He made her feel considered. She said she felt happy with him and more importantly, she felt safe. That word safe means something the way that she grew up when she had to stay alert all the time. Now she felt like she could let her guard down. She can relax and just enjoy the moment.

If you're dating a police officer, I think that would be very common to feel like, you know what, I've got the law right here. I feel really safe. Remember how I told you that Rose's childhood had taught her to anticipate moods and read the room and solve problems before they became flat-out emergencies? Well, her nervous system had been trained to brace for instability. Being on guard takes a lot out of you. So being with someone who seemed so safe and steady, and available gave her permission to let go in a way that she was never able to before. Rose started to see Steve as someone she could build a future with,

someone who could share the responsibilities instead of adding to her burdens. The idea of a predictable, stable family unit wasn't just appealing. It was reassuring. Rose knew she wanted a husband and kids one day. She just didn't realize that she would begin feeling this so quickly. But their relationship deepened. Steve finally wanted Rose to meet his parents, the Beardorf's, Stephen, Sr. and Sylvia, and for Rose, meeting a partner's parents, that wasn't a casual thing. This was a sign. It was real. It meant

this is a big commitment. It meant she might finally be building something lasting. When Rose met them, Sylvia's first reaction was cautious. Not because Rose did anything wrong, but because Sylvia was protective of her son like many mothers are. She knew how fast things were moving and how they were both only 19, so she had reservations about the pace of their relationship. But Rose did what Rose always did. She showed up with warmth and she put in the effort. She was respectful, communicative, attentive. She complimented their home, asked questions about their family, their history. She showed interest in their routines and their lives. And then she also did something that seems kind of small, but it mattered a lot to Sylvia.

Rose openly praised her as a mother, telling Sylvia she had done such a great job, raising Steve. And Sylvia valued that recognition. That acknowledgement softened her to Rose, and that acceptance felt huge to her. She even told her mother about Sylvia. She talked about her in a positive way.

She was so appreciative of the welcoming atmosphere and the sense of support she believed she was gaining with this new family. You remember, Her mother Kathy had struggled with her own consistency as a parent, so she was really relieved hearing that Rose had found a family environment where the adults were involved and stable. Over the following weeks, Rose and Sylvia built a relationship. They shopped together for groceries and household items. Sylvia helped Rose navigate the local area so she could get to know the neighborhood and all the places around there, and they exchanged small gifts, which were inexpensive but very thoughtful.

And Sylvia even gave Rose a nickname, Green Bean. And this was after a funny mishap that happened while they were cooking together. And this nickname made it clear that Rose had been pulled into the inner circle. Sylvia warmed up to her and that was a big deal. And I'm sure if you've had a mother-in-law or even a boyfriend's mother or partner's mother, you'll know. And Rose understood what this meant because she heard whispers before. Steve had dated other girls and those relationships,

ended when the girlfriends met Sylvia. The suggestion was that Sylvia's influence was very strong, and not everyone stayed once they realized that Sylvia wasn't impressed. That she wasn't a fan of them, they were like, I'm out of here. But Rose being Rose, she wanted to make this work. And people noticed the way she changed the entire atmosphere when she was around. The Beardorf described her as a positive influence, even on them. Even neighbors noticed that the family seemed less closed off once Rose,

was around. They saw her coming and going and smiling and remembering their names, asking them questions about their lives. Rose didn't just exist in her own world. She opened up her world and let others in. Remember, she connected, even from childhood. She did that at the nursing home and even in her everyday life. And then, I have to tell you about the house. It was beautiful. The Beardorf lived in a literal log cabin that Stephen Sr. helped build, and he was very proud of it. It was two stories, four bedrooms, three and a half

baths on 40 acres of land in a rural section of Clifton, Tennessee. It had a small creek behind the house and land for as far as the eye could see. It was way more than Rose ever had known. And by May of 2008, after a year together, Steve proposed and asked Rose to marry him

and you could have guessed, she said yes immediately. To her, this moment felt like proof that her efforts had led somewhere, like she wasn't doomed to repeat her past. Both families were excited, even though some of Rose's relatives and friends were quietly worried at how fast this was all moving. They reminded her gently, there was no need to rush. Marriage didn't have to happen right away to be real. And Rose heard everything, but she didn't really absorb it because she felt, like she could reach out and touch something that she had been reaching for for so long. And truth be told, Steve's parents met when they were in their late teens as well,

and they made it work. And their relationship also moved quickly. They loped without even the financial foundation or family support that most couples rely on, which is probably why Sylvia scrutinized her son's relationships the way that she did, because she knew the struggle. They had Stephen Jr., soon after they were married, and then their second son, Joshua, a few years later. It wasn't easy for the Beardorf's. Money was tight. They moved frequently. They held short-term jobs and they lived without long-term plans. But look at what they built. That gave Rose hope. She started looking at dresses right away. She was browsing flower arrangements, talking guestless with everyone. And it was an exciting time. And it does go by in a flash. Even if you're not in

rush. And finally, the invitations went out. They planned their wedding for July 19, 2008 at Mousetail State Park at 6 p.m. And when I saw July 19th, that is my wedding day, so right away, that hit me. And soon, Rose got another surprise. It was only a few weeks later that she learned she was actually pregnant. And I know this was a lot happening all at once.

Rose was so happy. She wanted to be a mom. She saw the pregnancy as another step towards the family that she never had the future that she imagined in her head for years. It also meant something huge for Stephen and Sylvia. This was their first grandchild, and that's really big. But let's be honest. It may feel like a fairy tale.

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But real life doesn't pause just because you're happy. Financially, Rose and Steve were not making enough to comfortably cover their rent, baby supplies, wedding costs. So they decided the reasonable thing to do was put the wedding on hold. Yes, it was devastating. But if, could wait. They were committed. They were in love. They didn't need a piece of paper and a ceremony to prove that. And with a baby on the way, they knew that was going to be way more important. They talked to Steve's parents, and they decided to save money and, of course, to secure some support during the pregnancy. They moved into a room in their parents' home. So now I think I've answered some of the questions you might have had in the beginning. This was why Rose was living with the Buredorfs,

the people who eventually report her missing. But I know you're wondering, where Steve was when Rose vanished. We're going to get there. But for now, with these new arrangements on paper, it made perfect sense. No rent, help, right in the home, family close by? Rose didn't have anybody else.

But emotionally, it meant something different because Rose had to surrender a piece of her independence that she was fighting so hard to build. This home that she wanted, loved visiting as a guest was now the environment that she was living in. And still, Rose knew this is temporary. It's a short-term sacrifice for a long-term goal. She fully expected that after the baby was born and the finances stabilized,

she and Steve would move out and continue building the life they planned. Then in February 2009, Rose gave birth to her son, who they named Aden. And friends who visited said Rose would barely put him down unless he would put him down unless he was asleep. And even when he was asleep, she would have him right on her chest. She kept him close, getting him on a routine, living for him. Her routine focused around his routine, and I'm sure you know it as a mom, that it definitely happens like that. There was no question. Rose was committed to this baby. He was her world. And Steve was so proud to be a father. He talked about providing and regaining direction and eventually earning enough to be a child.

moved their little family off of his parents' property and into a home of their own. And Rose trusted that he would. He knew she wanted Aiden to grow up with the kind of foundation that she didn't get. That was clear. And that's why another decision was made. By October of that year, when Aden was eight months old, Steve decided to enlist in the Tennessee National Guard. It was a way to provide for his family. It was steady pay, benefits, and a path forward. And Rose supported it. But within Mirren, weeks, they got the shock they were not fully prepared for. Steve learned his unit would be deployed to the Middle East as part of the Iraq War. And this schedule wasn't even flexible.

Deployment wasn't optional. And that's a lot to take in. Rose had somewhat of a support system, but she relied on Steve as her counterpart. In just two months' time, he was being shipped off to Camp Shelby in Mississippi for pre-deployment training. He was expected to be gone for a year. And that's a long time when you have a new baby at home, when you're living with your fiance's parents, and when you dreamed of something a lot different. Steve was worried about Rose and the baby, but his orders were final. There was nothing he could do to change the timeline. He was doing this for their future, so he left.

And when he did, Rose realized she had to step up. Yes, she was living rent-free and had free daycare in the form of Steve's parents. But you know Rose by now. She doesn't want to rely on anyone. So she made a plan right away. She is so resilient. She enrolled in EMT classes at Columbia State, working towards a certification

that would give her real independence. The commute was long, but Rose went regularly. She attended classes, she did her assignments, she organized study materials, and she treated this like a lifeline because it was to her. And now I think you see more of the big picture.

You know why Steve wasn't around. You know where Rose went during the week. where she was expected to be and where she wasn't, when Steve's parents reported her missing. She was supposed to be in that class. She had been working so hard these past few months. She kept her head down, she stayed focused, and she was pushed forward.

She kept showing up, kept doing the work, kept planning for the after. And that's the thing that makes what happens next feel so cruel because Rose was in motion. She was actively building her way out. She just needed time. And time was the one thing she wouldn't get. By January of 2010, Aden was 10 months old. He was still little.

He needed constant hands-on care, still in the stage where your day is measured in bottles and naps and diapers, and whether you can get him settled long enough to breathe. And even though she had help part of the day, Rose was juggling all of it. Motherhood, postpartum, classes, commuting, studying, being without her fiancé. And this now brings us back.

to Thursday, January 14th of 2010. This is the day that everything splits into before and after she disappeared. I briefly told you about the day in the beginning of this video. She had EMT class. She would usually leave around 4.4.30, and of course, she would always return. But by the morning of Saturday, January 16th, Stephen and Sylvia were walking into the police station and reporting her missing. They explained to officers they saw her drive.

down that driveway on Thursday. And they expected her back as usual, but when she didn't return, they waited a little while, watching the clock, and then they told deputies they assumed maybe the class ran late. Maybe she got delayed. Maybe something normal and explainable happened.

But as the night stretched on, they're watching Aden, they're going to sleep, she doesn't come home the next day. The worry turned into something much heavier. By the next morning, they tried calling her multiple times and got no answer. So they got up. They went out and they went out, and they were they searched around the area to nearby roads, places where a car could break down, places someone

might veer off. They said they reached out to a handful of Rose's acquaintances and friends to see if anyone had heard from her and there was still nothing. And now they were there asking for help. And luckily, law enforcement doesn't treat this like a casual missing adult, like you've heard so many times when this happens. Like, oh, they're old enough to willingly leave. No, it wasn't like that. The response was not slow. It was immediate. Sheriff Rick Wilson knew the Beardorf's name. He knew that the family had ties to law enforcement through Steve. Remember, he used to be employed as a cop,

and now he was currently working through the National Guard. And in a case like this, familiarity can go one of two ways. Either people shrug and assume it's nothing, or they get more alert because they understand the stakes. And in this situation, investigators moved like this wasn't a routine disappearance. A young mother was missing. A baby was left behind with no confirmed destination and no contact with the mother. They worked fast.

I told you they put out a bowl over Rose, who was 21 years old at the time, 5'8, about 140 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She drove a blue Ford escort. They put her information out to the surrounding jurisdictions so that if anyone saw her car or her, or if they pulled anyone over with that description, they would know that she was missing. or if, let's say, any businesses in the area had CCTV footage that caught someone like her on camera. Then they started working the most immediate fear. What if she wrecked somewhere and no one saw it? So they drove the likely routes between the property where Rose was living to where she was going to school. They checked the ravines. They checked all the spots where accidents can hide a car out of view.

But there was nothing. No tire marks or skid marks or debris. And then they did what good investigators did, what good investigators did, do early before the theories and all of the rumors take over. They verified basics. That is when they contacted Columbia State. They spoke to her EMT instructor and that's when they confirmed she never made it to class. And that's when I told you everything changed. Because now the window of time on January 14th suddenly opens wide. And whoever knows what happened inside that window becomes very, very important. You know how important timelines are. Things are about to move very fast. So if you, if you need a moment to regroup so that you can fully pay attention, now is the time to focus.

Investigators started calling Rose's friends, and those conversations matter a lot, because they did not just produce, oh, you know, Rose is sweet, I hope she's okay. No, they provided context. They explained the fear Rose had of Steve leaving for the Middle East and being so far away. So now detectives are thinking, wait a minute, could she have gone to see Steve out at camp Shelby? Maybe she needed support. Maybe she thought, okay, this might be impulsive, but I know that my baby's safe with my fiance's parents. So I'm going to drive over there. But still, that didn't make much sense, but it had to be ruled out. They contact his commanding officer, and there's no record of Rose ever showing up. Nobody saw her there. And of course, then they speak to Steve

directly. He says, I have not spoken to Rose in early week, but I did receive a text message on Friday, and this was important. He said that she told him she was going to visit her family in Georgia. She was tired, and she needed to get out of the state. Now, that was so out of character for Rose. I'm sure all of you already know that we have breaking of points, sure, but you know Rose by this point. And that was one of the first clues that maybe Rose had been hiding a lot of her true feelings. Maybe she did need to get away. Even though it's out of character, we know it can happen. Even though she seemed tough, she was carrying the world on her shoulders. They called Rose's family in Georgia. They started with the people who would be the first to know if she showed up. And they said

immediately, she's not here. She never came. She never told us. There was no plan. And Rose's mother, Kathy, was firm. She said Rose was dependable. If she was coming, she would have come. She wouldn't vanish without telling anyone, and she would not leave Aden behind, period. But investigators checked the routes anyway because they had to. They looked along the highways, gas stations, rest stops, rural pull-offs between Tennessee and Georgia. They drove sections more than once looking for anything they could explain where Rose had gone, and still there was nothing. Which meant the case wasn't opening up, it was narrowing. And then just barely 24 hours after Rose was reported.

missing. Another sheriff's office made a call that would change the direction of this entire investigation. On the morning of Sunday, January 17th, they get a call, not a tip, not a possible citing, a call about something worse. Something's been found. It's a vehicle. But it's not just on the side of a road. It's been burned. It's in McNary County. And the first thing that hits the investigators is how deliberate this looks. This isn't something like my engine had trouble or an accident. This is a car that someone wanted to erase. So Wayne County deputies head to the scene hoping please let it be wrong. Please let it not be the car we're looking for.

Please let it belong to somebody else. Please let this be a dead end. Don't let it be related to Rose. But when they arrive, the vehicle is burned so intensely. They can't even recognize what kind of car it is. The frame is charred. The windows are gone. The interior is melted.

I mean, it's like nothing. And from the outside, they can't even tell them, make the model. They can't even confidently tell you what color that car was. Wow. I say whoever did this because they knew somebody had to have done this. They didn't just want to damage this vehicle. Whoever did this wanted to destroy identity. And for a moment, even standing there,

investigators don't know if they're looking at a clue or just another cruel coincidence. But as some say, there are no coincidences in true crime. But they look for one thing, the fire doesn't always erase. The VIN. And they see it, and they put it into a database, and then everything goes quiet. Because confirmation comes back like that. The burned car is registered to Rose Goggins,

and the location just makes it that much worse. The vehicle is found roughly 50 miles west of Clifford. of Clifton. It's out on an isolated logging road, but here's the thing. It's in the complete opposite direction of the route Rose would have taken if she was truly driving towards Georgia to see her family. So now the maybe she left explanation, it's not just shaky, it's literally collapsing. And here's why. If Rose was going to Georgia, why is her car burned an hour away headed in the opposite direction? And why is it burned at all? That's the moment things. changed because this was a message. It said, someone didn't want Rose to be found. Someone didn't want

her movements to be tracked. Someone wanted the trail to stop there. But the problem is, a burned vehicle doesn't answer the most important question. Where's Rose? Crime scene investigators start working the area around this car and they work it methodically and carefully because even when fire destroys a lot, it doesn't destroy everything. And sometimes the most important important evidence isn't inside. It's on the ground, in the dirt, near the car. And investigators find something. Two distinctive sets of footprints. One is larger, consistent with, let's say, a work boot, and the tread is clear enough that it stands out. The other prints are smaller. They look like more of a sneaker or athletic shoe. Two sets. Not one, two. And to detectives, that detail

stands out. It points away from the idea that this was a one-person panic move. It suggests assistance, a second presence, and then they notice something else. Tire tracks indicating another vehicle had been there as well, and it pulled in real close to Rose's burned car before leaving again, which fits a very specific picture. Rose's car is transported to the spot, set on fire, and whoever did it didn't get stranded because they didn't drive it. It's because they left a second vehicle. This wasn't random. This was planned. You have to organize all that. You have to have a ride. There has to be communication, and there were two people involved. Investigators collect what they can, debris from the fire, soil samples, impressions of these tire tracks, and plastered casts

of footprints. And they cordon off this area and document everything. Because even if the flames wiped out trace evidence inside the car, the ground doesn't lie as easily. And And as the scene gets processed, this stops feeling like a missing person's case. It starts feeling like an attempt to erase someone. It feels like a homicide. And then there's the part that makes every mother's heartbreak. Back in Wayne County, the same detail won't stop ringing in everyone's ears. Rose's baby Aden was left behind.

Rose's whole world revolved around him. So when that car is found burned, far from home, and the wrong direction, the signs that more than one person was involved. There's only one conclusion that makes sense. Someone made sure that Rose couldn't come back. And the moment that news hit, the first question people asked out loud or even in their heads was the obvious one. Probably the first one you ask quietly to yourself, or maybe if you're like me and you talk out loud to the screen while you're watching videos, you might have said it right now. Where was Steve? Where was he at the time this happened.

And we know where he's supposed to be at Camp Shelby in Mississippi doing his training with the National Guard. But what if, right? What if? And once he's notified that Rose's vehicle has been located burned out on this isolated road, he requests a temporary release, and he gets it. He comes back to Tennessee as fast as he can. And when he arrives, he doesn't even go home first.

He goes straight to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, to speak with investigators. That's a good sign. Detective described him as visibly upset when he walks in. His emotions seem real. He was confused. He was in distress. And you could see that desperation

when someone's trying to process something that doesn't make any sense. But investigators also can't ignore a really important thing that they've learned the hard way. People can look devastated and they can still be hiding something. People can cry and they can still be lying. And sometimes the most convincing performances is the one closest to the truth.

And in the interview, Steve maintains that he has no idea where Rose is. He has no knowledge of what happened to her. He said, the last contact he had was that text message the day after she left or was last seen, which I found very interesting. Because remember, he claimed she texted him on Friday. That was after her parents saw her leave, saying that she was going to visit her family in Georgia. And another message, according to him, suggested she was tired of the way things were and she was going out of state. Those messages could make a disappearance look voluntary and valid.

But the problem was, the rest of Rose's life didn't match that story. Aden in Tennessee, Rose taking classes for EMT school. And her family in Georgia never being told that she was going to show up? Doesn't make sense. So detectives pressed Steve on the bigger picture. What was going on between him and Rose? Were they happy? Was anything tense?

What were their conversations about recently? Now, he did not deny that the relationship did have strain. He didn't deny that there had been some domestic issues in the past, but he rejected the idea that any of that had anything to do with her disappearance. And I was like, I want to know more. And don't worry, the detectives want to know more as well and we'll get there. But he said nothing about that. about that situation made sense to him,

especially the idea that Rose would leave their baby behind. And they didn't argue that point. The investigators agreed with that. They kept circling back to that again and again. We know that. As suspicious as a situation felt, investigators couldn't assume anything. So they did what they always do

when the spotlight is on one person. They have to verify. They contacted Camp Shelby. They speak to his commanding officer again, and this time they're checking whether Steve, had been present during the period when Rose was last seen and when her vehicle was found. The Army is not going to back him up if he really wasn't there. And the answer came back confidently.

Steve was on base. He was accounted for. He was present for all of his required obligations. Even fellow soldiers and commanders corroborated it. And still, to Texas looked at the logistics. They mapped the distance from Camp Shelby to Tennessee, the travel time. How the base was monitored. The expectation that soldiers remained accounted for

and the window in which Rose's car would have been transported and burned. And the conclusion was hard to ignore. Steve could have never physically left Mississippi driven her car to that isolated location, burned it, and returned without someone noticing. So in one sense, that alibi was very important, but in another, it didn't really settle anything

because investigators also know this truth. Involvement doesn't always require present. Since, someone can direct someone else to carry something out and they can orchestrate from behind the scenes. Someone can benefit and someone can have knowledge without even lifting a finger. If Steve couldn't be there, who could? And who besides Rose had direct access to her day-to-day life during this exact window that she vanished? Well, once Rose's case hit the media, a young mom missing, a baby left behind, a car found burned, of course, you know, it was a big story.

And tips started pouring in. People started calling in with anything they thought could help. Sightings at gas stations, at rest stops, and parking lots, in stores. And one tip seemed more valid than the rest. A woman in Florence, Alabama, contacted authorities. Now, her husband served in the same National Guard unit as Steve, and she said she was confident that she had seen Rose at a shopping mall. She claimed, I know Rose personally.

I would recognize her anywhere. And that kind of confidence is hard to brush off, so the investigators dug in. They got CCTV footage, they reviewed it carefully. And first from certain angles, the woman in the video looked like Rose, similar hair, similar build, the kind of similarity that can make you have a lot of hope, at least for a second. But then, the woman on the camera turned around. And once her face was clear, the resemblance fell apart. It was not Rose Goggins.

Unfortunately, this was another lead that evaporated. And with every false sighting, the case, it didn't just get harder. It got more urgent. Plus, there was another layer to all of this. An issue, if you want to call it that. I alluded to this at the beginning. The Beardorf's name wasn't just any family in Wayne County. They had prior connections to law enforcement through Steve himself.

And that changes how everything is scrutinized by the public, by the press, by the system itself. So they had outside agencies brought in. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the TBI, took over. And Agent Josh Melton was assigned the lead in this case. The FBI was also assisting providing additional resources and manpower. Now, Melton's job was to re-walk everything, to confirm what was known to test, to retest everything, and then identify any inconsistencies and focus on the most important question. Who had access to Rose in the final hours she was seen alive?

And when they asked that question, honestly, I'm sure you know the circle didn't widen. It got smaller. They had to rule out the two people who walked in to report her missing. The same two people that insisted Rose would never abandon her child, Stephen and Sylvia Biersdorf. I'm sure you know detectives have to move from the inside out. They're looking at people who control the property she lives on, who know her routine that provide child care and told the story of Rose's supposed last day. Investors go back. to the Beardorf's home and they start asking questions again. And this time, listening not only to what's being said, but how things are being put together. The picture that's being painted, so to speak. Was it the truth or was it a narrative? To find out, the investigators are not asking those soft first past questions.

These are second past questions, the ones where detectives listen for what's missing or what's shifting and what's being carefully placed. Now, the first time, Steve and Sylvia came in to the sheriff's office, you could describe their demeanor as very concerned and urgent. They were certain of one thing. Something happened because she wouldn't just leave Aden behind. But now in the follow-up interview, that started to twist into something else. The urgency didn't seem to be there anymore. It had only been a few days. And in its place was something cold

and almost offensive. They acted judgmental about Rose, which was definitely a red flag. Instead of focusing on where she might be, Steve's dad starts telling investigators a different kind of story about who Rose supposedly was. And you know, these investigators don't know Rose like we do now that we know so much about her. They're starting from zero, but they're listening. As Stephen claimed that Rose had thought about leaving the baby with them before this, and she would take off and come back whenever she was overwhelmed. And Sylvia supported that claim. And she even added her own examples. She alleged that Rose struggled with motherhood, and she even referenced an incident where Rose supposedly left Aden on the kitchen counter, which frightened her. And then it escalated,

because Sylvia was telling detectives that Rose could not keep up with the demands of being a mom. Sylvia insinuated that Rose resisted simple instructions when she tried to merely give her what she called motherly advice. Here were Steve's mother and father, together reframing Rose, as unstable and unreliable, painting her as someone who would want to go away by choice, which was interesting, right? Because just days earlier, the message was, oh no, she would never leave Aiden. And now the message was, well, maybe she would. Why change everything around? Why the tone shift? Were they mad that all eyes were on them because they truly believe she left? Or was this a character rewrite. And it didn't end there. Next, the Beardorf introduced a second storyline, one that's almost

textbook in cases where a woman disappears and the people closest to her need in explanation that points away from home. And you can guess the excuse, can't you? Another man, we've heard it before, and they implied Rose was being unfaithful to their son while he was away. Sylvia said that Rose would disappear for a day or two at a time, and she was suggesting that Rose was seeing another person. And when investigators pressed her for specifics, she gave them the name, Cody, a former boyfriend from Rose's teenage years. She told detectives that Rose had described Cody as her first love and suggested that he'd helped her relocate to Tennessee before that relationship came to an end. Now, was this true? Or was it a convenient shift to another target? So now they could focus on Cody.

Well, they needed to track him down and verify, and he agreed to speak with them right away. Cody said he, He hadn't seen or spoken to Rose in years. He said, of course, they were friends, but they went their separate ways, and he denied having recent contact. He also told them he was engaged to someone else at this point, and detectives found no phone records, no messages or evidence that Rose and Cody had been communicating.

So the other man story collapsed almost as quickly as the Beardorf offered it, which left investigators with an uncomfortable question. If these explanations were not true, Why would Steve's parents be... I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client. With Wealthfront, it could put money in, and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified

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