Chapter 6: Jennifer Meets Joey

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Missing in Hushtowns Season one is proudly sponsored by the following relive studio, Andy B's Boutique six one five, real Estate Advisors and Hometown Connect. Thank you to our sponsors. Small Town's Talk and We've been listening. I'm your host Jules Thorpe, an independent investigated podcaster living in the same town. Jennifer and Adriana Wicks went missing from in two thousand and four, and this is missing in Hushtown Season one, chapter six, Jennifer meets Joey. Note for me before we dive in. What I know now makes everything you are about to hear even more heartbreaking. Myself, along with many people who are close with the Wicks girls and the Benton family, believe that if Jennifer and Adriana had never met Joey, they would be alive today. This is me saying that someone at that Benton residence knows what happened and who did it, So if there was never any Joey and Jennifer, there would never be any Bentons in their life. I promised in the first episode I would share with you more information, and I will. I'm not done yet, I promise. In fact, I'll go ahead and share this. Joey called Casey and they talked on the phone for the first time in twenty years. Casey asked Joey some very direct and tough questions and still he lied. And yes, now we know he lied. We have confirmation that he lied, but we'll get more into that in a few episodes. Stay with me. We need to roll the tape back to win Jennifer meets Joey. It's the winner of two thousand and three in Middle Tennessee. Jennifer is now a young mother at twenty one to her daughter Adriana, who was just past her first birthday. Most people will pronounce it as Adrianna, but Jennifer will make sure to correct them and say her baby's name the right way Adriana. In fact, she named her after seeing Vince gild perform the Adriana song at the Grand ol Opry when she went with her mom. Kathy. Robertson County tends to slow down a bit in the cold, as if the community freezes in time. Along with the layers of ice that can shut down roads for a week at a time, a county ill equipped with snow clearing devices finds it's easier to shut down school a few days than invest the money on snowplows and storage just to use maybe a few times a year. Maybe the weather is unpredictable here in the winter, but it's typically cold. The evenings tend to drop below freezing as the sun sets and the night goes still. The trees are bare and extend into the moonlight as old withered arms stretching for the stars beyond their reach. Jennifer's mom, Kathy, has accepted a job promotion which will find her moving across the country to Las Vegas, Nevada. This job will provide more opportunities for Kathy to grow in her field, and she feels her youngest daughter, Casey will adapt well with the change. After all, she'll be moving right before she starts high school. Jennifer and her middle sister, Heather choose to stay in Tennessee. This is their home and they have places to live while mom Kathy moves away, Heather choosing to stay mostly with Kathy's mother and Jennifer choosing to stay mostly with Michael's mother. So both girls are with grandparents from different sides of the family, and Jennifer also goes in between Grannie Wicks and Aunt Lisa's home. Heather is often visiting with her sister and her niece at Aunt Lisa's house. Recall, Grannie Wicks is from Jennifer's father's side, and although this is true, Grannie Wicks was always so inviting and loving toward all of Jennifer's siblings, blood or not. With temperatures in the triple digits with humidity to match. Many people in Robertson County can be found in waterwaves, creeks, rivers, pools, sprinklers, Sweet tea is poured by the gallons, and the humming of air conditioning units fill the air. Aunt Lisa has two children at home at the time, her son Jeffrey and her daughter Samantha. This is Samantha, Jennifer's cousin. I'm Samantha True. I'm first cousins with Jennifer Wigs. Yeah, pretty typical cousin relationships. She's was quite a bit older than me, so I was obviously closer to her younger sisters than to her until we were older. I do remember her being with us. That's when the two of us got really close. Did you share a room but did not share a room? Her room was right next to mine because we had a spare bedroom. Her and Adriana were in the room together, right next to me. I spent a lot of time with Adriana, rocked her to sleep many nights. I don't remember her being with any. Men before Joey long enough for it to be one of those things where like he came to family functions or was like involved in that kind of way. I can tell you that I was exposed to him because he was a friend of my brother and he would come to the house to, you know, visit with my brother. I was young, so obviously I didn't have any you know, I didn't talk to him personally because I had no reason to. But yeah, I first met him and was around him because of his relationship with my brother his friendship. I don't remember when they met. I know it was through my brother, just because she was there. The only time I recall being around them as a couple for any expiritive time was they had one of Adriana's birthday parties at the Benton home and I went. Most people know that Joey and his sister or his siblings didn't have a good childhood, especially so if you're going to love someone else's child the way it seemed like he loved Adriana, you have to you have to know that he loved her at some point, or his version of love or what he thought love was, or how he felt love. It's also hard to understand how people that have had traumatic childhoods feel love, you know, how did they receive love? His children and what does it look like to them? But it seemed to me like he loved Adriana. It's so strange that one minute you're being a loving father figure per se to this child, and the next minute they're gone and you don't seem to care. In all appearances from the outside looking in, he didn't care about them. He didn't care about Jennifer, he didn't care about Adriana. If if you're a spectator looking in on this, he seems like, you know, a short time boyfriend that you know didn't really care. But I think he did. I think he did care. And I think whatever is causing him to act like he doesn't care and to not be around is severe. And to think about I mean, he was young. Think about being that young, and you know, whatever happens, his life's probably been a living hell. And I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, because he obviously could have given us some closure up to this point. But something bad happened to him that day too. He's not innocent. He was involved in some kind of way. I'm still angry at him. The one time I can recall an adult seeing him in public broke me that day. I was living where I'm living now in the house next to me is a duplex, and I look up my window one morning and he's in my driveway cause we have a shared driveway, and he's helping the people next door move And so all day I'm home having to look out the window and see him. And what's really strange too, is to live in the same town as someone and never see them. Like when you live in the same town as someone, you see people passing by in their vehicle, you see them at the gas station, at the grocery store, at the local restaurants. You do not ever see the Bitten family and cross planes. Ever, I don't I don't recall seeing them out like is. I don't know where they go do their shopping. Or get gas. But anyways, I just the whole day looking out of the window and having to see him there, and that many years later, when you've gone about your life and then for it to be like smacked in the face by it, And really it just made me mad to see him doing just like a normal everyday thing, just live in his life, helping a friend move, and in my mind, it's just kissed me off. So I do sympathize for him, but I also understand that he could have said dark family a lot of hurt these best years if he hadn't been scared. I think I think he's scared. But it's just not fair that he's continued living his life however shitty it. Maybe I'm not saying he's got a good life. He probably doesn't. But just to see him on a random day helping someone move when I hadn't seen him in years. Did he see you? I don't think so. I pretty much hit away in my house all day, and I was so mad all day that I was shaking and crying. And if i'd go one else, had I practice said something to him, I'm not something to do anybody any good. He probably wouldn't even know who I was if he saw me. Honestly. We have a community wide yard cell every year called Trash and Treasures, because I remember being summertime and I think we had gotten together as a family at a home locally, and I was walking into the Food Value or the Piglo Wigley or whatever, And that probably would have been three months after they went missing, And so their signs, their posters are still all over town and I remember just walking into the grocery store to get something and people standing there looking at their sign and making remarks like, you know, they just ran away because this town sucks, or something to that effect, like you know, she just hated it here and so she left, or just making assumptions just because she was an adult that she could just leave. I didn't say anything to them because I was young, and but my memories are vague of that time, but for some reason, that really sticks out in my mind of that was probably the first time that I heard or saw somebody like make that assumption about them. In my mind, obviously I knew them, I knew that wasn't the case, but it never occurred to me that that's what other people might think. It was so hurtful this someone in our town was making those assumptions and voicing them to other people. My mom loved Jennifer like she was her own and I think she showed that, and Jennifer knew that she always had a place in our home. And yeah, Jennifer knew that. Jennifer knew she always had somewhere to go, and she had people that cared for her. So that's that's another aspect of the case that people don't understand is she had somewhere to go if she wanted to leave Joey. She had the opportunity. She had a place to go, She had a room. The room was still empty that she lived in. She could have came back, and my mom told her she could come back whenever she wanted. She knew where we hid the key. But yeah, my mom loved her. My mom loved Adriana and was willing to take care of her and do anything for her. I've dreamed about her so many times. Her and Jennifer have come to me in dreams many times over. Mainly they've just been here, we are you found us, reunions, the fill of joy and happiness and relief over just we found them. Yeah. And I don't know if that's wishful thinking or Jennifer is saying we'll see you later. You know, we'll see you after this life. But it's a comfort, but it's also a nightmare when you wake up. Yeah. I asked Heather, Jennifer's middle sister on her mom's side, how she met Joey and what she had to say. Well, Samantha was just in here. That's our cousin. Her older brother is Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I were super close as cousins, so me and Jeffrey would hang out all the time. And Jeffrey was best friends with Joey. So I remember meeting joe one night. Meet Jeffrey and Joey. We were in his Explore. We went to Rivergate at a Toys Rs. One time. I remember that was the first night I met him. Jeffrey was like, you want to take a ride, and I was like, yeah, let's go. I didn't know what we were doing, you know, I was young. I was probably sixteen maybe, And then we drove to the Toys Rs. Parking lot in Rivergate. Joey was the driver, in the driver's seat. He was driving us at his Explorer, and then my cousin Jeffrey was in the passenger seat. I was in the back. Then Joey takes a gun out and he sits in on the console. He takes I remember him like lining up some pills and some baggies and he did a drug deal. And I would say that I was My mom was so strict growing up. I was just a little bit sheltered. So then I started to hang out with Jeffrey and his friends, and that was like the first of any you know thing. I was like so scared and so shocked. But anyways, I just find that ironic. That's my first meeting ever with Joey before Joey ever started dating Jennifer, so. Basically knew he was no good for her. But but yeah, that's how I met Joey. That's the first time. And I think I hung out with him again when maybe in his barn one time and there was a bunch of Jeffrey and Joey's friends and they were all passing around, you know, a joint mayor or whatever, and we were all just hanging out, like in the barn, just partying as kids and teenagers. But then I don't think too long after that, Jennifer started dating Joey. And. Their relationship was now that I'm a grown woman and I look back, it was toxic as can be. It was the breakup, go out, breakup, go out, you know, fighting, hostility, you know, her crying. It wasn't long before Joey and Jennifer became an intense and serious couple, with Jennifer bringing him around the people she cared the most about. Jennifer's youngest sister, Megan Wicks from her dad's side, recalls when Joey and Jennifer came to visit them. One of the last times we saw her, and they came to visit with Joey. Only met Joey. I guess one time. It was one of the last times I saw him, but I don't know. I feel like they visited or she at least visited with Adriana twice before, you know, before I ever saw him again, never saw them again. But I do remember. Joey very vaguely. I remember, I think a lot of the time he. Was outside talking with my dad. You know, they are just outside hanging out, probably because they were smoking a cigarette or whatever. They're just outside. But I remember when they left. When people would come visited our house, especially Jennifer, it wasn't just Okay, we're getting in the car and leaving. It was We're gonna stand around and talk for another hour, you know. So you know, Jennifer and Joey are standing outside just talking to my dad getting ready to leave, and you know, I'm out there with my dad because I followed him everywhere, and I remember Adriana was in the back seat, and she just absolutely adored Joey. And this was the only time I ever saw her cry or get upset, but she wanted him in that car. She was tired, and she just kept saying Joey, Doe, like that's. What she called him. And she was doing she was motioning her little hand like come get in the car, like come on, Joey, you know, like she loved. Joey, and it was very sweet. And I can't remember if they had brought her rocking horse or if we already had one, but I remember she her playing on the rocking horse. Wall don't go anywhere, We'll be right back. Six one five real Estate Advisors People Overprofit. Sixty one five real estate Advisors are committed to bringing people in our community home every single day. This includes Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. Located in Robertson County, Tennessee. Six one five real Estate Advisors proudly serve. All of Middle Tennessee. Andy Bee's boutique custom for all your needs, creating faithpet and family friendly designs for all. Visit shopandybees dot com for an exclusive Jennifer and Adriana Wick shirt. Andy Be's boutique will donate profits from each Wick shirt back to the Wicks family to fight for justice. That website is shop andybes a and d i bs dot com. Don't go anywhere, We'll be right back. Six one five real Estate Advisors People over Profit. Six one five real. Estate advisors are committed to bringing people in our community home every single day. This includes Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. Located in Robertson County, Tennessee. Sixty one five real Estate Advisors proudly serve all of Middle Tennessee. Andy B's Boutique custom tees for all your needs, creating faith, p and family friendly designs for all. Visit shopandybees dot. Com for an exclusive Jennifer and Adriana wickshirt. Andyb's Boutique will donate profits from each Wick shirt back to the Wicks family to fight for justice. That website is shop andybs A and d i bs dot com. In the Shadows of the City, a business missed a crucial chance, neglecting the power of captivating content. While others captured hearts. Their story remained hidden, but you can rewrite your story. Relive Studio transforms your brand with striking photos and video content. Visit www Dot relive dot studio, Mention this ad and receive free photos with your video package. Unlock the story your brand deserves. Hometown Connect your local list. Hometown Connect your ultimate list, bringing communities together through small town business connections. They're your go to app for all things Middle Tennessee. They empowered local businesses and promote. The shop local revolution through. Advanced technology, while never sacrificing online privacy with innovative Bluetooth, proximity marketing, direct customer messaging, and in app marketing tools. They're your ultimate local list. Hometown Connect. In the shadows of the city, a business missed a crucial chance, neglecting the power of captivating content, while others captured hearts. Their story remained hidden, but you can rewrite your story. Relive Studio transforms your brand with striking photos and video content. Visit www. Dot relive dot studio, Mention this ad and receive free photos with your video package. Unlock the story your brand deserves. Hometown Connect your local list. Hometown Connect your ultimate list, bringing communities together through small town business connections. They're your go to app for all things Middle Tennessee. They empowered local businesses and promote. The shop local revolution through. Advanced technology, while never sacrificing online privacy. With innovative bluetooth, proximity marketing, direct customer messaging, and in app marketing tools, they're your ultimate local list hometown connect. Although Kathy wasn't thrilled about Jennifer and Adriana living in a barn on the bent And property, she was assured it was fine as the months became cooler and the fall began bringing cool breezes. And if you've never experienced a fall in a small football town in the South, you're in for a treat. The leaves go from it deep green to a beautiful, rich orange, yellow and deep red. The weighted blanket of the humidity from the summer burdens have been lifted. And if you were to drive around this small town on Friday night, you'll see teenagers piled up in trucks headed to the high school football games, the bleachers filled with alumni from generations, past the stadium, lights flooding far past the field into the town square. Or maybe the kids are headed to bonfires at someone's family farm, or they plan to meet by the creek with music and beer. Whatever they choose. The air is filled with the smoke from the tobacco burning barns, something that Robertson County is known for. So in Springfield, Tennessee, just a few roads over from the cross Plains city lines, deep in the heart of Robertson County, Jennifer, Joey, and Adriana seek a life independent of others, a life where they can act as a family, a trio, Joey stepping in as a father and protect role for Adriana, offering commitment, support, and loved Jennifer. The barn offered a sense of independence, albeit it was veiled independence. Jennifer was always dependent on her family, and not just financially. You know, she was attached in a loving way to her family. They offered her emotional support, consistency in a time when you know, there was so much change and friendship. After all, the family was together in support of Jennifer throughout Jennifer's pregnancy at nineteen, her delivery at twenty, and throughout her learning how to navigate life as a young mother. So when Jennifer calls her mom Kathy one evening in Las Vegas and shares that Joe's mother Cindy Benton drove her and Adriana away from Joey's house and dropped her off at a Granny Wicks's house. Kathy was alarmed what. Jennifer told her, Well, folks, it was enough to make Kathy quit her job and immediately relocate back to Tennessee. She knew she had to get back to her daughter and granddaughter immediately. According to police reports, Cathy said, quote, Joey had in the recent past pulled a gun on Jennifer and threatened to hurt them all. He called his mother to come and get them before he hurt them all. She did and took Jennifer and Adriana to her grandparents end quote. It's important to pause here and inform all of our listeners that every person I've talked about by name in this podcast was reached out to by either myself or Casey, Jennifer's sister. I texted Joey multiple times, Jennifer's cousin multiple times, and had an interview set up for Aunt Lisa, which she ultimately declined to participate in. I don't share this information to discredit these individuals, because, in the end, I truthfully support their right to not talk and after all investigated, podcasting is not a really widely known medium for storytelling. People don't know me, and of course I understand that lack of trust. I do bring up my attempts to communicate with all involved individuals because I wanted it known that my intent was to give all sides, all parties in equal space to share their opinions. Clear up, any rumors are set record straight. I want transparency here, but transparency doesn't mean I won't interpret the information I believe. I did not attempt to reach out to a few individuals in this case, and that was at the request of law enforcement through the family. I did not attempt to contact Joe Benton. Also note he is currently in jail in Robertson County. Again, we never want to hurt a case, just help. I am here to poke some bears because this is the game we have to play to get noticed, and we're going to suit up and step in the ring and play as fair as we can to win. But we are not holding back our punches. All right, back to the report, we have now played Cindy Benton in the car with Jennifer and Adriana driving her to Granny Wicks's home. Recall, Jennifer was living at that home and her aunt Lisa's home while her mother had moved to Las Vegas for a job promotion. So this is a house she feels safe in. Obviously, the place we flee from is our place of fear, but the place we flee too, says everything about trust and understanding. Jennifer knew that her Granny Wicks's home was a safe haven, and she knew she was always welcome there at any time of the day. What is interesting is that throughout the years, defenders of Joey Benton have denied that Joey would ever harm Jennifer. In fact, in an online forum that was popular in local communities at the time called Topics, community members could post anonymously, and when the girls went missing in two thousand and four, Topics appeared to be the place where the Wicks and the Benton families would communicate. And I use that term loosely. The Benton family has always veheminently denied Joey could ever hurt Jennifer until recently. Important to not forget that these police reports quote what the family says to the police officers. Now it's just that it's quotes from other people. It's not corroborated information. It's not a corroborative report about whether Joey did or did not pull a gun on Jennifer. There is no police report on that actual incident. As far as we civilians understand, with the extent of our access to the files in this case, we do not have a statement from Cindy Benton or any written statement from anyone other than Kathy in the report taken when the girls disappeared. Jennifer and Adriana remained living between Aunt Lisa and Granny Wicks's home until Kathy and Casey moved back to Tennessee. It wasn't a long time waiting. Kathy mobilized very quickly. She didn't think twice about coming back. Call it a mother's intuition. This incident is what the Wick's family refers to as the first red flag us, knowing what we know About's first experience with Joey and the drug exchange at the mall, it would likely be our second red flag. But up until this point, Joey had never shown this dangerous behavior toward Jennifer and Adriana. It's interesting to say the least, we almost have two versions of joe when people recall him. There was a Joey who appeared to have truly loved Jennifer, and then there was the Joey that seemed to display rage, aggression, and violence seeing on alternating side, Jennifer did break up with Joey. She was done now. It recall they hadn't been dating that long. They met in July and the first incident where Jennifer tells her mother about Joey threatening the girls as in the fall. So within twelve weeks give or take, they have moved in together, not broken up, and now we find ourselves living back with Kathy and Casey and Heather once Kathy was able to get back to Tennessee. Meanwhile, Kathy's strong and fierce mother, as those who knew her would describe her, had a home that she was able to rent out to the girls. Casey, Kathy, and Heather lived in the upstairs park and Jennifer stayed in the finish basement below, which had two bedrooms. Heather's bedroom was just above Jennifer's and she could often hear Jennifer's phone conversation seep up into her room and of course, a nosy little sister would make sure she could hear even better by opening her windows and crouching near the air fence. The family rallied around Jennifer. They wanted her to succeed. They wanted to help her and support her and raise her up. They loved her so deeply that they decided to form a type of intervention for Jennifer once they caught wind that she may be considering going back to Joey. Heather and Kathy both recall the intervention here. We all had a family intervention at one point, and I can't remember. I feel like this may have been before the fight where the door gets busted in, but we it was her grandmother, it was me, my mom, my grand mother. I can't remember who else was there, but they all met at our house because we knew that Jennifer was starting to think about going back to Joey and she had no idea. We're about to have an intervention on her, and this is where we all knew this was not a good idea, and we were going to set her down and let her know that she shouldn't do this. Think about the baby. We also know Jennifer's an amazing mother and she loved her baby. And then my mom just didn't want to push Jennifer further away. But my mom just didn't want Jennifer to hate her and push her away, which you can only imagine how much that would cause, you know, between a mom and a daughter if a mom did that. But Mom, we all. Were really just knew it was bad and that they like we just knew something was gonna happen. When her and Joey were split up and I had came back from Las Vegas and they were living with me, and I was I worked during the day, and so I babysat the baby at night for her to take my vehicle and go to work. And I had found out that she wasn't going to work. Every time she told me that she was, she was actually going to see Joey and maybe possibly trying to work things out with him. And so she wasn't she wasn't holding up to her into the bargain as far as getting her life together and getting breaking away from the abuse and stuff from Joey and you know, the verbal kind of abuse from Joey, and you know, keeping her job. She was in the threat of losing her job. It was very important that she kept her job and and show up in the morning in time for me to have my car to go to work and take care of her baby. There was just several little things that she just wasn't doing that she had agreed that she would do. So our family, all of us grandparents, aunts, everyone thought that we needed to talk to her and let her know how important it was that she basically get her act together and put her priorities in line. And her priorities shouldn't be Joey, it should be her job and her baby and that sort of thing. And so we all got together one night, if I remember correctly, it was around November the tenth run in there, and when Jennifer come in, we just said, hey, we want to talk to you, and we kind of laid down the law to her and said, look, you've got to do this, and you do not need to have the baby at Joey's. That's not a good environment. There's guns, there's drugs. You've told us about all this, and that's not a place you want to have your baby. It's not safe for you, it's not safe for her. And so we told her that. Then we said if you if you're not careful, someone may try to intervene and take your child from you, and you don't want that to happen. If someone was to call child services and say that you were, you know, shacked up in a party barn with guns and drugs, they would they would take your child. And so this is where it is very important that you'd listen to us older folks who who have experience and can tell you that that's you know that you're you're down the wrong path here and you need to you need to steer back into work, you know, onto the right path. So that was our intervention that we had with her in November. I guess it. Didn't do a lot of good, unfortunately, because you know, she ended up giving Joey another chance and moving back in with Joey in December. The night of the fight, I heard Jennifer talking to Joey on the phone downstairs through the vent because I was eavesdropping, and I ran and told my mom and Adriana. I believe Adriana was upstairs. She may have been playing with Casey or something, but I was in my room eavesdropping I could hear that she was getting back together with Joey despite denying, and she was basically inviting him to come over and to help her get everything out of the house and help her because she knew we weren't gonna let her just walk out the door. So I ran and told Mom, and I think, if I can remember correctly, Mom and Jennifer just started arguing. Mom's trying to talk her out of it. Next thing we know, Joey is there. I think Joey gets in. He goes downstairs to grab some of Jennifer's things and belongings. He walks outside to put them in the car. Mom and Jennifer are fighting. I locked the door behind Joey as he takes the stuff out, and I'm like standing up against the door with the door locked, and I remember Jennifer like physically pushing my mom. Over onto the coffee table. I don't know if she hit her or pushed her or what, but she pushed her and my mom literally just went tumbling over the coffee table. Well, this is the first fight I've ever gotten into in my life. I think this is actually. The hardest thing for me personally to talk about because when I saw my when I saw Mom weighing on the floor like I'm protective over my mother. I didn't want Jennifer to go or Adriana, But as soon as I saw her, you know, hit my mom and push her over the coffee table. I jumped on Jennifer and we started physically fighting, and I think her earring ripped out. I don't know, but I mean, you're sitting here looking at me. I'm five to two and a half and Jennifer was probably I don't know, five six. Five seven, I don't even know. I know a younger. I remember my mom put her in this modeling thing and she was like one of the tall models. But anyway, the reason why I say that is because we started fighting. The next thing, I know, she's screaming for Joey. Joey kicks in our front door and the whole door comes tumbling down and he grabs her and they literally like I'm screaming and my mom's screaming, like Casey, get Adriana and take her to the back bedroom and call nine one one, like we are screaming, and Casey runs locks the door, has the baby and is calling nine one one. So and Jennifer and Adriana just start running. I guess because we had just gotten in a fight. You know, she had hit me a couple of times. I probably hit her a couple of times. She had hit my mom, who was just chaos. And so. I don't know why they didn't stay to try to get Adriana, maybe just to get out of the situation, but they took off running and they left. Well the next thing I know, they're a police there. So on their end, Joe Jennifer called the police, and on our end, Casey called the police. So they were a police on both ends who knew, and unfortunately we fought. We fought, We pressed charges and filed a report. You did, yes, and then for vandalism. And then I'm pretty I'm not exactly sure if they filed a report. I'm not exactly sure, but I remember we had to hand Adriana back over. And that was hard. And then. This is the shitty thing because not long after that they disappeared, and I just. I don't feel like that I really got to make up with my big sister. He was also my best friend. I don't think I saw her much after that. And then there was a chord. Date set. And I had to go testifying court and be portrayed as a monster on the stand, and my sister was supposed to be at court and she was missing already, So my sister couldn't even stand up for me in court and be like she was just trying to protect her mom. Like my sister is not a monster, you know. But I remember joey'stting sitting in court, and I just remember his attorney, I don't know it was like a public defender or whatever, but they were just like hammering me. They made it out to sound like I'm so much bigger than Jennifer, and like I hurt her. She was not hurt. Is this because he was trying to get off on charges like and they were trying to say like he had to protect my sister and bust in our door. And they just made me out to be some monster whenever my family and myself send so much pain. And here I am seventeen years old, eighteen Can you remember how old I was at this point? But it was seventeen or eighteen, But. And my whole entire family's just in pain because my sister's gone and we know it he had We know that the Ben family had something to do with it. We just knew. Look at what just happened, look at why we were sitting in court in the first place, you know, and she wasn't even there to be able to speak up and use her voice. My memory is a little foggy after all these years, but I do know that I came in and he was there, and one of the girls, you know, told me he was downstairs and they were getting Jennifer's things together and the baby's things together, and so of course I went down there to see what was going on, and I confronted both of them, and I asked Jennifer to you know, please, you don't go there, don't leave with him, please. And I confronted Joey, and I said to Joey, because Jennifer told me they wanted to get married and stuff, you know, we're gonna get married. You're gonna have to accept him. And I said to Joey, how are you gonna support them? And are you going to get the drugs and the guns of your house so the baby will be safe? You know how? You know, how are you going to support my daughter and granddaughter and take care of them properly? And he turned around and looked me square in the eye and he said, you don't have a daughter anymore, bitch, and. He went on. Out with Jennifer's bag to put it in the truck. And I shut the front door and locked it, and I turned to Jennifer and I begged her, please don't go, and she reached for the He was on the other side of the door, knocking on the door. She reached for the door to unlock the door, and I grabbed her wrist and I was right in her face, eye to eye, crying and begging her, please don't go with him, Please don't go with him. And she shoved me. She shoved me and pushed me, and I fell over the coffee table in the living room, and Heather hears all that's happening. Heather comes in. Casey has already I think at this point, Casey, I believe has already grabbed the baby and taken off to my bedroom in the back of the house. And I didn't know it but at that second, but she called. She was calling nine one one, and Heather sees all this going on between me and Jennifer, and that Jennifer had put her hands on me, and that we were actually in a physical struggle, and so Heather kind of took it up and was like, I'll put your hands on mom. You know what's wrong with you? You know, And just so it turned into this kind of hair pulling, screaming, clawing match between the two sisters, you know, not really any fist blows or anything like that. Just no, not really. Uh uh. I had not ever seen them really fight like that. But I mean I'd seen them maybe shove one another and you know, say ugly things to each other or something like that, but never to that extent. Uh. It was just that Heather went into protective mode for her mom. And so while they're fussn't and hollering and arguing and hair pulling, Jennifer's hollering Joey help me, Joey help me, and Joey kicked down the door, I mean, completely totally off the hinges the front door, and him and Jennifer left and that's the baby there. Thus, and they left quickly, and the police come take pictures of me. I had a couple of little marks on me and stuff, you know, and explain to us, you know that, I mean, they understood that why everything had happened. They understood why we didn't want the baby to go, but also we knew, as they explained, and we really already knew in our logical sense that you know, the baby has to go with her with her mommy. So then, uh, Joey and Cindy the police officer stayed there. Believe that was a Cross Plains police officer that was there. It was, And Julie comes back with his mom and they got Adriana and took Adriana. And then I found out later that joe Joey's bother, took Jennifer to the Cross Plains Police department to foul a complaint against me trying to keep her child from her and attacking her and all this kind of thing. And you know, I believe that was just to counteract what he knew was coming for his son, which was vandalism charges for kicking in my door. And yes, you may have caught that in Heather's interview. The family had to go to court for this event, and it's because a family filed a report against Joey for kicking down their door. But in order to fully analyze each side of this event dutifully, so each participating member was called to the stand. It means, folks, that Heather was called to the stand and if you needn't catch what she said, it was this. Her family was in the throes of searching for Jennifer and Adriana. By this time, when the court date is here, the girls are missing and behind the scenes, the Wicks family is fighting Robertson County to find their girls. Without confirmation of when Jennifer and Joey were actually engaged, we do know from Kathy's recollection that Jennifer was planning on being with Joey now for a long time. However long Joey and Jennifer had been talking again and seeing each other again in secret is unknown, but it was likely emotion to move back in together for some time. So that Christmas, just three days after this incident, Kathy's home is in distress and concerned over her daughter and granddaughter's safety. The days turn into weeks without contact with Jennifer and Adriana's second birthday comes and goes in January. At birthday spent celebrating at the Benton home, not the Wicks home, tensions begin to reach an all time high between the two families. The Bentons may it very known that the Wicks family is not welcome at their home, and the Wicks family makes it very known that the Bentons are not welcome at their home. But slowly Jennifer begins to come back around. She starts by calling her mom regularly again and then agrees to meet her mother at the local McDonald's where little sisters Heather and Casey worked at the time. Jennifer did tell me that she and Jodi were engaged. Think I think she even had a ring on, just a simple gold wedding band that she was wearing, and ah, Homesley. I just thought that at that moment, at that time, I can remember just thinking, you're just trying to force this guy on us, you know, like you know, getting married to him, you know, because I thought Jennifer would come to her senses and leave him. You know, I really thought that I had come around right before they disappeared. I had finally came around because I had met them a couple of times, like at McDonald's, at the at the play area, and just you know, you know, just to talk with Jennifer and play with Adriana and get her some unhappiness or whatever, you know, And Joey seemed okay, like not, Yeah, Joey would come with him. She never got to go anywhere without him. They wouldn't let her drive any of their vehicles or anything like that. Uh, so he had to bring her. He took her every where she went. But when I would see him, you know, placing the baby in her car seat, or playing with her in the play area, or just carrying her out, you know, I've seen a gentleness, and I thought, you know, I need to just back off and let this play out. I think I think that Jennifer will will see this for herself. And in the meantime, he seems to be taken care of. So you just need to accept her, so to accept him so that you don't alienate Jennifer. I was so afraid of alienating her that I had just come to the conclusion to just accept this, just accept this so that you know, because that's one thing, you know that I've thought about over and over and over and over and over again. What I've known more even more about what she was going through on a daily basis. If if maybe I hadn't, you know, like if she'd felt and so I you know, I was to this day, I'm I'm kind of real careful with that with my other girls because or even just to other young women in my life. You know, I'm kind of an opinionated person, and with my girls, I like for them to know how I feel about certain situations and like to try to give them guidance that sometimes they don't want. And but after what happened to Jennifer, I've kind of I guess little I listen the hard way like that I need to. I have to step back sometime and let things play out and not alienate them. Because if if I had been you know, if we hadn't had that thing happen when he kicked the door in or whatever, if you know, if all that had to happen, would she had been calling me up every day and saying, Mom, guess what he said, Mom, guess what he donem guess where we went? You know? Would I have been a little bit more involved in the day to day activities in hers and the baby's life. And so it scares me to death to think of making one wrong move or one wrong step that would alienate someone I love. For me, Jennifer was reliant on them for everything, car phone money. When Joey went to work. She was left at that Benton home all day to wait on him. As the winter got colder, Joey and Jennifer had to move into the Benton home in the front. Of the property. The shed aka the party barn was just too cold for a toddler to live in. Joey and Jennifer shared one bedroom and Adriana had the bedroom next to them. As the visits were amping up again between her family, Jennifer and Kathy began talking daily. Jennifer attended Casey's sixteenth birthday in February two thousand and four, with Joey dropping her off down the street and waiting for her to be done. But the good news Jennifer's reaching out. She's seeking comfort and supporting her family. Nobody could predict that the days of rebuilding their trust in family ties were now numbered. Thank you to our episode sponsor YouTube channel at I Am from Tennessee by realtor Jennifer Davis, Tennessee Have Something for Everyone. Missing in Hushtown was executive produced and written by Me Your Host Jewles with Anlee Audio House LLC. Casey Robinson was co producer. Special thanks to John Thorpe Patrick Robinson, My parents and Jen Rivera and to our children. To follow our continued efforts on Justice for Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. You can find us on Facebook at Justice for Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. This page is personally managed by Casey herself and you can find me jewles Hi on Instagram at your host jewles Notes and updates can be found on our website www dot Missing in Hushtown dot com. Please help us continue to grow by considering leaving a five star review and rating wherever you're listening. If you have a tip for this case, please please call one eight hundred TBI find help us bring the Wicks girls home. To donate to this family's continued fight for justice, please visit GoFundMe dot com slash Jennifer and Adriana Wicks and To support the podcasts and to help us continue this production, you may click support the show in the show notes and donate a wis Kiss. Ten percent of all profits. From season one I'm Missing in Hushtown will be given to the Wicks family indefinitely. As always, You're wanted, you are loved, and you deserve to be found. Don't you forget it? I'll see you next time. Hey, guysid is Ryan. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm a bit of a fun fanatic when I can. I like to work, but I like fun too, And now I can tell you about my favorite place to have fun, Chumba Casino. They have hundreds of social casino style games to choose from, with new games released each week. You can play for free, and each day brings a new chance to collect daily bonuses. So join me and the fun. Sign up now at chumbacasino dot com. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. 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