Chapter 6: Jennifer Meets Joey

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Missing in Hush Town Season 1 is proudly sponsored by the following

[00:00:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Relive Studio, Andy B's Boutique, 615 Real Estate Advisors and Hometown Connect

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you to our sponsors

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_02]: This episode is sponsored by the YouTube channel at I Am from Tennessee

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_02]: by professional local realtor Jennifer Davis

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Missing in Hush Town Season 1 is proudly sponsored by the following

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Relive Studio, Andy B's Boutique, 615 Real Estate Advisors and Hometown Connect

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you to our sponsors

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Small Towns Talk and We've Been Listening

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm your host, Jules Thorpe, an independent investigative podcaster

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_02]: living in the same town Jennifer and Adriana Wicks went missing from in 2004

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_02]: And this is Missing in Hush Town Season 1, Chapter 6

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer Meets Joey

[00:00:56] Music

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Note from me before we dive in

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_02]: What I know now makes everything you are about to hear even more heartbreaking

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Myself along with many people who are close with the Wicks girls and the Benton family

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Believe that if Jennifer and Adriana had never met Joey

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_02]: They would be alive today

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_02]: This is me saying that someone at that Benton residence knows what happened and who did it

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_02]: So if there was never any Joey and Jennifer

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_02]: There would never be any Bentons in their life

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I promised in the first episode I would share with you more information and I will

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not done yet, I promise

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_02]: In fact, I'll go ahead and share this

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey called Casey and they talked on the phone for the first time in 20 years

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Casey asked Joey some very direct and tough questions

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_02]: And still he lied

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_02]: And yes, now we know he lied

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_02]: We have confirmation that he lied

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_02]: But we'll get more into that in a few episodes

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Stay with me, we need to roll the tape back

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_02]: To when Jennifer meets Joey

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_02]: It's the winner of 2003 in Middle Tennessee

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer is now a young mother at 21 to her daughter Adriana

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Who was just past her first birthday

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Most people will pronounce it as Adriana

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_02]: But Jennifer will make sure to correct them

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And say her baby's name the right way, Adriana

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_02]: In fact, she named her after seeing Vince Gill perform the Adriana song

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_02]: At the Grand Ole Opry when she went with her mom Kathy

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Robertson County tends to slow down a bit in the cold

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_02]: As if the community freezes in time along with the layers of ice

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_02]: That can shut down roads for a week at a time

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_02]: A county ill-equipped with snow clearing devices

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Finds it's easier to shut down school a few days

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Than invest the money on snow plows and storage

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Just to use maybe a few times a year

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe, the weather is unpredictable here in the winter

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_02]: But it's typically cold

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_02]: The evenings tend to drop below freezing as the sun sets

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_02]: And the night goes still

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_02]: The trees are bare and extend into the moonlight

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_02]: As old withered arms stretching for the stars beyond their reach

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer's mom Kathy has accepted a job promotion

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Which will find her moving across the country to Las Vegas, Nevada

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_02]: This job will provide more opportunities for Kathy to grow in her field

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And she feels her youngest daughter Casey will adapt well with the change

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_02]: After all, she'll be moving right before she starts high school

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer and her middle sister Heather choose to stay in Tennessee

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_02]: This is their home and they have places to live while mom Kathy moves away

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Heather choosing to stay mostly with Kathy's mother

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And Jennifer choosing to stay mostly with Michael's mother

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_02]: So both girls are with grandparents from different sides of the family

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_02]: And Jennifer also goes in between Granny Wicks and Aunt Lisa's home

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Heather is often visiting with her sister and her niece at Aunt Lisa's house

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Recall, Granny Wicks is from Jennifer's father side

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And although this is true, Granny Wicks was always so inviting

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_02]: And loving toward all of Jennifer's siblings, blood or not

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_02]: With temperatures in the triple digits

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_02]: With humidity to match many people in Robertson County can be found in water waves

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Creeks, rivers, pools, sprinklers

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Sweet tea is poured by the gallons and the humming of air conditioning units fill the air

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Aunt Lisa has two children at home at the time

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Her son, Jeffrey, and her daughter, Samantha

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_02]: This is Samantha, Jennifer's cousin

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm Samantha True, I'm first cousins with Jennifer Wicks

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_04]: We have a pretty typical cousin relationship

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_04]: She's was quite a bit older than me

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_04]: So I was obviously closer to her younger sisters than to her until we were older

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_04]: I do remember her being with us

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_04]: That's when the two of us got really close

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Did you share a room?

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_04]: We did not share a room, her room was right next to mine

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Because we had a spare bedroom

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_04]: Her and Adriana were in the room together right next to me

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_04]: I spent a lot of time with Adriana

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_04]: Rocked her to sleep many nights

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't remember her being with any men before Joey long enough for it to be one of those things where he came to family functions

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Or was involved in that kind of way

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_04]: I can tell you that I was exposed to him because he was a friend of my brother

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_04]: And he would come to the house to visit with my brother

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_04]: I was young so obviously I didn't have any

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_04]: I didn't talk to him personally because I had no reason to

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_04]: But yeah, first met him and was around him because of his relationship with my brother, his friendship

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't remember when they met

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_04]: I know it was through my brother just because she was there

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_04]: The only time I recall being around them as a couple for any expirative time was they had one of Adriana's birthday parties at the Benton home

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_04]: And I went

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Most people know that Joey and his sister or his siblings didn't have a good childhood especially

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you're going to love someone else's child the way it seemed like he loved Adriana

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_04]: 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

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_04]: It's also hard to understand how people would have had traumatic childhoods feel love

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_04]: How did they receive love as children and what does it look like to them?

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_04]: But it seems to me like he loved Adriana

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_04]: It's so strange that one minute you're being a loving father figure of her say to this child and the next minute they're gone and you don't seem to care

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_04]: 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

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_04]: If you're a spectator looking in on this

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_04]: He seems like a short time boyfriend that didn't really care

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_04]: But I think he did

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_04]: 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

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_04]: And to think about

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean he was young, think about being that young

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_04]: You know whatever happened his life's probably been a living hell

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm not saying he didn't deserve it because he obviously could have given us some closure up to this point but

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Something bad happened to him that day too

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_04]: He's not innocent

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_04]: He was involved in some kind of way

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm still angry at him though like one time I can recall as an adult seeing him in public broke me that day

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_04]: I was living where I'm living now and the house next to me is a duplex

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_04]: And I look out my window one morning and he's in my driveway because we have a shared driveway and he's helping the people next door move

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_04]: And so all day I'm home having to look out the window and see him

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_04]: And what's really strange too is to live in the same town as someone and never see them

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_04]: Like when you live in the same town as someone, you see people passing by in their vehicle

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_04]: You see them at the gas station at the grocery store at the local restaurants

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_04]: You do not ever see the Benton family in cross planes ever

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't recall seeing them out like is I don't know where they go do their shopping

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_04]: Or get gas but anyways I just the whole day looking out the window and having to see him there and

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_04]: That many years later when you've gone about your life and then for it to be like

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_04]: Smacked in the face by it

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_04]: And really just made me mad to see him doing just like a normal everyday thing

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Just living his life helping a friend move and in my mind it's just pissed me off

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_04]: So I do sympathize for him

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_04]: But I also understand that he could have saved our family a lot of hurt

[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_04]: These best years

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_04]: If he hadn't been scared I think, I think he's scared

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_04]: But it's just not fair that he's continued

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_04]: Living his life however shitty it may be

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm not saying he's got a good life

[00:10:42] [SPEAKER_04]: He probably doesn't

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_04]: But just to see him on a random day

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_04]: Helping someone move when I hadn't seen him in years

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_04]: Did he see you?

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't think so

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_04]: I pretty much had to wait in my house all day

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_04]: And I was so mad all day that I was shaking and crying

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_04]: And if I'd gone outside of Pride just said something to him

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_04]: And not something to do anybody any good

[00:11:10] [SPEAKER_04]: He probably wouldn't even know who I was if he saw me honestly

[00:11:13] [SPEAKER_04]: We have a community-wide yard sale every year called Trash and Treasures

[00:11:18] [SPEAKER_04]: Because I remember it being summertime and I think we had gotten together as a family at a home locally

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And I was walking into the food value or the pig louis glu or whatever

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER_04]: And that probably would have been three months after they went missing

[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_04]: And so their signs, their posters were still all over town

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_04]: And I remember just walking into the grocery store to get something

[00:11:42] [SPEAKER_04]: And people standing there looking at their sign and making remarks like

[00:11:47] [SPEAKER_04]: You know they just ran away because this town sucks or something to that effect

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Like you know she just hated it here and so she left or just making assumptions

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_04]: Just because she was an adult that she could just leave

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_04]: I didn't say anything to them because I was young

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_04]: But my memories are vague of that time but for some reason that really sticks out in my mind

[00:12:12] [SPEAKER_04]: That was probably the first time that I heard or saw somebody like

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_04]: Make that assumption about them

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_04]: In my mind obviously I knew them, I knew that wasn't the case

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_04]: But it never occurred to me that's what other people might think

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_04]: It was so hurtful that someone in our town was making those assumptions and voicing them to other people

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_04]: My mom loved Jennifer like she was her own

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_04]: And I think she showed that and Jennifer knew that she always had a place in our home

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_04]: And Jennifer knew that, Jennifer knew she always had somewhere to go and she had people that cared for her

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_04]: So that's another aspect of the case that people don't understand is

[00:12:55] [SPEAKER_04]: She had somewhere to go if she wanted to leave Joey

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_04]: She had the opportunity, she had a place to go

[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_04]: The room was still empty that she lived in, she could have came back

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_04]: And my mom told her she could come back whenever she wanted

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_04]: She knew where we hid the key

[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_04]: But yeah, my mom loved her, my mom loved Adriana

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_04]: And was willing to take care of her and do anything for her

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_04]: I've dreamed about her so many times

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_04]: And her and Jennifer have come to me and dreamed many times over

[00:13:36] [SPEAKER_04]: Mainly they've just been

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Here we are you found us

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Reunions

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_04]: The fill of

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_04]: Joy

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_04]: Happiness and

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_04]: Relief

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_04]: Over just

[00:13:56] [SPEAKER_04]: We found them

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_04]: And I don't know if that's

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_04]: Wishful thinking or

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_04]: Jennifer's saying

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_04]: We'll see you later

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, we'll see you after this life

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_04]: But

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_04]: It's a comfort but it's also

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_04]: A nightmare when you wake up

[00:14:26] [SPEAKER_02]: I asked Heather, Jennifer's middle sister

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_02]: On her mom's side

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_02]: How she met Joey and what she had to say

[00:14:40] [SPEAKER_06]: Samantha was just in here, that's our cousin

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_06]: Her older brother is Jeffrey

[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_06]: Jeffrey and I were super close as cousins

[00:14:50] [SPEAKER_06]: So me and Jeffrey would hang out all the time

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_06]: And Jeffrey was best friends with Joey

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_06]: So I remember meeting

[00:14:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Joey one night

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_06]: Meet Jeffrey and Joey

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_06]: We were in his explorer

[00:15:04] [SPEAKER_06]: We went to Rivergate at a toys RS one time

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_06]: I remember

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_06]: That was the first night I met him

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_06]: Jeffrey was like you want to take a ride

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_06]: And I was like, yeah let's go

[00:15:14] [SPEAKER_06]: I didn't know what we were doing

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_06]: I was young, I was probably 16

[00:15:19] [SPEAKER_06]: Maybe

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_06]: And then we drove to the toys RS parking lot

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_06]: In Rivergate

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Joey was the driver

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_06]: And the driver seat

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_06]: I was in the back

[00:15:32] [SPEAKER_06]: Then Joey takes a gun out

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_06]: And he sits on the console

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_06]: He takes, I remember him like lining up some pills

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_06]: And some baggies and he did a drug deal

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_06]: And I would say that I was

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_06]: My mom was so strict growing up

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_06]: I was just a little bit sheltered

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_06]: So then I started to hang out with Jeffrey

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_06]: And his friends and that was like the first

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_06]: Of any you know thing

[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_06]: I was like so scared and so shocked

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_06]: But anyways I just find that ironic

[00:15:59] [SPEAKER_06]: That's my first meeting ever with Joey

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_06]: Before Joey ever started dating Jennifer

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_06]: So basically knew he was no good for her

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_06]: But yeah that's how I met Joey

[00:16:11] [SPEAKER_06]: That's the first time

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_06]: And I think I hung out with him again

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_06]: When maybe in his barn one time

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_06]: And there was a bunch of Jeffrey

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_06]: And Joey's friends and they were all

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Passing around you know

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_06]: A joint marijuana or whatever

[00:16:30] [SPEAKER_06]: And we were all just hanging out

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_06]: Like in the barn just partying as kids

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_06]: And teenagers

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_06]: But then I don't think too long after that

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_06]: Jennifer started dating Joey

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_06]: And their relationship

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_06]: Was now that I'm a grown woman

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_06]: And I look back it was toxic as can be

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_06]: It was the break up go out

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_06]: Break up go out you know fighting

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Hostility you know her crying

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't long before Joey and Jennifer

[00:17:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Became an intense and serious couple

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_02]: With Jennifer bringing him around

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_02]: The people she cared the most about

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer's youngest sister

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Megan Wicks from her dad's side

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_02]: Recalls when Joey and Jennifer came to visit them

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_05]: One of the last times we saw her

[00:17:18] [SPEAKER_05]: And they came to visit with Joey

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_05]: Only met Joey I guess one time

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_05]: It was one of the last times I saw him

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_05]: But I don't know

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_05]: I feel like they visited

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_05]: Or she at least visited with Adriana

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_05]: Twice before you know before I ever saw him again

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_05]: Never saw them again

[00:17:38] [SPEAKER_05]: But I do remember Joey very vaguely

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER_05]: I remember

[00:17:45] [SPEAKER_05]: I think a lot of the time he was outside

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_05]: Talking with my dad you know

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_05]: They're just outside hanging out

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_05]: Probably because they were smoking a cigarette

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_05]: Or whatever they're just outside

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_05]: But I remember when they left

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_05]: When people would come visit our house

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_05]: Especially Jennifer it wasn't just

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_05]: Okay we're getting in the car and leaving

[00:18:02] [SPEAKER_05]: It was we're going to stand around

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_05]: And talk for another hour you know

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_05]: So you know Jennifer and Joey are standing outside

[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_05]: Just talking to my dad getting ready to leave

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_05]: And you know I'm out there with my dad

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_05]: Because I followed him everywhere

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_05]: And I remember Adriana was in the back seat

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_05]: And she just absolutely adored Joey

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_05]: And this was the only time I ever saw her cry or get upset

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_05]: But she wanted him in that car

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_05]: She was tired and she just kept saying

[00:18:30] [SPEAKER_05]: Joey, doi, like that's what she called him

[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_05]: And she was doing

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_05]: She was motioning her little hand

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_05]: Like I'm getting in the car

[00:18:36] [SPEAKER_05]: Like come on Joey you know

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_05]: Like she loved Joey

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_05]: And it was very sweet

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_05]: And I can't remember if they had brought

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_05]: Her rocking horse

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_05]: Or if we already had one

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_05]: But I remember she

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_05]: Had one of the rocking horse wall

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't go anywhere we'll be right back

[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors people over profit

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors are committed

[00:19:11] [SPEAKER_02]: To bringing people in our community home

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Every single day

[00:19:14] [SPEAKER_02]: This includes Jennifer and Adriana Wicks

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Located in Robertson County, Tennessee

[00:19:20] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors proudly serve

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_02]: All of Middle Tennessee

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[00:19:44] [SPEAKER_02]: That website is ShopAndyBs

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_02]: A-N-D-I-B-S.com

[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't go anywhere we'll be right back

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors people over profit

[00:20:05] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors are committed

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_02]: To bringing people in our community home

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Every single day

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_02]: This includes Jennifer and Adriana Wicks

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Located in Robertson County, Tennessee

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_02]: 615 real estate advisors proudly serve

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_02]: All of Middle Tennessee

[00:20:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Andy B's boutique, customties

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_02]: For all your needs

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Creating faith, pet and family friendly designs

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_02]: For all

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Visit ShopAndyBs.com

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_02]: For an exclusive Jennifer and Adriana Wicks shirt

[00:20:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Andy B's boutique will donate profits

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_02]: From each Wicks shirt

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Back to the Wicks family

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_02]: To fight for justice

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_02]: That website is ShopAndyBs

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_02]: A-N-D-I-B-S.com

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_01]: In the shadows of the city

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[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_01]: In the shadows of the city

[00:22:01] [SPEAKER_01]: A business missed a crucial chance

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Neglecting the power of captivating content

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[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Although Kathy wasn't thrilled

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_02]: About the fact that she was in a bar

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_02]: And on the Benton property

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_02]: She was assured it was fine

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_02]: As the months became cooler

[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And the fall began bringing cool breezes

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_02]: And if you've never experienced a fall

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER_02]: In a small football town in the south

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_02]: You're in for a treat

[00:23:26] [SPEAKER_02]: The leaves go from a deep green

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_02]: To a beautiful rich orange yellow

[00:23:31] [SPEAKER_02]: And deep red

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_02]: The weighted blanket of the humidity

[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_02]: From the summer burdens have been lifted

[00:23:37] [SPEAKER_02]: And if you were to drive around

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_02]: This small town on Friday night

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Piled up in trucks

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Headed to the high school football games

[00:23:46] [SPEAKER_02]: The bleachers filled with alumni

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_02]: From generations past

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_02]: The stadium lights flooding

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Far past the field into the town square

[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Or maybe the kids are headed to

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Bonfires at someone's family farm

[00:23:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Or they plan to meet by the creek

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_02]: With music and beer

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Whatever they choose

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_02]: The air is filled with the smoke

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_02]: From the tobacco burning barns

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Something that Robertson County

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Is known for

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_02]: There's a few roads over

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_02]: From the cross plains city lines

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Deep in the heart of Robertson County

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer, Joey and Adriana

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Seek a life independent of others

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_02]: A life where they can act as a family

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_02]: A trio

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey stepping in as a father

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_02]: And protector role for Adriana

[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Offering commitment, support

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER_02]: And love to Jennifer

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_02]: The barn offered a sense of independence

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Albeit it was veiled independence

[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer was always dependent

[00:24:39] [SPEAKER_02]: On her family

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_02]: And a loving way to her family

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_02]: They offered her emotional support

[00:24:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Consistency in a time when

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_02]: There was so much change

[00:24:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And friendship

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_02]: After all, the family was together

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_02]: In support of Jennifer

[00:24:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Throughout Jennifer's pregnancy at 19

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Her delivery at 20

[00:24:59] [SPEAKER_02]: And throughout her learning how to

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Navigate life as a young mother

[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_02]: So when Jennifer calls her mom Kathy

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_02]: One evening in Las Vegas

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_02]: And shares that Joey's mother, Cindy Benton

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Drove her and Adriana

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_02]: And dropped her off at a granny Wix's house

[00:25:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Kathy was alarmed

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_02]: What Jennifer told her

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, folks

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_02]: It was enough to make Kathy quit her job

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And immediately relocate back to Tennessee

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_02]: She knew she had to get back

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_02]: To her daughter and granddaughter

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Immediately

[00:25:31] [SPEAKER_02]: According to police reports

[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Kathy said

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Quote

[00:25:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey had in the recent past pulled

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_02]: A gun on Jennifer and threatened

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER_02]: To hurt them all

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_02]: He called his mother to come and get them

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Before he hurt them all

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_02]: She did and took Jennifer and Adriana

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_02]: To her grandparents

[00:25:48] [SPEAKER_02]: End quote

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_02]: It's important to pause here

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_02]: And inform all of our listeners

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_02]: That every person I've talked about

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_02]: By name in this podcast

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Was reached out to by either myself

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Or Casey, Jennifer's sister

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_02]: I texted Joey multiple times

[00:26:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer's cousin multiple times

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_02]: And had an interview set up for Aunt Lisa

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And had a conversation with her

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know if I'm going to participate in

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't share this information

[00:26:14] [SPEAKER_02]: To discredit these individuals

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Because in the end

[00:26:16] [SPEAKER_02]: I truthfully support their right

[00:26:18] [SPEAKER_02]: To not talk

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And after all, investigative

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Podcasting is not a really widely known

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Medium for storytelling

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_02]: People don't know me

[00:26:26] [SPEAKER_02]: And of course I understand the lack of trust

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_02]: I do bring up my attempts

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_02]: To communicate with all involved

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that's great

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_02]: I want transparency here

[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_02]: But transparency doesn't mean

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_02]: I won't interpret the information

[00:26:46] [SPEAKER_02]: I believe

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_02]: I did not attempt to reach out

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_02]: To a few individuals in this case

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_02]: And that was at the request

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Of law enforcement through the family

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_02]: I did not attempt to contact Joe Benton

[00:26:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Also note he is currently

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_02]: In jail in Robertson County

[00:27:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Again, we never want to hurt a case

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_02]: Just help

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_02]: I am here to poke some bears

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Because this is the game we have to play

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_02]: To get noticed

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And we're going to suit up and step in the ring

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_02]: And play as fair as we can to win

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_02]: But we are not holding back our punches

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_02]: All right, back to the report

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_02]: We have now placed Cindy Benton

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_02]: In the car with Jennifer and Adriana

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Driving her to Granny Wicks' home

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Recall Jennifer was living at that home

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_02]: And her Aunt Lisa's home

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_02]: While her mother had moved to Las Vegas

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_02]: For a job promotion

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_02]: So this is how she feels safe in obviously

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_02]: The place we flee from is our place of fear

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_02]: But the place we flee to

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Says everything about trust and understanding

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer knew that her Granny Wicks' home

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Was a safe haven

[00:27:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And she knew she was always welcome there

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_02]: At any time of the day

[00:27:56] [SPEAKER_02]: What is interesting is that throughout the years

[00:27:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Defenders of Joey Benton

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Have denied that Joey would ever harm Jennifer

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_02]: In fact, in an online forum

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_02]: That was popular in local communities at the time

[00:28:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Called Topics, community members

[00:28:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Capose anonymously

[00:28:10] [SPEAKER_02]: And when the girls went missing in 2004

[00:28:13] [SPEAKER_02]: Topics appeared to be the place where the Wicks

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_02]: And the Benton families would communicate

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And I use that term loosely

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_02]: The Benton family has always vehemently

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Denied Joey could ever hurt Jennifer

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Until recently

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_02]: It's important to not forget

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_02]: That these police reports

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Quote what the family says

[00:28:33] [SPEAKER_02]: To the police officers

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Now it's just that it's quotes from other people

[00:28:37] [SPEAKER_02]: It's not corroborated information

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_02]: It's not a corroborated report

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_02]: About whether Joey did

[00:28:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Or did not pull a gun on Jennifer

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_02]: There is no police report on that actual incident

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_02]: As far as we civilians understand

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_02]: With the extent of our access to the files

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_02]: In this case, we do not have a statement

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_02]: From Cindy Benton

[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Or any written statement from anyone

[00:29:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Other than Kathy

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_02]: In the report taken when the girls disappeared

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer and Adriana remained living

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Between Aunt Lisa and Granny Wicks

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_02]: As home until Kathy and Casey moved back to Tennessee

[00:29:14] [SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't a long time waiting

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Kathy mobilized very quickly

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_02]: She didn't think twice about coming back

[00:29:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Call it a mother's intuition

[00:29:22] [SPEAKER_02]: This incident is what the Wicks family

[00:29:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Refers to as the first red flag

[00:29:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Us knowing what we know about Heather's

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_02]: First experience with Joey

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_02]: And the drug exchange at the mall

[00:29:31] [SPEAKER_02]: It would likely be our second red flag

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_02]: But up until this point

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey had never shown this dangerous behavior

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Toward Jennifer and Adriana

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_02]: It's interesting to say the least

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_02]: We almost have two versions of Joey

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_02]: When people recall him

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_02]: There was a Joey who appeared

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_02]: To have truly loved Jennifer

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_02]: And then there was the Joey

[00:29:50] [SPEAKER_02]: That seemed to display rage, aggression and violence

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Seeing that alternating side

[00:29:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer did break up with Joey

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER_02]: She was done

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_02]: But in the fall

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_02]: They hadn't been dating that long

[00:30:01] [SPEAKER_02]: They met in July

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_02]: And the first incident where Jennifer tells her mother

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_02]: About Joey threatening the girls is in the fall

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_02]: So within 12 weeks give or take

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_02]: They have moved in together

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Now broken up

[00:30:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And now we find ourselves living back

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_02]: With Kathy and Casey and Heather

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Once Kathy was able to get back to Tennessee

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Me, Ma, Kathy's strong and fierce mother

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_02]: As those who knew her would describe her

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Had a home that she was able

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_02]: To rent out to the girls

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_02]: And the upstairs part

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And Jennifer stayed in the finished basement

[00:30:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Below which had two bedrooms

[00:30:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Heather's bedroom was just above Jennifer's

[00:30:37] [SPEAKER_02]: And she could often hear Jennifer's phone

[00:30:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Conversation seep up into her room

[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_02]: And of course

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_02]: A nosy little sister would make sure

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_02]: She could hear even better

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_02]: By opening her windows and crouching near

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_02]: The air vents

[00:30:50] [SPEAKER_02]: The family rallied around Jennifer

[00:30:52] [SPEAKER_02]: They wanted her to succeed

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_02]: They wanted to help her

[00:30:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And support her and raise her up

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_02]: And they decided to form a type of

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Intervention for Jennifer

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Once they caught wind

[00:31:05] [SPEAKER_02]: That she may be considering going back

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_02]: To Joey

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Heather and Kathy both recall the

[00:31:11] [SPEAKER_06]: Intervention here

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_06]: We all had a family intervention at one point

[00:31:15] [SPEAKER_06]: And I can't remember

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_06]: I feel like this may have been before

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_06]: The fight

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_06]: Where the door gets busted in

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_06]: But it was her grandmother

[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_06]: It was me, my mom, my grandmother

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_06]: I can't remember who else was there

[00:31:30] [SPEAKER_06]: But they all met at our house

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_06]: Because we knew that Jennifer

[00:31:35] [SPEAKER_06]: Was starting to think about going back

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_06]: To Joey

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_06]: And she had no idea we were about to

[00:31:41] [SPEAKER_06]: Have an intervention on her

[00:31:43] [SPEAKER_06]: And this is where we all knew this

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_06]: Was not a good idea

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_06]: And we were going to sit her down

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER_06]: And let her know that she shouldn't

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_06]: Do this, think about the baby

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_06]: We also know Jennifer's an amazing mother

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_06]: And she loved her baby

[00:31:56] [SPEAKER_06]: And then my mom just didn't want to

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Push Jennifer further away

[00:32:02] [SPEAKER_06]: But my mom just didn't want Jennifer

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_06]: To hate her and push her away

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_06]: Which you can only imagine how much

[00:32:09] [SPEAKER_06]: That would cause, you know

[00:32:11] [SPEAKER_06]: Between a mom and a daughter

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_06]: If a mom did that

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_06]: But we all really just knew it was bad

[00:32:17] [SPEAKER_06]: And that they, like we just knew

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_06]: Something was going to happen

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_03]: When her and Joey were split up

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And I had came back from Las Vegas

[00:32:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And they were living with me

[00:32:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER_03]: I worked during the day

[00:32:32] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I babysat the baby at night

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_03]: For her to take my vehicle

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And go to work

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And I had found out that

[00:32:41] [SPEAKER_03]: She wasn't going to work

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Every time she told me that she was

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_03]: She was actually going to see Joey

[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe possibly trying to work things out with him

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And so she wasn't

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_03]: She wasn't holding up to her into the bargain

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_03]: As far as

[00:33:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Getting her life together

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And breaking away from

[00:33:10] [SPEAKER_03]: The abuse and stuff from Joey

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know the verbal kind of abuse

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_03]: From Joey

[00:33:17] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_03]: You know keeping her job

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_03]: She was in the threat of losing her job

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_03]: It was very important that she kept her job

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:33:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:33:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Show up in the morning in time for me

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_03]: To have my car to go to work

[00:33:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And take care of her baby

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_03]: There was just several little things

[00:33:38] [SPEAKER_03]: That she just wasn't doing

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_03]: That she had agreed that she would do

[00:33:44] [SPEAKER_03]: So

[00:33:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Our family, all of us

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Grandparents

[00:33:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Aunts

[00:33:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Everyone

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Thought that

[00:33:56] [SPEAKER_03]: We needed to talk to her

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And let her know how important it was

[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_03]: That she basically get her act together

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_03]: And put her priorities in line

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And her priorities shouldn't be Joey

[00:34:09] [SPEAKER_03]: It should be her job

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_03]: And her baby

[00:34:13] [SPEAKER_03]: And that sort of thing

[00:34:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And so

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_03]: We all got together one night

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_03]: If I remember correctly it was around November the 10th

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Around in there

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_03]: And when Jennifer come in

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_03]: We just said, hey we want to talk to you

[00:34:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And we kind of laid down the law tour

[00:34:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And said look

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_03]: You've got to do this

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_03]: And you do not need to have the baby at Joey's

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_03]: That's not a good environment

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_03]: There's guns, there's drugs

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_03]: You've told us about all this

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's not a place you want to have your baby

[00:34:50] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not safe for you

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not safe for her

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:34:54] [SPEAKER_03]: So we told her

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER_03]: That then we said

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_03]: If you're not careful

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Someone may try to intervene

[00:35:04] [SPEAKER_03]: And take your child from you

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And you don't want that to happen

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_03]: If someone was to call child services

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And say that you were

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Shacked up in a party barn

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_03]: With guns and drugs

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER_03]: They would take your child

[00:35:17] [SPEAKER_03]: And so this is where

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_03]: It is very important that you listen

[00:35:21] [SPEAKER_03]: To us older folks

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Who have experience and can tell you

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER_03]: That that's, you know, that you

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_03]: You're headed down the wrong path here

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_03]: And you need to steer back into where

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, on to the right path

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_03]: So that was our intervention

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_03]: That we had with her in November

[00:35:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I guess it didn't do a lot of good

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Unfortunately because

[00:35:44] [SPEAKER_03]: You know she ended up

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Giving Joey another chance

[00:35:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And moving back in with Joey

[00:35:50] [SPEAKER_03]: In December

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_06]: The night of the fight

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_06]: I heard Jennifer talking to Joey

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_06]: On the phone downstairs through the vent

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_06]: Because I was eavesdropping

[00:35:59] [SPEAKER_06]: And I ran and told my mom

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_06]: And Adriana

[00:36:04] [SPEAKER_06]: I believe Adriana was upstairs

[00:36:06] [SPEAKER_06]: She may have been playing with Casey

[00:36:08] [SPEAKER_06]: Or something

[00:36:08] [SPEAKER_06]: But I was in my room eavesdropping

[00:36:12] [SPEAKER_06]: I could hear that she was getting back together

[00:36:14] [SPEAKER_06]: With Joey despite denying it

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_06]: And she was basically inviting him

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_06]: To come over and help her

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_06]: Because she knew we weren't going to let her

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Just walk out the door

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_06]: So I ran and told mom

[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_06]: And I think if I can remember correctly

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_06]: Mom and Jennifer just started arguing

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_06]: Mom's trying to talk her out of it

[00:36:37] [SPEAKER_06]: Next thing we know Joey is there

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_06]: I think Joey gets in

[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_06]: He goes downstairs

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_06]: To grab some of Jennifer's things

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_06]: And belongings

[00:36:49] [SPEAKER_06]: He walks outside to put them in the car

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_06]: Mom and Jennifer are fighting

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_06]: I lock the door behind Joey

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_06]: As he takes the stuff out

[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_06]: And I'm like standing up against the door

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_06]: With the door locked

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_06]: And I remember Jennifer

[00:37:10] [SPEAKER_06]: Like physically pushing my mom

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_06]: Over onto the coffee table

[00:37:16] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know if she hit her

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_06]: Or pushed her or what

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_06]: But she pushed her

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_06]: And my mom literally just started

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER_06]: Just went tumbling over the coffee table

[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_06]: Well, this is the first fight

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_06]: I've ever gotten into in my life

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_06]: I think this is actually

[00:37:38] [SPEAKER_06]: The hardest thing for me personally

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_06]: To talk about

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_06]: Because when I saw mom

[00:37:44] [SPEAKER_06]: When I saw mom laying on the floor

[00:37:46] [SPEAKER_06]: Like I'm protective over my mother

[00:37:49] [SPEAKER_06]: I didn't want Jennifer to go or Adriana

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_06]: But as soon as I saw her

[00:37:54] [SPEAKER_06]: You know, hit my mom

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_06]: And pushed her over the coffee table

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_06]: I jumped on Jennifer

[00:37:58] [SPEAKER_06]: And we started physically fighting

[00:38:02] [SPEAKER_06]: And I think her earring ripped out

[00:38:04] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know but

[00:38:10] [SPEAKER_06]: I mean you're sitting here looking at me

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm five, two and a half

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_06]: And Jennifer was probably

[00:38:16] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know

[00:38:17] [SPEAKER_06]: Five, six, five, seven

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't even know

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_06]: I know a young girl I remember

[00:38:21] [SPEAKER_06]: My mom put her in this modeling thing

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_06]: And she was like one of the tall models

[00:38:28] [SPEAKER_06]: But anyway

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_06]: The reason why I say that

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Is because we started fighting

[00:38:34] [SPEAKER_06]: The next thing I know

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_06]: She's screaming for Joey

[00:38:38] [SPEAKER_06]: Joey kicks in our front door

[00:38:40] [SPEAKER_06]: And the whole door comes tumbling down

[00:38:42] [SPEAKER_06]: And he grabs her

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_06]: And they literally

[00:38:44] [SPEAKER_06]: Like I'm screaming

[00:38:46] [SPEAKER_06]: And my mom screaming like

[00:38:48] [SPEAKER_06]: Like we are screaming

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_06]: And Casey runs, locks the door

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_06]: Has the baby

[00:38:56] [SPEAKER_06]: And is calling 911

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_06]: So and Jennifer and Adriana

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_06]: Just start running

[00:39:01] [SPEAKER_06]: I guess because we had just gotten in a fight

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_06]: You know she had hit me a couple times

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_06]: I probably hit her a couple times

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_06]: She had hit my mom

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_06]: It was just chaos

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_06]: And so

[00:39:14] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know why they didn't stay

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_06]: To try to get Adriana

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_06]: Maybe just to get out of the situation

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_06]: But they took off running

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_06]: And they were police there

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_06]: So on their end

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_06]: Joey and Jennifer called the police

[00:39:29] [SPEAKER_06]: And on our end

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_06]: Casey called the police

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_06]: So they were police on both ends

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Who knew

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_06]: And unfortunately

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_06]: We filed, we pressed charges

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_06]: Filed a report

[00:39:43] [SPEAKER_06]: You did?

[00:39:44] [SPEAKER_06]: Yes and then

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_06]: For vandalism

[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_06]: And then

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm pretty

[00:39:50] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm not exactly sure if

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_06]: They filed a report

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm not exactly sure

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_06]: But

[00:40:00] [SPEAKER_06]: I remember we had to hand Adriana back over

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_07]: And that was hard

[00:40:11] [SPEAKER_07]: And then

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_07]: This is the shitty thing

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_07]: Because not long after that they disappeared

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And I just

[00:40:36] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't feel like

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_07]: That I really got to make up

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_07]: With my big sister

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_07]: Who was also

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_07]: My best friend

[00:40:47] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't think I saw her much after that

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_07]: And then there was a court date set

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_06]: And I had to go testify

[00:41:02] [SPEAKER_06]: Court

[00:41:04] [SPEAKER_06]: And be portrayed as a monster

[00:41:05] [SPEAKER_07]: On the stand

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_07]: And my sister

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_07]: Was supposed to be at court

[00:41:12] [SPEAKER_07]: And she was missing already

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_07]: So my sister couldn't even stand up

[00:41:16] [SPEAKER_07]: For me in court and be like

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_07]: She was just trying to protect her mom

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_07]: Like

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_07]: My sister is not a monster

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_07]: But

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_07]: I remember Joey sitting

[00:41:29] [SPEAKER_06]: Sitting in court

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_06]: And I just remember

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_06]: His attorney

[00:41:33] [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know if it was like a public defender

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_06]: Or whatever

[00:41:36] [SPEAKER_06]: But they were just like hammering me

[00:41:39] [SPEAKER_06]: They made it out to sound like

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_06]: I'm so much bigger than Jennifer

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_06]: And like I hurt her

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_06]: She was not her

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_06]: Is this because

[00:41:50] [SPEAKER_06]: He was trying to get off on charges

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_06]: Like and they were trying to say

[00:41:53] [SPEAKER_06]: Like he had to protect my sister

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_06]: And bust in our door

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_06]: And they just made me out to be some monster

[00:41:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Whenever my family

[00:42:00] [SPEAKER_06]: And myself was in so much pain

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_06]: And here I am 17 years old

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_06]: 18

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_06]: Can you remember how old I was at this point

[00:42:07] [SPEAKER_06]: But it was 17 or 18

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_06]: But

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_06]: I was so scared

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_06]: And we know that

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_06]: The Benton family had something to do

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_06]: With it

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_06]: We just knew

[00:42:23] [SPEAKER_06]: Look at what just happened

[00:42:24] [SPEAKER_06]: Look at why we were sitting in court

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_06]: In the first place

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_06]: And like

[00:42:29] [SPEAKER_06]: She wasn't even there

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_06]: To be able to speak up and use her voice

[00:42:34] [SPEAKER_03]: My memory is a little foggy

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_03]: After all these years

[00:42:37] [SPEAKER_03]: But I do know that

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I came in and he was there

[00:42:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Getting Jennifer's things together

[00:42:48] [SPEAKER_03]: And the baby's things together

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And so of course I went down there

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_03]: To see what was going on

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And I confronted

[00:42:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Both of them

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And I asked Jennifer to please

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't go there

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't leave with him please

[00:43:04] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And I confronted Joey

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_03]: And I said to Joey

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Because Jennifer had told me

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_03]: They wanted to get married and stuff

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we're going to get married

[00:43:17] [SPEAKER_03]: And you're going to have to accept him

[00:43:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:43:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I said to Joey

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_03]: How are you going to support them?

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_03]: And are you going to get the drugs

[00:43:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And the guns out of your house

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_03]: So the baby will be safe

[00:43:30] [SPEAKER_03]: You know

[00:43:30] [SPEAKER_03]: How are you going to support my daughter

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And granddaughter

[00:43:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And take care of them properly

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And he turned around and looked me

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Square in the eye

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_03]: And he said you don't have a daughter

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And I asked him to please

[00:43:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Get out with Jennifer's bag

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_03]: To put it in the truck

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_03]: I shut the front door

[00:44:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And locked it

[00:44:03] [SPEAKER_03]: And I turned to Jennifer

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER_03]: And I begged her please don't go

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:44:10] [SPEAKER_03]: She reached for the

[00:44:12] [SPEAKER_03]: He was on the other side of the door

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Knocking on the door

[00:44:15] [SPEAKER_03]: She reached for the door to unlock the door

[00:44:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:44:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I grabbed her wrist

[00:44:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was right in her face

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Eye to eye

[00:44:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Crying and begging her

[00:44:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Please don't go with him

[00:44:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Please don't go with him

[00:44:32] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:44:33] [SPEAKER_03]: She shoved me

[00:44:38] [SPEAKER_03]: She shoved me

[00:44:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And pushed me

[00:44:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And I fell over the coffee table

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_03]: In the living room

[00:44:47] [SPEAKER_03]: And Heather here's all that's happening

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And Heather comes in

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Casey

[00:44:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Has already I think at this point

[00:44:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Casey I believe has already grabbed the baby

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_03]: And taken off to my bedroom

[00:44:59] [SPEAKER_03]: In the back of the house

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER_03]: I didn't know it but at that second

[00:45:05] [SPEAKER_03]: But she was calling 911

[00:45:08] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:45:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Heather

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Sees all this going on between me and Jennifer

[00:45:14] [SPEAKER_03]: And that Jennifer had put her hands on me

[00:45:15] [SPEAKER_03]: And that we were actually in a physical struggle

[00:45:19] [SPEAKER_03]: And Heather kind of took it up

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And was like

[00:45:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll put your hands on mom, you know

[00:45:23] [SPEAKER_03]: What's wrong with you, you know

[00:45:24] [SPEAKER_03]: So it turned into this kind of hair pulling

[00:45:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Screaming claw and match

[00:45:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Between the two sisters

[00:45:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Not really any fist blows

[00:45:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Or anything like that

[00:45:36] [SPEAKER_03]: No, not really

[00:45:42] [SPEAKER_03]: I had not ever seen them

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Really fight like that

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_03]: But I mean I had seen them

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe shove one another

[00:45:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know say ugly things to each other

[00:45:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Or something like that

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_03]: But never to that extent

[00:45:56] [SPEAKER_03]: It was just that Heather

[00:45:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Went into a protective mode for mom

[00:46:00] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:46:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So while there

[00:46:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Bussing and hollering and arguing

[00:46:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And hair pulling

[00:46:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Jennifer's hollering

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Joey, help me, Joey, help me

[00:46:12] [SPEAKER_03]: And Joey kicked down the door

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean completely totally off the hinges

[00:46:17] [SPEAKER_03]: The front door

[00:46:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And him and Jennifer left

[00:46:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:46:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Let the baby there with us

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And they left

[00:46:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Quickly

[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_03]: The police come

[00:46:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Take pictures of me

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I had a couple of little marks on me

[00:46:39] [SPEAKER_03]: And stuff, you know

[00:46:40] [SPEAKER_03]: And explained to us, you know

[00:46:44] [SPEAKER_03]: That

[00:46:44] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean they understood that

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Why everything had happened

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And they had to go

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_03]: But also we knew

[00:46:54] [SPEAKER_03]: As they explained

[00:46:56] [SPEAKER_03]: And we really already knew

[00:46:58] [SPEAKER_03]: In our logical sense

[00:46:59] [SPEAKER_03]: That, you know, the baby has to go

[00:47:04] [SPEAKER_03]: With her mommy

[00:47:06] [SPEAKER_03]: So

[00:47:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Then

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Joey and Cindy, the police officer

[00:47:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Stayed there

[00:47:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Believe that was a cross planes

[00:47:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Police officer that was there

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_03]: It was

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_03]: And

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Joey comes back with his mom

[00:47:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And they got Adriana

[00:47:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And took Adriana

[00:47:32] [SPEAKER_03]: And then I find out later that

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Joe

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Joey's father

[00:47:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Took

[00:47:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Jennifer

[00:47:43] [SPEAKER_03]: To the cross planes police department

[00:47:45] [SPEAKER_03]: To file a complaint

[00:47:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Against me

[00:47:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Trying to keep her child from her

[00:47:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And attacking her

[00:47:56] [SPEAKER_03]: And all this kind of thing

[00:47:59] [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know

[00:48:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I believe that was just a counteract

[00:48:04] [SPEAKER_03]: What he knew was coming for his son

[00:48:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Which was vandalism charges

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_03]: For kicking in my door

[00:48:09] [SPEAKER_02]: And yes, you may have caught that

[00:48:11] [SPEAKER_02]: In Heather's interview

[00:48:12] [SPEAKER_02]: The family had to go to court

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_02]: For this event

[00:48:15] [SPEAKER_02]: And it's because the family filed

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_02]: A report against Joey

[00:48:18] [SPEAKER_02]: For kicking down their door

[00:48:20] [SPEAKER_02]: But in order to fully analyze

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Each side of this event dutifully

[00:48:23] [SPEAKER_02]: So each participating member

[00:48:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Was called to the stand

[00:48:27] [SPEAKER_02]: This means folks that Heather

[00:48:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Was called to the stand

[00:48:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And if you didn't catch what she said

[00:48:33] [SPEAKER_02]: It was this

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Her family was in the throes

[00:48:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Of searching for Jennifer and Adriana

[00:48:39] [SPEAKER_02]: By this time

[00:48:41] [SPEAKER_02]: When the court date is here

[00:48:45] [SPEAKER_02]: And behind the scenes

[00:48:46] [SPEAKER_02]: The Wicks family is fighting

[00:48:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Robertson County to find their girls

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Without confirmation of when Jennifer

[00:48:53] [SPEAKER_02]: And Joey were actually engaged

[00:48:55] [SPEAKER_02]: We do know from Kathy's recollection

[00:48:57] [SPEAKER_02]: That Jennifer was planning on

[00:48:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Being with Joey now for a long time

[00:49:01] [SPEAKER_02]: However long Joey and Jennifer

[00:49:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Had been talking again

[00:49:05] [SPEAKER_02]: And seeing each other again

[00:49:06] [SPEAKER_02]: In secret is unknown

[00:49:07] [SPEAKER_02]: But it was likely a motion

[00:49:09] [SPEAKER_02]: To move back in together for some time

[00:49:11] [SPEAKER_02]: So that Christmas

[00:49:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Kathy's home is in distress

[00:49:17] [SPEAKER_02]: And concerned over her daughter

[00:49:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And granddaughter's safety

[00:49:20] [SPEAKER_02]: The days turn into weeks

[00:49:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Without contact with Jennifer

[00:49:24] [SPEAKER_02]: And Adriana's second birthday

[00:49:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Comes and goes in January

[00:49:27] [SPEAKER_02]: A birthday spent celebrating

[00:49:29] [SPEAKER_02]: At the Benton home

[00:49:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Not the Wicks home

[00:49:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Tensions begin to reach

[00:49:35] [SPEAKER_02]: An all time high between the two families

[00:49:37] [SPEAKER_02]: The Bentons may get very known

[00:49:40] [SPEAKER_02]: That the Wicks family is not welcome

[00:49:42] [SPEAKER_02]: At their home

[00:49:49] [SPEAKER_02]: But slowly Jennifer begins to come back around

[00:49:52] [SPEAKER_02]: She starts by calling her mom regularly again

[00:49:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And then agrees to meet her mother

[00:49:56] [SPEAKER_02]: At the local McDonald's

[00:49:58] [SPEAKER_02]: Where little sisters Heather and Casey

[00:50:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Worked at the time

[00:50:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Jennifer did tell me

[00:50:04] [SPEAKER_03]: That she and Joey were engaged

[00:50:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I think she even had a ring

[00:50:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Just a simple gold wedding band

[00:50:13] [SPEAKER_03]: That she was wearing

[00:50:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And I honestly

[00:50:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I just thought that

[00:50:29] [SPEAKER_03]: At that moment, at that time

[00:50:31] [SPEAKER_03]: I can remember just thinking

[00:50:32] [SPEAKER_03]: You're just trying to force this guy on us

[00:50:35] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, like

[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, getting married to him

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER_03]: You know

[00:50:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Because I thought Jennifer would

[00:50:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Come to her senses and leave him

[00:50:45] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I really thought that

[00:50:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I had come around

[00:50:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Right before they disappeared

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_03]: I had finally came around

[00:50:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Because I had met them a couple of times

[00:50:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Like at McDonald's

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_03]: At the play area and just

[00:51:01] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, just to talk with Jennifer

[00:51:04] [SPEAKER_03]: And play with Adriana

[00:51:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And get her some happy meal

[00:51:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Or whatever, you know

[00:51:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And Joey singed

[00:51:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay

[00:51:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, yeah

[00:51:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Joey would come with him

[00:51:16] [SPEAKER_03]: She never got to go anywhere without him

[00:51:17] [SPEAKER_03]: They wouldn't let her drive any of their vehicles

[00:51:22] [SPEAKER_03]: So he had to bring her

[00:51:23] [SPEAKER_03]: He took her everywhere she went

[00:51:25] [SPEAKER_03]: But when I would see him, you know

[00:51:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Placing the baby in her car seat

[00:51:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Or playing with her in the play area

[00:51:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Or just carrying her out, you know

[00:51:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I seen a gentleness and I thought

[00:51:41] [SPEAKER_03]: You know

[00:51:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I need to just back off and let this play out

[00:51:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I think

[00:51:48] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that Jennifer will see this for herself

[00:51:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And in the meantime

[00:51:57] [SPEAKER_03]: He seems to be taking care of

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_03]: So you just need to accept her

[00:52:00] [SPEAKER_03]: So to accept him so that you don't alienate Jennifer

[00:52:04] [SPEAKER_03]: I was so afraid of alienating her

[00:52:07] [SPEAKER_03]: That I had just come to the conclusion

[00:52:08] [SPEAKER_03]: To just accept this

[00:52:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Just accept this

[00:52:11] [SPEAKER_03]: So that, you know

[00:52:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Because that's one thing

[00:52:16] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I thought about

[00:52:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Over and over and over and over and over again

[00:52:19] [SPEAKER_03]: What I have known more

[00:52:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Even more about what she was going through

[00:52:23] [SPEAKER_03]: On a daily basis

[00:52:26] [SPEAKER_03]: If maybe I hadn't alienated her

[00:52:29] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, like if she had felt

[00:52:31] [SPEAKER_03]: And so I, you know, I was

[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_03]: To this day

[00:52:34] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm kind of real careful with that

[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_03]: With my other girls

[00:52:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Because even just other young women in my life

[00:52:41] [SPEAKER_03]: You know

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm kind of an opinionated person

[00:52:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And with my girls

[00:52:48] [SPEAKER_03]: For them to know how I feel about certain situations

[00:52:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And like to try to give them guidance

[00:52:52] [SPEAKER_03]: That sometimes they don't want

[00:52:55] [SPEAKER_03]: And but after what happened to Jennifer

[00:52:58] [SPEAKER_03]: I've kind of

[00:53:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I guess the longer I listen the whole way

[00:53:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Like that I need to

[00:53:05] [SPEAKER_03]: I have to step back sometime

[00:53:06] [SPEAKER_03]: And let things play out

[00:53:10] [SPEAKER_03]: And not alienate them

[00:53:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Because if I had been

[00:53:15] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, if we hadn't had that thing happen

[00:53:17] [SPEAKER_03]: When he kicked the door in or whatever

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, if all that hadn't happened

[00:53:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Would she have been calling me up every day

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And saying mom, guess what he said

[00:53:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Mom, guess what he done

[00:53:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Guess where we went, you know

[00:53:28] [SPEAKER_03]: What I had been a little bit more involved

[00:53:31] [SPEAKER_03]: In the day to day activities

[00:53:33] [SPEAKER_03]: In hers and the baby's life

[00:53:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And so it scares me to death

[00:53:37] [SPEAKER_03]: To think of making one wrong move

[00:53:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Or one wrong step

[00:53:42] [SPEAKER_03]: That would alienate someone I love for me

[00:53:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer was reliant

[00:53:48] [SPEAKER_02]: For everything

[00:53:49] [SPEAKER_02]: Car, phone, money

[00:53:51] [SPEAKER_02]: When Joey went to work

[00:53:52] [SPEAKER_02]: She was left at that Benton home

[00:53:54] [SPEAKER_02]: All day to wait on him

[00:53:55] [SPEAKER_02]: As the winter got colder

[00:53:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey and Jennifer had to move into the Benton home

[00:54:00] [SPEAKER_02]: In the front of the property

[00:54:02] [SPEAKER_02]: The shed, a.k.a. the party barn

[00:54:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Was just too cold for a toddler to live in

[00:54:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Joey and Jennifer shared one bedroom

[00:54:09] [SPEAKER_02]: And Adriana had the bedroom next to them

[00:54:13] [SPEAKER_02]: As the visits were amping up again

[00:54:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Between her family

[00:54:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer and Kathy began talking daily

[00:54:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer attended KC's 16th birthday

[00:54:21] [SPEAKER_02]: In February of 2004

[00:54:24] [SPEAKER_02]: With Joey dropping her off down the street

[00:54:26] [SPEAKER_02]: And waiting for her to be done

[00:54:28] [SPEAKER_02]: But the good news

[00:54:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer is reaching out

[00:54:30] [SPEAKER_02]: She's seeking comfort and support in her family

[00:54:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Nobody could predict

[00:54:35] [SPEAKER_02]: That the days of rebuilding their trust

[00:54:38] [SPEAKER_02]: And family ties

[00:54:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Were now numbered

[00:55:25] [SPEAKER_02]: By Realtor Jennifer Davis

[00:55:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Tennessee has something for everyone

[00:55:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Missing in Hushtown was executive produced

[00:55:32] [SPEAKER_02]: And written by me

[00:55:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Your host Jules with Anley Audio House LLC

[00:55:36] [SPEAKER_02]: Casey Robinson was co-producer

[00:55:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Special thanks to John Thorpe, Patrick Robinson

[00:55:41] [SPEAKER_02]: My parents and Jen Rivera

[00:55:42] [SPEAKER_02]: And to our children

[00:55:44] [SPEAKER_02]: To follow our continued efforts on Justice

[00:55:46] [SPEAKER_02]: For Jennifer and Adriana Wicks

[00:55:48] [SPEAKER_02]: You can find us on Facebook

[00:55:49] [SPEAKER_02]: At Justice For Jennifer and Adriana Wicks

[00:55:52] [SPEAKER_02]: This page is personally managed

[00:55:54] [SPEAKER_02]: By Casey herself

[00:55:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And you can find me, Jules

[00:55:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Hi on Instagram

[00:55:58] [SPEAKER_02]: At your host Jules

[00:56:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Notes and updates can be found on our website

[00:56:02] [SPEAKER_02]: www.missinginhushtown.com

[00:56:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Please help us continue to grow

[00:56:07] [SPEAKER_02]: By considering leaving a five star review

[00:56:09] [SPEAKER_02]: And rating wherever you're listening

[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_02]: If you have a tip for this case

[00:56:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Please please call 1-800-TBI-FIND

[00:56:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Or dial the anonymous tip line

[00:56:18] [SPEAKER_02]: At 615-562-0819

[00:56:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Help us bring the Wicks girl

[00:56:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Home to donate to this family's

[00:56:27] [SPEAKER_02]: Continued fight for justice

[00:56:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Please visit

[00:56:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Gofundme.com

[00:56:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Jennifer and Adriana Wicks

[00:56:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And to support the podcast

[00:56:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And to help us continue this production

[00:56:37] [SPEAKER_02]: You may click support the show

[00:56:39] [SPEAKER_02]: In the show notes

[00:56:40] [SPEAKER_02]: And donate a Wicks kiss

[00:56:42] [SPEAKER_02]: 10% of all profits from Season 1

[00:56:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Of Missing in Hushtown

[00:56:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Will be given to the Wicks family indefinitely

[00:56:48] [SPEAKER_02]: As always, you're wanted

[00:56:50] [SPEAKER_02]: You are loved

[00:56:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And be found

[00:56:55] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't you forget it

[00:56:56] [SPEAKER_02]: I'll see you next time

[00:56:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Bye