A System Failed: The Case of Grace Packer, Part 1

Grace Packer was a lively 14-year-old with rosy cheeks and a contagious smile. She was last seen during a family picnic on July 4, 2016. Her adoptive mother, Sara Packer, officially reported her missing on July 11, 2016, claiming that Grace had left their home in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, with $300 in cash.

About two months later, in September, there were reports that Grace might have been seen near a community center just outside Philadelphia. In October 2016, detectives charged Sara Packer with child endangerment and obstructing justice, both misdemeanors. They alleged that she withheld crucial information and provided misleading statements to the police after reporting Grace missing.

On Halloween 2016, two hunters discovered remains scattered along the Francis Walter Dam in Bear Creek Township. These remains were positively identified as belonging to Grace Packer. What followed was more than just a standard investigation; the arrests of those involved came quickly, but the motives behind the tragedy left the community, state, and nation in a state of shock and mourning.

Support the show