November 11, 2025 • 38 mins
This week, we're sharing an episode from Navigating Advocacy. It's the Florida missing person case of the disappearance of Bryan (AKA Vladek) Hasel. Whitney and Melissa are relentless and passionate victim advocates, and their treatment of this case is top-notch.
Please give it a listen, if you have any information on Vladek's whereabouts, you are asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit
407-254-7000 or Call 911 - CASE #: 21-83864
Email: FindBryanVladekHasel@gmail.com
Also, head over to https://navigatingadvocacy.com/ and check out their amazing work. A special shout-out to Haley Gray, who provided the original research on Vladek's case. https://haleygrayresearch.com/
https://sinspod.co/99
https://sinspod.co/99sub
https://www.instagram.com/findvladekhasel
https://findvladekhasel.wixsite.com/find-vladek
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.
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Please give it a listen, if you have any information on Vladek's whereabouts, you are asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit
407-254-7000 or Call 911 - CASE #: 21-83864
Email: FindBryanVladekHasel@gmail.com
Also, head over to https://navigatingadvocacy.com/ and check out their amazing work. A special shout-out to Haley Gray, who provided the original research on Vladek's case. https://haleygrayresearch.com/
https://sinspod.co/99
https://sinspod.co/99sub
https://www.instagram.com/findvladekhasel
https://findvladekhasel.wixsite.com/find-vladek
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.
Domestic Violence Resources
http://sinspod.co/resources
Click here to become a member of our Patreon!
https://sinspod.co/patreon
Visit and join our Patreon now and access our ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content & schwag! Get ad-free access for only $1 a month or ad-free and bonus episodes for $3 a month
Apple Podcast Subscriptions
https://sinspod.co/apple
We're now offering premium membership benefits on Apple Podcast Subscriptions! On your mobile device
Let us know what you think about the episode
https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2248640/open_sms
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
To listen ad free, visit sinspod dot com slash subscribe
starting at two ninety nine a month. You'll also get
access to our exclusive bonus content episodes when you joined
through Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Thanks for supporting the show.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
One of the most heart wrenching stories we've encountered on
our podcasting journey is the unsolved disappearance of Vladick Castle.
November six, twenty twenty one, was the last time that
Vladeck was verifiably seen in a foxtail coffee in Florida
on police bodycam video, though there are some reports of
him being seen as late as November twelve.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
This week, we're bringing you an episode from Navigating Advocacy
where they did a deep dive into Vladdock's life and
ultimately his baffling disappearance. It's been nearly four years and
his family is still desperately searching for answers.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hi and Welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas
true crime podcast where we focus on cases that deal
with domestic violence as well missing persons and unsolved cases.
I'm your host Sean and I'm your co host John
Whitney and Melissa Navigating Advocacy are relentless allies and advocates
for the families of missing people. We appreciate their efforts
so much, and we know the families do too. We
(01:15):
have met and spent time with Bethany, Vladic's sister, at
Advocacy Cohn and the True Crime Podcast Festival, and she
is shared with us stories about Vladeck and what this
experience has been for her and her family. And with
this month marking four years since his disappearance, we are
grateful that Whitney, Melissa, and Bethany allowed us to share
this episode.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
With all of you.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So without any more delay, here is there episode on
the disappearance of Vladick Castle.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Welcome to Navigating Advocacy. I'm Melissa and I'm Whitney. We
discussed topics that may be sensitive to listener.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Discretion of goodbbe So we're just going to get right
into the Florida case, which is one that's a little
bit special to us. It ended up being one of
our action oriented advocacy cases, even though that wasn't our
intention going into this. While I would love us to
be able to be this hands on with every single
case that we cover, hopefully that's our goals, goals one
(02:10):
day that we can be this hands on and be
this helpful to families every single week. But because this
one's out of Florida, it's been Melissa's neck of the woods,
and we were given an opportunity to meet with the
family and do more than just share a story this time.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yes, Yes, I attended a vigial that marked the two
year anniversary of this person being missing, and Lake Whitney
said met the family passed out flyers at an event
in Orlando though, So it was a good experience. Glad
we got to meet the family and help out any
way we could. And I was going to say, I
(02:45):
bet we end up doing this a lot more than
we originally planned, especially as we're meeting more and more families,
they're visuals coming up or searches, it's going to be
they'll ask us more often. So I definite really think
it's good to be happening more often than once a quarter.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yes, agreed.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
Also shout out to Haley Gray from Haley Gray Research
and co founder of True Crime podcast Training, because she's
the one that put us in connection with this family
and helped us create this or cultivate this relationship. So
I am going to just jump right in. Just a
few days ago we talked about Orlando, Florida. I'm not
(03:28):
going to bore you with all of the statistics all
over again. We know the crime rates are high and
the tourism industry fuels the economy. We are navigating advocacy
one more time this month here at Orlando. The story
I'm sharing today is one we've both been talking about
for weeks. I'm sharing the story of Brian Vladick Hazle,
who has been missing since November of twenty twenty one.
(03:51):
Vladik Hasle born on December twentieth, nineteen ninety eight in Russia,
where he spent his early years alongside his older sister, Irena.
In two thousand and four, they were adopted by Steve
and Cheryl Hazel in Florida. Step and Cheryl had six
other children and lived in Inverness, Florida. This is roughly
seventy miles northwest of Orlando. As the two siblings settled
(04:14):
in with the Hazell family, Vladick adopted the name Brian
and became part of a bustling household with seven other siblings.
The older siblings, Amy, Carrie, Jonathan, and Jodie had already
moved out or were moving out within the next couple
of months, leaving Bethany, Kristin, and the newly adopted siblings
in the family home. Vladik's younger years and in Verness
(04:36):
were marked by the support of a Russian woman and
her daughter. They helped the family with the transition from
adoption into their new family and assisted Vladick and Irena
in maintaining their connection to the Russian language. Before the adoption,
the Hazel family would visit their home, and after the
adoption was final, Vladik and Irena continued to spend time there,
(04:57):
allowing them to speak Russian and learn English with their stance.
Throughout his childhood, Vladick was what I consider to be
a typical boy, a busy body, always moving and full
of adventure and energy, but kind, sensitive and always looking
for ways to help others. His sister Bethany told us
a story about how kind Vladick was even as a
(05:18):
young child.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
Vladik was really young when we adopted him. He was
about five, and he would always be on the go,
so active, always want to play outside and make new
friends with the neighborhood kids. There was this one time
where the neighbor couldn't find their child and at the
point where they had the police helicopters going overhead searching
(05:43):
neighborhood and Vladik came inside and we had told him
what was going on, that his friend was missing. He's
probably about seven at this point or so, six or seven.
And turns out that Vladick had help the kid and
was feeding him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the freehouse.
(06:06):
The kids didn't want to go home, but that was
just kind of his personality, helping where he could, even
at a young age, always kind of the goof off personality.
Growing up, he would like to make sound effects as
he played, like and stuff like that. Everywhere he went
he would just make those sound effects too.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
His interests in sports helped him release some of that energy,
participating in activities such as soccer, t ball, basketball, and
even trying his hand at peewee football. Christmas also was
a special place in Vladdock's heart, and the family recalls
fond memories of Vlad's creative tree decorating, including adorning himself
with Christmas lights and placing the angel topper on his head.
(06:47):
His older sister Jodi, also has fond memories of Vladeck
around Christmas.
Speaker 7 (06:51):
My favorite memories are really like around the holiday, Like
he really enjoyed Christmas time, So it's kind of fun
to see, like, especially when he was a little kid,
how anto it. He would get how excited and he'd
be doofy when we'd be decorating the house and in
the outside of the house for Christmas. So those were
(07:13):
some good time for sure.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
We spoke with his sisters, Bethany and Jodi, and they
described Vladick as the friendliest person one could meet. He
is very kind and never met a stranger. Despite the
teenage stereotypes, Vladick enjoyed spending time with his family. He
cherished spending time with his sister and her friends during
New Year's lock ins, creating lasting memories of those gatherings.
(07:36):
The family dynamics shifted a bit during Vladdock's middle school
years when his parents went through a separation. He then
lived with his father, Steve and Claremont, and even with
all of these changes, Vladick remained focused on his lifelong
dream of serving in the Marines. After graduating high school,
Vladick took a significant step towards his goal by moving
to Texas to live with his half sister, Carrie in
(07:58):
June of twenty seventeen. Here he provided crucial support to
carry during her pregnancy and was present for the birth
of her daughter. During this time, Vladick worked various jobs,
including as a games attendant at six Flags, security for
the Cowboys Stadium, and for a garage door warehouse company.
In September of twenty eighteen, Vladik moved from Texas to
(08:20):
San Diego, California, for Marine Corps basic training. He completed
the program in December of twenty eighteen. His Marine career
wasn't quite what he expected. He found himself in a
desk job position for about eight months. Vladik wanted to
be a soldier. He was an active person. Sitting at
a desk and a computer all day was not a
(08:41):
fulfilling role. He was a giver and a doer. In
the summer of twenty nineteen, he opted for a general
discharge under honorable conditions, citing difficulty adapting due to negative
childhood memories. After his journey with the Marines, Vladik faced
a period of uncertainty struggling to find a new direction
after his military aspirations. His ultimate goal has always been
(09:04):
to have a career in the Marines. He had no
direction when that dream wasn't what he expected.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
In January of.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Twenty twenty, he moved to the Detroit, Michigan area again
to live with Carrey. This time he worked as an
environmental services tech at a local hospital and enjoyed bonding
with his niece. Challenges arose with the onset of the
COVID nineteen pandemic, prompting Vladick to financially support his sister
and niece. Later, they moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, where
(09:31):
Vladick found employment for a short while, but after losing
that position, he decided to return to Orlando, Florida in
August of twenty twenty, where he moved in with his father,
Steve and Steve's wife. In twenty twenty, vlad faced significant
challenges with his own mental health, as noted by his
father Steve in an interview with w s H News.
Deeve mentioned that vlad was struggling with confusion about his
(09:54):
life direction, an employment, and experiencing depression. He still had
no sense of.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Per That's understandable considering he had this lifelong dream and
it wasn't really what he thought it was going to be,
and he's struggling probably with is identity. It just doesn't
know where he belongs. So I can and that age,
you know, late teens, early twenties, you're just trying to
figure yourself out, and I think it's even more difficult
(10:22):
for Vladik in this sense.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
So I just I feel for him. I can't.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
And he's still in those formative years. You know, to
any general human is trying to figure out your life.
But to have your dreams shattered at such an early
age when you're still trying to just figure out how
the world works, is so just like life changing.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Yeah, it's crushing. It makes you feel like you don't
have a purpose. What am I supposed to be doing?
And I think that's where he started down the path
of figuring out this religion and other things like that.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
Yeah, it's tough place to be, that's for sure. Vlad's
unemployment became a source of frustration. Subsequent events led to
Stephen his wife parting ways, and Stephen Vladd found themselves
staying in hotels until securing an apartment in November of
twenty twenty at the Place at Alifaiya, an apartment complex
in Orlando near the University of Central Florida campus. The
(11:20):
apartment was near Mackay Boulevard in Alifaya Trail. Vlad shared
a vehicle with his father, but preferred to walk or
use UCF's free buses. He frequented places around Waterford Lakes
Plaza and University Boulevard near UCF. Vladick was a night owl,
and he would take nightly walks around the apartment complex,
(11:40):
but he was afraid of the dark, so he generally
stayed in well lit places. He engaged in singing and
smoking during these walks, while establishing a friendly rapport with
maintenance workers. Again, his family described him as kind and thoughtful,
always ready to start conversations with anyone. During this period,
vlad was still exploring his purpose and wasn't working or
(12:01):
enrolled in school. He maintained a minimal online presence, using
social media primarily for messaging. His leisure activities included PlayStation
and watching YouTube videos.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Vlad became a.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Regular at a foxtail coffee shop near UCF, spending hours
there up to three times a week. He also frequented
a few other shops nearby. Customers occasionally raised concern about
his behavior, but Vladik adjusted his actions based on feedback.
Steve financially supported Vlad, covering his expenses, offering money for
a scooter, and allowing him to leave large tips for
(12:35):
restaurant workers. We're talking one to two to three hundred
dollars tips. That was one of his many traits that
brought him joy, helping others as often as he could.
In early twenty twenty one, Vlad underwent a significant shift,
rejecting materialism and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle. He gave
away his tablet, He broke his smartphone and replaced it
(12:58):
with a flip phone later, but we'll talk about that,
citing distraction as the reason. Before the smartphone broke, Vlad
had received over forty calls from an unhoused couple who
had previously taken advantage of him. Vladd did not want
to replace the phone at all. In fact, it was
Steve and Irena that convinced him to get a flip
phone to carry in case of emergencies, but the convincing
(13:21):
took five weeks after Vlad got a new number on
this flip phone that previous end housed couple no longer
reached out.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
They probably couldn't reach out.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Throughout twenty twenty one, Vlad became actively involved in supporting
the unhoused community in East Orlando, providing food, taking individuals
to dinner and movies, and even letting them use his
credit card. On occasion, he expressed a desire to hike
the Appalachian Trail, discussing the plans with his family. Vlad's
living conditions continued to reflect his new aversion to material possessions.
(13:54):
He initially slept on an air mattress, even after his
father offered to purchase a bed for him. Steve would
later convince him to at least get a mattress in
a box, but it remained unused. Despite the changes he
was making with his personal items, he still liked to
devote time to the local Catholic church's prayer garden. Vlad
(14:14):
became interested in a YouTube pastor focusing on heaven, archangels
and demons, but as he didn't use a smartphone, his
family is unsure who exactly he was watching or what
sorts of materials he was learning In September of twenty
twenty one, the Hazel family began planning a trip to
Tennessee to celebrate Bethany's birthday in November. Vladd initially considered
(14:37):
hiking the Appalachian Trail and meeting them there, but later
dismissed that as a pipe dream. On November third, twenty
twenty one, Vlad purchased a pocket knife for protection. That night,
he experienced car trouble while driving the car he shared
with his father, leading to a breakdown at Waterford Lake's Plaza.
Despite concerns about the incident, vlad walked home and the
(14:59):
car was told for the next day. On November fourth,
vlad visited his regular coffee shop, The Foxtail, and a
customer lodged a complaint expressing discomfort. The individual informed the
employees that he intended to leave, resulting in no immediate
action taken with lad Later upon returning, though, the same
(15:19):
customer reported seeing Blad sitting outside the establishment and mentioned
to the staff that he had also noticed Vladick had
placed a pocket knife on the table earlier. Due to
the Foxtail's zero weapons policy, a decision was made to
issue a trespass warning However, by this point, Vladick had
already departed, oblivious to any issues during his time at Foxtail.
(15:41):
The family remained unaware of this incident for several months,
but we will get to that in event. On the
evening of the fourth, Vlad had an unsettling conversation with
Steve about archangels and demons, and he even made a
cryptic statement remarking quote you have to be dark to
kill the dark end, quote that.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Left Steve puzzled.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
Steve wondered whether vlad might be quoting something from the
YouTube pastor he had been watching, and the out of
character behavior had him so confused that he reached out
to Jody, expressing the difficulty he had understanding Vlad's recent conversations.
Jody suggested a wellness check, but Steve hesitated, believing Vladick
would navigate the situation in a way that wouldn't raise
(16:24):
alarms with authorities. On November fifth, Steven, Vlad's mom left
to go on a trip to Tennessee to meet up
with Bethany and a couple of her friends to celebrate
her birthday again. Vladick had originally planned to join, but
had decided to stay home. Just a few days prior
to them leaving, Steve left Flad one hundred dollars in cash,
a credit card, and instructions to collect a package that
(16:46):
was to be delivered. Steve had also offered to purchase
groceries before leaving town so that Vlad would be more
than cared for. Vlad declined the offer, stating there was
enough food already in the house. Concerns about Vlad's well
being due to his behavior that previous night. Despite attempts
to toock in, Flad did not respond to messages from
(17:07):
his family, causing some concerns to arise. Ladd's family also
were in the mountains of Tennessee, where service is spotty.
When Vlad didn't respond, they explained it away with perhaps
the text weren't making it through because of the service issues.
On November eighth, a message about a package delivery reached Steve,
who assumed Blad would take it inside.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
The family continued monitoring the situation.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm sure if Flad's like a response was due to
the poor connectivity or his habit of not keeping his
phone on him. Around four pm on November fifteenth, Steve
returned home from his ten day Tennessee trip after picking
up his car from the repair shop. When he got home,
he noticed the package he had ordered still sitting outside
of his apartment, despite Vlad's promise to bring it inside.
(17:56):
Steve observed the untouched kitchen with no missing food from
the fridge and no dirty dishes. According to Q Missing Persons,
it became apparent to Steve that it seemed like Flad
hadn't been staying.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
At the apartment.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Flad's flip phone contained unread text messages and missed calls
from November six onwards. Jim's shoes and the pocket knife
that he had just purchased for protection were all found
in his bedroom. Concerned, Steve chose to delay filing a
missing person's report, considering he arrived home earlier than originally planned.
Flatick was an adult and perhaps while Steve was away
(18:32):
he stayed elsewhere. However, when Vladick neither returned nor contacted Steve,
the worry intensified, and on November seventeenth, Steve and Bethany
filed a missing persons report with the Orange County Sheriff's
Office and initiated advocacy efforts. They created and distributed flyers
all around the area. Bethany even posted on her own
(18:55):
personal Facebook page to spread awareness. The flyers led to
a tip from a maintenance worker suggesting Vladick might be
in the woods behind the basketball court. It was an encounter.
It was an encounter between the maintenance man and Vladeck
at the basketball court. No, The flyers led to a
tip from the maintenance worker suggesting Vladock might be in
the woods behind a basket behind the basketball court. This
(19:17):
encounter between the maintenance man and Vladeck at the court
was initially thought to be on November twelfth, but confusion arose,
raising the possibility of it being November fifth. This was
all left by the maintenance worker on voicemail Steve, who
is hard of hearing thought. The worker stated he saw
Vladik last Friday. At this point, that could have been
(19:39):
the Friday that had just passed on the twelfth, but
could also have been confused for November fifth. If it
was in fact November twelve that Vladick was seen, he
would have had to take the sidewalk past the apartment
to get to the basketball court. He would have seen
the package and taking it in as he had.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Promised his father.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
He would do so if it was November fifth, the
package hadn't yet arrived. Steve also thought he heard the
maintenance worker say they saw Vladick walk into the woods.
Steve then relayed the information to authorities. After Bethany listened
to the voicemail, she was able to clarify that the
maintenance worker said he saw vlad spoke to him for
(20:19):
a few minutes, and then mentioned that vlad liked to
hang out in the woods behind the basketball courts, suggesting
a search step and Bethany contacted authorities again to clarify
this information on the voicemail, but the reports and flyers
were never updated and continued to state that Vladick was
last seen walking into the woods for several months, even
(20:40):
after the family asked for corrections. Bethany requested surveillance footage
from the place at Alifaya on November eighteenth.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Unfortunately, footage from the.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Last seven days were all they had available, and the
complex promised to review the footage from two security cameras,
but would only release it to law enforcement upon request.
Bethany relay this information to law enforcement, but over a
week later it was still quote on their list of
action items in Vlad's disappearance, any footage that would have
(21:10):
been there would no longer be.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
That is just so frustrating because you can have a
vital piece of evidence of a sighting of him, know
if he was with anyone. You have to get those
that footage quickly.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
In a world like a digital world that we live in,
with the technology the way that it is now, it's
we're more likely to have surveillance footage than not. Everyone
has a ring doorbell, every business has security cameras. It's
an affordable option now for people to have, so it's
there and available. The problem is is that not everyone
pays for extra backup storage or iCloud storage that so
(21:50):
you only have that limited amount of time. That should
be one of the first questions you're asking, Okay, we
know that he was seen at the apartment. We need
any security footage you have. That should be question number two.
Do you have cameras is one? Question number two is
how long do you have your footage? Because we need
that now and exactly most people and businesses want to help.
(22:12):
They're going to provide that information unless they're part of
some big conspiracy for cover up, they're likely to or
they're doing unsavory things as a business. They're likely to
give you that without a warrant, without a subpoena. That's
something I feel that law enforcement can do easily.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Is at least get the footage.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
You might not be able to go through it immediately,
but you ask for that footage and you get it
and the following days go through it exactly.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
It doesn't seem that typicult. There should just be a checklist. Hey,
try to get surveillance footage, all right, next step interview
as good and it's gracious right.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
I also feel that this would be one of those
items that would be great for civilians. There's certain law
enforcement agencies that use civilian volunteers. I have a civilian
sit there and watch through hours and hours and hours
of security footage. Just tell them what to look for,
have them write down the time stamps.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
I would sign up for that in a horspree.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
I would not sleep and just spend hours watching security footage.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yes, I would love it. I would love it if
that was a job and volunteer basis. Job. I would
need to get paid because I'm just nosy and want
to know what's going on right exactly.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
There's so many people that would do that for free.
Searches were conducted in the dense wooded area behind the
basketball court, along with the larger wooded area surrounding the
apartment complex, involving helicopters, drones, and a canine search dog.
Deputies discovered a red slide shoe along the tree line
(23:49):
of a larger wooded area during the search. However, subsequent
searches using thermal scans and the search dog yielded no
further results. The family continued their efforts flyers canvassing the
neighborhood and seeking information from the community. When officials showed
Steve a picture of the shoe, Steve said that those
(24:09):
were the types of shoes that Vladik wore, but he
was unsure if flad had red ones. The shoe was
sent off for DNA testing. Flyers were hung in unhoused
community shelters all along University Boulevard and Alifaya Trail, the
area that Vlad had regularly walked. They even had officers
check out the Catholic Church prayer garden to see if
(24:29):
he had sought refuge there. Night owl reconnaissance attempted to
access Vlad's PlayStation and YouTube accounts, but access was not granted.
On November twentieth, sheriff deputies went door to door canvassing.
A friend of Vladeck in the neighborhood came forward. This
friend disclosed a perplexing encounter with Vladik. At three am
(24:50):
on November fifteenth, Vlad, seeking a place to stay, was
turned away due to his friend's girlfriend and family being present,
and in a tense exchange, Vlad seemed uneasy and asked
if the friend had a gun. Due to a previous
criminal record, that friend couldn't legally own a firearm. Vlad's
anxiety heightened, leading him to express a desire to go
(25:13):
off the grid and a deed for a gun for
protection against animals. This raised questions about where Vlad's mindset
may have been. As investigations heightened, the family received the
help of a private investigator who was able to put
together some of the pieces of the puzzle. For the family,
they were able to consolidate a bit of the timeline
(25:34):
for Vlad's disappearance. After Steve left for Tennessee, Vlad called
his sister Irena around two am. Ireta said the two
had a normal conversation as they did almost every day.
The package was delivered on November eighth and left outside
the apartment until Steve's returned seven days later. On November
twelfth is when the maintenance man said he thought he
(25:56):
saw Vladeck at the basketball courts, and then November fifteenth,
when the neighbor is saying vlad showed up at his
door at three am. On November twentieth, Bethany was asked
to not post any more updates on our personal Facebook
because it could hinder an investigation. That is all the
information the family had up until that point. They continued
to search the areas and hand out flyers. Vlad was
(26:18):
a memorable person because of his friendliness and willingness to
have a conversation. November twenty fourth, Jody posted about the
colder weather and how clean of a person Vladick was.
He was always washing his hands and he likely wouldn't
stay somewhere without plumbing. He would have wanted a shower
by now, because sometimes he showered to three times a day.
(26:39):
Orange County Sheriff's Office did not conduct media interviews or
provide any sort of information to the media to help
keep Flatdeck's disappearance in front of the media for others
to also keep an eye out. In December of twenty
twenty one, Bethany and Jody started the Fine Brian Vladick
Hazl Facebook group to keep pushing to find their brother.
(27:00):
It wouldn't be until February twenty fourth, twenty twenty two,
that the Sheriff's office finally gave Vladox family an update.
They were given vladex flip phone and Steve's lap top.
They were given vladex flip phone and Steve's laptop back
and said that they had it spoken with any of
the people in vladex phone because they thought the family.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Had already done so.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
There were no contacts saved in vladex phone, so it
would have just been phone numbers. Law enforcement also said
they couldn't get the laptop to turn on, so they
didn't go through it. The laptop worked, but the battery
no longer held a charge. It required to be plugged
into an outlet for it to be powered on. Which
this is like basic it one on one. Is it
(27:45):
fligged in?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
When my have this been worked in it? That was
the first question he asked everyone. Is it plugged in?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And you think, oh, it's not try not. It's probably
the battery.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Let's go ahead in try to charge it and then
you would see it would come on like with it
being tried. This just makes absolutely no sense to me.
And then the fact that they thought the family would
be the one reaching They didn't have the numbers. The
police had the phone, the phone and the phone numbers.
How would the family reach out to these people number one?
(28:15):
Number two? Did they communicate, Hey, why don't you guys.
It's a little bit easier if the family reaches out
to these random people versus the police. Did they communicate that?
I'm sure they did not, So this is just so frustrating.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
The family also learned that the DNA testing from the
Red Slide shoe had returned as inconclusive, but it did
appear to be the same size as Vlad's shoe size.
On November sixth, twenty twenty one, around eight am, Vladik
had walked into Foxtail Coffee, where he had used his
credit card to purchase a cup of coffee. He sat
(28:53):
down and this is when Foxtail called the Sheriff's office
back out to issue that trespassing warning. I share officer
arrived on site and issued the warning to Vladik, but
the officer didn't tell Vladik Foxtel's reasoning behind it. They
just told him it was a private business and they
can trespass you for any reason, like the type of
shirt you wear. Vladick was clearly confused by what was happening,
(29:16):
but he was respectful and showed no ill will towards
the business, the officers, or the other customers. He struck
up a conversation with the police officer and was pleasant.
The conversation was confirmed with bodycam footage from the sheriff's officer,
but the family didn't know that this was even an
item until many months later. It was clearly a blow
(29:36):
to Vladdock's feelings because he wasn't sure why he was
being treated as a trespasser when he was causing no
harm or discomfort. It was a place he regularly hung out.
He also emptied his pockets on the footage and didn't
have the pocket knife with him, only a credit card,
a debit card, and his ID. Vladick calmly walked away
at eight twenty six am in the direction of a
(29:58):
wah wah convenience store. This is the last evidence confirming
where Vladick was. He was wearing a black hoodie over
a gray T shirt and khaki shorts, crew length black socks, and.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Bright red slide shoes.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
At the time of the meeting with Orange County Sheriff's Office,
the family didn't know the details of the trespass warning.
The detective working the case stated he was probably receiving
the trespass warning for talking too much.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
This is the first time the.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Family had even learned of the footage. When the family
asked the Orange County Sheriff's Office to get footage from
the stores in the direction Bladick walked, officials said there
was too much footage for them to go through and
that it was likely already erased. They didn't even ask
for it. By April ninth, the family learned from the
owners of the foxtail more information about the trespassing innocent
(30:48):
An incident. They gave the family a still photo from
their security footage showing Flatteck in that same outfit as before.
Flattick had told the manager that he was tired as
sleep deprived in the past. They also learned that vladd
had contacted an acquaintance on November fourth, around seven pm.
They chatted on the phone for around five minutes. Vlad
(31:10):
appeared happy and asked if he could crash for a
night or two. The acquaintance declined, saying he wasn't comfortable
with that, and the conversation turned to Vlad's upcoming plans.
Blad mentioned that he had wanted to travel and preach
the Bible at its teachings originally, but he had recently
decided to sing instead. Billboards went up across the county
and several news stations covered vladdock story After his family
(31:33):
consistently expressed their concerns for their brother, A few tips
that Vlad had been seen at A seven eleven were
sent in, but those leads turned out to be nothing
of importance. By summer, a search organization did a more
thorough search of the woods with more dogs, and also
turned up empty handed. In September of twenty twenty two,
Steve's apartment was flooded by Hurricane Ian and most of
(31:56):
Vladdock's personal belongings were destroyed. Ladock's personal Bible, childhood passport,
and a few items of clothing were all that survived
due to the flooding. The apartment complex also terminated all
of the leases of its tenants and everyone was required
to find new housing. The complex is now abandoned and
slated to eventually be demolished. Just after the one year mark,
(32:20):
new detectives were assigned to Vladdock's disappearance. A tip regarding
a potential sighting came in saying they saw Vladick talking
to an older, unhoused person at wah Wah after the
trespass warning. Again, this is where footage would come in handy.
On August fourth, twenty twenty three, the private investigator posted
(32:41):
on social media that human remains had been found not
far from where Vladik was last seen. Medical examiners would
later confirm that they were not Vladock's remains. In September
of twenty twenty three, the Orange County Sheriff's Office issued
a renewed call for information regarding Brian Vladock Hasle's disappearance.
Family is extremely concerned and miss him terribly. Steve recently
(33:04):
revealed his struggles with sleep, constantly seeking solace in prayer
to ensure his son's well being. The family is not
opposed to Vladik being on his own, They just want
to know that he's alive. Safe and healthy. The family
urges the public to share Vladdock's missing Person's fire, emphasizing
the impact of strangers re sharing and reaching potential sources
(33:24):
of information, sharing.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
His face and his story to as many people as
you can. It's the best thing that we can do,
because we have to get the right people to see
that he's missing and realize they have some type of
information that could be helpful and call the Sheriff's office
so that we can make some progress here.
Speaker 6 (33:49):
And I'd really like to focus on areas where he
still lives, especially Arlington Vladick. Really he has a lot
of fond memories of being there, and I don't know
his friend groups that he had there, so I don't
know if he might have reached out to people there.
So if you know of anybody that lives in that
(34:12):
area and is willing to post flyers around Arlington, that
would be a huge help. Or target different Facebook group
pages to that area, homeless group pages to that area
just in case, that would be a huge help. And
just really sharing his flyer anywhere and everywhere across the
(34:34):
country is what it's going to take, because, like I said,
I don't think he's here in Orlando. There's been too
much coverage for him, and he's always talking with people
and there would have been sightings but there hasn't. But
he's somewhere in the United States. His passport had expired,
so he's not back in Russia. He's somewhere here and
(34:55):
we just need to locate him make sure he's okay.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Brian Vladick is described as being five eight with blondish
brown hair and blue eyes. If you have any information,
please contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit
at four zero seven two five four seven thousand with
case number two one eight three eight six four. To
(35:19):
stay updated on Vladeck's case, please follow at Fine Vladeck
Hazel on all social media platforms. Vlade's love and compassion
for the un House community empowered us to pay it
forward with one small random act of kindness, and that's
what powered our World Kindness Day project. If you donated
to that, we want to thank you. On behalf of
(35:39):
Vladdox family and us as well. We were able to
reach our goal of getting fifty bags out into the
community in both Austin and Florida. We also hope that
with that random act of kindness that we may reach
Vladik and let him know that his family is still
looking for him and loves him dearly. So we'd like
to reach out to our Arlington, Texas area listeners. Vladik
(36:01):
had a few ties to Arlington, and if you're there
and would like to distribute flyers, please dm us on
any social media platform or email us and we will
send you flyers for free. That he was in Arlington
for quite some time and he may have gone back
to that area because he had fond memories exactly.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
And you never know. And if it just takes someone
passing out some flyers that we provide, then that's an
easy thing to do. So we encourage you to reach
out to us if you're in that area. This one
is just knowing the Blatic sisters and meeting his mom
and dad.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
It's just just.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Where could he be? I know so many people miss him,
and I just I can't wait for the day that
we do get to meet him, because I believe one
day he will be home.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Just by listening to our content, you too are advocating
for justice for these families. Thank you for making a
difference in their lives as well.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
We want to share a few ways you can support
us to continue our mission. You can become a Patreon
subscriber for as little as one dollar per month, or
a simple rate and review on your favorite podcast platform
helps us get in front of someone who may know something.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
We will continue traveling state by state seeking justice because
we will be there, no matter where, no matter who.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Thanks for listening. Visit sinspod dot com, slash subscribe for
exclusive bonus content and to listen ad free. Remember to
like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and threads
at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please
leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice.
You can contact us at Questions at sinsnsurvivors dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
If you are someone you know as affected by domestic
violence or needs support, please reach out to local resources
or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources
is available on our website, Sinsensurvivors dot com. Sins and Survivors,
a Las Vegas true crime podcast, is research, written and
produced by your hosts Sean and John. The information shared
in this podcast is accurate at the time of recording.
(38:13):
If you have questions, concerns or corrections, please email us.
Links to source material for this episode can be found
on our website sinsensurvivors dot com.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely
those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All
individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not
constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with legal
professionals for guidance.
To listen ad free, visit sinspod dot com slash subscribe
starting at two ninety nine a month. You'll also get
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Speaker 2 (00:14):
One of the most heart wrenching stories we've encountered on
our podcasting journey is the unsolved disappearance of Vladick Castle.
November six, twenty twenty one, was the last time that
Vladeck was verifiably seen in a foxtail coffee in Florida
on police bodycam video, though there are some reports of
him being seen as late as November twelve.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
This week, we're bringing you an episode from Navigating Advocacy
where they did a deep dive into Vladdock's life and
ultimately his baffling disappearance. It's been nearly four years and
his family is still desperately searching for answers.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hi and Welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas
true crime podcast where we focus on cases that deal
with domestic violence as well missing persons and unsolved cases.
I'm your host Sean and I'm your co host John
Whitney and Melissa Navigating Advocacy are relentless allies and advocates
for the families of missing people. We appreciate their efforts
so much, and we know the families do too. We
(01:15):
have met and spent time with Bethany, Vladic's sister, at
Advocacy Cohn and the True Crime Podcast Festival, and she
is shared with us stories about Vladeck and what this
experience has been for her and her family. And with
this month marking four years since his disappearance, we are
grateful that Whitney, Melissa, and Bethany allowed us to share
this episode.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
With all of you.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So without any more delay, here is there episode on
the disappearance of Vladick Castle.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Welcome to Navigating Advocacy. I'm Melissa and I'm Whitney. We
discussed topics that may be sensitive to listener.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Discretion of goodbbe So we're just going to get right
into the Florida case, which is one that's a little
bit special to us. It ended up being one of
our action oriented advocacy cases, even though that wasn't our
intention going into this. While I would love us to
be able to be this hands on with every single
case that we cover, hopefully that's our goals, goals one
(02:10):
day that we can be this hands on and be
this helpful to families every single week. But because this
one's out of Florida, it's been Melissa's neck of the woods,
and we were given an opportunity to meet with the
family and do more than just share a story this time.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yes, Yes, I attended a vigial that marked the two
year anniversary of this person being missing, and Lake Whitney
said met the family passed out flyers at an event
in Orlando though, So it was a good experience. Glad
we got to meet the family and help out any
way we could. And I was going to say, I
(02:45):
bet we end up doing this a lot more than
we originally planned, especially as we're meeting more and more families,
they're visuals coming up or searches, it's going to be
they'll ask us more often. So I definite really think
it's good to be happening more often than once a quarter.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yes, agreed.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
Also shout out to Haley Gray from Haley Gray Research
and co founder of True Crime podcast Training, because she's
the one that put us in connection with this family
and helped us create this or cultivate this relationship. So
I am going to just jump right in. Just a
few days ago we talked about Orlando, Florida. I'm not
(03:28):
going to bore you with all of the statistics all
over again. We know the crime rates are high and
the tourism industry fuels the economy. We are navigating advocacy
one more time this month here at Orlando. The story
I'm sharing today is one we've both been talking about
for weeks. I'm sharing the story of Brian Vladick Hazle,
who has been missing since November of twenty twenty one.
(03:51):
Vladik Hasle born on December twentieth, nineteen ninety eight in Russia,
where he spent his early years alongside his older sister, Irena.
In two thousand and four, they were adopted by Steve
and Cheryl Hazel in Florida. Step and Cheryl had six
other children and lived in Inverness, Florida. This is roughly
seventy miles northwest of Orlando. As the two siblings settled
(04:14):
in with the Hazell family, Vladick adopted the name Brian
and became part of a bustling household with seven other siblings.
The older siblings, Amy, Carrie, Jonathan, and Jodie had already
moved out or were moving out within the next couple
of months, leaving Bethany, Kristin, and the newly adopted siblings
in the family home. Vladik's younger years and in Verness
(04:36):
were marked by the support of a Russian woman and
her daughter. They helped the family with the transition from
adoption into their new family and assisted Vladick and Irena
in maintaining their connection to the Russian language. Before the adoption,
the Hazel family would visit their home, and after the
adoption was final, Vladik and Irena continued to spend time there,
(04:57):
allowing them to speak Russian and learn English with their stance.
Throughout his childhood, Vladick was what I consider to be
a typical boy, a busy body, always moving and full
of adventure and energy, but kind, sensitive and always looking
for ways to help others. His sister Bethany told us
a story about how kind Vladick was even as a
(05:18):
young child.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
Vladik was really young when we adopted him. He was
about five, and he would always be on the go,
so active, always want to play outside and make new
friends with the neighborhood kids. There was this one time
where the neighbor couldn't find their child and at the
point where they had the police helicopters going overhead searching
(05:43):
neighborhood and Vladik came inside and we had told him
what was going on, that his friend was missing. He's
probably about seven at this point or so, six or seven.
And turns out that Vladick had help the kid and
was feeding him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the freehouse.
(06:06):
The kids didn't want to go home, but that was
just kind of his personality, helping where he could, even
at a young age, always kind of the goof off personality.
Growing up, he would like to make sound effects as
he played, like and stuff like that. Everywhere he went
he would just make those sound effects too.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
His interests in sports helped him release some of that energy,
participating in activities such as soccer, t ball, basketball, and
even trying his hand at peewee football. Christmas also was
a special place in Vladdock's heart, and the family recalls
fond memories of Vlad's creative tree decorating, including adorning himself
with Christmas lights and placing the angel topper on his head.
(06:47):
His older sister Jodi, also has fond memories of Vladeck
around Christmas.
Speaker 7 (06:51):
My favorite memories are really like around the holiday, Like
he really enjoyed Christmas time, So it's kind of fun
to see, like, especially when he was a little kid,
how anto it. He would get how excited and he'd
be doofy when we'd be decorating the house and in
the outside of the house for Christmas. So those were
(07:13):
some good time for sure.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
We spoke with his sisters, Bethany and Jodi, and they
described Vladick as the friendliest person one could meet. He
is very kind and never met a stranger. Despite the
teenage stereotypes, Vladick enjoyed spending time with his family. He
cherished spending time with his sister and her friends during
New Year's lock ins, creating lasting memories of those gatherings.
(07:36):
The family dynamics shifted a bit during Vladdock's middle school
years when his parents went through a separation. He then
lived with his father, Steve and Claremont, and even with
all of these changes, Vladick remained focused on his lifelong
dream of serving in the Marines. After graduating high school,
Vladick took a significant step towards his goal by moving
to Texas to live with his half sister, Carrie in
(07:58):
June of twenty seventeen. Here he provided crucial support to
carry during her pregnancy and was present for the birth
of her daughter. During this time, Vladick worked various jobs,
including as a games attendant at six Flags, security for
the Cowboys Stadium, and for a garage door warehouse company.
In September of twenty eighteen, Vladik moved from Texas to
(08:20):
San Diego, California, for Marine Corps basic training. He completed
the program in December of twenty eighteen. His Marine career
wasn't quite what he expected. He found himself in a
desk job position for about eight months. Vladik wanted to
be a soldier. He was an active person. Sitting at
a desk and a computer all day was not a
(08:41):
fulfilling role. He was a giver and a doer. In
the summer of twenty nineteen, he opted for a general
discharge under honorable conditions, citing difficulty adapting due to negative
childhood memories. After his journey with the Marines, Vladik faced
a period of uncertainty struggling to find a new direction
after his military aspirations. His ultimate goal has always been
(09:04):
to have a career in the Marines. He had no
direction when that dream wasn't what he expected.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
In January of.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Twenty twenty, he moved to the Detroit, Michigan area again
to live with Carrey. This time he worked as an
environmental services tech at a local hospital and enjoyed bonding
with his niece. Challenges arose with the onset of the
COVID nineteen pandemic, prompting Vladick to financially support his sister
and niece. Later, they moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, where
(09:31):
Vladick found employment for a short while, but after losing
that position, he decided to return to Orlando, Florida in
August of twenty twenty, where he moved in with his father,
Steve and Steve's wife. In twenty twenty, vlad faced significant
challenges with his own mental health, as noted by his
father Steve in an interview with w s H News.
Deeve mentioned that vlad was struggling with confusion about his
(09:54):
life direction, an employment, and experiencing depression. He still had
no sense of.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Per That's understandable considering he had this lifelong dream and
it wasn't really what he thought it was going to be,
and he's struggling probably with is identity. It just doesn't
know where he belongs. So I can and that age,
you know, late teens, early twenties, you're just trying to
figure yourself out, and I think it's even more difficult
(10:22):
for Vladik in this sense.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
So I just I feel for him. I can't.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
And he's still in those formative years. You know, to
any general human is trying to figure out your life.
But to have your dreams shattered at such an early
age when you're still trying to just figure out how
the world works, is so just like life changing.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Yeah, it's crushing. It makes you feel like you don't
have a purpose. What am I supposed to be doing?
And I think that's where he started down the path
of figuring out this religion and other things like that.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
Yeah, it's tough place to be, that's for sure. Vlad's
unemployment became a source of frustration. Subsequent events led to
Stephen his wife parting ways, and Stephen Vladd found themselves
staying in hotels until securing an apartment in November of
twenty twenty at the Place at Alifaiya, an apartment complex
in Orlando near the University of Central Florida campus. The
(11:20):
apartment was near Mackay Boulevard in Alifaya Trail. Vlad shared
a vehicle with his father, but preferred to walk or
use UCF's free buses. He frequented places around Waterford Lakes
Plaza and University Boulevard near UCF. Vladick was a night owl,
and he would take nightly walks around the apartment complex,
(11:40):
but he was afraid of the dark, so he generally
stayed in well lit places. He engaged in singing and
smoking during these walks, while establishing a friendly rapport with
maintenance workers. Again, his family described him as kind and thoughtful,
always ready to start conversations with anyone. During this period,
vlad was still exploring his purpose and wasn't working or
(12:01):
enrolled in school. He maintained a minimal online presence, using
social media primarily for messaging. His leisure activities included PlayStation
and watching YouTube videos.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Vlad became a.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Regular at a foxtail coffee shop near UCF, spending hours
there up to three times a week. He also frequented
a few other shops nearby. Customers occasionally raised concern about
his behavior, but Vladik adjusted his actions based on feedback.
Steve financially supported Vlad, covering his expenses, offering money for
a scooter, and allowing him to leave large tips for
(12:35):
restaurant workers. We're talking one to two to three hundred
dollars tips. That was one of his many traits that
brought him joy, helping others as often as he could.
In early twenty twenty one, Vlad underwent a significant shift,
rejecting materialism and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle. He gave
away his tablet, He broke his smartphone and replaced it
(12:58):
with a flip phone later, but we'll talk about that,
citing distraction as the reason. Before the smartphone broke, Vlad
had received over forty calls from an unhoused couple who
had previously taken advantage of him. Vladd did not want
to replace the phone at all. In fact, it was
Steve and Irena that convinced him to get a flip
phone to carry in case of emergencies, but the convincing
(13:21):
took five weeks after Vlad got a new number on
this flip phone that previous end housed couple no longer
reached out.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
They probably couldn't reach out.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Throughout twenty twenty one, Vlad became actively involved in supporting
the unhoused community in East Orlando, providing food, taking individuals
to dinner and movies, and even letting them use his
credit card. On occasion, he expressed a desire to hike
the Appalachian Trail, discussing the plans with his family. Vlad's
living conditions continued to reflect his new aversion to material possessions.
(13:54):
He initially slept on an air mattress, even after his
father offered to purchase a bed for him. Steve would
later convince him to at least get a mattress in
a box, but it remained unused. Despite the changes he
was making with his personal items, he still liked to
devote time to the local Catholic church's prayer garden. Vlad
(14:14):
became interested in a YouTube pastor focusing on heaven, archangels
and demons, but as he didn't use a smartphone, his
family is unsure who exactly he was watching or what
sorts of materials he was learning In September of twenty
twenty one, the Hazel family began planning a trip to
Tennessee to celebrate Bethany's birthday in November. Vladd initially considered
(14:37):
hiking the Appalachian Trail and meeting them there, but later
dismissed that as a pipe dream. On November third, twenty
twenty one, Vlad purchased a pocket knife for protection. That night,
he experienced car trouble while driving the car he shared
with his father, leading to a breakdown at Waterford Lake's Plaza.
Despite concerns about the incident, vlad walked home and the
(14:59):
car was told for the next day. On November fourth,
vlad visited his regular coffee shop, The Foxtail, and a
customer lodged a complaint expressing discomfort. The individual informed the
employees that he intended to leave, resulting in no immediate
action taken with lad Later upon returning, though, the same
(15:19):
customer reported seeing Blad sitting outside the establishment and mentioned
to the staff that he had also noticed Vladick had
placed a pocket knife on the table earlier. Due to
the Foxtail's zero weapons policy, a decision was made to
issue a trespass warning However, by this point, Vladick had
already departed, oblivious to any issues during his time at Foxtail.
(15:41):
The family remained unaware of this incident for several months,
but we will get to that in event. On the
evening of the fourth, Vlad had an unsettling conversation with
Steve about archangels and demons, and he even made a
cryptic statement remarking quote you have to be dark to
kill the dark end, quote that.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Left Steve puzzled.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
Steve wondered whether vlad might be quoting something from the
YouTube pastor he had been watching, and the out of
character behavior had him so confused that he reached out
to Jody, expressing the difficulty he had understanding Vlad's recent conversations.
Jody suggested a wellness check, but Steve hesitated, believing Vladick
would navigate the situation in a way that wouldn't raise
(16:24):
alarms with authorities. On November fifth, Steven, Vlad's mom left
to go on a trip to Tennessee to meet up
with Bethany and a couple of her friends to celebrate
her birthday again. Vladick had originally planned to join, but
had decided to stay home. Just a few days prior
to them leaving, Steve left Flad one hundred dollars in cash,
a credit card, and instructions to collect a package that
(16:46):
was to be delivered. Steve had also offered to purchase
groceries before leaving town so that Vlad would be more
than cared for. Vlad declined the offer, stating there was
enough food already in the house. Concerns about Vlad's well
being due to his behavior that previous night. Despite attempts
to toock in, Flad did not respond to messages from
(17:07):
his family, causing some concerns to arise. Ladd's family also
were in the mountains of Tennessee, where service is spotty.
When Vlad didn't respond, they explained it away with perhaps
the text weren't making it through because of the service issues.
On November eighth, a message about a package delivery reached Steve,
who assumed Blad would take it inside.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
The family continued monitoring the situation.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm sure if Flad's like a response was due to
the poor connectivity or his habit of not keeping his
phone on him. Around four pm on November fifteenth, Steve
returned home from his ten day Tennessee trip after picking
up his car from the repair shop. When he got home,
he noticed the package he had ordered still sitting outside
of his apartment, despite Vlad's promise to bring it inside.
(17:56):
Steve observed the untouched kitchen with no missing food from
the fridge and no dirty dishes. According to Q Missing Persons,
it became apparent to Steve that it seemed like Flad
hadn't been staying.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
At the apartment.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
Flad's flip phone contained unread text messages and missed calls
from November six onwards. Jim's shoes and the pocket knife
that he had just purchased for protection were all found
in his bedroom. Concerned, Steve chose to delay filing a
missing person's report, considering he arrived home earlier than originally planned.
Flatick was an adult and perhaps while Steve was away
(18:32):
he stayed elsewhere. However, when Vladick neither returned nor contacted Steve,
the worry intensified, and on November seventeenth, Steve and Bethany
filed a missing persons report with the Orange County Sheriff's
Office and initiated advocacy efforts. They created and distributed flyers
all around the area. Bethany even posted on her own
(18:55):
personal Facebook page to spread awareness. The flyers led to
a tip from a maintenance worker suggesting Vladick might be
in the woods behind the basketball court. It was an encounter.
It was an encounter between the maintenance man and Vladeck
at the basketball court. No, The flyers led to a
tip from the maintenance worker suggesting Vladock might be in
the woods behind a basket behind the basketball court. This
(19:17):
encounter between the maintenance man and Vladeck at the court
was initially thought to be on November twelfth, but confusion arose,
raising the possibility of it being November fifth. This was
all left by the maintenance worker on voicemail Steve, who
is hard of hearing thought. The worker stated he saw
Vladik last Friday. At this point, that could have been
(19:39):
the Friday that had just passed on the twelfth, but
could also have been confused for November fifth. If it
was in fact November twelve that Vladick was seen, he
would have had to take the sidewalk past the apartment
to get to the basketball court. He would have seen
the package and taking it in as he had.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Promised his father.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
He would do so if it was November fifth, the
package hadn't yet arrived. Steve also thought he heard the
maintenance worker say they saw Vladick walk into the woods.
Steve then relayed the information to authorities. After Bethany listened
to the voicemail, she was able to clarify that the
maintenance worker said he saw vlad spoke to him for
(20:19):
a few minutes, and then mentioned that vlad liked to
hang out in the woods behind the basketball courts, suggesting
a search step and Bethany contacted authorities again to clarify
this information on the voicemail, but the reports and flyers
were never updated and continued to state that Vladick was
last seen walking into the woods for several months, even
(20:40):
after the family asked for corrections. Bethany requested surveillance footage
from the place at Alifaya on November eighteenth.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Unfortunately, footage from the.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Last seven days were all they had available, and the
complex promised to review the footage from two security cameras,
but would only release it to law enforcement upon request.
Bethany relay this information to law enforcement, but over a
week later it was still quote on their list of
action items in Vlad's disappearance, any footage that would have
(21:10):
been there would no longer be.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
That is just so frustrating because you can have a
vital piece of evidence of a sighting of him, know
if he was with anyone. You have to get those
that footage quickly.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
In a world like a digital world that we live in,
with the technology the way that it is now, it's
we're more likely to have surveillance footage than not. Everyone
has a ring doorbell, every business has security cameras. It's
an affordable option now for people to have, so it's
there and available. The problem is is that not everyone
pays for extra backup storage or iCloud storage that so
(21:50):
you only have that limited amount of time. That should
be one of the first questions you're asking, Okay, we
know that he was seen at the apartment. We need
any security footage you have. That should be question number two.
Do you have cameras is one? Question number two is
how long do you have your footage? Because we need
that now and exactly most people and businesses want to help.
(22:12):
They're going to provide that information unless they're part of
some big conspiracy for cover up, they're likely to or
they're doing unsavory things as a business. They're likely to
give you that without a warrant, without a subpoena. That's
something I feel that law enforcement can do easily.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Is at least get the footage.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
You might not be able to go through it immediately,
but you ask for that footage and you get it
and the following days go through it exactly.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
It doesn't seem that typicult. There should just be a checklist. Hey,
try to get surveillance footage, all right, next step interview
as good and it's gracious right.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
I also feel that this would be one of those
items that would be great for civilians. There's certain law
enforcement agencies that use civilian volunteers. I have a civilian
sit there and watch through hours and hours and hours
of security footage. Just tell them what to look for,
have them write down the time stamps.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
I would sign up for that in a horspree.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
I would not sleep and just spend hours watching security footage.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yes, I would love it. I would love it if
that was a job and volunteer basis. Job. I would
need to get paid because I'm just nosy and want
to know what's going on right exactly.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
There's so many people that would do that for free.
Searches were conducted in the dense wooded area behind the
basketball court, along with the larger wooded area surrounding the
apartment complex, involving helicopters, drones, and a canine search dog.
Deputies discovered a red slide shoe along the tree line
(23:49):
of a larger wooded area during the search. However, subsequent
searches using thermal scans and the search dog yielded no
further results. The family continued their efforts flyers canvassing the
neighborhood and seeking information from the community. When officials showed
Steve a picture of the shoe, Steve said that those
(24:09):
were the types of shoes that Vladik wore, but he
was unsure if flad had red ones. The shoe was
sent off for DNA testing. Flyers were hung in unhoused
community shelters all along University Boulevard and Alifaya Trail, the
area that Vlad had regularly walked. They even had officers
check out the Catholic Church prayer garden to see if
(24:29):
he had sought refuge there. Night owl reconnaissance attempted to
access Vlad's PlayStation and YouTube accounts, but access was not granted.
On November twentieth, sheriff deputies went door to door canvassing.
A friend of Vladeck in the neighborhood came forward. This
friend disclosed a perplexing encounter with Vladik. At three am
(24:50):
on November fifteenth, Vlad, seeking a place to stay, was
turned away due to his friend's girlfriend and family being present,
and in a tense exchange, Vlad seemed uneasy and asked
if the friend had a gun. Due to a previous
criminal record, that friend couldn't legally own a firearm. Vlad's
anxiety heightened, leading him to express a desire to go
(25:13):
off the grid and a deed for a gun for
protection against animals. This raised questions about where Vlad's mindset
may have been. As investigations heightened, the family received the
help of a private investigator who was able to put
together some of the pieces of the puzzle. For the family,
they were able to consolidate a bit of the timeline
(25:34):
for Vlad's disappearance. After Steve left for Tennessee, Vlad called
his sister Irena around two am. Ireta said the two
had a normal conversation as they did almost every day.
The package was delivered on November eighth and left outside
the apartment until Steve's returned seven days later. On November
twelfth is when the maintenance man said he thought he
(25:56):
saw Vladeck at the basketball courts, and then November fifteenth,
when the neighbor is saying vlad showed up at his
door at three am. On November twentieth, Bethany was asked
to not post any more updates on our personal Facebook
because it could hinder an investigation. That is all the
information the family had up until that point. They continued
to search the areas and hand out flyers. Vlad was
(26:18):
a memorable person because of his friendliness and willingness to
have a conversation. November twenty fourth, Jody posted about the
colder weather and how clean of a person Vladick was.
He was always washing his hands and he likely wouldn't
stay somewhere without plumbing. He would have wanted a shower
by now, because sometimes he showered to three times a day.
(26:39):
Orange County Sheriff's Office did not conduct media interviews or
provide any sort of information to the media to help
keep Flatdeck's disappearance in front of the media for others
to also keep an eye out. In December of twenty
twenty one, Bethany and Jody started the Fine Brian Vladick
Hazl Facebook group to keep pushing to find their brother.
(27:00):
It wouldn't be until February twenty fourth, twenty twenty two,
that the Sheriff's office finally gave Vladox family an update.
They were given vladex flip phone and Steve's lap top.
They were given vladex flip phone and Steve's laptop back
and said that they had it spoken with any of
the people in vladex phone because they thought the family.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Had already done so.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
There were no contacts saved in vladex phone, so it
would have just been phone numbers. Law enforcement also said
they couldn't get the laptop to turn on, so they
didn't go through it. The laptop worked, but the battery
no longer held a charge. It required to be plugged
into an outlet for it to be powered on. Which
this is like basic it one on one. Is it
(27:45):
fligged in?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
When my have this been worked in it? That was
the first question he asked everyone. Is it plugged in?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And you think, oh, it's not try not. It's probably
the battery.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Let's go ahead in try to charge it and then
you would see it would come on like with it
being tried. This just makes absolutely no sense to me.
And then the fact that they thought the family would
be the one reaching They didn't have the numbers. The
police had the phone, the phone and the phone numbers.
How would the family reach out to these people number one?
(28:15):
Number two? Did they communicate, Hey, why don't you guys.
It's a little bit easier if the family reaches out
to these random people versus the police. Did they communicate that?
I'm sure they did not, So this is just so frustrating.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
The family also learned that the DNA testing from the
Red Slide shoe had returned as inconclusive, but it did
appear to be the same size as Vlad's shoe size.
On November sixth, twenty twenty one, around eight am, Vladik
had walked into Foxtail Coffee, where he had used his
credit card to purchase a cup of coffee. He sat
(28:53):
down and this is when Foxtail called the Sheriff's office
back out to issue that trespassing warning. I share officer
arrived on site and issued the warning to Vladik, but
the officer didn't tell Vladik Foxtel's reasoning behind it. They
just told him it was a private business and they
can trespass you for any reason, like the type of
shirt you wear. Vladick was clearly confused by what was happening,
(29:16):
but he was respectful and showed no ill will towards
the business, the officers, or the other customers. He struck
up a conversation with the police officer and was pleasant.
The conversation was confirmed with bodycam footage from the sheriff's officer,
but the family didn't know that this was even an
item until many months later. It was clearly a blow
(29:36):
to Vladdock's feelings because he wasn't sure why he was
being treated as a trespasser when he was causing no
harm or discomfort. It was a place he regularly hung out.
He also emptied his pockets on the footage and didn't
have the pocket knife with him, only a credit card,
a debit card, and his ID. Vladick calmly walked away
at eight twenty six am in the direction of a
(29:58):
wah wah convenience store. This is the last evidence confirming
where Vladick was. He was wearing a black hoodie over
a gray T shirt and khaki shorts, crew length black socks, and.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Bright red slide shoes.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
At the time of the meeting with Orange County Sheriff's Office,
the family didn't know the details of the trespass warning.
The detective working the case stated he was probably receiving
the trespass warning for talking too much.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
This is the first time the.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Family had even learned of the footage. When the family
asked the Orange County Sheriff's Office to get footage from
the stores in the direction Bladick walked, officials said there
was too much footage for them to go through and
that it was likely already erased. They didn't even ask
for it. By April ninth, the family learned from the
owners of the foxtail more information about the trespassing innocent
(30:48):
An incident. They gave the family a still photo from
their security footage showing Flatteck in that same outfit as before.
Flattick had told the manager that he was tired as
sleep deprived in the past. They also learned that vladd
had contacted an acquaintance on November fourth, around seven pm.
They chatted on the phone for around five minutes. Vlad
(31:10):
appeared happy and asked if he could crash for a
night or two. The acquaintance declined, saying he wasn't comfortable
with that, and the conversation turned to Vlad's upcoming plans.
Blad mentioned that he had wanted to travel and preach
the Bible at its teachings originally, but he had recently
decided to sing instead. Billboards went up across the county
and several news stations covered vladdock story After his family
(31:33):
consistently expressed their concerns for their brother, A few tips
that Vlad had been seen at A seven eleven were
sent in, but those leads turned out to be nothing
of importance. By summer, a search organization did a more
thorough search of the woods with more dogs, and also
turned up empty handed. In September of twenty twenty two,
Steve's apartment was flooded by Hurricane Ian and most of
(31:56):
Vladdock's personal belongings were destroyed. Ladock's personal Bible, childhood passport,
and a few items of clothing were all that survived
due to the flooding. The apartment complex also terminated all
of the leases of its tenants and everyone was required
to find new housing. The complex is now abandoned and
slated to eventually be demolished. Just after the one year mark,
(32:20):
new detectives were assigned to Vladdock's disappearance. A tip regarding
a potential sighting came in saying they saw Vladick talking
to an older, unhoused person at wah Wah after the
trespass warning. Again, this is where footage would come in handy.
On August fourth, twenty twenty three, the private investigator posted
(32:41):
on social media that human remains had been found not
far from where Vladik was last seen. Medical examiners would
later confirm that they were not Vladock's remains. In September
of twenty twenty three, the Orange County Sheriff's Office issued
a renewed call for information regarding Brian Vladock Hasle's disappearance.
Family is extremely concerned and miss him terribly. Steve recently
(33:04):
revealed his struggles with sleep, constantly seeking solace in prayer
to ensure his son's well being. The family is not
opposed to Vladik being on his own, They just want
to know that he's alive. Safe and healthy. The family
urges the public to share Vladdock's missing Person's fire, emphasizing
the impact of strangers re sharing and reaching potential sources
(33:24):
of information, sharing.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
His face and his story to as many people as
you can. It's the best thing that we can do,
because we have to get the right people to see
that he's missing and realize they have some type of
information that could be helpful and call the Sheriff's office
so that we can make some progress here.
Speaker 6 (33:49):
And I'd really like to focus on areas where he
still lives, especially Arlington Vladick. Really he has a lot
of fond memories of being there, and I don't know
his friend groups that he had there, so I don't
know if he might have reached out to people there.
So if you know of anybody that lives in that
(34:12):
area and is willing to post flyers around Arlington, that
would be a huge help. Or target different Facebook group
pages to that area, homeless group pages to that area
just in case, that would be a huge help. And
just really sharing his flyer anywhere and everywhere across the
(34:34):
country is what it's going to take, because, like I said,
I don't think he's here in Orlando. There's been too
much coverage for him, and he's always talking with people
and there would have been sightings but there hasn't. But
he's somewhere in the United States. His passport had expired,
so he's not back in Russia. He's somewhere here and
(34:55):
we just need to locate him make sure he's okay.
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Brian Vladick is described as being five eight with blondish
brown hair and blue eyes. If you have any information,
please contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit
at four zero seven two five four seven thousand with
case number two one eight three eight six four. To
(35:19):
stay updated on Vladeck's case, please follow at Fine Vladeck
Hazel on all social media platforms. Vlade's love and compassion
for the un House community empowered us to pay it
forward with one small random act of kindness, and that's
what powered our World Kindness Day project. If you donated
to that, we want to thank you. On behalf of
(35:39):
Vladdox family and us as well. We were able to
reach our goal of getting fifty bags out into the
community in both Austin and Florida. We also hope that
with that random act of kindness that we may reach
Vladik and let him know that his family is still
looking for him and loves him dearly. So we'd like
to reach out to our Arlington, Texas area listeners. Vladik
(36:01):
had a few ties to Arlington, and if you're there
and would like to distribute flyers, please dm us on
any social media platform or email us and we will
send you flyers for free. That he was in Arlington
for quite some time and he may have gone back
to that area because he had fond memories exactly.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
And you never know. And if it just takes someone
passing out some flyers that we provide, then that's an
easy thing to do. So we encourage you to reach
out to us if you're in that area. This one
is just knowing the Blatic sisters and meeting his mom
and dad.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
It's just just.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Where could he be? I know so many people miss him,
and I just I can't wait for the day that
we do get to meet him, because I believe one
day he will be home.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Just by listening to our content, you too are advocating
for justice for these families. Thank you for making a
difference in their lives as well.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
We want to share a few ways you can support
us to continue our mission. You can become a Patreon
subscriber for as little as one dollar per month, or
a simple rate and review on your favorite podcast platform
helps us get in front of someone who may know something.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
We will continue traveling state by state seeking justice because
we will be there, no matter where, no matter who.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Thanks for listening. Visit sinspod dot com, slash subscribe for
exclusive bonus content and to listen ad free. Remember to
like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and threads
at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please
leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice.
You can contact us at Questions at sinsnsurvivors dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
If you are someone you know as affected by domestic
violence or needs support, please reach out to local resources
or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources
is available on our website, Sinsensurvivors dot com. Sins and Survivors,
a Las Vegas true crime podcast, is research, written and
produced by your hosts Sean and John. The information shared
in this podcast is accurate at the time of recording.
(38:13):
If you have questions, concerns or corrections, please email us.
Links to source material for this episode can be found
on our website sinsensurvivors dot com.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely
those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All
individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not
constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with legal
professionals for guidance.
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