241 - The Disappearance of Amber Barker

Ten year old Amber Barker was riding her bike home from a friend's house.  It wasn't a long distance, just over half a mile through neighborhood roads she was highly familiar with.  Unfortunately, she never arrived.

Within hours, the Oklahoma City Police Department descended upon the neighborhood and began searching.  The next day they were joined by more than 30 FBI agents.  It was clear that something sinister had occurred.

While investigators maintained optimism in the beginning, the discovery of a disturbing trail of clues suggested the child was in grave danger.  Closing in on a person of interest, detectives were devastated when the man died, taking everything he knew with him to the grave.

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Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Episode Transcript

(00:09):
When ten year old Amber Barker climbedaboard her blue ten speed bike, she
was expected to arrive home in tento fifteen minutes. Leaving the house of
a friend, she had a rideof just over half a mile through her
northwestern Oklahoma City neighborhood, but shenever made it. When her mother was
unable to locate the child, shecontacted police and a massive search effort was

(00:32):
launched. Within twenty four hours,dozens of police and more than thirty FBI
agents were on the scene and workingthe case, theorizing that Amber had been
the victim of an abduction. Overthe course of the next seventy two hours,
they would find Amber's bike and severalpieces of her clothing strewn along the
main roadway she'd been riding on.As evidence began paving the path forward,

(00:57):
investigators turned their attention towards a manclosely associated with Amber's family. However,
he would disappear himself, only tobe found dead days later hanging from a
tree in a local park. Thisact devastated the investigation, but years later,
detectives revealed they were now in possessionof a partial DNA profile from some

(01:19):
of Amber's clothing. They have yetto fined a match, but they have
also made it clear that they knowthere are people out there who know exactly
what happened to Amber Barker. Thisis Trace Evidence, Episode two forty one,
The Disappearance of Amber Barker. Welcometo Trace Evidence. I'm your host

(01:48):
Stephen Pacheco. Today we examined thedisturbing and frustrating disappearance of ten year old
Amber Barker from Oklahoma City in nineteenninety seven. Between the evidence collected and
the act, actions and statements ofthose around the child, many thought the
case would be solved quickly. Yetnearly three decades later, the truth has
yet to be revealed and Amber hasnever been found. Though I will avoid

(02:13):
unnecessary detail, be advised. Thisepisode involves discussion of a child abduction,
sexual assault, domestic violence, andsuicide. This is episode two forty one,
The disappearance of Amber Barker. Withtemperatures dropping in the hour growing late,

(02:39):
ten year old Amber Barker picked upthe phone at her friend's house and
called home, worried that she'd bein trouble for staying out later than usual.
The child spoke to her mother,Bonnie, who noted that it was
supper time and she should head homeimmediately. Climbing onto her pale blue ten
speed bike, Amber began pedaling towardshome as the last lingering remnants of sunlight

(03:02):
peeked through the thin gaps between homesand businesses in her northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood.
It would be a short trip,traveling just six blocks south to the
family home. It was a rideshe'd made dozens of times before, and
she was highly familiar with her routeat that time of day, and traveling

(03:22):
along neighborhood roads running parallel to majorroadways, it was a venture that normally
took the child no more than tenminutes, and yet she'd never arrive.
Instead, the ten year old wouldmysteriously vanish somewhere within the half mile between
the two homes. Strangely, despitehundreds of houses with thousands of windows,

(03:43):
not a single person would recall seeingAmber, her bike, or anything that
might help provide answers. Hours later, law enforcement would descend upon the neighborhood
in great numbers, Probing into thechild's disappearance. They combed the surrounding area,
established roadblocks, and questioned local residents. They showed photos of the girl
to passers by, hoping that someonemight be able to offer some insight or

(04:09):
point them in a direction. Theywere frustrated by a lack of sightings,
the lack of witnesses, and allthe while highly aware of how important those
first hours were. The trail wouldonly become more difficult to follow as the
hours passed. Eventually, though,they would come upon a series of clues
that carried them further and further awayfrom where Amber had last been known to

(04:30):
be. Each item uncovered became anotherforeboding piece of evidence, confirming to investigators
just how important it was to proceedwith haste, as it was a race
against the odds and time was quicklydwindling. Amber Renee Barker was born on
Wednesday, October fourteenth, nineteen eightyseven, to parents Bonnie and Robert Parker,

(04:53):
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Bonnieand Robert, who had married twenty
years earlier in nineteen sixteen, wereon the downslope of their marriage and both
knew it. While Amber would betheir final child together, her birth would
come less than two months before theirdivorce was finalized on Wednesday, December ninth,
Though they would continue to co parenttheir relationship had worn thin, and

(05:16):
the two often found themselves arguing wherethey in the same room together for too
long. While most of the childrenwere old enough to understand the situation,
Amber would grow up in a worldhaving never seen her parents together happily,
and while she lived with Bonnie,she spent a lot of time with her
father as well. Amber or Amby, as most in her family called her,

(05:39):
was a sweet, kind and funloving child who seemingly had an interest
in everything. Bonnie noted that herdaughter loved riding bikes and had a special
place in her heart when it cameto animals, sometimes talking about an interest
in growing up and being a veterinarian. Robert, who worked as a welder
and was good with his hands,would later report that his daughter was a

(06:00):
chip off the old block. Heexplained that she loved working on cars with
him in the driveway and spoke ofone day becoming a welder just like him.
He described Amber as somewhat of atomboy. She enjoyed getting grease under
her nails and had a lot offun spray painting, but she also loved
her dolls and dressing up. Onething was for sure, Amber was a

(06:21):
smart and inquisitive child who wasn't afraidto try something for the first time.
At home, she could be quietand reserved, but she loved chatting with
her siblings and spending time with hermother. The two would often cuddle together
on the couch to watch TV ortake a nap. According to Bonnie,
her daughter was often afraid of beingin the dark of her bedroom at night,

(06:44):
so it was very common to findher sleeping on the couch. This
was a habit that would continue overthe next few years of her life,
and even following her tenth birthday inOctober of ninety seven, that fear of
being alone in her bed at nightstill lingered. Magically, she would never
have the opportunity to outgrow her concerns, as less than two months later she

(07:05):
would vanish from the streets of herown neighborhood. Perhaps some wondered in retrospect
she had had a legitimate reason tobe afraid. By the fall of ninety
seven, Amber was living with hermother at thirty one nineteen Northwest thirty ninth
Terrace, in a seven hundred andsixty eight square foot red brick house with

(07:27):
two bedrooms, one bathroom and anattached garage. It was the best Bonnie
could afford to rent at the time, as she was in financial straits and
struggling to keep their heads above water. But Amber never complained. She loved
the home she shared with her mother, Emm was seemingly unaware or unperturbed by
the money challenges her mother faced.No one can say for sure, but

(07:49):
one thing that is certain is thatAmber loved going to school. By this
time, she was a fourth graderattending James Monroe Elementary School, just a
mile away on North Lynne Avenue tothe northeast. According to teachers and classmates,
Amber was, by all accounts agood student and friend, and she

(08:09):
was active in her classes and extracurricularactivities. She always did her homework,
asked interesting questions, and tried tohelp others when they needed it. She
made friends easily with what has beendescribed as a gentle sense of humor,
warm personality, and an interest inmaking others feel good about themselves. When
she wasn't working on a project,drawing pictures at her desk or reading,

(08:31):
her favorite activity was being the hallmonitor. She loved throwing on the sash,
guiding others, and just being apart of the school. She was
a happy child with a bright future, a bright future that she would never
have the chance to realize. Thistakes us to the afternoon of Thursday,
December eighteenth, nineteen ninety seven,one week until Christmas, Amber's favorite holiday,

(08:56):
and she was growing increasingly more excitedwith each past She'd spent hours earlier
in the week helping to decorate theartificial tree she had selected for the home
that year, tying off ribbons andhanging ornaments. She was elated to celebrate
Christmas, not just for the gifts, but to be able to spend time
with her sisters, brothers, andof course, her mother, Bonnie.

(09:18):
On this particular day, Amber awokeas she normally did, dressed, ate
a small breakfast, and then slungher backpack on and headed off to school.
Not only does she love the holidaysat home, she loved them at
school as well, since they oftenworked on fun projects and she could create
handmade gifts for her parents and siblings. According to everything reported about this case,

(09:43):
Amber's day at school went off withouta hitch, and after being released,
she went back to the family homealong Northwest thirty ninth Terrace. There's
never been a clear explanation as towhat happened next, but we know at
some point that Amber hopped on herblue ten speed bike and made the quick
ten to fifteen ten minute ride north. Generally speaking, Amber took the same

(10:03):
path that she always did. Leavingher driveway, she'd turn left and travel
approximately three hundred feet east to theintersection of thirty ninth Terrace and North Drexel
Boulevard. She would spend the bulkof her trip on Drexel, traveling north
for three tenths of a mile.From there, she'd turn left again,
heading west along northwest forty third Streetfor two tenths of a mile. Turning

(10:28):
right, she'd head north again,this time along North Hamilton Drive, taking
it for two blocks. There she'dturn right, heading west along northwest forty
fifth Street to arrive at the homeof her friend and classmate, Katie Kelly,
located at thirty forty one Northwest fortyfifth. No one seems to know
for certain, or at least ifthey do, it's never been reported what

(10:50):
time Amber left home and went tovisit her friend Katie. This adds in
some confusion, as it will bereported multiple times in the early days of
the investigation that Amber had stayed outpast curfew that night and was afraid she'd
be in trouble when she got home. Now, whether she purposefully broke curfew,
lost track of time, or thoughtshe was allowed to stay out later,

(11:11):
no one can seemingly confirm or deny. What we do know is that
at approximately five forty five pm,Amber used the phone at her friend's house
and called her mother. After speakingfor a few minutes, Bonnie instructed her
daughter to come home for the evening, and Amber stated that she would get
on her bike and leave as soonas she hung up. According to the
Kelly family, they last saw Amberclimbing onto her bike and riding away five

(11:37):
minutes later at five point fifty pm. This will be the last confirmed sighting
of Amber Barker. For reasons noone ever took the time to clarify.
Bonnie would later tell The Dally,Oklahoma that when she spoke to her daughter
on the phone that final time,she had a dark premonition that something terrible
was going to happen. She explainedto quote, I thought, I'm I'm

(12:00):
never going to see her again.I was worried the whole time end quote.
According to Bonnie. When Amber didn'tmake it home in the next fifteen
minutes, she grew increasingly concerned.Around six point twenty, approximately thirty minutes
after Amber left her friend's house,Bonnie stated she began driving around the neighborhood,

(12:20):
covering the area between the two homesin search of Amber, but she
couldn't find the ten year old.Early reports say that after she failed to
locate her daughter, Bonnie returned homeand made several calls to friends, but
none of them had seen the childeither. She then called the Oklahoma City
Police Department to report Amber missing.The exact time of this call has been

(12:41):
somewhat contested, as early reports sayBonnie called at six thirty pm, ten
minutes after leaving to go look forAmber, but later reports of just the
timing, saying it actually came intodispatch at seven twenty pm, an hour
after she had started searching. SergeantKyle Webb was one of the first investigators

(13:01):
on the scene, and he wouldlater report to the media that while they
didn't have any evidence of a crime, they didn't think Amber would have run
away, noting she had never doneso before and wasn't the type to get
into trouble. Sergeant Webb described Amberto reporters as being five feet tall,
weighing eighty pounds, and having longbrown hair. At the time, it

(13:22):
was said she was wearing a longsleeve of Beais shirt with a brown collar,
black jeans, and tennis shoes.He also relayed a description of her
blue ten speed bike. The searchfor Amber began quickly that night, with
patrol units notified to cover the entirearea between the two houses while detectives spoke
with the family, neighbors, andthe last people to have seen the ten

(13:45):
year old alive. Unfortunately, whilethe investigation had kicked off quickly, it
was already dark out and growing colderas temperatures dropped from the mid sixties to
the low fifties. They would haveno luck tracking down Amber that night,
but by the morning of Friday,December nineteenth, the Oklahoma City Police Department
would dramatically increase the numbers of officersinvolved in the search. They would also

(14:09):
be joined by thirty five FBI agents, as well as concerned neighbors who volunteered
to assist. The Involvement of theFBI early on made it quite apparent that
investigators believed foul play was involved.Dan Vogel, spokesman for the FBI,
would confirm this, telling the Oklahomaand quote, we are handling this as

(14:30):
an abduction case. Now we willdo everything we can to locate this young
lady end quote. The FBI wouldgo on to deploy rapid Start, a
computer system and database set up atthe command post established for the investigation.
The software allows for both FBI agentsand local law enforcement to enter information,

(14:50):
including tips, clues, and leads, which the system then organizes and designs
investigators to follow up on. Whilea law enforced were setting up their command
post and beginning to organize a massivesearch of the area, now expanded to
include several blocks north and south ofthe original area, Amber's family were putting

(15:11):
themselves to good use. Her father, Robert, who lived in Chandler,
fifty miles northeast of the city,arrived in town early and was at Bonnie's
home helping out in any way hecould. Having created flyers displaying a photo
of the missing child and the detailsof her disappearance. Different groups of family
members set themselves up at different intersectionsin the area, where they handed out

(15:33):
the flyers, spoke to passers byand hoped to obtain information about potential sightings.
Joan Barker, one of Amber's aunts, set up shop right at the
corner of thirty ninth in Drexel,just a few hundred feet from the family
home. Not long into the day, she spoke to a man who reported
that he had seen a little girlon a bike fitting Amber's description on the

(15:56):
day of her disappearance in the areaof the Drexel Condomentiams, located at four
thousand North Drexel Boulevard by Way ofDrexel. This sighting placed Amber approximately five
hundred feet northeast of her home,or three hundred and thirty feet as the
crow flies now. While police ranwith this sighting, reports in the media

(16:18):
that Amber was seen on North Drexelhad some confusion. The witness stated he
saw this girl on a bike speakingto a young boy who was selling candy
in front of the condos. However, he timed this sighting is taking place
at five twenty five, at leasttwenty minutes before Amber called home from her
friend's house five and a half blocksnorth of the condos. I could find

(16:41):
no explanation for this discrepancy. Whilethis sighting gave investigators a direction to look
at more closely, it didn't reallyprovide them with too much assistance. Units
were dispatched to the condos, wherethey searched the area and question residents,
but it doesn't appear that anything waslearned, nor were there any additional sightings.

(17:02):
While investigators were frustrated by the lackof developments, they would soon come
into possession of a new piece ofevidence which would dramatically shift the focus of
their search. At approximately ten thirtyseven am on Friday, a patrol officer
radioed in that they had found ambersbike. The blue ten speed was described
as being in good shape and showingno signs of damage or anything which might

(17:26):
suggest that an accident had occurred.The discovery was the first major finding in
the case, but what really bleuwinvestigator's minds was where it had been found.
Amber's bike was located leaning against atree in Deniston Park, fourteen blocks
south, just shy of two milesfrom her home on northwest thirty ninth Terrace.

(17:47):
The small park is bordered by Northwesttwenty seventh to the north, Northwest
twenty fourth to the south, DenistonDrive to the east, and North Drexel
Boulevard to the west. According toan, investigators, the bike was found
closest to the intersection of Drexel andtwenty five. Investigators were baffled by the
finding, noting that all of theirprevious searches had been conducted far north of

(18:11):
the park. While they had focusedon a six square block area previously,
they would now have to expand,and since the bike had been found so
far south from where they'd originally looked, they dispatched units to begin searching south
of the park along Drexel and neighboringroads. Captain Chuck Allen of the Oklahoma

(18:32):
City Police couldn't quite understand what theywere working with, as he noted to
reporters that for Amber to have goneto the park herself, she'd have had
to have passed her own house,which just didn't make any sense. Asked
at the time if they thought Amberhad made the trip of her own choice,
Allan was unable to speculate, butnoted two miles was a rather long

(18:53):
bike ride for a ten year oldto make, especially when they had found
nothing to suggest she planned to goanywhere else than home. Another item alleged
to belong to Amber would be foundthis same day, although in a very
different location. Reportedly, one ofAmber's sisters found a small silver ring not
far from Katie Kelly's home. Theplace of this discovery is noted as being

(19:18):
the intersection of North Drexel and Northwestforty fifth Street, but strangely Drexel doesn't
extend that far north and instead terminateswhere it intersects with Northwest forty third.
Whether they actually met North Drexel andforty three or if they mistakenly said Drexel
when they met North Hamilton and fortyfive has never been explained to or were
corrected. I should also note whilethe ring is mentioned as being found,

(19:44):
it is never publicly incorporated into theofficial list of evidence recovered. Friday was
an emotional day, not just forthe family and investigators, but for Amber's
friends. It was the last dayof school before the Christmas break Ensuedudents were
very upset with their friend's disappearance.Counselors were brought in to comfort the children

(20:04):
and to advise them about how tohandle if they are approached by a stranger.
Police also arrived at the school tospeak with teachers and friends of Ambers
that might be able to provide someinsight, though a long shot. Investigators
were also sent to nearby Madison ElementarySchool, where they asked students about areas
around town where children might hang outthat their parents may be unaware of.

(20:29):
Police cruisers were seen all around town, parked by storm drains, culverts,
and canals as they were searching outof the way and out of sight locations
for potential clues. Just before midnight, they would find one. A woman
living along North Drexel contacted police justprior to midnight, informing them that she
had discovered what appeared to be achild's shoe. Dispatched to the intersection of

(20:53):
Drexel and Northwest twelfth Street, investigatorstook the shoe into evidence, and it
was later confirmed by the family thatit did in fact belong to Amber.
This location is twenty seven blocks southfrom Amber's home and thirteen blocks south from
where the bike had been found inDeniston Park. At this point, Captain
Allen stated to the media that theywould be searching around the area when the

(21:15):
sun came up on Saturday morning,and he also advised residents in the area
not to touch any potential evidence,but simply to contact police and point it
out to them, as they didn'twant to run the risk of contaminating forensic
examinations. At approximately nine am,police officers searching in the surrounding area where

(21:37):
the shoe had been found came uponits missing mate. The second shoe was
located one block north at Drexel andNorthwest thirteenth Street. In hopes of obtaining
more information, the FBI set upseveral roadblocks in the area and stopped and
questioned residents and passers by, showingthem photos of Amber and asking if they
had seen her or anything out ofthe ordin in the previous days, the

(22:02):
Oklahoma City Police widened their search areaonce again, now running thirty five blocks
north to south between northwest forty fiveand northwest ten and six blocks east to
west from north May Avenue to LakeHefner Parkway, an area equivalent to one
point sixty four square miles. CaptainCharles Allen, speaking to the media,

(22:25):
noted that five point fifty pm markedforty eight hours that Amber had been missing,
and while they were beyond the criticalfirst two days, he remained optimistic
that they would find and safely recoverthe missing ten year old. For their
part, the FBI were a littleless positive, with spokesman Dan Vogel telling
Tulsa World quote, the more timethat goes by, the investigation gets harder

(22:48):
and harder. We are getting informationfrom witnesses and we are following up on
that at this time end quote.On Sunday, December twenty first, investigators
called in the local media to announcethe discovery of another piece of evidence and
to ask for the public's assistance inlocating someone they believed might possess information about

(23:11):
Amber's whereabouts. Investigators stated that onSaturday, at approximately one forty pm,
they had recovered Amber's long sleeved beaizeshirt near some bushes at the intersection of
Drexel and Northwest fifteenth. In addition, they stated that they had recovered a
sock that might have belonged to thechild, but they couldn't at that time

(23:32):
confirm it. That puts the shirtor sweater as it is sometimes described,
two and three blocks north from wherethe shoes were found and ten blocks south
from where the bike was located.Detectives also announced that they were on the
search for twenty four year old DanielJohn Smith. Smith was described as being
the common law husband of Amber's sister, Debbie, with whom he shared a

(23:57):
six month old daughter. Though lawenforcement would not refer to Smith as a
suspect, they did state that itwas urgent they located and speak with him
about the disappearance. Smith had beeninterviewed by detectives on Thursday, hours after
the disappearance, but when they uncoveredadditional evidence and returned to questioned him a
second time, they couldn't find him. Reportedly, in the previous months,

(24:21):
Smith's relationship with Debbie had begun turningbad, and she, in an attempt
to escape, took their daughter andfled to the state of Oregon, where
there were family connections from her father'sside. Reportedly, on November thirtieth,
less than a month before Amber's disappearance, police were called to a home in
the twenty four hundred block of Northwestthirty fifth Street, where Debbie was reportedly

(24:45):
staying at the time. She informedpolice that after refusing to have sex with
Smith, he had become violent andassaulted her. Smith was not arrested at
the time, but was given acitation. It was shortly after this incident
that Debbie was was reported to haveleft the state. It was also reported
that Smith believed Debbie was still inthe area and frequently stopped by the family

(25:07):
house looking for any signs of her. Smith had a troubled history when it
came to law enforcement, and wasactually on parole for a crime that involved
kidnapping two years earlier. On Sunday, April twenty third, nineteen ninety five,
Smith was arrested for attacking an OklahomaCity woman. The woman testified that
when she came out of a clubin the early morning hours, Smith was

(25:30):
crouched down beside her driver's side door. He pulled the door open, and
when she tried to flee, heforced her back into the vehicle, at
which time he grabbed her by thethroat and began striking her. The witness
went on to state that she believedthe man was trying to sexually assault her,
and ultimately she had managed to fighthim off and fled from the vehicle

(25:51):
on foot. Smith admitted to attackingthe woman, though he claimed he wasn't
trying to rape her. Instead,he told police that he was drunk and
was trying to get his hands onher keys so he could steal her car.
Originally, he was to be chargedwith only robbery, but that charge
was upgraded to kidnapping, which carrieda longer and more severe maximum sentence.

(26:14):
An additional charge of intimidating a state'switness was added in when following testimony from
a bouncer at the club, Smiththreatened him in the courtroom, saying,
quote, as soon as I getout, you're a dead man end quote.
Smith would go on to plead guiltyto kidnapping, but rather than being
sent to prison to serve his sentence, which carried a tenure maximum, Smith

(26:37):
was sent to complete a four monthboot camp program for young adults at the
William S. Key Correctional Center inFort's Supply, one hundred and fifty miles
northwest of Oklahoma City. The chargeof intimidation was dropped as part of the
plea bargain, and so Smith's futurewould be determined based upon how he behaved
while at the boot camp. Performedwell, was rated as excellent, and

(27:03):
obtained his ged equivalency while there.The District Attorney's office would go on to
recommend that Smith receive a five yearsuspended sentence. In November of ninety six,
District Judge Freeman sentenced Smith to fiveyears of probation, but then he
made it a deferred sentence that meantthat if Smith completed all of the terms

(27:25):
set out by the judge, hewouldn't have a criminal record. The judge
ordered Smith to attend weekly Alcoholics Anonymousmeetings, undergo counseling, maintain a part
time job, and meet with hisparole officer once a month. According to
the Oklahoma Smith hit a rough upbringing, being raised in foster care after being

(27:47):
removed from his biological mother at theage of six. He was a high
school dropout who had last attended schoolat the age of fifteen, and who
would fall into a long and difficulthistory with drug and alcoholic abuse. Investigators
noted that an arrest warrant had beenissued for Smith for violating the terms of
his parole since he had failed toattend his required AA meeting. They went

(28:11):
on to state that Smith's last knownaddress was at forty three to twelve Butler
Place, just two miles east ofAmber's house. Smith was described as being
five feet four inches tall and onehundred and fifty pounds, with brown hair
and hazel eyes. Police noted thathe was driving a nineteen eighty seven Silver
Mitsubishi pickup with black pinstripes, ablue interior, a smoky exhaust, and

(28:37):
slightly tinted windows. There were dentson the driver's side door, and the
vehicle had Oklahoma plates. At thetime, police would not go into detail
about Smith's potential connection to or knowledgeof Amber's disappearance. Sadly, they would
never obtain any answers from Smith.Late on Sunday night, police located Smith's

(28:59):
Mitzubi she pick up parked at agas station convenience store at seventy seven to
twenty seven South Sunny Lane Road.The next day, Monday, December twenty
second, police and volunteers from anearby neighborhood gathered together and began conducting a
search at Ray Trent Park, twelvemiles south from Amber's home and just north
of Interstate forty. It wasn't along search, as at approximately eleven thirty

(29:23):
am, police came upon the lifelessbody of Daniel John Smith. Smith was
hanging from a tree overlooking Crutchco Creek. The medical examiner would later determine the
cause of death as suicide by hanging, with the autopsy report showing both antidepressants
and methamphetamines in Smith's blood. WhileSmith was still not being referred to as

(29:47):
a suspect, it was fairly apparentat the time that investigators believed he might
be able to provide some answers abouttheir search for Amber. His death severely
hindered their investigation, as the onethe aim they had reason to want to
pursue was now scratched out. Followinghis death, law enforcement reported that Smith

(30:07):
had allegedly threatened Amber in the daysleading up to her disappearance, but at
the time they would not give furtherdetails. As Christmas approached, the optimism
investigators had previously displayed was shrinking quickly, and it was becoming disturbingly clear that
without Smith there were few other avenuesto pursue. Sadly, Christmas, Amber's

(30:29):
favorite holiday would come and go withno new leads or developments. Presence meant
for the missing child remained under thetree she had decorated, untouched, as
her mother hoped to give them tothe ten year old. When she was
found and brought home safely, Bonnie, in desperation, made a plea to
the person who took her daughter,begging for her return. She explained,

(30:52):
quote whoever has gotten her, Pleasedon't hurt her. Just let her go.
She would not do anything to hurtyou. Please don't hurt her.
End quote. While investigators had zeroedin on Smith, there was some discussion
about the possibility that more than oneperson had been involved in the abduction.
Among those considering multiple assailants was Amber'sfather, Robert. He explained to the

(31:18):
Oklahoma saying, quote, I havenot given up because we seemed to think
there were other people involved. Shestill could be alive. I know it's
not looking very good right now,but he had to go somewhere after he
snatched her up end quote. OnFriday, December twenty sixth, divers from
the Oklahoma City Fire Department were deployedto Ray Trent Park, where they walked

(31:42):
along shallow creek beds and searched throughthe Crutchco Creek for any new evidence,
whether it be related to Smith's deathor Amber's disappearance, but ultimately nothing was
found. They moved on to thearea between the Interstate and Sunny Lane Road,
but found nothing there. I investigatorswith the local police noted that they

(32:02):
would be increasing the amount of officersassigned to the case and working through the
holidays, while the FBI increased theirnumber of agents from thirty five to forty.
Chief Allen announced that a reward fundfor information had been established and would
be handled through Crime Stoppers. Thechief also told reporters that evidence they had

(32:22):
previously collected, namely Amber's bike andarticles of her clothing, had been sent
off for forensic testing, noting thatblood and quote unquote other substances had been
found on some of the items.Asked about Smith or any potential suspects,
Chief Allen stated they had not ruledanyone out up to that point, up

(32:43):
to and including the family. Theyear of nineteen ninety seven would come to
an end with the case only beginningto grow cold. While calls were coming
in with tips, they didn't appearto lead anywhere helpful. In early January,
and David filed by police in orderto obtain a search warrant for Smith's

(33:04):
truck was unsealed and a lot ofnew information was learned. According to nineteen
year old Joseph Bishop, a friendof the family, he was at Bonnie's
house the evening Amber went missing.The Affidavid stated that Bishop told investigators that
Daniel John Smith was also present inthe house that day, and that both

(33:24):
of them were there when Amber calledand was told to come home. Bishop
alleged that as soon as the callended, Smith left the house, and
rather than turning east, the directionof his apartment as he usually did,
he turned right heading west. Now, the Affidavid notes that west is the
direction Amber would be coming home from, but that's not exactly accurate. The

(33:49):
Kelly home is basically directly north ofthe Barker House, and you can go
east or west to reach Rhades thatwill take you there. In fact,
North Drexel that Amber is in orderto have used that day is east of
the house. I understand in theaffidavit they're trying to lay out as much
of a case as they can topin down Smith as a likely suspect,

(34:09):
But the neighborhood is gritted by dozensof roads. You could leave the Barker
House by either direction and the onlydifference would be a mere two tenths of
a mile's travel. Bizarrely, Bonnietold police that this information was incorrect and
that Smith was not at her homewhen the call had come in. She
claimed that Smith left prior to Amber'scall, but and here's the really frustrating

(34:34):
thing. Smith himself confirmed to policethat he was there and that he overheard
that phone call. Why would Bonnielie about this? Well, it won't
be the last time someone in theBarker family steps up to try and provide
some coverage and support for Daniel JohnSmith. The affidavit went on to state

(34:55):
that during his interview with police,Smith said that when he left the Barker
Her home, he was actually searchingfor the vehicle of his estranged common law
wife, Debbie. Unable to findit, Smith told police that he then
went to a club and started drinkingbeer. After leaving the club, he
bought more beer and started driving aroundwhile drinking. It was during this interview

(35:17):
that investigators decided to confront Smith withinformation and had been delivered to them from
Amber's father as well as her brotherEddie, who was eleven at the time.
According to both of them, theday prior to her disappearance, Wednesday,
December seventeenth, Amber confided in themboth at separate times, that Smith

(35:38):
had attempted to abduct her. Accordingto the affidavit, Smith approached in his
truck and attempted to pull Amber inside, but she got away, running back
to her house and going inside.Smith denied the allegation to investigators and stated
that he hadn't even been to theBarker house on the seventeenth. Wanting to

(35:58):
dig deeper to detective asked Smith ifhe would be willing to be interviewed by
the FBI, at which time theywould also administer a polygraph examination. While
Smith agreed to the meeting and thetest, he never showed up. Ultimately,
the affidavid passed the judge's requirements anda search warrant for the deceased man's
truck was issued. Investigators would laterreport that a search of the vehicle had

(36:22):
shown that the truck had blue clothseats, a blue carpet, and a
blue vinyl dashboard. This stood outto them, as they noted that unidentified
blue fibers were found on the sweaterAmber had been wearing the day she vanished.
The search also showed that a bungeecord was attached to the bed of
the truck near the tailgate, andthere were hairs recovered from the passenger and

(36:45):
driver's side of the truck. Inaddition to the blue fibers, police also
revealed that they had found vomit onAmber's sweater and a speck of blood on
one of her shoes, though itwas too small to be tested properly.
Unfortunately, from this point forward,the case really began growing cold. In

(37:07):
May of ninety eight, five monthsafter her disappearance, classmates at James Monroe
Elementary School, decorated Amber's desk aspart of their vigil for her. As
part of the ceremony, the studentsplanted a young red bud tree outside of
the school in memory of Amber.They made handmade decorations and flowers, which
were placed around the tree. Bonnie, who was present for the ceremony and

(37:30):
to pick up her daughter's belongings fromthe school, struggled to keep herself from
breaking down. Five months later,on October fourteenth, the students celebrated what
would have been Amber's eleventh birthday bydecorating the tree with light blue ribbons.
Friday, December eighteenth marked one fullyear since Amber had vanished, and police

(37:52):
were really no closer to finding answers. They acknowledged that they were still working
the case, though with the passageof time and Smith's untimely demise, they
were operating under the belief that Amberwas deceased, and therefore they were mostly
searching for her body. Investigators speculatedthat Smith was likely involved with his mode

(38:13):
of being anger and vengeance. Amber'ssister had fled with his daughter, and
so he struck back by taking hersister. Of course, no one knows
with any certainty, what, ifany motive Smith may have had for his
alleged role in the crime. Theresults of DNA testing on Amber's clothing in
Smith's vehicle hadn't yet returned a yearlater, and they were also still waiting

(38:37):
the results of tests conducted to comparethe fibers found on her clothes to the
blue fabric of the truck, aswell as analysis of the hairs found inside
the vehicle. Unfortunately, there waslittle else to work, and investigators hadn't
received new tips in months. DanVogel of the FBI explained, quote,
we are trying to make some comparisonsto determine if she was in the suspect

(39:00):
vehicle. All logical leads have beenexhausted. We don't have any leads to
investigate unless we get a break inthe case. There's really nothing for us
to do now. End quote.There was little movement on the case going
forward. In nineteen ninety nine,Nick Meck created age progressed photograph showing what
Amber might look like at twelve,and those images were shared around the city

(39:23):
and some were added to truck driver'srigs as they traversed the country, hoping
to spread awareness of the case underthe possibility that Amber was still alive out
there somewhere. Despite a desperate hopefor answers and a dedicated investigation, the
truth and Amber's location would become moreand more elusive. Soon days turn to

(39:45):
weeks, weeks to months, andmonths to years. In June of twenty
thirteen, sixteen years after Amber's disappearance, tragedy would once again strike the Barker
family. Following a series of deadlystorms in the area. Amber's older sister,

(40:05):
Brandy K Perry, was found decease, with her death initially ruled a
drowning. Despite this, Chris Khan, chief deputy with the Seminole County Sheriff's
Office, noted that he didn't believethe death to be an accidental drowning.
One reason for thinking this, DeputyCohn pointed out, was that Brandy's body
had been recovered from a ditch twentyfeet from the trailer she'd been living in.

(40:29):
However, there was no flood damagein that area and no indication that
the ditch had ever had any waterin it. Deputy com would also note
Brandy's injuries were inconsistent with accidental drowning, telling the Oklahomaan quote, she had
some kind of head injury or somethinglike that. Looked like she slipped and

(40:49):
fell and hit her head. Wejust don't believe she's a storm victim.
We don't have any reason to suspectfoul play at this point, but we're
still waiting on the medical examiner tosee what their findings are going to be
end quote. Brandy's sister, Debbiedidn't believe that she had died from an
accident, and neither did their mother, Bonnie. They cast suspicion towards Brandy's

(41:12):
ex boyfriend, who was reportedly verballyand physically abusive towards the deceased woman.
Bonnie went on to state that Brandyhad recently moved to that area with the
boyfriend, and almost as quickly asthey'd arrived, the relationship had gone sour.
Debbie noted that the boyfriend had alwaystreated her sister poorly leading her on
and then dumping her and cutting offcontact. Reportedly, Brandy was trying to

(41:37):
get back to the Oklahoma City areaaround the time of her death, but
had no vehicle and could not affordto travel. Interestingly, during their discussions
with the Oklahoma both Bonnie and Debbiewere asked about Amber and the likelihood that
Smith had been responsible for her disappearance. For Bonnie, she had previously made

(41:58):
it clear that she had no doubtSmith was involved, saying quote, I
definitely think that he's responsible. Ibelieve there's somebody else involved besides him that
knows something end quote. Debbie,who had had a child with Smith,
previously, did not agree with hermother's assertion, saying that she didn't think
Smith had anything to do with Amber'sabduction. She explained, quote, the

(42:22):
guy that's responsible never got charged.He got away with it. He's still
alive too. I told the detectivewho I thought did it, and he
agreed, but he never did anythingabout it. End quote. Debbie went
on to say that she didn't evenbelieve Smith's death was the result of a
suicide, but she wouldn't elaborate asto why. When asked for the name

(42:45):
of the person she believed did killher sister, She wouldn't give it,
saying only that she had told policeand they didn't pursue the lead. The
final updates on the case would comein January of twenty fifteen, eighteen years
after Amber's disappearance. On Thursday,January fifteenth, investigators filed a search warrant

(43:06):
requesting DNA samples from an inmate inan Oklahoma prison. According to court papers,
lab technicians examining the vomit on Amber'ssweater identified what they believed to be
ejaculate mixed in with the vomit.Back in ninety seven, they had been
unable to do more with their equipment, but retesting in twenty fifteen revealed a

(43:28):
partial mail DNA profile police were seekingand obtained a warrant for the DNA of
Forrest J. Rice. Rice,who had also gone by the name Stephen
Brent Henley, was close friends withDaniel John Smith at the time of Amber's
disappearance. Rice has a long andextensive criminal history in the state of Oklahoma,

(43:51):
and while the vast majority of chargesand convictions have been for possession,
intent to distribute, and intent tomanufacture, methamphetami. He does have a
few assault and batteries in there.Police noted that they did not think Rice
was a suspect, but they didbelieve he possessed vital information about what happened
to Amber the day she vanished.During interviews with investigators, Rice apparently stated

(44:15):
that he had been with Smith boththe day of the disappearance and the day
he died. Interestingly, it's worthnoting that someone going by the name of
Stephen and claiming to be Smith's bestfriend had memorials for him placed in the
Daily Oklahoma every year or two forseveral years. Following Amber's disappearance, it

(44:37):
was revealed by News nine that theCrimes against Children Unit was going over Amber's
case with new eyes in hopes offinding something that might lead them to the
truth. Court documents filed by investigatorsrevealed three names they were looking at in
the case. Daniel John Smith forres. J Rice, and Joseph Bishop.

(44:58):
If you'll recall, bish Whip waspresident at the Barker Home the day of
the disappearance and told police that afterAmber called, Smith had immediately left the
house. Bishop told News nine thathe was dating Amber's sister Brandy back in
ninety seven. Bishop denied any involvementin the crime and stated his belief that
Smith was responsible, though he wasn'tsure why he had done it. Investigators

(45:22):
also confirmed that while they wanted tospeak to Bishop again, they also did
not consider him a suspect, justsomeone who might know more. Sergeant Gary
Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Departmentstated that they were still actively investigating the
case. When asked whether or nothe believed they would solve it, Knight
replied, quote, that's what we'rehere to do, to try to find

(45:45):
out who's responsible for this kind ofcrime, hold them accountable, yet also
locate the body and at least possiblygive the family some closure to be able
to bury their child. Investigators believedthat someone knows the whole story, or
at least enough of the story toput the pieces together, and after all
these years, we still want tohear from that person. That information is

(46:09):
still vital to the case end quote. Unfortunately, that person has still not
come forward. When last seen,Amber Renee Barker was described as being a
white female with brown hair and eyes, standing five feet tall and weighing approximately

(46:29):
seventy to eighty pounds Her ears arepierced, and she often goes by the
nickname Amby. At the time ofher disappearance, she was riding a blue
ten speed bike, which was laterrecovered. She was dressed in a long
sleeve of Bais shirt with a browncollar, light black jeans, and a
pair of No Excuses brand sneakers.She was last known to have been leaving

(46:52):
her friend's house at thirty forty oneNorthwest forty fifth Street and was heading towards
her home then at thirty one nineteenNorthwest thirty ninth Terrace, a distance of
six tenths of a mile. Shewas last reportedly sighted heading south along North
Drexel Boulevard, her usual route home. At the time of her disappearance,

(47:14):
Amber was ten years old, andif alive today, she'd be turning thirty
seven this October. Police would alsolike any information available about the movements and
activities of Daniel John Smith from thetime of Amber's disappearance to the time of
his death. On Monday, Decembertwenty second, Smith's body was found in

(47:37):
ray Trent Park, his vehicle leftbehind at a convenience store on Sunny Lane
Road. Smith had reportedly attempted toabduct Amber. Previously frighten the child with
his anger and allegedly left the Barkerhome as soon as he overheard that Amber
was on her way there. ThoughSmith has never been officially named a suspect,

(47:58):
investigators believe he asked vital information aboutthe child's disappearance and likely abduction and
murder. Twenty seven years have passedsince Amber disappeared on that short bike ride
home from her friend's house. That'sseventeen years longer than she was known to
have been alive. Though police wereable to follow a trail of a series

(48:20):
of clues, starting with Amber's bikeand ending with items of clothing, they
were never able to find her.With their only named person of interest committing
suicide, much of the hope ofsolving the case went with him. There
remains hope and belief that someone outthere has information they've yet to reveal that
could finally unravel this haunting mystery,but no one thinks there can be a

(48:44):
happy ending. Police are convinced thatAmber has deceased and likely has been since
within hours of her abduction. Thoughthey continue to investigate, there is little
they can do without more information.As for Amber's family, the passage of
time has sadly taken several people beforethey could learn the truth. Both of

(49:05):
the child's parents are gone, herfather Robert passing in seven while her mother,
Bonnie went in twenty fourteen. Herolder sister, Brandy Kay died under
what some have called unusual circumstances intwenty thirteen, but there's been no additional
information or follow up in regard toher cause of death, with it remaining
accidental. There has been no newactivity on the case since twenty fifteen,

(49:30):
and whether or not they have donemore with the testing of the evidence and
comparing DNA is unknown. They dopossess a partial male profile, They've just
never been able to match it toanyone. Amber was just ten years old.
She had her life stolen away fromher, all of her hopes and
dreams smashed and shattered. And allthat can be done and all that is

(49:53):
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(52:13):
into the investigation into Amber's disappearance willfind themselves confronted by a large series of
conflicting details, contrasting statements, andall signs pointing in one direction. It
seems apparent that within the first threedays police had a fairly good idea of
what happened here. Even if theydidn't, they had their eyes on the
man they believed could provide them withthe information that they sought. Assuming they

(52:37):
were hot on the trail, theyquickly discovered that their only named potential person
of interest had disappeared, and withhim the likely truth of Amber's fate.
Days later, they find his bodyin a local park, no note,
no explanation, no additional information.Some wonder if his suicide was the result
of guilt, deep guilt for whathe may have done to Amber, while

(53:00):
others wonder if it was a suicideat all, it feels like a case
that should have been solved, andit definitely is a case that can be
solved. The problem is the sameas it's been from the first moment.
Investigators have never had enough evidence toeven name a suspect, let alone to
arrest or charge anyone. Sure,there's been a decent amount of evidence that

(53:22):
points in a direction or at leastsuggests an answer, but nothing that can
confirm one way or the other.You have to wonder what the problem is
with all the forensic testing. Youhave blue fibers on the victims clothed in
Smith's truck has blue seats and bluecarpet. Why all these years later,
are there no answers one way orthe other about whether or not these fibers

(53:44):
matched anything in the vehicle. Welearn about DNA testing on a jaculate found
in the vomit. They develop apartial mail profile, but it apparently doesn't
match anyone. I'd love to knowif they were able to test that against
Daniel John Smith, but you'd thinkif they had, they'd say so one
way or the other. Perhaps that'swhat lends so much frustration to this case.

(54:07):
Law enforcement has had very little tosay over these past three decades.
We know forensic testing in ninety sevenwas nothing close to what it is today,
so it's difficult to understand why morehasn't been learned. When it comes
to Amber's clothing later found heading southalong Drexel, all we've heard mention of
is the vomit, ejaculate and aspot of blood on the shoe. I

(54:29):
wonder if they've considered using the MVACon the clothes. It's proven to find
solid forensic evidence when all other optionshave failed. I also wonder if the
partial profile is enough to confirm amatch, or if it could only be
used to rule people out, butnot to absolutely identify the suspect. It
feels very much like this case couldbe solved, and we know for certain

(54:52):
it could be if someone would comeforward. Instead, they keep quiet about
what was likely the sexual assault andmurder of a ten year old child because
reasons. Looking back at the case, as you're very aware, there are
no official suspects. Unofficially, itseems pretty clear that almost everyone associated with
Amber believes that Daniel John Smith wasdirectly involved, if not the only person

(55:15):
involved. He had a criminal historywhich included a guilty plea for kidnapping.
He was violent with Amber's older sister, who just eighteen days prior to the
disappearance called the police and reported thatSmith had violently assaulted her when she refused
to have sex with him. Amberapparently told her father and her brother that

(55:36):
Smith tried to force her into histruck the day before her disappearance, and
one of her sister's then boyfriends,Joey Bishop, told investigators that Smith was
at the house when Amber called,overheard the call, and then immediately left.
Smith would later tell police he justdrove around drinking and looking for Debbie's
car, which is of course analibi that cannot be corroborated. There's no

(56:00):
accounting for Smith's whereabouts from the timehe left the Barker home until police questioned
him reportedly on Friday the nineteenth.During that questioning, he admits to being
present when Amber called, but deniedhe had seen or interacted with her after
that. When asked to sit foran extended interview with the FBI and the
polygraph exam, Smith agrees, butnever shows up. When police seek him

(56:24):
out after learning more about him,they can't find him. Now. While
Smith is never named a suspect.I think it speaks volumes that the police
felt justified in going to the mediaand asking the public to help locate him.
You don't generally do that for someoneyou don't believe was involved. They

(56:44):
make the announcement on Sunday afternoon,they locate his truck on Sunday night,
and they find his body Monday morning. A couple of details about this are
mentioned and never followed up on againthat just don't make any sense to me.
Firstly, it's reported that Smith's truckbuck is found at a gas station
convenience store at seven seven two sevenSouth Sunny Lane Road. Every article about

(57:06):
this specifies that the vehicle was foundless than one mile from Smith's body,
but that convenience store is over fivemiles from the park in which he was
found. Police theorized that Smith hadparked his truck and then walked to the
park. But why would you chooseto walk five miles when there were other
more convenient locations to just leave yourvehicle. I mean, it's not like

(57:30):
you're coming back for it. Notto mention the inmate. Police wanted DNA
from who was close friends with Smith, forrest Rice Slash Steve Henley told investigators
that he was with Smith both onthe day of the disappearance and on the
day of his death. Smith's bodywas found at eleven thirty am on Monday
the twenty second. Was Rice hangingout with him that morning? Was he

(57:53):
with him when he went to thepark? Did he maybe give him a
ride from that convenience store to thepark? Explained that five mile difference.
No one has yet provided answers toany of those questions. Whatever statements Rice
made to investigators in twenty fifteen andat any time before or since, haven't
been revealed, and nine years later, it doesn't sound like they're gonna get

(58:15):
anything more out of him. There'sbeen a lot of talk about this being
a case that involves more than oneperson, and frankly, given the information
about Smith and Rice, I don'tfind that hard to believe. I admit
some confusion though about statements from thefamily and the years after. Allegedly,
Bonnie denied to police that Smith wasat the house that day, even though

(58:37):
he admitted it. Then she correctsand pivots, saying, well, he
was there, but he wasn't therewhen the call came in, When again
he told the police he was therewhen the call came in and he overheard
it. I've never understood why Bonniemade these statements. Maybe it was distress,
maybe she was confused, but Idon't know. Look, I don't

(59:00):
to impugne anyone's character. I'm nottrying to call Bonnie's behaviors in the question,
and I'm certainly not doubting the griefand trauma experience by a mother who
has lost a child. But thetruth is, there's a lot about her
that really sticks out to me,and I can't ignore it. Aside from
appearing to try to lie about Smithbeing president in the home that day,

(59:20):
I'd like to know why he wasthere in the first place. And the
same goes for Joey Bishop. Weknow Smith had a bad and violent relationship
with Debbie, so much so thatshe fled the state to get away from
him. Bishop told police his relationshipwith Brandy was on the rocks as well.
Yet both of these men are hangingout at the family house with Bonnie
at ten to six on a randomThursday. I can't begin to fathom why.

(59:46):
How long were they there? Whatwere they doing? Were they all
hanging out and chatting? With Bonnieabout being bad to her daughters. I
mean, obviously I'm being pretty sarcastichere, but what's the better answer.
A lot of you out there areparents, many of you have siblings.
How much time would you spend hangingout at your own home with people who

(01:00:07):
had been physically and verbally abusive toyour daughter, to your son, to
your brother or sister. Hell Ambertold her father and her brother that Smith
tried to abduct her. She admittedto being desperately afraid of him, and
yet the next day there he ishanging out with mom. I can't help
but wonder did she tell Bonnie aboutthis or did she feel, for one

(01:00:30):
reason or another, like it waspointless, Like even if she had told
her, it wouldn't change anything.And if she had told her, would
Bonnie have admitted that to the policeor would she have lied about that too.
We don't know what went on inthat house, and frankly we probably
never will. I get a badfeeling about it, like something just wasn't

(01:00:50):
right there, but I can't putmy finger on it. I'd love to
know what investigators thought about Bonnie,her relationship with Amber, and the comings
and goings of Smith Fish, andwho knows who else. I don't mean
to sound like a jerk about it, but the whole discussion about Amber being
afraid to go home that night becauseshe stayed out past her curfew just sounds
like complete horseshit to me. Ijust don't get the impression that there were

(01:01:13):
a lot of hard and tight rulesaround that house, especially for a child
who was reportedly never in trouble andnever did anything wrong. It seems more
likely if Amber was afraid to gohome that night, it was because of
who was there, rather than anythingto do with being late. Sure,
it's speculation, but given how littlewe really know about Amber's day to day

(01:01:34):
life, speculations about all you've got. Moving off, Bonnie, You've got
Debbie, Amber's sister, and Smith'sX, who would later state her beliefs
that Smith was innocent in the disappearanceand didn't take his own life. While
she never expounded on her reasoning behindthe ladder, she did state that she
thought the crime had been committed bysomeone else, someone she would not name.

(01:01:55):
One could make the assumption that shemay have been talking about, but
there's no way to know that forcertain. Another name that's been knocked around
here and there with suspicion is JoeyBishop. At the time of the relationship,
he was dating one of Amber's sistersand admitted to police that the relationship
was rocky at best. He wasalso president at the Barker home the night
Amber called and said she'd be ridingher bike home. In fact, he's

(01:02:20):
the man who told police that Smithwas there and left right after the call.
Now, to be clear, investigatorsnever said anything about Bishop being involved,
only that they wanted to speak withhim to try and obtain additional information.
What more Bishop might have to offeris unknown, though some aren't so
quick to dismiss the possibility that hecould have been involved. Much like Smith,

(01:02:42):
he had a relationship with one ofAmber's sisters. It wasn't going well.
He was at the house that dayand overheard the phone call, and
he left afterwards as well. Ofcourse, when you add all that up,
it's rather interesting, but it doesnothing to lend credence towards any kind
of a crime. I can't helpbut wonder had Daniel John Smith lived,

(01:03:04):
would he have remained the primary personof interest or would the case have evolved?
Now I'm not gonna lie to you. My opinion pretty much lines up
with everyone else's. Smith feels likea really solid and the most likely suspect
to me. But I can't seepast my own biases, and there's a
part of me that feels very muchlike Smith's death is heavily influencing the way

(01:03:25):
I see the case. It makessense. It fits. Someone feels guilty,
they know there's no way of escaping, the police are closing in on
them, they have a prior record, they violated their parole, and everybody
knows what happens to child abusers andkillers in prison. Maybe that's the problem
for me, after all these yearscovering cold cases, it just doesn't feel

(01:03:49):
right when things fit into place,you put your money down on it.
Ask my opinion. I'll put allmy cash on Smith, but I can't
deny there's a little voice in theback of my head that wonders about other
possibilities. The only one left,which we haven't discussed, is that maybe
someone else was involved, known orunknown, a family friend, a member

(01:04:10):
of the family itself, or acomplete stranger. I don't think you could
completely rule that out, especially whenso many people have talked about the likelihood
that more than one person was involved. Essentially, Amber was likely to have
been taken between five point fifty andsix thirty pm, assuming Bonnie's times are
accurate about searching for her at approximatelysix point twenty thirty to forty minutes is

(01:04:32):
plenty of time to abduct a child. I mean, think about how many
cases you've heard where it happens ina span of five minutes or less.
Someone driving by, someone in thearea, maybe even someone who knew Amber
could have grabbed her or even convincedher to get into their car or truck.
I'm assuming the suspect drives a truck. Because of the fact that Amber's

(01:04:53):
bike was found unmarred at Deniston Park, fourteen blocks from her home, It's
extremely unlikely she bike there by herown choice. That's something that's always bothered
me about this case though. Whyleave the bike behind at the park in
the first place. Seems an oddchoice to leave a major clue behind for
police to discover, which leads tothe clothing as well. The way things

(01:05:15):
look, it's almost as if Amberwas abducted and the assailant or someone working
with them was ripping her clothes offand tossing them out the window as they
drove. The path heads south,and the last item found, a shoe,
is all the way down at Northwesttwelfth Street, twenty seven blocks from
home. Disturbingly, you'll note thatneither Amber's pants or underwear were ever found,

(01:05:38):
leading many to believe that they hadto be destroyed for likely containing a
lot of forensic evidence. I've alsowondered if things happened in reverse. Given
the vomit and ejaculate on Amber's sweater, it would make more sense to me
if the clothing was thrown out thewindow as the suspect traveled north, likely
after the crime had taken place.Think about it for a moment. The

(01:06:00):
sweater is found at the intersection ofDrexel and Northwest fifteenth, just two miles
from the Kelly home. The bikeis found in Deniston Park at Drexel and
Northwest twenty fifth. That's just seventenths of a mile from the park to
the sweater. So the suspect orsuspects grab Amber, put her bike in
the park, and then start pullingoff her clothes and throwing them out the

(01:06:24):
window immediately. I find it highlyunlikely that moments after abducting Amber, her
assailants were already leaving ejaculate on herclothing as they're driving down a busy road,
throwing clothes out the window. Especiallyconsidering the time frame between five point
fifty and six thirty, it's difficultto accept no one would have seen or

(01:06:44):
heard anything. However, if theythrow the clothing out of the window on
the way back and maybe even dumpthe bike last instead of first, they're
leaving a trail to nowhere. Hell. Given the dates some of the clothing
is found, and it's close procimityto other items, I wouldn't even rule
out the possibility that some items mighthave been discarded on Friday, or maybe

(01:07:05):
even as late as Saturday, perhapsovernight when the cops weren't hitting the area
so hard. It is kind ofstrange, though, that all the real
solid evidence was located way outside ofthe original search area. It's almost as
if whoever was involved lived nearby,because if you're talking about a stranger or

(01:07:26):
someone who doesn't live in the area, why the hell would they still be
hanging around hours or even days later. Smith had lived in northwestern Oklahoma City
for much of his life. Digginginto his history shows addresses at apartments all
around the area, including several withintwo miles of where Amber lived. Interestingly,
if you look into his so calleddear friend Forrest Rice, he also

(01:07:49):
had multiple addresses during the mid tolate nineties that were close to Amber.
If you go to Google Maps andadd in only three addresses, Smith's Rices
and Ambers, what you'll see isthat in nineteen ninety seven, Rice lived
two miles west of ambers home,and Smith lived two miles east. Interestingly,

(01:08:09):
if you mark the locations of allof Amber's clothing that were found and
her bike, and then you setyour destination as Smith's apartment, the suggested
route would take you up Drexel allthe way to northwest thirtieth Street, at
which time you turn east. Sobasically, the suggested route to Smith's apartment
would pass all of the locations atwhich items of Amber's clothing have been found,

(01:08:32):
and just four blocks north of wherethe bike is found, you'd make
a turn. Coincidence maybe, butI remain convinced that clothing was thrown out
on the way back, not theway down. The disappearance of Amber Barker,
or more accurately, the probable abductionand murder of Amber Barker has been
at a standstill for decades. Onceinvestigators got their hands on initial evidence and

(01:08:58):
Smith removed himself from the equation,everything sort of became frozen in time.
Amber's remains have never been located.Whether she's in one of the local parks,
buried in a vacant lot, orperhaps was thrown into the Oklahoma River
or one of the number of bodiesof waters in the surrounding area, no
one can say for sure. Allwe really know is that a little girl

(01:09:20):
with a bright future ahead, aworld full of dreams and possibilities, was
needlessly taken before her life could evenbegin. And now she's been gone for
nearly three times as long as shewas ever known to be alive, to
create memories, and to feel andgive love. Unfortunately, unless someone comes

(01:09:41):
forward, forensic testing cracks the secretof the unknown DNA, or an outright
confession is made, the disappearance ofAmber Barker will remain open, unsolved,
and very cold. If you're lookingfor more information about the disappearance of Amber

(01:10:08):
Barker, there are many news sitesand forums discussing her case. For this
episode, The Daily Oklahoma and TulsaWorld were the most helpful. Amber is
listed in Nick meck NamUs, theDough Network, and several other sites.
If you have any information about thedisappearance of Amber Barker, please contact the

(01:10:30):
Oklahoma City Police Department at four zerofive two nine seven one one two nine.
Her case number is nine seven onetwo two five nine eight. You
can also report information anonymously to crimestoppers at four zero five two three five

(01:10:54):
seventy three hundred, or by visitingtheir website at OKC crime tips dot com.
What do you believe happened? Tweetme at trace v Pod, email
me at trace Evidencepod at gmail dotcom, or comment in the Facebook group.
Now, I'd like to take amoment to thank our amazing Patreon producers,

(01:11:17):
without whom Trace Evidence would not bepossible. Andrew Guarino, Ann m
Bertram Brutalist, Christine Greco, Crystalj Danny, Rene Dearthy, Denise Stingsdale,
Desiree Laro, Dianni Dyson, JenniferWinkler, Justin Snyder, Karen Morland,

(01:11:46):
k Y Lars Jensen, Vangel,leslie B, Lisa Hopson, Melissa
Brackauisen, Nick Mohar, Schers,Roverta Yanson, Ruth Stacy Finnegan, and
Tom Radford. Thank you all somuch for your amazing support and for keeping

(01:12:10):
Trace Evidence going forward. This concludesour look into the disappearance of Amber Barker,
a devastating and heartbreaking case that's sovery solvable if only the truth could
be found out. I also wantto thank all of you for your patients
Over this last six weeks. Iwas very sick with food poisoning, which
then led into a major stomach virus. But I'm finally through it and back

(01:12:34):
in the office and doing the work, and I can't wait to get more
episodes out. So I want tothank you all for listening, for supporting
the show, and I'll see younext time with another unsolved case on the
next episode of Trace Evidence.