March 29, 2024 • 10 mins
At around 4 am on Sunday March 22nd, 1998, at the Governours Square apartment complex in Columbus, Ohio a neighbor is woken by loud banging and the terrifying sound of a woman screaming. The neighbor realizes the sound is coming from Stacey Colbert’s apartment…
In episode 3, we dive into the day that Stacey vanished and the witness accounts of what may have been her final moments.
Visit unseentruthpodcast.com for more case information
If you have any information about Stacey Colbert's case please contact Ohio Detective Bureau: (740) 833-2830 or via email at dcsodetectives@co.delaware.oh.us
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Support Finishing Stacey's Fight
In episode 3, we dive into the day that Stacey vanished and the witness accounts of what may have been her final moments.
Visit unseentruthpodcast.com for more case information
If you have any information about Stacey Colbert's case please contact Ohio Detective Bureau: (740) 833-2830 or via email at dcsodetectives@co.delaware.oh.us
Connect with The Unseen Truth on social media:
Follow Us On Instagram
Follow Us On Facebook
Connect with Finishing Stacey's Fight and help get justice for Stacey:
Follow on Instagram
Follow on Facebook
Support Finishing Stacey's Fight
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(soft music)
(00:02):
- At around 4 a.m. on Sunday, March 22nd, 1998,
at the Governor Square Department Complex in Columbus, Ohio,
a neighbor is woken by loud banging
and the terrifying sound of a woman screaming.
(soft music)
(up-tempo music)
(up-tempo music)
(00:25):
(up-tempo music)
This is episode three.
(00:55):
The disappearance.
The neighbor realizes the sound is coming
from Stacey Colbert's apartment.
What happens next will shock you and infuriate you.
The neighbor does nothing.
Despite having his ear to the floor to get a closer listen,
(01:16):
which is what he eventually tells detectives,
he doesn't call the police or go check and see
if Stacey is okay during that time.
The neighbor does eventually go and knock on Stacey's door
to check in, but not until 2 p.m. that afternoon.
10 hours after he initially hears her screams.
He notices Stacey's cat sitting outside her door,
(01:39):
but of course, there was no answer.
This should have been a huge red flag
that something was wrong.
Stacey loved her cat boots
and would never let him outside
because she lived by a busy main road.
There was so much speculation surrounding Stacey's neighbor
and why he wouldn't contact the police
(01:59):
when he initially heard the loud banging and Stacey screaming.
Some speculate he feared getting involved
maybe due to his own run-ins with the law.
Others speculate that maybe he had something
to do with Stacey's disappearance
and that's why he never notified the police.
But again, this is all speculation.
(02:21):
Unfortunately, that neighbor is now deceased
and cannot provide those answers.
However, the police did interview him on several occasions
and he was cleared as a potential suspect.
This is a large piece of the puzzle in this case
and not only is it an important piece,
but it's also one that I really struggle to comprehend.
(02:44):
How do you witness something like that and stay stagnant?
You know a young woman lives alone in that apartment
and you witnessed what may have been her final screams.
The what if's continue to haunt me
as I know they haunt Stacey's friends and family.
What if the neighbor called the police
(03:06):
or even went to check on Stacey right away?
Would the outcome have been different?
Would she still be here today?
Unfortunately, we'll never know the answers
to those burning questions.
Another day goes by
and it isn't until that Monday, March 23rd, 1998
(03:26):
that Stacey's sister Danielle calls her at 9 p.m.
You see, the Academy Awards were on
and the movie Titanic was nominated for quite a few awards.
Titanic was a favorite of Stacey and Danielle's.
Danielle took Stacey to see it for her 23rd birthday,
so it was special.
When Danielle got Stacey's voicemail,
(03:47):
she didn't think too much of it.
Back in 1998, no one had cell phones like we do now.
You called people on landlines and left voicemails
to get in touch with them if they didn't answer.
Danielle knew Stacey had a work trip that week
and assumed she was away
and would get back to her when she returned home.
Unfortunately, that would never happen.
(04:08):
The next day on Tuesday, March 24th, 1998,
Danielle receives a call from AEP
stating that Stacey has not been to work Monday or Tuesday.
Danielle immediately knew something was very wrong.
On Tuesday when I got home from work
is when I got the voicemail from her work.
(04:31):
And as soon as I received it,
I knew that it was bad.
Because she would never,
she's not the kind of person who would miss work.
She was probably one of the hardest workers
that I'd ever met in my life.
She had incredible work ethic.
(04:53):
She was very driven.
And she wanted to do things right.
She always wanted to do things right
and 110% over what anyone would expect her to do.
And so she wanted to get to work before everybody else.
She's probably one of the last people to leave work
(05:14):
and go above and beyond there.
So we got that call.
I got off of work.
It was probably around 4:30 or 5 o'clock.
Shortly after the call,
Danielle notifies her parents of what's going on
and tells them that she's going to drive over
to Stacey's apartment.
(05:36):
I called my parents and I said,
I'm going over to Stacey's apartment.
I think something's really, really wrong.
So I went over, at that point,
I even debated calling the police before I went over there
because I just couldn't imagine a world
in which she wouldn't go to work.
(05:57):
And so I jumped in my car and zoomed down to her apartment,
which again was only 2.1 miles door to door.
So I got to her apartment and her car was there.
Her door was slightly open.
And I don't remember when I saw it,
but there was a poster of somebody with her cat,
(06:22):
like it was a missing cat flyer that was out.
And I didn't happen to notice it at the time,
but it was up at that point.
And I went into the apartment.
This is small, little apartment.
You know, I go in and, you know,
I see her contacts are there.
I see her wallet's there.
I see, you know, all of her credit cards are cars there.
(06:45):
I see her purse there.
I see things like food and milk on the counter.
I see the refrigerator door is open.
I see cabinets that are open.
And, you know, I see blankets and her room is a little bit messy
(07:06):
with clothes and things on the floor.
I knew there was a problem.
I called the police.
They came over and this is Tuesday.
And I don't believe I left her a place until probably
one or two o'clock in the morning.
The initial street cops came over and did a run through
(07:28):
over the house.
Even from that first night, I was speaking
to the detectives in charge of like rape and I think I
talked to even the homicide guys that night and telling,
you know, what I knew.
I called my uncle
(07:51):
He came over and he brought his son, he's a fireman.
And they, after looking at the apartment,
they definitely suspected it wasn't just run away or things
like that.
They, they suspected foul play right away.
(08:12):
As Danielle mentioned, police immediately suspected foul play
after investigating the condition of Stacey's apartment.
So let's review the facts and the evidence presented here.
Stacey's car is found in the parking lot of the complex.
All of Stacey's personal belongings are still in the apartment,
including her purse, wallet, and car keys.
(08:35):
Her front door was slightly open and there
was a boot print on the inside of the door.
Her refrigerator was open and the box of half
uneaten breadsticks was on the counter along with a gallon of milk.
There was also a strong smell of bleach present in the apartment.
All the evidence told a story, a very disturbing story.
(08:59):
But Stacey was still nowhere to be found.
As the search for Stacey continued, her family, friends,
and colleagues went to massive lengths to spread the word
and focus on bringing her home.
While detectives on her case continued
to investigate and track down any leads they came across.
AEP was also very active in the search
(09:20):
and even put up a $10,000 reward for information
leading to the location of Stacey.
Little did everyone know this was only
the beginning of what would be a six-year-long search.
And the details of the investigation
would leave everyone in a tailspin.
In the next episode, we dive into the aftermath
(09:40):
of Stacey's disappearance and discover new leads.
Episode four, The Vigil, is available right now.
Make sure to follow us on social media at Unseen Truth Podcast
and visit UnseenTruthPodcast.com for more case information.
(gentle music)
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(10:02):
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Piano music)
(Piano music)
(Piano music)
(soft music)
(soft music)
(00:02):
- At around 4 a.m. on Sunday, March 22nd, 1998,
at the Governor Square Department Complex in Columbus, Ohio,
a neighbor is woken by loud banging
and the terrifying sound of a woman screaming.
(soft music)
(up-tempo music)
(up-tempo music)
(00:25):
(up-tempo music)
This is episode three.
(00:55):
The disappearance.
The neighbor realizes the sound is coming
from Stacey Colbert's apartment.
What happens next will shock you and infuriate you.
The neighbor does nothing.
Despite having his ear to the floor to get a closer listen,
(01:16):
which is what he eventually tells detectives,
he doesn't call the police or go check and see
if Stacey is okay during that time.
The neighbor does eventually go and knock on Stacey's door
to check in, but not until 2 p.m. that afternoon.
10 hours after he initially hears her screams.
He notices Stacey's cat sitting outside her door,
(01:39):
but of course, there was no answer.
This should have been a huge red flag
that something was wrong.
Stacey loved her cat boots
and would never let him outside
because she lived by a busy main road.
There was so much speculation surrounding Stacey's neighbor
and why he wouldn't contact the police
(01:59):
when he initially heard the loud banging and Stacey screaming.
Some speculate he feared getting involved
maybe due to his own run-ins with the law.
Others speculate that maybe he had something
to do with Stacey's disappearance
and that's why he never notified the police.
But again, this is all speculation.
(02:21):
Unfortunately, that neighbor is now deceased
and cannot provide those answers.
However, the police did interview him on several occasions
and he was cleared as a potential suspect.
This is a large piece of the puzzle in this case
and not only is it an important piece,
but it's also one that I really struggle to comprehend.
(02:44):
How do you witness something like that and stay stagnant?
You know a young woman lives alone in that apartment
and you witnessed what may have been her final screams.
The what if's continue to haunt me
as I know they haunt Stacey's friends and family.
What if the neighbor called the police
(03:06):
or even went to check on Stacey right away?
Would the outcome have been different?
Would she still be here today?
Unfortunately, we'll never know the answers
to those burning questions.
Another day goes by
and it isn't until that Monday, March 23rd, 1998
(03:26):
that Stacey's sister Danielle calls her at 9 p.m.
You see, the Academy Awards were on
and the movie Titanic was nominated for quite a few awards.
Titanic was a favorite of Stacey and Danielle's.
Danielle took Stacey to see it for her 23rd birthday,
so it was special.
When Danielle got Stacey's voicemail,
(03:47):
she didn't think too much of it.
Back in 1998, no one had cell phones like we do now.
You called people on landlines and left voicemails
to get in touch with them if they didn't answer.
Danielle knew Stacey had a work trip that week
and assumed she was away
and would get back to her when she returned home.
Unfortunately, that would never happen.
(04:08):
The next day on Tuesday, March 24th, 1998,
Danielle receives a call from AEP
stating that Stacey has not been to work Monday or Tuesday.
Danielle immediately knew something was very wrong.
On Tuesday when I got home from work
is when I got the voicemail from her work.
(04:31):
And as soon as I received it,
I knew that it was bad.
Because she would never,
she's not the kind of person who would miss work.
She was probably one of the hardest workers
that I'd ever met in my life.
She had incredible work ethic.
(04:53):
She was very driven.
And she wanted to do things right.
She always wanted to do things right
and 110% over what anyone would expect her to do.
And so she wanted to get to work before everybody else.
She's probably one of the last people to leave work
(05:14):
and go above and beyond there.
So we got that call.
I got off of work.
It was probably around 4:30 or 5 o'clock.
Shortly after the call,
Danielle notifies her parents of what's going on
and tells them that she's going to drive over
to Stacey's apartment.
(05:36):
I called my parents and I said,
I'm going over to Stacey's apartment.
I think something's really, really wrong.
So I went over, at that point,
I even debated calling the police before I went over there
because I just couldn't imagine a world
in which she wouldn't go to work.
(05:57):
And so I jumped in my car and zoomed down to her apartment,
which again was only 2.1 miles door to door.
So I got to her apartment and her car was there.
Her door was slightly open.
And I don't remember when I saw it,
but there was a poster of somebody with her cat,
(06:22):
like it was a missing cat flyer that was out.
And I didn't happen to notice it at the time,
but it was up at that point.
And I went into the apartment.
This is small, little apartment.
You know, I go in and, you know,
I see her contacts are there.
I see her wallet's there.
I see, you know, all of her credit cards are cars there.
(06:45):
I see her purse there.
I see things like food and milk on the counter.
I see the refrigerator door is open.
I see cabinets that are open.
And, you know, I see blankets and her room is a little bit messy
(07:06):
with clothes and things on the floor.
I knew there was a problem.
I called the police.
They came over and this is Tuesday.
And I don't believe I left her a place until probably
one or two o'clock in the morning.
The initial street cops came over and did a run through
(07:28):
over the house.
Even from that first night, I was speaking
to the detectives in charge of like rape and I think I
talked to even the homicide guys that night and telling,
you know, what I knew.
I called my uncle
(07:51):
He came over and he brought his son, he's a fireman.
And they, after looking at the apartment,
they definitely suspected it wasn't just run away or things
like that.
They, they suspected foul play right away.
(08:12):
As Danielle mentioned, police immediately suspected foul play
after investigating the condition of Stacey's apartment.
So let's review the facts and the evidence presented here.
Stacey's car is found in the parking lot of the complex.
All of Stacey's personal belongings are still in the apartment,
including her purse, wallet, and car keys.
(08:35):
Her front door was slightly open and there
was a boot print on the inside of the door.
Her refrigerator was open and the box of half
uneaten breadsticks was on the counter along with a gallon of milk.
There was also a strong smell of bleach present in the apartment.
All the evidence told a story, a very disturbing story.
(08:59):
But Stacey was still nowhere to be found.
As the search for Stacey continued, her family, friends,
and colleagues went to massive lengths to spread the word
and focus on bringing her home.
While detectives on her case continued
to investigate and track down any leads they came across.
AEP was also very active in the search
(09:20):
and even put up a $10,000 reward for information
leading to the location of Stacey.
Little did everyone know this was only
the beginning of what would be a six-year-long search.
And the details of the investigation
would leave everyone in a tailspin.
In the next episode, we dive into the aftermath
(09:40):
of Stacey's disappearance and discover new leads.
Episode four, The Vigil, is available right now.
Make sure to follow us on social media at Unseen Truth Podcast
and visit UnseenTruthPodcast.com for more case information.
(gentle music)
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(10:02):
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Piano music)
(Piano music)
(Piano music)
(soft music)
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