Evil at the Door

Summary

---

20/20 Podcast: "Evil at the Door" (May 30, 2026)

Podcast by ABC News

---

Episode Overview

In this gripping true crime episode, 20/20 investigates the chilling connection between the disappearance and murder of 19-year-old Kenya Monge and the brutal assault of Lydia Tillman. Through first-person interviews, police records, and direct coverage of the families involved, the episode explores how a series of seemingly unconnected attacks led detectives to a serial predator—Travis Forbes. The episode delves deep into the investigations, the heartbreak of loved ones, and ultimately, how dogged detective work and survivor strength brought answers and justice.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Two Crimes, Thirty Miles Apart

• July 4th, Fort Collins: A young woman barely survives a vicious beating and arson after being followed home.
  • "An attractive young woman has just finished watching a fireworks display ... she is being followed ... apartment is on fire ... a person comes flying out of the window. And she's alive." — Narrator/Host [00:32–01:10]
• Denver: Kenya Monge, a 19-year-old, vanishes after a night out; surveillance footage and a chilling text message become the first clues.
  • "For 19 year old Kenya Monhan, there's no book on what you do when this kind of stuff comes up. For a family of the missing, there ain't no book." — Tony Lee [01:54–02:04]
  • "You don't know what evil looks like till it comes knocking on your door." — Detective/Investigator [02:05]

2. Who Was Kenya Monge?

• Immigrated from Honduras, beloved by her blended family. Joyful, music-loving, "attached at the hip" to her friends, recently started at MSU Denver.
  • "She was always just happy and laughing and cracking jokes. People were naturally just drawn to her beauty and kindness." — Kenya's Friend [04:35]
  • "We did a lot together ... She liked boys to men." — Tony Lee [05:02]

3. The Last Night: Surveillance, Vulnerability, and Disappearance

• Kenya, intoxicated and separated from friends without her belongings, was last seen leaving a club with a stranger.
  • "Her purse, her keys, and most importantly, her phone." — Narrator/Host [08:09]
  • "She was really in the most vulnerable spot she could be in. No way to communicate, no id, no money ..." — Reporter/Interviewer [08:54]
• A mysterious text from "Travis" in a "creepy white van" raises suspicions.
  • "Hey, this is Travis. Guy in creepy white van. Did you get to your car okay?" — Tony Lee [15:30–15:41]
  • "Whatever you relate creepy white van to, it's never a good thing." — Kenya's Friend [15:50]

4. Focus on Travis Forbes

• Travis, appearing initially as a helpful bystander, weaves inconsistent stories about giving Kenya a ride and introducing a mystery man ("Dan").
• His van smells strongly of bleach, the carpet is new, and his behavior is evasive.
  • "When it swung open, the smell of bleach just washed out of there ... It was washed so much with this bleach." — Tony Lee [20:57]
• Surveillance and security footage from a bakery he worked at captures suspicious activity—the transfer of a cooler, buying and burning items, and unplugged cameras.
  • "He unplugs my video surveillance so that all the cameras go out ... why he's wearing yellow plastic gloves ... he never cleans up after himself." — Monica Poole [30:39]

5. Desperation and Dead Ends

• Tony Lee, Kenya’s stepfather, takes up his own search, combing dumpsters and handing out flyers.
  • "I was looking for Kenya's body. That's it. Nothing else. I was looking for Kenya." — Tony Lee [36:57]

6. Another Attack: Lydia Tillman

• July 4, Fort Collins: Lydia is attacked in her home, doused in bleach, and left for dead after her apartment is set on fire. She survives by jumping from a second-story window.
  • "She actually had to jump out of the back ... the paramedics got here, they see a naked woman running towards them." — Narrator/Host [53:29–53:50]
• DNA evidence is collected from under Lydia’s fingernails.

7. Connecting the Crimes

• Police compare notes between the Denver and Fort Collins attacks—survivor Lydia, bleach, arson, and the timing after Travis Forbes' release from custody.

8. The Arrest and Interrogation

• Travis flees Colorado; he's found in Texas after stealing a friend's car, living under an alias.
• Under pressure, he toys with detectives, evades direct confession, and ultimately admits, "Something I need to do is I need to find out the definition of sociopath. Cuz I'm pretty sure I fit in." — Travis Forbes [60:25]

9. The DNA Break and Final Confession

• DNA evidence from Lydia’s attack matches Travis Forbes. With this, he negotiates a plea: lead the police to Kenya’s body and avoid the death penalty/sex offender label.
  • "I don't wanna go to the chair, okay?" — Travis Forbes [62:28]
  • "I don't care what the deal is. ... I just want to know where Kenya is. I want to bring Kenya home." — Tony Lee [62:52]

10. Retracing the Crime: Kenya’s Final Hours and Recovery

• Forbes leads detectives to Kenya’s grave, revealing how he raped and murdered her and meticulously covered his tracks with bleach and fire.
  • “I had sex with her while she was passed out… She started hitting me, and I started hitting her back. … I strangled her.” — Travis Forbes [74:00–74:24]
  • “[Kenya] is covered in plastic, and she has rocks to hold down the plastic.” — Detective Nash [69:39]
• He also confesses to the attack on Lydia Tillman.

11. Legal Aftermath and Closure

• Forbes pleads guilty, receives life without parole, and confesses to Lydia’s attack.
• Emotional courtroom moments as families face Forbes—Tony Lee describes the chilling trembling handshake, and Lydia delivers a resilient statement:
  • “Travis Forbes, you caused me no harm. My spirit, my soul and my mind remain untouched. May you find peace in this life.” — Lydia Tillman (via her father) [81:10]

12. Legacy: Survival, Remembrance, and Advocacy

• Kenya’s family establishes a foundation for families of violent crime victims.
  • “Coming back here to visit, I'm always drawn back. That'll never stop.” — Tony Lee [83:28]
• Lydia, now a yoga instructor, continues to share her story and recovery.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “You don't know what evil looks like till it comes knocking on your door.” — Detective/Investigator [02:05]
• “Even though their hope was 100%, mine was 0.01%. But 0.01% of hope is still hope.” — Tony Lee [24:00]
• "When I let go, I knew that I was shaking the hand of the last person to see Kenya alive." — Tony Lee [22:06]
• "This was one of those white vans that you see on every TV show that there is that's involved with bad stuff. ... The smell of bleach just washed out of there." — Tony Lee [20:57]
• “I call home, Maria asleep. I wake her up, and I said to her, they found Kenya. And the first words that came out of her mouth was, is she okay? Where is she? And I said, she's dead." — Tony Lee [72:21]
• “Something I need to do is I need to find out the definition of sociopath. Cuz I'm pretty sure I fit in.” — Travis Forbes [60:25]
• “When everything comes to light, it's going to be horrific. Horrendous. Oh, yeah.” — Travis Forbes [60:52]
• “Travis Forbes, you caused me no harm. My spirit, my soul and my mind remain untouched. May you find peace in this life.” — Lydia Tillman, through her father [81:10]
• “I carry Kenya with me. She is still alive through me. You can never die if the people you love carry you.” — Kenya's Friend [83:43]

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:32–01:45: Opening description of the attacks; connection between two crimes.
• 04:06–05:47: Kenya’s background and family.
• 08:09–09:11: Kenya separated, last seen vulnerable.
• 15:30–15:41: Chilling text from Travis Forbes.
• 20:57–21:33: Suspicious evidence in the van.
• 30:39–31:44: Odd activity and surveillance at the bakery.
• 36:57–37:19: Tony Lee’s personal search for Kenya.
• 53:29–54:20: Lydia Tillman's survival and evidence collection.
• 60:25–60:42: Forbes' admission of sociopathic traits.
• 74:00–74:24: Forbes' confession to Kenya's murder.
• 81:10: Lydia Tillman’s impact statement.
• 83:17–84:04: Remembrance and legacy moments.

---

Emotions, Tone, and Aftermath

20/20 maintains a tone of persistent, methodical investigation, underpinned by deep empathy for the victims and families. The emotional testimony of Tony Lee and the resilience of survivor Lydia Tillman stand out. The episode underscores the relentless work of law enforcement and the far-reaching impact of violent crime.

---

Conclusion

This episode expertly documents the harrowing true story of two victims, the long road to justice, and the power of hope, survival, and community. The suspenseful investigation, raw family perspectives, and eventual courtroom closure offer a comprehensive look into how tragedy can be confronted with tenacity and, ultimately, grace.

---

Transcript

[Narrator/Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

It's July 4th. An attractive young woman has just finished watching a fireworks display in a Fort Collins park and she starts walking home to her apartment.

What she doesn't realize though, is that she is being followed. This man breaks into her apartment. Before the night is over, the apartment is on fire. Massive flames coming out of the second story. This is a huge fire. Neighbors are calling 911.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

911.

[Narrator/Host]

What's the address of the emergency?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

There's a fire going on. Looks like the top floor.

[Narrator/Host]

People barely have time to process the fire when a person comes flying out of the window. And she's alive. When paramedics get here, she is running towards them naked, trying to get them to help save her life.

The media had no idea that she had been beaten and left for dead.

She was attacked so brutally that she couldn't speak, she couldn't say what had happened.

She goes into a coma.

It's horrible. But just 30 miles away in Denver, another woman's gone missing.

Now everyone is wondering, could these two crimes be connected?

This can't just be a coincidence.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Families plea for help. Their teenage daughter is missing and their hope is fading.

[Monica Poole]

For 19 year old Kenya Monhan, there's

[Tony Lee]

no book on what you do when this kind of stuff comes up. For a family of the missing, there ain't no book.

[Narrator/Host]

This is the unthinkable.

[Detective/Investigator]

You don't know what evil looks like till it comes knocking on your door.

[Tony Lee]

My name is Tony Lee. Locksmith work, it's a very exact business. You can't be a hundredths of an inch off. If you're a hundredths of an inch off, this lock won't work. I have to keep my mind on the task at hand. It gets me away from the thoughts because the thoughts really never ever go away. Keeps you thinking and it keeps you not thinking, you know, at the same time.

[Narrator/Host]

For Tony, working in his locksmith shop and focusing is a way of not thinking about the moment that changed his and his daughter's lives forever. One night in downtown Denver, lower downtown,

nicknamed Loto, was the place to be.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

All the bars are down there, all the kids go down there.

[Kenya's Friend]

It's filled with people going out to having fun with their friends.

[Narrator/Host]

So it's March 31st. It's springtime. It's a beautiful night. People are out and about.

[Detective/Investigator]

As far as the crime, very average of what you would see. Maybe a bar fight, maybe somebody lost their id. Maybe somebody's phone got taken. Nothing like a violent or major crime.

[Narrator/Host]

But now police have something very different on their hands. The disappearance of a 19 year old old woman who was last seen leaving one of those clubs.

[Kenya's Friend]

Her name was Kenya Monge. This is me and Kenya. This was a night in with our friends. We met in high school. We met one day and we never let go of each other. We were attached at the hip. I want half my face on my hip.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Remind you something?

[Kenya's Friend]

She was always just happy and laughing and cracking jokes. People were naturally just drawn to her beauty and kindness.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Kenya was from Honduras and she came after her mom had already come here.

[Detective/Investigator]

Kenya's mom was now married to a gentleman named Tony Lee.

[Tony Lee]

And from that day forward, there was never any question about, you know, our relationship. That was daddy. We used to go on our little road trips, you know, and we sing along. She liked boys to men. End of the road to the end of the road Till I can let go. We did a lot together.

[Narrator/Host]

Kimberly and Toni Jr. Her half siblings, they love her, they adore her, they look up to her.

Well, she had graduated from Cherry Creek High School and was going to MSU Denver. She had her whole life in front of her.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

She was just that typical young 19 year old girl having fun.

[Kenya's Friend]

She was always listening to the latest songs. Her ringtone was a bachata song, Tu Veneno by Aventura. And so anytime I hear that song, I just think of her

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

odd years.

[Kenya's Friend]

Me and another one of our friends were planning to meet with Kenya that night. And we made plans to just meet up downtown somewhere. I didn't know who she was with.

[Narrator/Host]

She's out with two other girls. This was not her normal group of friends. This was a new group of friends that maybe didn't know her as well.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Eventually we were to talk to Kenya's friends that she went out with that night. And they told us everything. So this is the bar that used to be called 24K where Kenya and her friends came that night.

[Kenya's Friend]

I want to say it was about 10 or 11 o'.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Clock.

[Kenya's Friend]

We texted Kenya and she never responded. So we figured she's having fun,

[Travis Forbes]

we'll

[Kenya's Friend]

run into her later.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

They met some guys. When they walked in, they sat down one of the booths, had bottle service, started drinking. We even have a picture of them all together. On that booth, there's Kenya at the

[Detective/Investigator]

table, talking to these young men. They pour them drinks. They're drinking.

[Kenya's Friend]

Kenya was 4' 11, 100 pounds. Drinking any amount of liquor affected her.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Kenya gets up, goes to the bathroom. When she comes back, she's with some guy. Friends don't know who he is. They go back out to the dance floor. They start dancing.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Kenya was dancing with someone and was just enjoying this person's company.

[Narrator/Host]

They're definitely flirting, having a good time.

Meanwhile, she's left all of her belongings with her friends. Her purse, her keys, and most importantly, her phone.

Police are told that security at the bar. Warn Kenya and the man that they're getting out of hand and to try and cool things down. But soon after, the two of them are actually kicked out of the club.

[Travis Forbes]

And.

[Narrator/Host]

And Kenya's friends don't see it happen.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

They don't know where she went. She just kind of disappears. They're looking for her. Her friends that she came with, they're looking for her. They can't find her. They didn't know that they were asked to leave. They don't know what happened to her.

[Narrator/Host]

For whatever reason, they continue to hang out at the bar.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And so she was really in the most vulnerable spot she could be in. Have no way to communicate, have no identification, no money, and you're dressed to be out at the bars. You know, it's just a bad combination.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

The girls that were out with Kenya, they can't find her. They were hoping she was home, but she hadn't come home.

[Kenya's Friend]

In the morning, her other best friend called me and asked, have you seen Kenya? She's not answering her phone. I haven't heard from her. Have you talked to her? I'm worried. This isn't like her.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And so we know pretty quickly this isn't just somebody that, you know, ran away or hasn't got home yet or ended up somewhere else. And that this is not good.

[Narrator/Host]

Especially when surveillance video of Kenya walking into this building with a man is uncovered. And then a mysterious text comes in that immediately raises alarm bells.

The text message leads to everything else that follows.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Kenya becomes a missing person. The officers did an incredible job of going just scouring that whole area for surveillance at any bar, restaurant area, anything they could find.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We don't know who she left with or where she went until we find surveillance here at this. At the lofts at 15th in California. They're basically apartments. Detectives go there and they download surveillance. And they see Kenya walking into the lobby with this person that she left the Club with.

[Narrator/Host]

Eventually we learned who the stranger at the bar was. Chad Davis. It was his apartment building they walked into at around 1am

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

he gives us an interview. He talks to us.

[Detective/Investigator]

She had heels on.

[Travis Forbes]

She was like, you know, struggling to walk in them.

[Detective/Investigator]

So she took them off and was

[Travis Forbes]

walking and I was carrying her heels. Kind of had her like this, you know, laughing here.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

From 24K bar to the lofts is a good 10, 15 minute walk. It's. It's a ways. They come in, they talk here in the lobby. They go into the elevator.

[Detective/Investigator]

How long late you guys left in the apartment?

[Travis Forbes]

Not long, like 10 minutes.

[Detective/Investigator]

And then she realized that she left

[Travis Forbes]

her purse or something, I guess, at the bar.

[Detective/Investigator]

I needed to go get it.

[Narrator/Host]

But instead of going back to the bar, what follows is a chaotic series of events. Over the next hour or so, Kenya and Chad appear on a number of recordings, sometimes with each other, other times apart. Here, Kenya turns back from following Chad. Moments later, Chad reappears, running back after her. And yet another time, Chad seems to have run downstairs to wait for Kenya at the elevator.

[Travis Forbes]

We probably did that a couple times going up and down the stairs.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And I think she was behind me.

[Travis Forbes]

She wouldn't be. And I mean, like I said, she was just really drunk.

[Detective/Investigator]

It was really difficult to deal with, you know. Chad at that point, escorted Kenya back downstairs.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She's standing right here. He's in the elevator. And they're kind. I don't know what they're saying. He says that he asked her to go back to his apartment. She says no. She starts to walk out of the building. Two guys walk in, and he's still saying something to her, but we don't know exactly because there's no audio to it. So she bumps into these two guys and they start talking to her. She tells him something. They confront Chad, and then there's a scuffle that happens. He leaves up the elevator. Then we see her on video. Kenya was alone in that lobby and she walked out those doors alone. Everything that Chad explained to us, we verified through the video.

[Detective/Investigator]

We ran background on him for any red flags for anything that stood out. There was nothing. And it was a closed door at every avenue that we took with Chad.

[Travis Forbes]

I don't know what could happen to her. I just feel bad now that didn't either go with her or just never

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

stay in my place.

[Narrator/Host]

It's about 2:15am Kenya walks across the street to the Hyatt Hotel. Only about a minute away,

[Detective/Investigator]

Kenya is seen on video walking in the lobby, going in the direction of the women's restroom. She didn't appear to be stumbling, but walking. And the main thing was she was by herself.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Then she proceeds to walk alone on the street.

[Narrator/Host]

But walk on the street to where. It's a huge mystery. Until a development that changes the entire case.

Her phone is everything in this story. The next day, Kenya's friends bring her phone to her family.

[Tony Lee]

That was my first time knowing about it. And I said, and none of you know what happened to her? You know, she said, no, no.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

That's terrifying. Your child is missing. Maria was absolutely heartbroken. She just was in so much agony for her daughter. Tony, he was very determined to try to figure out what happened to her.

[Tony Lee]

Then I started going through her phone, and I'm seeing all these names, you know, and I'm calling the friends that I know, and I'm saying, you know, look, this is where I'm at. This is what's going on. And none of them has heard anything from her.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Her parents became pretty worried because that was odd for Kenya to do that. Just vanish and not call, not show up, not say, hey, here, here. This is where I'm at.

[Detective/Investigator]

Tony has the phone, has Kenya's phone. When a text comes in.

[Tony Lee]

All of a sudden, I get this message. And the message said, hey, this is Travis. Guy in creepy white van. Did you get to your car okay?

[Narrator/Host]

It's just chilling. Of course it's a creepy white van. It's just, ugh, that's

[Kenya's Friend]

my biggest nightmare. Whatever you relate creepy white van to, it's never a good thing.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

None of her family, none of her friends knew who this Travis was.

[Tony Lee]

I started calling him. I've left a message after message after message, because to me, this is the last person who saw Kenya.

[Narrator/Host]

Finally, someone calls him back, and Travis has a story about what happened.

[Tony Lee]

He saw this girl there on the sidewalk, but she looked drunk, you know, and she looked like she was talking to this homeless guy. And I decided to try to help her.

[Narrator/Host]

He picked her up, and he was going to take her home. While they're on the way home, she wants to stop at a gas station and get some cigarettes. So they pull into this gas station. There's a man there. Travis says that Kenya left with this man, and that's the last time he saw her.

[Tony Lee]

And I said, where's this? Where's this Conoco station? Exactly where did they go? And he says, listen, why don't you meet me there? And I said, I'm on my way.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And when he went to leave, he went and grabbed his gun.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis actually tells Tony that he will show him where he last saw Kenya. So they agreed to meet up at this Conoco gas station.

[Tony Lee]

I let Maria, my wife, know that I am going down to meet this guy.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And when he went to leave, he went and grabbed his gun.

[Detective/Investigator]

I don't know what he planned to do, but Maria was concerned. And when he left the house, Maria contacted the police.

[Tony Lee]

I pulled in, I parked over here. I saw the two police cars that were out front.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

The cops are there just to make sure, you know, mediate, make sure nothing gets violent.

[Tony Lee]

The officer came and kind of met me. He made mention of the firearm that he was told I had. And I told him it was in my vehicle. I left it in my vehicle.

[Narrator/Host]

By the time Tony gets there, Travis and his white man are already there at the Conoco, and he is talking to police.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Travis was sort of an average, normal looking person. Travis did not look like somebody that you would be afraid of.

[Detective/Investigator]

Travis was in his early 30s, just a free spirit, appeared to be grounded.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis had his own business, and he was making these gluten free granola bars.

[Tony Lee]

Clean cut, tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, you know, And I thought to myself, well, you know, if Kenya's gonna be with someone, you know, this is what I hope that they would look like.

[Narrator/Host]

And the story Travis tells is similar to the one he told him on the phone. He portrays himself as a good Samaritan.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

He found Kenya downtown talking to or being harassed by some homeless person or transient person. And so he offered her a ride.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis volunteers to take her home. Travis says that they get into the van. She says she wants a cigarette. He pulls into this gas station, and the gas station's closed.

[Detective/Investigator]

And she saw this gentleman walking by and was smoking a cigarette. Kenya immediately jumped out and started talking to this individual, and he gave her a cigarette.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis tells police that this man's name is Dan.

He describes him as an Asian man, about 5 foot 8, 160 pounds, with a lip piercing. He may have been a construction worker.

[Tony Lee]

Well, when he was explaining it to the officers, you know, I'm overhearing it, you know, he said that Dan and her sitting down on the curb right there by the little bush, and they were talking in Spanish, smoking, you know. And they walked up to her and he said, hey, you know, I need to take you home, you know. And she said she was fine. She was gonna just walk, walk this way with Dan. And he said, well, okay, and let her go, you know, that she's grown. And he said, he took off. That's the last time he saw.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis's story is not adding up for Tony. It gets even more suspicious when he joins the police to examine the van.

[Detective/Investigator]

Travis was very eager. Look in my van. You can look in the van. Here it is. I'll open it up for you.

[Tony Lee]

This is one of those white vans that you see on every TV show that there is that's involved with bad stuff. He just came straight to the back compartment over here, opened the doors. It was a double door. And when it swung open, the smell of bleach just washed out of there. You know, just the smell was heavy. The walls had been washed and you can see that it was washed so much with this bleach. You can see, see where it was running down?

[Detective/Investigator]

There was a new carpet in there. Why was there this newer carpet, in fact, so new it smelled like new carpet in there?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

One of the things in law enforcement is that you don't want to jump to conclusions. You just don't. Yeah, it's weird that Vance smells like bleach. It's weird that he has new carpet. But how do we know she just didn't leave with this guy? We don't know.

[Narrator/Host]

Police say they have to consider the possibility that this mysterious Dan could be responsible for Kenya's disappearance. But as Tony is about to leave the gas station, he says that something chilling happens.

[Tony Lee]

We went to shake, and it was then that I noticed that his hand was shaking as if there was an earthquake going off inside of his body. When I let go, I knew that I was shaking the hand of the last person to see Kenya alive.

[Narrator/Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy

[Travis Forbes]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you

[Tony Lee]

to Mint Mobile today.

[Travis Forbes]

I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Siva]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail], Denver police say this

[Travis Forbes]

case is the department's top priority.

[Narrator/Host]

This is every parent's worst nightmare.

[Siva]

It's hard. It's hard to accept that my best friend is gone.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

You know, Maria was just devastated. And Maria never gave up hope.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

All my family's praying for you, and I wait here for you and you know, you. Welcome home.

[Tony Lee]

I remember that one.

[Kenya's Friend]

Yeah.

[Tony Lee]

Hope is, in my opinion, an emotion that carries you through stuff.

[Narrator/Host]

Wow.

[Tony Lee]

Even though their hope was 100%, mine was 0.01%.

[Travis Forbes]

He did that to me.

[Tony Lee]

At that point. I want percent of hope is still hope. There's no book on what you do when this kind of stuff comes up. For a family of the missing, there ain't no book.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I would say I was determined. I wanted her home. This family needs closure.

[Detective/Investigator]

After. After Travis gave the information at the Conoco station, it was crucial to interview him.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis, this is Detective Grueling for follow

[Detective/Investigator]

up questions that we as the investigators had.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Tell me what happened Thursday night into Friday morning investigations like this. We want everybody talked to get them in video. We lock them down to a statement.

[Travis Forbes]

That's when, you know, we met.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

He came in and spoke to the police voluntarily. He was very cordial and cooperative.

[Travis Forbes]

The last thing I need in my life is to be suspect of missing persons, you know, being an ex con. And I'm on probation right now for a domestic violence case.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We find that Travis is somebody who's been arrested a few times, did some time. So it was nothing that jumped out and said, hey, this guy murdered is killing people. We don't. It's nothing like that.

[Travis Forbes]

You know, you go through your mind all the things that you should have done, all the things you could have done.

[Narrator/Host]

He's laid back, he's easygoing, he's charming.

Remember, before meeting Travis, Kenya is seen on surveillance video first at the apartment building of the man that she'd met at the bar. Then she's crossing the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel across the street. Police say soon after that, Travis sees her outside.

[Detective/Investigator]

On the night that Travis met and ran into Kenya, he wasn't alone. He was with a friend.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

When they drive up, they see Kenya talking to this guy. Kenya is crying, she's upset. They get out, they talk to.

[Travis Forbes]

It looked weird. I mean, it looked sketchy. So we intervened. Homeless guy walked off.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Okay, then what happens?

[Travis Forbes]

You know, we wanted, you know, to get her home, take her somewhere.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis is coming across like a good Samaritan. He is concerned about Kenya.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

He gave the same Version of events, really, that he'd given at the Conoco. That he picked her up. That was protecting her, taking care of her.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis drops off his friend and drives away alone with Kenya.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Now, where are you? Okay.

[Travis Forbes]

She asks me for a cigarette. I tell her I don't smoke. I don't have any cigarettes. I saw a Conoco on the other side, so I turned around.

[Narrator/Host]

This is the big moment in his story. They pull up to the gas station and this mysterious man, Dan, is there.

[Travis Forbes]

There was a guy, A man that was walking by. He was smoking a cigarette. She asked him for a cigarette and asked him to sit and smoke with her. She immediately, like, attach herself to this guy. She put her arm through his arm, like, while they were sitting there smoking. And they walked off. And that's it. That was the last. That was it. And I went home. I went to my girlfriend's house.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

What's her name?

[Travis Forbes]

Kerry Humphrey.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So we contact Carrie Humphrey and bring her in for an interview

[Detective/Investigator]

Thursday night into Friday morning. Travis came home sometime between, I think

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

he told me he rolled over.

[Detective/Investigator]

The clock said 3:33am and he left some time before 8.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Okay. You sure about that?

[Kenya's Friend]

Mm.

[Detective/Investigator]

Carey corroborates what Travis said. He came home at 3am he left for work at 8am Before I woke up. I never saw him again that day. She certainly did give him an alibi.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis is telling us that he's just a good Samaritan trying to help out somebody. No one's trying to say you did anything wrong by letting her walk off with this guy. Not at all. But, I mean, we. We're just trying to eliminate everybody who's ever came in contact with her. That's all. We don't have anything that says that he's lying. We have no evidence that says he's lying. So now we need to find this Dan and nobody came forward. We sent it out on the media. We sent out Crime Stoppers. And we never found out who this Dan was. So this case has to be investigated.

[Narrator/Host]

And that investigation soon leads to a woman who worked closely with Travis.

[Monica Poole]

My name is Monica Poole and I own Blue Hummingbird Gluten Free Bakery. It used to be called Debbie's. Travis came to me with a concept about granola bars. He made them in my space.

[Narrator/Host]

So that same day that Kenya disappears, something unusual happens at the bakery. Monica comes in and she suspects that Travis might have taken money from her office.

[Monica Poole]

We had a security system installed in the bakery. When we opened it, there were six cameras. One in the office, two in the kitchen. Two in the front lobby and one in the back. Back storage room.

[Detective/Investigator]

She sees that the money's gone. She looks at the video and she sees Travis had disconnected the video.

[Monica Poole]

When I came into the bakery, I did my normal counting back the drawer, and it was short. I called the police and I said, look, I have someone renting from me, stealing money out of my cash register. And he said, can you prove it was him? And I said, no. He turned off the camera.

[Detective/Investigator]

In talking to Monica, we learned that her video had been cut off, coincidentally around when Kenya went missing.

[Monica Poole]

On Friday evening, he has the bakery to himself. You can see him into the office. And he unplugs my video surveillance so that all the cameras go out. The only thought I had about that was, I don't know why he's wearing yellow plastic gloves because he never cleans up after himself. So that was the extent of what I knew was on the tape.

[Detective/Investigator]

What time is the first time on Saturday that you see Travis?

[Monica Poole]

I called him several times. He finally called me back and he said, I needed the money. It was an emergency. I'm bringing back $100. And then he came back with the money. He said, and on top of it all, the police are looking for me because this girl that I met, now she's missing and they want to question me, but I didn't do anything. And then I noticed the cut on his arm. And he said, yeah, that was from the glass from my van window being broken. He seemed very tired, disheveled and somewhat overwrought. It's like something had happened. And I thought he was in that frame of mind because I had threatened to call the police and have him arrested.

[Narrator/Host]

Since Monica left the bakery around 5 o' clock on Friday, she had only been interested in watching the latter part of the tape. But when police go to the bakery and they review all of the security cam footage from earlier on Friday and they discover something shocking.

[Detective/Investigator]

When we back up even further, on Friday afternoon, we see Travis enter through the back door of the bakery. On a cart is a white cooler with black duct tape sealed up around it. And Travis goes to the walk in cooler, puts the cart in the cooler and walks out.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

The lid is taped down. And we asked Monica about that.

[Monica Poole]

And I said, no, he would never put a cooler in my freezer. He did not have access to freezer space at that time in our contract because Travis had switched to granola bars and they didn't need to be frozen. Nothing he was doing needed ice.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

There also was other video Of Travis carrying in a carpet. And so that was really alarming and chilling, honestly, to see that.

[Narrator/Host]

And Travis is seen on camera with a bottle of bleach as well.

[Detective/Investigator]

I think for us, it was more like out of a horror movie when we saw it. All of our bells and whistles are going off. This is the next night after Kenya had been missing.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

7News obtained a search warrant showing police searched this bakery in Arapaho county.

[Tony Lee]

It's here where the man who says he helped Kenya rent space.

[Detective/Investigator]

We swabbed several places that look like blood. They were jelly. We took a computer, any and all video that we could. Statements from the workers there. No. Cooler. Cooler was gone.

[Narrator/Host]

But there were also reports coming into police from people who saw someone burning something in a barrel behind that very same bakery.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And somebody was burning that Right after the time that Kenya went missing.

[Tony Lee]

A man who works nearby that bakery

[Travis Forbes]

says he saw a white cargo van parked nearby.

[Detective/Investigator]

A deputy had gone and actually spoke to Travis, and Travis said he was burning old tax returns. There was no unusual odor, Just the fire. They told him he had to put it out. Travis complied.

[Travis Forbes]

We're now in the rear of unit A. It's an upside down barrel. Appears to be burn residue at the bottom of the barrel.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We found the material that was similar to Kenya's dress with a zipper on it.

[Detective/Investigator]

But it was so badly burned and melted down.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

We tried to match it. We tested everything. Like everything that you can imagine, we tested.

[Narrator/Host]

With no conclusive results from the burned barrel. Police turned their attention to Travis's white van.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I do a search warrant on the van, and we tear the van apart. When we hit the van with luminol bleach fluorescence, and you can see on the inside where it was all sprayed. I mean, people use bleach for the different things. Obviously, to clean it's out of the ordinary, especially in a van. But is it the smoking gun? No.

[Narrator/Host]

At this point, Travis is looking very suspicious, but there is simply not enough to arrest Travis.

But then Travis is spotted on yet another surveillance tape, this time way outside Denver, Raising more questions and even more new suspicions.

[Detective/Investigator]

Travis had no friends or family out there. Why is he up there? What is he doing?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So I do a search warrant on Travis's phone. When I started tracking him through cell towers, it showed him coming from Denver and. And basically he's coordinated track all the way up here to Kingsbury.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The cell phone records and where Travis has been confirms he wasn't with his girlfriend and also that he had gone outside of Denver shortly After Kenya went missing to Keensburg.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So he was out in this general area for hours. We just didn't know what he was doing.

[Detective/Investigator]

Travis had no. No friends or family out there. At one point, we learned that Travis stopped to get gas. Why is he up there? What is he doing?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So a team of detectives come up here and they start searching the area up in these fields, all over here.

[Detective/Investigator]

We were searching a lot and found no evidence of anything. Nothing.

[Narrator/Host]

Kenya's parents are just completely devastated. At this point, Tony starts looking for her himself.

[Tony Lee]

Going around Denver, I learned how to search a dumpster. You need a big stick to dig or you can't reach the bottom. I was very purposeful on what I was looking for When I went dumpster diving, as I called it. I was looking for Kenya's body. That's it. Nothing else. I was looking for Kenya.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And tonight, a family's plea for help.

[Narrator/Host]

About two weeks after Kenya disappeared, her family goes public. They are begging people to come forward with information. They've sent out flyers to the media. They've checked local hospitals. They talked to her friends. I covered this case. I remember talking to the family. It was heartbreaking. Kenya's mother has this message for her missing child.

I just want to tell you that mommy and grandma, she's praying for you.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And all my family is praying for you. And I wait here for you and you know, you're welcome home.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They really had hope.

[Kenya's Friend]

It's almost like this blind faith. I genuinely believe that Kenya was going to make her way back to us.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis himself is hardly hiding. He too goes public, agreeing to an interview with a local news station.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis Forbes says he only knew missing 19 year old Kenya Monet for 20 minutes.

[Tony Lee]

Man,

[Travis Forbes]

I'm sorry that I. That I was indifferent. I didn't think she would. She was gonna disappear. I could have walked with him. I could have been more. I could have been like, no, you know, no, you know, I'm gonna take you home. I could have intervened more, you know, and not just said, okay and gone home, you know?

[Narrator/Host]

Travis continues emphatically denying any wrongdoing.

Did you kidnap her?

[Travis Forbes]

No.

[Narrator/Host]

Did you sexually assault?

[Travis Forbes]

I did not.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Did you murder her?

[Travis Forbes]

I did not. No. No.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And when he answers, he says no. And he nods his head up and down.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It was kind of this strange moment where we were all like, huh. Well, that was pretty telling.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Yeah. Just one more piece of the puzzle.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And then other people would come forward after that to say that's exactly how he acted when he was lying.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

An ex girlfriend of Travis's reaches out to my counterpart, Detective Lu Estrada, and they sit down for an interview.

[Narrator/Host]

Turns out there had been a few former ex girlfriends in Travis's life.

[Detective/Investigator]

So now we're finding more and more out about Travis Forbes and who he is and what he likes and doesn't like.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She basically explains to travel Detective Estrada that Travis actually likes women dressed in the same kind of outfit as Kenya was wearing that night.

[Detective/Investigator]

It was a black jacket, black skirt, and red high heels. She proceeded to tell us that Travis liked rough roleplay. When we were intimate, Travis was into choking. But I knew every night that we would go out on the town if I wore a black outfit and red high heels. That later turned out to be rough intimacy. But most importantly, she told us that when the reporter asked Travis did he have anything to do with Enya's disappearance, Travis answered, no. She said, I caught Travis in so many lies. I would ask him, did you hook up with somebody? No, I didn't do that. Those same mannerisms. She's like, that's how I know he's lying.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The investigation continued, trying to figure out what happened, where Kenya was, because we couldn't charge Travis because we didn't have a body and we didn't have any DNA that, that we could show that, you know, she was with him after the Conoco. So what else can we find?

[Narrator/Host]

Everyone's looking at Travis Ford. He knows he's a suspect. He's telling everyone he's a suspect. The pressure's on.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Poof.

[Narrator/Host]

He's gone.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We didn't know where he went. He just kind of vanishes.

[Narrator/Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Tony Lee]

KLVZ Denver.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis has disappeared.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

His phone is shut off.

[Narrator/Host]

Now Travis may be out of sight, but he is not out of mind. Just before leaving town, he had borrowed his friend Siva's car and now she can't reach him. Siva had become a close friend of his while he'd been living in Denver.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I would call and check on her and ask her, hey, did you get your 4Runner back? Has he reached out to you? She said no.

[Siva]

The only reason why I haven't reported it stolen is because the last thing I wanted is for there to be more stress in his life about a car because I didn't want him to get in trouble.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I just think that she thought he was this nice guy and people were afraid to make him look bad.

[Siva]

He's just always been very close to me. Like, I just. I consider him like a brother. You could just tell that he was a little stressed, and that's not uncommon for him. He's very high strung.

[Narrator/Host]

Siva also tells police that right before disappearing, Travis told her that he was being questioned about a missing girl.

[Siva]

He said, I never knew that 20 minutes with a complete stranger would change my life like this. He started crying. Like, I could just tell that this really affected him on a deep level. Not only the stress of, oh, my God, you know, this poor girl is missing, but now, you know, I'm being under a microscope of, like, what happened.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So when I speak to his friend Siba, she just didn't understand why we were looking into him.

[Siva]

And to me, it's a witch hunt.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I understand you're going to defend him. I understand that. I expect that.

[Siva]

In my opinion, 100%, he is not capable of murder. Absolutely not. I bet my life on it. He's an outstanding human being that wants to help people, but sometimes it winds up biting him in the ass. I know he tried giving two guys a ride home two months prior to this, and they tried carjacking him.

[Narrator/Host]

But Siva gets more frustrated about her missing car. And now Travis is not returning her calls. So she gives police her license plate number.

[Siva]

I wish someone knew something about him because I was getting nervous about my car regardless. But no, he's pissed me off about not responding. It's not like him.

[Detective/Investigator]

Ms. Siva agrees to file a stolen motor vehicle. There is a warrant issued for Travis for the auto theft.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The police put out and be on the lookout for this vehicle.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And once it goes into the system, a few hours later, an officer's going through a parking lot of a motel running license plates for stolen cars. And Siva's car gets tagged.

[Narrator/Host]

And that motel is hundreds of miles away from Denver, all the way down south in Austin, Texas.

So it looks like he's trying to start a new life in Austin.

He is using a different name. He rents an apartment on Craigslist.

He's within hours of signing the lease when the police show up.

All of a sudden, he's surrounded. Travis tries to flee on a bike, but police catch up to him, knock him off that bike, and place him under arrest.

[Detective/Investigator]

He wasn't caught for murder, but he was caught for auto theft.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I think I had Travis a little on his heel when I showed up to Texas. Dude, you know what? I walked in this room, and you looked at me so shocked. It looks like somebody walked over your grave.

[Travis Forbes]

Didn't think you were gonna get here that fast.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We still needed to finish talking to Travis. So when I first initially interviewed Travis, we asked him to come back the following day, and he never did. Why would you not if you're the Good Samaritan, as he said. I talked to a lot of people, and actually, they think you're trying to. You're making yourself look more guilty than what it is.

[Travis Forbes]

Boy, I did a good job of that.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Oh, yeah, you did.

[Travis Forbes]

Yeah.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I mean, you're running like a guilty guy, dude.

[Narrator/Host]

During this interview, he sticks to his story. Nothing changes about what he says happened to Kenya.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Toward the end of the interview, when I'm asking him direct questions about Kenya, he says, nash, I think I need an attorney.

[Travis Forbes]

Dude, none of this looks good. I'm in Texas.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Well, you. You came to Texas. We didn't force you to come to Texas.

[Travis Forbes]

No, I know, Nash. I think at this point, I. My lawyer should be present. I should not be saying another word. Our interview is done. No offense. No, you know the game.

[Narrator/Host]

But there was still one last thing that Detective Guerula needed before the interview was really done.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You know what, Travis? I know we talked a lot. I appreciate that. I wish you would have explained a lot of things to me. It's a warrant for your DNA.

[Travis Forbes]

You guys have my DNA.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So this fine gentleman here with forensics is going to take your DNA.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

And Detective Gourulet got his DNA sample, which I think was unnerving for him also, because I think he always was wondering, what did we have? What did we find? And why are you getting my DNA?

[Narrator/Host]

Because Travis stole the car in Colorado and fled to Austin. They're able to press charges in Colorado, and that gives police the opportunity to extradite Travis back to Colorado.

[Detective/Investigator]

He's in Jefferson county jail. It's probably mid June to late June.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Ciba, his friend, basically says that she wants to drop charges.

[Detective/Investigator]

She just wants her car back. She feels bad for Travis. Charges are dismissed, and Travis is released.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I understood it because it was her friend, but it was frustrating for us because we have to worry about, you know, where is he going now and who does he come in contact with next?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Well, by this time, we've eliminated everybody else that Kenya's come in contact with. I don't want him on the streets. However, we don't have nothing to keep him in jail, but there's nothing I can do about it. Just work the case.

[Detective/Investigator]

It had been approximately 16 weeks, 17 weeks since Kenya had been missing or was last seen. And Travis goes to Fort Collins.

[Narrator/Host]

A couple of weeks later, there's another horrific attack on a woman.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire here in Fort Collins.

[Narrator/Host]

Police say a woman had been beaten,

but the victim survived. And everyone is wondering, could it be connected to what happened to Kenya?

[Travis Forbes]

The Monge family had always hoped that Kenya would be found alive.

[Kenya's Friend]

This is at prom night.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

The 19 year old disappeared after getting a ride home.

[Travis Forbes]

And they just wanted her to come forward.

[Kenya's Friend]

I couldn't afford a prom dress, so Kenya let me borrow one of hers. I hate that Kenya's constantly painted as this party girl when that was just one tiny window into her life.

[Tony Lee]

It wasn't any fault of her own. It's absolutely in the wrong place at the wrong time. And then no one was there to help her.

[Narrator/Host]

Breaking new details now in the disappearance

of aurora teenager Kenya Monhe 7 News has learned police are searching for evidence

in several different locations.

I feel like people in Colorado were really glued to their TVs. They wanted to know what happened to this girl. Suddenly, it wasn't a safe place to go out. People were very concerned about this young woman and what happened to her.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I know Tony was doing his own investigation and searching places.

[Tony Lee]

I got in contact with a local printing company and they printed me from 500 of the high gloss, the ones you see on the news. We're going out handing fires.

[Narrator/Host]

Her family is putting up missing posters everywhere they can, desperate to get those answers.

[Kenya's Friend]

I think those were some really long, frustrating months where it felt like her case was at a standstill.

[Narrator/Host]

Months have passed. There have been no new leads in the Kenya Mone case.

[Travis Forbes]

Case.

[Narrator/Host]

The trail is going cold. The family is desperate for answers. And the only person who really seems to know anything is Travis Forbes.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Forbes admitted to giving her a ride home from this nightclub April 1st. He's the top of the suspect list, and he's the only one we're focusing on right now because he's the last one that's had contact with her.

[Narrator/Host]

As fishy as his story is, there simply is not enough to arrest him.

Remember, Forbes is being held by Colorado police on that car theft charge, but he's released after his friend Siva decides not to press charges.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

He gets released from jail. We put surveillance on Travis. When he gets released and he goes to Fort Collins, we have surveillance on him.

[Narrator/Host]

He's out in the community with this cloud of suspicion hanging over him, and police are watching him. But then the surveillance stopped. They couldn't watch him 24 7,

[Reporter/Interviewer]

he's back on the street, and then we have to worry about where is he going now and who does he come in contact with next?

[Narrator/Host]

And it's in Fort Collins that another horrifying case will soon unfold.

Fort Collins, July 4th. It's nighttime. So this young woman had gone to see a fireworks display at a nearby park. And on her way home, she doesn't realize she's being followed by someone. This man breaks into her apartment here, and he brutally beats her.

That man then you uses bleach all over her, all over her apartment, and

then sets her apartment on fire at dawn to try to destroy the evidence. Neighbors actually see the flames and they call 911.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

911.

[Narrator/Host]

What's the address of the emergency?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Yeah, there's a fire going on.

[Travis Forbes]

Looks like the top floor.

[Narrator/Host]

Amazingly, she survived, and she is fighting for her life. She actually had to jump out of the back of this building, the second story window, to keep from being burned alive. When paramedics got here, they see a naked woman running towards them, trying to get them to help save her life. They eventually learn her name is Lydia Tillman.

[Detective/Investigator]

Lydia Tillman, single, lives by herself, works for a liquor distributor in the Fort Collins area. She's listed in critical condition.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You don't think nothing like that can happen? I mean, it's scary, yeah, But, I mean, this is the real world.

[Narrator/Host]

This was a brutal attack. Lydia's jaw was broken in multiple places, so she can't describe her attacker to police. And then the trauma is so serious that she suffers a massive stroke. And then she slips into a coma.

It is clear to everyone in that hospital that Lydia fought for her life. And in that fight, she captured evidence, DNA evidence from her attacker underneath her fingernails.

Police actually take DNA swabs underneath her fingernails to try to figure out who the attacker is.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

At some point, Fort Collins police reached out to Denver police to say this has happened and there's some similarities in that there was bleach all over this apartment and that it was set on fire.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I get a call from Jacqueline Shackley, and she's a detective in Fort Collins. And she tells me what her case is.

[Narrator/Host]

You have these two cases involving women bleach. People are starting to ask, could these be connected?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She tells me, well, we have DNA from our case. And I said, I have DNA. And we arranged to have the DNA given to her.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators say that they are now faced with a terrifying possibility. If Travis Forbes is the attacker and is still out there, could he strike again?

[Detective/Investigator]

My advice is get eyes on him as soon as you can. You need to get eyes on him.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And now to a developing.

[Narrator/Host]

Lydia's case was all over the news in Denver, all over Colorado.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Police say a woman had been beaten

[Monica Poole]

and sexually assaulted before she jumped from

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

her second story bedroom window.

[Narrator/Host]

This was such an unusual story. Strangled, her jaw broken.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Lydia Tillman fought off her attacker through sheer determination.

[Tony Lee]

I heard about Lydia's attack. On the day of her attack, a

[Narrator/Host]

woman was brutally beaten, allegedly doused in

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

bleach at her apartment, set on fire.

[Tony Lee]

And to me, it was like, boy, that's weird. I wonder if they're looking at looking at Travis.

[Narrator/Host]

After Lydia Tillman is attacked, the Denver police begin connecting the dots between these two cases. And they team up with the Fort Collins police to resume following Travis Forbes.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Our surveillance team talks to Fort Collins police and tell him, hey, this guy's a person of interest in this case. We're looking at him.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

We try to keep tabs on him and, you know, what he's doing and where he's at because we didn't want him to disappear.

[Narrator/Host]

Fort Collins is a college town. It's about an hour north of Denver. Lots of college kids. It's a popular place to hang out. The Nightlights is fun. Travis is on the prowl.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I think he was emboldened, and I think it was a new opportunity for him to just, you know, be a predator.

[Narrator/Host]

One night, Travis is in a bar, and he is seen leaving the bar with another young woman. Police are able to intervene.

[Detective/Investigator]

The police stopped Travis and this young lady. They put her in the patrol car.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

They kind of cornered her and said, you need to leave, like, right now. And she did, thankfully.

[Narrator/Host]

And then they ask him his name, and he gives them another fake name.

Fort Collins police can't arrest Travis Forbes without probable cause in Lydia Tillman's case. So they arrest Travis for giving police a false name.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Forbes gave officers a fake name, said he didn't have a phone and couldn't remember his address and acted nervous. Within an hour, Forbes gave officers his

[Narrator/Host]

real name and was arrested for false reporting.

So they take him into custody, and he's brought to jail. And it's the detective from Denver ready to interview him again.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I actually drove to Fort Collins and met with him. And we start talking. And it's all on audit recording because there was no video in this room. Hey, Ben. Thanks.

[Detective/Investigator]

Detective Gourlet had a really good rapport with Travis and did most of the interviews with Travis. We want to keep that going.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Why are you here? And he goes, okay, read me my rights. So I advise him of his rights and we start talking about, you know, Kenya and Lydia's case and, you know, all these different things.

[Travis Forbes]

Well, when the time comes, I'm gonna do the right thing.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I don't think you will.

[Narrator/Host]

You hear them going back and forth. Travis is giving them a little, but not what they need.

[Travis Forbes]

I can see why you don't have faith in me. I mean, I don't like it.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

It was like playing chess. I'd move one piece one way, he'd move his piece a different way. I don't know.

[Travis Forbes]

I don't think.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You know, I think you have too big the E over that.

[Travis Forbes]

I've nothing to gain by confessing to you.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

It was always a chess match. We were always maneuvering.

[Travis Forbes]

I haven't said I'm guilty. I haven't said I'm not guilty.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You like the power. You like that control you like, you know, all I explained to him, I said, travis, I'm gonna use every word you've ever told me that we've talked against you. I'm going to use everything. Let's show our hand, Travis.

[Travis Forbes]

I have nothing to show.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And he just kind of laughed. Absolutely.

[Tony Lee]

You do.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Trying to, you know, give this Persona. I guess he was hardcore criminal.

[Narrator/Host]

The detective is grilling Travis in the interrogation room and play a bit.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Little game is all it is to gain you.

[Narrator/Host]

And Travis is just getting more and more defensive.

[Travis Forbes]

It's not a game. Sure it is. It's a game.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

No, you. You are playing your game.

[Travis Forbes]

No, I'm playing your game.

[Narrator/Host]

And just when it seems like detectives are getting nowhere, Forbes offers this revealing glimpse into how he may see himself.

[Travis Forbes]

Something I need to do is I need to find out the definition of sociopath. Cuz I'm pretty sure I fit in.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Really?

[Travis Forbes]

Yes.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Sociopath has no empathy. They can actually kill somebody and not feel anything about that. That's a sociopath. So you think you fit into the sociopath?

[Travis Forbes]

I had an ex girlfriend tell me that I was a sociopath.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I'm with him probably. I want to say maybe three hours, three and a half Hours talking to him.

[Travis Forbes]

When everything comes to light, it's going to be horrific. Horrendous. Horrendous. Oh, yeah.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You gonna make me famous, Travis? When the BTK killer got caught and he confessed to that detective, made him

[Travis Forbes]

famous, I made him fast. So bad.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Finally I just tell him, you know what, Travis? I said the next time I come that I'm gonna arrest you for first degree murder. And we'll see what happens from there.

[Narrator/Host]

Outside the interrogation room, time is running out. Investigators have the suspect's DNA profile recovered from underneath Lydia Tillman's fingernails, and they need to match it to Travis Scorb's in order to charge him. In Lydia's case,

[Reporter/Interviewer]

everybody was on pins and needles. I mean, we were very concerned about him getting out.

[Detective/Investigator]

We were up against this timeline of we can't hold him forever. He could bond out any.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis is about to walk out of custody again and be a free man when the DNA test results come back.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

The DNA comes back from Lydia. It matches Travis.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The DNA match confirms everything that we had thought for months.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I said, this is your one time that you have an opportunity to be in control of what happens to you. Because you're not in control anymore.

[Narrator/Host]

Travis is backed into a corner. He knows the game is up and now he wants to make a deal.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I think that he probably knew pretty quickly that he was not gonna talk his way out of this.

[Travis Forbes]

I don't wanna go to the chair, okay?

[Tony Lee]

The only way he'll cut a deal

[Travis Forbes]

with me is pertaining to the Denver.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I said, what do you want? He said, you don't sentence me to death row and you don't label me a sex offender.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

We would not seek the death penalty if he showed us where Kenya was and gave a full confession.

[Tony Lee]

I don't care what the deal is. I don't care if you let him walk. I just want to know where Kenya is. I want to bring Kenya home.

[Kenya's Friend]

There's always a little bit of hope in the back of your mind. I thought Kenya was coming back. I thought she was coming home.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

This is it.

[Travis Forbes]

This is where you guys stop.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So literally, it's the edge. I am right there. I'm at the edge.

[Narrator/Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you can save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. This episode is brought to you By Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

Travis Forbes back is against the wall. And right then, he decides to cut a deal with detectives. And he says he will lead them to Kenya.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I actually told him, I think you're a coward. I don't think. I think you're going to back out of this. I don't think you're going to follow through.

[Detective/Investigator]

I was so at that point, nervous. Was he going to bail out at any time? Which I thought that's what he was going to do. Today is September 7, 2011. The time is now 9:36.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We pick up Travis at the Larimer County Jail. I'm driving. Lou Estrada sitting behind her. Travis is sitting in the middle. Next to Travis is Jacqueline Shackley from Fort Collins pd. We pick him up and we head this way. We go based off of his directions.

[Detective/Investigator]

We're heading out from the detention center here. We're going to have this video run as we drive to the location which Mr. Ford would direct us to.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Us, he seemed to be pretty calm. It wasn't like he was freaking out

[Narrator/Host]

or anything during that long drive. Detectives say that Travis was relaxed and that he was talking so casually about everything from running marathons to movies.

[Travis Forbes]

About five years ago, I ran it, hunting over it.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

What was your time?

[Travis Forbes]

I actually got disqualified.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

He was just being himself. He was just talking. He likes to talk. It was kind of. It was just kind of odd.

[Travis Forbes]

No idea what the movie was about. That's the first scary thing that's ever gotten to me.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So we are in northeastern Colorado. Farms, fields, cattle. I mean, that's what this area is known for. He directs us onto i76. We drive up and we go through Kingsburg. And then he starts directing us into the county roads.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators were familiar with this area. Travis's phone had been pinging in that area for eight or nine hours the day after Kenya disappeared. So when they're driving there, it all is starting to make sense.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So we knew he was up here. We just didn't know what he was doing up here.

[Detective/Investigator]

We then turned north on County Road 16 and went north to 53. But then we stopped and Travis said, I think this is it.

[Travis Forbes]

No, this isn't right. Keep going straight.

[Detective/Investigator]

He says, back out. This isn't it. I'm like, okay. He's gonna play games. We back out. He says, go a little bit more west. We said, okay, turn right. We went. And then we saw the railroad track. And he said, turn left in here. She's right there.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

This is it.

[Travis Forbes]

This is where you guys stop.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

You here on the left?

[Travis Forbes]

Yes.

[Detective/Investigator]

And he started to get really amped up. His body language changed. He's sitting there. He's getting antsy. We said, okay, we stop. So you need to get out and show us.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So Travis brings us here. We pull into this open area between the tracks and this grove of trees. We walk up to the top of the ravine. We're all standing here. I'm standing next to Travis. I said, where's she at?

[Tony Lee]

Right there. Right there.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

He just said, you're standing on top of her. After that, he lets out this, like, whale. Like, he's crying. He's leaning up against the car. He's crying, mostly screaming. Crime scene comes in. Everybody else starts descending onto the area. You rope it all off with crime scene tape, and they start doing their excavation.

[Travis Forbes]

We just confirmed that Travis Forbes, the man suspected all along, led them to this location this morning.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Within minutes, it seems like the media just swarmed on us. When the helicopter started showing up, we had to put canopies up to cover up what they were digging up, because no one needs to see that.

[Travis Forbes]

Detectives have now been digging in this area for about two hours.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

So when they start excavating and basically digging her up, she's about five feet down. And when we find her, she is covered in plastic, and she has rocks to hold down the plastic.

[Narrator/Host]

When they find her body, it's so badly decomposed, they can't determine the cause of death. But what they can see is that she's wrapped in duct tape and plastic in the fetal position. Horrific. I mean, it's just. It's horrifying to think about what she must have been through.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

I said, I wouldn't get emotional. I just can't imagine a family losing a daughter like that just vanishing and then not knowing where she's at. And then to find out that she was buried here. After we. We found her, we drove back to Fort Collins Police Department. And he said, hey, Nash. She goes, I told you I'd take you to her. I told you I would. And I said, okay. I said, but we're not done yet. There's still other things that need to be talked about. He said, I know.

[Detective/Investigator]

Upon getting back to Fort Collins, Detective Goulet and myself, we sat down with Travis, said, okay, this is the second part of this agreement. Tell us what happened, Travis.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Let's start from the beginning.

[Travis Forbes]

I will be truthful. Okay.

[Monica Poole]

Breaking news.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Investigators have just confirmed they believe they have found the body of Kenya Monjan.

[Narrator/Host]

The footage is everywhere on the news. There's a tent set up where Kenya was buried. Officers are canvassing the area for clues.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It was pretty horrific. I stepped away to call Tony Lee. As a mom, I thought, there's just no way I'm gonna let them hear this somewhere else.

[Tony Lee]

I got the news from Da Lombardi. They've found, you know, remains.

[Narrator/Host]

I remember getting a call from Tony, and I remember hearing crying in the background. And he said, they found her.

[Tony Lee]

I call home, Maria asleep. I wake her up, and I said to her, they found Kenya. And the first words that came out of her mouth was, is she okay? Where is she? And I said, she's dead.

[Narrator/Host]

The family's worst fears have been confirmed.

So now police need to know what happened to Kenya, and the only person who knows that is Travis Forbes.

The question is, will Travis Forbes live up to his part of the deal and give a full confession?

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And you've signed this agreement, correct?

[Travis Forbes]

Yes.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Let's start from the beginning.

[Travis Forbes]

I believe it's California or 15th or whatever street it is. See, Kenya, she was crying. She was hysterical and crying and very upset.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She's crying. She's upset. He gets out, asks her what's happening, what's wrong?

[Narrator/Host]

And she got in his van, and he agreed to drive her to her home in Aurora.

He says he really was going to be a good Samaritan. He had called her phone, trying to find her friends.

[Travis Forbes]

She was being very flirty with me, and she was very drunk.

[Narrator/Host]

At some point, Kenya passed out in the van, and that's when he decided to rape her.

[Travis Forbes]

And I definitely took advantage of her being drunk. I had sex with her while she was passed out.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She wakes up and is pissed at him because he had sex with her without a condom.

[Travis Forbes]

She started hitting me, and I started hitting her back.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

When you say by hitting her, were you punching her?

[Travis Forbes]

Yes. And then she started to scream, and I strangled her. I told her I think I may have broke her neck. She was so tiny.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

He says that he drives around. He does his deliveries of his granola bars.

[Travis Forbes]

I needed an alibi. I needed to be somewhere.

[Detective/Investigator]

He was driving up north to drive his deliveries, and in his mind, he said he could hear Kenya talking to him.

[Narrator/Host]

Forbes tells detectives that Kenya's voice was still haunting him. So even after she was dead, he pulled over bought duct tape and wrapped it around her mouth as if he could somehow silence her.

[Travis Forbes]

She kept talking to me, so I put tape around her mouth the whole time.

[Detective/Investigator]

And I had a dead girl in the back of my van.

[Travis Forbes]

He just killed a human being.

[Narrator/Host]

Then Travis Forbes says that he hides Kenya's body and tries to erase every trace of what he's done to her.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

He goes back to the bakery, and that's the video we see of him putting the cooler on this little cart and wheels it into the. The freezer.

[Travis Forbes]

Bought bleach, bought a spray bottle. I sprayed the van top to bottom. Sprayed it all down. Sprayed the coolers, Sprayed her, Sprayed myself. I cut Kenu's clothes off. I burned them. I burned all my clothes. I burned everything that she touched.

[Detective/Investigator]

That's the story you told us. And explain later. I made a poor decision. I never meant to kill her.

[Narrator/Host]

So after Travis confesses to killing Kenya, he then confesses to sexually assaulting Lydia Tillman in her apartment and leaving her to die in that fire.

[Travis Forbes]

I don't know how I ended up in her apartment. I proceeded to rape her. I hit her violently, and I set her bedroom on fire.

[Narrator/Host]

I remember him being very calm and almost methodical when he was explaining it. He didn't seem to show any emotion. He was describing these horrific things that he did. And it just seemed like he could have been ordering lunch.

[Detective/Investigator]

You don't know what evil looks like till it comes knocking on your door. Or you're confronted face to face with it. It comes in many different shapes, sizes, appearances. And he's definitely evil.

[Narrator/Host]

It wasn't until her body was found and Travis was ultimately in jail. That Kenya's family realized just how much effort was put into solving this crime.

[Tony Lee]

I publicly went out and said, I don't think the police are doing a damn thing. You know, they're not telling me nothing.

[Detective/Investigator]

It's hard to keep things from parents or a loved one when you're investigating these things. They want answers. You have to just be like, look, one day we'll sit down. It ain't gonna be today, but one day we'll sit down.

[Tony Lee]

I went around that table, I said, I'm sorry. I asked them, how'd you get that confession? And he said, it was only by the grace of God.

[Narrator/Host]

And as fate would have it, Lydia Tillman awakens from her coma.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Lydia is a very remarkable woman. Her will to live and her fight is amazing.

[Narrator/Host]

But will she be able to confront Travis Forbes?

I can't even imagine how she must have been feeling looking into the man who tried to kill her. And then she says something that nobody can believe.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Tonight, closure for the family of Kenya Mondez.

[Kenya's Friend]

I opened my phone and I saw that he was arrested.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis Forbes admits to killing the teen and dumping her body.

[Kenya's Friend]

I ran out of school sobbing. Crying just. It was devastating.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Finally, I got the truth. And I know I have an angel heaven.

[Tony Lee]

I prepared myself for this, for this day. Didn't do any good. We got to take this girl home. We got to put her to rest. We're done for today.

[Kenya's Friend]

Yeah, we got to.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

We'll do on tomorrow.

[Narrator/Host]

Now that Kenya is so finally laid to rest, Tony Lee has another chance to confront his daughter's killer.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Kenya Mon. His family stayed close together as they walked into the courtroom.

[Tony Lee]

We went into the courtroom. I gave my impact statement. I was able to talk to Travis directly. And look at him. He just kept his head down, and he was crying. And that is how he looked the last time I seen him in person was just like that. Now when I did shake his hand, it was that trembling that was inside of him. And it wasn't a visible trembling. It was an internal trembling. And that's when I knew.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Travis pled guilty to murder and was sentenced all at the same time.

[Detective/Investigator]

He's gonna get life without the possibility of parole. But Tony Marie will never have grandchildren from Kenya. They'll never get to see her walk down the aisle, never get to see her fall in love. All that was taken away by Travis Forbes.

[Narrator/Host]

The Denver authorities agreed not to charge Travis Forbes for rape in the Kenya Monge case in exchange for him taking them to her body. But he still faces sexual assault, arson, and attempted murder charges on the attempt of Lydia Tillman.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

At some point after that, we went to Fort Collins, and he was taken up there to plead guilty. In that case,

[Narrator/Host]

Lydia appears in court. It is clear that she has been badly beaten. She is severely burned.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Lydia was there, and the whole thing was pretty remarkable.

[Narrator/Host]

That same year that Travis was Convicted and sentenced, 2020 sat down with Lydia Tillman to document her story for the first time. And because Lydia struggled to speak at the time, it was her father, William, who read her victim impact statement for court.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Travis Forbes, you caused me no harm. My spirit, my soul and my mind remain untouched. May you find peace in this life. Lydia Tillman.

[Narrator/Host]

I hope to

live my days.

New.

Over the years, Lydia has publicly shared parts of her recovery journey in interviews and speaking appearances, offering insight into the lasting impact of trauma and survival.

Life is better than ever for me right now. It's really hard to put into words. I want to thank everybody who helped me and supported me because I. I

[Reporter/Interviewer]

couldn't have done it without everybody.

[Narrator/Host]

After Travis Forbes sentencing, Kenya's parents had the opportunity to meet Lydia Tillman for the first time.

[Tony Lee]

Maria had this ring on. It's Kenya's. Maria was crying. She just took it off and went over to Lydia and said, this is from Kenya, and just put it on her finger. And they hugged. I'm glad that you're here. For me to give you this from Kenya. I dug all this out.

[Narrator/Host]

This spot where Kenya's body was discovered has become a place where her loved ones return to reflect on all that they have endured and all that they have lost.

[Tony Lee]

On that plaque is all of our handprints. Coming back here to visit, I'm always drawn back. That'll never stop.

[Kenya's Friend]

I carry Kenya with me. She is still alive through me. You can never die if the people you love carry you.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

Tony Lee has created a foundation in honor of his late stepdaughter. It provides support to families of victims of violent crime.

[Narrator/Host]

DAVID as for Lydia Tillman, she is now on a wellness journey. She says to try and heal from her traumatic experience.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

She's now working as a yoga instructor. That's our program for tonight.

[Narrator/Host]

Thanks so much for watching.

I'm Deborah Roberts.

[Detective Nash/Gourlet]

And I'm David Muir. From all of us here at 2020 and ABC News, good night.

[Narrator/Host]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try it at progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliate. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.