Without a Trace

Summary

48 Hours: "Without a Trace" – A Detailed Summary

Episode Title: Without a Trace
Release Date: March 5, 2025
Host/Author: CBS News, Hosted by Anne-Marie Green

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Overview

The "Without a Trace" episode of "48 Hours," hosted by Anne-Marie Green, delves into the enigmatic and tumultuous life of Esther Reed, a master con artist whose adeptness at identity theft and fraudulent schemes placed her on the U.S. Secret Service's 10 Most Wanted list. Through meticulous investigation, gripping interviews, and compelling narratives, the episode unravels Esther's transformation from a small-town Montana girl to a highly sought criminal figure, exploring the psychological and societal factors that fueled her descent into crime.

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Early Life of Esther Reed

Esther Reed's story begins in Townsend, Montana, a small and secluded town where she was one of nine siblings. Described as "highly intelligent" by her family, Esther exhibited exceptional intellectual abilities from a young age.

• Sibling Insights:
  • Esther Reed: “I would say yes. I assimilate information quickly. I remember it. I'm able to problem solve things like that.” (07:24)
  • E.J. Reed (Brother): “She blew me away.”

Despite her brilliance, Esther struggled socially, especially after her parents' divorce, leading her to feel like an outcast. The death of her mother in 1998 further destabilized her, leaving her without a support system and fostering deep-seated anxiety.

• Esther's Reflection: “I just was so afraid of the world.” (06:48)

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Descent into Crime

The combination of personal loss and social anxiety led Esther to engage in petty crimes, beginning with theft. In 1999, she stole her coworker’s purse and subsequently her sister Edna's, draining her account of thousands of dollars.

• Esther on Theft: “Guilty.” (08:58)
• Kristen’s Observation: “Anything to escape from if she could have.” (07:06)

These early transgressions marked the start of Esther's journey into more sophisticated criminal activities, including large-scale identity theft and financial fraud.

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Mastering Identity Theft

Esther's intelligence and manipulative skills enabled her to excel as a con artist. She adeptly fabricated documents, including marriage and birth certificates, to assume multiple identities. Her aliases included Elizabeth Reid, Natalie Fisher, Natalie Bowman, Brooke Henson, and Jennifer Myers.

• Esther’s Early Talents: “My mom used to say that I could sell ice to Eskimos. I could really do that.” (01:25)

Her first significant identity theft involved taking on the persona of Natalie Fisher, a maneuver that allowed her to integrate into different social circles and institutions, including prestigious universities.

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Life as Natalie Fisher and Natalie Bowman

As Natalie Fisher, Esther moved to Seattle in 1999, where she committed further fraud by using Natalie's Social Security number to secure fraudulent student loans, accumulating over $100,000. Her transformation was not just legal but also physical; she lost weight and underwent cosmetic surgery to better fit her assumed identities.

• Esther on Identity: “I never liked it [the name Esther]. My intention was to have a life that I could live, and I tried my best not to hurt people.” (12:21)

Her ability to convincingly portray Natalie Fisher earned her acceptance into Harvard University Extension School in 2004, followed by Columbia University, where she maintained a respectable GPA and engaged in activities such as debate clubs to further her cover.

• Kristen’s Insight: “What perfect two courses for a lawyer.” (16:25)

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Becoming Brooke Henson

In an ambitious move, Esther adopted the identity of Brooke Henson, a missing person from South Carolina. This identity shift allowed her to pursue higher education while distancing herself from her past.

• Esther on Brooke: “I really thought that I could live my life as Brooke Henson and they wouldn't know and I would have a new life.” (19:52)

Under the name Brooke Henson, Esther continued her fraudulent activities, securing employment and furthering her education. Her relationship with military cadets raised suspicions of potential espionage, leading to intensified scrutiny from authorities.

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Pursuit and Investigation

As Esther's schemes grew more audacious, law enforcement agencies, including private investigator Steve Rombaum and U.S. Marshal John Bridge, intensified their efforts to capture her. Key developments in the investigation included:

• Private Investigator Steve Rombaum:

  • Rombaum: “Either they're going to find her, or I'm going to find her.” (26:13)

• Federal Involvement: A federal grand jury indictment in South Carolina charged Esther with felony identity theft and student loan fraud, prompting the Secret Service's full-scale involvement.

Esther's pattern of dating military men and receiving wire transfers from overseas heightened concerns about her involvement in espionage, although no definitive evidence supported these suspicions.

• Esther Denies Espionage: “No, never. You can die for being a spy. I would never even consider doing that.” (34:22)

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Capture and Legal Proceedings

Esther Reed's capture culminated in a dramatic arrest in Tinley Park, Illinois, following a police search connected to a shooting incident at a Lane Bryant store. Detectives linked her through a license plate associated with a car purchase in the Chicago area.

• Capture Moment:
  • Esther: “I was awakened by a door knock.” (39:07)
  • Police Interaction: “The police… I thought they were doing, you know, a manhunt, looking for the guy.” (39:37)

Upon confrontational questioning, Esther was unable to maintain her facade and admitted her true identity, leading to her arrest and subsequent legal charges.

• Kristen’s Summary: “Finally, Esther is forced to admit her true identity. She is arrested and charged with multiple counts, including identity theft and student loan fraud.” (40:00)

Esther pled guilty to four felonies in 2008 and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. Her defense cited an underlying social anxiety disorder, though skepticism remains regarding the genuineness of her psychological claims.

• Defense Attorney: “Esther has an underlying psychological disorder. It stems from a social anxiety disorder.” (40:52)

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Aftermath and Reflections

After her sentencing, Esther made a brief phone call to her sister Edna, expressing love and confusion over her prolonged absence.

• Esther's Phone Call: “I told her I loved her. She told me she loved me and that she missed everyone.” (40:22)

Her admission to the crimes and refusal to disclose the extent of her scams left many questions unanswered, particularly regarding her potential involvement in the Brooke Henson disappearance and the unresolved Lane Bryant store shooting.

• Kristen’s Conclusion: “Federal investigators concluded that Kyle Bringle did nothing wrong and the Lane Bryant killer has never been found.” (42:42)

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Conclusion

"Without a Trace" meticulously chronicles the rise and fall of Esther Reed, highlighting her exceptional intelligence and manipulative prowess that facilitated her elaborate schemes. The episode underscores the profound personal and societal impacts of her actions, leaving lingering questions about her true motives and the victims of her fraud. Through expert interviews and a thorough investigative approach, "48 Hours" provides a comprehensive examination of a life marked by deception, psychological turmoil, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• Esther Reed: "We want to shut it down as quickly as possible. It just snowballed." (03:16)
• Stephen Rombaum: “Someone I think she would have done.” (07:06)
• Frank Abagnale: “When you go do this, what do you have to do?” (15:44)
• Esther Reed: “I've been diagnosed by some of the top psychiatrists in the field.” (41:21)
• Stephen Rombaum: “I think Saddam Hussein changed his sleeping arrangements less often than she did.” (38:11)

(Note: Timestamps are indicative and correspond to the transcript segments provided.)

Transcript

[Esther Reed]

What is Dax?

[Kristen]

Are you tracking all our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen. Yes, I am.

[Esther Reed]

Well, I've been looking for my phone for.

[Kristen]

In Dax's domain we see all. So we always know what our cars are worth.

[Esther Reed]

All of them?

[Kristen]

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[Esther Reed]

That's a great offer.

[Kristen]

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[Esther Reed]

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[Kristen]

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[Esther Reed]

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[Kristen]

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[Esther Reed]

My intention was never ever to hurt anybody.

[Kristen]

Esther Reed is a highly intelligent individual.

[Esther Reed]

My mom used to say that I could sell ice to eskimos. I could really do that.

[Stephen Rombaum]

The problem with Esther Reed is you don't know what's real and you don't know what's not real.

[Esther Reed]

That's something that can definitely be used to manipulate and to hurt people. I certainly could do it like the.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Character and catch me if you can.

[Esther Reed]

I was also wondering if I could write you a personal check.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Esther Reed was able to manufacture identities and convincingly live in those identities.

[Esther Reed]

Harvard medical school.

[Kristen]

She was able to fabricate fraudulent marriage certificates and birth certificates. That is a woman I knew in college as Natalie Fisher.

[Esther Reed]

She told me that she was going by Bowman.

[Stephen Rombaum]

This is a woman that completely reinvented herself from being a chubby Montana high school dropout to an attractive Ivy league co ed able to con her way into Harvard, into Columbia going to military balls at West Point. She is certainly not above using her feminine wiles to get whatever she wants. And then she picked the wrong identity.

[Esther Reed]

In the summer of 2006, I received a phone call stating that there was someone in New York City calling herself Brooke Henson.

[Stephen Rombaum]

South Carolina authorities sent the NYPD detectives to check her out.

[Kristen]

The next day she was gone. It was Esther Reed and not Brooke Henson. I'm interested in finding out if Esther Reed knows anything about Brooke Henson's disappearance.

[Stephen Rombaum]

My name is Stephen Rombaum. I'm a private investigator and I am currently hunting for estereed.

[Kristen]

The only life she has ever known has been someone who steals identities and commits major fraud schemes.

[Stephen Rombaum]

She's getting wire transfers from overseas, communicating with people at West Point. Law enforcement is concerned. You know, maybe this is a spy.

[Esther Reed]

We want to shut it down as quickly as possible. It just snowballed.

[Stephen Rombaum]

I think Esther Reed has the ability to be as cold blooded as she needs to be.

[Esther Reed]

The shooting happened this morning at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park. It was never supposed to happen. Happen that way.

[Kristen]

Catch her if you can. Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery. They say she stole a missing girl's identity.

[Esther Reed]

Now she's missing too. I became a different person in name only. I'm basically the same girl.

[Kristen]

Could you tell me who you are? What is your name?

[Esther Reed]

Esther Reed.

[Kristen]

Are you sure?

[Esther Reed]

Yes. Well, in first grade, I was Esther Elizabeth Hereford Reed. I think when I was about 18, I was Elizabeth Reid. Then I was Natalie Fisher. Then I went by the name Natalie Bowman. Then Brooke Henson. And finally Jennifer Myers.

[Kristen]

Esther Reed granted 48 hours, her first interview. The circumstances of how we found Esther will become clear as we unravel this mystery.

[Esther Reed]

Esther Reed is cunning, she's calculated, and she's intelligent.

[Kristen]

That's a perfect combination for a con artist.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Right now, she must be living a life, trying to keep one step ahead of the law.

[Kristen]

Private investigators Steve rombaum, working for 48 hours and U.S. marshal John Bridge were each searching for the elusive Esther Reed.

[Stephen Rombaum]

She really is very much on the run now, I think, in a way that she never was before.

[Kristen]

After stealing many identities and running numerous brilliant scams, this master con woman has earned a spot on the U.S. secret Service's 10 Most Wanted list. She lived this life as other people.

[Esther Reed]

She was not Esther Reed.

[Kristen]

From 1999 on, Walt Wilkins, a U.S. attorney has investigated Esther's background. How good is Esther?

[Esther Reed]

She's good. She's real good.

[Kristen]

Trying to understand the riddle of Esther Reed, we travel to her hometown of Townsend, Montana.

[Esther Reed]

It's a very small town in the middle of Montana and if you blink, you miss it.

[Kristen]

Edna Strom is one of Esther's eight older siblings.

[Esther Reed]

We used to play in the Crick a lot. I mean, that was the big thing, especially if you could do it without mom finding out.

[Kristen]

The boxer Rocks has not seen Esther in person for nearly a decade. But she agreed to show us the family home. Now what do we have here?

[Esther Reed]

This is a surprise trunk. The people that bought the house were cleaning out the attic and they found a trunk.

[Kristen]

You want to see what's inside?

[Esther Reed]

I do. I really want to See what's inside.

[Kristen]

Why don't we turn this?

[Esther Reed]

I'm curious.

[Kristen]

The trunk is the first in a trail of clues our investigation will uncover.

[Esther Reed]

This is Esther's dress.

[Kristen]

How old would you guess Esther is in this room?

[Esther Reed]

I'd say she's like four or five.

[Kristen]

Looks like a very happy young girl.

[Esther Reed]

She was. She was always smiling.

[Kristen]

This was a photograph that was inside that box?

[Esther Reed]

Yes. I was a very happy kid. Very, very happy.

[Kristen]

What goes through your mind when you look at that?

[Esther Reed]

It's hard. Cause this period of my life was great. It's just a shame what happened and how I disappeared.

[Kristen]

Why did you disappear?

[Esther Reed]

I just was so afraid of the world.

[Kristen]

After Esther's parents divorced, she felt like an outcast. What do you think Esther saw when she looked in the mirror? Somebody she didn't want to be. Someone she didn't like.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Someone I think she would have done.

[Kristen]

Anything to escape from if she could have. Jim Terrio was Esther's English teacher and debate coach. She was very, very smart. A kid with so much potential. Do you feel as though you're intellectually gifted?

[Esther Reed]

I would say yes. I assimilate information quickly. I remember it. I'm able to problem solve things like that.

[Kristen]

She used to argue with you?

[Esther Reed]

Yeah, she practiced on me.

[Kristen]

Did she win those arguments? General she did. E.J. reed is Esther's brother. They were very close, and E.J. felt Esther's brilliance every day, especially when the two played chess.

[Esther Reed]

She blew me away.

[Kristen]

I mean, I couldn't even hold a candle to her. Your sister always thinks a few moves ahead. She's definitely always thinking a little bit ahead. But as smart as she was, Esther dropped out of high school and moved with her mom to Seattle. Then in 1998, Esther's mother passed away.

[Esther Reed]

My mom always just loved me. If she was there, it was fine. And when she died, it wasn't fine anymore. Nothing was fine anymore. She didn't like who she was and where she was going. She would say, I just wish I was someone else.

[Kristen]

Esther's metamorphosis from small town girl to big city con woman had begun. And so did her life of crime.

[Esther Reed]

I have lost my only compass in life. I've lost my only support system. And I'm spiraling out of control and I have nowhere to turn.

[Kristen]

The next matter is State of Washington v. Esther Reid. Would you explain to me just briefly, during this period, Esther stole a CO worker's purse. How do you plead?

[Esther Reed]

Guilty.

[Kristen]

Esther even took Edna's purse and drained her checking account of thousands of dollars.

[Esther Reed]

It was like somebody slugged me in the stomach.

[Kristen]

Edna was steamed.

[Esther Reed]

I just told her, you can't live like you have ripped me off. And, you know, who are you? We have a very toxic relationship. I think I push her buttons and I think she pushes my buttons.

[Kristen]

What was the last thing the two of you said to each other before you parted?

[Esther Reed]

We just hugged each other and said we loved each other. And then she said, I promise I will keep in touch. And she did for a while.

[Kristen]

When did you next see your sister?

[Esther Reed]

I never saw her again.

[Kristen]

Esther Reed had ceased to exist.

[Esther Reed]

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[Kristen]

McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're.

[Esther Reed]

Being scooped into the carton?

[Kristen]

And time just stands still?

[Stephen Rombaum]

Bada ba ba ba.

[Kristen]

By 1999, Esther Reed knew she needed to leave town.

[Esther Reed]

I was really, really angry and my life was falling apart.

[Kristen]

Now a convicted criminal with family problems, 21 year old Esther decided it was time to ditch her old life and find a new identity.

[Esther Reed]

I decided, okay, I'm just going to move on. In the beginning, I thought I just needed a driver's license and I could just have a name and that would be okay.

[Kristen]

And it was at that time, around that time you made the decision to become Natalie Fisher?

[Esther Reed]

Yes, very soon after that. It's gonna sound really bad, but she's wicked smart.

[Kristen]

Meet the real Natalie Fisher, the sister of Esther's old boyfriend. Did she seem friendly to you?

[Esther Reed]

Yeah, she seemed like she was a nice person, but she's quiet.

[Kristen]

Quiet but cunning. Before long, Esther had gotten a hold of Natalie's Social Security number and and began using it to rip her off.

[Esther Reed]

I got a phone call from the collection agency representing AT&T and they informed me that I owed them like four or five hundred dollars.

[Kristen]

Esther got a driver's license in Natalie's name and proceeded to live as Natalie. Esther left Seattle in 2000 and spent much of the next two years traveling cross country in a car like this. Stainless in cheap motels. But despite her life of vagrancy and petty crime, a Part of Esther still wanted to find a path to success and a place where she truly belonged.

[Esther Reed]

I hated the name Esther. I never liked it, so I was never attached to that name. My intention was to have a life that I could live, and I tried my best not to hurt people.

[Kristen]

Forced to live by her wits, Esther needed a way to make money any way she could. She perfectly forged these J.C. penney receipts and used them to return items for more than they were worth. Esther pocketed tens of thousands of dollars.

[Esther Reed]

I'm not gonna discuss money of any sort.

[Kristen]

Okay, but you managed to make some money somehow.

[Esther Reed]

I managed to survive.

[Kristen]

She did more than survive. She transformed herself by losing weight and having cosmetic surgery. Who is this woman? That is a woman I knew in college as Natalie Fisher.

[Esther Reed]

She was a very nice person. She's very friendly.

[Kristen]

Two years later, she met Brandi Olson at a debate camp in Tempe, Arizona. Brandi says Natalie Fisher always had plenty of money and a ready explanation of where it came from. She had a very well paying job as a professional chess player. She said, how do you make money in chess? Well, she told us that the prizes if you won a tournament were pretty substantial, upwards of $10,000. She always seemed to have money. Where'd she get it?

[Esther Reed]

She was getting it from opening up.

[Kristen]

Credit cards and other people's names. U.S. attorney Walt Wilkins. She was living a relatively good lifestyle.

[Esther Reed]

At least that's what our evidence suggests.

[Kristen]

During that time, it's our only hope. Brandi was on a college debate team, and Natalie used her new friend to meet people at debate tournaments. She wanted to go back to college, and she'd been interested in a debate, so she was going to start getting into that. Esther's ruse worked is a minority of some sort. Throughout, she met debate coach John brushke. And in 2002, he invited Natalie to attend Cal State Fullerton, whether it's embracing Nietzsche or not, and asked her to join his team. She agreed, but by the time she got there, she had a different name. Natalie was very guarded about her past. I mean, I once, in fact asked her the question, is your last name Fisher or Bowman? While you were at Cal State Fullerton, you make a decision to change your identity from Natalie Fisher to Natalie Bowman. Why?

[Esther Reed]

I knew I couldn't be Natalie Fisher.

[Kristen]

That's because Natalie Fisher was monitoring her credit report and realized someone was stealing from her. Esther needed to refine her scam and get someone's Social Security number.

[Esther Reed]

So I got the idea that you could. He was a missing person. That's Why? I started college as Natalie Bowman. I thought she was missing. I was just gonna go to college, you know, get on with my life.

[Kristen]

If there's anyone who knows what Esther was going through, it's Frank Abagnale. You live this life. Esther Reed is living this life. What is it like every day? Are you looking over your shoulder? It's horrible. It's an extremely difficult life to live. His exploits as a young con man inspired the movie Catch Me if youf Can.

[Esther Reed]

I'd like to cash this check here and then I'd like to take you out for a steak dinner.

[Kristen]

Abagnale spent years posing as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. He says he knows why Esther loved to debate. There's no greater debate person than a con man who has the answer to every question instantly. So someone like Esther has to be a good actor. You're acting, you're playing role. You're not really that person. You're just pretending to be that person. Esther has creativity. She has talent. She's intelligent, she has a personality. So she has a lot of things going for her.

[Esther Reed]

She paid for everything with cash and she always had money and she was very generous with her money.

[Kristen]

Bita Shigjagi, who was Esther's roommate at Cal State Fullerton had no idea her close friend was an imposter.

[Esther Reed]

This is a picture of my mother.

[Kristen]

Bita trusted Esther completely and they bonded after learning both their mothers had died of cancer.

[Esther Reed]

She said, oh, my goodness. I haven't met another person who's lost their mother at such a young age like I have. She seemed to feel like I understood where she was coming from.

[Kristen]

But back in Seattle, three years had passed since Esther's family had heard from her.

[Esther Reed]

It's the betrayal and that she has left everybody hanging. That she doesn't even have the consideration to call and say, I truly am okay.

[Kristen]

The family filed a missing persons report and Edna wondered if she'd ever see Esther again. What are you thinking to yourselves?

[Esther Reed]

That somebody had hurt her and that she was dead.

[Kristen]

Esther was very much alive and she was moving on to another identity. In the spring of 2003, Esther ditched the name Natalie Bowman left Cal State Fullerton and hit the road. She told Bita she was being stalked and had to change her name yet again. Beta believed her. And what was going to be her.

[Esther Reed]

New name, the one that she ended up picking was Brooke. And I said, oh, I like that one. And you know that you could pass for a Brooke. And then I said, well, what's your last name gonna be? And she said Henson.

[Kristen]

In Brooke Henson, Esther felt she'd found the perfect cover. It proved to be anything but.

[Esther Reed]

For some reason, new people are not as frightening as people I know. Like, people I get used to. Then I start to see a look on their face that wasn't there before. Or maybe she's treating me different now. So new places for some reason, were safer for me.

[Kristen]

After her first taste of college life in California under the name Natalie Bowman, Esther Reed wanted more. She was clearly, qualitatively better than other students in the class. In fact, Esther wanted to go to Harvard. She asked her professor, Mitch Avila, to write her a letter of recommendation. But there was a catch. Well, she asked me to write it.

[Esther Reed]

For her under another name. I asked him, and he said yes.

[Kristen]

What did you tell him so that he'd say yes?

[Esther Reed]

I know. I told him I was in danger and had to change my name. I don't remember why.

[Kristen]

She claimed at the time that she was being stalked.

[Esther Reed]

A lot of debate is a lot of bs. You learn how to come up with creative arguments. You craft them, you research them, you develop them, and you present them. And that's sort of what I did.

[Kristen]

It was Esther's most ambitious identity theft yet, and one she thought was foolproof. What was that name? Brooke Henson. Brooke Henson, a young woman from South Carolina who was missing but presumed murdered.

[Esther Reed]

I really thought that I could live my life as Brook Henson and they wouldn't know and I would have a new life.

[Kristen]

In 2004, Esther fulfilled her childhood dream. She applied and was accepted to Harvard University. It's extension school.

[Esther Reed]

Anyway, she went at someone else. That surprises me, but that she made it doesn't surprise me in the least.

[Kristen]

Esther had big plans for her new identity as Brooke Henson. She wanted to attend law school. She'd been wanting to be a lawyer.

[Esther Reed]

Since she was very small.

[Kristen]

Esther had fooled Harvard, but she wanted more. She'd scored well on the SAT and soon set her sights on another Ivy League school.

[Esther Reed]

I applied to Columbia, and I was incredibly shocked when she called me and said, you've been accepted.

[Kristen]

The high school dropout from Townsend, Montana was in the big leagues. What was it like for you to walk the campus of Columbia University as a full fledged student?

[Esther Reed]

I had a feeling that this was going to be the start of my life, and I was incredibly excited about that.

[Kristen]

Esther financed her new life by acquiring more than $100,000 in fraudulent student loans.

[Esther Reed]

I never, ever borrowed a penny that I did not intend on paying back. I intended to be Brook Henson for the rest of my life.

[Kristen]

After months with no contact, Esther was now back in touch with her friend in California, Bita Shigagi.

[Esther Reed]

She told me that she really loved New York.

[Kristen]

Bita went to Visit her on July 4, 2005. Did you call her Brooke or Natalie?

[Esther Reed]

No. Natalie always called her Natalie.

[Kristen]

Still unaware that her best friend was a con artist.

[Esther Reed]

It was a blast. We went everywhere. We went to cafes, we took a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty, and we took some pictures. She didn't like taking pictures, so I really had to talk her into even getting these pictures with me.

[Kristen]

She didn't like to take pictures?

[Esther Reed]

No, she didn't.

[Kristen]

How come?

[Esther Reed]

Well, she told me she just didn't like the way she looked in pictures.

[Kristen]

That same Fourth of July was also the sixth anniversary of the real Brooke Henson's disappearance.

[Esther Reed]

According to the police, there's still not a trace of evidence.

[Kristen]

Her aunt, Lisa Henson, held a vigil.

[Esther Reed]

Something needs to be done to find out what happened. Somebody needs to come forward. I miss her, Christie.

[Kristen]

I know you did, baby.

[Esther Reed]

We all miss her.

[Kristen]

There may have been foul play involved in her disappearance. South Carolina investigator John Campbell had nearly run out of new leads. We would get the occasional sighting, but we would never be able to substantiate it. It was like she dropped off the face of the earth. Back up at Columbia, the fake Brooke Henson was making the most of her new life. She had a 3.22 GPA, an apartment near Central park, and was dating a West Point cadet. Among the textbooks you were studying. Psychology and criminology.

[Esther Reed]

Yes.

[Kristen]

And logically, someone would say, what perfect two courses for a con woman to take to hone her craft.

[Esther Reed]

What perfect two courses for a lawyer.

[Kristen]

To take in July of 2006, feeling confident after two years at Columbia, I.

[Esther Reed]

Knew I wasn't doing anything wrong enough to get caught.

[Kristen]

Esther applied for a job doing a background check. The employer Googled Brooke Henson. He discovered she was a missing person and quickly called South Carolina authorities. It didn't make any sense to me that there was somebody alive in New York. It was actually Brooke. Detective John Campbell was shocked and skeptical. I didn't think it was possible that Brooke had gone to New York and somehow got into an Ivy League school after she'd been a high school dropout. But then again, that's exactly what this high school dropout had done.

[Esther Reed]

A lot of kids who are incredibly bright drop out of high school because we're bored.

[Kristen]

Campbell asked a New York detective to make contact.

[Esther Reed]

And what'd you Tell him I tell.

[Kristen]

My name, Brooke Henson, and ask her some questions that Lisa Henson, Brooke's aunt, had prepared.

[Esther Reed]

What is your brother's best friend's name? What's your late uncle's first name? Things like that.

[Kristen]

Remarkably, Esther got nearly all the answers right.

[Esther Reed]

So I really had hope. Then.

[Kristen]

Then Lisa saw a photo. Is this Brooke?

[Esther Reed]

No.

[Kristen]

You're certain of that?

[Esther Reed]

Absolutely. Positively. She is not Brooke Henson, but Lisa.

[Kristen]

And Detective Campbell wanted more information. Technically, she is a suspect until we can clear her.

[Esther Reed]

I started thinking either she had something to do with Brooke's disappearance or she knew somebody who was involved in it.

[Kristen]

Campbell asked a New York detective to call Brooke and request a DNA sample. What are you going through at that moment? Are you panicked?

[Esther Reed]

Sure.

[Kristen]

Esther decided to flee. She quickly went out and rented a U haul truck.

[Esther Reed]

I came back and the New York City police were at my door. And I went upstairs, grabbed my dog and my suitcase. Then I left. The only thing I couldn't leave was my dogs.

[Kristen]

As Esther's cons made headlines, she went underground 48 hours. Then set out to find her, hiring renowned private investigator Steve Rombaum. How do you begin?

[Stephen Rombaum]

Well, we begin by finding out everything we can about her background, her aliases, places where she's lived.

[Kristen]

Rombam first heads to Esther's old apartment in Manhattan.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Thank goodness our landlord saved all of this. Oh, baby, baby, baby.

[Kristen]

Steve Rombaum strikes gold.

[Stephen Rombaum]

This is Brooke Hanson's certified birth certificate.

[Kristen]

A paper trail of Esther's life as Brooke.

[Stephen Rombaum]

She left behind her credit card bills, her bank statements, her phone bills. Countless, countless leads. We've got evidence here of massive financial frauds.

[Kristen]

And some of her targets were the men she was dating. How many men do you think Esther Reed has gone through?

[Stephen Rombaum]

I'm aware of about a dozen.

[Kristen]

What was it about Esther that made her so attractive to men? She's a master of manipulation. And she can socially engineer anyone into liking her. At least five of Esther's boyfriends were cadets and midshipmen from West Point and Annapolis. There are fears that Esther has been taking her scams to a whole new level.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Law enforcement is concerned that she might be involved in espionage.

[Esther Reed]

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[Kristen]

Eduardo.

[Esther Reed]

When I made the decision to leave New York, I never spoke to anyone I knew ever again.

[Kristen]

It was July 2006. Having shed her identity as Brooke Henson, Esther Reed escaped from New York. Where'd you go?

[Esther Reed]

Just to a hotel over in Jersey. I took a cab. I just knew I needed time to think.

[Kristen]

And then she was gone. But the authorities were closing in. A federal grand jury in South Carolina handed down this indictment charging Esther Reed with felony identity theft and student loan fraud. With the full investigative powers of the Secret Service now deployed, it seemed likely that Esther would be apprehended quickly.

[Esther Reed]

When it came in as a potential.

[Kristen]

Identity theft case, the Secret Service became immediately involved. U.S. attorney Walt Wilkinson. The fact that Esther got a passport under the name Brooke Henson was that kind of a fatal mistake for her.

[Esther Reed]

If someone is able to attain a.

[Kristen]

U.S. passport fraudulently, we're going to take that very seriously.

[Stephen Rombaum]

Either they're going to find her, or I'm going to find her.

[Kristen]

Hot on Esther's trail is 48 hours Private investigator Steve Rombaum. He tracked Esther all the way from Vermont to Florida to California.

[Stephen Rombaum]

I would be very surprised if we don't find her. If I didn't genuinely believe that, I wouldn't be daring enough to say it on television.

[Kristen]

Poring over Esther's old cell phone records, Rombaum decided to head for Chicago.

[Stephen Rombaum]

There are a lot of significant leads in the Chicago area. We know she lived there. We know she did whatever she does there.

[Kristen]

Those records led us to this man, Stephen Fouts, a convicted sexual predator. We caught him going into his favorite bar. Stephen Fouts at you. There were more than 100 phone calls between you and Esther Reed on your cell phone and hers. Fouts claims a woman named Wanda used his cell phone to make those calls to Esther. She had my telephone. All right, you believe that? Do you believe that? No, I don't. The Fouts lead is a dead end, so Rombaum next zeroes in on Stephen Donald, an old boyfriend of Esther's, also in Chicago.

[Stephen Rombaum]

He may know her current location. He certainly has a lot of information we don't yet have.

[Kristen]

After observing Donald in his apartment, Rom bomb coaxes him outside. We then decided to move in ourselves.

[Esther Reed]

Here we go.

[Kristen]

Do it, Stephen. Peter Van Sant. Are you in contact with Esther Reed today? No, of course not. Do you have any idea where she is? No. You understand that she may be involved in illegal activities and that those who associated with her will be likely questioned. And I'm giving you an opportunity to tell us what you know about her. If you tell the federal authorities, I'd be more than happy to speak with.

[Esther Reed]

Them, as they are a fine, upstanding.

[Kristen]

Professional group of people. But Donald goes back on his word. Authorities say he refused to cooperate, and while Rombam was in Chicago, Esther was still at large.

[Esther Reed]

I don't believe Esther's been in contact.

[Kristen]

With any of her family or friends. I honestly believe that she pretty much left everyone behind. Joining the hunt on the Federal side is U.S. marshal John Bridge.

[Esther Reed]

Because she's able to change her identities.

[Kristen]

It presents a unique challenge in figuring.

[Esther Reed]

Out what identity she's now using.

[Kristen]

To uncover that new identity, he has to match wits with Esther. There's an old saying.

[Esther Reed]

You can't connect the dots until you collect the dots.

[Kristen]

And when the dots are connected and Esther's pattern becomes clear, authorities are alarmed. Esther is dating a series of military men, but no one knows why.

[Esther Reed]

We investigated, along with the military, a.

[Kristen]

Potential security risk that Esther Reed might impose to the United States. That she could be a spy.

[Esther Reed]

That she could be a spy. That she could obtain information and counterespionage and sell the information to other countries.

[Kristen]

Fueling the suspicion was the fact that Esther had received several wire transfers of cash from a man in Germany.

[Esther Reed]

We were certainly concerned about any international wire transfer, especially coming from Germany.

[Kristen]

In the states, investigators focused on Kyle Bringle, a West Point cadet with whom Esther was romantically involved. Kyle Bringle, who is he?

[Stephen Rombaum]

Military academy candidate. Military academy graduate. This is, again, somebody who, should he choose, probably can rise through the ranks to the very top of the military.

[Kristen]

With Kyle brengel, you have IMs in which you're asking about what he's studying, if he could provide you with some of this information, including potential battle plans. Why did you ask him for that?

[Esther Reed]

I cannot imagine I would ever ask Kyle for a battle plan.

[Kristen]

But her instant messages with Kyle say otherwise. Kyle training briefing. Got lots of maps and timelines. Esther is it for a class or something real? Kyle. Yeah, for my military science class. Just like what I'll do as an infantry platoon leader. Esther I want to see it. When you're finished, Kyle. I'll send it to you.

[Stephen Rombaum]

This is a classic method of espionage, using sex and using intimacy to get this sort of information. I mean, this is Mata Hari 101.

[Kristen]

Are you a spy? Esther?

[Esther Reed]

No, never. You can die for being a spy. I would never even consider doing that.

[Kristen]

Again. Her IMs to Kyle Bringle conflict with her story. Esther I'd so love to be James Bond. Kyle really? You want to be a spy? Oh, please. That would be a dream job.

[Esther Reed]

Either I was drunk or we were joking. I have no idea why I would say that.

[Kristen]

Why shouldn't I think you're just bsing me right now, that the. The master con woman is just conning me and conning this audience.

[Esther Reed]

I am never very clear on why people consider me a con artist. I don't think everyone who tells a lie is a con artist.

[Kristen]

Frank Abagnale, who himself used sex to get information when he was a con man, thinks he knows why Esther was romantically involved with so many military students. She's using the sex to meet them, but then once she gets to meet them, she can question them all day long in a very way that they don't realize they're even being questioned about. You know, how do I do this? When you go do this, what do.

[Esther Reed]

You have to do?

[Kristen]

It's to round out her military character. I don't think Esther is into espionage. But Esther didn't limit her relationships solely to military men.

[Stephen Rombaum]

The one thing she's religious about paying her bills for apparently are for eHarmony.com and Match.com. she's trolling the Internet for the next boyfriend, for the next sucker.

[Kristen]

And she found them everywhere, traveling all over the country. Esther was hooking up with men in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. So the $64,000 question. Where is Esther Reed?

[Stephen Rombaum]

Steve don't know yet.

[Kristen]

Do you feel like you're getting close?

[Stephen Rombaum]

Very close.

[Kristen]

In February 2008, investigators get a huge break. They link Esther to a car purchased in the greater Chicago area. All we have is a license plate.

[Esther Reed]

Number, and we're just hoping and waiting.

[Kristen]

That eventually law enforcement will find this particular car. They do, but in a way no one ever expected. Police searched on the ground and from the air for a suspect they believed shot several people inside this Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park.

[Esther Reed]

Still getting around to that fix on your car.

[Kristen]

You got this on ebay. You'll find millions of parts guaranteed to fit.

[Esther Reed]

Doesn't matter if it's a major engine.

[Kristen]

Repair or your first time swapping your windshield wipers.

[Esther Reed]

Ebay has that part you need. Ready to click perfectly into place for changes big and small, loud or quiet.

[Kristen]

Find all the parts you need at prices you'll love.

[Esther Reed]

Guaranteed to fit every time. But you already know that.

[Kristen]

Ebay things people love. Eligible items only Exclusions apply.

[Esther Reed]

I'm ready for my life to change.

[Kristen]

ABC Sunday.

[Esther Reed]

American Idol returns.

[Kristen]

Give it your all. Good luck.

[Esther Reed]

Come out with a golden ticket. Let's hear it.

[Kristen]

This is a man's world. I've never seen anything like it.

[Esther Reed]

And a new chapter begins.

[Kristen]

They're going to Hollywood.

[Esther Reed]

Carrie Underwood joins Lionel Richie, Luke Bryant and Ryan Seacrest on American idol.

[Kristen]

Season premieres Sunday, 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu. Despite being hunted by the Secret Service and U.S. marshals, Esther Reed could be anywhere right now. Investigated by a U.S. attorney and hounded by private investigator Steve Rombau.

[Stephen Rombaum]

I think Saddam Hussein changed his sleeping arrangements less often than she did.

[Kristen]

Esther Reed was still at large more than a year and a half after her escape from New York, still changing identities to keep one step ahead of her pursuers.

[Esther Reed]

After Brook Hentz and I decided we're not playing with real people, I'm going to create an identity. So I didn't think I could get in any trouble for that one.

[Kristen]

What was the name that you became?

[Esther Reed]

Jennifer Myers.

[Kristen]

Jennifer Myers. And where did Jennifer go to live?

[Esther Reed]

I traveled.

[Kristen]

Unbeknownst to Esther, investigators uncovered her new identity. And U.S. marshal John Bridge was closing in fast.

[Esther Reed]

We had information that Esther was in the area of Tinley Park.

[Kristen]

And Tinley Park, a suburb of Chicago, on February 2, 2008 was the worst place in the country for Esther to be. What were you doing there?

[Esther Reed]

Staying in a hotel. The shooting happened this morning at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park.

[Kristen]

Cops were searching everywhere in town. After five women were brutally murdered in a Lane Bryant store, the killer was still on the loose.

[Esther Reed]

I had just gotten lunch and I noticed there was tons of police. And I was like, what the heck is that?

[Kristen]

Police began cruising parking lots, running checks on all out of state license plates. Just by chance, they came across Esther's car.

[Esther Reed]

I was awakened by a door knock.

[Kristen]

You opened the door and who's standing there?

[Esther Reed]

The police. And actually, I thought they were doing, you know, a manhunt, looking for the guy. So I said, sure, come on in. He asked me if I had identification I said, sure. He checked my identification and it came back. And he said, let's just take you down to the station. We'll figure it all out. It was overwhelming. There was an absolute panic.

[Kristen]

Finally, Esther is forced to admit her true identity. She is arrested and charged with multiple counts, including identity theft and student loan fraud. After nine long years, Esther spoke with her sister Edna from a jailhouse phone.

[Esther Reed]

I told her I loved her. She told me she loved me and that she missed everyone. And I said, then why were you gone so long? And she said, I don't know. I'm still very frightened how I will handle a family I can't deal with. It's pain. I mean, every time I talk about it, it's pain. I just want to be a happy girl. I think Esther is a lost soul.

[Kristen]

Ann Fitts was Esther's defense attorney.

[Esther Reed]

Esther has an underlying psychological disorder. It stems from a social anxiety disorder. She feels like people are out to get her.

[Kristen]

Social anxiety disorder is a very common phobia and defined as an excessive or irrational fear of being watched, judged and criticized by others. How convenient. Social anxiety disorder. Boy, it seems to explain all the bad decisions you made in your life.

[Esther Reed]

I've been diagnosed by some of the top psychiatrists in the field.

[Kristen]

You could be acting. You've studied it.

[Esther Reed]

I could be, but they happen to be the top experts.

[Kristen]

This is a woman who has spent years manipulating people. What makes you think she's not just manipulating you?

[Esther Reed]

Well, she could be manipulating me, but from my perspective as her attorney, I have to believe her.

[Kristen]

Esther's defense will never be heard at trial. Six months after her capture, she admits to the fraud and identity theft charges, but refuses to detail her many scams. Are you a criminal, Esther?

[Esther Reed]

Sure. I mean, I'm a felon. I just pled guilty to four felonies.

[Kristen]

Esther, now 30 years old, is sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. In your opinion, was Esther Reed a spy? I don't believe she was.

[Esther Reed]

My thoughts are that she was merely.

[Kristen]

Looking into possibility of broadening her criminal schemes. Federal investigators concluded that Kyle Bringle did nothing wrong and the Lane Bryant killer has never been found. Do you think Esther Reed knows the difference between right and wrong? I hope she does today.

[Esther Reed]

And I hope that she realizes what.

[Kristen]

She'S done to the Henson family. Brooke Henson's aunt Lisa had to live with the pain of not knowing what happened to her niece, who remains missing.

[Esther Reed]

I don't think she ever considered anybody that this would affect. She was all about Esther. A mother lost her daughter and if I could fix it, I would. I don't know how to make it better.

[Kristen]

Esther agreed to this interview after her sentencing. There's one question on everyone's mind. People wonder, why couldn't you just do this as Esther Reed? You had such intellect, such talent, such ability. Just do this as yourself.

[Esther Reed]

Esther Reid wonders why I couldn't have. I just wanted to go to college. I wanted to go to college and have a family where I wasn't constantly plagued by these toxic relationships that I couldn't make work.

[Kristen]

After nearly a decade of running from her family, the law, and herself, what will become of Ester Reed?

[Stephen Rombaum]

I think Esther Reed has remarkable potential to do something. God knows what it is. I suspect she'll find what it is. I suspect if it doesn't exist, she'll create it.

[Kristen]

Who are you going to be in this new life?

[Esther Reed]

I don't know if I'll stick with Esther Reed or if I'll change my name legally. This is, for me, the start of my life. There's a slight waiting period, which I intend to endure with optimism and excitement. And then I intend to go on and be something great. No BS no BS.

[Kristen]

Esther Reed was released from federal prison in 2011.