Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode Title: HOLLYNN, 19, MIND OF 10 Y.O., VANISHES FROM PARTY, SPARKS SERIAL KILLER FEAR
Date: December 22, 2025

Overview

This emotionally charged episode delves into the disappearance of 19-year-old Hollyn Snap (also called Holly Ann), who vanished from a party in Kingsport, Tennessee. Though Hollyn was 19, she had the mental capacity of a 10-year-old and an IQ of 64, making her especially vulnerable. Nancy Grace discusses the events surrounding her disappearance, highlights the failures of bystanders and authorities, and interviews her foster and adoptive families, criminal justice experts, and the investigators working the case. The episode underscores growing community fear of a possible serial predator and calls for anyone with information to come forward.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hollyn Snap: Her Vulnerabilities and Loving Upbringing

• Hollyn was adopted at 10 by the Snap family, maintaining close ties with her former foster mom, Leslie Hunt.
• Despite being “beautiful” and looking like a typical teen, Hollyn’s developmental delay and trusting nature left her exposed to predatory behavior.
• Memorable anecdotes illustrated her innocence and quirks (e.g., misnaming vegetables as “vegeticals”).
  • “Holland had lots of quirky little things that she would say at my house. We still use a lot of those sayings.” — Leslie Hunt (04:15)
  • “She told me that she was a vampire. I said, 'That’s funny. I am too.' That’s how the ground was broken and that’s how our relationship started.” — Heather Snap (06:58)

2. The Night Hollyn Disappeared

• Hollyn was last seen October 5th, at a party on Bell Ridge Drive with adults, after texting her adoptive mom she was with 52-year-old Stephen Linkus—who allegedly told her not to share his name (13:02).
• Witnesses, some who knew Hollyn’s vulnerabilities, saw her in distress (beaten, crying, uncommunicative) and did not intervene.
• Nancy Grace expresses outrage at this lack of action, likening bystander inaction to complicity.
  • “They knew her, and they did nothing to help whatsoever.” — Leslie Hunt (10:36)
  • “People saw her at the party and they did nothing. And now she’s gone.” — Nancy Grace (08:11)

3. The Role and Responses of Law Enforcement

• Initial attempts by the family to report Hollyn missing were met with bureaucratic runaround, as authorities cited her age and past disappearance.
  • “They both gave me the runaround because she was an adult...They didn’t want to help me, period.” — Heather Snap (27:12)
• Authorities eventually took action, with search warrants, interviews (~84 people), drone and canine searches, and data analysis. But communication breakdowns led the family to feel sidelined.
  • “We’ve had approximately three vehicles that we did search warrants on…” — Detective Anthony Stevens (50:15)

4. Focus on Stephen Linkus and Witness Accounts

• The last known person with Hollyn, Linkus, fled to Georgia upon seeing missing posters.
• Witnesses claim Hollyn was left virtually unconscious at his home; Linkus evaded questions in jailhouse calls and shifted blame to others.
  • “He gives conflicting answers… sometimes claims a family member in a red truck picked her up; other times blames others in the house.” — Nancy Grace (35:34)
  • “There’s some discrepancies in my timeline…it don’t look right.” — Stephen Linkus (37:20)
• Investigators maintain Linkus is not officially a suspect, but his actions and statements are highly suspicious.

5. The Tragedy of Bystander Inaction and the Call for Culture Change

• Legal experts explained that in the U.S., there is rarely a legal duty to intervene if a crime is witnessed.
  • “No one has the duty to be a good Samaritan…unfortunately, that is not a crime in most of the states of the United States.” — Franz Borghardt (19:26)
• Nancy and guests repeatedly stress the moral and ethical imperative to help vulnerable individuals.

6. Serial Predator Fears & Connections to Other Cases

• Community alarm intensified by the disappearance of another local teen, Layla Santanello. Investigator Steve Fisher explains there is currently no solid evidence linking the two cases (47:23).

7. Family Perspectives: Grief, Anger, and Pleas for Justice

• Hollyn's foster and adoptive mothers express ongoing heartbreak and frustration with both bystanders and authorities.
  • “If you can help in any way…please help me find my child.” — Heather Snap (31:59)
  • “Holland, I would say, do the right thing. 761 days in, you have failed her every day since then.” — Leslie Hunt (33:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hollyn’s Vulnerability:

  • “She’s extremely trusting of people she shouldn’t be trusting. She’s never met a stranger.” — Leslie Hunt (07:43)

• On Law Enforcement Delay:

  • “They still wanted me to go to one [agency] and then go to the other…they didn’t want to help me, period.” — Heather Snap (27:12)

• On Witness Responsibility:

  • “You don’t have a duty to do anything, do you? …Unfortunately, no.” — Franz Borghardt (19:26)

• On Linkus’s Jailhouse Calls:

  • “There’s some discrepancies in my timeline… and it’s because it don’t look right.” — Stephen Linkus (37:20)
  • “He called her ‘this girl.’ And that’s depersonalization. He’s distancing himself from who she is because she’s not a real person to him.” — Karen Stark (40:18)

• Family's Plea:

  • “If you know anything, if you have spoken to anyone that either knows her name, please come forward, share her story. Help me find my daughter.” — Heather Snap (31:59)
  • “Do the right thing. You have failed her every day since then. We want to bring her home in one form or another.” — Leslie Hunt (33:15)

• Investigation Efforts:

  • “We’ve conducted approximately 84 interviews…done residential and electronic search warrants, consented searches, and grid searches with canine cadaver dogs.” — Detective Anthony Stevens (50:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:16] - Nancy Grace’s introduction and context about Hollyn
• [04:15–06:58] - Family memories and insights into Hollyn’s personality
• [08:11–10:36] - Discussion of party, bystander inaction, and last sighting
• [13:02–14:14] - Details about Hollyn’s last texts and Linkus’s suspicious role
• [19:26–21:11] - Legal perspectives on bystander responsibility and witness fear
• [27:03–28:23] - Family describes law enforcement delays and runaround
• [35:34–37:55] - Linkus’s conflicting statements in jail calls
• [46:21–47:23] - Details of the search operations and serial predator fear
• [50:15] - Detective details investigative steps
• [56:10–60:42] - Detective answers about suspect status and theory of the case
• [62:19–63:18] - Detectives’ plea to the public for tips

Episode Takeaways

• Hollyn Snap—the vulnerable teen with the mind of a child—disappeared in plain sight, and inaction by witnesses and slow law enforcement response may have cost her life.
• Her case spotlights both systemic failings and the chilling legal gaps around bystander intervention.
• The community, family, and investigators continue to search for answers, with hope resting on someone’s conscience or the unearthing of a crucial detail.
• Nancy Grace and her guests repeatedly urge listeners: if you know anything, even a small detail, to contact authorities and help bring closure to Hollyn’s loved ones.

Call to Action

If you have any information on Hollyn’s disappearance, contact:

• Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office: 423-279-7500
• Tennessee Bureau of Investigation: 1-800-TBI-FIND

Nancy Grace closes the episode honoring Hollyn's memory, the tireless search efforts of her families, and all vulnerable missing persons, urging society not to stand idly by when anyone is in danger.