SUBURBAN PLAINFIELD BEAUTY VANISHES FROM "EXERCISE CLASS:" WHERE IS LISA?

Summary

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: "Suburban Plainfield Beauty Vanishes from ‘Exercise Class:’ Where is Lisa?"

Air Date: July 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Nancy Grace leads a panel of guests through a deep dive into the 2007 disappearance of Lisa Stebik, a devoted mother from Plainfield, Illinois. The episode scrutinizes the official narrative, examines the details of Lisa’s last day, and raises doubt about the account given by her estranged husband, Craig Stebik. Throughout, Nancy pushes her guests—Lisa’s cousin, law enforcement officials, analysts, and investigative journalists—to unpack what happened, question motives, and highlight the unresolved aspects of the case. The ongoing investigation, suspicions about foul play, and the community’s heartbreak are central themes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Day of Lisa’s Disappearance

• Timeline According to Husband

  • Lisa last seen at ~6pm on Monday, April 30, 2007, reportedly to "go exercise."
  • Husband Craig claims he was in the backyard and did not see her leave—only "heard" her leave.
  • The couple’s two children (ages 10 and 12) were not home at the time.
    • Quote:
      • Nancy Grace: “So… I’ve got what we call an ear witness. The husband says he heard her leave. Is that correct?” (03:08)
      • Dave Mack: "Yes." (03:22)
  • Lisa’s car was left at home; her purse and phone were missing with her.
  • There was no subsequent activity on her cell phone, credit cards, or bank account after her disappearance. (04:24)

• When was Lisa reported missing?

  • Not reported missing until 10am the following Tuesday.
    • Quote:
      • Nancy Grace: "She’s last seen 6pm Monday, but she’s not reported missing until Tuesday at 10am… Why?" (06:47)
      • Commander McQuaid: "According to Craig, Lisa would…go out with friends and stuff, and would not come home until late. She was always home in time to take the kids to school. But this time…she did not come home." (07:02)

• Who reported her missing?

  • Not Craig—neighbor Lori called police after noticing unusual behavior (all blinds drawn) and receiving a call from Craig inquiring about Lisa’s whereabouts.
    • Quote:
      • Melanie Greenberg (Lisa’s cousin): "She was the one that called the Plainfield police and reported Lisa missing." (09:08)

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Lisa’s Character and Routine: Contradictions in Husband’s Story

• Motherhood and Routine

  • Lisa always took her kids to school—she worked at their school cafeteria to match their schedules.
  • Multiple guests refute the idea that Lisa ever stayed out all night:
    • Nancy: "This mom always got her children ready for school and took them to school without deviation." (12:05)
    • Gigi McKelvey: “It stinks to high heaven… It seems like this was totally out of character for her.” (13:06)

• Nature of Lisa and Craig’s Relationship

  • The couple was in the midst of a contentious divorce and sleeping in separate rooms.

  • Lisa was sleeping on the couch with her purse and essentials close by—indicative of a domestic violence victim’s precaution.

    • Quote:
      • Dr. Bethany Marshall: "Go to any domestic violence website… the number one thing they will tell the woman…is to keep your purse, cash, ID, and papers near you when you sleep." (19:56)

  • Lisa had been receiving counseling and even took her children to a domestic abuse center.

    • “She confided in neighbors, but she didn’t confide in the family of how bad her marriage was… She had lost 40 pounds… got a tattoo of a butterfly because she was going through a metamorphosis.” – Melanie Greenberg (16:47)

  • The day Lisa vanished, she had initiated the process to evict Craig from the marital home.

    • Quote:
      • Nancy Grace: “That is the day that she went missing, the day that she initiated the process to have Craig evicted.” (22:58)

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Law Enforcement Investigation & Evidence

• Initial Investigation

  • Craig was initially cooperative (agreed to interviews and searches) but stopped after about a week, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, and refused polygraph testing. (28:12–29:14)
    • Nancy: "Why did he stop cooperating, Gigi?" (30:38)
    • Gigi McKelvey: "Maybe he felt that investigation was getting a little too close to him…could have told investigators, ‘Yeah, they fought a lot,’ which would give…reasons for them to look even deeper." (30:51)

• Searches and Findings

  • Multiple searches conducted of property and surrounding rural/farmland, along with a state park Craig often visited.
  • Little physical evidence found—except traces of Lisa’s blood in the bed of Craig’s pickup truck, a vehicle she was reportedly not allowed to use.
    • Quote:
      • Commander McQuaid: “We did locate her blood within the bed of his vehicle…and that was a vehicle that from all accounts, she did not have access or did not use.” (33:17)
    • Melanie Greenberg: “She was never allowed to use his truck.” (34:36)
    • No body ever found; evidence was apparently not enough for a prosecution.

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The Aftermath and Lingering Questions

• Children’s Whereabouts

  • After Lisa’s disappearance, the children continued to live with Craig and eventually lost contact with extended family. (37:22–37:42)

• Financial and Emotional Context

  • Lisa was financially vulnerable; her bank account had less than $200. (24:45)
  • Melanie Greenberg: “She was struggling, but she was trying to make a change in her life… But she had no… shared resources between her and her husband. So it’s not just domestic abuse… but financial abuse as well.” (25:44–27:19)

• Risks of Leaving Abusive Relationships

  • Dr. Bethany Marshall highlights: “Women are at the greatest risk for domestic homicide as they are about to leave a relationship. Their chances go way, way up.” (25:44)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Routine and Disappearance:

  • Nancy Grace: “Crime is about routine…when Lisa Stebik was not there to take her children to school, yet she was not reported missing until much later… that should have sounded all sorts of alarms.” (14:21)

• On Lisa’s Character:

  • Melanie Greenberg: “She would never leave her children. And it was a school morning. She would be there to get the kids ready.” (11:54)

• On the Husband’s Account:

  • Nancy Grace: “So I’m supposed to believe that this mother…stayed out all night, and therefore the husband wasn’t concerned when she didn’t come home. That was sacrosanct for me—I never missed drop off or pickup because I loved it.” (12:19)

• On Physical Evidence:

  • Commander McQuaid: “We did locate her blood within the bed of his vehicle… matched the DNA to one of her household items. That was a vehicle that… she did not use.” (33:17)

• On the Nature of the Crime:

  • Dr. Bethany Marshall: “[He is] trying to paint her out to be like a whore… I can’t imagine that this was what was happening in this home.” (21:20)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:34 – Case summary and circumstances of Lisa’s disappearance
• 02:21 – Husband’s account: no eyewitness, only “heard” Lisa leave
• 06:04 – Police receive missing person call; odd delay
• 09:08 – Neighbor, not husband, calls police; divorce context emerges
• 12:05 – Mother’s routine discussed; panel questions “all-night out” narrative
• 16:47 – Details of marital strife, Lisa sleeping on couch with purse
• 19:56 – Dr. Bethany Marshall explains significance of sleeping with purse
• 22:58 – Day of disappearance coincides with eviction petition
• 28:12 – Police reflect on husband’s initial cooperation, then silence
• 33:17 – Discovery of Lisa’s blood in Craig’s truck
• 37:22 – Status and whereabouts of Lisa’s now-adult children

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Tone & Concluding Thoughts

Nancy Grace’s tone is direct, incredulous, and laser-focused on contradictions in the husband’s story. The panel expresses outrage, skepticism, heartbreak, and solidarity with Lisa’s family. The episode highlights not only the investigative holes and familial pain, but also broader issues of domestic violence, financial abuse, and the real dangers women face when trying to leave abusive relationships.

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Call to Action

• If you have information about Lisa Stebik:
  • Dial 815-267-7217 or 312-421-6700
  • $75,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of what happened

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Summary prepared for those seeking an in-depth yet condensed understanding of this episode’s coverage, including investigative gaps, family insights, and the heartbreak surrounding Lisa Stebik’s unresolved disappearance.

Transcript

[A]

This is an I Heart podcast, Guaranteed human crime stories with Nancy Grace. Bombshell tonight, Plainfield beauty vanishes from exercise class. Really? Tonight, where is Lisa? Good evening. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us.

[B]

Lisa Stevik is a fun, loving, vibrant mother of two from Plainfield, Illinois, until she mysteriously vanishes from her home, leaving behind her car while her purse and cell phone disappear with her

[A]

back of Lisa's.

[C]

I got the back of your head. Happy birthday, Ian. Happy second birthday.

[D]

It was Monday. She left home here, supposedly to go work out. And as far as I know, somebody picked her up. And come Tuesday morning to go to work, she wasn't here.

[C]

Many of the people detectives have interviewed have stressed Lisa's love for her children and have insisted that Lisa would not have left home without them. In the last several months, there have been no activity on her cell phone, credit cards, or her checking account. As a result, everything learned in this investigation, detectives are now focusing on the scenario that she most likely is a victim of foul play.

[A]

From our friends at wlsncltv tonight, where is Lisa Stebik? The mystery goes on, but I, for one, do not believe she vanished from exercise class. Straight up to Dave Mack, crime stories investigative reporter. What do we know about the night, and we think it was the night she went missing.

[B]

What we know is that Lisa Stabeck went to her regular job like normal, came home from her job at the school, and she was at home for several hours and then left to go exercise.

[A]

Who says she left to go exercise?

[B]

Dave Mack, her husband, Craig Stebik is the one who says he. He was in the backyard. He didn't actually see her leave. He heard her leave. And that they had two children, 10 and 12 years old, who were also not home at the moment. So they didn't see her leave either. But Craig stepped.

[A]

Okay, wait, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Too much information at once, Dave. Mac, as you well know, preparing for a trial or in any investigation, you take each fact and then you determine what that one fact can prove. How probative is that one fact? First of all, are you telling me I don't have an eyewitness to her leaving the home to go to exercise class? That's a. Yes. No, please.

[B]

Yes, absolutely.

[A]

So. Well, that was two words, but that said, I've got what we call an ear witness. The husband says he heard her leave. Is that correct? Yes. No.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Where was the husband when he hears Lisa leave?

[B]

He was in the backyard.

[A]

Backyard. Oh, is this like that? Sound that's so high frequency only dogs can hear it. Because he's saying he's in the backyard and he hears her footsteps going out the front door. Help me out, Dave Mack.

[B]

That is what he is suggesting. Craig Stevick says he was in the backyard doing whatever and he heard his wife Lisa leave.

[D]

It was Monday. She left home here, supposedly to go work out in as far as I'm no, somebody picked her up and

[B]

come

[D]

Tuesday morning to go to work. She wasn't here.

[A]

Well, okay, so he's in the backyard working, I wonder, working on what. And he, with his acute sense of hearing, hears her tiptoeing out the front door. So she must have gone to exercise class on foot.

[C]

It's as if she vanished off the face of the earth. Her car was left in the garage. Her purse and her phone were with her, are missing with her. There was no activity on her credit cards or her phone from the moment that she went missing.

[A]

That sound you're hearing us from our friends at wls. And joining me, two very special guests, Melanie Greenberg, this is Lisa's very dear cousin, and Commander Kevin McQuaid joining us out of Plainfield. And earlier I said, Commander, that this is suburban Plainfield. But isn't it true that the location where Lisa and the husband were living is on the cusp? It's right there at the beginning of beautiful farmland, which would be rural, is it not?

[D]

That's correct.

[A]

That's significant. That means something to me. Commander Kevin McQuade, by the way, McQuaid, 24 years in LE law enforcement, I bet you've seen a thing or two. Commander, the reason I'm curious, and I always ask about the location and the topography, the geography of the area, is because when somebody goes missing in downtown Manhattan, where I live nearly 15 years, that happens all the time. And you've got several million suspects in a rural suburban area such as Plainfield. Not true at all. When was Lisa first reported missing?

[D]

Commander Kevin McQuaid, we got a call on Tuesday, May 1st, at around 10:00 o' clock in the morning.

[A]

Hold it. Hold everything. Commander McQuaid, did I not just hear the husband, Craig Stebuck, state that she was not here on Monday?

[D]

Whoa.

[A]

He didn't say she left on Monday, that she, quote, wasn't here on Monday. Back it up. Did anybody see her alive on Sunday?

[E]

Yes.

[F]

Okay.

[D]

Yeah. She was last seen at approximately 6pm on Monday, the 30th.

[A]

Okay. Now, I find this very curious, Commander. She's last seen 6pm Monday, but she's not reported missing until Tuesday at 10am Commander?

[D]

That's correct.

[A]

Why?

[D]

It's a great question. You know, according to Craig, Lisa would. Would leave at, you know, in the evening times to go work out or go out with friends and stuff, and would not come home until late. She was always home in time to take the kids to school. But this time, according to him, she did not come home.

[A]

Okay, see, right there, I have a problem, Commander McQuaid, because even by his account, she comes home to sleep. I also find it very difficult that this loving mother of several children, I believe they were ages 10 and 11 or 11 and 12. That's just when they start doing things like going outside on their bicycles at 10 o', clock, crazy things like that, like getting on the Internet on sites they're not supposed to be on. That's when you need to be there. You think as they, oh, a baby. I have to feed the baby. It needs me. Wait a minute. Oh, it's a toddler. It's going to crawl up the shelf and fall and break its neck. It needs me. See, as they advance, they need you just as much, but for different reasons. So the husband's telling us that she would routinely leave and stay gone all night.

[D]

Correct. That she would go out and she'd be gone for a good part of the night and come home late.

[A]

Hmm. So he didn't notice. He didn't wake up in the night and look over and see an empty pillow beside him? That never happened. He must be a very sound sleeper.

[D]

Commander, I don't believe they were sleeping in the same rooms at that time.

[A]

Oh, the things we learn when we ask the right question. Isn't that true, Commander?

[D]

Correct.

[A]

To Melanie Greenberg, joining me, this is a very dear cousin. This is not a second cousin twice removed, all that. This is a cousin that has been leading the search for Lisa Melanie Greenberg. Let me understand. Lisa Stebik would leave the children and stay out all night?

[C]

Well, I think what's key is who reported her missing? It was not Craig. It was her neighbor Lori from down the street, who, when Craig called her that morning, said, hey, where's Lisa? And she had. She had known there was trouble in their marriage. They were going through a divorce. She looked at the house, all the blinds were drawn in the morning, which she thought was very unusual and strange. And she was the one that called the Plainfield police and reported Lisa missing. Lisa had told her children, if anything ever happens to me, go to my neighbor, my good friend Lori's house. The children didn't you know, we didn't in the family know that there was such a contentious divorce going on. And as Commander McQuaid mentioned, they were not sleeping in the same room. They were sharing the same house. But Lisa was actively trying to divorce from her husband, Craig. She was sleeping on the couch with her purse close by her. Yes, it was her routine to go work out in the evening when Craig returned to work, but she went to a local exercise place where she would drive. Well, her car is left in the house in the garage. So how does that make any sense? If she was going for a run or a walk, why would you take your purse? That doesn't make any sense. What's missing? You know, he. It's only our. You know, all we have is his word that she left to go exercise. The children were sent to a nearby grocery store to get candy late in the afternoon or at dinner time, which also doesn't make any sense to me. So they weren't at home when she went missing. The key fact is, the day that she went missing, she talked to her lawyer that morning, her divorce attorney, and she had received papers from him to initiate the process, a petition to have Craig evicted from the home. And she mailed those that day. So did she? We don't know. Did she and Craig have a discussion about those papers that day? I think that is one of the most salient facts of the timing of when she went missing. She was trying to have him, petitioning to have him evicted from their marital home.

[A]

Ms. Greenberg, I'm going to follow up on everything that you just said, but in answer to my original question, do you have any knowledge, any personal knowledge at all that Lisa would go out and stay out all night, leaving her children at home?

[C]

No. I mean, this is a devoted mother. She would never leave her children. And it was a school morning. Why she would be there to get the kids ready for school. There were 10 and 12.

[A]

Oh, my goodness. Hold on right there. That's another thing for me to jump on. I want to jump on it right now. Gigi McKelvey joining me, investigative journalist, star of Pretty Lies and Alibis podcast.

[F]

Gigi.

[A]

So I'm supposed to believe that this mother, we have no history at all of her leaving and staying now out all night? Not that that is probative evidence, but that's what we're being told, that she often stayed out all night, and therefore the husband wasn't concerned when she didn't come home. She didn't stay out all night. That was sacrosanct for Me, I never missed drop off or pickup because I loved it. I centered everything around it so I would be there. This mom always got her children ready for school and took them to school without deviation. Is that what I'm supposed to believe? Gigi McKelvey?

[F]

Well, it stinks to high heaven. And you have to consider the source, which is her estranged husband. So I'm like you, I never miss pickup or drop off. It seems like this was totally out of character for her. And how convenient that, you know, it only came from him, the guy who has never been named a suspect, but a person of interest, clearly from the very beginning of this case. I think it benefits his story, his version, events, trying to divert attention away from him and maybe place the blame on her, which is very typical in these kind of situations.

[A]

Yeah, basically making her out to be. There's. Let's just not mince words, okay? Making her out to be a big. That's what he's doing. Okay, fine. If he disagrees with me, he can come on and tell me that he meant something entirely different. But he did not take us up on our offer to join us. That said, I'm about to go to Dr. Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalysis. But first, Commander Kevin McQuade, special guest, joining us tonight along with cousin Melanie Greenberg. Commander, you know what routine evidence is and I don't mean typical evidence, like there's some sort of run of the mill evidence. That's not true. All evidence is critical to me, a trial lawyer. When I say routine evidence, I mean evidence of routine. So I never miss taking my twins to school or picking them up. I have to be out of town or in the hospital before I miss that. That is my long standing routine. It would be a cold day in h e doublel that John, David and Lucy step out in the pickup line and I'm not there. Carpool queen. That's what I'm saying. That's her routine. So it should have sounded more all sorts of alarms when Lisa Stabeck was not there to take her children to school. Yet she was not reported missing until much later on mid morning. And it wasn't by the husband. Then who took them to school?

[D]

Commander Craig did take them to school that day. He actually went into work late that day and dropped them off at school. He had called the neighbor asking if she knew where Lisa was. And then I believe. And he had also called her work and left a message asking if. If they knew where Lisa was. But Craig is the one that took him to school that morning.

[A]

Can I say Commander Kevin McQuay, please. Commander, please do not take the camera off. Commander Kevin McQuaid, zoom in. I want to look at his demeanor. Commander, would you repeat what you just said? Who took the children to school and how often had daddy ever taken the children to drop off?

[D]

So that that morning on the 1st, Craig did take them to school, and to our knowledge, that was the first time that he had done that.

[A]

You're amazing. You know that because you just said that with totally straight face. I mean, I'm doing a backflip to cousin Melanie Greenberg. So we've established that she did not stay out all night long. And even if she did, that is irrelevant. Probatively, that's just some type of character assassination. What can you tell me as to what you know about when she went missing, what was missing, and the nature of their relationship? Who slept with who?

[E]

Where?

[C]

So we didn't know how troubled their marriage was until we spoke to neighbors and her close friends. After she went missing, we learned that while they were sharing the home, they were not sleeping in the same room. She was sleeping on the couch, and she had her phone and her purse close to her at night. She would never have left her children. She was there to take them to school every day. In fact, she worked in their school in the cafeteria. So we didn't understand how troubled it was. We learned later that she was in contact with a domestic abuse shelter in a nearby town. She was taking the children for counseling there. She was trying to separate herself from her husband. She. She confided in neighbors, but she didn't confide in the family of how bad her marriage was. And she. She had. In the last year before she went missing, she had lost 40 pounds. She was working on herself. She had gotten a tattoo of a butterfly because she was going through a metamorphosis and wanting to start a new life. And, you know, it's. It's really sad that we didn't know how troubled she was. And, you know, if she had reached out, you know, there's all the what ifs. What if she had let us know how bad things were? What. How could our family have helped her? But we didn't know. We didn't learn how bad things were for her until after she went missing.

[A]

Did you just tell me she slept with her purse?

[C]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

Where did she sleep?

[C]

On the couch in the living room.

[A]

Wait a minute. She slept on the sofa and he slept in the bed?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Crime stories with nancy grace, Straight out to Dr. Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalyst, joining us out of Beverly Hills. She is a star on Bravo, Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, author of Deal breakers, and she is the star of a hit new podcast on the couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall. You can find her at Dr.bethany marshall.com. bethany, when I would have a witness like you, I would prepare them for my direct examination and their ultimate cross exam. But that was futile. What they were really doing with their vast knowledge was preparing me to help me formulate the questions to throw to them so they could give their opinion in the best manner possible. So I'm just going to throw you the ball and let you run with it. Let's just start with her sleeping on the sofa with her purse.

[E]

You know, Nancy, this is very typical of domestic abuse, domestic violence victims. Google any domestic violence website, call a hotline, and the number one thing that they will tell the woman, because usually the woman is the victim, is to keep your purse, cash, identification, and all important papers near you when you sleep.

[C]

Why?

[E]

Because if there's an incident in the night and you need to leave. Oh, and your keys, if you need to leave, you need to have everything right on you in case you need to run out of the door. Okay? So that, to me, that's very, very important. So it's interesting that he's in the marital bed, but she's on the sofa. I think she's probably placed herself on the sofa so she can leave if she needs to. The fact that the children are in counseling at a domestic violence center, I think is very interesting because that tells me that they have witnessed violence. And so she's taken them to a shelter where there are counselors who are very well schooled in helping children who witness domestic violence. The fact that he says that she didn't return in time for work the next day and that he called neighbors and work to see where she was. And I think he's really creating an alibi in that case. And so all these things, you know, stand out to me. I think the, the other fact for me, Nancy, is that, that he says she was out all night. What woman who has young children, as you said earlier, and has that bond with the children would stay out all night? In some ways, he's trying to paint her out to be like a whore or somebody who's just like, you know, sexually flagrant in some way. And I can't imagine that this is what was happening in this home.

[A]

Not a mom that never misses drop off a pickup and drives to another town to have her children go to counseling. Not a mom that exercises religiously and is having a metamorphosis of sort in her life, gets a butterfly, a tiny little butterfly tattoo to remind herself that she is coming out of the cocoon from being a chrysalis to a beautiful butterfly. Her life is changing. It's getting better and better. And at that exact moment things turn because to my understanding, Melanie Greenberg, that very day, the day she disappeared, and her husband, with his excellent hearing, his canine hearing senses in the backyard, hears her go out the front door that very day. Isn't it true she was seeking to have him evicted?

[C]

It's true. She spoke to her lawyer that morning and she had received a petition to have Craig evicted from their home and she had mailed it to back to her attorney that day. I mean, we don't know if she had a conversation with Craig or if he saw the papers that day, but to me, that is a very important point in the timing. That is the day that she went missing, the day that she initiated the process to have Craig evicted from their home.

[A]

Did I hear either Melanie cousin Melanie Greenberg, OR Commander Kevin McQuaid? Did one of you say that she worked in the school cafeteria? I mean, talk about scrubbed in sunshine. This is the lunch lady.

[C]

Yes, she worked in the school cafeteria. And so she worked during the day again. And she worked hours so that she could be home with her children before and after school. She did not. You know, there's been no activity on her cell phone, on her credit cards. This was a woman who had very little money. I was sad to learn how little money was left in her, in her bank account when she went missing. She was really, she was struggling, but she was trying to make a change in her life to divorce her husband. But she had no, you know, she, she was trying to have him evicted from the home, that she could keep this stable life after div. Her children, that they could stay in the neighborhood, they could go to the same school. That's what she was trying to do.

[A]

How much was in her account, Melanie?

[C]

I don't know exactly, but it was under $200 in her, in her account at the bank.

[A]

You know, Bethany, I just want to cry. And I'll tell you why on so many levels. You know, when I had the twins, their birth was a miracle, right? And I wanted to be around them so much. I volunteered at their preschool, elementary school and middle school to work in the library. Always at the time they would have their mid morning break and they could run out on the playground or they could return library books and I would sit there and act like I was putting away books, waiting for one of them to just walk in because they knew I was there volunteering. And here she is working in the school cafeteria. I mean, that lady did not stay out all night.

[E]

She did not. Nancy, I remember when you told me you were pregnant. Do you remember how you told me? We were on Court TV and you wrote it on a piece of paper. You're like, I'm pregnant with twins. Because you didn't want the control room to hear because nobody knew yet. And it was such happy moment. I will never, ever forget. I feel like crying right now. Anyway, this is such a sad story because, Nancy, you and I both know that women are at the greatest risk for domestic homicide as they are about to leave a relationship. Their chances go way, way up. So the fact that she had actually served him with an eviction, not notice, and she goes missing, Nancy, that's not coincidental. And for any of our viewers or listeners who are, you know, following this story, that's. That's the time we really have to be careful about what harm could befall you is when you are about to leave a relationship. And Nancy, a mother like her is not going to stay out all night long. And the fact that she had her own own bank account with less than $200 in it means that there were no shared resources between her and her husband. So it's not just domestic abuse and potential domestic homicide, but financial abuse as well. And all these syndromes go hand in hand.

[A]

Crime stories with Nancy Grace. Commander Kevin McQuade joining us. Plainfield PD, 24 years in the business. You were a detective when Lisa first went missing. What do you recall? And I want to remind everyone that the husband has not been convicted. He has not been named a suspect, he has not been indicted. And under our jurisprudence system, he has a presumption of innocence protecting him unless and until the state pierces that presumption with evidence sufficient to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Back to you, Commander. What do you recall around the time she went missing?

[D]

What I do remember is within that first week, Craig was somewhat cooperative with us. He was willing to be interviewed. He was willing to allow us to do search of his house, talk to the children. But that lasted, like I said, for about a week until he stopped cooperating with the investigation.

[A]

What do you mean he stopped cooperating? What does that mean?

[D]

That means he would not partake in any interviews. He would not allow his children to partake in any interviews anymore. We had asked him to take a polygraph test and he decided. He originally agreed to do it and then decided that he was not going to be doing it anymore. And then eventually we did receive a notification from his attorney that he would be invoking. Invoking his Fifth Amendment right to not being. Not talking to us anymore.

[A]

Of course, the right to remain silent is sacrosanct. However, that is in court. The prosecutor or the judge cannot comment on a defendant's choice to remain silent. But look around, everybody. We're not in court. Don't you know Gigi McKelvey, investigative journalist? I would be lying on the courthouse steps screaming, find my husband. And you remember Mark Klaas, the gold standard when somebody goes missing. His daughter Polly goes missing from her own home. Mark and his wife were separated. The cops show up, and it was in the middle of a sleepover party at Polly's house. The perp came into the home, took Polly out, assaulted and murdered her while she was still missing before her body was found. Police come bamming on Mark Klass's door. He says, take my fingerprints. Take whatever you want. Look at all my devices. Look at my car. Look at my place. So you can look for the real kidnapper. That's not what is happening here. And he is not in court. And I am not the prosecutor or the judge, so I can comment on it. Why did he stop cooperating, Gigi?

[F]

Well, Nancy, you know the old saying. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. Now, like you said, this is, sadly,

[A]

that he's never been the standard of proof, but go ahead.

[F]

Right. But, you know, I mean, it's very convenient that he has an explanation for everything on the day she disappeared, you know, didn't report her missing. And maybe he felt that investigation was getting a little too close to him and his children, who maybe could have told, you know, just hypothetically, could have told investigators. Yeah, they fought a lot, which would give a lot of, you know, reasons for them to look even deeper. So I think something spooked him there where things were getting a little too close for comfort, and he did what he had a right to do, which is just completely hush. But, you know, it doesn't stop us from being able to look at that and say, why would you do that? Even if you're divorcing, this is the mother of your kids. Why would you not want to do any and everything you could to help find her unless you know something that everybody else doesn't, allegedly.

[A]

Commander McQuade, tell me about the search for Lisa

[D]

So during that time, you know, we conducted roughly three searches over about a two week period in and around the area of her home. We also conducted a search out of a state park that we know that it frequented in the past out in Yorkville. You know, we had hundreds of volunteers helping throughout these searches and everything, hoping to find any, any type of evidence or anything that could, that could lead us to finding Lisa.

[A]

What, if anything, did you find?

[D]

There was really not much evidence in terms of directly to the investigation that kind of pointed us in a direction at that point.

[A]

So nothing.

[D]

Not on the land searches? No.

[A]

Well, what about other searches?

[D]

We did conduct searches inside the residence. We. He did, like Craig did, allow us to search the residents twice. And then we did do a third search of the residents after obtaining a search warrant. We did searches of the vehicles in terms of evidence that would lead us to helping us find Lisa. I wouldn't say we really found much that would help us there.

[A]

Okay, but you're hedging. I can hear you. When I say, did you find anything? You said, well, not on the land. And then you said, we didn't find much that would help us. What did you find?

[D]

We, we did, we did locate her blood within the bed of his vehicle or. And that we were able to match the DNA of that to one of her household items inside the house. You know, and that was a vehicle that from all accounts, she did not have access or did not use. But, you know, other than that, there really wasn't a lot of evidence that we located with inside the house either.

[A]

Commander Kevin McQuaid, you are certainly a wily one. I asked you, did you find anything in the search? He said, no, not on the land. Like, okay, where else you went? Well, the residence. Did you find anything in a residence? And you're like, no, not much. Then I say, what? And then you tell me her blood in the bed of a vehicle, which means a truck, and you know it's her blood because you match it to what, her toothbrush. Melanie Greenberg. Why would Lisa step it be in the bed of his pickup truck bleeding?

[C]

Well, I, I can't tell you that. I could tell you that she was never allowed to use his truck. Now, you know, a defense attorney could say they were a married couple. You know, she could have, you know, cut her finger or something. But I will tell you that, you know, Craig was an avid hunter. In one of the searches that Commander McQuaid mentioned, they recovered several firearms from the house. You know, again, Craig was an avid hunter and fisherman. He Knew all the nearby state parks. He frequently took his children with him on hunting and fishing trips. He and his family owned a cabin in northern Michigan. We even. We even passed out stickers on hand warmers during hunting season to try to raise awareness if anyone had seen anything in upstate Michigan with the tip number on there, handed it out to hunters in case anyone knew anything up there. We were trying to leave no stone unturned. But the problem is where Plainfield is, this suburban town, is it on the edge of all sorts of wilderness? There's a nearby state park that Craig was very familiar with. All sorts of railroads, roads, and she could be anywhere. She could be anywhere. Her body has never been found. Our family knows that she's dead. I don't need to know that there was blood in the bed of her truck to know that she is dead. But I believe that she is a victim of homicide and so does the rest of our family. Craig has never been named as an official suspect, but he's always been a person of interest in this case. And I don't know if we will ever find her body. At the time that she went missing, there had never been a successful prosecution of murder in Illinois without a body. Since that time, I think five years ago, there was a case in Peoria, Illinois, where a man was convicted of murder, but they found a huge pool of blood, his storage locker. So there was very strong circumstantial evidence. And evidently, whatever small traces of blood were in the bed of Craig's truck

[A]

weren't enough to Commander Kevin McQuade. The children are no longer 11 years old. They're old enough to speak with police. Have they been re interviewed about when their mom went missing?

[D]

They have been interviewed, yes, but they did not provide much of information that would help in the investigation.

[A]

Have they been living with the father this whole time?

[D]

I know at one point they were. I don't know where they're living, if they're still there or not at this point. I mean, they're, you know, late 20s.

[A]

Melanie, were they with the dad?

[C]

At a certain point, Craig and the children cut off contact with the rest of the family. And as you mentioned, they're adults now, but we're not in contact with them, so I don't. They. They were living with their father. The family home was sold. I don't know where they're living now.

[A]

If you know or think you know anything about missing Lisa stebik, please dial 815-267-7217 or 312-421-6700. There is a $75,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of what happened to Lisa Stebik. We remember an American hero, officer Donna Fitzgerald, Florida Department Corrections, killed in the line of duty, leaving behind son Kyle, sentenced to life without mom. American hero Officer Donna Fitzgerald. Thank you to our guests, but especially to you for being with us as we continue the search for missing mom Lisa Stevik. Nancy Gray signing off for tonight, but I'll see you tomorrow night. And until then, good night, friend. This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.