Talking Dateline: The Haunted House Confession

Summary

Dateline NBC Podcast Summary

Episode: Talking Dateline: The Haunted House Confession
Release Date: March 5, 2025
Host: Josh Mankiewicz
Guest: Blaine Alexander, Veteran TV Reporter

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Introduction: Revisiting a Chilling True-Crime Story

In this compelling two-hour episode of Talking Dateline, host Josh Mankiewicz engages in an in-depth conversation with Blaine Alexander about the standout Dateline episode titled "The Haunted House Confession." This episode delves into the harrowing true-crime case of Shantae Blankenship, whose mysterious murder in Brownwood, Texas, captivated listeners and viewers alike.

Keith Morrison opens the discussion by reflecting on the enduring nature of true crime:

"A true crime story never really ends. Even when a case is closed, the journey for those left behind is just beginning." [00:01]

The Haunting of Brownwood: Setting the Scene

Blaine Alexander describes the eerie farmhouse where Shantae's remains were discovered, aptly dubbed the "Haunted House" by locals. The desolate property, isolated from the nearest big city of Dallas Fort Worth, featured dilapidated structures, a precarious fence, and a storm cellar where Shantae was ultimately found.

"It looks right outta central casting of what you would expect to see a haunted house look, all broken down inside." [03:17]

The isolation of Brownwood is emphasized, portraying it as a quintessential small town where "everyone truly knows everyone," adding layers of complexity to the investigation.

Shantae Blankenship: A Beloved Community Member

Shantae was remembered as a vibrant and engaged member of her community. Those who knew her, including Josh Mankiewicz, highlight her feisty nature, active participation in church, and unique walking routine that endeared her to neighbors.

"She was feisty. She had her opinion, she had her thoughts... People knew her." [05:30]

Her deep involvement in church activities not only showcased her spirited personality but also set the stage for the pivotal confession that would later unfold within the same sacred space.

The Investigation: From False Leads to Breakthroughs

The initial investigation led law enforcement to suspect John, Shantae's boyfriend, based on circumstantial evidence such as deleted texts and odd behavior following her disappearance. Despite mounting suspicions, John was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, much to the emotional toll it took on him.

"He felt relieved... He was glad to be able to tell his story, glad to be able to talk about his love for Shantae." [07:17]

The breakthrough came through advanced DNA phenotyping by Parabon, which generated a portrait of the killer, leading investigators to Ryan Riggs. This controversial yet effective technique proved instrumental in solving the case, aligning with Riggs’ actual appearance.

"The Parabon image was released soon after... he came back and went to the church." [24:01]

The Confession: A Church Confession and Community Impact

The climax of the case was Ryan Riggs' confession in church, an event that shocked the congregation and deeply affected community members Linda and Russell Lamond. Their reflections reveal a profound struggle between faith, forgiveness, and the horror of the crime committed within their sanctuary.

Linda Lamond shares her transformative journey:

"My eyes have been opened... show more compassion for those that do." [17:46]

Russell Lamond echoes a similar sentiment, emphasizing the need to see individuals beyond their crimes:

"We can't look at somebody and say... we have to see you for who you are." [17:41]

This forgiveness, while understandable, left family members like Shantae's mother, Michelle, grappling with unresolved emotions and the sanctity of the church space.

Faith and Forgiveness: Navigating Complex Emotions

The episode highlights the tension between the church's role as a place of forgiveness and the community's pain over Shantae's tragic death. While Ryan Riggs received compassion and a chance at redemption, Shantae's family struggled with the conflicting emotions of forgiveness and the need for justice.

"This was someone who you love ... you do more compassion for those that do." [18:31]

Audience Engagement: Addressing Viewer Questions

Talking Dateline incorporates audience interactions, addressing questions about DNA phenotyping's reliability and the timing of Riggs' confession. Blaine clarifies that while DNA phenotyping is debated, it served as a crucial lead in this case. The confession's timing, coinciding with the release of the Parabon sketch, suggests that the mounting pressure from the investigation influenced Riggs' decision to confess.

"It paid off. It absolutely paid off." [13:21]

Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of True Crime Storytelling

As the episode wraps up, Blaine Alexander reflects on the enduring connections forged through storytelling and the responsibility of accurately portraying victims' narratives. The discussions underscore the profound effects true crime stories have on individuals and communities, resonating long after the case is closed.

"I just, I have so much love for Michelle... to tell Shantae's story in the right way, in a respectful way, really meant a lot." [26:22]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Keith Morrison: "A true crime story never really ends. Even when a case is closed, the journey for those left behind is just beginning." [00:01]
• Blaine Alexander: "It looks right outta central casting of what you would expect to see a haunted house look..." [03:17]
• Blaine Alexander: "...Shantae was feisty. She had her opinion, she had her thoughts." [05:30]
• Blaine Alexander on John: "He felt relieved... He was glad to be able to talk about his love for Shantae." [07:17]
• Linda Lamond: "My eyes have been opened... show more compassion for those that do." [17:46]
• Josh Mankiewicz: "We could talk about all of these other things that never made it into the actual show." [03:07]
• Blaine Alexander: "It pays off. It absolutely paid off." [13:21]

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Final Thoughts

Talking Dateline: The Haunted House Confession not only revisits a gripping true-crime narrative but also delves into the emotional and psychological ramifications for those involved. Through thoughtful dialogue and poignant reflections, Blaine Alexander and Josh Mankiewicz offer listeners a comprehensive understanding of the case, the investigative processes, and the enduring quest for justice and healing within a tightly-knit community.

For listeners who seek a deeper exploration of true-crime mysteries, this episode provides a rich, engaging, and meticulously detailed recounting of one of Dateline NBC’s most memorable cases.

Transcript

[Keith Morrison]

A true crime story never really ends. Even when a case is closed, the journey for those left behind is just beginning.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Since our DATELINE story aired, Tracy has harnessed her outrage into a mission.

[Blaine Alexander]

I had no other option. I had to do something, catch up.

[Keith Morrison]

With families, friends and investigators on our bonus series after the Verdict. Ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with strength and courage.

[Blaine Alexander]

It does just change your life. But speaking up for these issues helps me keep going.

[Keith Morrison]

To listen to after the Verdict, subscribe to DATELINE Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or@dateline premium.com.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hey, everybody. I'm Josh Mankiewicz, and we're talking DATELINE today with Blaine Alexander. Hi.

[Blaine Alexander]

Hello. Hello. Hello.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So Blaine is here to talk about her episode called the Haunted House Confession. Now, if you have not seen it, you the listeners, it's the episode right below this one on your DATELINE podcast feed. So go there, listen to it or you can stream it on Peacock if you want to watch it and then come back here. So to recap, this is about a young woman named Shantae Blankenship, and her remains were found in a deserted and very scary looking farmhouse in Brownwood, Texas. And law enforcement worked for a long time to track down her killer because they were certain that somebody in that that churchgoing community was behind the murder. And it would take a confession in church to crack that case. Now for this talking dateline, we have some extra sound from a couple of churchgoers, Linda and Russell Lamond, and they're going to talk about how their proximity to this awful crime gave them a new perspective. So let's talk dateline. I am delighted to be here because this is your first two hour episode as a DATELINE correspondent.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. Is I there is nobody I would rather do this talking DATELINE with than you, Josh. So thank you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Now, you know, you are a veteran TV reporter, but I'm guessing that you are experiencing the same thing I did when I joined, which is, you know, you go from stories that are, you know, a really long story is two and a half minutes in your old life. And now you're doing two hours, which means a lot more can be included. You can tell a longer story. There's a there's a great deal more writing, but even so, there's stuff you have to leave out. You have to make some of the same choices that you do when you're doing a, you know, piece that lasts a minute and ten seconds for the evening news.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. There's so much it's to even undertake a story that's as Long as the things that we do for Dateline, you have to gather so much information, right? Like, by the time we finish these stories, you feel like you're an expert on these cases. And so there are all these different facts and different pieces of sound and information that you want to cram in. But even in two hours, somehow you run out of time. So that's why I'm grateful for talking Dateline, because we could talk about all of these other things that never made it into the actual show.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So let's talk about the episode. The locals referred to that farmhouse, which was off the map in a lot of ways. They call that the Haunted House. What, what, what was that place like?

[Blaine Alexander]

You know, I'd done a ton of research for this story, read about it, all of that good stuff, read previous, you know, news clips and everything. I hadn't actually seen the house for myself, and so I didn't see it until riding with the investigator, Investigator bird. We had GoPros in the car, and he was kind of driving me down the dirt roads. And then we get there, and immediately I said, oh, wow. You can immediately see why this place is called the Haunted House. I mean, it looks right outta central casting of what you would expect to see a haunted house look, like, all broken down inside.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It looks like a horror movie.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, it does, it does, it does. And then you kind of consider some of the other things. I mean, there is a fence around it, right, that, you know, kind of tells people to keep out. If you go inside there, the floorboards aren't there. You can't really walk through. There are animals inside and creatures. And then there's this storm cellar, which I. I wanted to. When we were putting this together, we wanted to make sure that everyone understands what a storm cellar is. Right. I grew up in Oklahoma. Everybody has storm cellars for the most part. Lots of people have them. But this kind of underground place where you go for tornadoes in the event of tornadoes. And so that's where Shantae was ultimately found. And so the place itself almost becomes a character in this story just because of how. How creepy it was, to be honest.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And I also thought the town was much more of a character than a lot of localities are. When we do Dateline, you know, a lot of them are in bigger cities. This really felt like a movie, you know, I mean, the drone shots of those dirt roads and those long straightaways. I mean, you get a sense of how sort of isolated it must have been at the time.

[Blaine Alexander]

And just to break down that isolation A little bit more. Dallas probably is the nearest big city. Dallas Fort Worth. That's a good two and a half hour, maybe three hour drive from Brownwood. But then the place where this happened, where Shantae lived, is actually slightly to the north of Brownwood. And so you have this kind of small town anyway, but then an even smaller community that's kind of nestled around the lakes. When you talk about a small community, I mean that everyone truly knows everyone there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

She made a tremendous impression on people. And Shantaya did. Watching the story, I thought you were able to get a really good sense of sort of what she was like.

[Blaine Alexander]

Hmm. And I. I'm glad, I'm glad to hear that because everybody that I spoke to really said that exact same thing. I mean, she was feisty. She had her opinion, she had her thoughts. Her routine with the walking was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. She'd wave at the car, she'd wave at the neighbors. Right. People knew her. And when she would go into church, everyone was just kind of taken by just how involved she was. I mean, really, how. How moved she was by the music, how much she enjoyed being there. And that's something that. That drew a lot of people to.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So for the first hour, I'm watching this. I'm thinking, okay, this is the boyfriend. Like, I don't even know how you guys are going to sustain this for two hours because it's so obviously him. I mean, you come in, you're the boyfriend, right? So you're got to be close to the top of the suspect list. And you delete texts from your phone. I mean, that is like, you know, wearing a sandwich board that says I did it.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah. And, you know, when I talked with both of the, you know, Ranger Shea and Investigator Scott Bird, and both of them were just, you could tell they were personally impacted by this case, that they, I mean, they put a lot of just kind of their own emotion and obviously brain power into this. But when they talked about John, I mean, they talked about the fact that, yes, he saw her not too long before she disappeared. There were the people who said, okay, maybe they argued and maybe he was possessive and deleting of the text messages. And then, you know, we talk about this. He slept outside in his car after he realized that Chante wasn't inside. And that was something that struck them as odd. So there were these kind of string of just odd things that made them certainly go further down that rabbit hole.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And then, of course, it turns out he's not the guy. He doesn't have anything to do with it. And he ends up being, like, a really important interview.

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm glad that he was able to kind of tell his story right in his own words, because he makes the point that even though he was cleared from, you know, by investigators pretty early on, a lot of the people in the community were looking at him and saying, okay, clearly it's John. Clearly it's the boyfriend. Like, that's the only way to go. And so, you know, to have that hanging over his head until there was ultimately an arrest, which came more than a year later, was also something that was difficult for him as well. So I'm glad that he was able to talk. I'm glad he. He agreed to speak with us.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

How did you. Was it hard to get him, you know?

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, one, I want to. I want to say something about sitting down and talking to him. John was so. It was so clear that he was just still so impacted by everything that happened to Shantae. He left Brownwood for a while. He moved away. He got work elsewhere. You know, he's still close with her family today, by the way. But he had to leave. Like, he just kind of couldn't necessarily deal with this for a while and then came back to talk. I asked him how he felt after the interview, and he said he felt relieved. And so I think that he was glad to be able to tell his story, glad to be able to talk about his love for Shantae, because it was something that had come under question during this investigation. It was something that even when I talked to him, I could tell he was still upset by it, and rightfully so. Right. But. But I could tell that, you know, him just talking about and being able to express that love was. Was important to him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

When we get back, we're gonna have an extra clip of churchgoers Linda and Russell Lamond, the couple who were there for the killer's confession in church in front of the congregation and what they learned about Compass.

[Willie Geist]

Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with Emmy and Golden Globe winner the legend Angela Bassett to talk about playing the President of the United States in the buzzed about new Robert De Niro series Zero Day and starring as the queen in the blockbuster Black Panther movies. You can hear our conversation now for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Keith Morrison]

It was late past midnight when they broke into the farmhouse.

[Blaine Alexander]

Never in a million years would you think that you'd see your parents house taped off by that yellow tape.

[Linda Lamond]

Wrong.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And they said you remembered being killed.

[Keith Morrison]

They left behind a wall of blood and a clue that took a case of double murder on a long, strange trip.

[Angela Bassett]

She looked at me and she said, I'm screwed.

[Keith Morrison]

Murder in the Moonlight, a new podcast from Dateline. All episodes of Murder in the moonlight are available now. To listen ad free, subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Dateline premium dot com. Hey, everybody, I'm Al Roker from the Today Show.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Let's kickstart your wellness journey with the all new Start Today app. Everything you need for a healthier you.

[Keith Morrison]

All in one place.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Fitness challenges for all levels, meal plans.

[Keith Morrison]

That are easy and delicious and so much more.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

It's built to fit your lifestyle and our experts will guide you every step of the way. Come on, let's do this.

[Keith Morrison]

To subscribe, download, start today from the.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

App store on your Apple device now.

[Keith Morrison]

Terms apply. Cancel anytime through Apple under profile settings.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So the Texas Rangers, they have to wear that hat. That's not choice.

[Blaine Alexander]

That is, that is the uniform.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That is a requirement. And if they do an interview without it, they will get in some trouble, I think.

[Blaine Alexander]

So here's what's funny. I don't. Speaking of picking up things from your grandparents, Walker Texas Ranger was my grandpa's, one of his favorite shows. You guys remember that?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Love that.

[Blaine Alexander]

And so after I finished my long interview with Ranger Shay, I said, I have to, I have to say I was very excited to interview you today because I love Walker Texas Ranger. And he just fell out laughing. And so but I asked him, I said, I need to know about this hat. And he says, yes, it's part of the uniform. But here's the. They have to be a light color because in the old westerns, dark color represents the bad guy. The bad guy? Yeah, the bad guy. So you have to have your light colored hat. He told me about it, gave me the specific name of it and everything.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So I did a story with the Rangers once. The guy wore his hat like the entire time. Like, I never saw the top of his head. And we don't do a lot of stories with people who wear hats.

[Blaine Alexander]

It brings so much character though, right?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Absolutely. One of the things I thought that really came out in this was the sort of zigzag nature of some of these investigations in which, you know, they looked at the boyfriend, they, they looked at her grandfather, they looked at the pastor, they looked at that other guy who got very combative in the police interview, Colin. And that's how These things go. I mean, that's not, that's not just Dateline storytelling. That is, you know, you're, you're, you're looking at these guys and you, you want to know, you know, do you have an alibi? And sort of, you know, what kind of read do we get off you when we ask you these tough questions?

[Blaine Alexander]

And I think you're absolutely right. Yes. This was kind of a road map of their actual investigation. But what was so frustra. And this is something that Investigator Byrd kept coming back to when he talked to me. It was so frustrating because he had the killer's DNA right there in his hand. I mean, it's the best evidence you can use to identify someone, but I don't know who it is. So he said at one point they were so frustrated. They said, we're just going to set up at this kind of four way stop sign and just ask everybody who passes for DNA.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Let's talk a little bit about that sketch. The Hail Mary sketch done by Parabon. Now phenotyping to get a portrait is extremely controversial. Andrea did it in an episode which I think was called Facing the Music. And they made a sketch of her based on her DNA and it didn't really look like Andrea. You certainly wouldn't have looked at that sketch and thought, oh, that's Andrea. So sometimes it doesn't work and it can be incredibly misleading is the criticism. But in this case it led to the guy.

[Blaine Alexander]

It paid off. It absolutely paid off. And I, you know, in talking with Investigator Bird, there were several things that he believes really lined up. One of them is that with this they choose an age of what they're going to, you know, make the sketch look like. And it was within a year of Ryan Riggs actual age. And so had they chosen, I don't know, a 75 year old man or something, but obviously wouldn't have looked like him too though. They talk about going through pictures and this was one of the pictures on his Facebook page, believe it or not. That actually looked almost exactly like that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yeah, that was. I was struck by how much the sketch looked like him, particularly in the eyes.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You know, there's a lot of police generated video in this which I thought really sort of helped the viewer kind of live in the moment and you really see a lot of things. And I'm actually gonna say that this is one of those episodes where it really is important for people to go look at it and not just listen to the audio because you're gonna learn some Stuff from the pictures that you're not gonna learn otherwise.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. I mean, I think probably one of the strongest examples of that is when they're talking with Ryan at the end after he's done this confession in church, which was stunning in and of itself, the way that he is just so casually describing what he did to Chante, not seeming to flinch, not seeming upset at something that you have to see. I think, to get the full effect of that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A lot of times, you know, it's very hard for killers to recount what it is that they did. He just talks about it like he was having lunch. One of the other things that I thought was fascinating was there's those weird markings on her, which, you know, maybe makes you think like, this is some kind of, like, devil worshiping cult. She's killed on Friday the 13th. And then, of course, it turns out none of that really has anything to do with it. But again, it's one of those things that if you're working on this murder, like, you're gonna look at those possibilities, because that does all seem like the stars are kind of lining up.

[Blaine Alexander]

They really did. I think also when you juxtapose, we talked about the haunted house being a character, the church, in its own way, was also a character. Right. Because you have this house of evil, the haunted house. But then at the end, the confession happens in the house of worship. Right. I think that especially when you talk with the Lamonds, I mean, they were scarred by what happen. Happened there in church, by what happened. What was supposed to be this kind of safe sanctuary of a space. And so some of that evil did infiltrate the. The church as well.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This feels like a good time to play the extra sound from the Lamonts, who talked about what that confession sort of did to them.

[Linda Lamond]

And I can.

[Blaine Alexander]

I can tee it up real quick. I am very glad that we talked with the Lamonts, Russell and Linda, and appreciative to them for speaking with us, because this is something that clearly still upsets them today. You know, they're both people of very deep faith, very deep Christian faith. He was a leader in the church. And so to kind of have this, we love, we forgive, but also we loved Chante, and you did a terrible thing to her. How do you kind of marry those two thoughts? So, anyway, they talk about it a little bit more in this piece. In this clip here. You've gone through a lot. From mourning the death of someone who was like a family member, to months of not knowing, to now these conflicted emotions as you sit here today, how has this whole experience changed you?

[Willie Geist]

It has taught us, I would say, to look at things in a different perspective. If it had been a stranger, you would say, hey, given the death pencil, you know, an eye for an eye or whatever. But when it hits so close to home, your mindset and your perspective changes because, wow, this is right here in our lap. Now we have to see it maybe through God's eyes, you know, because I believe that everybody deserves a second chance. We can't look at somebody and say, hey, you're a murderer, or you're a sex offender or whatever your problem is. We can't look at you and only see, but we have to see you for who you are.

[Blaine Alexander]

Linda asked you the same question. How has this whole experience changed you?

[Linda Lamond]

My eyes have been opened because before, I didn't know anybody who was in jail, so I didn't have that compassion. You know, I thought, okay, you're in jail. You're supposed to be there. What I feel is that God let us experience this so that I can show more compassion to those that do. You know, we all sin, but do those extremely bad things, you know, murder, assault, you know, that kind of thing on another human being, and we can show a little bit more compassion for them.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I. I'm always stunned when I hear people talking about forgiveness and compassion for people like Ryan in a case like this. I. I would find that hard to conjure up, but they don't, clearly.

[Blaine Alexander]

You know, I. I think that it's. I. I think that that section of interview could be very difficult for a lot of people to listen to. Of course, not least of all Shantae's family. But. But this notion of. When you kind of look at the context of how Ryan was able to go in front of his church, confess, have people in some way show support, and then proceed onto the sheriff's office and confess there and face the consequences. Michelle, Shantay's mother, was really upset about that. She was certainly noting the compassion that wasn't shown to her daughter. But then also, this was a place that was very special to Shantae, right? This. This was Shantae's safe space. And, you know, obviously, Ryan, his family had a relationship with the church and the pastor as well. And I should mention our team reached out to the pastor a number of times, and he never responded. And Ryan's parents declined interview. But she was just very upset by the fact that the place that was so important, Shantae could receive such a. Such a confession.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I mean, I get why it made her family. It would make me crazy if that happened. But ultimately he did get the punishment that the legal system would have doled out, regardless of whether he had gone to church first or not.

[Blaine Alexander]

Sure. And I, you know, and I asked that question. This is somebody that you've been looking for for 18 months. Right. The crime is brutal. And as soon as you got word, why didn't, why weren't the police immediately called? Why was that allowed to happen? That in the end he was kind of able to do things on his own terms to a degree, being able to go home, his parents taking him to church, going to the sheriff's office rather than, you know, law enforcement coming in, carting him away. And that's the end of it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yeah. Okay. Coming up next, your questions from social media.

[Linda Lamond]

Every morning we choose how to begin our day. I think about the people at home. They tune in because they are curious. They care about their world and they care about each other.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

There's always something new to learn, whether a news event or a new recipe. And when we step through the morning together, it makes the rest of the day better.

[Linda Lamond]

We come here to make the most of today. We are family. We are today.

[Keith Morrison]

Watch the Today show with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, weekdays at 7am on NBC. Now they had the final answer. Or did they? Nothing has more suspense than a Dateline mystery. And no one wants to wait to find out what happens next. That's why everyone needs Dateline Premium, where listening is always ad free. You get the whole story and nothing but the story.

[Angela Bassett]

Or do you?

[Keith Morrison]

Yes, actually you do subscribe now on Apple podcasts, Spotify or dateline premium.com.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Okay, we are back with social media questions. Well, we got a lot of questions on a lot of topics. Jim Kelly from Facebook said it showed how tech can use DNA to render an image of the killer and aid in their apprehension. Truly amazing. Now, now here's the thing. There's an enormous amount of debate within the forensic scientific community over whether or not DNA phenotyping is legit or junk science. But Parabon does not market this as we're going to give you an image of the killer. They market this as we're going to provide you with a lead. You still need to do basic police work after that.

[Blaine Alexander]

The investigators are very clear about that, too. It was, yes, we have the sketch. Yes, we now have this name. But. But that would not be enough to take into court. That wouldn't be enough to convict someone, certainly. So it led them to Ryan. But it was the fact that Ryan knew the things that only the killer would know. Right? Like, yes, obviously the DNA match was what really, really tied it together.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

We have an audio question from Brandon Elkins. Let's listen to that.

[Angela Bassett]

Hi guys. Blaine, that was Dayline at its best. That was absolutely phenomenal. And thanks for the story, Blaine. And once again, welcome to the family. My question for this week's episode is regarding Ryan and why police didn't seem to investigate him prior to the phenotype the picture being released on social media. It just seems a lot of young men were interviewed and it just seems as if he's somebody that would have been talked to when they just kept hitting dead end after dead end. So I'm just curious if there was any reason why he didn't pop up at all. Anyway, thanks guys, I appreciate it.

[Blaine Alexander]

Once again, Brandon, first, I'll say one, thank you so much for the kind welcome. I really appreciate it. And this just goes to prove that our date line viewers are, you know, basically detectives in and of themselves. I mean that, that's a fantastic question. So we never actually got a great answer to that. You know, John, the boyfriend, Shantay's boyfriend, said that he had mentioned Ryan's name, but it never really went anywhere. We don't know the, the degree to which investigators went down that road.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Another audio question, this one's from Katherine Eipert about the timing of Ryan's confession.

[Blaine Alexander]

Hi, this is Catherine from South Carolina with my question for Blaine. I find the timing of the confession intriguing. Was it ever confirmed that the Parabon image scared Riggs into his church confession? Katherine, thank you for your question. A great question. Yes, that's what investigators believe. And so what happened was the Parabon image was released soon after that. Ryan, who had been at his parents house, disappeared. After several days or so on the run, he came back and went to the church.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I do love it when people call in with audio questions. It's nice to hear everybody's voice.

[Blaine Alexander]

Oh, that's the most fun part about this. Whether it's on social media or the new phone number we have, I love hearing people's voices and actually asking the question. So more of that, please.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Dateline fans, as we already know, are dog lovers. Patricia N. The Mutts says always take issues of animal cruelty seriously. Ryan Riggs committed animal cruelty. It escalated from there, resulting in the rape and murder of a beautiful young woman. And it is true that a lot of rapists begin with cruelty towards animals, specifically cats, since that's perceived as A more feminine animal.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah. And it shows how closely she's paying attention because, yes, he did mention that in his childhood he had this Chihuahua that he would try and drown. But, you know, that is, yes, an early indicator. It starts with animals and then escalates from there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Patricia also said that the good Samaritans that went out looking for her and found her in this place where no one ever goes. She says that was divine intervention, which I'm guessing people in that church might agree with.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, not only the church, but that's something that investigator Scott Bird said to me multiple times. Had it not been for the fact that they were able to find her as quickly as they did, they would not have been able to track down the killer without that evidence. So, yes, he is not shy about the fact that he believes that this was absolutely divine intervention.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So, as you might expect, as we all might expect, Shantae's family and friends were watching. Linda Lamond wrote, thank you so much for telling Shantae's story. Blaine, you did a wonderful job. I agree.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's so kind. I don't take that lightly. I really appreciate hearing from Linda. Thank you for that comment.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Shinte's mother, Michelle, said, thank you all so much for telling my baby story. She deserves this.

[Blaine Alexander]

I just, I have so much love for Michelle. My heart really, really goes out to her and to Stephen, Shantae's stepfather. For both of them to sit down and talk with us and trust us to tell Shantae's story in the right way, in a respectful way, really meant a lot. So thank you, Michelle, for that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

My prediction is that you will still be in touch with some of these people in a few years.

[Blaine Alexander]

You know, I've got to say, a few hours before this episode aired on Friday, I got a text from the very first Dateline interview I ever did. It was Jolene, and she was a sister in law of Heidi Firkus. And that was my story that aired in 2023. And yes, it will always stay with me. And I think all of these families will because you know, these. When you do a story to your point, about the. The depths that we go to kind of know and understand the story, the case, but also the person that kind of a connection isn't one that goes away quickly.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You produced this with Marissa Mayer.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes. Who's fantastic.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Who is the greatest. Congratulations and to both of you, very, very good story. Good episode, and a great sort of tale from start to finish.

[Blaine Alexander]

Thank you so much, Josh. This was. This was one that will stay with me and an honor to do this one. Thank you, my friend.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Remember, if you have any questions for us about stories you think we should cover or about Dateline, you can reach us 24. 7 on social media, DatelineNBC. And if you have a question for us here on Talking dateline, you can leave it for us in a voicemail at 212-413-5252 for a chance to be featured on a future episode. And that phone rings on Keith's desk, just FYI. And since we're talking about Keith, be sure to check out Keith's new podcast, which is called Murder in the Moonlight. It is about a double homicide and a single shiny clue that helps investigators crack the case. You can binge the entire series right now, wherever you get your podcasts. And coming up this Friday, convicted murderer Lori Valo Daybell, who some of you may know as Mommy Doomsday, speaks with Keith Morrison in her first ever television interview. We will see you Fridays on DATELINE on NBC.

[Keith Morrison]

Friday night on an all new dateline. You're the most hated mom in America. I heard that Lori Valo Debel, also known as Mommy Doomsday. Did you watch your children die? The exclusive jailhouse interview.

[Blaine Alexander]

You've heard a lot of stuff, Keith. What I tell you will be the truth.

[Keith Morrison]

An all new DATELINE Friday night at 9, 8 Central, only on NBC.