Dateline Missing in America - Ep. 19: Into Thin Air

Summary

Summary of Dateline Missing in America - Ep. 19: Into Thin Air

Introduction

“Into Thin Air” delves into the mysterious disappearance of Terrence Woods Jr., a 26-year-old production assistant who vanished while working on a television shoot in the remote wilderness of Idaho County, Idaho. Hosted by Josh Mankiewicz, this episode explores the intricate web of Terrence's life, the baffling circumstances surrounding his disappearance, and the enduring quest of his family to uncover the truth.

Terrence Woods Jr.'s Background

Terrence Woods Jr. was the eldest of two boys, raised in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. From a young age, he exhibited a passion for adventure and a keen interest in journalism. His father, Terrence Woods Sr., described him as someone “always outgoing, always wanted to see the world” (02:51). Terrence pursued his ambition by majoring in broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland, where he excelled academically and professionally.

After earning his Bachelor's degree in 2013, Terrence moved to London to further his studies, obtaining a master’s degree in international relations. His mentor in London, Joanna Abei, highlighted his dedication and exceptional work ethic, noting, “He would always go the extra mile” (06:28).

The Disappearance

In July 2018, after five years in London, Terrence returned to Maryland, signaling a new chapter in his life. Shortly after, he joined RAW TV, an independent production company, to work on a reality series titled "Gold Dave Turin's Lost Mine." On September 30, 2018, Terrence flew to Missoula, Montana, for the shoot. His father received a text that day confirming his safe arrival in Missoula and another check-in call from Terrence that late evening (26:13).

However, on October 6, 2018, Terrence failed to return from a day of shooting in Idaho County. At 7:40 AM, Terrence Sr. received a distressing call informing him that his son had reportedly "gone off a cliff." Subsequent eyewitness accounts contradicted the official narrative, suggesting that Terrence did not fall accidentally but ran violently from the scene (10:08).

Investigation and Official Accounts

Doug Giddings, the former sheriff overseeing the case, expressed his confusion over the myriad of possibilities surrounding Terrence's disappearance. “[Terrence's] case is interesting because there are so many possibilities that just kind of boggles [his] mind” (01:57). The investigation revealed that Terrence was last seen near an abandoned mine in dense, rugged terrain devoid of cell service. Witnesses, including a local woman handling transportation for the crew, recounted seeing Terrence sprint down a steep embankment, a feat unlikely to be spontaneous given the challenging landscape filled with wildlife and hidden dangers (12:57).

Despite extensive search efforts involving heat-seeking drones, search dogs, and expert trackers, no concrete evidence of Terrence's whereabouts was found. The search was officially called off on October 11, 2018, after six days without any leads (20:55).

Family and Associates’ Perspectives

Terrence Sr. has remained unconvinced by the official story, believing his son might not have even reached Idaho. “In my heart, I don't think my son made it to Idaho. I think whatever took place took place before Idaho” (23:38). He points to the absence of photos, videos, or any physical evidence confirming Terrence’s presence in Idaho County.

Bethany Swain, a former professor and friend, described Terrence as methodical and thoughtful, traits inconsistent with the sudden disappearance. “Absolutely none of it made sense to me” (21:56). Similarly, Joanna Abei, his mentor in London, found Terrence’s abrupt vanishing behavior uncharacteristic, emphasizing that something must have profoundly disturbed him to act against his nature (22:26).

Suspicions and Theories

Terrence Sr. theorizes that his son may have encountered something troubling before arriving in Idaho, suggesting a more complex scenario than a simple accidental fall. “I think my son saw something or heard something and didn't agree to it or didn't want to be a part of it” (31:01). He also expressed skepticism regarding the communication from RAW TV, specifically recalling an unsettling conversation where a producer allegedly criticized Terrence's job performance before informing him of the disappearance, a detail that RAW TV later denied (18:28).

Current Status and How to Help

Terrence Woods Jr.'s case remains open and active, with the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office continuing to seek information. Terrence Sr. urges anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward, emphasizing the lingering questions and the absence of closure for his family. The episode encourages listeners to visit datelinemissinginamerica.com for more information and to submit any potential cases for future coverage.

Conclusion

“Into Thin Air” presents a compelling exploration of Terrence Woods Jr.’s disappearance, highlighting the complexities and unresolved aspects of the case. Through interviews with family, friends, and officials, the episode underscores the profound impact of Terrence’s vanishing and the enduring hope for answers. The Woods family’s unwavering pursuit of the truth encapsulates the heart-wrenching reality faced by many families dealing with mysterious disappearances.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Terrence Woods Sr.: “Hell, like cancer. Like knowing something's gonna kill you, but you gotta deal with it and keep going” (01:16)

• Doug Giddings: “There's so many possibilities that just kind of boggles his mind. That's why it's an interesting case” (01:57)

• Bethany Swain: “Everything about the stories after Terrence's disappearance I would describe as weird” (01:44)

• Terrence Woods Sr.: “Somebody know the truth. But I don't think my son leaped off no cliff at night and disappeared off the face of the earth” (35:20)

• Joanna Abei: “If that's accurate and he ran off, then something definitely, definitely worried him or upset him because that's just not what he would have done” (22:26)

---

Note: Section timestamps correspond to their placement in the original transcript.

Transcript

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Friday night on an all new dateline, a rich businessman killed in his own bed. This is unbelievable. Can police untangle a web of possible suspects?

[Bethany Swain]

Lance had a secret life.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Multiple secret lives. Yes. An all new Dateline, Friday at 9, 8 Central, only on NBC. In Idaho County, Idaho, four wheel drive is a fact of life. More than half the county's nearly 8,500 square miles are either national forest or federally managed wilderness. These steep mountains and deep canyons are a draw for outdoor enthusiasts. They also hold secrets. On October 5, 2018, 12 members of a television production crew drove up one of those mountains for a day long shooting. That night, 11 of them returned to their motel. Terrence woods did not. He was 26 years old and he was last seen on that mountain more than five years ago. What's these last few years been like since then?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Hell, like cancer. Like knowing something's gonna kill you, but you gotta deal with it and keep going.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That is Terrence Woods Senior. From the beginning, you thought, this isn't your son going missing. This is something happening to him.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yes, because the story from the beginning didn't make no sense.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

What happened to his son doesn't make sense to a lot of people, including Terrence's friend and mentor, Bethany Swain.

[Bethany Swain]

Everything about the stories after Terrence's disappearance I would describe as weird.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The sheriff who oversaw the investigation says he's baffled, too.

[Doug Giddings]

There's so many possibilities that just kind of boggles his mind. That's why it's an interesting case.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

I'm Josh Mankiewicz and this is dateline. Missing in America. This episode is into thin air. We first covered terrence's story in October 2023. Please listen closely because you or someone you know may have information that could help solve this case and give his family the answers they need. Terrence Woods Jr. Is the oldest of two boys. He grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, outside D.C. terrence Wood Senior told me that from an early age his namesake was determined to see what lay beyond his hometown.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

He was always, you know, an adventurer. He was always outgoing, always wanted to see the world.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence Jr also had a lot to say about the world. His father still has a copy of the letter Terrence wrote in middle school. 2 President George W. Bush. It begins, quote, I am a 12 year old citizen of the United States of America. I'm writing to you to state my opinion of the country's involvement in overseas conflicts, unquote. It was not a fan letter.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

And when he wrote the letter and I read it, I Told him, oh, I said, when they come to the house, they're not going to look for you, they're going to look for me. They're not gonna think you wrote this. His mindset with politics, the world, et cetera. He looked at it, you know, from a serious standpoint.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

His dad says he wasn't surprised when Terrence majored in broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland. Hello, and welcome to Viewfinder, presented by the University of Maryland.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I'm Terrence Woods.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And I'm Ana Namaki. Technology has been good for some and difficult for others. Viewfinder's Katherine Harrington visited a local flower.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Shop where sales are being undercut by online orders.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That's him co anchoring a news program he and some college classmates produced. Bethany Swain was one of his professors.

[Bethany Swain]

His goal to be working as a journalist in London was very, very clear, very, very focused. From the first day that we met.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He saw himself as sort of an international journalist crossing borders to cover big stories.

[Bethany Swain]

Absolutely.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Bethany is a veteran photojournalist who was working at CNN when she started teaching. Her class met at night, and she says Terrence quickly stood out.

[Bethany Swain]

He was always there before I got there. He'd stay late, him and a couple of the classmates. They would want to ask questions just into the night, as long as I was willing to stay.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Sometimes Bethany took her students to work with her.

[Bethany Swain]

Whenever I would share an outside opportunity. Hey, I'm doing this. He was there. So he went and spent a day shadowing me at cnn.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He sounds like the kind of, you know, eager, devoted, really hardworking student that every professor in every single discipline wishes they had.

[Bethany Swain]

Oh, absolutely. Terrence was one of those students.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In 2013, Terrence Jr. Earned his Bachelor's degree, a milestone not just for him, but also his family. He's one of the first members of your family to go to college?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Oh, yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Did he feel pressure because of that?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No, he loved it. He always wanted to be top at whatever he did, you know.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

After graduation, Terrence headed straight to London, where he earned a master's degree in international relations and launched his career. Joanna Abei frequently helped young people of color like Terrence get their foot in the door.

[Joanna Abei]

At the time, I was recruiting the talent for an independent production company trainee scheme. Ultimately, what it was doing was giving opportunities to people from underrepresented backgrounds to work within television to get their first, really working with an independent production company.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Joanna says Terrence reached out to her and made a big impression.

[Joanna Abei]

Rather than, you know, email, a CV or a letter, he actually Hand delivered it, and I said, you don't need to do that. No, I really wanted to meet you in person. That kind of summarizes Terrence, because he would always go the extra mile.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Joanna found a position for Terrence at an independent film production company and then later connected him with other jobs. She told me the feedback she got from his employers was glowing. This will all be important as our story progresses.

[Joanna Abei]

It didn't matter where I recommended Terrence for very quickly. I'd get a note from someone wherever he was working. That would be very much of the. He's amazing. Terence is incredible, and the team love him. He's got so much initiative. Nothing's too big an ask.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He sounds like the kind of employee anybody would want.

[Joanna Abei]

He was. He really was.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Working as a freelance production assistant in TV or film usually involves a lot of grunt work for little pay. As he was building his resume, Terrence collected credits on some high profile British shows, including ITV's the Voice UK. He traveled for work and for pleasure to France, Germany, and Turkey. And he found a way to share those travels with his father. Wherever Terrence traveled around the world, he would bring you a shot glass.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yeah. Cause he would say, dad, what you want? I don't want nothing but a shot glass. I'm simple and I'll never use it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You're not taking shots out of these.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

You just keep it and just. Yeah. Just saying, this is where my son. I probably would never go all the places he went. So I was just proud of him. And that was like a trophy of mine to myself from him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In July 2018, after five years in London, Terrence moved back to Maryland. He just thought, this has run its course and I'm ready to come back. Right?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yeah. Set out to do what he wanted to do, and there was a new chapter, and he was ready to start that back at home.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence Jr. Had been back just a few weeks when Raw TV, a production company he'd worked for in London, contacted. They were shooting a reality series called Gold Dave Turin's Lost Mine. The job would involve several weeks of shooting in the western United States. Terrence signed on for the shoot, and on September 30, 2018, his dad dropped him off at Reagan national airport outside.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

D.C. he said, See you later. I said, see you sooner. And we laughed about it. And I hugged him and. Yeah.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And he got on the plane.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yeah.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That day's kind of burned into your memory, isn't it?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yep.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Six days later, October 6th became another date. He'll never forget. That's when Terrence Senior learned his son had disappeared somewhere in Idaho's vast wilderness.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

At 7:40 Saturday morning, I got a phone call and they told me that my son went off a cliff.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hearing your son has gone off a cliff is something no parent ever expects. And what Terrence Sr. Heard next was even more incomprehensible. He's not the only one who feels that way. Here's the former sheriff. It's just, it's, it's so inexplicable.

[Doug Giddings]

You're right. Try to explain it to somebody.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The former sheriff says witnesses told him what they saw was no accident. Terrence did not fall off that cliff.

[Doug Giddings]

The story is they were finishing up for the day and then he just took off down the side of the mountain.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

MSNBC Films presents the Sing Sing Chronicles, a new four part series from NBC News Studios featuring decades of investigative reporting from DATELINE producer Dan Slebian that exposes the injustices of wrongful convictions. I spent half my life in prison. Is it?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

And this time we can't get back.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The Sing sing Chronicles first two episodes premiere tomorrow at 9:00pm Eastern on MSNBC. Hey, everyone, it's Jenna Bush Hager from Today with Hoda and Jenna reminding you to check out my podcast Open Book with Jenna. Each episode I get to have inspiring conversations with celebrities, authors, fellow book lovers and more.

[Joanna Abei]

In this week's episode, I sit down.

[Bethany Swain]

With Emmy award winning actress and singer.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Keke Palmer to talk about how she navigated fame at a young age and how she's embraced who she truly is.

[Joanna Abei]

You can listen to this conversation now.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

By searching Open Book with Jenna. Wherever you get your podcasts. A few years ago, while digging through a box in storage, I expected to find old keepsakes from the 1990s. Instead, I found VHS tapes and police reports detailing a murder that happened in Dayton, Ohio. Police arrested Jim McWhorter and Timothy Pell for the Triangle murder.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

And as the two are brought to.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Jail, McWherter blames Terrell. I didn't do it.

[Doug Giddings]

Right there, right there.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

As I dug through the contents of the box, I uncovered that the murderer may have been connected to a group who called themselves the Lords of Death. I'm Thrasher Banks, host of the new Tenderfoot TV show Lords of Death. Join me as I unpack the box and discover connections between the Lords of Death and a slew of unsolved murders. They're just two little scrawny men, but what makes them so scary is their emptiness, their lack of conscience. People like that, you know, are Capable of doing anything. Lords of Death is available now. Listen for free on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. On October 6, 2018, Terrence Wood Senior was hearing a voice on the other end of the phone describing what had happened in the moments just before his son went missing the night before. That voice belonged to a producer on the TV crew named Simon G. Who Terrence Jr. Was working with.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

He said all of a sudden he looked, he seen my son's radio on the ground. So he leaps out the car, run over there because he thought my son dropped the radio. I might have fell off the cliff. But he seen my son running down a cliff like a hare. I said, what do you mean like a hare? He said, I've never seen anyone run that fast.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The TV crew had been shooting near an abandoned mine in the mountains of central Idaho. Now, Terrence Jr. Was missing. Doug Giddings was the sheriff in charge of the investigation. This is very dense forest.

[Doug Giddings]

Yeah, pretty dense forest. They haven't clear cut it or anything. It's rough terrain.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Giddings lives in an area just as remote as where the crew was shooting. There's no cell service. When we spoke, he was using his landline, so you may hear static from time to time when he's talking. What story did you get originally?

[Doug Giddings]

The story we got originally. How many words you want this?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

How many you got? Giddings says Simon G. And other witnesses told deputies what they saw in the minutes before Terrence vanished. Here's the story they gave the sheriff. They'd wrapped up their work for the day, and Terrence was chatting with a local woman from town who was handling transportation for the crew. Giddings says Terrence Jr. Told that woman he had to use the bathroom and stepped away. And that's when he did something no one saw coming.

[Doug Giddings]

He walked along the edge of the road and he passed one of the company managers who was sitting in a Suburban doing some paperwork. And then he just took off down the side of the mountain.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Did anybody say what precipitated that?

[Doug Giddings]

No one said because no one knows. He didn't tell anybody who's going to do it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And suddenly he just runs away.

[Doug Giddings]

He just took off down the side of the mountain.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

According to Giddings, that alone was not done easily.

[Doug Giddings]

It's brushy, there's huge trees, it's steep, it's rocky.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Giddings says a few crew members chased after Terrence but failed to catch up with him. Terrence Woods Jr. Had simply disappeared into the gathering darkness.

[Doug Giddings]

And you're up in the middle of nowhere. There's no sound, there's no anything, and it's rough. You wouldn't want to be left there by yourself. You got bears, you got cougars, you got coyotes, you got bobcats.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The former sheriff says four legged killers aren't the only danger lurking in that area. Air vents for the abandoned mine nearby can be covered by brush, hard to see and easy to fall into. Some of them are quite deep. At daylight, search teams began looking for any sign of Terrence.

[Doug Giddings]

We had air with the heat seeking, we had dogs, we had people, we had volunteers. We did the grit as a normal search.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

According to Giddings, the search team included a retired military officer who was an expert tracker and who believed he may have found slide marks near the bottom of the embankment. Terrence ran down. It's close to a road.

[Doug Giddings]

They possibly found his track where he slid down the bank to get onto the road. But they're not positive that was him, but it looked like it might have been, so there's that possibility.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Could Terrence have gotten or maybe arranged a ride off the mountain? Giddings says his deputies checked with people who live near the road and no one noticed any unfamiliar vehicles coming or going that night. Three days after Terrence disappeared, the production company RAW TV flew his parents from Maryland to Grangeville, Idaho, where the crew had been staying at the sheriff's office. Terrence Sr. And his ex wife met with Giddings and other investigators. Mr. Wood says he expected all of the crew members who were on the mountain with his son to be at that meeting. They were.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Not everybody was going except one person.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

And you said, where's everybody else?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

They said they left.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A RAW TV spokesperson told us all crew members stayed in Grangeville until the searches ended, then went to Portland, Oregon to continue shooting at their next location.

[Doug Giddings]

They didn't hang around for a long time for us to do backgrounds on them, but nobody did anything that we know of to cause him any grief.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The former sheriff told me he didn't see any reason for the crew to stick around.

[Doug Giddings]

They did everything they could do to looking for him and making sure we knew. They talked to us, told us what happened. They really didn't have any reason to stay. They couldn't find him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Simon G. The same producer who'd called Terrence Senior the morning after his son disappeared, did speak with Terrence's parents when they arrived in Idaho. Terrence Sr. Confirms that and adds an odd detail. He says both times they spoke on the phone and then again at the sheriff's Office. Simon G. Began the conversation not by telling him how his son had gone missing, but by criticizing his son's job performance.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

He said they was out in the field and my son didn't know what battery to get because he was green. This is first time doing this? No, it was not my son's first time doing it. My son's first time ever being with this guy. And this is you calling me, tell me my son disappeared. But this is how you start the conversation off, by telling the parent of.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A missing kid, by the way he.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Wanted to, your personal feelings about him. You're telling me about your personal negative feelings about him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

We reached out to Simon G. For comment. He did not respond. Giddings, who retired in 2020 and no longer has access to the case file, told me he does not recall that conversation. Do you remember the guy from RAW TV telling Terrence's parents that Terrence hadn't done a good job, that they were disappointed in him?

[Doug Giddings]

I didn't hear that in our meeting.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Or knocking him in any way, criticizing him?

[Doug Giddings]

I don't recall that boy. I just don't remember him. If there were any, they passed me by.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A spokesperson for RAW TV told Dateline, quote, following recommended search and rescue protocol, Simon phoned Mr. Wood Senior to ascertain Terrence's normal behavior, state of mind and any other information he could give the search and rescue team. It was mentioned by Simon that Terrence had been distracted at times. This was solely in order to establish whether this would be normal behavior. No criticism was made by any of the production team at any time, unquote. According to Terrence Sr. Simon G. Also told him that on the morning of the day he disappeared, his son had an anxiety attack. You ever know him to suffer from panic attacks, anxiety attacks, any kind of sort of stress related illness or, you know, you ever worry about anything like that? Do you ever mention that?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You've been suspicious of the official story that you were given from the get go?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

It doesn't make sense.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

On October 11, 2018, after six days of looking high and low for Terrence, deputies had come up short. The sheriff called off the search. You didn't find anything that suggested foul play?

[Doug Giddings]

No, not at all.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Nobody chased him? Nobody made him run? Nobody did anything that he was running away from?

[Doug Giddings]

No, there's nobody doing anything to him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

News of Terrence's disappearance spread quickly among his friends and colleagues and left them stunned.

[Bethany Swain]

When this happened, I was like, this doesn't sit right. This doesn't feel right.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence's former college professor Bethany Swain had been looking forward to hearing about this RAW TV shoot when Terrence came back to Maryland. They had stayed in close touch after he graduated. She says they texted just a few weeks before he disappeared. He seem okay in that exchange?

[Bethany Swain]

There was nothing in that exchange with Terrence that raised a red flag. There was nothing that made me think, oh, I should check in on him. It was a pretty standard text exchange.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The story that authorities were told of him just sort of abruptly running off is a very strange story.

[Bethany Swain]

Absolutely none of it made sense to me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You've never seen him exhibit any kind of rash behavior like that?

[Bethany Swain]

No, the exact opposite. Everything that Terrence does was really thought out. It was methodical, but like, in a good way. He definitely was someone who thought a lot about the impact of every decision.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Joanna Abei, his mentor in London, also found it hard to square what she was hearing with the Terrence she knew. That sound like him at all?

[Joanna Abei]

No, no. If that's accurate and he ran off, then something definitely, definitely worried him or upset him because that's just not what he would have done.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Joanna says Terrence took special care to always behave professionally on set, specifically because he knew the stakes.

[Joanna Abei]

In the UK when you're from an underrepresented background, you kind of only get one chance. You don't really get a chance to mess up that many times on a production or with a, or even in the industry before someone hears about it. So he was always treading so, so carefully. In my opinion, something would have had to happen to him for him to run off like that. Rather than try and find a professional, less confrontational way of managing whatever had gone on.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

For more than five years, Terrence's father has tried to fill in the blanks he thinks might explain what happened to his son. He's come up with a provocative theory, one that completely reimagines where this mystery began. And it's not in Idaho. Do you think it's possible your son wasn't even there?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

In my heart, I don't think my son made it to Idaho. I think whatever took place took place before Idaho.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

MSNBC Films presents a new four part series from NBC News studios that expose exposes the injustices of wrongful convictions. The Sing sing chronicles first two episodes premier tomorrow at 9:00pm Eastern on MSNBC. Hey everybody, it's Hoda Kotme from the Today show reminding you to check out my podcast, Making Space. In this week's episode, I sit down with Hollywood legend Goldie Hawn to talk about her accidental rise to fame, her famous family, and where she finds her purpose. You can listen to the full conversation right now by searching making space wherever you get your podcasts.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Hello, I'm Keith Morrison from Dateline. If you're a fan of true crime, then you need to know DATELINE is back with an all new season and that means all new mysteries in our Dateline NBC podcast. Great storytelling with a twist and more. Much more new episodes available every Tuesday on the DATELINE NBC podcast. Follow now.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In October 2018, after the sheriff had called off that search for Terrence in Idaho, his dad flew home to Maryland, determined to solve the mystery of what had happened to his son. He poured over every detail he could think of, including the calls and texts he'd gotten after dropping his son off at the airport on Sunday, September 30th. The first he'd heard from him was later that day when Terrence Jr called to say he had safely reached the first stop on his itinerary. Missoula, Montana. Like a lot of parents, Terrence Woods Sr. Never rested easy when his son traveled, even though he was 26 years old.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I'm a parent, so I'm always worried, but I couldn't tell him that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In Missoula, Terrence, who'd been hired as a production assistant, met up with the rest of the crew from RAW tv. His father didn't hear from him again for the next three days.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

He's been other places where he couldn't call me on a regular, so that wasn't something that was majorly concerned because that was his job.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

On Thursday, October 4, the crew wrapped up, shooting in Montana and headed to Grangeville, Idaho. That's when Terrence Sr. Heard from his son again. He texted, quote, hey, dad, just got to the hotel in Idaho, unquote. Then, just before midnight, Terrence called his father for another check in. It was nearly 3am in Maryland, and Terrence Sr. Was in bed.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

He said, hey, Dad. I said, hey, you know, I gotta go to work in the morning. He said, I was just calling you. I said, you okay? He said, yes, I'm okay. And I said, all right, I'll call you later. And that was the last physical phone call I had with him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Did your son say he was in Idaho?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I'm not gonna say for certain he did or didn't. I cannot remember. No, I can't remember that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Almost six hours later, Terrence Sr. Received another text from his son. This one contains some unexpected news.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I'm coming home Wednesday on the 10th.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That would have been almost five weeks earlier than planned.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

And I texted him back and said, good, see you when you get home. Don't forget my shot glass. I didn't get a response to that.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He doesn't say why he's coming home early?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No. You know, I was just happy he told me he was coming home early. He didn't sound like he was in a panic or anything.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence Sr. Later learned from RAW TV that his son had told the production company he needed to leave early because his mom was having surgery. And that was not true.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

His mother wasn't having any surgery.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Is it possible he told him that because he needed an excuse to get out of there early? Yes.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yeah. Because he never cut a chute short. So if something was gone wrong and he wanted to leave early, maybe he thought that will get him out of there early.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The families of the missing are sometimes left grasping for answers when there aren't any or when there isn't any proof. Terrence Sr. Is not convinced his son tried to leave the shoot early. He's never trusted what RAW TV and the sheriff's office told him about his son's disappearance. In fact, he questions whether Terrence Jr. Was ever in Idaho.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

In my heart, I don't think my son made it to Idaho. I think whatever took place took place before Idaho.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Mr. Woods says that's because he's seen no photos, no video, and literally no other proof his son spent any time in Idaho. What he has is a lot of people telling him Terrence was there.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No physical evidence, no physical footprint that anyone is showing me of my son.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Former Sheriff Giddings told us investigators did not find any video showing Terrence in Idaho. However, he says the sheriff's office did have eyewitnesses. Terrence Sr. Says he doesn't believe them.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Everything is word of mouth. Everything about my son's whole disappearance is word of mouth with people out there that he knew for what, from the 30th up until the day he disappeared.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

People he knew for just a couple of days?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yes.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Mr. Woods is talking about the Raw TV crew. Giddings says the crew members were not the only people investigators interviewed. One key witness was that local woman who was providing transportation for the crew. She told investigators she saw Terrence run down the embankment. The former sheriff says he's known that woman for years and trusts her absolutely trust her.

[Doug Giddings]

There's not a reason in the world that she would have to say anything other than absolute truth.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Giddings says detectives and the undersheriff also interviewed other residents in Grangeville, including employees at the restaurant where the crew had dinner and the owner of the motel where they stayed, all of whom had seen and talked with Terrence. So we're Talking about what, 25 to 30 interviews? Maybe.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Probably 20.

[Doug Giddings]

At the most, 15, maybe even.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The former sheriff does not doubt for a minute that Terrence Woods Jr. Was in Central Idaho when he disappeared. You have any reason to believe that you were not getting the full story that day from the people who were there?

[Doug Giddings]

No, we don't have any reason at all other than that the family seemed to develop some reasons.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence Sr. Told me he has his own theory about what happened to Terrence Jr. Before he got to Idaho.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I think my son saw something or heard something and didn't agree to it or didn't want to be a part of it.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He did not say what he thinks that something might be or what caused his son to vanish. It remains a father's theory and there is no proof of it. Short of your son coming back. What could happen that would put to rest your suspicions and make you rest a little easier?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Me hearing what 10 other people have to say that was with him and show me the videos of the places he allegedly was at.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

That would do it or that would.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No, that would help. I still would have avoid until the day I die, but that would help, you know, but now I have nothing.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Mr. Woods says the sheriff's office denied his records request and won't give him the names of the crew members the family wasn't able to speak with in Idaho. The sheriff's office also denied our public records request. They told us, quote, per our prosecuting attorney, this is still an open, active investigation. So we are not able to release the records at this time. Unquote. Doug Giddings told us the sheriff's office is no longer actively searching for Terrence. Because Giddings is retired, he no longer has a say in who gets to see the case file. If the finding is no foul play, then why not connect the family with the witnesses?

[Doug Giddings]

Well, it's one of those issues that is always sensitive and I understand it from both sides. I wish they would release it to them. I don't know what to tell you. It's not an automatic ever.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

If I made you guess, is Terrence still on that mountain or is he somewhere else?

[Doug Giddings]

My guess, he's still on that mountain. Something happened to him on that mountain and we missed him.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

A RAW TV spokesperson told Dateline, quote, terrence was a popular figure at raw. He was a well liked and valued member of the production team, and his disappearance greatly affected us all. We have the deepest sympathy for terrence's family and friends. It is truly heartbreaking that he has not been found, and we continue to hope that he will be. Unquote. They also confirmed the episode they were shooting in idaho has never aired out of respect for Terrence and his family. When someone goes missing, it is easy to dwell on the what ifs. Terrence's former professor, Bethany swain.

[Bethany Swain]

You know, I. I really wish that we had connected before he went out there if terrence was struggling. I know that if we had connected, I could have given him one of my pep talks.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Joanna abei finds it hard to believe the young man who handed her his resume nearly a decade ago has simply vanished into thin mountain air. You really feel this loss, don't you?

[Joanna Abei]

Yes. It's horrendous. I think his family had been robbed of a son and a brother and nephew, and we've been robbed of a friend, and I think the industry's been robbed of a great talent.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

On his right forearm, Terrance Woods Sr. Has a tattoo of Terrence Woods Jr. He had it done a few weeks after his son went missing to mark Terrence's 27th birthday. The tattoo is a copy of a childhood portrait.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

That's a picture he always liked. So that's the one I put on me.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So he's always with you?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Yeah. And I have his name.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

This is not a pleasant question to ask, but do you think your son is still alive?

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

I hope that he is. And if he isn't, I hope he didn't suffer.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Terrence woods senior says he'll never give up looking for his son and for the answers to those questions that haunt his whole family.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Somebody know the truth. But I don't think my son leaped off no cliff at night and disappeared off the face of the earth.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

You'll never believe that.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

No. Mm.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Mm.

[Terrence Woods Sr.]

Nah, that's not true.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Officially, Terrence's case remains an open and active investigation. Here's how you can help. Terrence is 5 9, and at the time of his disappearance, he weighed 130 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. You can see photos and videos of him on our website. Anyone with information regarding his disappearance is asked to contact the Idaho county Sheriff's office at 208-983-1100. To learn more about other people we've covered in our missing in america series, go to datelinemissinginamerica.com There you'll be able to submit cases you think we should cover in the future. Thanks for listening. See you Fridays on Dateline on NBC. Missing in America is a production of Dateline and NBC News. Kate Vidic is the producer of this episode. Brian Drew is the audio editor. Keani Reed and Nicholas Vinwela Yodar are associate producers. Bradley Davis is senior producer, Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer from NBC News. Audio sound mixing by Bob Mallory. Bryson Barnes is head of audio production.