Dateline Missing in America – Ep. 25: Marked with an X

Date: September 5, 2025

Host: Josh Mankiewicz (NBC News)

Guests: Patrick Reeder (Sophie's father), Kirsten Milhorn (Sophie's aunt), Brittany Walman (Investigative Reporter), Sgt. Don Geiger (Fort Lauderdale PD)

Overview

This episode examines the unresolved case of Sophie Reeder, a 15-year-old who vanished from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 20, 2017. Through interviews with her family, police, and journalists, the episode explores the circumstances of her disappearance, personal struggles, the investigation’s complexities, and the enduring efforts of those searching for the truth. Central to the case is a mysterious "X" on Sophie's calendar, her secret online activities, a troubled investigation, and the haunting possibility of several outcomes including overdose, trafficking, or foul play.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sophie's Final Night and Disappearance

• Timeline:
  • [01:05] Sophie leaves home at 12:45am, captured on camera at 2:16am walking alone on Davie Blvd, last seen in a black dress, fur coat, headphones, and sneakers.
• Notable Detail: The final image shows her walking purposefully, but the reason she left has remained a mystery.
• Father’s perspective:
  • "It's like a living nightmare. A living nightmare. You got to deal with it every day." — Patrick Reeder [01:49]

2. Background: Sophie's Early Life and Struggles

• Family Dynamics:
  • Parents divorced; Sophie lived alternately with both until age 12.
  • Difficult relationship with her mother led to asking to live with Patrick full time, with the condition of weekly therapy.
• Mental Health and Behavior Difficulties:
  • [04:31] Patrick describes troubling behaviors: burning objects, cutting dolls/stuffed animals, and self-harm.
    • "She'd burn things...and start cutting her dolls and stuff like that." — Patrick Reeder [04:31]
  • Sophie expressed feeling out of control emotionally.
  • Therapy, then medication for mental health, produced mixed results and compliance was challenging.

3. Sophie's Activities Leading Up to Disappearance

• Social Withdrawal & Risky Behavior:
  • Skipped school, transitioned to online classes, began associating with a riskier crowd.
  • Shoplifting incident and threats of self-harm in early 2017, leading to a prescription.
• Hopeful Signs:
  • [07:40] On May 18, she cooked dinner for her family—a rare positive gesture before her disappearance.

4. The Day She Vanished

• Family’s Initial Reaction:

  • Patrick not immediately alarmed when Sophie was missing on Saturday; thought she was staying at her mother's.
  • Delayed missing person report due to mistaken belief about waiting period. Police response was dismissive—"teenage girls usually run away and come back." [09:36]
  • [10:44] Discovery of $300 cash left in Sophie's room suggested she did not intend a long absence.

• The "Marked X":

  • Calendar in Sophie's room had May 19th marked with an X. [11:11]
  • "[Sophie's] room does not suggest somebody who was leaving forever." — Interviewer [11:13]
  • Meaning of X remains a mystery.

5. Clues and Investigation

• Digital Footprints:

  • Sophie had two phones; she left with one.
  • Computer revealed she had explored "sugar daddy" websites but did not engage.
    • "There was no indication that she'd ever engaged in anything on those websites. It was just merely signing up." — Sgt. Don Geiger [14:13]
  • Instagram messages indicated discussions with friends about charging for sex acts. [24:52]

• Social Media and Diary:

  • Diary entries showed deep loneliness and plans: "I'm used. Unwanted, unloved, lonely..." and "get 10 sugar daddies." — Brittany Walman, reading Sophie's diary [22:05]
  • Family unaware of these contents; Patrick regrets respecting her privacy.
    • "I'm kicking myself in the ass." — Patrick Reeder [24:13]

• Final Cell Phone Activity:

  • [14:46] Last phone ping at an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale at 9:13am, May 20.
  • That location: Apartment of Leonard Jennings, convicted felon and local weed dealer.
  • Phone records: Only two people Sophie called most—her father and Jennings.

• Leonard Jennings Connection:

  • Jennings, 37, had a lengthy criminal record (mostly drugs/theft), but no sex-related crimes.
  • Friends said Sophie bought marijuana from him.
  • Multiple inconsistent statements by Jennings and family.
  • [17:25] Police interviews, apartment searches (Jul 2017, Sep 2018) yielded no conclusive evidence.
  • Links to a neighbor reportedly associated with sex trafficking, but no convictions or direct ties found.
  • "[Jennings] is no longer considered a suspect...he may have information about what happened to Sophie... I would still say he's a person of interest." — Sgt. Don Geiger [36:43]

• Law Enforcement’s Investigative Gaps:

  • Criticism over delayed apartment search, despite phone records placing Sophie at Jennings’ address.
    • "Why did it take that long?" — Brittany Walman [29:05]
    • Sgt. Geiger cites limitations of cell phone ping technology at the time, requiring more to justify a warrant. [32:30]
  • Sheriff’s cruiser caught on video passing Sophie without stopping, less than an hour before her last known destination.
    • "Every time I watch that, I just... It's so sad because she looks like a child." — Brittany Walman [27:33]
    • "I probably would have stopped..." — Sgt. Don Geiger [33:05]

6. Theories and Unanswered Questions

• Sex Trafficking:

  • Some, including a PI and reporter Brittany Walman, suspect Sophie was trafficked due to her online activity and vulnerable state.
  • Police found no direct evidence of trafficking.
    • "I don't believe that she was trafficked, but nothing's 100% in law enforcement." — Sgt. Don Geiger [36:03]

• Overdose Theory:

  • Sgt. Geiger, with narcotics experience, believes an accidental overdose (e.g., due to synthetic drugs like flakka) is plausible.
    • "If it was a homicide, somebody eventually talks. With nobody talking, it leads my investigative mindset to go more...towards an accidental overdose..." — Sgt. Don Geiger [33:54]
  • Extensive but fruitless searches for Sophie's body in local waterways and woods.

• Family Frustration with Investigation:

  • Family (especially aunt Kirsten) sent numerous leads to police, perceived as not being acted upon; police say every tip is followed up as of May 2025.
  • "[You] become a back burner, and it's horrible. I mean, it really is." — Patrick Reeder [38:36]
  • "[There are] people who know something and they just won't say." — Brittany Walman [39:48]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sophie's struggles and parenting conundrums:

  • "Either you want trust or you don't trust them. So, I mean, like, I wanted to give her privacy...but that stuff in a diary, I didn't know."
    — Patrick Reeder, on respecting Sophie's privacy [23:39]

• The sorrow of hindsight and missed intervention:

  • "If you had stopped, everything could be different today."
    — Interviewer, regarding the sheriff's car that passed Sophie [27:41]

• Community and Media Reflections:

  • "To be a cynical journalist, she's a mixed race child. Her mother is black, her father's white."
    — Brittany Walman, on why Sophie's case faded from news [20:17]
  • "Any picture of 10 girls, one of them could end up being a Sophie Reeder."
    — Brittany Walman [40:35]

• A Family on Edge Without Closure:

  • "Sophie's room exactly the way she left it...Frozen in time."
    — Patrick Reeder [41:00]
  • "I'm more realistic, maybe it's been a long time. If she's alive, she's against her will somewhere."
    — Kirsten Milhorn [41:31]

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Quote Summary | |--------|----------------------| | 01:05 | Sophie's last known movements described | | 01:49 | "It's like a living nightmare." – Patrick Reeder | | 04:31 | Description of Sophie’s troubling behavior | | 07:40 | Sophie cooks dinner, sign of possible improvement | | 09:36 | Police initially dismiss missing person report | | 11:11 | The "X" marked on the calendar | | 14:13 | Sgt. Geiger: No engagement on sugar daddy websites | | 14:46 | Last phone ping at Jennings’ apartment | | 17:25 | Police searching and suspicion of Jennings' family | | 20:17 | Discussion of race and media coverage | | 22:05 | Sophie's diary: "I'm used. Unwanted, unloved, lonely..." | | 24:13 | Patrick regrets not reading her diary | | 27:33 | Sheriff's car drives by Sophie; no intervention | | 29:05 | Why police delayed searching Jennings' apartment | | 33:54 | Geiger’s overdose theory | | 36:03 | Sgt. Geiger: No evidence of trafficking, but not 100% ruled out | | 38:36 | Parental frustration with law enforcement | | 40:35 | "Any picture of 10 girls, one of them could end up being a Sophie Reeder." | | 41:00 | Sophie’s room remains unchanged – "Frozen in time." | | 41:10 | Patrick and Kirsten on their hopes (or doubts) for Sophie's return |

Conclusion & Call to Action

The episode ends with a public appeal: Sophie Reeder was 15 at the time, with brown curly hair and brown eyes, 5'1", 100 lbs at disappearance. A $25,000 reward is offered for credible leads. Listeners with information can contact Fort Lauderdale PD at 954-828-6677 and find more resources at datelinemissinginamerica.com.

Episode Tone

The tone is empathetic, investigative, and at times somber and frustrated—balancing the anguish of loved ones with the measured diligence of reporting and policing. The episode is a call for both remembrance and action, pressing listeners for possible help and holding up a mirror to law enforcement and society’s treatment of missing and at-risk youth.