David Glenn Lewis // 480

Summary

Episode Summary: "David Glenn Lewis // 480" | Going West: True Crime

Introduction

In Episode 480 of Going West: True Crime, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into the perplexing and haunting case of David Glenn Lewis, a dedicated Texas attorney whose unexplained disappearance in 1993 has left his family and the community yearning for answers. Released on February 25, 2025, this episode meticulously unpacks the intricate details surrounding David's sudden vanishing, the subsequent investigation, and the lingering mysteries that persist decades later.

Background of David Glenn Lewis

David Glenn Lewis, born on December 11, 1953, in Borger, Texas, was the epitome of an all-American man. Raised by Esther and Herschel Lewis alongside his brother Larry, David excelled academically and professionally. A standout quarterback in high school, he pursued political science at Texas Tech University, graduating magna cum laude in 1975. His academic prowess led him to earn a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech's School of Law in 1979, after which he married Karen Garrett on July 25, 1981. David's commitment to his community was evident through his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, Moore County Child Protective Services, and Safeplace Inc., a nonprofit combating domestic violence.

Daphne [02:28]: "David was a big community man and truly just a man for the people."

Disappearance Details

The harrowing story begins in late January 1993, coinciding with the Super Bowl weekend. While David was preparing for a weekend filled with football—a passion of his for the Dallas Cowboys—his wife Karen and daughter Lauren were enjoying a girls' weekend in Dallas. On Thursday, January 28, David left work prematurely around noon, citing illness. He made a stop at a gas station, fueling his red Ford Explorer, and proceeded to teach a government class at Amarillo College, which ended at 10 PM. There were no reports of unusual behavior during his teaching hours.

However, the following day, Friday, January 29, a friend from David's church spotted him hurrying through the Amarillo International Airport without any luggage—a behavior out of character for someone typically meticulous like David.

Heath [08:47]: "The airport is about 10 miles east and just about a 13-minute drive. It's just outside of the city."

Later that night, a police officer observed David's red Ford Explorer parked suspiciously outside the Potter County Courts building at 10:30 PM. The next day, Saturday, January 30, strange activities unfolded: a $5,000 deposit was made into David and Karen's joint bank account, and the Explorer was later found parked at David's home, though it had previously been seen downtown. Confusion deepened with discrepancies in sightings and the mysterious appearance of David's vehicle.

Investigation and Theories

As days progressed, the investigation into David's disappearance became mired in conflicting information and unverified sightings. On Sunday, January 31—the day of the Super Bowl—David's family was unaware of his whereabouts. A deputy reported seeing someone resembling David near the Potter County Courts building, taking photographs of his own car. This peculiar behavior raised suspicions about David's intentions and mental state.

Further complicating the case were two airline tickets purchased in David's name: one from Dallas to Amarillo on Super Bowl Sunday and another from Los Angeles to Dallas with a layover in Amarillo the following day. The absence of recordings confirming whether these flights were taken added to the mystery.

Daphne [14:03]: "Which many people do, especially for something as big as the Super Bowl."

Investigators explored several angles, including potential foul play, suicide, or voluntary disappearance. Despite investigating possible motives—such as death threats David had received before his disappearance and ongoing lawsuits—no concrete evidence linked these factors to his vanishing.

Discovery and Identification

Tragically, on Monday, February 1, 1993, the day after the Super Bowl, David was found deceased in Yakima County, Washington. A hit-and-run incident on Highway 24 claimed his life, but identifying him proved challenging. For 11 years, David remained an unidentified John Doe until Detective Pat Ditter's diligent cross-referencing efforts in 2004 connected the remains to David through distinctive glasses and DNA matching.

Heath [29:25]: "It honestly just gives you chills because you think about the fact that... he died that same day that he was reported missing."

Unresolved Questions and Theories

David's presence in Washington State sparked numerous theories:

1. Forced Disappearance: Some speculate that David was abducted, possibly linked to his professional life or personal threats, forcing him to travel across the country against his will.

2. Voluntary Disappearance: Despite his family's disbelief, there's a possibility that David chose to leave his life behind, symbolized by leaving his wedding ring and watch behind.

3. Accidental Circumstances: The official ruling categorized David's death as accidental, stemming from the hit-and-run, given the lack of substances in his system and absence of immediate evidence of foul play.

Additionally, David was found wearing distressed army fatigues and work boots—garments completely out of character for him—toiling as a community-oriented lawyer and family man. This attire has fueled conspiracy theories suggesting his involvement in military operations or attempts to obscure his identity.

Daphne [36:04]: "I just want to go into it a little bit deeper for a second."

Impact on Family

David's untimely death left Karen and Lauren grappling with unanswered questions. Karen remained steadfast in her belief that David did not voluntarily abandon his life, emphasizing his dedication to his family and community. The loss also impacted the broader community that viewed David as a pillar of support and integrity.

Heath [32:50]: "It honestly just gives you chills because you think about the fact that... why was he there? What was he doing?"

Conclusion

The disappearance and subsequent death of David Glenn Lewis remain shrouded in mystery. Over three decades later, the case underscores the complexities and frustrations inherent in unsolved mysteries. Despite advancements in investigative techniques, many aspects of David's final days continue to puzzle both his family and true crime enthusiasts.

Daphne [42:08]: "It just feels so off. And I think some of the biggest questions remain."

As Going West: True Crime highlights, David's story is a poignant reminder of the enduring quest for truth in the face of inexplicable loss.

Discussion and Community Engagement

Hosts Daphne and Heath encourage listeners to share their theories and thoughts on David's case through their social media platforms, fostering a community-driven exploration of unresolved true crime stories.

Daphne [50:11]: "I mean, this case is like this, where it feels so impossible to have some kind of idea in your mind as to what happened..."

Heath [50:46]: "We love you guys. And so for everybody out there in the world, tell Be a Stranger."

Final Thoughts

As Daphne aptly puts it, the mystery surrounding David Glenn Lewis is a labyrinth of unanswered questions and uncharted theories. The episode serves not only as a recounting of events but also as an invitation to listeners to engage in the pursuit of understanding one of Texas's most enigmatic true crime cases.

Transcript

[Daphne]

For 140 years, MultiCare has been in Washington prioritizing long term solutions, partnering with local communities and expanding access to care. Together, we're building a healthier future. Learn [e-mail] don't miss the Hulu original.

[Heath]

Docu series Devil in the Family, the Fall of Ruby Frankie. My wife creating a YouTube channel.

[Daphne]

Thumbs up.

[Unknown]

Subscribe, but only what we wanted to show.

[Heath]

I'm still recording a three part series of that. She said the children were demonically possessed.

[Unknown]

Get out.

[Heath]

That blew the powder keg.

[Unknown]

Ruby crossed a line to psychotic.

[Daphne]

All right, I'm on emergency.

[Unknown]

Open the door.

[Heath]

Hulu's Devil in the Family, the Fall of Ruby Frankie. All episodes available February 27th. Streaming on Hulu.

[Daphne]

Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.

[Heath]

Oh, right this way.

[Daphne]

Who me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft. And I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.

[Heath]

It's not just you. With T Mobile, everyone can get VIP status. That means access to exclusive events and experiences.

[Unknown]

Just for being a customer.

[Heath]

At T Mobile, VIP means y o u.

[Daphne]

Check out the VIP treatment@t mobile.com benefits.

[Unknown]

What is going on? True crime fans? I'm your host, Heath.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[Unknown]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in today. Big shout out to Todd and Kate for recommending today's episode. This case like, it truly gives me the creeps. Cases like this are equally like my favorite and least favorite to cover my favorite because there is so, so much to discuss, so much information to help share. But my least favorite of course, because it means loved ones are left without justice. Because especially with this one. What the hell?

[Unknown]

I mean, this will be one of the most confounding cases that we've covered thus far. And I cannot wait to hear what you guys think about this one. So head on over to our socials when this episode is over, share David's story and let us know your thoughts. We're on Instagram @goingwestpodcast and we're also on Facebook.

[Daphne]

Yes, please do. And without further ado, let's dive into this one.

[Unknown]

All right guys, this is episode 480 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

In late January of 1993 over Super bowl weekend, a 39 year old Texas man vanished while his wife and daughter were on a girls weekend in Dallas. Just one day later, he was seen walking on a highway multiple states away, looking disoriented. Shortly before he would become the victim of a hit and run. But it took 11 years for him to be positively identified, bringing far more questions than answers to his suspicious death. This is the story of David Glenn Lewis. Foreign Glenn Lewis was born on December 11, 1953 in the small city of Borger, Texas, which is about 50 miles or 80 kilometers northeast of the larger city of Amarillo, which is a city that we are very much going to be talking about today. David was welcomed by parents, Esther and Herschel, such old fashioned names and grew up alongside a brother named Larry. And David really embodied the standard definition of an all American man. And he did until the day he died. He was a quarterback for his high school football team and then went on to major in political science at Texas Tech University, where he graduated magna cum laude with hopes of pursuing a law degree. It was there at university that he met his future wife, Karen Garrett. Now he and Karen, who worked as a teacher, were married on July 25, 1981 after David completed law school. So going back for a sec to talk about that after obtaining his bachelor's degree in 1975, so six years before he got married, he went on to attend the Texas Tech University School of law, graduating in 1979 with a doctor of Jurisprudence or a Doctor of Law. He was a member of the honors society throughout his entire tenure at Texas Tech. So clearly a very intelligent, hard working guy. As a member of the American Bar association as well as the State Bar of Texas. David then began practicing law in Amarillo and worked as an attorney for multiple counties in the area. He was also actually quite passionate about the safety of women and children. So he was on the board for the Moore County Child Protective Services as well as the Boy Scouts of America. And he volunteered with Safeplace Inc. Which is a non profit domestic violence organization. So he was a big community man and truly just a man for the people. Now more recreationally since David's schedule obviously isn't packed enough. Heavy sarcasm there. He taught Sunday school at his church and he even sang in the choir. In 1982, when David was 28 years old, he and his wife Karen welcomed a daughter that they named Julie Lauren, who went just by Lauren and Karen, recalled that David was a loving and devoted husband and father who loved kids dearly. He was described in the media as the ultimate nice guy and family man. But onto his career again and what he spent much of his time doing. From 1986 to 1990, while he was in his 30s, David served as the Moore County Court at Law Judge in nearby Dumas, Texas. Then he lost his bid for reelection. So he began working at the law firm of Buckner, Lara and Swindell in the city of Amarillo. And that's what he was doing until the day he disappeared.

[Unknown]

Now, when it comes to David's incredibly strange and eerie disappearance, there's really only one source of reliable information from when it actually happened. And that is in the form of an article printed in multiple different publications across Texas on June 27, 1993. But after that, the information gets pretty scant. In Late January of 1993, 39 year old David was preparing for a football filled weekend. Meanwhile, Karen and their daughter Lauren, who was 10 years old at this time, were headed to Dallas for a long weekend to shop and have some girl time. While David was looking forward to the super bowl coming up on Sunday, which featured his beloved Dallas Cowboys. On Thursday, January 28, 1993, Karen and Lauren took the hour long flight to Dallas to save them the nearly six hour long drive. And David reported to work as usual. But he wound up leaving work around noon, telling coworkers that he wasn't really feeling well. After leaving, he stopped at a gas station and filled his tank on a credit card on his way home. Presumably, David went home for the afternoon to rest. But he did wind up teaching his weekly government class at Amarillo College, which concluded at 10pm that night. And as far as anybody knows, he was headed home after that. There were no reports from students or fellow teachers of any suspicious behaviors or movements on David's part. But the following day, Friday, January 29, a friend of his from his church in Dumas spotted him rushing through the Southwest Airlines terminal at the Amarillo International Airport. Now, he didn't appear to have any luggage or belongings with him, which was obviously a little bit odd. And it's unclear if David noticed the friend or not, but this seems kind of unlikely because he was apparently in what seemed like a big rush.

[Daphne]

Later that day, again, this is Friday, a police officer spotted what was believed to be David's car, which was a red Ford Explorer parked outside the Potter County Courts building in downtown Amarillo, just around the corner from City Hall. So very much not at the airport. And for reference, the airport is about 10 miles east and just about a 13 minute drive. It's just outside of the city. The officer reported seeing the vehicle at 10:30pm so hours after David was supposedly seen hurrying through the airport. Then the next day, Saturday, January 30, the day before the super bowl, and while Karen and Lauren were still having a weekend away in Dallas. David or someone with his bank card deposited $5,000 into his and Karen's bank account. So somebody put money or David put money into his joint account. By Saturday. The next day, the red Ford Explorer parked near the Potter County Courts building the night before had vanished. And David's red Explorer was then found parked at home, per one of his neighbors. And just by the way, at the time that these sightings are being made, no one knew to, like, keep track of David's whereabouts yet, so these reports came out afterwards. The police officer had happened to spot a vehicle he later would connect to David's case, and the neighbor would remember this detail of David's car being in the driveway. Just again, by happenstance, it's also a red vehicle, so probably easy to remember. Oh, yeah, no, I saw his car in the driveway yesterday. So that's what's happening. So it is unknown if the police officer who noted the suspiciously parked red Explorer was able to confirm via the license plate that the car did indeed belong to David. Nor has the sighting of him at the airport been confirmed with 100% accuracy, though his church friend claims that she was sure of what she had seen. But this was only the beginning of muddled information, messy timelines and unsubstantiated tips, sightings and rumors that have led David's case to go unsolved for more than 30 years. The next day, on Sunday, January 31, the Big Super Bowl. Sunday, a deputy spotted a man whom he claimed resembled David Lewis standing across the street from the Potter County Courts building where his car had supposedly been parked two days prior. On Friday, the deputy watched as this man photographed the red Ford Explorer, which was again parked in front of that building that afternoon. The highly anticipated super bowl was recorded on the family's VCR back at home. So David may have scheduled the recording to begin instead of starting it manually. But one source claims that he himself would have had to have pressed record as the players marched onto the field. And this distinction is still unknown, but obviously would be really good to know because this would tell us whether or not he was sitting in his home watching the game that evening or if he was somewhere else entirely.

[Unknown]

Well, that super bowl was a monumental one for Texas residents and sports fans alike, as the Dallas Cowboys were playing the Buffalo Bills. And this was a game that David had a vested interest in as an avid Texas sports fan. The game kicked off between the two competitors at 5:25pm Amarillo time, broadcasted from the Rose bowl in Pasadena, California. Notably, the coin toss was done by O.J. simpson and the halftime show was performed by Michael Jackson. Just to throw that in there obviously doesn't matter to the story, but it is kinda interesting. Now, later that night, shortly before midnight, Karen and Lauren returned from Dallas after a late night arrival at the Amarillo Airport. When they entered the house, Karen noticed that the lights had been left on and the VCR had not been manually stopped at the conclusion of the game, which would obviously make one think that David wasn't there to turn it off. Now, allegedly, the VHS tape, which had six hours of runtime, had filled up and ejected itself, though again, this detail has not been confirmed by law enforcement. At the house, neither David nor his car were present. There was still fresh untouched laundry in the dryer, and there were two newly made turkey sandwiches in the fridge, which Karen assumed David had made to eat for dinner during halftime, but just hadn't gotten around to doing so. Or as we wonder now, hadn't been home to do so because something happened. Strangely, his wedding ring and his watch had been left behind inside the house. Though Karen hadn't heard from him about his plans for the evening, she, for whatever reason, assumed that he was in the office working late, despite it being Super Bowl Sunday. Or perhaps he decided to enjoy the game at the home of a friend.

[Daphne]

Which many people do, especially for something as big as the Super Bowl.

[Unknown]

Well, either way, she just wasn't too worried at this point because he was a grown man and he could have easily popped out to do something.

[Daphne]

And they were so tired. They had just had a very long few days of having fun, mother and daughter. So the two just went to sleep. And the following morning, Monday, February 1st, Karen awoke to find that David had neither contacted her nor returned home, which she found really odd. Meanwhile, that same day, a cab driver in Dallas claims that he drove a man who matched David's description from a hotel to the nearby Dallas Fort Worth airport, which again, is where Karen and Lauren had just been the day before. The driver remembered that the passenger appeared to be nervous and flustered, fumbling through a thick wad of $100 bills to pay his cab fare, which I want you guys to remember because I think that is such an interesting detail. So, I mean, let's talk about this for a second because this is really weird. If this was David, he would have needed to go take the hour flight to Dallas from Amarillo and get a hotel room likely the day before. Right? Like, this is just so odd. But it's also tough because David didn't have like a terribly unique appearance. And I also feel like it's difficult to be able to confirm a stranger's identity like this, especially later on, because again, this guy, this cab driver, while he's driving him, he's not saying, hey, you were just reported missing in Amarillo. He doesn't know that this was reported later. And I was actually thinking about this. My sister called me earlier and she just mentioned that her husband was at lunch and he was approached by this, you know, young woman who said, oh, are you Charlotte's husband? Like, tell her I said hi. And my sister literally sent him a photo to confirm if it was a particular girl who he had just seen minutes earlier. And he said that he didn't know and he had just seen her. So was this cab driver correct? He probably sees so many people. It's not like he's looking at David or any of his passengers the whole ride other than in the rearview mirror. You know, I don't know. But with what's to come, this potential sighting in Dallas is such a spooky possibility.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I mean, I agree with you that it's, that it's kind of hard. But I wonder what made this cab driver think initially that this was in fact David. Like, I don't know, did he see a picture of him? Did he see him on the news? I mean, how did he get this information that this guy who was missing was the same guy in his cab?

[Daphne]

I have no idea, honestly.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I mean, to me this sounds like it probably isn't connected with what's to come. It's hard for me to believe that this situation unfolded that way. But we will get into that in a bit.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Because we are going to talk about another sighting of David that is very, very, very, very, very credible that happened that same day. And I'll tell you right now, it wasn't even in Texas. So take this with a grain of salt, but definitely an interesting thing for this cab driver to claim. But back in Amarillo, the afternoon rolled around and Karen still had not heard from her husband after he missed two back to back appointments that day at work, which is something that very responsible and hard working David would not have done. Karen called the police to report her 39 year old husband missing. Within hours of the missing persons report being filed, police came upon his red Ford Explorer still parked outside the Potter county courts building where it had been spotted twice by two different deputies in the days before. Inside were his car keys stuck under the floor mat. His wife Karen did Later say that this was something he usually did. I feel like back in the day, a lot of people did this, or they put him and, you know, in the sun. What is that thing called?

[Unknown]

The visor?

[Daphne]

Yes, of course, the visor. So this wasn't too weird that it was found like that. But also on top of this, his checkbook, his driver's license, and two credit cards were also inside his car. So all of his very important items that you'd want to keep on you. Further complicating matters and giving credence to the idea that perhaps he had staged his own disappearance was the fact that David had reportedly purchased two different airline tickets for the weekend that he disappeared. On Super Bowl Sunday, Jan. 31, 1993, a plane ticket in David's name was purchased from Dallas to Amarillo. So. But remember, this is the day before a cab driver said that he drove him from a Dallas hotel to the Dallas airport. So. So that's really weird. And then that wouldn't explain how he even got to Dallas. But unfortunately, whether or not the ticket was used is unknown, Though it seems like a striking coincidence that his wife and daughter happened to be in Dallas at the time. But David never conveyed any plans to Karen that indicated he planned to join them or also go there separately. Then the following day, Monday, February 1, 1993, a second ticket was purchased in David's name, this time from Los Angeles to Dallas with a layover in Amarillo. And why layover in Amarillo if that's where you live? But then maybe that would say that he didn't go from Dallas to Amarillo the day before, like he had allegedly purchased in a ticket. And now he's somehow in LA and needs to get back to Dallas and not just go straight to Amarillo like this flight would have done.

[Unknown]

Anyway, what's really interesting here is that kind of none of this actually matters, though, because back in the day, you actually didn't have to have identification to be able to purchase a plane ticket. So there could have been, you know, a David Lewis, a different David Lewis altogether, that had purchased these tickets, but nobody really knows if this particular David Lewis from Amarillo, Texas, was the one who did it. So it's. It's really hard to say here.

[Daphne]

Yeah, and David Lewis is obviously not a super unique name either, so it could have absolutely been somebody else. But. But it's still so weird to think about the fact that a different David Lewis would buy tickets to these places at that very same time that he went missing. And then there's the weird Dallas connection. Like, it's hard for me to believe this would be in a different David Lewis altogether, but it's absolutely possible because not only again could they not confirm if any David Lewis did take any of these flights, but they couldn't confirm who exactly it was and if it was this David Lewis.

[Unknown]

Well, in speaking with investigators, Karen revealed that David had received death threats sometime before his disappearance, though he wouldn't explain to her exactly what was going on, likely for fear of Karen's own safety. So it's very likely that maybe he had some dangerous secrets that the investigation would definitely love to know about. Now, once he moved into private law practice and began working for Buckner, Lara and Swindell, Karen says that there are two possible cases in which he may have made enemies. One was a lawsuit brought forward by a convicted murderer named Bobby Templin against his former father in law, Norbert Schlegel. So basically, Bobby had been accused of murdering his young wife via electrocution at their home in Rattan, Texas, which is about three hours west of the Dallas Fort Worth area on April 11, 1976. The victim, 20 year old Rhonda Templin, who had been married to Bobby for only three years, was taking a bath in their tub, though some sources claim that it was actually a shower when Bobby allegedly placed a live electrical wire under her arm. So horrifically, when the shock hit the water, Rhonda was electrocuted and she was killed. Now, Bobby claimed that it was an accident, but Rhonda's parents leveled a lawsuit against him, claiming that Bobby stood to gain $10,000 or over $50,000 today for an accidental death insurance policy on Rhonda's life. Her father, Norbert, later leveled a civil suit against Bobby with the only motivation being to have a continuing investigation into the death of our daughter. The prosecution later claimed that he had a penchant for this behavior because two of his cousins and his uncle testified that as young as 10 years old, a little bit of an animal abuse warning here, Bobby would electrocute dogs and cats for fun, which is absolutely disgusting. And this would say a lot about his character and violent nature. But of course, Bobby denied all of this.

[Daphne]

Well, initially, Bobby was sentenced to 99 years in prison for his wife's believed murder. But his conviction was eventually overturned because this revelation was found inadmissible in court due to it being hearsay as well as a decade prior. However, at his next trial, Bobby was again found guilty of murder and sentenced to 99 years for a second time. And here's where David comes in. Because he was hired to represent Bobby in a libel suit that Bobby actually filed against the victim's father, Norbert in 1992 after hearing that Norbert had spoken in the press of Bobby's Ted Bundy like charm. So remember, this was only a year before David disappeared. So David was representing Bobby in the lawsuit until Bobby himself withdrew it. When questioned if his former son in law would have been involved in whatever happened to David, Norbert Schlegel himself weighed in on David's disappearance, actually saying, I think someone abducted David and killed him. But he said that it had most likely not involved Bobby because he didn't have any money and he also had obviously no means of orchestrating a murder from behind prison walls. Norbert continued saying, what would be the motive? He wouldn't have gained anything.

[Unknown]

And I agree with this. It's not like he did something to Bobby in particular. All he did was represent Bobby in a case that Bobby himself withdrew.

[Daphne]

So yeah, I think, I don't know, I feel like police probably looked into it, knowing how violent Bobby was. Like they were kind of like, we need something here.

[Unknown]

I think they were just grasping at straws totally.

[Daphne]

And there is another case that honestly, like you're saying, Heath is pretty similar in that it's probably not involved. But I'll tell you guys about it anyway, so. Because Detective Smith, Detective James Smith, who worked on this case, did investigate this as a possible connection because there was a $3 million lawsuit brought against David by several lawyers and an engine oil additive company whom David formally represented. David was the final key party who was awaiting deposition for the trial. And strangely, Karen reported after his disappearance that David's files on this case were, were gone. And there have been no reports about what happened to them, where they may have gone or whether they were ever recovered. However, his fellow attorney claimed that the other members of the lawsuit stood to gain nothing from taking David out of the equation as well because he bore no personal or financial responsibility for the outcome of the case. So this was kind of a dead end too.

[Unknown]

I mean, I think it has a little bit more of a plausibility just because money was involved. I mean, you're thinking about $3 million. That's quite a bit of money back in 1993. So I would see this as more plausible, but I do agree, probably not the conclusion of David's disappearance.

[Daphne]

Yeah, I agree with you. And I think if in the, the Bobby situation, if, in that case, you know, I don't know if David, like, fumbled the case and it is what sent Bobby to prison or something. If there was kind of, um, something more along those lines where David's actions directly resulted in somebody getting screwed over, that would make more sense. But none of this is making any connection. Nobody has any reason to get rid of him, at least as far as we know. Um, but like you were saying earlier, Heath as well, he was getting death threats. So what were those about? We, we don't know.

[Unknown]

Well, Detective James Smith worked on the case for months straight, including investigating a possible connection to his upcoming court case. Detective Smith mused, I changed my mind a lot on this. I wake up at two in the morning thinking, whatever happened to David Lewis? As days and then weeks passed, Karen was just dumbfounded at the lack of information into her husband's whereabouts. She said in an interview, there's just no explanation. Where did he go? From the Explorer. All the families suspect foul play. We have from day one now. At first, detectives announced that they believed foul play was involved. But as time wore on, their suspicions were essentially evenly distributed between abduction, suicide, and also David voluntarily walking away from his family and his Life. On Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1993, nearly 11 months after David disappeared, the Amarillo Police Department announced that they were suspending their search for David Glenn Lewis and taking James Smith off the case full time. And after months of speculation, Amarillo police announced that they had concluded that foul play was not likely and were instead leaning towards the conclusion that David was the mastermind behind his own disappearance. Lt. Ed Smith with the special crimes unit told the press, we have inactivated the case, which means that we have no more leads to go through if he ever shows up. His name is listed as missing, though his family and especially his wife and daughter proclaimed their certainty that he would not have left on his own volition, the press reported. Months into the investigation, officers said that they were stumped by conflicting signs. Lewis was abducted, killed himself, or simply walked away from a high profile civic and professional life. But James Smith responded to this dejectedly by saying, if we thought there was some foul play, we'd still be working on it. Karen and Lauren were forced to move on despite their suspicions that something in David's life had gone seriously wrong and it would be more than 10 years before his remains were connected to his death, despite having died the same day that he was reported missing.

[Heath]

Don't miss the Hulu original docu series Devil in the Family. The Follow Ruby Frankie My wife created a YouTube channel.

[Daphne]

Thumbs up. Subscribe.

[Unknown]

But only what we wanted to show.

[Heath]

I'm still recording a three part series of that. She said the children were demonically possessed.

[Unknown]

Get out.

[Heath]

That blew the powder keg.

[Unknown]

Ruby crossed a line to psychotic 9 online emergency. Open the door.

[Heath]

Hulu's Devil in the Family the Fall of Ruby Frankie all episodes available February 27th streaming on Hulu.

[Daphne]

On Monday, February 1st, 1993. The day after the Super Bowl. The day that a David Lewis had a returning flight to Dallas from Los Angeles with a stop in Amarillo. On this same day, on a stretch of Highway 24 in Yakima County, Washington, near the small, small town of Moxie, a hit and run incident occurred that left a man deceased. For those who don't know if you live in a different country, Washington is two states above California and a few hours flight from Los Angeles, where David very well may have been headed. This deceased man was referred to as a John Doe for 11 years. And thanks to the hard work of Washington State Patrol Detective Pat Ditter, these remains were finally linked to David Glenn Lewis in 2004.

[Unknown]

Okay, so, so weird that he ends up in a completely different state than the states that we've been talking about already. Texas, Los Angeles, I mean California, but still. Yeah, it's, it's so weird that he's in Washington.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And it's not like anywhere that he was, was on a border and he was just over the border like Washington, where he is, Yakima County, Washington is nowhere near any of this. So it is honestly wild to me that this connection was ever made at all. But here's how it happened. So, using old photographs and missing persons information in an effort to actually close decades old cold cases, Pat Ditter began cross referencing his local cases with missing persons cases from other states. And that's when he came upon David Lewis. So he scoured Google for a week before finally settling on David, who resided of course about 1600 miles or over 2500km away from where he had been found dead on the side of the road in Washington State. Larry Lewis, David's brother, spoke gratefully about Pat's detective work saying, quote, if he hadn't looked at those cases, we would still be back at square one thinking he's alive and going to give us a call one of these days. He did an excellent job and I mean, what a crazy revelation to have when you know, as his brother to say, oh my God, he's been in Washington this whole time and he was found and he was hit and died that same day that he was reported missing. And we just had no idea. It makes you wonder how many other cases are like this.

[Unknown]

It honestly just gives you chills because you think about the fact that, you know, it had been 11 years and it's not like he went missing and then, you know, a couple of years later, he died somewhere else. It's like the same day that he was reported missing is when he was struck and killed on the side of that road in Washington. So why was he. Why was he there? What was he doing? You know, it's just crazy.

[Daphne]

It's beyond perplexing. And as far as his family was concerned, David, by the way, had no ties to central Washington or Washington State or the Pacific North Northwest. Really sorry. And his reason for being there remains a mystery to this very day. So relatives still maintain that he was abducted, according to witnesses who drove past him that night. The night he died, David had been walking along Highway 24 near Ravard Road in Moxie, Washington, along a dark stretch of highway and had been virtually unnoticeable by motorists. Now, Moxie is a small community just outside of the Yakima reservation in central Washington, only minutes southeast of the city of Yakima. And I know we were just talking about how this location is really strange, but I want to go into it a little bit deeper for a second. I mean, I don't want to put too much credence in the return flight from Los Angeles to Dallas because it's so confusing as it is. We don't know for sure if it was this David Lewis, even though I feel like that would be so weird if it was a different one that very day.

[Unknown]

You know, it would be.

[Daphne]

But I don't know the David Lewis population. So that's not for me to speak on. But for those who have not, you know, driven on the West Coast, Heath and I live in la. Heath is from Oregon, as many of you guys know. So I just want to put this into perspective a little bit for you guys. So driving from Los Angeles up to Washington is a straight shot up the I5 freeway. Like, Los Angeles is right on the I5. Portland, Oregon is right on the I5. Seattle, Washington is right on the I5. But Yakima is about three hours east of the I5. So it's not like maybe he road tripped up and then just popped off the highway and something happened. That doesn't make sense anyway, because as we'll get into, there were no reported sightings of him hitchhiking or somebody saying that, oh, I drove him up there. Actually, we had a long 15 hour drive from L. A. To Washington together. Yeah, actually, it would be more than that. Would probably be like 18 hours. It just makes it feel even more random, especially him being in this small area of Yakima County. It makes absolutely no sense.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And there's no receipt of him buying a flight anywhere in Washington. You know, I don't know if there's an airport in Yakima. I'm not sure. I'm sure there is an airport somewhere in eastern Washington, but who knows? Did he fly into there? Was he. You know, was he flown by someone else on a private plane? Like what? Like what happened here? And I mean, even weirder. It's not like he was spotted in a diner with a business associate. He's just walking along a road alone.

[Daphne]

Right.

[Unknown]

Well, multiple motorists recall seeing David laying along the road, though whether this was before or after he was struck is unknown. Around 10:30pm on the evening of Monday, February 1, 1993, a few cars actually doubled back after seeing David, hoping to report what they were seeing in an effort to save him. But by the time these cars drove by again, it was just too late. David had been struck and laid dead on the side of the road. Other drivers in the vicinity at the time he was struck by a vehicle reported seeing a Chevy Camaro having been the car who hit him. But no one knows the identity of the driver or whether or not the driver had been with David at any point in time, which is a whole.

[Daphne]

Other angle of this case. Like, is the fact that we don't even know who hit him. We don't know how he got here. So did the person who hit him have something to do with his disappearance? Yeah, with. With how he got to Washington in the first place, or was. Did he get there in some other fashion? And I won't speculate on that right now. And then, because he was walking in the road, he got hit. But then why would he be walking in the road to get hit? Like, I. I can't. I can't figure this out.

[Unknown]

Yeah, none of it really makes any sense. Well, when David's body was removed from the highway for his autopsy, he was not found to have any drugs or alcohol in his system. He had no identification and no belongings with him, except for the thick pair of glasses which he always wore, though he was not wearing the glasses at the time, they were instead stashed in his pocket. His family noted that David's eyesight was very poor, and he would not have been able to see without them. In fact, it was These distinctive glasses that eventually linked the John Doe back to David Lewis. And when Pat Ditter spotted these glasses on the websites for the Doe Network and the Texas Department of Public Safety, he suspected that there was a link between the two. And on Monday, October 4, 2004, confirmation was made via a DNA match between David's remains and. And his mother, Esther. His family was notified the next day, and the announcement was made in the press later that week.

[Daphne]

At the time of his death, David had not been wearing any jewelry or easily identifiable accessories. And strangely, this is really odd. He was clad in distressed army fatigues and work boots. And this. I mean, this really came as a huge shock to his wife, Karen. This made no sense to her because she wasn't aware that he was in possession of such an outfit. And he really took great pride in his appearance. He always looked nice.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Always dressing to the nines.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And so this just added another mysterious layer to the case. Like, if you, Heath, were found somewhere in army fatigues, I'd be like, what?

[Unknown]

Yeah, like, what the hell happened to you?

[Daphne]

Yeah, I mean, it doesn't. I will. I do want to add actually, in Yakima, there is the Yakima Training Army Base. So that could help explain this. I mean, it can't help explain this because it's still. We still don't know why he was wearing these. I want to say right now that I did read online a lot of people mentioned that, you know, it was the 90s, and so wearing maybe army fatigues would make somebody more likely to pick you up if you were hitchhiking because they wanted to help the vets. But still, like, that's such a. Like, how would David have the foresight to. To think, oh, you know, I'm gonna go buy some army fatigues, and that'll make it. That'll make me more likely to be picked up by. By a driver. What?

[Unknown]

Yeah, this detail is really weird to me, like, because I can see a couple different scenarios if I was to speculate on this. Like, if he was abducted and, you know, was at some, like, work camp or, like, I don't know, or. Or maybe he was. Thought he was being chased and this was his way of kind of, like, trying to. I don't know, maybe he was, like, getting away from Texas because someone was after him and he needed to be very discreet about his look and change.

[Daphne]

It up and whatever would be totally different to. Nobody would expect for him to be wearing fatigues, but.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Daphne]

Obviously, this sparked a number of conspiracy theories, including that Maybe David was a part of some military operation that he was killed as collateral damage or like a warning sign to others. But we know how busy David was. What are the chances he's a part of some mysterious military operation on top of helping women in domestic violence situations, helping kids, being an attorney, being a dad, being a husband, like working at Sunday school and being in a choir. What?

[Unknown]

Yeah. I mean, and it's weird because there's no, like, evidence of him joining any group or, you know, being picked up by some military operation. There's just no evidence of that. So it's hard to, like, it's hard to go there. You know what I mean?

[Daphne]

Yeah. And this could very well mean nothing. Some people wonder if maybe somebody forced him to wear it so that it would throw investigators off the trail and nobody would connect the cases over time. But, I mean, it's really anybody's guess. Well, based on what was missing from his closet, Karen believed that he had actually been clad in green sweatpants at the time of his disappearance. But those have never been recovered. And obviously he wasn't wearing those when he was found. And that's another part of this as well. Nowadays, I love flying in sweatpants. You know, anytime I think about the old days or even current days, like, anytime I see a man in a full suit on an airplane, I know he's probably traveling for business, But I. That is wild to me, fur this.

[Unknown]

Thing away from what I would do.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Like, we want to be comfy on a plane, of course. But this was the early 90s, and we know that David always dressed nice, so he wouldn't have just thrown green sweatpants on and gotten on a flight, or at least according to his wife, so. And then there was nothing else missing. So what was he wearing when he left the house? How did he leave the house? Where did he go from there? And how did he get in the fatigues in Washington state? So, because the discovery of his body back in 1993 and the circumstances therein, because they were so suspicious, David was unable to be identified. So he was buried in an unmarked grave in March of 1993, until his true identity was finally revealed 11 years later. The manner of death was ruled an accident at the time because they had no reason to think it was suspicious. Right. This is just an unknown man walking along a road, and he happened to get hit. But now, since so much time has passed, his body being found really just brings way more questions than answers.

[Unknown]

And though his family maintained that he had no history of mental illness, he had complained that he hadn't been feeling well just three days before he disappeared. And maybe the pressure of his high powered job, as well as an impending lawsuit with lawyers from his former firm, was kinda getting to him. Or at least police have speculated on this. Really, the most confounding detail is how David managed to travel from Amarillo to Moxie in just over 24 hours without being seen or tracked. And with these confusing flights added in from Amarillo to Dallas and from LA to Dallas that weekend. And for those wondering, the drive itself would have taken nearly 24 hours without stops. And remember, David's credit cards were not used and his Ford Explorer remained in Amarillo. And remember, it was downtown, so it was not parked at his house. So how he could be seen by a police officer in town on Sunday, January 31, and then turn up suspiciously dead in another part of the country is puzzling to say the least. Especially if we're to believe that he himself pressed record on that VCR to capture the Super Bowl. He would have had to do this at 5:30pm on Sunday night, and by 10:30pm on Monday night, he was dead on the side of the road in Washington. If someone had taken him forcibly from Texas to Washington, maybe they took turns driving in order to complete the drive in as little time as possible. Maybe David himself hitchhiked or flew there. Though it would be pretty surprising that no witnesses came forward to report sightings of him during his journey in between the two states.

[Daphne]

The only thing I'll say about that is because nobody in Washington knew to be on the lookout for David Lewis. Yeah, it's possible that they, that the person that did help him potentially just didn't come forward because they haven't heard about this case to this day. This is not like the Zodiac cases. This is such a lesser known story even now. So I wouldn't be that surprised that no one came forward. But I still am not of the belief that he just hitchhiked. And then of course we know that there were no other flights in his name, but I mean, if he were coerced, a private plane could have potentially been involved.

[Unknown]

Yeah, and I just wish, I really wish that we had some sort of witnesses throughout the time, you know, there was a few days that David was apparently traveling. I just wish we had a few witnesses from other places, maybe from Washington that had seen him somewhere. But I mean, yeah, a stranger blows into town, you don't really pay attention.

[Daphne]

Well, also thinking about how his church friend saw him on Friday. So two days before he really went missing. Saw him on Friday rushing through the Amarillo airport. So what was that about? Because he didn't have a flight scheduled that day. So then you wonder, was he potentially using a different name? And there are other flights that we don't know about. Did he have a false identity that we're not considering? Because did he get on a plane that day? What was that about?

[Unknown]

Or did someone kind of, like, misremember the situation? And maybe he was dropping his wife and daughter off at the airport because they were traveling to Dallas, but they.

[Daphne]

Went the day before that. And I think if she was at the airport on Friday, you know, she would have had a trip planned, and she would know for sure it was that day. So that just adds another layer.

[Unknown]

And, of course, we do have to consider, you know, the possibility that he did leave on his own accord, though his family has frowned on this. Some have speculated that David leaving his wedding ring and watch behind was symbolic, that maybe he didn't want to be identified, knowing that his body would be found. Or perhaps he left them as a gift to Karen so that she could have them to remember him by.

[Daphne]

But why?

[Unknown]

Yeah, I don't know. But this outcome does somewhat kind of aligned with David depositing a large sum of cash shortly before he vanished. Though his family maintains in no uncertain terms that this is not what happened and that he would never have walked away from his job, his family, and his responsibilities in such a careless way.

[Daphne]

Yeah, people have all sorts of reasons to want to start a new life. Tons of people have secrets. But the way this all happened is just too confusing. He had a great job. He had a great life with his little family. He helped his community. He didn't seem like a flat, flighty person. It just feels so off. And I think some of the biggest questions remain. Where did that 5k come from? And why was he allegedly taking a photo of his own car downtown? Because, remember, an officer said that he identified David. Essentially, you know, he remembered later. Oh, wait, I saw that guy taking a picture of the red Ford Explorer downtown. Why the hell would he do that?

[Unknown]

Yeah, and then they made the link, the connection that that was David taking the picture.

[Daphne]

I mean, I've read so many theories about case from people wondering if he was maybe helping a victim of domestic abuse escape to Washington. Like some people question his wife because she allegedly refused to take a polygraph test. Some question if he was committing a crime and the flights were his alibi, like, you name it. Every. Every theory exists on this case because there is so little information, so few answers. And sadly, due to a lack of public information, the loss of 11 years of valuable investigation time before his body was linked to his disappearance, and the low amount of publicity the case has received, who knows if this case will ever find resolution. David's father, herschel, died in 2010. His brother Larry died in 2015, and his mom Esther followed in 2019. Without ever knowing what really happened to David that weekend. Thankfully, Karen and Lauren were able to move forward with their lives in some ways. In 2013, Lauren got married, and her dad's college ring and wedding ring were affixed to her bouquet in his honor. And we can only hope that someday she will have answers as to why her father was taken far too soon. Foreign thank you so much, everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Unknown]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I always say that I want to know what you guys think about a case, but this case in particular, I really got to know what you guys think. So please head on over to our socials. We're on Instagram @goingwestpodcast, and we're also on Facebook. We have a discussion group there. And let's chat about this case.

[Daphne]

I mean, this case is like this, where it feels so impossible to have some kind of idea in your mind as to what happened because there's so many missing parts. And, I mean, I know that everything seems confusing until you have the answers, because when you have answers, it's like, oh, well, he was here because of this, because this happened. So I just wish so bad that the investigation had more obviously, because it's unsolved, though there may very well be a lot of things that the police know that we don't. So again, hopefully at some point there will be some answers. And yeah, check out our socials. Let us know what you guys think.

[Unknown]

And again, one big thank you to Todd and Kate for recommending today's case.

[Daphne]

Just one.

[Unknown]

Oh, well, that was. I don't know why I said that. I'm really dumb right now.

[Daphne]

No, you're good.

[Unknown]

Anyway, well, we love you guys. And so for everybody out there in.

[Daphne]

The world, tell Be a Stranger.