Gone on Christmas: Parris Hopson & Za'zell Preston // 565

Summary

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Going West: True Crime

Episode 565 - "Gone on Christmas: Parris Hopson & Za'zell Preston"
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft ("Sam"), Heath Merryman
Date: December 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special double-feature episode, hosts Daphne and Heath discuss two haunting true crime cases which both occurred on or around Christmas Day, each marked by tragedy and unanswered questions. They first delve into the puzzling 2019 disappearance of Parris Hopson in Ohio, followed by the devastating 2011 murder of Za’zell Preston in California. These stories underscore how a holiday that typically symbolizes unity and comfort can become the setting for heartbreak, secrets, and tragedy.

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Case 1: Disappearance of Parris Hopson (Massillon, Ohio, 2019)

Background and Family Tragedy

• Parris Hopson was a gifted writer and event planner, described as exceptionally bright, close with family, and dedicated to justice.
• In 2017, her younger brother, Perry Jr., died in a still-unsolved car accident involving a driver who was never identified—he was found in the passenger seat of his own car, which crashed in a no-passing lane ([07:00]).
• The family, particularly Parris, was haunted by the lack of closure and actively sought answers.

The Disappearance (Christmas Day, 2019)

• Parris and her mother, Rachelle, drove from Columbus to Massillon to spend Christmas with family.
• Parris was noticeably anxious and agitated, and spent parts of the morning pacing ([12:30]).
• Around 2:30 pm, she told her mom she was going for a walk to clear her head, reportedly heading toward Shriver Park. She was seen by a neighbor, seemingly looking for someone ([13:59]).
• Later, her cell phone, credit cards, and ID were found in the car outside the house. The last text she sent was to her church pastor asking about Christmas services ([14:45]).

Notable Quote

• "She's extremely intelligent and has many goals in life... she would never walk away from them." — Rachelle Hopson ([15:26])

Initial Search and Police Response

• Family searched on Christmas Day; police were initially dismissive, assuming Parris had left voluntarily ([15:21]).
• After a formal missing person report was filed, local searches (including with search dogs) and a review of a tip from a Dollar General store led nowhere ([17:48]).

Theories, Suspicions & Evidence

• The family and private investigator suspected that Parris’ efforts to uncover the truth about her brother’s death might have put her in danger.
• She apparently possessed a burner phone linked to her personal investigation, which has never been recovered ([21:00]).
• Significantly, Parris emailed an attorney just prior, claiming she was being blackmailed ([22:04]).

Notable Quotes

• "She’s telling an attorney that she feels like she’s being blackmailed, and then right after that, she goes missing." — Heath ([22:04])
• "It did seem like she was going around to these circles and was pressing people who may have been innocent, but may have actually known more or have been responsible." — Sam ([22:48])

Unresolved Status & Family Appeal

• No new evidence has led to a resolution; family and investigators believe she may have been abducted and murdered, possibly due to her investigation into Perry’s death.
• Remains have never been found despite river proximity and search efforts.
• As of the episode, Parris has been missing for nearly six years. Her case remains unsolved, and her mother continues to seek answers ([24:46]).

Notable Quote

• "I just don’t want to lose hope. I just want to know that she’s okay. We just want some answers..." — Rachelle Hopson ([24:46])

Details for Public Awareness

• $5,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
• Description: 5'2", 220 lbs, African American, dark brown hair/eyes, notable tattoos ([26:00]).

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Case 2: Murder of Za’zell Preston (Anaheim, California, 2011)

Early Life and Family

• Za’zell ("Z.Z.") Preston was known as bright, talented, and deeply caring, coming from a large, supportive family.
• She became a mother of two daughters in her late teens.

Relationship and Abuse

• Met William Wallace, who had a history of violent outbursts. Despite repeated abuse, Za’zell married him, possibly hoping for change ([35:56]).
• The couple’s relationship involved cycles of abuse, jail time for William, and Za’zell accepting him back after each release.
• Za’zell sought training in domestic violence advocacy, both for herself and to help others ([38:20]).

Notable Quote

• "As a domestic violence advocate, I will show these victims that there is a light at the end of the dark, gloomy tunnel." — Za’zell, from her school essay ([39:25])

The Christmas Day Murder (2011)

• William had been released from prison five months prior. Za’zell gave birth to their son, Marcel, seven weeks before the incident.
• On Christmas Day, after a night of heated argument, Za’zell’s daughter found her mother sitting upright on the couch, with sunglasses on, cold and unresponsive. William told the children their mom was "drunk and ruined Christmas" ([43:09]).
• Paramedics found Za’zell deceased for hours, staged to appear alive for her children as they opened gifts.

Notable Quotes

• "She was not drunk. She was deceased." — Heath ([43:05])
• "He beat and tortured my daughter and... mentally assassinated her children. He showed her no mercy. Let’s show him no mercy." — Sydel (Za’zell’s mother), at sentencing ([52:08])

Investigation, Trial, and Aftermath

• William claimed Zazel’s death was accidental, that she drunkenly fell into a glass table ([44:26]).
• Evidence and autopsy showed she’d been dead for hours, and numerous testimonies detailed William’s violent history ([50:54]).
• In 2021, after nearly a decade awaiting trial, William Wallace was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life (serving nine years in custody already) ([52:08]).

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Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Parris Case: The chilling convergence of a missing person’s investigation, a mysterious blackmail email, and the unresolved suspicion surrounding her brother’s fatal accident.
  • "It kind of proves that she had intentions to be back. Well, also inside the car were her credit cards and her id, leading Rachelle to believe that she couldn’t have gone far.” — Heath ([14:50])
• Za’zell Case: The heart-wrenching narrative of domestic abuse, with the murderer orchestrating Christmas morning to mask his crime.
  • “He killed her, dragged her body out, propped her on the couch, and made the kids open presents in front of her.” — Sam ([45:07])

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Timestamps & Key Segments

• [02:14] - Introduction to the double case and episode format
• [03:57] - Parris Hopson’s background and brother’s fatal accident
• [12:30] - Parris’s behavior on Christmas Day, disappearance details
• [21:00] - Discovery of burner phone and blackmail email
• [24:46] - Theories and family’s ongoing struggle
• [26:00] - Public awareness details for Parris’s case
• [34:00] - Introduction to Za’zell Preston case
• [35:56] - William Wallace’s abusive history and Za’zell’s advocacy
• [43:09] - The murder scene; William’s callous actions on Christmas morning
• [49:45] - Arrest, district attorney’s statement
• [50:54] - Trial, verdict, and sentencing details
• [52:08] - Za’zell’s mother’s powerful words at sentencing

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Tone and Final Thoughts

Daphne and Heath balance compassion with clarity and directness, offering thoughtful reflection on the devastating impacts of violent crime. The discussion is earnest and earnest, voicing solidarity with victims and frustration at institutional failures. The final appeal is for continued awareness—especially sharing Parris’s missing person info and remembering Za’zell’s tragic story to advocate against domestic violence.

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How to Get Involved

• Share Parris Hopson’s information and missing poster to aid the family’s search for justice.
• Support domestic violence advocacy organizations.
• Contact Massillon Police Department (330-830-1735) with any tips on Parris’s case.

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For photos and updates, follow Going West on Instagram (@goingwestpodcast) and join their Facebook community.

Transcript

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[Host Sam]

Foreign.

[Host Heath]

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

[Host Sam]

And I'm your host Daphne.

[Host Heath]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Host Sam]

Hello everybody. How's the day going? Today we have maybe for the first time ongoing west. We have a double case today. We're gonna talk about two cases that are completely unrelated but they both really deserve to be told and We've had them on our list for this month, but there's just not enough information on either to cover for like a full episode. So since they both happened around actually on Christmas a few years apart, we wanted to just combine them. These are the stories of Paris Hopson and Zazelle Preston, and they are both so utterly confounding. And the second one, Zazel's case, man, it is disturbing beyond comprehension.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, I remember kind of looking for some holiday cases, some cases that took place around the holidays, and finding Zazel's case and just realizing how truly horrific that story really is.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, seriously. And then actually, thank you to Wendy. She recommended Paris Hopson. So without further ado.

[Host Heath]

Alright, guys, this is episode 565 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Host Sam]

In December of 2019, a young woman stepped out for a walk on Christmas Day after feeling angry, anxious at a family gathering. But she never returned eerily after she vanished. Her recent email to an attorney about being blackmailed surfaced alongside the suspicion that she had gotten too close to finding the person responsible for her brother's recent death. Years earlier, another family's Christmas celebration ended in a chilling discovery. A 26 year old wife and mother found dead inside her own home. Staged like a mannequin on her couch on Christmas morning, these two cases, though separated by time and circumstance, reveal how the holiday meant for comfort and togetherness can instead become the backdrop for secrets, deception, and unanswered truths. For some families, these are the stories of Paris Hopson and Zazelle Preston. Paris Hobson was born in 1993 to parents Rachelle and Perry Lee Hobson. And just over a year later, her younger brother, Perry Jr. Was born and the two remained close until adulthood. According to her mom, Paris was a gifted writer and a bright student, as well as a friend to everyone she encountered. She graduated from Massillon Washington High School in her hometown of Massillon, Ohio, before attending Cleveland State University. She worked as a freelance writer and a tutor, and she also did a stint working for Nationwide Insurance in Columbus. But most recently, she was working in event planning for the association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Though she did leave in October of 2019, just two months before she went missing. Now, two and a half years before her disappearance, her family suffered its first date devastating setback of the times when Paris's brother Perry was killed in a strange auto accident in which the perpetrator remains at large to this very day. And many people believe that the accident is directly to blame for Paris's eventual disappearance. As we will very much get into. I think I just said eventual.

[Host Heath]

I think you did. Yeah, I meant eventual.

[Host Sam]

Eventual. So here's what happened to her brother. So on June 16, 2017, 22 year old Perry was headed to work when his Oldsmobile collided with another car so violently that both vehicles were totaled and the other car actually flipped. And this of course injured its passengers. Now, luckily they did survive, but Perry wasn't so lucky. Strangely, Perry hadn't been the one driving the car, even though the car had belonged to him. So that's what I'm saying. The the driver is still at large, but it wasn't the other vehicle, it was Perry's vehicle. Now, Perry's car, which was an Oldsmobile Aero, sped by another vehicle in a no passing lane in Perry Township. Lots of Perry's. This is In Ohio, just 10 minutes east of Masalin. And this maneuver caused the head on collision with the other car at the scene of the accident. 22 year old Perry was found critically injured in the front passenger seat and he was rushed to the hospital where he was placed on life support. He was then transferred to a hospital in Columbus for the best care that he could be offered. While they hoped he would recover, I mean, Paris and her mom Rachelle even moved to Columbus over two hours southwest of Paris hometown to be closer to Perry while he recovered and was on life support. But after many months of just hoping for his condition to improve, Perry passed away on April 13, 2018, after being on life support for nearly a year with no improvement. But here's the eerie part again. The driver who caused the crash and Perry's death, who was driving Perry's car, fled from the scene and his identity remains unknown. Perry left behind a son named Kendrick, as well as a girlfriend who is six months pregnant with a daughter that they had actually decided to name Parrja, in part as a tribute to Paris.

[Host Heath]

Now, Paris was especially broken up over the death of her brother and vowed to expose the truth, searching hard for the person who was driving Perry's car that day. So the reminders of his fate haunted the Hopson family. In 2018, a local high school used Perry's car as a cautionary tale to warn against drunk driving, despite the fact that Perry had not been drunk. And there had of course been no confirmation that the driver of the car had been drunk, because obviously that person has not been located. So according to Paris, this stunt was hurtful and damaging to their family, serving not only as a harsh reminder of the tragedy they had just suffered, but also A misrepresentation of her brother's death, especially because it was the family's understanding that the car was still being held by the police as evidence.

[Host Sam]

Did you ever have that in high school? Like, a reenactment of, like, drunk driving?

[Host Heath]

I never had, like, a reenactment, but I did. We did have assemblies that kind of talked about drunk driving.

[Host Sam]

We had this. Literally, it, like, scarred me. It was out on the street in front of our high school, and it was like they used a car like this, like, a smashed up car. And there was, like, kids from the theater department who went out and acted like they had just gotten into a drunk driving accident. And there was, like, dead teenagers and, like, people screaming. And they made the whole, like, your whole class watch to warn against it. And I think it's like, I actually think it's a really smart thing to do because it is so uncomfortable and scarring and devastating to physically see it like that or, you know, in my situation, not yours, if yours was, like, an assembly. But, yeah, I think in this situation, they're just upset because they're like. Like you just said, they thought the car was with police, and they don't want it being used like this. They really just want justice for Perry. And it feels like they're kind of not mocking it, but.

[Host Heath]

Well, and it also just doesn't make sense because that's not what happened. You know, like, it wasn't a drunk driving accident.

[Host Sam]

And Paris actually spoke with a local news outlet about this, telling them, quote, anyone that was responsible for displaying the car should be held accountable for the pain and grief that they have brought upon our family and friends. Well, after over a year of trying to get to the bottom of her brother's untimely death and remaining in Columbus with her mom, Paris had yet to figure out what had happened. But she continued to take strides towards those answers, though she was very secretive about her findings and the developments. She was later found to have been in possession of a burner phone on which she was thought to be conducting this investigation for the Christmas holiday of 2019. So, again, this is two and a half years after Perry's accident and a year and a half after he was taken off life support. Paris and her mom, Rochelle, planned to drive back to their former town and hometown of Massillon from Columbus to visit family, most of whom still lived in Massillon. So on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, Rachelle reported that Paris seemed a little bit out of sorts, complaining that she hadn't been sleeping for the past few days. So she actually slept most of that two hour drive to her grandmother's house because that's where she and her mom were planning to spend the holiday. The next day, of course, Christmas morning, their extended family gathered to celebrate, But Paris seemed anxious and even agitated, though she didn't explain why. But that morning, her family noted that she was pacing and seemed nervous around the house when all else was holiday jolly. Mid afternoon around 2:30pm, Paris headed outside to take a walk, telling her mom that she wanted to clear her head. Again, giving no real details here, by the way, the sun set at around 5 5:04 that day in this area, so she's got two and a half hours until it gets dark. So Paris headed out on this walk and her family headed to a neighbor's house to visit, assuming that Paris would be back shortly. But she never resurfaced. The last time she was publicly spotted was when she was seen by a neighbor walking toward Shriver park on third street in Massillon, which was where she told her mom, Rochelle, she was headed. And supposedly it appeared as if she was looking for someone. And remember, this is where she was from. She lived there for many, many years, even into her young adulthood. So it's not like this was a strange place. But her odd behavior mixed with possibly looking for somebody, plus the burner phone was a bit perplexing.

[Host Heath]

So after the supposed simple walk turned into hours, Rochelle began to worry. I mean, after all, it is Christmas Day and they came all that way to be with family. Well, things are about to quickly take a turn because when she and the rest of the family headed outside to look for Paris, they spotted something alarming. Paris cell phone charging in the car which was parked out front. Now, they checked her phone, hoping to determine where she had gone and who she had left to go meet, but they weren't able to find anything suspicious. And actually, the very last text message that she sent was to the pastor of their church asking if the church was hosting a Christmas service that evening.

[Host Sam]

Which I think would prove that she was trying to get back to her family and hopefully go to church that night.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, it kind of proves that she had intentions to be back. Well, also inside the car were her credit cards and her id, leading Rachelle to believe that she couldn't have gone far because she didn't have any of her things. When the family began to panic and reported her missing that day, of course, as we've seen in many cases, police were just unbothered. You know, Paris is 26 years old, so they told Rochelle that it was likely that Paris would return of her own volition.

[Host Sam]

But again, she had none of her things. It's freaking Christmas.

[Host Heath]

Yeah. Where is she really gonna go?

[Host Sam]

Yeah. So Rachelle knew better, later saying she's extremely intelligent and has many goals in life, and she was determined to find out what happened to her brother Perry. For our family and for her niece and nephew, she would never walk away from them. Rachelle and their family joined forces and spent the rest of Christmas Day searching for Paris unsuccessfully. And when they couldn't find any sign of her, Rachelle returned to the police. And this time, an official report was filed.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, finally they're gonna start taking it seriously.

[Host Sam]

They're like, oh, okay, she still hasn't been found. Let's. Let's look for her. And by the way, this isn't a very big town at all. The city of Massillon had about 30,000 residents at this time. So not super big. Now, when investigators asked about the state of Paris's mental health at the time of her disappearance, her family was honest, and they admitted that they had noticed that she had been a little extra anxious and perhaps even depressed around the time of her disappearance. She had no history of mental health, afflictions, or drug problems. But Paris's cousin, Ashley Arnold, said that she may have been involved in an abusive relationship. Paris hadn't shared much, except to admit that the man that she had been seeing lately was attempting to alienate her from her friends and family, which we know is a typical early red flag for manipulative behavior. We see this a lot.

[Host Heath]

Yeah. And it's. It's very devastating when people do this.

[Host Sam]

Yeah. And it's just. It does feel like it's one of those first signs that somebody is trying to control you. They're trying to choose who you see, keep you for themselves. That is never okay. So this may have contributed to the stress that she was feeling leading up to her disappearance and may have even been connected to her disappearance. But this possibility has never been confirmed. We don't actually don't even know who this guy is, but Ashley shared quote, I'm hoping I'm staying positive, trying to stay strong for everyone. Maybe she's just somewhere needed to be by herself, needed to clear her head. In the days following Paris disappearance, a volunteer search team congregated to look for her on foot. And one resident even brought along his trained search dogs. But they failed to find any trace of her. Aside from the sighting of Paris passing by the neighbor. The only tip that came into law Enforcement was from a customer of a nearby Donner. Donald. My God. Dollar General.

[Host Heath]

Donner daughter, Duder.

[Host Sam]

Donner General. That's like a, you know, a dollar tree. Dollar store. So the caller swore they saw Paris purchasing tobacco inside the store after she had gone missing. But police diligently checked the security footage, and it turned out that it wasn't actually her.

[Host Heath]

I mean, it was great that they did call in this tip, but unfortunately, sometimes it's just not the person, and.

[Host Sam]

This happens so much. And, like, you're saying it is great, but. And luckily, they were able to prove this, because this could have thrown a little bit of a wrench in, but this was not Paris. Following the Dollar General tip, detectives reported that the tip line was mostly quiet. However, rumors swirled about how Paris wound up marrying someone and running away with him or that she was mentally unstable and checked herself into a treatment facility. Both of which feel so random and sudden and unlike her because, again, there.

[Host Heath]

Was no evidence that she ever, ever had any mental health afflictions or anything like that.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, and also, she left her phone, she left her purse. She left all of her belongings. She's never gonna go back to her home.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, I imagine, you know, and that's the perfect time to do it. On freaking Christmas Day. Yeah.

[Host Sam]

When you go take, like, a walk in the cold by yourself.

[Host Heath]

Not a chance.

[Host Sam]

It doesn't make any sense. Well, they also received multiple calls from people who claimed to be psychic, but none of the tips led them to Paris's whereabouts. Relle admitted that she had made a few statements that seemed to be out of character for Paris in the days leading up to the disappearance, but that she didn't feel her daughter was in such dire straits that she would take off on her own. Instead, Paris seemed on edge and even a bit paranoid, as if someone was following or watching her. And this brings us back to the accident, because Rachelle wondered instead if maybe there was someone who wasn't happy with Paris attempts to get to the bottom of her brother's sudden death and hold the responsible party accountable. Thus, her family came to the belief that Paris had some knowledge about her brother's death and the identity of the driver. In fact, Paris was apparently outspoken in her community and social circles about the person or people whom she suspected to be involved. And obviously, this person, or if it was more than one person, would have a lot of motive for this news to remain under the radar, because they're looking at serious time for vehicular manslaughter, probably failure to stop after an accident. Etc.

[Host Heath]

Right. So if they knew that Paris was getting too close, who knows what they could have done? Now, in hopes of tightening up their search, Paris family retained the services of a private investigator who performed an exhaustive search through Paris accounts and also her devices, hoping to reconstruct her conversation and her movements over the course of the last few days. And though he didn't find anything out of the ordinary, he did come to the belief that Paris was in possession of a burner phone, like we mentioned, which she was likely using to do her research regarding Perry's death.

[Host Sam]

Right. But because no one has ever been able to locate that phone, meaning she likely had it on her when she went missing, which makes this whole thing that much more suspicious, it's hard to know the extent of what was discussed. What was also very suspicious was that shortly before her disappearance, she emailed an attorney to tell him that she felt like she was being blackmailed.

[Host Heath]

I feel like that's a huge thing in this case because, you know, she. She's telling an attorney that she feels like she's being blackmailed, and then right after that, she goes, miss.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, and she has a burner phone. She's investigating a crime.

[Host Heath]

I mean, I think they should have dug into this portion of the story a little bit more.

[Host Sam]

I completely agree. Well, her mom weighed in on this conclusion by saying, quote, I know that there were some of Perry's friends that were kind of upset with her because she was kind of putting some pressure on him. Maybe you're hiding something. Maybe you do know something. So, yeah, it did seem like she was going around to these circles and was pressing people who may have been innocent, but may have actually known more or have been responsible. So. So this news, like, people in her town knew that she was looking into this, and that's why it's so easy to believe that the person responsible for Perry's death could have been involved with her. Maybe they were talking on the burner phone, they met up that Christmas, could.

[Host Heath]

Have been involved in the blackmailing.

[Host Sam]

Exactly like it's seems like it's all connected or potentially connected. Based on these suspicions, Relle tipped off investigators about a few people she believed may have been involved due to their past with Perry or their possible suspicion of being involved in his death. Ultimately, although names have never been made public, the family's private investigator believes it's most likely that Paris was abducted and murdered on the afternoon she went missing. If foul play is not to blame for Paris disappearance, the only other option seemed to be that of either suicide or an accident, which felt unlikely to those close to her. Based on all of the strangeness, though, it does seem odd that her body never surfaced. To this day, it has been almost exactly six years. The park that she was supposedly headed to, Shriver park, is situated only about a block from the Tuscarawas River. So it seems unlikely, kind of, that her remains would not have surfaced by now based on the residential area she disappeared from. But if she fell or jumped into the river, it's possible that she never surfaced. Or if her body was put into that river or somebody could have completely taken her out of the area. Like there's. This is not strange to me at all.

[Host Heath]

I mean, of course this is all just speculation because we really don't know because there is no evidence to prove anything at this point.

[Host Sam]

Exactly. But the most popular theory remains that she came up against someone who was fed up with Paris incessant and rightful quest for justice for her brother's death. Six months after her daughter disappeared, Rochelle said sadly, I just don't want to lose hope. I just want to know that she's okay. We just want some answers. Something to help us find out where she is. Someone to come forward with some sort of information. And her poor mom and family, of course. In just two and a half years, I guess technically one and a half years, she lost both of her kids in suspicious situations with no answers or justice for either of them. And they might be related.

[Host Heath]

I mean, it's just absolutely devastating the fact that she lost her son Perry. But then not only does she lose her daughter, but she loses her daughter on frickin Christmas Day, you know, one of the most jolly times of the year.

[Host Sam]

And even though Perry's killer hasn't been found, she knows where he is. She got to visit him in the hospital and see him and hope for him to get better. But Paris just vanished.

[Host Heath]

Well, right now a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Paris whereabouts. At the time of her disappearance, Paris was 26 years old, but she would now be 32 years old. She was 5ft 2 inches tall and weighed about 220 pounds. Paris was African American and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black boots with a gold buckle, jeans, a black pea coat and a burgundy striped shirt. Paris ears are also pierced. And she has a tattoo on her chest depicting a pair of lips and her name as well as a rose on her foot and another tattoo on her upper back. Please check out our socials for photos of Paris share her missing poster. It's very, very important. We need to get this information out there and if you have any information about Paris disappearance, please call the Massillon Police Department at 330-830-1735.

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

On December 19 based on the best selling novel, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in the Housemaid, a wildly entertaining thriller about a live in housemaid and the wealthy Winchester family experience a twisted world where perfection is an illusion and nothing is at as it seems. The shocking twists will leave you guessing until the very end. Can you keep a secret? The Housemaid Rate Rated R only in theaters December 19th. Get tickets now.

[Host Sam]

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[Host Heath]

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[Host Sam]

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[Host Heath]

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[Host Sam]

Please enjoy responsibly. When you finally take a break from diving into some of these intense cases, there's nothing better than relaxing with a glass of wine that you can count on. That's why we want to share Riva de la Rosa, an Italian white wine brand that's elegant, refreshing, and easy to enjoy.

[Host Heath]

Each glass of Riva Della Rosa feels like being transported to Italy. Bright, refreshing, and completely effortless.

[Host Sam]

They have two standout wines that we think you guys will Vermentino, which is crisp, vibrant, and smooth, and Gavi, which is bright, kind of flirty, and just the right touch of elegance.

[Host Heath]

And the best part is that every bottle has a screw cap, so it's easy to open anywhere, anytime, no corkscrew required.

[Host Sam]

Enjoy quality wine that pairs perfectly with a quiet dinner this fall or winter time with friends or simply winding down after a long day. Which is exactly what Heath and I did this weekend with a bottle of Vermentino. We made this beautiful fall fettuccine. It paired so well. It was so delicious. We had the whole bottle over dinner and we had just great conversation. You guys would love this wine.

[Host Heath]

Bring a little taste of Italy to your next wine night. Check out rivadellarosawine.com to find a bottle near you.

[Host Sam]

Disclaimer must be 21 plus. Please drink responsibly.

[Host Heath]

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. I'm sure a lot of you guys feel the pressure of the holidays, like balancing family expectations, lots of travel, and just trying to make everything perfect. And in the middle of all of that stuff, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself.

[Host Sam]

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[Host Sam]

Goingwest go to shopify.com goingwest shopify.com going. Eight years before Paris went missing, another eerie Christmas Day mystery occurred across the country in California when a wife and mother turned up deceased in the midst of the family's festivities in 2011. So now let's dive in to the devastating murder of Zezelle Preston. Zazelle Dominique Preston, often known as Z.Z. to her family and friends, was born on September 5, 1985 in Orange County, California. Joining parents Sydal and Larry, she grew up in a large and very close knit extended family consisting of sisters Lynetta and Ashoki and then brothers Corey, Damian and Marchant, as well as a large network of aunts, uncles and cousins. Like big, big family, growing up, Zazel was the light of her family. She was bubbly and bright, a very talented dancer who loved being in the spotlight. Around the time she graduated high school, Zazel and her teenage boyfriend found themselves pregnant at just 18 and they had their daughter who they named Ziona. Then five years later, they welcomed another daughter they named Valise. But this relationship wouldn't last and the pair split, leaving Zazel to parent her daughters on her own. And that is when Zazel met and began dating a man named William Wallace, a man four years her senior with a short fuse and a penchant for violence.

[Host Heath]

Yep, William Piece of shit Wallace.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, this guy would strip her spark away, and it ended up costing her her life. But Zazel was so taken with him that she overlooked his severe flaws, which included a violent temper and angry outbursts always directed towards Zazel. And yet they married and excitedly planned a future and a life together, Zazel likely hoping things could change or improve. But unfortunately, his abuse continued and even worsened as time went on.

[Host Heath]

Well, one family member of hers recalls stopping by their home in Anaheim, California. This is where Disneyland is, right next to Los Angeles and Orange County. To find Zazel confused and in a stupor, likely concussion, after William had dealt her a particularly harsh blow to her head. Now devastatingly 26 year old Zazel was even pregnant with her third child at the time, their son, when he was abusing her.

[Host Sam]

What a serious piece of shit this guy is.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, he is absolutely horrible. Though her family tried to pry Zazel away from William, she struggled to move on from the relationship and found herself in a vicious cycle of reporting the abuse, seeing her husband head off to serve a jail sentence, and then taking him back when he was released. But her family saw right through this guy. Zazel's mom, Sydal, described him as a psychopath and remembered that her daughter once was forced to flee from him on foot in order to call for help from a nearby gas station. I mean, that's. That's how afraid of William Zazel really was. Multiple members of her family warned her to stay away from him, but she refused, either out of fear or just a genuine hope that he could be rehabilitated. Or maybe even both.

[Host Sam]

William's most recent prison release took place in 2011, when she was already pregnant with their son. She posted excitedly on Facebook, telling friends and family how thrilled she was to get to welcome her husband home just in time for the birth of their son. So once again, William was released from prison and moved back home to be with her and then Zazel's two daughters, and of course, their son when he would be born. Though she found herself unable to escape from William, this cycle is what motivated her to seek out further training in order to assist other women going through a similar experience. Because not long before her murder, Zazel enrolled in the human Services program at Cypress College, which is a community college in Cypress, California, just west of Anaheim, where the couple was living at the time, as we know. And from there, Zazel began working toward a certification in counseling for fellow victims of domestic violence and hoped to help other women out of their abusive relationships. Despite being trapped in one of her Own, you know, and I wonder if maybe this was even her way of learning more about it so she could get out of her own situation. Like, clearly, this is a topic she cares about.

[Host Heath]

It's very possible. Or maybe she just felt like she also needed some community.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, it's very true. That's a good point. But it did seem like she knew a lot about this subject. She thought about it deeply because just a month before her murder, she submitted an essay in which she wrote, as a domestic violence advocate, I will show these victims that there is a light at the end of the dark, gloomy tunnel. She then wrote of the three toxic stages of an abusive relationship, including the introduction to minor violence, which may be accompanied by minor assaults, and at which time the woman believes she can deflect her husband's bullying by conceding to her husband's wishes. The next phase she called the battering episode, writing at this point, the man is out of control and acts in a rage. But she concluded that the relationship would generally return to the reconciliation period. Here, she says, the batterer transforms himself into a very apologetic, tender and loving character. And this is that manipulation Heath that we always see is. And why it's so hard for many women and people to get out of these situations is because there's the monster and then there's the love bombing.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, it's like Jackal and Mr. Hyde.

[Host Sam]

Exactly. Well, according to friends and family, she was preparing to leave William and finally seemed ready to do so. But sadly, she would run out of time. William was incarcerated until July of 2011, but in the next five months, leading right up to Zell's murder, she and William were still having problems. On August 13, 2011, within weeks of his release for abusing her, she posted on Facebook, no matter how much you think somebody is gonna change, things just get worse. When someone has no respect for you, they never will. The following day, she admitted that she was feeling extremely down and said that she was even on the verge of being suicidal. Just completely at a loss of how to leave with the kids. On October 25, 2011, things at home seemed to be getting worse when she posted Please pray for my husband. I'm going crazy. I'm worried. I can't sleep or eat. God, please help us. But despite the trials they were facing, they remained together. And just seven weeks before her murder, she gave birth to their son, whom they named Marcel. On Christmas Day 2011, 26 year old Zazel, 30 year old William and their children, three children now, including their seven week old baby gathered in the living room to open presents. But before long, it became clear that something was very wrong. According to Zazelle's oldest daughter, Zionna, she approached her mom in an attempt to talk to her. You know, it's Christmas morning. But she was shocked to find that she was cold to the touch, stiff, and sitting up on the couch with her hands at her side. Zazelle was wearing sunglasses and was completely unresponsive. According to Zionna, William told them, mommy ruined Christmas. She got drunk and ruined Christmas.

[Host Heath]

But here's the thing. She was not drunk. She was deceased.

[Host Sam]

And what a horrible thing to say, because not only is this not true, but it's Christmas morning, your wife is sitting on the couch dead, and you know it, and you're telling your kids, mommy ruined Christmas. She got drunk and ruined Christmas. What a huge loser.

[Host Heath]

I mean, it's just disgusting. Even the fact that he put the sunglasses on Zazel to make it seem like she was still alive when she was not.

[Host Sam]

Hate this man. Well, around 9:30am William finally phoned 911, requesting paramedics and telling them that Zazel was, quote, in need of medical attention. But that was putting it extremely lightly, because when paramedics arrived on the scene, they were shocked to find that Zazel was stiff and cold and that she had been dead for hours at that point, puzzled at the state in which they had found her posed like a mannequin on the couch, paramedics questioned William about what happened, but he was, of course, cagey about the details. He told them matter of factly that Zazel had gotten so belligerently drunk that she had fallen into a glass table and shattered it.

[Host Heath]

Oh, yeah, I'm totally sure.

[Host Sam]

Well, it's interesting because Ziana, who later testified against her stepfather in trial, which we will get into, said that she had actually been there to witness her mom's fall and had been forced to help move her mom into the bathtub. So it seems like this did happen, just not in the way that he's saying it. He's saying she fell onto a table and she died because she was drunk. That is not what happened.

[Host Heath]

And it's totally possible that William is just lying about that. Like, maybe he was the one to push her into that glass table. Exactly. And then said, oh, look, Mommy's drunk. Look what she did to herself. You know what I mean?

[Host Sam]

Right. I totally agree.

[Host Heath]

I wouldn't put it past him.

[Host Sam]

Neither would I. Meanwhile, William feigned ignorance about the extent of her injuries, propping her up in a macabre fashion, right out in the open while the girls and their baby son open their presents. According to investigators, he likely killed her sometime late on the evening of Christmas Eve. So, December 24, or on the early morning hours of Christmas, December 25, before dragging his wife's body from the bedroom to the living room couch, placing sunglasses on her, and telling the children that she was drunk.

[Host Heath]

See, here's the thing that I don't understand, and this is what that truly, truly puts him above being a monster. The fact that he killed her could have left her in the bedroom, could have called 911 then. But he decides that he's going to drag his wife's lifeless body from the bedroom out to the living room, let those little children go out there and open Christmas presents with their dead mom sitting there on the fucking couch.

[Host Sam]

Yeah. And because you're right, he could have left her in the bedroom and called the police later and maybe said, oh, mom's not feeling really good. Like, let's open the presents together. Like. But no, he. He put her out there for them to see, and then in front of her deceased body, told the kids that she was drunk.

[Host Heath]

Now, I don't know if he did this to be malicious or if he thought that, you know, possibly it would make him look better. Like, oh, no, see, she was alive. See, she was sitting on the couch, she had her sunglasses on, and she just happened to die.

[Host Sam]

But, like, what was his plan? Like, how was this ever gonna be explained away? Like, when he put her on the couch, what the hell was his plan?

[Host Heath]

No, I think in his stupid mind, he thought that this was somehow going to make him look. Look better.

[Host Sam]

But what? So he's gonna put her on the couch and say, oh, yeah, she just, like, died while we were opening presents. There's a thing called an autopsy.

[Host Heath]

I think that was his plan, to be honest.

[Host Sam]

I mean, idiot.

[Host Heath]

Very much so.

[Host Sam]

Let's go back a sec. On the evening of December 24, 2011, Zazelle and William headed to the home of a neighbor for a Christmas party later that night. When they returned, the couple could be heard arguing in their apartment. But William escalated the fight so brutally that it resulted in Zazel sustaining serious head trauma. By William's account, Zazel had been the aggressor. And after getting too drunk at the Christmas party, she had attempted to attack him, successfully hitting him multiple times and even biting him. But when she lost her balance and fell into a table, she was knocked unconscious. At least as far as William was allegedly aware, because this is All William's story and I'm gonna be honest, he's full of shit. I don't believe a damn word he says. After dragging her into the living room to continue his disgusting ruse, he came to realize that he likely could not continue to cover it up because this was not gonna go on for very long. And he called 911 for backup after the kids saw her. Later that morning, when paramedics went to tend to her, she was transported to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead immediately upon arrival. Again, it was clear she had been deceased for many hours. 30 year old William Wallace was arrested on the spot only five months after his most recent prison stint and held on one million dollar bail. After William's arrest, District attorney Todd Spitzer issued a statement that read, a young mother finally losing her life after years of violence at the hands of her husband is a heart wrenching tragedy. That heartbreak is only exacerbated by the fact that her children witnessed much of the violence and were forced to celebrate Christmas in the presence of their dead mother. That is not a Christmas memory any child should be forced to have. We all have an obligation to speak up against violence of any kind, especially domestic violence where the victims are so fiercely controlled by their abusers. The cycle of domestic violence is a vicious one, and I want every victim of domestic violence to know that they are not alone. No one should ever have to live in fear of violence in their own home.

[Host Heath]

I mean, period. That was perfectly stated.

[Host Sam]

Totally agree. In the new year 2012, William was indicted by a grand jury for one count of felony murder. He was then held in custody for another nine years awaiting trial.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, I mean, it's pretty insane, but it took almost 10 years for the trial to finally occur in March of 2021 one, apparently just because attorneys took significant time gathering evidence and of course, building their cases. But jeez. So before when we said that Zazel's eldest daughter testified she would have been around 18 by then. Thinking back to no doubt the worst day of her life, that occurred when she was just 8 years old. In the opening statement of his trial, Orange county senior deputy District attorney Heather Brown offered to the court, quote, this Christmas story does not have a happy ending. And unfortunately, this is not just a story. It is real life.

[Host Sam]

William's attorney, Heather Moorhead, however, maintained Williams outlandish story that Zazel had been alive when she sat down on the couch herself, but had merely gotten so drunk that she had plunged through the glass table and later died from her injuries. So they're saying, yeah, the night before, she fell on a table and then she was fine. And then she sat on the couch on Christmas and then suddenly, while she's sitting on the couch with sunglasses on on Christmas morning, she died.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, that's just complete bullshit. I mean, obviously the coroner is going to be able to conclude that she died hours and hours before that. Also, not to mention the fact that, like, if she had fallen into this glass table the night before, why the fuck didn't he call anybody? You know, he could have easily called police and said, oh, my God, my wife just had an accident. But he didn't do that.

[Host Sam]

Well, the fuckery continues because Heather told The court, quote, Mr. Wallace is being accused of something that is not his fault. You will hear about a relationship that was full of arguing and yelling, but also a lot of love, honestly. F you, Heather.

[Host Heath]

Yeah, don't even try, Heather.

[Host Sam]

Like, I know this is your job, but what the hell? Like, this is just so messed up. But Zazel's story was too harrowing and the evidence was just too glaring. Of course, especially with William's many prior domestic violence convictions and multiple witness statements testifying to his very violent nature. So he was finally, after a month long trial and nearly a decade of waiting for justice, convicted of zazel's murder on April 7, 2021. And he was sentenced on June 4, 2021. At his sentencing, Zazel's mom Sydel, asked the court to decline to show him any grace. Sydel told the court, quote, he beat and tortured my daughter and at the same time mentally assassinated her children. He showed her no mercy. Let's show him no mercy. William was given 15 years to life for second degree murder with credit for the nine years he had already served. William Wallace is 44 years old and remains imprisoned at High Desert State Prison in Susanville, California for what he did to the amazing woman and mother, Ziselle Preston. And he will see his next parole hearing in November of 2028. But Heath and I don't think that's gonna go so well for him.

[Host Heath]

Let's hope that he never gets out.

[Host Sam]

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Host Heath]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. If you want to see photos from these kids cases in all the other cases that we've covered, head on over to our socials. We're on Instagram at Going west podcast. We're also on Facebook and we also have a discussion group on Facebook.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, two very disturbing stories. I mean, Zazelle's is just beyond horrific and disgusting. And then Paris's case is so perplexing. Like really what happened to her? I honestly, truly believe that is connected to her brother's death. I think very much so. Unfortunately, that day she had her burner phone, she went for a walk to meet up with somebody that could have been connected and they quote, unquote, got rid of her.

[Host Heath]

Absolutely agree. And that's why I think it's so important to share Paris's story, share her missing persons poster and share this episode.

[Host Sam]

Yes, we, I mean, we all know that Paris's family deserves justice for, for what happened to her. And then that could also potentially close her brother's death as well. Big shout out again to Wendy for recommending Paris's story. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. Sorry I took over most of the case today. He is still recovering just a little bit.

[Host Heath]

I'm on the mend. We're getting there, you know.

[Host Sam]

Yeah, you're getting there.

[Host Heath]

Almost there.

[Host Sam]

You're doing your best. But we will be here next week over the Christmas holiday. We are going to be coming out with two new episodes. So we will see you guys on Tuesday.

[Host Heath]

All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the.

[Host Sam]

World, don't be a stranger. Sam.

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

Based on the best selling novel, Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in the Housemaid, a wildly entertaining thriller about a live in housemaid and the wealthy Winchester family experience a twisted world where perfection is an illusion and nothing is as it seems. The shocking twists will leave you guessing until the very end. Can you keep a secret? The Housemaid Rate Rated R only in theaters December 19th. Get tickets now.