Rey Rivera: A Call, a Note, and a Fall // 613

Summary

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Going West: True Crime

Episode 613: Rey Rivera—A Call, a Note, and a Fall
June 2, 2026

Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman
Podcast by Dark West Productions

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Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Daphne and Heath dive deep into the enigmatic death of Rey Rivera, a writer who vanished in Baltimore in May 2006 after receiving a mysterious phone call. Days later, his body was found under strange circumstances at the historic Belvedere Hotel. The hosts explore the facts, key theories, suspicious details, and lingering questions in a case that remains unsolved and continues to haunt the true crime community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background on Rey Rivera (04:08–09:09)

• Rey was born in Madrid in 1973, raised in the US due to his father's military career.
• Described as cheerful, funny, and athletic—water polo was a lifelong passion.
• Moved to Baltimore with wife Allison to work for friend Porter Stansberry at Stansberry Research, writing "The Rebound Report." Not his dream job, but done for stability.
• They planned to give Baltimore two years, with intentions to return to Los Angeles if things didn’t work out.

2. Events Leading to Disappearance (09:09–16:36)

• Break-in Clues: The home alarm went off at 1am two nights in a row (May 15 and 16, 2006), the second time with window tampering. Police dismissed it as animal activity.
• Rey seemed unusually agitated and protective, even brandishing a baseball bat—remarked as out of character.
• The day of disappearance (May 16), Allison left for a business trip, and a house guest, Claudia, heard Rey receive a call, exclaim "oh, shit," and leave abruptly in Allison’s SUV (15:27). He left behind food, his Invisalign trays, laptop, and lights on—evidence of sudden departure.

Quote [15:27] — Daphne:
"Shortly after, [Claudia] heard him exclaim, 'oh, shit,' before exiting the house in a hurry and taking off in Allison's black SUV. This, of course, makes me think back to Brandon Swanson. Those were his last words as well."

• Claudia notified Allison the next day that Rey had not returned.

3. Immediate Search and Discovery (17:24–25:36)

• Allison, family, and friends converged in Baltimore to search, finding no signs of Rey nor use of his bank accounts or phone.
• Six days later, Allison's mother spotted the SUV near the Belvedere Hotel, noted it was ticketed the day after he left (May 17).
• No signs of struggle, blood, or struggle around the car.
• Rey’s coworkers from Stansberry, searching the adjacent garage roof, found a hole in the roof and a pair of flip-flops. Police discovered Rey's body in a disused pool/conference area beneath the hole (24:41).

Quote [23:41] — Daphne:
"Employees of Truffles had actually been recently complaining for days at that point about the stench of decay and wondered if perhaps an animal had been trapped in the walls."

4. The Autopsy and Forensic Mysteries (33:02–38:54)

• Severe injuries matched a high fall through a metal roof, but some fractures seemed inconsistent, casting doubt on the scenario.
• No drugs or alcohol were present.
• Distance of fall (approx. 150 ft) and trajectory (45 ft out from building) fueled debate over whether it was a suicide, accident, or homicide.

Quote [34:44] — Heath:
"More than any other aspect, the hole blown through the roof and the impact has become the most hotly debated topic of this case."

• Roof access was supposed to be restricted, cameras didn’t work, and no useful footage was recovered.

Quote [38:14] — Daphne:
"Why is that always the case? It always feels like every time we talk about something like this, it's like, well, the cameras just weren't working."

5. Strange Items and The Missing Money Clip (40:26–43:35)

• Rey’s phone and glasses were found undamaged near the hole—a physical paradox. His flip-flops had broken straps and drag marks indicative of possible struggle.
• His engraved money clip, a wedding gift, was missing and never recovered.

Quote [43:13] — Daphne:
"Not only was this money clip that he always used not found with him, but this has never been recovered."

6. Timeline Puzzles and The Neighbor’s Testimony (43:47–46:14)

• Four-hour gap unaccounted for between when Rey left home and likely time of death.
• Resident and author Makeda Brotman did hear a loud crash around 10pm the night of his disappearance, but wasn’t asked by police (45:00).

7. The Cryptic Note (46:14–54:25)

• Note found taped, wrapped in plastic, behind Rey's computer; cut into three pieces, with scraps in the trash.
• Seemingly incoherent, stream-of-consciousness references to secret societies, movies (notably "The Game"), and cryptic passages.
• Some believed it was a suicide note; others (including Allison) said it was more likely a writer’s brainstorming or a screenplay idea.
• The note referenced many conspiracy, secret society, and psychological thriller films.

Quote [49:20] — Heath:
"That was a well played game. Congratulations to all who participated. I hope you enjoyed it. But it was time to wake up. So here I am. I'd like to welcome those who accepted our invitations for membership during the game..."

• The parallel to the film "The Game," where the protagonist attempts suicide off a rooftop, was explored in depth (50:05–53:03).

8. Allison and Family’s Stance—Not Suicide (52:21–54:25)

• Allison strongly denied the note was a suicide note, arguing “he would have left a beautiful note” as a skilled writer.

9. The Mysterious Phone Call and Porter Stansberry’s Role (55:13–62:11)

• The call that sparked Rey’s flight traced back to Stansberry & Associates’ parent company, Agora Publishing, but content and caller identity are unknown.
• Stansberry’s company allegedly discouraged employees from speaking to police or media, leading to suspicions and speculation of a gag order.
• Stansberry’s past included SEC fines for fraudulent investment tips—complicating public trust.

Quote [61:05] — Allison via Unsolved Mysteries:
"Now I'm mad. We move out here for him, and Porter was not going to speak to the police. And that's when it started to get really strange for me. He's your friend and you have no comment—why?"

10. Other Theories (62:11–68:29)

• Freemason Connection: Rey had expressed interest in Freemasons, even researching and purchasing books about them. The opening line of the note correlated with a Freemason motto (62:42).
• Secret Societies & Inspiration for Screenplay: Rey's fascination with secretive organizations and conspiracy narratives as an aspiring screenwriter.
• Mental Health Crisis: Some close to Rey suggested possible depression, with several days spent unable to get out of bed and significant financial stress (approx. $90,000 in debt).
• Controversial Affair Theory: Brief mention of unsubstantiated rumors about an affair, possibly as blackmail fodder—but no evidence supports this.

11. Lingering Questions & Frustrations (68:29–71:59)

• The identity and content of the phone call remains a critical unknown.
• No one from Stansberry or Agora came forward to clarify.
• The oddities of the note, the hole, unbroken items, the missing money clip, and security gaps persist.

Quote [71:49] — Daphne:
"But the other part is like there's too many unanswered questions and there's too many people—like the phone call. I need to know about the phone call."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rey’s abrupt exit ([15:27] Daphne)

  "She heard him ... exclaim, 'oh, shit,' before exiting the house in a hurry."

• The mystery of the hole ([34:44] Heath)

  "The hole blown through the roof and the impact has become the most hotly debated topic of this case."

• On security cameras always failing ([38:14] Daphne)

  "Why is that always the case? ... The cameras just weren't working."

• On the missing money clip ([43:13] Daphne)

  "Not only was this money clip ... not found with him, but this has never been recovered."

• On the cryptic note ([49:20, 49:44] Heath)

  "'That was a well played game. Congratulations to all who participated...' ... He later goes on to mention his love of the movie The Game."

• Speculation about Porter ([56:32] Heath)

  "So definitive that it almost makes me start to ... question just a little bit and go, eh, Porter? Are you being on the up and up here?"

• Allison’s frustration ([61:05] via Unsolved Mysteries)

  "Now I'm mad. We move out here for him, and Porter was not going to speak to the police. ... He's your friend and you have no comment—why?"

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Important Timestamps

• 04:08 — Rey’s early life and career background
• 09:09 — Alarm incidents at home; building tension
• 15:27 — The mysterious “oh, shit” phone call and Rey's sudden departure
• 17:24 — Initial missing persons investigation; family mobilization
• 20:50 — Discovery of Rey’s SUV near Belvedere Hotel
• 24:41 — Discovery of the hole, flip-flops, and Rey's body
• 33:02 — Autopsy findings and debate over jump vs. foul play
• 46:14 — Discovery and analysis of the cryptic note
• 55:13 — Focus on the phone call and Stansberry connection
• 62:11 — Freemason and secret society theories
• 68:29 — Frustrations and unanswered questions
• 71:02–71:59 — Hosts offer final thoughts and invite listener theories

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Summary Conclusion

Heath and Daphne dissect every angle of Rey Rivera's mysterious death: his personal and professional struggles, the chilling details of his disappearance, the bizarre note, his connections to secretive organizations, and the puzzling actions of those around him—especially his employer and friend, Porter Stansberry. The episode shines a light on haunting questions that linger, from the origins of the fatal phone call to the significance of the cryptic note. Both hosts lean into skepticism, acknowledging the emotional complexity and the very real possibility of foul play or an unsolved psychological unraveling.

Ultimately, listeners are left with the enduring mystery of Rey Rivera’s fate—and encouraged to share their own theories as to what really happened.

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For photos and more details on this case, the hosts encourage listeners to follow them on Instagram (@goingwestpodcast), Facebook, and TikTok.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

I often have this little conundrum. I'm always trying to figure out what I'm gonna eat for lunch and I and lately I've been looking for something that's easy and packed with protein. And lately my go to has been like a lunch meat sandwich or a snack plate with some lunch meat on it. So consider lunch solved with Landofrost premium lunch meat.

[A]

It's the smart choice for families. It's packed with 8 plus grams of protein per serving so you can fuel your day without overspending at checkout. There's no artificial flavors or by products. And it's not just for sandwiches. Like Heath said, it's great for a quick snack, a quick meal, or a delicious lunch plate.

[B]

And Landa Frost has a variety of flavors that everybody in the family can enjoy, from Black Forest ham, honey smoked turkey, even hot honey ham and chicken. I like to throw a little cream cheese in there, roll it up. It's a perfect snack.

[A]

Chop Landofrost's premium lunch meat at your favorite local grocery store.

[B]

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

[A]

And I'm your host, Daphne, and you're

[B]

listening to Going West.

[A]

Hello everybody. Heath and I just got back from Crimecon and it was so much fun. I feel like I lost my voice a little bit from talking to everybody.

[B]

An absolute blast to meet so many of you guys.

[A]

Yeah, it was really cool. Thank you to everybody who came by our booth and got some goodies. We hung out with so many fun listeners and so many true crime podcasts. Like that was just such a crazy weekend. But we are back with a crazy story that is probably familiar to many of you. So thank you so much to Mabel and Cassandra who recommended it. I'm sure a lot of you guys like Heath and I watched the Unsolved Mysteries episode that came out on this case a few years ago. It's just that that's how I got introduced to this case originally and it's, it's one that sticks with you.

[B]

Yeah, it's definitely one of those rabbit hole cases where you could spend hours thinking over theories and speculating about what could have happened here. But today we are going to give you the facts and we're going to talk about some of those prevailing theories.

[A]

Yeah, we got a lot to get into. There's also a lot of photos associated with this particular story. So as always, if you guys want to see those, go check out our socials. We're on Instagram oingwestpodcast. We're also on Facebook and we're on TikTok. So give us a follow, check us out. And without further ado.

[B]

Alright guys, this is episode 613 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[A]

In May of 2006, a 32 year old writer in Baltimore rushed out of his home suddenly after receiving a mysterious phone call and he never returned. Six days later, his car was found abandoned and two days after that his body was discovered under baffling circumstances at a historic downtown hotel. This is the story of Ray Rivera. Ray Rivera was born on June 10, 1973 in Madrid, Spain to parents Maria and Angel, growing up alongside siblings Elena and Angel Jr. But they didn't stay in Spain long because his dad was in the army. So the family moved frequently and Ray was mostly raised between Southern California and Florida. He was described as cheerful and naturally funny, someone who kept his whole family laughing. Ray graduated from Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida in 1991, where he played competitive water polo, which was a talent that he would maintain throughout his entire life. Like actually. He continued playing throughout his time at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. And after graduating from college, he played for the Royal Federation of Water Polo back in Spain. He then settled in Southern California once again and from 1998 to 2001, he coached water polo at a high school. But his true passion was writing. And with that, you know, natural artistic influence of living in Los Angeles, it's a very real feeling, he began dreaming of writing screenplays. So while there, he met and began dating a woman named Allison Jones. And eventually they Had a gorgeous wedding in Puerto Rico, actually only six months before his death. But during their time together, things, you know, sometimes were a little bit tough due to Ray's fluctuating career and financial status. You know, working freelance in the industry is so tough in la, you know, in other cities as well. But, you know, you never know when your next job is going to come. So that kind of weighed on him as it does for many.

[B]

Yeah, of course it's, it's pretty dog eat dog in L. A. Yeah.

[A]

And then you're like, you do one job and, and you know, with his editing skills and his writing skills that he had, you know, he's like available, he wants to work, but you're just waiting for that call all the time. But then Ray received a different kind of call from. And it was an intriguing offer from a high school friend of his named Frank Porter. Stansberry, better known as Porter Porter, founded the financial publishing firm Stansberry Research, which provided stock tips and financial advice in 1999. And it was headquartered in Baltimore, which is where Porter was living. And as Ray and Allison tried to build their lives in la, Porter was actually encouraging Ray to take a job writing a financial newsletter called the Rebound Report for him. So he's like, hey, I know that you're trying to make it big in film and write your screenplays and edit and everything else, but you should come work for me and my newsletter.

[B]

Yeah, I know that you're a writer and this may not be your cup of tea, but would love to have your help.

[A]

Well, especially as we're going to talk more about like Ray and his interests and his kind of like style. This was not it, not even close. But like I said, you know, freelance is like. And like you said, Heath, doggy dog world, it's really tough. He's gotta do the right thing for him and Alison. So. But basically the Rebound Report would go out to his customers and subscribers and notify them of turnaround stocks which were currently low but were gaining some traction. So yeah, writing that kind of newsletter wasn't Ray's dream job. And he admittedly also hadn't known very much about the financial world. But, you know, he'd get to work with an old buddy and earn a stable income, which was especially important since he and Alison were planning on having kids soon. He's like, I gotta get serious here. I gotta take what I can. So he and Alison took a chance and left la, starting anew in Baltimore and even buying a picturesque red brick home in nearby Norwood, Maryland. In December of 2004. And I mean, picturesque. This was such a cute house. So their plan was to give it two years and if it didn't work out, they'd head back to Los Angeles.

[B]

Well, at the time that Ray disappeared suddenly, he had actually left the Rebound Report and was working as a freelance videographer for Stansberry, recording meetings and conferences and just putting together footage for investors and subscribers. He had taken on multiple other contracts as well. And during the week he vanished, he was working on a project for the Oxford Club, which was another financial research publisher that was based in Baltimore. Now, In May of 2006, Ray and Allison were enjoying their new life and had made a ton of friends in their community and were looking forward to what was to come in their careers and family life. But as well as things seemed there, they had recently put their house on the market and they were looking to relocate back to Southern California. You know, they enjoyed Baltimore, but just couldn't really let go of wanting to be back on the West Coast. And I can't blame him. But they would never make it there together because a bizarre string of events was about to take hold. Less than two days before Ray disappeared, a strange occurrence that was never explained took place at Ray and Allison's home on Monday, May 15, 2006. Around 1am, the security alarm on their house went off. And though police were summoned to the house, no cause could be determined. So it was actually just chalked up to being animal activity. They just really could not figure out why that alarm had gone off. Now, Allison remembered that Ray seemed very agitated when this happened and that he had even grabbed a baseball bat to see who had tripped the alarm, which surprised her because Ray never seemed to be afraid like that before, which, to

[A]

be fair, like your house alarm is going off. If, if our house alarm went off in the night, I would also be absolutely freaking out.

[B]

Yeah, I would probably grab a baseball bat as well.

[A]

But also, I mean, so, yeah, I think that is very fair that your house alarm's going off and you grab the baseball bat. That is a very normal thing to do. But so, but I think it's, it's fair as well that she's kind of looking at this time with a magnifying glass.

[B]

Well, what is even more interesting here is that the very next morning. So Tuesday, May 16, 2006, around the same exact time. So like 1am yes, around 1am the alarm went off yet again, and this time they discovered that their living room window had been tampered with from the outside. So police reported to the home for a second time, but again wrote off the occurrence as just animal activity, but

[A]

like the window had been tampered with from the outside. Like there's like a possum out there, like nipping. Yeah.

[B]

Let me figure out how I can get in there.

[A]

It feels like the animal activity thing is kind of their blanket answer. Like, oh, we don't know what happened. So it was probably just an animal. But it's like the alarm is going off. It's not like, oh, there was motion detected and it was just a coyote running across the road.

[B]

Like, sure.

[A]

This is not that the window was tampered with. Like, seems like maybe someone was trying to get into the house.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it didn't find them.

[B]

It would make more sense if they did have like video surveillance and they're like, oh, we can clearly see this fucking possum.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or I don't know, like whatever. But that just wasn't the case here. So I don't know why they chalked it up to that. But it seems kind of alarming that that would happen two mornings in a row.

[A]

Yeah, two mornings in a row around the same time. And that there was some kind of nefarious evidence surrounding it as well.

[B]

Right. Well, then that same day Ray would

[A]

disappear, which makes the break ins that much more suspicious.

[B]

Yeah. Now you're looking at this with a more suspicious lens. So according to Allison, everything seemed fine until she left. She was taking off for a business trip up to Richmond, Virginia and remembered that they exchanged I love yous and that he carried her suitcase out to the car for her. She then made the three hour drive, checked into her hotel around 6:30pm Calling Ray when she did, but Ray did not answer.

[A]

So back at the house, Ray had just booked an editing suite for that coming weekend in order to finish up a big editing project that he was working on, which was due the following week. He spoke on the phone to a man named Mark Gold, whom he had rented video editing equipment from before. Now, Mark remembered thinking that Ray sounded as if he was under a significant amount of pressure to finish this project. Like, it seemed like a very, a big job. Like, it was really stressful for Ray. So he was working on putting together footage that he had recorded at the Oxford Club's annual conference in Delray Beach, Florida back in March of 06. So just a couple months earlier. And the club plan to send the video out to anybody who was unable to make it to the conference. That's what the video was for.

[B]

Yeah, like if you couldn't be there in person.

[A]

Yeah. So, again, like, not. Not Ray's dream job. You know, he wants to be making cool screenplays, but. But he's doing what he can, you know, taking writing work and taking editing jobs. So at the time of Ray's disappearance, Ray and Alison had a business associate, or, sorry, associate of Allison's named Claire. Claudia, staying at their house. So for that day, it was just Claudia and Ray in the house because, like Heath said, Allison had left for Richmond, Virginia. So when Allison wasn't hearing back from Ray, she called Claudia in hopes of reaching him or figuring out where he was. Around the same time that Allison began calling him to check in again. Around 6:30pm Ray had received a mysterious phone call and had run out of the house suddenly, as if he had, like, received a threat or shocking news. Because Claudia claims that she heard him on the phone and then shortly after, heard him exclaim, oh, shit. Before exiting the house in a hurry and taking off in Allison's black suv. This, of course, makes me think back to Brandon Swanson. Those were his last words as well.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, the. Oh, shit.

[A]

Yeah. So she's like, what the hell? Where? Where did. What just happened? Where'd he just go? She doesn't have the context. She doesn't know who he's talking to. She just hears that and sees him sprint out of the house and take his wife's car. So he fled in such a hurry that he left behind an open can of soda, an open bag of chips, and his Invisalign trays on the counter in the kitchen. So this was very, very sudden. He was, like, having a snack, you know, he took out his Invisalign to

[B]

have a snack, and then, bam, he's gone.

[A]

Yeah. And then, oh, shit, I gotta get out of here. Also, by the way, he left his laptop there as well, which he was working on his editing project on. All the lights were left on as well, both downstairs and in his office. And he didn't share again with either Claudia or Allison, you know, via phone what he had been doing or why he was leaving. So as it was, Allison found it strange that she couldn't connect with Ray before she left, but decided to just go to bed in Richmond and try him again in the morning. She's like, I'm sure everything's fine. I'm all the way over here.

[B]

He's a grown adult.

[A]

Exactly. But then fear really set in when Claudia called Allison back the next day before returning to New York herself and informed her that Ray still hadn't come home. You know, she's calling Allison, Hey, I'm about to leave. Thanks for having me. By the way, Ray is not here. He's not here. He left so suddenly. Remember I told you. And he actually has not come back. Like chips are still on the counter, you know. So Allison cut her business trip short and got back in the car, beginning the drive back to Baltimore. And on the way, she called around to raise friends and other family members of theirs. And surprisingly, no one had heard from him.

[B]

Well, when she arrived home, Alison reported her husband missing. Because at this point she's like, I haven't heard from him in about a day and a half. Where the hell is he? Now, this behavior was completely unlike Ray, who was usually responsible and very level headed. That afternoon, his brother angel got on a flight from Orlando, Florida up to Baltimore, as well as his sister Alina, or Elena, I should say, who was coming in from North Carolina. And then his parents flew in from Puerto Rico. Like everybody was just at this point flocking to Baltimore to look for him. That's how concerning this really was. Allison's parents, Kathleen and Thomas, even traveled from Colorado to be there. And many of the couple's friends came in as well. So very, very quickly, the Rivera house became like this makeshift missing persons headquarters. The search started by calling hospitals, and then Allison and her friends, family and in laws walked the streets of Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs hanging posters and they spent hours making phone calls. Ray's bank accounts were left untouched. His cell phone was dead or it had been turned off and the car that he took off in could not be located. His friend and coworker, again, this is Porter Stansberry, put up a reward of $1,000. He spoke with police and he even hired a private investigator. Porter told an inquiring journalist that Ray was a quote happy guy and remembered that Ray and Allison had an upcoming getaway to New Mexico, adding, this is not a man that wanted to leave. I've got to find my friend. I can't imagine my life without him. He's my best friend. When confronted with the possibility that Ray may have taken off of his own volition, no one who knew him well could fathom him having done this. Angel maintained, it's completely out of character. He's not only going to tell you where he's going, but he's gonna tell you how he got there. For him to go this long and not contact any of his family or friends, it's got everyone scared. Well, then on May 22, 2006, six days after his disappearance, Allison's parents were out driving around, you know, combing the streets of downtown Baltimore in hopes of spotting the car that he had taken off in. And then Kathleen actually spotted it. Providing a key development to the investigation. Allison's SUV that Ray had taken off in had been parked in a parking lot behind a building on St. Paul street, and the car had received a ticket. Now the parking attendant had noticed the unauthorized vehicle being parked there on the morning of May 17, 2006. So the day after Ray suddenly left his home. So of course they issued it a ticket because it had just been sitting there for about a day. So of course they're gonna put a ticket on the windshield.

[A]

Well, unfortunately there was nothing left behind in the vehicle and there were no indications whatso freaking ever as to where he could have gone or any signs of foul play. Like there was no blood in the car, There was no like weird scene. It was just like an empty vehicle.

[B]

No scuff marks outside the door on the ground.

[A]

Yeah, it's not like the door was open, the keys are in the ignition. Like there was just nothing and it was just like a car. Right. So the parking lot I'll say was adjacent to the historic, classy, iconic Belvedere Hotel, which had opened in 1903, but was converted into condos in 1991. So 15 years earlier, this is such a beautiful building. So the investigation now at least had a vicinity to focus on. But there was still no sign of 32 year old Ray. On May 24, 2006, three of Ray's co workers at Stansberry, this is George. Stephen and Mark, were surveying the scene from the top of the parking garage next door to the hotel. Which I gotta say is really interesting that they were even doing this like with everything that we're about to say. Then going over this again, I'm like, huh, that's kind of weird.

[B]

I did have that same exact thought because I'm like, what would lead you to go up to that specific area and search there?

[A]

I guess like maybe, oh, let's get the old bird's eye view and see if we, what we can see from above.

[B]

But yeah, maybe that, maybe that.

[A]

But it's also like literally what we're about to talk about. It's like everything was discovered from this vantage point, which is why it feels like very, very convenient that this is how it was uncovered. I don't know. Okay, I'm not gonna get out of my way.

[B]

Getting a little suspicious here.

[A]

Sorry. I mean that's natural for us. You know, you and I are going to look at everything with like a, a sideways head.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

So, okay, so George had been the one to inform his fellow co workers about the situation. So George is like spearheading this. He's like, let's go upstairs to the top. And then Stephen and Mark agreed to join him to search for any sign of Ry. So the three men scaled the seven story parking garage. Not like the side of the building.

[B]

Like they're just going, yeah, they're not spider man.

[A]

Sorry, that a really bad visual. They're like going up the seven story parking garage that flanked the hotel in the outdoor parking lot where Ray's car was found. And that's when Stephen and George noticed something eerie. And then they called Mark over. On the roof below them, shielding the structure between the parking garage and the main building of the hotel, was a pair of flip flops. And next to those flip flops, a large hole in the roof. Now the roof concealed a structure that housed the former pool and racquetball space. It was part of an extension to the building during renovations that took place in 1964. So that is where this hole led to. It was the old pool and racquetball space. It also contained retail space, a hibachi restaurant, offices, and vacant conference rooms. So but basically at that time there was like nobody there. So. So this hole is the reason why nobody has uncovered it yet is because nobody is in that space. Now, one of the top floors, two large conference rooms was the office of the in house catering team called Truffles. And the other was at one time home to a church. But at that time as well, it sat vacant, you know, when Ray went missing, when this discovery was being discovered.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Again, nobody there.

[A]

Right. Well, employees of Truffles, this is just a really disturbing detail. Had actually been recently complaining for days at that point about the stench of decay and wondered if perhaps an animal had been trapped in the walls.

[B]

Like that's how much they were smelling this.

[A]

Yeah. And that's what's going on in the background while the three guys from Stansberry are making their discovery. So these three men reported what they found, you know, the hole, the flip flops. And waited anxiously at the scene for police to investigate. Then when the security guard for the Belvedere, Gary Shivers, opened up the door into that space where the hole was, he and the officers came upon Ray Rivera's body immediately lying on the floor beneath that hole that he had blown through the roof in the ceiling. Of the conference room which had collapsed upon impact.

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Home chef.com goingwest must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. The amount of decomposition that had taken place this severely impacted the amount of answers that the autopsy could glean. Ray had sustained severe injuries due to the impact. I mean, obviously you're falling many stories through a fucking roof, but also not just from the height, but also the fact that he penetrated that metal roof.

[A]

Yeah, metal, yeah.

[B]

So he had broken ribs, he had a punctured lung, a broken Leg with a bone actually protruding through the skin, a broken clavicle, and lacerations to his chest, skull, and torso. Now, there was no presence of drugs or alcohol in his system at the time, so that was a good thing to note. The hole in the roof was small enough that he would have had to enter feet first, which led to the conclusion that he had come from the roof of the Belvedere and had fallen about 10 stories. Though foul play was investigated originally, as soon as his body was found, the Baltimore Police Department began to lean toward a suicide ruling.

[A]

And, yeah, I mean, when they found his car or, you know, Allison's car, they originally were like, oh, was it abandoned here? Did somebody do something to him? And they're just stashing the car aside. But as they're looking at this, obviously he went through a roof. You're immediately going to go to, well, then he jumped.

[B]

And obviously that would make sense at first glance, because maybe more so than any other aspect of Ray's case, the hole blown through the roof and the impact his body sustained has become the most hotly debated topic of this case. Now, many critics of the investigation, including Ray's own family, feel that it would have been impossible for Ray to travel as far as he did from the roof of the Belvedere to the site of the impact below. The point where he was believed to have come from, either fallen or jumped from on the roof of the building measured about 45ft from where the roof below sustained the impact, but he fell as far as 150ft. So basically, to explain that, you know, the height in which he had fallen was around 150ft.

[A]

Like 150. Dropped down.

[B]

Yeah, dropped down. But the distance out from the belvedere was about 45ft to the impact site,

[A]

which are both very important things to note, because then it can help determine where he jumped from and. Or, sorry, I say jumped, but where he jumped or fell from. But then also, when you're talking about how far he went out, this is really important to know. Well, could he have jumped that far? Would he have been pushed? Right, sorry, I know you're about to get into that.

[B]

No, of course. And that. And that's why speculation has been so rife since his death that this was impossible and that he couldn't have launched himself that far and flip flopped, which was what he had been wearing at the time, you know, that he disappeared, or even barefoot, if he had taken them off, because, yeah, you got to imagine you're going to have to have a Bit of a launch site. You're gonna need a little bit of space if you're gonna get that far out from the building. However, experts noted that he would have only needed about 11 mph or 17 km per hour of a running start in order to land in that position. But many followers of the case have come to the belief that he was thrown from the roof by his murderer or murderers, or that he was actually catapulted from the top of the parking garage, which is where his colleague spotted his body after possibly being struck with a car. However, none of these conclusions would explain how he entered the roof of the conference room, which was concluded to have been feet first based on his injuries and by how narrow that hole actually was.

[A]

And feet first is important because if you're thinking he's jumping and he goes straight down. Yeah, that's part of where that conclusion comes from as well. But to be fair, he could have just happened to land that way if there was something nefarious as well.

[B]

But, you know, it doesn't mean. Just because that's normally how you would land if you jump, it doesn't necessarily mean that somebody didn't throw him off.

[A]

Right. Or maybe that is the conclusion. You know, that's the trouble with this. Well, there have also been questions about where he jumped from. That's why we're talking about the height. You know, given that roof access was supposed to be restricted. So it's not even like. Cause, you know, you can say, oh, yeah, he fell about 150ft. And it's like, okay, but how did he get to that height in the first place? And could he have. And then are we sure that that is the height he fell? Because there's so many factors to that. But I'll say the doors to the roof were not always locked and the security cameras affixed to the top of the building. We're actually not working at the time, which. Why is that always the case?

[B]

It's always the case. It always feels like every time we talk about something like this, it's like, well, they just weren't working.

[A]

And I know that sometimes the cameras

[B]

really just don't be working, but get it together, people.

[A]

Actually, I will say as well, the rest of the security cameras at the hotel were scoured, but detectives weren't able to find any footage of Ray on them. Though that is most likely because the footage reset after a week and it wasn't saved. So it's like they just missed that footage.

[B]

Yeah, because I remember back in the day and like, you know, around 2006, those types of cameras, they would usually just record over themselves.

[A]

A lot of them still do, which, sure. You know, to save space, of course. So it makes sense. But we see that a lot, too. It's like, okay, how frustrating is this that some of the cameras didn't work and the other ones deleted the footage? Like, of course.

[B]

Very not convenient.

[A]

Well, there's also a possibility that Rey fell from the lower level because there was a ledge on the 11th floor as well, which would offer a closer jumping off point and a trajectory that made more sense as to how he wound up in the spot he did. However, he would have had to walk through someone's apartment or a private office in order to access that ledge, which.

[B]

Which is. I don't know, probably did not happen.

[A]

Right. There was also a nightclub called the 13th Floor, located, of course.

[B]

Wait, I'm going to ask. Is it on the 13th floor?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yes, it is.

[A]

Do you believe that?

[B]

Can you believe it?

[A]

And the bartenders were known to use the roof access stairs to smoke. Makes sense. So if he somehow knew about that exit, Ray could have made his way outside that way, too. Now, he was known to have been to the bar on the lower level of the hotel. So not the 13th floor, but a different one called the Owl Bar. At least twice, according to his wife, Allison, and perhaps even more without her knowledge. So it's logical to believe that he may have known his way around enough to be able to gain access to restricted areas.

[B]

How often do you walk into a. You go to a bar and you're just checking to see if, you know, access doors are unlocked and open so you can get to a roof?

[A]

No, I think about bars that you and I go to all the time. Like our favorite.

[B]

Yeah, sometimes I don't even know about the exit. Like, where the hell is it?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, you just go out the front. That's all. That's all you know. So we're looking at this from all angles, but that does feel not super likely. Only adding to the mystery were the items that were found near Ray at the scene of the discovery of his body. So his phone and his glasses were found on the roof near that hole, but miraculously, neither had broken from the ten plus story fall. His flip flops were recovered there as well. In one of the straps had broken, which, like, how is the strap of a floppy shoe broken and two glass items aren't.

[B]

I had a thought about this, about the glasses not being broken. I wonder if they just really didn't weigh enough. And like, maybe they kind of like caught some wind on the way down and when they landed, they just possibly landed the perfect way and just didn't break. I don't know.

[A]

Maybe, but the phone is harder to believe. I've broken my phone screen from fricking three feet in the air.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Not 150ft or whatever, you know, I mean, it would have been less than 150 for that roof, but you know what I mean, 100ish feet.

[B]

I guess it just depends on how exactly they landed. How exactly, you know.

[A]

But then how else would this be explained?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, he was pushed off the roof and then somebody climbed on the roof and put the items there, like just placed them there delicately. I mean, why did they do that?

[B]

That doesn't really make a lot of sense.

[A]

Well, I want to talk about the shoe because it doesn't seem like the shoe broke from the fall. According to Allison, the shoe, the top front position of the flip flops, contained drag marks on them pointing toward a potential altercation before his death. So she wonders, because of course she's, she doesn't think that Ray took his own life. She's very suspicious about all of this. And she looked at the shoes and said, it looks like these are drag marks. So if picture he's being dragged and the, the, the top of the shoe is being dragged on the ground.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then the flip flop like pulls or the kind of top strap yanks off while it's being dragged and then the shoes come off of him while he's falling.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then they land on top of the roof. So that's her theory, is that the strap came off before the fall.

[B]

Well, there is one theory that we're going to be talking about later that could explain how those flip flops ended up where they did. But we'll get into that.

[A]

Yes. Actually, right now, let's talk about the other. Or the. Well, not the other thing that was found. The other, the thing that wasn't found, which was Ray's money clip. It was engraved with his initials. This was a wedding gift from Alison. And not only was this money clip that he always used not found with him, but this has never been recovered.

[B]

Well, that is a very, very strange detail because if they didn't find it in the car and they didn't find it on Ray's person, and they didn't find it in Ray and Allison's home

[A]

or in the parking garage or anywhere

[B]

else nearby, then where the hell is it? So unfortunately for the loved ones that Ray left behind. There were just so many questions that were left unanswered, like what had he been doing in the four or so hours between when he left his home suddenly in a panic, you know, saying, oh, shit. And then when he was believed to have made impact with that roof? Also, how had he accessed the roof in the first place? How did no one report having seen or heard the crash of Ray supposedly hitting the roof? Well, Makeda Brotman, who is an author of the book An Unexplained Death, actually lived in the Belvedere at the time and said that she did hear the impact of Ray's fall on the night of his death, whereas most others had not.

[A]

Well, and the weird thing is, sorry, before you get into this, she had not been asked by police if she heard anything that night, and nobody else had. So if anybody did hear it, nobody willingly came forward and said, oh, yeah, I heard this happen at this time. And police just didn't ask that. Which is weird, considering they would very much want to know the timeline.

[B]

Yeah, it seems like that's some information they would want to know.

[A]

So tell us what Makeda said.

[B]

So she had actually written in her journal on that night, and according to Makeda, around 10pm, she and her partner David were in bed when they heard what sounded like two cars colliding. It had been so severe that it had actually shaken the frames of the windows, which is crazy to think about an impact that severe that it could shake a window. Within the days of the discovery of his body, Ray's case was ultimately determined to be a suicide, to the dismay of his family, who obviously, as Daphne mentioned, completely disagrees. But I will say Ray's cause of death remains officially undetermined due to the mysterious nature of the events. According to Allison in her interview during her appearance on Unsolved Mysteries, she spoke with the medical examiner in the aftermath of the suicide ruling, who informed her that Ray's tibia and fibula being broken were not consistent with how he fell and the impact that he was met with in the roof. But for whatever reason, this was not in his report. So either Allison misremembered or something really sus is going on here that's just so, so strange.

[A]

Well, as she and Ray's family turned the house upside down, looking for any indication as to what had happened, his brother angel came upon a note, typed in small font and cut into three parts, wrapped in plastic and taped to the back of the computer in his and Allison's office, which is a really weird way to find it as well. Not only is the note kind of strange, but the fact that it was wrapped in plastic and then taped to the computer, like, so weird. So this note has drawn wide speculation because of how strange it is. So Allison found scraps of the same note in their office trash can and came to the belief that he had most likely been working on the note in the days leading up to his death or even the same day he had died. Allison explained, quote, I know he wrote the note the day he disappeared because there were scraps in the trash can. She added that she did not believe that the scraps from Ray cutting up the note into three shapes were in the trash before she left for her business trip, so that they must have been new. Now, the note was dotted with water damage and from an outsider's perspective, doesn't seem to have, like, a through line and was instead more of a stream of consciousness, which is exactly what his brother said. So massive speculation remains about the note, including whether or not it was a suicide note or whether it gave an indication as to Ray's mental state and the time leading up to his death. Some have also posited that it could have been a creative writing exercise that Ray had engaged in because he's a writer, and that he may have been using it as notes for a new screenplay that he was working on, which is very fair to think.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, a lot of people will do this. They'll write some stream of consciousness that, you know, will help them gain ideas as to what they want to write next.

[A]

The note began with, quote, brothers and sisters, right now, around the world, volcanoes are erupting. What an awesome sight. He then included the quote, whom virtue unites, death will not separate.

[B]

But then, in another strange passage, it included the text. That was a well played game. Congratulations to all who participated. I hope you enjoyed it. But it was time to wake up. So here I am. I'd like to welcome those who accepted our invitations for membership during the game. We couldn't have done it without you. I look on this endeavor to find the truth, but for its own sake, and accepting this quest for the truth, I hope to awake myself, with the help of others, into a man ready and worthy to receive it. He later goes on to mention his love of the movie the Game.

[A]

Best movie ever.

[B]

Yeah. Which is a fantastic movie. Which is. Yeah, yeah. It's a David Fincher movie that came out in 1997, where the main character, who's played by Michael Douglas, is set up for an elaborate ruse by his younger brother in which he loses his home, his job, as well as his fortune. And sorry, this is a bit of a spoiler alert. If you haven't seen that movie, go watch it. But I do have to include this because it could be relevant. The movie ends in his suicide attempt leaping from the top of an office building. So this had spurred many to believe that Rey may have been in a state of mania or in the midst of a mental health episode, and that maybe he believed that he was like the, like the target of a similar scheme as Michael Douglas in that movie.

[A]

That honestly makes a lot of sense, I gotta say.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because when you go watch the game, if you haven't seen it yet, that end scene is so reminiscent of what happened to Rey. And the fact that he typed this up, it does feel like he was trying to work on a project that surrounded a similar idea to the game. I mean, it's hard not to feel that way knowing that movie.

[B]

And there is. There is a lot more that's going on here. So. Ray also continued on to mention his friend as well as his employer, Porter Stansberry, as well as a number of directors whose work he found notable, and a list of movies and books that he found to be inspiring or compelling. He added, I'd like to meet any of you who helped contribute to these works. And then he listed these works. The Matrix, 1, 2, and 3, the Family Man, National Treasure, the Da Vinci Code, Eyes Wide Shut, Confessions on a Dance Floor, Demon Daze, November Rain, Meet Joe Black, Minority report, Star Wars 1 3, Lord of the Rings, 1 through 3, Fight Club 7. Of course, the Game, as we mentioned, Payback. And also he mentioned multiple movies by the horror and suspense director M. Night Shyamalan, including the Sixth Sense, the Village, the Others, Signs, and Unbreakable.

[A]

This guy's got great taste in me.

[B]

I knew you were going to say that. I knew you were going to say it. But you know what?

[A]

I love you, M. Night Shyamalan.

[B]

It's kind of interesting here, though, because he mentions, like, a lot of, like, very interesting conspiracy movies.

[A]

Yeah. Conspiracies. Or like, Cult Adjacent or like Mind Fucky or like, have a scheme.

[B]

Yeah, I was going to talk about, like, like the Da Vinci Code, the game, National Treasure. Like those Eyes Wide Shut. Eyes Wide Shut, Exactly. Well, Alison has maintained that she does not believe that the letter is a suicide note explaining, quote, because Ray was a writer, he would have left a beautiful note. He's a really, really good writer. We believe he would have. But his family has acknowledged that the note is mysterious and that they are unsure of the motivation behind it.

[A]

For me, not having known Ray, of course, I fully believe that this was an idea for a screenplay. I just can't get past the fact that it was wrapped in plastic and taped his computer and cut into three. That's so weird to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But maybe that was part of it for him, of the creative process of, oh, maybe this is how the note can be found in the movie. Like, I know for me as an author, I have many different ideas in my notes app. A hundred percent. I have so many ideas and random quotes and things I think of written down, I 100% think that's what this was.

[B]

I actually do agree with you on that, that maybe that was some way of just some part of the creative process for Rey.

[A]

Yes. And it may have nothing to do with what happened to him or, you know, if you want to connect this to the thriller movie David Fincher's the Game, the fact that he went off a building through a roof, and that is literally exactly what happens in the movie the Game. And just before that, he wrote this almost like monologue about, thank you for playing the game. That's a little weird.

[B]

It is.

[A]

So maybe it's connected, maybe it's not. But, yeah. His family is certain that the note was more of a brainstorming exercise for a creative mind and maybe the beginnings of his next writing project or screenplay instead of something more nefarious like a suicide note. But still, Alison passed it along to the police, who in turn had the FBI review it, which begrudgingly just added fuel to their idea that Ray was in a manic state. But again, there is no real basis for this idea, no evidentiary basis. You know, there's no therapy appointments with contextually relevant notes, no diagnoses, no previous strange behavior noted by his family or his wife, et cetera. Nothing from his mom saying, you know, growing up xyz, everyone's like, ray was doing great. He was super happy. And this was. This is very unlike him.

[B]

Sure. But, you know, again, it's. It's. It's not like you don't always have to have previous signs to have a breaking point, to have an episode, you know?

[A]

Yeah. Sometimes diagnosis or disorders. Disorders, rather, can come on very suddenly, of course. So maybe this was. This had been happening in the days leading up. Actually, his wife reported that a few days before this happened, he had been unable to get out of bed. But again, you think about what we had mentioned about the alarm going off and proof that somebody had tampered with the window from the outside. So then you also wonder, well, was something actually going on? And he was afraid of a very real threat.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And he just wasn't telling anybody what it was.

[B]

And then of course, the phone call, you know, and yeah, the, the oh, shit call.

[A]

So. Which we're going to get into right now actually, because. So this call was apparently traced back to Porter Stansberry's company, Stansberry and Associates. But the content of the call or even who made it has never been determined, which is obviously very strange. And Stansberry and Associates actually retained legal counsel and reportedly placed a gag order on their employees so they couldn't publicly speak on the case. But Porter himself claims that this is untrue. So after Ray's body was found, Porter remembered, quote, we were all sad and shocked by the fact that Ray killed himself, but once we saw all the facts and his financial pressures, it wasn't much of a mystery. So we're gonna get into the financial pressures of it all. But. And maybe this is a totally fair conclusion for his good friend to come to, but I think as an outsider, I kind of look at that comment of him saying we were all sh. Sad and shocked by the fact that Ray killed himself. Like, so definitive, so definitive that it

[B]

almost makes me start to kind of question just a little bit and go, eh, Porter? Are you. Are you being on the up and up here?

[A]

And I think it makes me raise an eyebrow because of everything else that we're about to get into, of, of who he is or who he seems to be at least. So following what Porter thought was the conclusion of Ray's case, Stansberry and Associates did consult a lawyer, but simply told employees to refer any media inquiries to their spokesperson instead of fielding them themselves. So there's a lot of reports that say, oh, he put a gag order on all the employees and he's saying, no, I just said don't talk to the media. Why don't you just tell them to speak to our spokesperson? You don't have to get involved in this. But you could also look at that and say, why don't you want them to talk?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I think you could go either way here. And it's either you're protecting yourself and your associates or there's something a little bit more suspicious going on here.

[A]

But the concept or the story about a gag order, according to Porter, is, quote, completely a lie. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a lie. Furthermore, Porter claims The allegation that Ray spoke with someone at the office that day is neglecting half of the story. Now, Ray did accept a phone call, but he says that it was not from anyone at Stansberry and Associates. He says the call had actually originated from their parent company, another financial publishing firm called Agora Publishing. Now, Ray had also been freelancing for Agora. So the call may have been regarding a job for them. So it is connected to Porter's company. But Porter is saying, well, it wasn't my company. Exactly. It wasn't Stansberry and Associates.

[B]

Yeah, it was the. The big dog. It was Agora Publishing.

[A]

Right. And he's saying that it simply could not have originated from anybody at Stansberry. Specifically saying, quote, every person in our company who had worked with Ray was on the Eastern Shore at the time that call was made, having a corporate retreat in St. Michael's no one in my company was in town when Ray disappeared. The idea we were calling him from our switchboard is ridiculous. I understand why he would want to squash that rumor if he knows for sure it wasn't. But I think the fact that there's a story going around about a gag order and he's saying no. Well, I just referred them to the spokesperson. And so no one from the company is talking to the media and he is telling us it wasn't us is like. Well, nobody else is saying that except for you. You're the only one that's perpetuating this story.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He feels. Are you trying to protect somebody?

[B]

It feels like, weirdly defensive. You know what I mean? Like, he kind of feels the need to get ahead of things.

[A]

I agree with that. That's why it's kind of suspicious. Or maybe his behavior is suspicious and it's not and he's just making himself out to look kind of bad. But it's. It's hard.

[B]

Well, I am going to talk about that here in just. Or actually right now, because.

[A]

Hit it.

[B]

Yeah. Because his firm did have an unfortunate history of shady dealings, including offering a false tip to potential investors, which lost them their money. So basically, Stansberry had gotten in hot water for issuing a tip to purchase stock from a Russian company. And many investors complained in the aftermath of this. They were even fined 1.5 million or about 2.5 million today by the securities and Exchange Commission for doing so. In fact, part of Ray's job when he was hired was being responsible for rehabilitating Stansberry's image as well as Porter's personal reputation. So Ray's job was literally to make Porter look better because he had fucked up.

[A]

Yeah. So he was already not in the best place when this happened. And then things just got worse for the company when Ray went missing and was found, because then everyone's like, well, are you guys involved in this because of. Of everything that's going on, the potential gag order, the phone call, etc.

[B]

Yeah. Well. In response to what she believed was Porter's unwillingness to assist in the investigation of her husband's death, Allison told Unsolved Mysteries, quote, now I'm mad. We move out here for him, and Porter was not going to speak to the police. And that's when it started to get really strange for me. He's your friend and you have no comment why?

[A]

I mean, Porter himself said, I. He originally said, I want answers. This is my best friend. And then he kind of changed his tune.

[B]

And also, we do know that porter put up $1,000 and hired a private investigator. Yeah, like, he did do those certain things. But is this just a cover for him and his company? $1,000 to this kind of type of firm is probably not a lot of money to put up.

[A]

Right. Well, Ray's episode of Unsolved Mysteries, which released on July 1, 2020, actually explored Porter as potentially being responsible for Ray's

[B]

death, which is crazy. So, the following month, Porter conducted an interview with the Baltimore sun in which he explained, the reason I've never commented about Ray's death publicly, first and foremost, is because I never thought that there was any mystery about why or how he died of his potential involvement in. He commented, quote, it's completely untrue. I did everything I could to help.

[A]

Well, another popular theory that is thought to have contributed to Ray's death, or maybe, you know, it's a theory, is the connection to the Freemasons, which is a, like, secretive fraternal club who many believe is a front for something far more sinister. You know, as is a lot of organizations like this. It's like, oh, you're just a club. I think you're a cult.

[B]

Yeah. And that's what I mean when I said a minute ago that, like, he's. There's kind of this conspiracy angle to all of this.

[A]

Yeah. And. Well, it seems like that directly plays into this for many reasons. So Allison explained on Unsolved Mysteries that the quote that Ray included in the beginning of his letter, whom virtue unites, death will not separate, can actually be traced back to the club, to the Freemasons. She said, quote, I just took that first sentence and laid it into Google search. And the first thing that came up was Freemasons. He definitely was, you know, kind of curious in just secret societies, the Freemasons, which makes sense again with his movie interests like Eyes Wide Shut. So maybe he was looking into them for inspiration, which Allyson believes as well. Maybe he's like, oh, how can I make something like the game and Eyes Wide Shut and have this, like, secret society and, you know, that kind of thing.

[B]

Well, I think what makes this make even more sense is the fact that in the days leading up to his death, he had even purchased Freemasons for Dummies.

[A]

I mean, that's like. Could not be more clear.

[B]

Yeah, that could not be more clear. So. And he also was reading the A story and study of Freemasonry. And Ray had purportedly even reached out to a representative for the Freemasons about potentially becoming a member.

[A]

And maybe he wanted to become a member so that he could look into them and write a screenplay based on like the. In the inner happenings of.

[B]

Yeah. The inner workings of the Freemasons or something.

[A]

Or of like an organization. I keep saying organization. I don't know what the word I'm looking for. I keep wanting to say cult. Honestly inspired by something like the Freemasons. So of course, then some point to their responsibility. But why they would have enough ammunition to want to murder Rhaey is unknown.

[B]

Yeah. Because he really didn't. I mean, he was just starting to learn. I mean, Freemasons for Dummies, come on.

[A]

Yeah. Unless it's like, oh, he reached out and then he went to the headquarters.

[B]

Yeah, he like snuck into a meeting,

[A]

which, I don't know, maybe he did, but that's where people's minds are going. Because we don't know the extent of his research into this. And then that would also tie into. Well, are they really like a dangerous cult or is this just a fraternal club? We don't know unless you're in the club. And maybe you know the inside information out there.

[B]

Help us out, let us know.

[A]

Or maybe don't. Maybe I don't want to know about that. By the way, if you kind of want to know what more so what the Freemasons do on the outside, they are described as the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization that originated centuries ago in Europe who focus on moral development and self improvement, charity and community work and networking. So it's just like, supposed to be like a man's club. But because they also are known to perform rituals and such. Many wonder if there's some creepy, cultish stuff going on, which there may be. So Ray may have been interested in joining to explore that element for a screenplay or just for mentorship and social connections. Well, of course, the most prevailing and probably simplest theory is that Ray was experiencing some sort of mental health crisis or manic episode and took his own life not in a calculated act of suicide, but in a momentary panic brought on by a downward spiral in his mental health and stability. Porter even recalled Allison sharing with him that he had been, quote, morose in the days leading up to his death. Like I said, three days before he went missing and died, he just couldn't

[B]

get out of bed.

[A]

Couldn't get out of bed. So whether that's because he was afraid of something going on inside him or outside and around him, we just don't know.

[B]

Well, I will say that it is worth noting that Ray was in a significant amount of debt at the time of his death and that he may have been experiencing increasing pressure to pay it off. So he had fronted the business costs for the job that he took for the Oxford Club, putting up around $75,000, which he put on his credit card in hopes of being reimbursed when the job was completed. Now, additionally, he had another $15,000 or so in personal credit card debt totaling to around $90,000. Ray had even opened another credit card in the six months prior to his death. He was supposed to receive a reimbursement for the out of pocket costs. But because he died before he finished that project, Allison was actually forced to pay back those costs, which took her nearly a decade. In the spirit of transparency, there's a highly controversial theory that is technically without any sort of actual credibility, but many believe that it does fit the narrative. Now, because of how mysterious and secretive Ray's final hours were, and due to the fact that he spent many months in Baltimore alone, because, by the way, he and Allyson had done like this long distance thing for about seven months while she was still in California. Some wonder if he had been engaged in an extramarital affair, possibly with a man that perhaps went awry, or maybe his partner was like threatening to tell his wife and family about it and that Ray kind of panicked and then took his own life. Now, this is something that floats around this story quite a bit, so we just wanted to include it, but I just feel like every other theory, there's, you know, there's no real concrete backing for any of it, right?

[A]

It's all just they're all just theories. I. It's just hard for me not to keep returning to the phone call. I mean, the phone call would tell us a lot more because that is what made him leave the house and never return.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. So why don't we know and why don't the police know who he spoke to? How is that not. How is that not known? Which is why I find Porter so suspicious that he, one way or another, did not encourage his employees to speak to the police when one of them, either in his company or the parent company, last spoke to Ray before his death and might hold the key to this.

[B]

Yeah, And I really find it interesting that nobody from that company came forward and said, yeah, I was the one that made that call. We know that the call fucking happened. Right. But nobody came forward and said, yeah, I was the one that made that call. I was the reason for Ray leaving the house that day in a hurry.

[A]

Yeah. Because he had forgotten this or the job fell through. Whatever. Like, literally, whatever it could be, could tie in, even if, hey, then if you didn't do anything and you just spoke to him and that led to him choosing to jump off the Belvedere,

[B]

then come forward and say that you had the con, you had a conversation with him.

[A]

Which is why it's hard not to be suspicious. Because with every other case that we talk about, where they were last seen with this person, and that person doesn't come forward, well, then I'm suspicious of you, because if you had nothing to do with this, then tell us what you saw since you were the last person and no one's doing that.

[B]

Yeah, I do think that that's very suspicious. I wish we had more answers pertaining to that phone call, you know, and we just don't. So we may never know for sure what his final hours looked like and what led to Ray Rivera being discovered in that hole through the roof of the old Belvedere Hotel.

[A]

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

[B]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. Would really love to hear your theories on this case. We're going to post, obviously, the photos of Ray and everything that's associated with this case on our socials. So go check those out. We're on Instagram @goingwestpodcast. We also have a discussion group on Facebook, so that would be a great place to let us know your theories.

[A]

Yeah. Or in the comments on our Instagram. There's not very many high quality photos of that hole, but we will post it as well as like a kind of like an overview of the space and of Allison's SUV that was found. Just everything like Heath said. Because this is truly such a strange case and I don't really know where I lie, I understand why people think that he may have taken his own life, especially because you and I love the movie the game so much and we know it so well. There are so many parallels that it's almost like in my head, part of me is like, it's almost like he was acting out the movie.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But the other part is like there's too many unanswered questions and there's too many people like the phone call. I need to know about the phone call.

[B]

Yes, we need to know about the phone call. There are other aspects of this case that we just, we need answers to. Yes, that would really clear up a lot of speculation, which is why I'm

[A]

sure his family agreed to be a part of the Unsolved Mysteries episode because they know there's more to this as well and. And they just want answer. So thank you guys so much for tuning in to this one and we will see you guys again on Friday.

[B]

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