Just after 5:00 p.m. on February 18, 2014, ten-year-old Hailey Owens set out on the short walk home from a friend’s house. What began as an ordinary Tuesday turned horrific when neighbors Carlos and Michelle Edwards watched a tan Ford Ranger pull alongside Hailey. After asking for directions, the driver suddenly grabbed her and dragged her into the truck as she tried to walk away. Carlos Edwards sprinted after the vehicle, nearly reaching Hailey before the truck disappeared down the street, while another neighbor chased the kidnapper and called 911. Michelle managed to provide the police with the license plate as panic swept through the quiet neighborhood. Just doors away, Hailey’s mother, Stacey, was preparing dinner, expecting her daughter home any minute, only to be met instead by flashing police lights, frantic officers, and the horrifying realization that her child had been abducted. As volunteers flooded the streets with flashlights and Hailey’s smiling photo spread across social media, the entire city of Springfield, Missouri, held its breath.

Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘Stolen: The Abduction and Murder of Hailey Owens.’

This episode proudly sponsored by Quince.

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Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS

Music by our editing team @theinkypawprint

Sources:

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https://www.reddit.com/r/lastimages/comments/o1905m/last_photo_of_hailey_owens_that_was_shown_in/

https://www.ky3.com/video/2026/01/13/missouri-supreme-court-denies-appeal-hailey-owens-murder-case/

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https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Haileys-Law-takes-effect-today-after-55-years-of-waiting-558599941.html

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