Denise Didn't Come Home | 6. A Word That Starts With C

Summary

Summary of "Denise Didn't Come Home | 6. A Word That Starts With C"

Introduction

"Denise Didn't Come Home," the latest installment in The Binge Cases series by Sony Music Entertainment, delves deep into the harrowing 1969 disappearance and subsequent murder of Denise Velaska. Karen Falasca, Denise’s sister, has spent nearly five decades relentlessly seeking justice for her sister's untimely death. In this episode, Karen teams up with host Anthony Scalia to uncover unexpected truths about the case, ultimately confronting Richard Cottingham—the man she believes is responsible for Denise's murder.

Correspondence with Richard Cottingham

The episode begins with Karen Velaska reaching out to Richard Cottingham, who had previously confessed to Denise's murder. Karen's initial email, sent in April 2018, reflects her desperation for clarity and truth:

Karen Velaska [01:00]: "I’ve searched for answers to what happened to Denise every day of my life for almost five decades... Anything you can tell me is greatly appreciated."

Anthony Scalia commends Karen's bravery in making contact:

Peter Frankopan [01:40]: "I just want to tell you how brave it was of you to even just email him in the first place."

Cottingham responds hesitantly, apologizing for the delay and expressing remorse:

Richard Cottingham [01:46]: "I feel the hurt and pain that you have suffered through all these years... Less than a minute left... I will begin to close."

Karen interprets Cottingham's behavior as evasive yet remains determined to extract the truth:

Karen Velaska [02:41]: "I don't know if I'm brave or stupid... I'm finally like, cutting out all the middle people between me and the truth."

Challenges in Communication

Karen's persistent efforts to obtain detailed information from Cottingham encounter significant obstacles. Limited email windows and Cottingham's reluctance result in incomplete and vague responses:

Richard Cottingham [04:22]: "I think that you would be interested to know that I remember talking to Denise quite extensively for well over four hours... I'm so, so sorry for her as well as to you."

Anthony highlights Cottingham's deceptive nature:

Peter Frankopan [02:41]: "We're talking about a guy who is the master of deception."

Despite Cottingham's minimal disclosures, Karen pushes for more specific answers regarding the circumstances of Denise's death:

Karen Velaska [06:34]: "How exactly did you kill Denise, and where did the killing take place?"

Cottingham remains non-committal, further frustrating Karen's quest:

Richard Cottingham [06:57]: "I think by now you must have sensed my reluctance to talk specifically about that question... I will continue tomorrow."

Breakthrough: Identifying Cottingham's Vehicle

A pivotal moment occurs when Cottingham mentions the type and color of the car he was driving during the time of Denise's murder:

Richard Cottingham [10:29]: "I believe that the Buick I was driving around that time was light blue."

Karen's diligent research leads her to a photo of a late '60s light blue Buick sedan, confirming her suspicions:

Karen Velaska [10:40]: "Once he said the name of that car and I went and looked at it. It was it. That's it. That was really startling for me."

This revelation solidifies Karen's belief that the person she saw the night Denise was murdered was indeed Cottingham:

Karen Velaska [11:02]: "I know it was. Now I absolutely know it was. There's no doubt in my mind anymore."

Emotional Reconciliation and Acceptance

As the correspondence continues, Karen grapples with complex emotions, oscillating between anger and forgiveness. Cottingham admits to a compulsion beyond his control:

Richard Cottingham [17:26]: "I was like a possessed person, controlled by a compulsion I did not recognize nor understand."

Karen finds a semblance of peace through forgiveness, not for Cottingham's sake but for her own:

Karen Velaska [27:28]: "I forgive him, but it's not because he deserves it. It's for my soul that I forgive him."

She acknowledges that while she cannot change the past, accepting the truth allows her to mourn Denise genuinely:

Karen Velaska [27:24]: "When Richard was revealed and that fear was lifted for me, I was finally able to grieve for her without being terrified."

Karen's Illness and Final Days

Tragedy strikes again when Karen is diagnosed with Stage Four adenocarcinoma. Despite her deteriorating health, Karen remains focused on completing her life's work:

Karen Velaska [19:21]: "I have to accept it. It really has been hitting me that I don't have to search for her murderer anymore."

As her condition worsens, Karen expresses a deep desire to finalize her journey toward peace:

Karen Velaska [20:23]: "I want to bring this home for so many reasons, for my family, and make it into the best thing that I've ever done in my life."

In her final correspondence, Karen achieves emotional closure, distancing herself from further interaction with Cottingham to protect her peace:

Karen Velaska [18:17]: "There's nothing that he took from all of us that he can ever make amends. As far as wanting anything to do with Richard or carrying on any further dialogue with him. I'm done here."

Final Confrontation and Karen's Passing

Anthony Scalia recounts his final in-person meeting with Karen, capturing the profound impact of her journey:

Karen Velaska [27:24]: "There is peace in my heart, peace in my soul."

Tragically, Karen passes away on May 18, 2019. Anthony reflects on the depth of their relationship and the enduring pain caused by Cottingham's actions:

Peter Frankopan [32:29]: "Cottingham had caused her a lifetime of hurt, of uncertainty, of regret."

In a chilling aftermath, Cottingham sends a veiled threat to Anthony, underscoring the unresolved tension:

Richard Cottingham [33:59]: "This is to you and your girlfriend. You know, the one I'm going to steal from you."

Conclusion

"Denise Didn't Come Home | 6. A Word That Starts With C" masterfully navigates Karen Velaska's relentless pursuit of justice and personal healing. Through poignant correspondence, emotional confrontations, and ultimate acceptance, the episode illustrates the profound impact of unresolved grief and the quest for closure. Karen's story is a testament to resilience, the complexities of forgiveness, and the enduring search for truth in the face of unimaginable loss.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Karen Velaska [01:00]: "I’ve searched for answers to what happened to Denise every day of my life for almost five decades."

• Peter Frankopan [01:40]: "I just want to tell you how brave it was of you to even just email him in the first place."

• Karen Velaska [10:40]: "Once he said the name of that car and I went and looked at it. It was it. That's it."

• Karen Velaska [18:17]: "There's nothing that he took from all of us that he can ever make amends."

• Karen Velaska [27:28]: "I forgive him, but it's not because he deserves it. It's for my soul that I forgive him."

• Richard Cottingham [33:59]: "This is to you and your girlfriend. You know, the one I'm going to steal from you."

This episode not only uncovers the dark truths surrounding Denise's murder but also highlights Karen's extraordinary strength in seeking justice and finding peace amidst relentless adversity.

Transcript

[Afwah Hirsch]

I'm Afwah Hirsch.

[Peter Frankopan]

I'm Peter Frankopan.

[Afwah Hirsch]

And in our podcast Legacy, we explore the lives of some of the biggest characters in history.

[Peter Frankopan]

This season we are looking at the life of the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

[Afwah Hirsch]

It's fair to say he's a complex and controversial character.

[Peter Frankopan]

Almost 150 years since his birth. How does his legacy hold up today?

[Afwah Hirsch]

Follow Legacy now wherever you get your.

[Peter Frankopan]

Podcasts or binge entire seasons early and.

[Indra Varma]

Ad free on Wondery plus.

[Afwah Hirsch]

The Bench.

[Karen Velaska]

Hello, Richard. You don't know me. I am Karen. I was told that you gave a confession for the murder of my sister Denise Velaska.

[Peter Frankopan]

In April of 2018, Karen Velaska wrote the first of what would be many emails to Richard Cottingham. Cottingham had confessed to the murder of Karen sister Denise.

[Karen Velaska]

I read your confession, which frankly was lacking some important details. Maybe you don't feel like you owe me anything, but from my heart, I'm just asking for the straight up truth in regards to your role in her disappearance and death. Can you help me? If you did kill Denise, maybe this will be a good chance for you to put something right. I've searched for answers to what happened to Denise every day of my life for almost five decades. This girl, Denise, was once at the heart of my whole world. Anything you can tell me is greatly appreciated. Please write back. Karen.

[Peter Frankopan]

I just want to tell you how brave it was of you to even just email him in the first place.

[Karen Velaska]

I don't know if I'm brave or stupid. I can't come this far and just drop it. I got two emails from him today and I'm just really, you know, blown away. Hello, Karen, I am sorry and apologize. I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. To be truthful, I didn't know what to say to you or how to say it. I do feel the hurt and pain that you have suffered through all these years of not knowing what really happened to your sister. I can't undo the past. I wish I could. I too have to live with the pain I have caused to so many people. Less than a minute left. So I will begin to close. I will write again. And then it just kind of cut off. So what do you think of that?

[Peter Frankopan]

We're talking about a guy who is the master of deception.

[Karen Velaska]

I know he's a bad guy, but he's rather harmless at the moment. And he is the one that has answers, you know, believable or not, I'm finally like, cutting out all the middle people between Me and the truth. I just need to discern for myself what has happened here. When I'm done talking to Richard, I want to be done with Denise's case. I want to be done doing all this stuff.

[Peter Frankopan]

My name is Anthony Scalia from Truth Media and Sony Music Entertainment. This is. Denise didn't come home.

[Karen Velaska]

They're saying this guy confessed, but there's not going to be any charges. There's not going to be any media.

[Peter Frankopan]

Can you explain to me how you killed her?

[Richard Cottingham]

It's hazy. I would almost definitely say that I strangled her.

[Karen Velaska]

Some details were lost to him. This was really far from home run. Slam dunk. I had been stalked that night, and when I read the confession, that wasn't a part of this story at all. The only two people that know what happened that night is Denise and Richard. If I really want to know what happened that night, I should just ask him.

[Peter Frankopan]

Chapter six. A word that starts with C.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Richard, thank you for being willing to talk to me. I'm just trying to get some of these stories I've been told straightened out.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen spent months writing to Richard Cottingham through the prison email system. The following are excerpts of their correspondence read by actors.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Believe it or not, if someone can just tell me what the hell happened to my sister that night, I would be able to move on from this nightmare that never ends.

[Peter Frankopan]

Cottingham was a slow typer and he only had 20 minutes at a time to send his emails, so his responses were often short.

[Richard Cottingham]

Hi, Karen. I've been thinking about that night so long ago. It's surreal. Like it never happened or I imagined it all. There are things that I've forgotten about and really can't recall. But there are other things that are really vivid, like they happened yesterday.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Rich, can you tell me about the vivid things where you contacted Denise and just anything you remember? I would be so grateful. Anything about her.

[Richard Cottingham]

Karen, I think that you would be interested to know that I remember talking to Denise quite extensively for well over four hours. And believe it or not, she did not appear to me to be scared or frightened. The longer we talked, the calmer she got. She even laughed at times or something stupid. I said. She appeared to me to be intelligent, yet at the same time a little bit naive as to what was happening. I don't know what to say to you except that I'm so, so sorry for her as well as to you. I'm out of time, so I'm going to close for now. I hope I'm not bringing up bad memories for you. Rich.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Rich, please don't worry about bringing up bad memories. I am able and ready to face this. I want to know what happened to Denise. Thank you for doing this for me. Have a peaceful night and write when you can.

[Peter Frankopan]

As they continue to write back and forth, Karen kept trying to steer Cottingham towards his memories of the night of the murder. But after a month of correspondence, Cottingham had offered her nothing.

[Afwah Hirsch]

How exactly did you kill Denise, and where did the killing take place? Maybe this will help if I just keep it short with the specific questions.

[Richard Cottingham]

Karen, I think by now you must have sensed my reluctance to talk specifically about that question in your last email to me. That is not because I believe you don't deserve that from me. It's because I'm reluctant to put anything specifically about that down onto paper. So while your sister's case is solved for now, shit out of time. I will continue tomorrow.

[Peter Frankopan]

Cottingham's time would often run out mid sentence, and Karen was left to wonder if he was really running out of time or dodging her questions.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Richard, to be straight with you, it's hard for me to sort out whether you really killed Denise or whether you are confessing to these crimes in exchange for favors or both. I really pray my words don't upset you. Keep writing if you can. Karen.

[Richard Cottingham]

Karen, let me be as clear as I can be to you. I did not talk to the prosecutors for over 25 years. I never had nor still do not seek publicity. I get very little in return for talking to them or helping them solve crimes. I get a day out of jail and a few good meals. I will not lie to you. Ever. But truthfully, I don't know what will convince you of what it is you're seeking. Rich.

[Peter Frankopan]

So what do you feel like doing today? Do you want to talk to me about, like, your correspondence with Richard?

[Karen Velaska]

I'm really wanting to share these emails with you because it's really intense for me right now with Richard writing to me. More than any time since this has happened. I feel like I've really been sucked back to that night. And when he says the things that he says and remembers the things that he remembers, I see it like it's crazy. I'm gonna get there with him. Like, I'm really gonna try to construct my next letters to get to what I need to hear.

[Peter Frankopan]

There was one moment from the night of Denise's murder that Karen needed Cottingham to remember. The moment where he might have stalked her in a blue car.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Rich, I think I may have seen you that night and you may have seen me. I was standing at a bus stop. If it was you, you turned around twice to pass by me while staring at me intently. Do you remember anything like that? If not, I understand it was a long time ago.

[Richard Cottingham]

Cameron. I specifically don't remember the fact of maybe seeing you, but it's entirely possible my normal activity would be to cruise around, sometimes for hours. And since when I met Denise, it was already late, it is possible, but I don't specifically remember that.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Rich, what kind of car did you drive? Year, make, model and color.

[Richard Cottingham]

Most of my cars were Chevy's. I did drive one Buick and a Dodge Charger.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen jumped on the Internet. She looked at old Chevys, then a Dodge Charger. None of them looked like the cars she saw. But then she found a picture of a late 60s Buick sedan.

[Afwah Hirsch]

You mentioned a Buick. If you remember what color the Buick was, let me know.

[Richard Cottingham]

I believe that the Buick I was driving around that time was light blue.

[Karen Velaska]

Once he said the name of that car and I went and looked at it. It was it. That was it. That's it. That was really startling for me. He's identified the car and he's identified clearly that that is something he did often. That was his mo. That's what he did.

[Peter Frankopan]

Do you think that you saw Richard the night that Denise died? Do you think that person in the car was Richard?

[Karen Velaska]

I know it was. Now I absolutely know it was. There's no doubt in my mind anymore. I can actually even see his face now through that car window. And it is him.

[Peter Frankopan]

I remember just sitting there, kind of stunned that after everything Karen and I had been through, going through all her theories, she'd finally come to terms with who killed her sister. Her lifelong journey had suddenly come to an end. And then I thought about Karen's theory about Max, Denise's ex boyfriend. How sure she was that Max had killed Denise.

[Karen Velaska]

The part of the story that we talked about with Max, the things that I put together there really did add up. It's easier for me to think that these people that I know did this than it is for me to think about this. Evil incarnate wounding Son of a bitch got ahold of her. He killed so many people that day. He killed my mother too. And my father and all my sisters. He killed them. They were never the same. And me, a part of me. Why did he come into our path that night? He hit and run us like a freight train. I could never accept it. And really that's kind of a big message for me is that I do need to accept it. It really has been hitting me that I don't have to search for her murderer anymore. I can just remember her and accept the fact that she's gone. She's dead. You.

[Afwah Hirsch]

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[Peter Frankopan]

He had a ski mask in his.

[Karen Velaska]

Possession and a knife.

[Peter Frankopan]

She was familiar enough with them and.

[Indra Varma]

Trusted them enough that she turned her back on him.

[Richard Cottingham]

And that was her mistake.

[Afwah Hirsch]

One investigator sees a conspiracy. Is he way off base? Or does privilege help you get away with murder? In the Shadow of Princeton is available wherever you get your podcasts or you can binge it ad free by joining Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify. I'm Indra Varma and in the latest season of the Spy who, we open the file on Daphne park, the spy who killed a Prime minister. As the Belgian Congo gains its independence, Officer park sets out to build a spy network together. They're about to go to new extremes to keep Congo free free of communists. Follow the spy who now wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Karen Velaska]

This whole thing is so, so, so messed up for everybody involved. He's the person that I've been looking for for all these years.

[Peter Frankopan]

After Karen accepted that Richard Cottingham had killed her sister Denise, she was left to reckon with what that meant and what was next.

[Karen Velaska]

I've been put on a long road to get to him. It's sort of like the promised land, you know, it's like 40 years in the desert kind of thing. And it wasn't just so I could say, hey, fuck you for killing my sister. And me carrying around this hatred in my heart. It's no good for me, you know, it's no good for anyone.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen had experienced so much tragedy in her life. I just hoped there wouldn't be any more. But right around then, her 37 year old stepson Wyatt was hiking in the Colorado mountains and died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Karen shut down. She even stopped talking to me. But there was one person she did talk to about Wyatt's death. Cottingham. Karen read me the emails he sent her.

[Karen Velaska]

I'm Deeply saddened about the news about Wyatt and by what you must be going through. I can't pretend to know God's plan for all of us. But I truly believe that your family has suffered enough for one lifetime. I will pray for Wyatt, for you, for your family. Every day. I feel your pain, Karen. And I wish I could do something to ease it. Take all the time you need. And take good care, Richie. I thought that was really nice. This is crazy, Anthony. I really do care about Richard. I'm really not sure when or where it happened, but I actually care about him as a human being. I should hate him. I should wish him dead. And I'm not. You know, I don't feel that way at all. It's kind of surprising for me, too, you know? I really think that I've been sent to him to forgive him. Like this is a hard reality. But we're all going to die. We all have an appointment with the day, and we just don't know what day it is. You know what I mean? It's on me if I carry this hatred to the grave.

[Afwah Hirsch]

Hi, Rich. I was reading over some of our letters, and I want you to know that I've found a certain amount of peace. Peace and knowing the truth about what happened. I don't want to let too much time go by to tell you that in my heart I forgive you. I wanted to ask you if at any time you realized what you were doing might be wrong. And did you ever wish someone could help you? Do you think you would have gone on killing if you hadn't been caught in 1980?

[Richard Cottingham]

Hey, Karen. Thanks for writing to me. If I didn't get arrested and taken off the street, I probably never would have stopped. I know that's sad to say, but I'm trying to be as truthful to you as I can. I was like a possessed person, controlled by a compulsion I did not recognize nor understand.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen felt that despite everything Cottingham had done, there was still some good in him. But cracks in that facade were starting to show.

[Richard Cottingham]

As a somewhat intelligent and moral person, I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I had a knack of clearing my mind afterwards and never thinking about what I had done. I know that these answers will somewhat disturb you. But with you, the truth is all I have. Rich.

[Karen Velaska]

I see him where he is now as the evil demon that he was. Crawling around the earth, preying on people. There's nothing that he took from all of us that he can ever make amends. As far as wanting anything to do with Richard or carrying on any further dialogue with him. I'm done here. I'd rather not feed the monster.

[Peter Frankopan]

After that, Karen stopped writing to Cottingham. She seemed to withdraw from everything I heard from her, less and less often through short text messages. And then that winter, she texted me, I need to talk to you. I was driving at the time, so I quickly pulled over to call her. She told me she had been to the doctor and had some bad news.

[Karen Velaska]

So I have adenocarcinoma, Stage four cancer. So it has spread like they're already shrinking the tumors that I have.

[Peter Frankopan]

That completely knocked the wind out of me. I thought we had all the time in the world to tell this story together. Sitting in my car on the side of the road, blood pulsing in my ears, I'll never forget the rising panic of that moment when suddenly there was no time left.

[Karen Velaska]

I always said, if it takes me to the rest of my life, then I'll just use up the rest of my life. I think it's a miracle that these things were brought to me now. And I think it's a travesty that I had to wait until, like, almost the bitter end of my life. I took my whole entire life to get this done. And this is almost like the culmination of my life's work.

[Peter Frankopan]

There would be countless doctor's appointments ahead, Radiation and chemo, special diets, bed rest, oxygen tanks and IVs. But Karen wasn't focused on any of that. She wanted to finish this project.

[Karen Velaska]

You know how much this matters to me. And everything I do from this point forward matters to me more than ever. I want to bring this home for so many reasons, for my family, and make it into the best thing that I've ever done in my life. Truly honest and genuine and the truth. My hope is to feel a little better every day. And I'll definitely talk to you on the weekend.

[Peter Frankopan]

Okay. I'll let you go.

[Karen Velaska]

Talk to you soon.

[Peter Frankopan]

Bye. Bye.

[Karen Velaska]

Bye.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen did not feel a little better every day. By early 2019, most of her energy had been sapped by chemotherapy. We talked less and less, and she could never talk long. Hey, how are you doing?

[Karen Velaska]

Just have pretty bad headaches all day.

[Peter Frankopan]

Yeah.

[Karen Velaska]

Yeah. And I'm laid up pretty good, you know?

[Peter Frankopan]

Do you. Do you want to not talk?

[Karen Velaska]

Yeah, I just. I probably won't be good. I can't even think like it's.

[Peter Frankopan]

Yeah.

[Karen Velaska]

And I've lost every pound that there is to lose. I look so bad. I'm so worried about me. I need you to sort of carry on without me for a minute and just do whatever you think is best. I trust your judgment. You know, it's fine. And then I'm just really trying to bring myself up so that I can finish. I just want my life back.

[Peter Frankopan]

You'll have it back. You'll have it back. I have faith. I really do.

[Karen Velaska]

I really pray that I will.

[Peter Frankopan]

There was a stretch of weeks where I didn't hear from Karen at all, and that was really hard. Finally, I reached out to her family on Facebook just to check in on her. They told me that Karen was not doing well, that she was going into hospice. When I finally got Karen on the phone again, I didn't want to waste any more time. Really quickly, I wanted to offer this to you again. I will come out there if you want me to. If it's okay with you. I would be more than happy to come out there for a few days as soon as possible.

[Karen Velaska]

I really do need to see you and meet you, even though I'm not even the same person that started talking.

[Peter Frankopan]

To you I know a year ago.

[Karen Velaska]

No pictures.

[Peter Frankopan]

No pictures. Don't worry. No. No pictures of me either.

[Karen Velaska]

Okay. Deal.

[Indra Varma]

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[Afwah Hirsch]

This episode.

[Peter Frankopan]

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[Karen Velaska]

Okay.

[Peter Frankopan]

There are some stories you end up telling over and over and others that are really hard to tell. Again, this is one of them. One, two. I'm standing outside of this little white house in the quiet suburbs of Boulder, Colorado. Check one. And I'm super nervous. I'd come all the way from New Jersey. I hadn't slept. I'm struggling with the microphone and the cables. I want everything to go right. Check one, too, because I'm about to meet Karen Falaska in person for the first time. And I know I'm about to meet her for the last time. Karen's daughter Jamie, answers the door and leads me up to the living room. And that's where I see Karen. Hello.

[Karen Velaska]

It isn't the best me.

[Peter Frankopan]

That's okay. So nice to finally meet you. How are you doing?

[Karen Velaska]

You know, I'm doing.

[Peter Frankopan]

Yeah.

[F]

So I was just laying in bed.

[Peter Frankopan]

With oxygen trying to. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[F]

I love you.

[Peter Frankopan]

It's so great to see you.

[F]

I know I look terrible, but.

[Peter Frankopan]

No, like, at least we get to see. We get to see each other.

[F]

I actually weigh about 30 pounds more than this in real life, usually.

[Peter Frankopan]

Like I said, I usually weigh 30 pounds less. So you can take some of mine if you want.

[F]

In this house, we don't care about weight. So beautiful out here in the sun.

[Peter Frankopan]

Wow, it is gorgeous out here, isn't it? Karen and I stood in the sun on her terrace while she smoked a cigarette, sharing a bit of silence. She told me she'd finally let it go. But as she stared out into the sunshine, part of me wondered if that was really true. I mean, everything you needed, you got it.

[F]

I think so.

[Peter Frankopan]

You told me. Certainly you said, this is my life's work. If it takes me to the end of my life to get the answer, I will do it.

[F]

Did I say that?

[Peter Frankopan]

You said that multiple times.

[F]

I believe you.

[Peter Frankopan]

You know, being ill. How do you view that?

[F]

I've definitely had some revelations on so many things. I've always believed in my heart that there's a little bit of good in everybody, that nobody is really pure evil. I mean, deep in my heart, I believed that. And it was a pretty big eye opener. I don't know what in the world happened to Richard Cottingham. There was an evil that exists within this man even to this day. He's very cordial and very apologetic. And he tries to comfort me by telling me she's in a better place now, as though he had been appointed to choose that for her. And I forgive him, but it's not because he deserves it. It's for my soul that I forgive him. You know, I have to be able to forgive him. When Richard was revealed and that fear was lifted for me, I was finally able to grieve for her without being terrified. I was able to just cry. Able to purely mourn her and actually bury her again. I really don't like the word closure, because there really is no closure in a tragedy like this. It's just a word that starts with C. But there is peace. Peace in my heart, peace in my soul. Yes. I really feel that you can have peace and understanding and knowing that we're all here for a certain amount of time and we just don't know, you know, My faith lets me know that there's a more abundant life after this life, and that I really. I can't wait. I feel ecstatic over seeing my sisters again and my family, and I'm looking forward to seeing them so much, you know, it's just going to be amazing. And I have a lot of peace around that. Just a lot of peace that everything is going to be the way it was supposed to be.

[Peter Frankopan]

Thank you again for, like, just everything, you know, like, coming here and finally getting a chance to meet you. It's a big deal to me, and Me, too.

[Karen Velaska]

I.

[F]

You know, I'm just really honored to have you here. And that's what you said, I'm coming. And I was like, oh, okay, well, he's coming then. There's probably so much I could say and so much I don't have to say. You know I love you.

[Peter Frankopan]

You know I love you, right?

[F]

I do.

[Peter Frankopan]

Thank you so much for everything. It's really been amazing.

[F]

Absolutely.

[Peter Frankopan]

It really has.

[F]

It for sure has.

[Peter Frankopan]

I flew back to New Jersey and kept working on our story. And I would still talk to Karen from time to time. And I think you're gonna.

[Karen Velaska]

I know. And if I have to go, I'll be watching over you can just know that. I promise you I will haunt you.

[Peter Frankopan]

Good. I need it. I need it.

[Karen Velaska]

I want you to stick close to my family. Okay. Like you're in it.

[Peter Frankopan]

Oh, I'm in it.

[Karen Velaska]

I really feel a kinship with you, like, you know, further apart in age and everything else under the sun. But you and me are a lot alike.

[Peter Frankopan]

I know. We really are.

[Karen Velaska]

I really Believe that you were led to me to tell this story. You were the one that was appointed to come and deal with me on this because you actually might understand more about me than many would. I have absolute faith in you. I know you'll make mistakes. I don't care about that. Thanks for calling. I love you.

[Peter Frankopan]

I love you too. I hope you feel good.

[Karen Velaska]

Yeah, I'm working on it.

[Peter Frankopan]

Okay. Okay, bye. Bye. Karen passed away on May 18, 2019. And right away, I missed her. I missed her calling me all the time to tell me what was going on. Luckily, I had plenty of those conversations to listen to.

[Karen Velaska]

The things that the deers that showed up in my backyard.

[Peter Frankopan]

When you have as much tape as I had of Karen, it's like a time machine. You can slide backwards and forwards through a friendship.

[Karen Velaska]

I had like a six point book show up in my backyard. It was beautiful. I posted it online. I wrote a dear friend of mine.

[Peter Frankopan]

See, I don't get that here in Lodi. In the months after Karen died, I wasn't listening to our conversations about Max or Cottingham or even Denise. I was listening to the moments I missed the most when we were just friends.

[Karen Velaska]

I know it's not funny, but.

[Peter Frankopan]

No, I'm trying not to laugh so I don't ruin the tape.

[Karen Velaska]

But you know, I mean.

[Peter Frankopan]

Karen used to say that we were a lot alike. That we were both the kind of people that needed to know everything. An obsessive need for the full picture. I was happy that through her emails with Cottingham, she had finally found the peace she needed. But now Karen was gone. And as I listened back to my tapes of her, I was struck by something else. Cottingham had caused her a lifetime of hurt, of uncertainty, of regret. For 50 years, Karen carried that weight alone. She watched as that one event destroyed her family and she blamed herself. But there was only one person responsible for all that destruction and pain. Richard Cottingham. And I had unfinished business. Hello, Anthony.

[Richard Cottingham]

How are you? Just figured I'd get this videogram out to you. If you look behind me, you will see a cell door open. That is my cell. That's where I live. This is to you and your girlfriend. You know, the one I'm going to steal from you.

[Peter Frankopan]

Unlock all episodes of Denise Didn't Come Home ad free right now by subscribing to the binge podcast channel, not only will you immediately unlock all episodes of this show, but you'll get binge access to an entire network of thrilling true crime and investigative podcasts. All ad free. Plus, on the first of every month, subscribers get a binge drop of a brand new series that's all episodes all at once. Unlock your listening now by clicking subscribe at the top of the Binge Cases show page on Apple podcasts or visit getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. Denise Didn't Come Home is a production of Truth Media in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host Anthony Scalia. The show is produced by Ryan Swigert and me. Story editing by Mark Smerling. Kevin Shepard is our Associate producer. Scott Curtis is our production manager from Sony. Our executive producers are Jonathan Hirsch and Catherine St. Louis. Fact checking by Dania Suleman. Voice acting by Nick Dietz and Katie Clark Gray. George Draping Hicks did the mix. Sound design by George Drabing Hicks and Ryan Swigert. Music by Kenny Cusack. Epidemic Sound and Marmoset. Special thanks to Denise Divergeles. Our title track is Gimme Some by Weevil. If you've been enjoying the show, we'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at 646-665-2748 and leave us a voicemail. If you're enjoying Denise Didn't Come Home, don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people find the show and thanks for listening.