Denise Didn't Come Home | 8. The Truth Is Good

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Binge Cases: Denise Didn't Come Home

Introduction

The Binge Cases presents a gripping true crime narrative in its latest episode, "Denise Didn't Come Home". Hosted by Anthony Scalia and produced by Sony Music Entertainment, this episode delves into the harrowing case of Denise Velasquez, a 15-year-old girl whose tragic disappearance and subsequent murder in 1969 left her family, particularly her sister Karen Falasca, desperate for answers. Nearly fifty years later, Karen's quest for justice intertwines with Anthony Scalia's investigative efforts, uncovering startling revelations that challenge long-held beliefs about the case.

Meeting the Family

The episode opens with Anthony Scalia recounting his journey to meet Karen Falasca in Colorado in 2019, during her battle with cancer. Upon arrival, Anthony is introduced to Karen's family members, including her daughter Jamie and Karen's sister Trish. This initial meeting sets the stage for a deep exploration of Karen's relentless search for her sister's killer.

Anthony Scalia [00:31]: "Karen's daughter Jamie was staying with Karen, helping her with whatever she needed."

Karen's Obsession and Family Dynamics

As Anthony delves into Karen's extensive research on Denise's case, he is presented with a "binders of everything Karen had collected," revealing the depth of Karen's dedication. Trish shares memories of Denise, painting a picture of a vibrant and outgoing young woman whose death devastated the family.

Trish [02:58]: "She was a riot. She was powerful. She was funny. She was very outgoing and gregarious. And beautiful."

The family's narratives highlight the profound impact Denise's murder had on their lives. Trish discusses the fragmentation of the family, with their father retreating into himself and Karen's all-consuming pursuit of justice causing strains within the household.

Trish [03:59]: "Everybody just scattered. It was just me and Karen mostly left to our own devices."

Revisiting the Case File: Uncovering the Truth

Anthony's investigation takes a pivotal turn when he gains access to the official case file of Denise Velasquez. Through meticulous examination, he uncovers discrepancies between Karen's recollections and the documented evidence. Notably, Karen's original statements to the police differ significantly from her later memories.

Anthony Scalia [05:27]: "Karen's memory of being the last person to see Denise alive, the thing that sent her on an obsessive journey to find Denise's murderer, it just never happened."

One critical discovery is the inconsistency regarding Denise leaving the house with Karen. Official records indicate Denise left home alone, contradicting Karen's persistent belief that she was the last to see her sister.

Karen Falaska's Statement [06:49]: "She left her house at about 6pm to go catch a bus to the movie theater."

Mr. Felaska's Statement [07:07]: "Denise left the house at 8pm, two hours after Karen went to the movies. That meant their paths didn't even cross that night."

Emotional Impact and Family Reflections

The revelation that Karen's memories may not align with the facts brings emotional turmoil. Jamie shares her perspective on the family's trauma and the long-term effects of Denise's murder, emphasizing the ripple effect of tragedy on subsequent generations.

Jamie [23:05]: "There's a ripple effect. When something tragic happens to one person, it causes so many extended tragedies in the lives around them."

Trish further reflects on the necessity of confronting the uncomfortable truth, acknowledging Karen's struggles and the importance of honesty in healing.

Trish [27:19]: "The truth is always the best. We think the truth should be this great thing, but often the truth sucks. All it does is piss you off. But you can't change a thing unless you have the truth."

Final Conversations and Closure

In the concluding segments, Anthony engages in heartfelt discussions with Jamie and Trish, addressing the emotional weight of uncovering the truth. Jamie expresses gratitude for Anthony's efforts, recognizing the pain but also the necessity of moving forward with honesty.

Jamie [20:03]: "I'm so grateful to you for that reason. She needed someone who she could talk to for hours and hours, and you hung on every word."

Trish shares her deep love for Karen and the impact Karen had on their lives, underscoring the significance of revealing the full story.

Trish [28:26]: "I loved her more than anything in this world. She was everything to me. I carry her with me all the time."

Conclusion

Denise Didn't Come Home masterfully intertwines personal narratives with investigative journalism, revealing the complexities of memory, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Anthony Scalia's discoveries not only shed new light on Denise's tragic death but also provide a poignant commentary on the enduring effects of unresolved grief. The episode concludes with a sense of closure, honoring Karen's unwavering dedication while acknowledging the necessity of confronting uncomfortable truths for genuine healing.

Notable Quotes

• Trish [02:58]: "She was a riot. She was powerful. She was funny. She was very outgoing and gregarious. And beautiful."
• Anthony Scalia [05:27]: "Karen's memory of being the last person to see Denise alive... it just never happened."
• Jamie [23:05]: "When something tragic happens to one person, it causes so many extended tragedies in the lives around them."
• Trish [27:19]: "The truth is always the best... the truth sucks. All it does is piss you off. But you can't change a thing unless you have the truth."

Final Thoughts

Denise Didn't Come Home is a poignant exploration of family, memory, and the quest for justice. Through Anthony Scalia's thorough investigation and the heartfelt testimonies of Karen's family, listeners are offered a deeply moving narrative that underscores the importance of truth in the healing process. This episode stands as a testament to the resilience of those left in the wake of unsolved tragedies and the enduring hope for closure.

Transcript

[Jamie]

Indra.

[Trish]

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.

[Jamie]

To keep Congo free of communists.

[Trish]

Follow the spy who now wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Anthony Scalia]

The bench. Back in 2019, when Karen was dying of cancer, I went out to Colorado to meet her for the first time. And on that trip, I met some of her family.

[Jamie]

Hi. Hi. Jamie.

[Anthony Scalia]

Nice to meet you.

[Jamie]

Nice to meet you.

[Anthony Scalia]

How are you doing?

[Trish]

Good.

[Jamie]

Come on in. She's sleeping right now, but.

[Anthony Scalia]

Okay. Karen's daughter Jamie was staying with Karen, helping her with whatever she needed.

[Jamie]

Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?

[Anthony Scalia]

I'm okay, thank you. And I was really excited to meet Karen's last surviving sister.

[Trish]

Is it Anthony?

[Anthony Scalia]

Yes. Trish. Trish, my God. Hi. It's so nice to meet you.

[Trish]

Nice to meet you, too.

[Anthony Scalia]

How are you doing?

[Trish]

I feel like we should know each other.

[Anthony Scalia]

I know, right? How's everything? I sat down on the couch in the living room with Karen.

[Jamie]

Let's see the white book first.

[Trish]

We could go downstairs.

[Anthony Scalia]

And Trish brought me a binder of everything Karen had collected on Denise's case.

[Trish]

Here it all is.

[Anthony Scalia]

This is like a treasure chest of information.

[Trish]

I tried to tell you. Now, this must have been a very busy woman.

[Anthony Scalia]

That's what this is. There was a mother load. I was blown away by how much Karen had done. Oh, my God, Karen, I didn't know you did this this much, but when I glanced up at Trish and Jamie, they just looked kind of sad.

[Trish]

Okay, guys, I wasn't obsessed, but I was determined, right? Yeah.

[Anthony Scalia]

For a long time. Karen told me she didn't hear from Trish much, that she lived off the grid somewhere in Oregon. So I never thought I would actually meet her, but I wanted to talk to her because she was one of the people who knew Karen the best. And then one morning, I got my chance. It was a quiet day. Karen was in the other room on oxygen listening to music. And I pulled Trish aside for an interview. It's nice to finally be able to talk to you. Like, I've heard so much about you, you know, from Karen and everything.

[Trish]

Yeah, I didn't. I don't know how much information I can give you, but shoot.

[Anthony Scalia]

What are your memories of Denise?

[Trish]

She was a riot. She was powerful. She was funny. She was very outgoing and gregarious. And beautiful. I remember her bringing me outside in the summer and sitting under this big bush where you could hide and reading to me. And I was nine years old when she left. Life after Denise was not good. It was like somebody set a bomb off in her family. Everybody just scattered. It was just me and Karen mostly left to our own devices. Like after Denise's mom really crawled in the bottle, dad just kind of retreated. I think he spent the first few years looking for the person that did this. He came home from work, he ate dinner, he took a shower, he got dressed and he left. And you didn't see him again until 12 in the morning. And I really think he just drove around just trying to find someone to be responsible that he could do something about.

[Anthony Scalia]

What do you think the short term and long term effects are of Denise's murder in your life?

[Trish]

There was a certain amount of years that I just didn't live with it. Then when I got older was when I realized, you got stuff, girl. And I started just doing a lot of self work so that I could live a good life. And I wanted to be okay in this life and not go down the rabbit hole like I saw a lot of people I love did.

[Anthony Scalia]

Trish was choosing her words carefully, but I could tell she was talking about Karen. To me, Karen was a hero on a lifelong search for truth and justice. But Trish didn't seem to see it that way.

[Trish]

There was a few times I was pretty worried. She just went in so many directions and it was really to the exclusion of everything else in her life. So I had a few bouts of really being mad at her about it. Like, you got a family right here that needs you. Could you stop? We live in the here and now.

[Anthony Scalia]

I didn't realize at first why Trish had been so nervous to talk to me. But then she told me, through this.

[Trish]

Process, she's dredged up a lot of memories that may or may not have been accurate. And those memories have changed for her. So I'm not sure she believes she was like one of the last people to see Denise. I don't remember her and Denise leaving the house together.

[Anthony Scalia]

It took me a second to catch up to what Trish was saying, that some of what Karen remembered about the night Denise died might not be true. Yeah, well, I, you know something? That I tested like a little bit of Karen's memory without her knowing was like I started to push back. I told Trish about my trip to the library, how I went through old newspapers and found a listing for the movie Karen remembered seeing that night, Ice Station Zebra.

[Trish]

And it was accurate.

[Anthony Scalia]

Ice Zebra was paying at 7:30 that night.

[Trish]

Okay.

[Anthony Scalia]

And then there was Karen's memory of being stalked by a guy in a blue car. And the fact that Cottingham told her that he drove a blue car around the time Denise was murdered. That gave me peace of mind.

[Trish]

Okay. There's things that I know are real that she disputes with me, and I've debated that with her. But she's so positive sometimes about these things that I can't really tell you what's real in your brain and what's not.

[Anthony Scalia]

I always took Karen at her word because she was there that night. I never questioned her memories. I had no idea that the rug was about to be pulled out from under me. My name is Anthony Scalia from Truth Media and Sony Music Entertainment. This is. Denise didn't come home.

[Trish]

We got to the corner and she told me she had to go do something. And I said, please stay with me. And she says, no, I have to go do something. And don't follow me.

[Anthony Scalia]

Between 1969 and 1996, what were you doing?

[Trish]

I was always trying to be. Okay. I'm leaving out a lot. I definitely went through some dark times. People will say you're not remembering it right. You don't forget. You go over it and over it and over it in your mind.

[Anthony Scalia]

Cameron might have said something over and over and over until she got convinced of it. Chapter 8. The truth is Good. I'm sitting in the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office in one of the most bland conference rooms you can imagine. Waiting. Over the years, I've made a few requests to look at Denise Velasquez case file. They were all denied. But now I'm finally getting a chance to go through it. A detective walks into the room with a huge cardboard box and plops it down on the table. So basically, as I read this, I can make my notes here? Yeah, absolutely. Okay, cool. Welcome to your recorder. Do whatever you gotta know. Thank you. The file is alphabetical, so I start with A. And I'm just there with my little recorder, reading it all into my microphone. Autopsy findings. Ligature mark on the neck, possibly from a necklace. Compression linear mark encircling right wrist. Rope burn. Meanwhile, this detective is sitting next to me, looking at me like, are you really going to read all of that on the abdomen, above the abdomen? I remember thinking, yeah, I was going to read every single word of every single piece of paper in that police file. I was not going to miss A thing. That's all the evidence. Karen had always felt like this investigation was pushed aside or that this investigation wasn't followed through as thoroughly as it should have been. The file proved the opposite. These investigators worked very hard on the case from day one. They did so much work. Patrol. Anthony Badel believes he saw Denise, young girl, walking off Old Hook Road. This is very rare. Five different people said they saw a girl on Old Hook Road that night. They said she was petite, wearing dark clothing and walking alone on the side of the road. A girl with dark clothing. Old Hook Road, south side. At 8:30 somebody saw her here, and at 8:45 she's further down the road, and at 9 she's over there. Morris Greb said he saw a person between 8 and 9:30, a girl walking to Westwood Southside. In his confession, Cottingham said he made a U turn on Old Hook Road to pick up Denise. And it turns out that there was a witness who saw him do that. Around 9 to 9 10, saw a dark colored Pontiac, 66 to 69, make a turn or stop near the girl. So there Cottingham was just like he said he was. I couldn't help but wish that the witness had remembered a little bit more. A few numbers of Cottingham's license plate or a better description of his car that might have made all the difference. Spared Karen a life of searching. But that just didn't happen. I kept digging through the box, and underneath a mountain of binders, photos and papers, I found a manila folder. And inside that I found Karen's original statement to the police. Karen Falaska. So this questioning of Karen was done on 7 17, 1969, by Captain Brower and Sergeant D'Aluzio. And I was like, okay, this is it. Karen states that she is now pretty certain that on Monday evening she left the house at about 6pm to go to a movie in Bergenfield. It started off just like Karen remembered. She left her house when it was still daylight to go catch a bus to the movie theater. But in her statement, she didn't mention anything about Denise leaving the house with her. Karen did not know where Denise was going Monday evening. Oh, my God. I kept reading. Karen told detectives that Denise's new boyfriend Ron had picked her up and given her a ride to the movie theater like she told me. And after the movie, Karen met Ron at a friend's apartment like she said. But then I read what Karen's father told the police. Mr. Felaska stated he was home alone with Denise, age 15, when she left the home about 8pm Monday, July 14, and neither he nor any of his family have seen or heard from her since. Oh, my God. He said that Denise left the house at 8pm, two hours after Karen went to the movies. That meant their paths didn't even cross that night. Karen's memory of being the last person to see Denise alive, the thing that sent her on an obsessive journey to find Denise's murderer, it just never happened. So then I'm thinking, okay, what about Cottingham? What about the blue car? And then I found a second statement Karen gave to the police a few days later. Karen Falaska states that about one and a half weeks ago, she left her home. A man in a blue Cadillac tried to get Karen to get into his car. Man was white, heavyset, had sunglasses on, short hair, dark hair. It turned out that Karen had been stalked by a man in a blue car. But it didn't happen the night Denise was murdered. It happened a week and a half before. I thought, oh my God. She didn't even see the blue car that night. All her guilt and pain hinged on these memories that never happened. I just felt this deep sadness. I had no doubt that Karen believed her memories were real, but she suffered needlessly all her life blaming herself for her sister's death. Why? What was the point of it all? I knew that if I was ever going to really understand Karen and what she went through, I was going to have to go back to Colorado and talk to all the people who knew her the best. So I booked a flight. I'm Afua Hirsch. I'm Peter Frankopan. And in our podcast Legacy, we explore the lives of some of the biggest characters in history. This season we are looking at the life of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It's fair to say he's a complex and controversial character. Almost 150 years since his birth. How does his legacy hold up today? Follow Legacy now wherever you get your podcasts or binge entire seasons early and ad free on wonderry. From the award winning creators of the hit podcast Father Wants Us Dead comes.

[Jamie]

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[Anthony Scalia]

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[Trish]

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[Anthony Scalia]

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[Trish]

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[Anthony Scalia]

Is he way off base?

[Trish]

Or does privilege help you get away with murder?

[Anthony Scalia]

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 glad you didn't make any other plans.

[Jamie]

No, you're it.

[Anthony Scalia]

Okay, thank you. Two weeks after I read through Denise's case file, I was back in Colorado talking with Karen's daughter Jamie. I'm making the story about Denise and Karen and you need some answers to some of these questions, so I'll try my best.

[Jamie]

Hopefully I have answers for you.

[Anthony Scalia]

What was your early life like?

[Jamie]

Chaotic. When she got pregnant with me, it was very important to my dad that they get married, which I don't know that she was 100% behind. I don't think she was even 100% behind having me. I know that they moved to a little cabin up in Nederland. I think we lived there until I was about two and a half. And I don't have a lot of memories of it.

[Anthony Scalia]

Once I'd asked Karen about the years after Denise's murder, she told me she went through some dark times, but she never elaborated on that.

[Jamie]

I know it wasn't a very healthy relationship between her and my dad. I think there was a lot of drinking and drug use and violence and we left in the middle of the night and got on a plane and went to her parents house in New Jersey.

[Anthony Scalia]

How old were you when you came back to Colorado?

[Jamie]

5.

[Anthony Scalia]

And what was life like after you came back?

[Jamie]

That's when the chaos really started. She was a very poor single mom who was struggling to try and I think find herself and just struggling to make ends meet. So it was a lot of being in survival mode. I remember having those actual food stamps that looked like dollar bills, but they were food stamps. And we would go to the gas station and buy candy. Having the big blocks of government cheese. A lot of being evicted from apartments and having to move on a yearly basis. A lot of chaos and clutter.

[Anthony Scalia]

What was her personality like back then?

[Jamie]

Frantic. It was a constant state of worry. I think it was a rough time for her.

[Anthony Scalia]

When did you first really understand what had happened to Denise?

[Jamie]

I always knew. I think it was repeated to me over and over and over again throughout my childhood. She was in a deep state of trauma from it. And if I went out Maybe I'm just playing in the yard. And she couldn't see me or find me. She would panic, and it would be, you don't understand. I had visions of you lying dead in a gutter. Do you know what happened to my sister? And she would tell me the story over and over again. So I left home when I was 15. I moved out when I was very young. You know, I just felt like I'd rather be out in the world than be here. I just started staying at my boyfriend's house, and then I didn't come back.

[Anthony Scalia]

Years after Jamie moved out, Karen started looking into Denise's murder.

[Jamie]

I can remember at first, I was very excited, and I thought there was great possibilities of finding some peace in her life with it, because I know it's something that had tormented her for all of my life, and I thought this was wonderful. That changed at some point when I felt like it became like an unhealthy obsession. It just kept going and going, and I started feeling like it was a bottomless pit. I just felt like it was taking another life. Her life. Like, I would call her to tell her about my son's sporting event or, you know, my daughter's accomplishment in theater or something. But I couldn't because we are now investigating Cottingham and all the ins and outs and turns of it. And I was just like, oh, you're missing life that's happening right now that you're not gonna get back. I'm so grateful to you for that reason. She needed someone who she could talk to for hours and hours, and you hung on every word.

[Anthony Scalia]

I still did.

[Jamie]

And I appreciate that you stepped in, because I could call her and talk to her about other things, and then she'd go, you know what? I have a call scheduled with Anthony. I'm gonna have to let you go. My mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and she said, but the podcast must go on. And I was like, you are insane. What the fuck is the matter with you that you care about a podcast? In this moment? I was like, really? To your dying breath, this is what we're going to do with our time? When you came, she had just been put on hospice, and for whatever reason, she came back to life in that moment. And after you left, that just slowly started to deteriorate, and she just got quieter and slower. It was Mother's Day. And I looked and I saw all these missed calls, and she had just started not doing well. So I dropped what I was doing, and I ran to her house just a Couple blocks away, she was in a panic. She was having a hard time breathing and she was in a lot of pain and she never really came back from that. I spent the night in the hospice center with her. The second night she was there and I was playing her some of her favorite music. Her breathing had just changed and things had shifted and so I just scooped her up, like put my arm behind her back and held her hands. And she just took her last breaths with me. Just alone in the room with her. I was very grateful to be there for it.

[Anthony Scalia]

Jamie and I sat on her living room floor talking until 2 in the morning. In the back of my mind, I was dreading telling her what I learned about Karen's memories. But she had told me the truth about her mom and I wanted to do the same. So I told her everything I'd learned from Denise's file. The whole story about them splitting up doesn't seem to be corroborated by anything in the police reports.

[Jamie]

Well, I don't find it like super surprising. I think she needed to add an element of guilt, like she could have stopped it and now she's responsible for it or something. Sometimes trauma, you can misremember things on purpose, like as a self protection maybe. Something that gives you a little bit more control in the situation. You know, you're just looking for that piece where you could put yourself back in the driver's seat.

[Anthony Scalia]

Karen needed to feel like she could have kept Denise from walking away. Or that if she'd just acted differently, the man in the blue car might have taken her instead of Denise. But there was nothing that 13 year old girl could have done to prevent her sister's murder.

[Jamie]

I have no idea what my life would have been like had my mother not been traumatized years before my birth. But I think it would have been very different. I'm a very anxious person. I worry about everything all the time. And both my kids are very anxious people. It's the ripple effect. When something tragic happens to one person. It causes so many extended tragedies in the lives around them. One of her most admirable traits was her insane level of compassion for everybody. She was like a freight train. She would make friends in the airport, random strangers, and she would get their whole life story and then start. I'm gonna help you out and let's figure this out. And I'm gonna write a letter to your boss, send them money and things to help them get their life back on track. She was a powerhouse of like a helper and fixer in the community and I think there's not enough of that in this world. If she can make me a little more compassionate, make my kids a little bit more compassionate, that's a new ripple. Maybe as that ripple widens, it can turn into something else and generations in the future don't have to suffer.

[Anthony Scalia]

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[Jamie]

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[Anthony Scalia]

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[Anthony Scalia]

On the flight home from Colorado, I thought a lot about what I discovered in Denise's case file and what I'd learned about Karen from Jamie. When I got back to New Jersey, I had one last thing to do. I needed to have another conversation with Karen's sister Trish. After finally being given access to Denise's file, there is some information that I learned that I think you might find interesting. If that's okay with you. Sure. I told her what I found out, that she was right. Karen was not with Denise the night she was killed.

[Trish]

In the beginning, this was one reason I was hesitant to become involved, because I was afraid I would contradict her and maybe even sometimes strongly disagree. And Say I really think she was wrong, but. And I didn't want to do that. I'm glad I decided not to let that stop me from being a part of this. I don't mean to dishonor her or belittle her or anything. I just can't help but be honest about it. She had her struggles, and there were dark times in her life. They never got the better of her. She always picked herself up, but she went through it. She just didn't want it to be a big part of the story, you know? But it was, and it matters. The truth is always the best. We think the truth should be this great thing, but often the truth sucks. All it does is piss you off. But you can't change a thing unless you have the truth. Ugly as it may be, hard as it may be, it almost always hurts. But you come out the other side of it, and it's all better.

[Anthony Scalia]

And I appreciate that honesty because I love Karen and Anthony.

[Trish]

I loved her more than anything in this world. She was everything to me. I carry her with me all the time. And I hope right now she's understanding that the truth is good and that for you, doing what you're doing, it's pretty necessary. I'm glad you're there. I'm glad Karen found you. And I can't thank you enough for every You've. You say you're not family, but you feel like family. And my gosh, you've devoted a lot of your life to this, so you are somewhat in the family.

[Anthony Scalia]

Well, I'm honored. I love you guys. You're all the best, really.

[Trish]

I'm glad we did this.

[Anthony Scalia]

Okay, let me just adjust a couple of things. Give me a second. How you doing? You feeling all right? It's emotional for me. I'm in the studio with my producer, Ryan, having a final conversation about this story. Karen always wanted you to finish this project, and now that you have, do you think she would like it? I think she would have had a hard time with it. I mean, I would love to just talk to her and say, you might not like it. You know, this is different. But I love you, and we all do. Like, whether Karen left the house with Denise or not, or fell apart in other ways in her life, it didn't matter. At the end of the day, Karen was my friend, and if I can just tell her story, the whole story, I can live with the fact that it's a little different than she would have wanted it to be. Okay. Tell me about the last time you visited Karen. Karen had always told me, you know, Colorado is a beautiful state. You should drive around. You should see it. So that's what I did. And it was beautiful. And one morning when I was there, I decided to visit her grave. So I pulled up to the cemetery and I remember I was sitting in my car for a while just thinking to myself like, you know, this is it. I might not be back here. This might be the last time I get a chance to say goodbye to Karen. I just wanted to say hello and goodbye. This project is turning into something that neither of us ever imagined. I wish I could share it with you, but I think I am. I miss calling you and talking about nothing. There are not enough people like you in the world. I know how important this story is to you and through it you will never be forgotten. This is your big moment. I love you. I miss you. I'll get to work. Cascade Natural Gas believes a warm home.

[Jamie]

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[Anthony Scalia]

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[Jamie]

Discount on their monthly bill and if.

[Anthony Scalia]

Needed, help with past due balances. Qualifying for assistance is easy by calling Cascade or any of our partner community action agencies. Get complete bill assistance [e-mail] help I want to say thank you to the friends and family of Karen and Denise Velasquez who opened their doors for me and kept their memories alive throughout the years. And a special thanks to Ron Roveto and Denise Divergeles. 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 was produced by Ryan Swiger 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. Kenny Cusiak did the mix. Sound design by Kenny Kusiak and Ryan Swiker. Music by Kenny Kusiak, Epidemic Sound and Marmoset. Our title track is Gimme Some by Weevil. Thank you for listening all the way to the end. If you enjoyed the show, I'd love to hear from you. Give me a call at 646-665-2748 and leave a voicemail. Don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people find the show. And thanks one last time for listening.

[Jamie]

SA.