The Hand in the Window
Episode 3: "Be On the Lookout"
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: John Quinones, ABC News
Overview
This episode delves into the disappearance of Stacy Stanley, a beloved mother and grandmother from rural Ohio, and the breakthrough in unraveling a serial predator operating in Ashland, Ohio. As her family searches desperately, police connect her case to a chilling series of crimes: a recent abduction, an unsolved disappearance, and shocking revelations from a tense interrogation with Shawn Grate—now suspected as a serial killer. The episode spotlights both the grief and determination of a family and the meticulous investigative work by Detective Kim Major to extract confessions from a manipulative suspect.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Stacy Stanley’s Disappearance and Family Search
- Stacy's Vibrant Personality
- Described as a warm, punk rock grandma, beloved for her karaoke (“Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns N’ Roses), her generosity, and family gatherings.
- “She was the glue that held the family together.” —Gina Stanley, Stacy’s sister [01:46]
- Family Dynamics & Concern
- Her two sons, Corey and Curtis, detail her care for them and her energetic, persistent calling habits.
- “If you didn’t pick up, she’d call you a thousand times… your mom’s calling for what? To talk to you.” —Curtis [02:22]
- Events Leading to Disappearance
- On September 8, 2016, Stacy went to Ashland for errands and was last seen at a gas station after a flat tire.
- Despite an initial ‘good Samaritan’ helping her, she never returned home.
- Realization and Rapid Response
- Immediate family concern triggers a search, breaking into her trailer upon noticing untouched pets [06:28] and starting frantic physical and community searches around Ashland and Greenwich.
- Details like strangers’ cigarettes in her car and the seat moved suggest foul play [08:40].
- "I seen that her driver’s license was not in her purse. I’m like, okay, that’s odd." —Curtis [08:56]
2. Community and Police Effort
- Searches and BOLO
- Family organizes volunteer search parties, distributes thousands of flyers, scours dumpsters, and even approaches abandoned houses in the area [09:40–10:02].
- Police issue a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) and track down Stacy’s abandoned car [07:33].
3. Emergence of a Pattern—A Rising Threat
- Connecting Cases
- Stacy’s disappearance is quickly linked to another missing woman, Elizabeth Griffith, and the recent ordeal of “Jane Doe,” a kidnapping escapee.
- “In a matter of weeks, Ashland had become the site of a kidnapping and two disappearances.” —Host [10:16]
4. Detective Kim Major’s High-Stakes Interview with Shawn Grate (Suspect)
- Setup for Interrogation
- Detective Major is given little time to prepare before facing Shawn Grate, a suspect already showing evasive tendencies [16:45].
- "There is no time to go in a room and do history. There’s no time to make 10 phone calls." —Det. Major [16:48]
- Interview Strategy
- Takes off Grate’s handcuffs, offers coffee, deliberately works to establish rapport—risking her own safety for psychological advantage [18:25].
- "I can’t get a confession with somebody in handcuffs… Those came off." —Det. Major [18:41]
- "I have a flaw… my safety sometimes doesn’t even come to mind." —Det. Major [19:07]
Notable Quotes & Dramatic Moments
- Det. Major appeals to Grate’s (feigned) conscience:
- “It looks like, you know, you have a conscience… I saw you tear up when I came in.” [20:38]
- Grate blames his homelessness and his mother for his actions:
- "So really, it’s all Ashland’s fault for everything that I’ve done." —Grate [21:12]
- "May have started when my mom left me when I was a child. I come home from school and she’s gone… But I don’t blame her. I used to.” —Grate [22:08]
- Attempts to Justify Attack
- “She’s just battling all the time… with the lustful desires, and it’s a roadblock…” —Grate [23:16]
- Det. Major calls this out: “Tying her up and forcing her into sex is not free.” [26:21]
- The Confession
- After persistent, calm questioning, Grate finally admits:
- “I abducted her and I raped her.” —Grate [27:12]
- After persistent, calm questioning, Grate finally admits:
- Hints at More Victims
- When pressed about the missing women:
- “You’ve already found her.” —Grate, about Elizabeth Griffith [29:45]
- “How many are there?” —Det. Major [30:48]
- “I don’t know. Depending on how much you say is many.” —Grate [30:52]
- “There might not be none.” —Grate [31:01]
- When pressed about the missing women:
Important Segment Timestamps
- Personal Remembrances of Stacy Stanley: [00:28]–[05:17]
- Discovery of Stacy’s Disappearance and Family Actions: [05:43]–[10:16]
- Community Search and Police Involvement: [09:40]–[11:40]
- Detective Major Preps for Grate Interview: [14:39]–[17:34]
- Detective Major’s Interview Techniques & Initial Interrogation: [18:25]–[23:16]
- Confession Sequence: [25:08]–[27:19]
- Detective Major Presses for Info on Other Victims: [28:12]–[31:13]
Tone & Narrative Style
The episode is immersive, empathetic, and tense—balancing the family's anguish and frustration with the quiet resolve of investigators. The hosts and family members speak candidly, often with emotion but always with clarity, while Detective Major demonstrates unwavering patience and calm professionalism, even when confronting danger or manipulation.
Summary Takeaways
This gripping narrative weaves together community heartbreak with investigative tenacity. It shows how small details—a moved car seat, unfamiliar cigarettes—can unravel devastating truths, and how an expert interrogator’s emotional intelligence breaks past a suspect’s defenses. By the end, listeners are left on edge: although Detective Major secures a confession for one attack, Shawn Grate’s cryptic answers raise chilling questions about how many other victims may remain undiscovered.
Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamp
- “She was one of the most kindest people you would ever meet… the major part of our family that brought everybody together.” —Gina Stanley [01:47]
- “There’s no way. She loved them dogs so much. And at that point, we kind of knew something was wrong.” —Curtis [06:47]
- “I can’t get a confession with somebody in handcuffs… Those came off.” —Det. Major [18:41]
- “I abducted her and I raped her.” —Shawn Grate [27:12]
- “How many are there?” —Det. Major [30:48]
- “I don’t know. Depending on how much you say is many.” —Shawn Grate [30:52]
For Next Episode
The episode closes with Detective Major poised to uncover more secrets from Shawn Grate, as she seeks answers for the families of Elizabeth Griffith and Stacy Stanley—and for the community at large.