The Lake of Lost Girls

Sergeant Liam O’Neil of the Mt. Randall Police Department holds a press conference, stating that Phoebe was reported missing on December 11 after last being seen by her roommate on December 6. Regarding Tammy, last seen on November 12, he clarifies that her disappearance is not being treated as a missing person’s case since no formal report has been filed.

Sergeant O’Neil emphasizes that there is no evidence of foul play in either case, suggesting both women voluntarily left the university. He assures the community there is no danger despite rumors suggesting otherwise, mentioning that Southern State University, particularly President Bradley Hamilton, has been cooperative with the investigation. O’Neil concludes without taking questions, asking anyone with information to contact the police department.

In the present day, Lindsey Fadley ignores repeated phone calls from Ryan. When Ryan appears at her house, claiming to have important information, Lindsey reluctantly agrees to hear him out despite her anger that he concealed his relationship with Jess. Ryan reveals that he’s arranged to meet with the now-retired Sergeant O’Neil, who has copies of Jess’s case files. Though furious at Ryan’s dishonesty, Lindsey accompanies him, hoping to gain answers about her sister’s disappearance.

During the drive to Grantville, tension builds as Ryan makes unsettling comments about Doll’s Eye Lake being “a good place” to “dump a body” (158). At Sergeant O’Neil’s house, the elderly former detective becomes emotional upon recognizing Lindsey as Jess’s sister. O’Neil gives them a box of case files and admits he neglected to properly investigate Dr. Daniels due to fear of backlash from Southern State University. He confesses he couldn’t corroborate Daniels’s alibi (provided by his wife) and prioritized his job security over a thorough investigation, stating that had he followed his instincts, “[Daniels] would have been [his] number one suspect” (165).

Stella and Rachel discuss recent developments in Jess’s case. They announce that the bones discovered at Doll’s Eye Lake have been identified as Tammy’s remains and that Tammy was killed by a blow to the head. Underwater forensic teams are now searching the lake, with sources suggesting more bodies have been found.

The hosts speculate about the significance of Tammy’s remains being found at Doll’s Eye Lake, which they describe as “off the beaten path” and known primarily to locals (167); the implication is that the killer was from Mt. Randall. At the episode’s conclusion, the hosts mention another missing woman named Meghan Lambert, suggesting connections between all the disappearances.

In late January 1999, Jessica Fadley visits Dr. Daniels to get permission to audit his statistics class. During this interaction, she notices his inappropriate interest in her and also encounters Meghan, the same young woman she saw with her father on move-in day. After leaving Daniels’s office, Jess meets Ryan on campus and confronts him about his past relationships with Tammy and Phoebe. Despite her concerns, Jess is drawn to Ryan’s attention. Sometime later, she calls her father but hangs up after a brief, tense conversation where she mentions seeing him with Meghan.

One evening, Jess encounters Ryan outside Roosevelt Hall, where they witness Dr. Daniels arguing with and then kissing Meghan. After Meghan leaves upset, Ryan reveals that he knows her and leaves to check on her, furthering Jess’s jealousy. Five days later, Jess learns that Meghan has been reported missing. News reports note that Meghan was seen in a yellow Mustang on the day she vanished.

The Ten Seconds to Vanish podcast tweets an announcement regarding a new episode about the missing women. The brief message teases connections between the four girls and hints at involvement from a teacher at the university, using the hashtag “#ItsAllAboutTheTeacher” alongside true crime-related tags.

In the present day, immediately following her visit to Sergeant O’Neil, Lindsey refuses to go with Ryan to examine the case files. As he drops her off at a diner, she confronts him about his relationship with Jess and his deceit. Ryan admits they had a “toxic” relationship but claims he’s moved on. Once alone, Lindsey examines the police files and discovers interviews showing that Ryan argued with Jess on the day she disappeared; Jess was reportedly breaking up with him. Ryan claimed to have been with Daisy that night, which Lindsey finds suspicious.

As Lindsey continues searching through the files, she uncovers evidence that her father had a sexual relationship with missing student Meghan Lambert. Police reports show evidence recovered from her father’s Mustang, including hair samples, semen, and a woman’s bra. The police also interviewed Ben but quickly dismissed him as a suspect, describing him as a “respectable family man” despite his admission of infidelity (199). Lindsey then sees a news report that Phoebe’s remains have been found at Doll’s Eye Lake. When her mother arrives to pick her up, she recognizes a decomposed blanket shown on TV—wrapped around Tammy’s remains—as Jess’s childhood blanket, made by her grandmother. Both women are shocked by the implication that Jess was somehow connected to Tammy’s death.

Stella and Rachel discuss the national attention Jess’s case has received since the discovery of multiple remains at Doll’s Eye Lake. They note that divers may have discovered yet another body in addition to Phoebe’s and Tammy’s. The hosts criticize the initial police investigation that failed to properly search the lake despite it being a known location in the investigation.

Stella and Rachel identify two suspicious men connected to all four missing women: the math professor who had inappropriate relationships with students, and Jess’s boyfriend, who was reportedly romantically involved with all four victims. Though they cannot name these individuals directly on the podcast for legal reasons, they suggest that listeners could easily identify them through minimal research. They conclude by suggesting that while a serial killer theory remains possible, the evidence increasingly points toward someone the women all knew.

In early April 1999, Jess sits alone in her dorm room, failing most of her classes and recently placed on probation by her sorority. Ryan unexpectedly visits and convinces her to take a break from studying. He returns Daisy’s ID card, claiming he found it outside his room, and Jess places the card on Daisy’s desk. Despite her reservations, Jess agrees to go with Ryan, who drives her to Doll’s Eye Lake.

At the lake, they encounter Dr. Daniels, creating tension between Jess and Ryan. After returning to campus, Jess finds Daisy distressed because police questioned her about her ID card being used at locations where all three missing women were last seen. Daisy explains that her card accessed the computer lab minutes after Tammy, the library kiosk after Phoebe, and the gym after Meghan. Daisy assumes Jess has been borrowing her card, but Jess denies remembering this. When Daisy questions this, Jess becomes defensive and evasive before mentioning that she is going home that Friday for her sister’s birthday party.

A true crime blogger provides an update on the Southern State University missing students case. The writer expresses shock that within two months, remains of Tammy and Phoebe have been recovered near Doll’s Eye Lake, with testing being conducted on a third set of remains likely belonging to Meghan Lambert. With three of the four missing women accounted for, the blogger questions why Jess’s remains haven’t been found despite extensive searches of the lake.

The post criticizes the Mt. Randall Police Department’s handling of the original investigation and speculates about potential perpetrators. The writer mentions several possibilities: the professor with inappropriate student relationships, the fellow student rumored to have dated all four women, or perhaps a serial killer operating in the region. The blogger concludes by warning the killer that their “days in obscurity are almost over” as the investigation advances (221).