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Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences.
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Listener discretion is advised. When you get the light detector test set up for him, then you'll just have to contact me.
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He's going to be placed under arrest. No, he can't be. He's 16 years old. Where do you think you're going to take him?
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Juvenile detention. No. Didn't think we'd be back so soon. did you? always so pessimistic
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always so negative this audience I don't know what's wrong with you people anyway I hope you had a good
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holiday season we have some big news so don't skip ahead just yet we got something to tell you
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and I think you're going to like it or maybe you won't you guys always complain about everything
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so it's hard to tell it's really a losing battle sometimes with you guys such misanthrokes
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no anyway this is season 13 episode 333 of sword and scale a show that reveals that the worst monsters
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are real All right, here's what we got for you. Sword and Scale Television is now available on YouTube.
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That's right. It's on YouTube. You can get it for just $10 a month on YouTube. Now, here's the thing.
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A lot of people are not very technologically inclined. So just understand it's a separate service, a separate subscription on a separate platform.
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It's not connected to our website in any way. So it's like a standalone kind of thing over there on YouTube.
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If you just want to see the video and you don't like the podcast, for whatever reason, it's available as a standalone video service.
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And you can add audio for another $10 on top of it on YouTube. So there you go. That's what we got for you.
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Hope you like it. I'm out. September 2nd, 2019, was Labor Day. It was a day that many people circled on their calendars,
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the unofficial end of summer. One last chance to soak up the sunshine, to hike, and to explore.
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In southeastern Ohio, there's no better place for that than Hocking Hill State Park.
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With over 25 miles of hiking trails, massive rock formations, explorable caves, and towering waterfalls,
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this park is the perfect place to get lost in nature. For many, it's like a sanctuary.
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But on Labor Day 2019, it became something else entirely. 911, where's your emergency?
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Okay, we're walking here in a few three weeks. Okay, take a breath. You're at Old Man's Cave?
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Yes. Okay, and what happened? A tree branch fell on her. Slow down. I can't understand you.
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What happened? A tree branch fell on her. A tree branch fell on someone. Yes. Okay.
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Okay, are you with her? That afternoon, the Hawking County 911 dispatch center lit up with panicked phone calls, all coming from teenagers.
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They said a log had fallen from the cliffs at the state park and hit a woman, hard, in the head.
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I remember being in the park and just making goofy memories, and we decided to go on a hike to one of the other places, and we ended up getting lost.
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we were talking about running marathons and just laughing and making good memories
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when we started to hear a bunch of cracking tree branches and a large cracking sound almost as if a tree had fallen.
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As I heard this sound, I turned around, myself and Bella only being two steps away from her,
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and I watched as a seven-foot log falls from the sky and strikes Mrs. Schaefer in the head.
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My immediate reaction was to bend down to help her. The woman hit by the log was a 46-year-old professional photographer.
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She was also a beloved wife, daughter, and mother of four children. Her name was Victoria Schaefer.
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Victoria managed to complete her undergraduate schooling, and later, after her marriage, she graduated with a master's degree.
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One of Victoria's most fortunate life decisions was to meet and eventually marry someone she met while we were on a family vacation to Maine,
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Fritz Schaefer. While I had been notoriously hard on all her previous boyfriends, this one appeared to me to show promise. And he definitely loved her.
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We were blessed over the next several years with four wonderful grandchildren who have made us extremely proud As a photographer one of Victoria regular gigs was taking portraits for local high school students I think she did 15 weddings 90 or so high school seniors
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She owned a sports and school photography business that she was building up and many other events.
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Victoria Schaefer was one of the most kind-hearted, amazing people I have ever met.
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She never let anyone show their fake smile. How could you when you were around her?
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She always knew how to make you smile just the way she wanted to to get the perfect picture.
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And it wasn't just because she was taking your picture. You were genuinely happy to be around her.
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On Labor Day of 2019, Victoria had gone to Hocking Hills State Park with a group of high school seniors.
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They had just finished a photo shoot and were walking towards the parking lot to leave when tragedy struck.
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The other seniors and I can tell you it started with a crack of what sounded like tree branches falling down on us, which had me frantically looking around until my eyes had met a huge log hitting the side of Ms. Schaefer's head, bringing her to the ground instantly.
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And I will say this image is in my nightmares and in my mind forever. For a slight second, I was in shock before then jumping to see if she was all right.
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But she was just lying there, lifeless. I tried calling out her name, hoping to get a response.
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But there wasn't one. At this point, we still had hope, just thinking she was unconscious.
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But in the back of our minds, we all knew. From the teenager's perspective, a six-foot-long, 75-pound log had seemingly fallen from the sky.
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It came down with crushing force, landing directly on Victoria, killing her instantly.
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The group was following along this trail back to the parking lot when out of nowhere,
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a 70-plus-pound log came crashing down from above, crushing the photographer. The students and other people nearby called 911, but her injuries were far too severe.
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She had a 12-inch long gash on the top of her head, three inches wide. It broke her spine in two places, crushed her chest cavity, and broke six ribs,
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along with multiple other internal and external injuries. Since this tragedy had taken place at a state park, two agencies were responsible for figuring out what happened.
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Victoria's death was investigated by the Hawking County Sheriff's Office and Ohio's Department of Natural Resources.
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We're right above the top of Old Man's Cave is what I know this as. On top of here to my left is there's a walkway where the tunnel would be located.
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In front of us is where the tree stump was located, and we'll be walking, doing a walkthrough here.
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and what we believe is here looking in this section is where the approximately six-foot law was located at which you can still kind of see where the law was
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located with this coloration where it's been there for quite some time from there it was carried over approximately about where Nicole and Rose is at where
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they're getting ready to go off the side they're going to do a exact measurement from the edge down to where the female deceased was found.
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Investigators quickly determined that Victoria's death wasn't a freak accident. This wasn't a case of a tree falling or a log simply rolling off a cliff by itself.
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All the evidence indicated that someone had moved the log and thrown it over the edge.
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In other words, Victoria hadn't simply died. She had been murdered. This news not only stunned the community, but it also left Victoria's family completely devastated.
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When I was told Victoria had died, our family initially believed it had been a natural accident, an act of God, if you will.
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In my mind, I could have accepted that she died doing what she loved and that no one was responsible beyond nature itself.
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It was only days later when investigators told us that they believed that this was no freak accident, that it began to feel differently about how she was killed.
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The next step for investigators was to figure out who had thrown the log that killed Victoria and why they had done it.
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They questioned whether this had been a planned attack or if someone had simply made a reckless and deadly decision.
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Initially, only one thing was certain. Whoever threw the log hadn't come forward.
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They fled the scene without ever saying a word. Eventually, investigators received a tip about a young man who had allegedly taken responsibility.
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for throwing the log. 19-year-old Isaiah Singry had been at Hocking Hill State Park
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and his family had reported expressed concern that he might have been involved. A few days after the incident,
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investigators went to Isaiah's home to speak with him. Sheriff's office, come to the door.
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When an officer knocked on Isaiah's door, there was no response. For nearly 15 minutes, about 10 cops searched and lingered outside his
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home. They peered through windows, looking for any sign that someone might be inside, but
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they saw nothing. Finally, the front door opened, but it wasn't Isaiah who appeared.
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It was a young woman named Raven. She was Isaiah's girlfriend. Where else does he stay?
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He's just here and at his grandkids. So if he's not here, you probably don't care for us to step in and look?
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Raven we not playing We know he here Don get yourself pimped up in something you don need to be Tell him to get his butt out here When investigators questioned Raven she lied and told them that Isaiah wasn home
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But when they pressed her and asked if they could check the home, she shrugged her shoulders and walked back inside.
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A few moments later, Isaiah finally appeared. Come on out, Isaiah. How are you? Yeah, you got scared the shit out of me.
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Why? Oh, no, I ain't never had a bunch of sheriffs pull up to my house before looking for me.
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You never had that happen? Oh, that's a good thing. No, never. We need to talk to you about something serious.
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We need your honest truth. You want to get something to care of. You need to get a walk or something?
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Yeah, we're going to go for a ride. When's this all over? Well, that's when we're going to go have a chat.
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As officers placed Isaiah in the back of a police cruiser, several of his family members began arriving at the house.
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They were immediately questioned. Yeah, I watched the news yesterday. Very disturbing.
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And I had a feeling it was my kids. What made you think that? Because all the pictures on Facebook of them climbing that wall.
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Yeah, what's it? And, you know, it was scary. What did Isaiah tell you? That they didn't know they hurt anybody.
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What's that? That they didn't know if they did hurt somebody, they didn't know. What did Isaiah say he talked over?
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because he talks about it. Oh, he didn't tell me he tossed anything over. Oh, God.
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What did Isaiah say then? That they were climbing on rocks? Yeah. Climbing on caves and stuff they're not supposed to be on.
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Okay. He said he didn't know what happened. He didn't know anything, hurt anybody until the next day.
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Well, how did you think he hurt somebody? Something fell and landed on her. I watched it on crime at school today.
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Did Isaiah say what it was? he didn't he was trying to look at it to see what exactly happened on crim but it said that a log or
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a tree fell on top of her did he say anything about a tree or a log i said no he just said that
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he was just saying that it's dope that he killed someone that's what allegedly isaiah had thought
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it was dope that he had killed someone if you're older than me that means cool or hip or
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Groovy, man. Between his refusal to answer the door when officers came knocking and these statements from his own family,
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things weren't really looking rosy for Isaiah. So investigators brought him and his girlfriend Raven in
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to the sheriff's office for questioning. Why did you open the door? Why did you lie about it?
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About Isaiah being there? Because he told me to tell you guys that he wasn't there.
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You think that's a normal response? No. Our experience is guilty people usually lie and lie.
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Do you know what happened outside parks? And why you're here talking to us? No. No idea?
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No. Isaiah thought he killed somebody. Well, my mom told Isaiah that him and my brother were in the plane for killing somebody on Labor Day.
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But I don't know. So why do you think we're talking to you about it? Because Isaiah, my brother, was off the trail.
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According to witnesses, Raven's brother and Isaiah had entered a restricted area at Hocking Hill State Park.
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They'd climbed a cliff that put them directly above the spot where Victoria Schaefer was killed.
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When investigators questioned Isaiah about this, he seemed genuinely unaware of what had happened.
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During his interview, Isaiah described the path he and Raven's brother had taken through the park.
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So, what happened? I kind of caught a little gist of it on the news, and I looked it up,
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and they didn't say anything about looking for anybody or nothing, just something happened to a lady at Old Man's Cave.
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Well, let's do it this way. What time did you get there Saturday? I couldn't, probably about 2 o'clock, because we said we were going to start at about 12,
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and we was a couple hours late. And you guys went to Oven's Cave? Yeah. So who else did you know that was there with you?
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My girlfriend's brother, Dylan. Dylan? Right one. Yep. During his interview, Isaiah described the path he and Raven's brother had taken through the park.
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He also openly admitted that he had climbed into a restricted area. One of the trails that go up and around is real tall,
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and you can look straight down like this and it's a straight drop off. Okay, we looked down like that, and then we noticed there's a rock down below us.
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So we walked all the way around when we got to the bar, but it literally had a sign that said, don't climb.
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And we only climbed up, probably about. So there was a sign that you climbed up anyways.
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Well, it's only like, it literally had steps, though. But listen, it was only like 10, 20 foot up.
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It wasn't that high. It's like, don't have a sign that says, don't push the right button, you push the right button.
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I know. But listen, it's like 10 to 20 foot high, and we got up there, and we got our pictures taken and stuff, and we climbed down.
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We didn't do stupid shit, angle IT. We did this climb up on rocks that said do not climb one and take a picture of you.
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But that was it. Isaiah claimed that the only thing he did after climbing into that restricted area was to take some photos.
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He said nothing about throwing a log or anything else off the edge of the cliff.
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Well, there was comments that was made about you thinking that you killed somebody.
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Where did this come from? That, because everybody said, this is what I heard, this is how I very first heard from it.
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My girlfriend's mom calls me crying. She's like, I'm like, I was like, what the hell is your problem, dude?
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She's like, they're saying you and Dylan killed some girl at the National Forest.
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And I like what are you talking about And she like well you guys went off the trail and sat and took pictures and stuff They saying that something fell off and hit some lady and killed her
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As investigators spoke with Isaiah, it became clear that the tips they had received were nothing more than rumors,
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most of which had been started by his overly concerned mother. But something did happen that caused a person to die out there.
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Can I ask what day it was? It was Monday. It was Monday. Labor Day. Okay, then so I'm in the clear.
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I know I'm in the clear. Oh, sure. I know. Well, did you do it? What? Did you throw anything over?
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Throw anything over? No, I threw no anything over. No. No, I wasn't even there Monday.
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I was there Saturday. The truth was, Isaiah, Raven, and Raven's brother hadn't even been at the state park
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on the day Victoria was killed. They were there on Saturday, two days before the incident.
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On Labor Day, when Victoria died, both Isaiah and Raven were at home all day with their kids.
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What day were you out of the Old Man's Cave? Huh? What day were you out there? Saturday.
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This last Saturday? Yeah. Did you come back any? Like, go back? Yeah, did you ever come, after Saturday, did you go back to Old Man's Cave?
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No. So you never came back here, back to Olivia, back to Dr. John? No. But then got to the caves, nothing like that.
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And that was Saturday, right? Yeah. Fortunately for Isaiah, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
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Unfortunately for investigators, they were back to square one. The question of who killed Victoria Schaefer was still unanswered,
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and it stayed that way for a while. Here at 2nd and Walnut Streets in downtown Chillicothe,
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just 48 hours after Victoria Schaefer's death, in front of her photography studio here,
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people have already started to drop off candles and flowers to remember her. It still hits me with a lot of shock that she's just not here, and I feel worse for her family, especially her younger daughters.
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Hoped for a resolution to the mystery surrounding her death, and the apprehension of the person or people the ODNR says are responsible for somehow dislodging the tree limb that fell on Schaefer,
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killing her as the group hiked Hocking Hills, snapping senior photos along the way.
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They probably never meant for that to happen because Victoria was so loved, I couldn't think of somebody who would want to hurt her.
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Just I hope that they come forward, you know, and admit what they have done. Her family deserves that.
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ODNR, the Hawking County Sheriff's Department, and BCI are all investigating the incident.
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They're asking anyone that may have seen something suspicious regarding Schaefer's death to call authorities.
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For over a month, there were no answers to the mystery surrounding Victoria's death.
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But in early October 2019, the Hawking County Sheriff's Office received a credible tip.
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This time from a mother and her teenage daughter. My daughter's a student at Logan High School.
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Uh-huh. And she has a friend that she rides the bus with. And this friend's boyfriend had admitted to her that he took part in the death of,
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I'm trying to think of what her name was, Ms. Shreve Schaefer. Uh-huh. Actually, I'm going to have you speak to my daughter.
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She can give you the information a little bit better than what I can, okay? All right.
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Hello. Hi. A girl at the bus list, Bailey Cherry, her now ex-boyfriend, Jordan Buckley, apparently was one of the two boys at the park who partook in the branch falling down and hitting Miss Trafer.
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He says he's not the one who hit it, his friend who he's with was, but I don't know his friend's name.
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What grade is Jordan in? Tenth. Apparently the other boy involved is in 11th grade, but I, Bailey said his name, but I can't recall it because I've never heard his name before.
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Investigators were given the name of a suspect. 16-year-old Jordan Buckley, a student at Logan High School in Logan, Ohio.
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They looked into Jordan and confirmed he'd been at Hocking Hill State Park on the day Victoria died.
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Then they got access to his social media messages. That's when it all started to make sense.
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Victoria's death wasn't the result of a random accident or a planned attack. Her death was caused by two teenage boys who had made one very reckless and irreversible decision.
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On September 2nd, 2019, 46-year-old photographer Victoria Schaefer was killed at Hocking Hill State Park
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when a log fell from a cliff and brutally struck her in the head. At first, this tragedy appeared to be an accident, but it quickly evolved into a murder investigation.
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This actually happened back on Labor Day of last year in 2019. And at first, everyone thought it was just a terrible act of nature.
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A log comes rolling off a cliff in a wilderness area, and then it evolves. And we pretty quickly find out from investigators that it was maybe not an accident.
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And I think that shocked everyone. After weeks with no answers, investigators finally identified a suspect,
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a 16-year-old high school student named Jordan Buckley. According to one of Jordan's classmates, he had admitted to doing something terrible at the state park.
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Investigators went to Logan High School, took over a conference room, and invited Jordan to have a conversation with them.
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But now that I know what this is about, this is... I was there that day, I think...
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I don't remember what day it was, but I know it's in like September. So, this last month, me and my friends were...
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I know you're nervous and you're going to get it all out. Yeah, that's great. We want you to get it all out.
00:24:08
Just let me finish up a few things right here and we'll let you talk as much as you want.
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Nothing really happened. When Jordan was brought in for questioning, he seemed eager to tell his side of the story
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and talk about the day that Victoria died. That was, of course, perfectly fine with investigators.
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That day, me and my friends, I don't know if you guys want me to give you their names or not.
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Oh, yeah. It doesn't really matter. J.D. Churches, Miranda Spencer, and A.J. I don't know A.J.'s last name.
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It was just us. We were just walking around. So we were like, what's going on a hike?
00:24:47
And we just went on a hike. So you was at Home Escape? Yeah, we were at Home Escape.
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That's where we went. And then when we went there, nothing was happening. But we went up, like on the backside of the hill.
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and we came back because some guy told us that some woman got smashed by a branch.
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So we turned around and we went down towards the bottom part. And then we came back up and there was a bunch of like EMS people going past us and sirens and everything.
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Really? Yeah, so we just left. Jordan explained that he was at Hocking Hill State Park with three of his teenage friends.
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Jaden Churches, Miranda Spencer, and A.J. Warren. Jordan claimed that while they walked the trails, a man came running past them
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and warned them not to continue on the path they were on because someone had gotten hurt.
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So the four teenagers simply turned around and left. Yeah, we were on top and then some guy came up to us.
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I don't know who it was. It was an African-American guy. He had long dreads and he came up to me and he said, don't go that way.
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And then I asked him why and he said a branch fell down and smashed some woman. and I said a branch. She said, yeah, like a tree branch fell off.
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So we went down and then we walked down the stairs and then we just came back and went home.
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You were bored? Yeah, we were bored. It's always my own thing. Nothing really happened.
00:26:08
Naturally, the investigators were skeptical of Jordan's version of events and they knew he was leaving a whole lot out of the story.
00:26:16
Jordan, I want you to be honest with me, okay? Yeah. Before we come in here, we've already got our answers. We ask a series of questions that we have answers to.
00:26:30
So, this is the time to come clean and cause some allegations that have been brought against you.
00:26:38
What were they? Well, you was there. You confirmed that you was there. We knew that you was there.
00:26:45
So, there's more to this story. Tell us about the branch being up one time. Well, I didn't do anything.
00:26:56
Like, I wasn't... I just don't like snitching on people. That's the problem. This is the time.
00:27:01
This is not about snitching. This is about telling the truth. And telling the truth gets you further than not telling the truth.
00:27:10
We were... Me and Jaden walked all the way far the gap. Like, cleared to the end.
00:27:15
not where the metal bridge is. This guy did say that to us, but we did end up going back down.
00:27:21
But I skipped a part of what we did. We walked all the way down to the end of this,
00:27:25
and Jayden kicked off a branch. Not a branch, it was a log. It was a big log, like,
00:27:31
all right, this log, we kicked it, and it rolled off the cliffs, and it made a loud bang, so we ran.
00:27:38
And we ran into Miranda and AJ. They had no idea, we didn't tell them. That log?
00:27:44
Yes, that log. That long? Mm-hmm. He just kicked it. He didn't pick it up, push it or anything.
00:27:49
He just kicked it. It took investigators less than 20 minutes to get Jordan to break
00:27:53
and to get him talking about the log that killed Victoria Schaefer. Though his account of how the log ended up rolling off the cliff
00:28:02
didn't make much sense. He claimed that his friend Jaden had simply kicked it. But investigators knew that couldn't be possible.
00:28:11
I don't know if he... I wasn't, like, paying attention to what he was doing, so I don't know if he intentionally kicked it or if he like stumbled on it.
00:28:16
Did he pick it up first and carried it? No. He didn't pick it up at all, not because I saw him.
00:28:22
How did he get on the other side of the tree? I had no idea. That log that you just pointed to me, right?
00:28:30
It was laying right here. There was a pile of them, right? Yeah. There was a tree, two of them.
00:28:36
Remember those? There was a tree on this side, and it was in between these trees.
00:28:41
It was laying like this, and he kicked it. The evidence at the crime scene told investigators that the log had been moved
00:28:48
before it dropped from the cliff. Its original location was several feet from the cliff's edge.
00:28:55
There was simply no way that a single kick or even several kicks would have caused it to fall.
00:29:02
You've been following this on TV? Following what? The story on TV. You've seen anything on TV?
00:29:07
Social media? I haven't seen anything about it. Nothing. You don't even know what happened that day?
00:29:11
No, I just didn't acknowledge anything. You didn't acknowledge anything? Yeah, I just didn't, like, think anything of it.
00:29:19
So do you know what happened? Not really. You had no idea? Not really. So when you sent a text to your girlfriend at the time?
00:29:28
I mean, yeah, I got, well, I knew what happened, but I didn't know what happened to cause that, like, completely what happened.
00:29:36
Like, I was there with my friends, but I wasn't the one that did it. And I know that it killed the woman when it fell down on her and I heard the loud bang and I saw Jaden run and I was running for Jaden.
00:29:48
So why didn't you call 911? Why didn't you do anything? Because I was freaking out and I thought I was gonna get in trouble for it Okay And I didn want to get charged against me for like involuntary manslaughter or something So you have researched this No I just no a lot
00:30:07
Not only was Jordan's story impossible, but investigators could tell he had already researched the criminal charges he might face if the truth came out.
00:30:16
And that wasn't all. the investigators knew that Jordan and Jaden had made a secret pact to stay quiet about what had
00:30:24
happened at the park in other words the murder they committed was supposed to stay between them
00:30:31
you and Jaden talked anymore about this no you guys didn't make a pact and say hey man
00:30:38
never gonna say anything you gotta keep this a secret well yeah we did say that that's why I
00:30:44
told you that story. But then after I realized the severity of it, I could get in a lot more
00:30:49
trouble for his actions if I'm the one not doing anything. And I don't want that to happen.
00:30:57
So I kind of texted the agent and was like, dude, something's going to happen. We're going to get
00:31:03
caught. I said, I don't know what you want me to say, but I'm not getting in trouble for you.
00:31:10
I said I won't tell them, but if they ask me, I'm not going to completely lie and get myself in trouble.
00:31:17
And then he said, okay, I'm not really worried about it. As you might expect a teenager to do, Jordan put all the blame on his friend,
00:31:25
insisting that Jaden was solely responsible for what had happened. He also claimed that Jaden seemed proud of what he had done.
00:31:34
You could hook me up to a live peck to pass. I didn't kick it, I didn't throw it.
00:31:37
All Jayden told me was I kicked Logos. Like, I swear on everything. He didn't put the lie detector test on me, and I'll say the same exact thing.
00:31:47
Because that's exactly what happened. Did Jayden say he did it? Yeah, Jayden says, Jayden's told me that he did it before.
00:31:53
No, the girl said that. Yeah, he said that in front of him. So the girl should say,
00:31:57
He said, I already caught a body by the age of 16. So he said, I already caught a body by the age of 16.
00:32:03
He said what? I already caught a body at the age of 16. I don't think it's funny.
00:32:08
I think that's the only reason I want to tell you all this, because I think it's serious.
00:32:12
It's very serious. Someone wants to fight for someone being stupid and messing around.
00:32:17
According to Jordan, Jaden had said, quote, I already caught a body at the age of 16.
00:32:25
If that was true, investigators figured they might be dealing with a complete sociopath.
00:32:30
But more on Jaden in a minute. As for Jordan, investigators already knew he had admitted to throwing the log.
00:32:38
Not to them, but to another one of his friends. So, naturally, they wanted answers.
00:32:45
If he hadn't touched the log, why tell someone he did? Jordan explained he was simply trying to impress a girl.
00:32:54
Because apparently, bragging about murder is how you get pussy. Can we get some dads around here, or...
00:33:01
Nah? And the only person I told was Bailey. What did you tell her? I told her that me and Jayden threw a log off.
00:33:10
Okay. But I was just saying that to a cool test. I thought it was cool, but it's not.
00:33:15
After I realized the severity of it. And he looked cool to me as you. Charges. Charges murder.
00:33:21
I know. But that's what I'm saying. If it comes down to it, I would literally take a lot of tech tests for this.
00:33:26
Like, if you guys do not believe me, I had nothing to do with it. And I did not kick or touch that log.
00:33:30
Why didn't you still get saved something? Because? I don't know. I was freaked out about it.
00:33:37
Because I thought it was just all going to go away and everybody would have forgot about it.
00:33:40
You're going to forget about a death? No. I just, I don't know. You ever see what a woman looks like with her head mashed open?
00:33:48
No. Do you want to see it? No. Yeah, that's the thing. It's a irresponsible act.
00:33:56
I know. Four kids without a mom. Husband without a wife. Let's grow up. It's time to grow up right now.
00:34:04
All right. If there's anything you have not told us, anything you held back, anything you don't want to tell us,
00:34:13
maybe you guys were kicking the log together. You got to tell us right now. No, I did not kick that log with him.
00:34:18
I swear on everything. Did you touch that log? Well, so I touched the log to move it out of the area.
00:34:28
but I didn't move it out of the air. To move it, it was right in between these trees
00:34:33
and he pushed it out. And then I helped him push it out but he kicked it down and I didn't kick it.
00:34:38
So I did touch the wall. So you didn't help him? No, I didn't know he was going to kick it off.
00:34:43
I helped him pull it out, yeah. Once again, Jordan's story changed. He still insisted he wasn't the one who threw the log
00:34:51
but he finally admitted to moving it. But even with this admission Jordan's story still didn't make much sense.
00:35:26
truth? I am. I'm telling the truth. I didn't throw the log off. Yes, I am. I'm telling the truth. I
00:35:30
did not throw that log off. He helped him. No, I did not. I did not throw the log off.
00:35:34
It's impossible for him to pick up a six-foot boat. Well, I don't know. I didn't throw the log off with him. I swear on everything.
00:35:42
Did you grab one hand? Did you grab the other hand? Nope. All I did was drag it. That's the only thing I did.
00:35:48
There were several things about Jordan's story that were either implausible or impossible.
00:35:54
First there was the size and weight of the log Six feet long 75 pounds It wasn likely that one person could have thrown it alone
00:36:06
Especially a scrawny little juvenile shit like Jordan or Jaden. Second, just below the cliff where the log came from
00:36:15
there was another ledge. A protruding rock formation. For the log to clear that it would have taken serious effort and force.
00:36:26
The most likely scenario is that both Jordan and Jaden moved the log and threw it together.
00:36:34
Just two teenage boys experimenting with gravity. Because that's the extent of their intellect.
00:36:52
Yeah, but I didn't know he was on a pro-host. So every time we talk, we get a little bit different story.
00:36:58
Now Miranda and AJ's there. Initially, Jordan told investigators that the girls he was with that day hadn't seen anything.
00:37:05
But like every other part of his story, that turned out to be a lie. His friends, Miranda and AJ, had seen exactly what happened.
00:37:15
And investigators questioned them both, starting with the 15-year-old, AJ Warren.
00:37:20
Go ahead and tell us about going to the park that day. I got to the cliff that we were on and it rolled back off.
00:37:54
So we started walking away. A man started walking or was pacing and running. He said that a woman got hit with a large branch or log.
00:38:07
And he believes that she didn't make it. That she was dead. So, you know, we obviously were very, you know, shooken up about it and didn't know what to do.
00:38:25
We knew it was wrong, and we knew that whether it wasn't intentional, you know, they weren't trying to hurt somebody, and they weren't trying to kill somebody.
00:38:39
Putting it mildly, AJ's version of events made a lot more sense than Jordan's. But one critical question remained. Who actually threw the log?
00:39:14
So let me get this straight. Jordan's holding this wall on its end. Okay. He's picked it up.
00:39:20
He's standing on the end and he's holding it. You're stating that Jaden went over, looked over the edge to see if anybody was over there and stated that he couldn't see anybody.
00:39:30
Is that right? Yes, sir. Okay. Now what happened? Jordan just... Jordan's still holding this wall?
00:39:36
Yeah, he's still holding it. Okay. And so Jordan let go of the other end, not pushing it around.
00:39:44
So he's holding up. Yeah, he's holding it. Let's go. Let's go. Not pushing it or not kicking it over the edge, but he lets go, and it hits the ground.
00:39:55
Like, if we were further from the edge and he dropped it, it wouldn't. I don't think it would have rolled off, but it was closer to the edge.
00:40:03
Jordan dropped it, and it, like, just rolled back off. Jordan lets go of it. It falls, goes back to the ground, and rolls off.
00:40:11
Yes, sir. 100% positive. Yes, sir. Absolutely, 100%. That is what happened. Whatever I remember, yes, sir.
00:40:19
But that explanation didn't add up. It wasn't likely that simply releasing the log would have given it enough force to clear the ledge below.
00:40:28
To complicate things further, the other witness, 19-year-old Miranda Spencer, gave investigators a similar story,
00:40:35
but with the roles reversed. She claimed Jordan only looked over the edge to make sure no one was below,
00:40:44
and it was Jaden who actually sent the log off the cliff. Jordan looks over the cliff
00:40:50
and is like, there's nobody down there like a good dude. And then Jaden either kicks off or pushes it off,
00:40:57
I'm not sure, but he definitely, he didn't pick it up. So it's just like rolled off, basically.
00:41:02
Jaden, pick up the log. picked it up. I don't think he didn't pick it up, but he's the one
00:41:08
who pushed it off. Jaden pushed it off? Yes, Jaden pushed it off. Jaden was? Yeah, Jaden.
00:41:14
Jordan didn't touch the line at all. Had anybody in your party touched it prior to that
00:41:20
to move it to that location? No. Like AJ, Miranda was adamant about what she saw.
00:41:27
But their accounts didn't match. And investigators wanted to know why. What I'm saying is what happened. Like, like, I'm not kidding.
00:41:37
How about the log? How long was it? Who held the log? Who moved the log? Jayden moved the log.
00:41:45
He moved the log. Jayden moved the log. Then what did Jordan do? Jayden, Jordan said that he, like, he looked over the ledge and said that there was nobody down there.
00:41:55
So Jayden pushed it off because he didn think he was going to hurt anybody But Jaden rolled the log 100 These conflicting accounts didn make sense
00:42:06
AJ was certain that Jordan rolled the log. Miranda was just as sure it was Jaden.
00:42:13
How could either of them be wrong about something like that? And if someone was lying, the question was, why?
00:42:20
Your story and Miranda's have one major flaw difference. You can't figure that out for the life of me.
00:42:30
Why? I'm not going to say what it is, but you just can't figure out for the life of me why there's one major difference here.
00:42:39
I have no idea. Everything I told you is exactly what I remember from that day. As investigators tried to make sense of the conflicting statements from AJ and Miranda, they also had a decision to make.
00:42:56
What should they do with Jordan? And what charges would he face? Am I going to get arrested?
00:43:04
For what? I don't know. That's what I'm saying. I don't know if there's any charges that I can get for witnessing a murder.
00:43:11
I think what would you do if you touched the murder weapon? I know, but I wasn't the one that voluntarily did it.
00:43:17
I didn't. It wasn't my fault that it happened. What happens? You and him go rob a store.
00:43:24
He shoots and heals a clerk. Well, I get in trouble for being with him. You get charged for murder, CDC.
00:43:31
So I'm going to get charged for involuntary manslaughter for... I consider just murder.
00:43:39
So I'm going to get murdered for this? Say that. Before investigators could move forward with any charges against Jordan,
00:43:45
there was still one critical step left. They needed to talk to the other teenager,
00:43:52
the one who had allegedly bragged about killing someone. They needed to question 16-year-old Jaden Churches.
00:44:15
On Labor Day 2019, 46-year-old Victoria Schaefer was killed when a six-foot log was thrown from a cliff at Hocking Hill State Park.
00:44:43
The investigation led to two 16-year-old boys, Jordan Buckley and Jaden Churches.
00:44:49
Jordan had already been questioned, but his version of events wasn't just questionable.
00:44:54
It was impossible. Next, investigators sat down with Jaden in the same school conference room where they had questioned Jordan.
00:45:03
But this interview came with one key difference. Jaden's mother was also in the room.
00:45:09
I've been setting in for two hours. I'm ready to follow the version. I'm trying to have a known your best year for a minute.
00:45:15
Hi, I'm Tammy. I was in a good day when I got here. I sat in there for two hours.
00:45:19
Yeah, we're sorry. You're in there. Are you kidding me? I've been sitting there for two hours waiting on you guys.
00:45:23
Oh, we were basically going to stop. I know. I got to take work. I got to take that.
00:45:28
He would have been here if I knew it was going to take two hours to talk to you.
00:45:32
When Jayden's interview started, there was already a good bit of tension in the air.
00:45:38
His mother was frustrated. She'd been waiting for hours before investigators were ready to speak with her and Jaden.
00:45:45
And the tension only grew from there. You can't hear us, so we can record it or something?
00:45:51
Well, everything we do is audio-play. Oh, and I can record it too then, right? Absolutely, yeah.
00:45:55
Oh, good. About ten minutes into the interview, and just after investigators read Jaden his Miranda rights,
00:46:03
a school employee stepped into the room to bring Jaden some lunch. after jayden's mom made it clear she was ready to complain about literally everything
00:46:19
the investigators finally got around to asking jayden some questions What do you like doing?
00:46:26
Riding my bike. Right. Where? Lancaster Skate Park. Okay. The BMX place right beside the pool.
00:46:34
You like going out to hike and do anything? I mean, I like to hunt. I like to duck hunt, that stuff, but hiking.
00:46:43
I like walking a lot, so I just ride my bike a lot. Just staying down with my friends.
00:46:49
Who's your friends? Johnny Cole Garrett Mace Just a lot of football players Interestingly, when Jaden was asked about his friends
00:47:01
He left out one important name What about Jordan? Jordan? He's my friend What's Jordan?
00:47:08
I know a lot of people Jordan I mean He's a great under me and I hung out with Andy Gordon
00:47:18
Which I didn't know. We've been beating around the bush and I'm just going to get straight to her. There was an incident at Hocking Hill State Park. I know that you was there.
00:47:29
Yes, I was there. Okay. Tell me about that day. get pulled up. We were about to go hike and go down and look around. And then some dude
00:47:42
comes running back. And he's like, somebody just got hit with something. And I think she's
00:47:50
dead. So we're like, what? And we turn around and we leave because we don't even want to
00:48:00
Now there's like ambulance going up and all this. We just... The Miranda and AJ.
00:48:10
The initial stories that both Jaden and Jordan gave investigators were nearly identical.
00:48:15
When they were first asked what happened, neither of them mentioned the log being thrown from the cliff.
00:48:22
At least, not until investigators confronted them with it directly. It's almost as if they had rehearsed what to say.
00:48:29
Before we come in here, we already have all the answers. Might be one or two that we don't know.
00:48:34
We've already talked to people. A lot of serious accusations have been brought against you.
00:48:40
And this is the time to tell the truth, to help yourself. Because right now, it's really serious.
00:48:48
Really, really serious. And you need to be honest. Because we know a lot more than what you think.
00:48:53
And you need to talk to me, sir, in private. Was this an accident? Because he's underage.
00:48:59
He's underage, and it sounds like you know exactly what happened, so maybe you should go tell me exactly what happened,
00:49:06
and then I will talk to him. Because I don't like you saying that you knew what happened.
00:49:12
Yes, ma'am. Okay, then you know who did it and what happened. Good, then we'll go in the other room, and you can tell me if he participated in this.
00:49:22
This is not how this is going to work. It's not? No. I wonder if this mom's name is Karen.
00:49:27
It should be. Your son did something. The result in a death of a lady. No. Yes, ma'am.
00:49:32
No. I can prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Then somebody ought to be proving it to me before they're saying something like that to him,
00:49:39
because that is very upsetting to me. What we want to know, was this an accident?
00:49:43
There's always two sides of a result. I'm not liking this. I don't like this one, they want.
00:49:47
I don't like it either. Neither does the family. Excuse me, I know that. I have felt very bad about that.
00:49:53
That is sickening to me. And I have even said this is a horrible thing, that for you to sit here and say that he had something to do with this?
00:49:59
And never do another. Jayden's mom became understandably distraught. She tried to step in and defend her son,
00:50:07
but there wasn't much she could do except sit there and watch him take the heat.
00:50:13
But I want to know, was this an accident? Or is this something that you meant to do?
00:50:18
Because that's a big difference. If this is an accident, were you trying to do this?
00:50:23
It's one thing. I didn't do it. I was there. Okay. So tell me what happened step by step.
00:50:30
Like, basically what I was saying. When we walked up by the stairs, Jordan walks, like, we were walking,
00:50:39
and then there was a log, and he kicks it, and it starts to slide. Okay. So you're saying Jordan kicked it out?
00:50:47
And then it slid, and then we left. Unsurprisingly, Jaden pointed the finger at Jordan, just like Jordan had done to him.
00:50:58
He claimed Jordan had kicked the log, sending it over the edge of the cliff. So much for that secret pact they had made to keep this quiet.
00:51:07
Isn't that right, Jaden? I know about your pact. Jordan, you guys already had this reversed.
00:51:14
Did you touch the log? Because we've talked to Jordan. I grabbed the log. Okay, so you touched the log.
00:51:20
I touched it, but I did not kick it off her throat. You know what happened to it?
00:51:25
How did that smash with you? He got kicked off the edge. Who kicked it? Jordan. Jordan kicked it?
00:51:33
Yes. Are you sure? Yes. Once again, investigators were put in a difficult spot. Each suspect was blaming the other, and all they could do was keep pressing Jaden for the truth.
00:51:45
Yeah, I did not kick it off. Did you throw it off? No, sir. I'm not trying to hide anything.
00:51:53
I'm giving you the answers you're asking for. Truth or answers. Yes. Do you know what?
00:51:59
You guys, I'm being very patient with this, but it sounds like you're trying to talk him into saying something that he's being honest.
00:52:06
I'm trying to talk him into telling me the truth. But he just told you what happened.
00:52:10
That's not the truth. So you're trying to get him to say something that... I'm trying to get him to tell us the truth.
00:52:16
That's what I'm trying to do. Not a trick. I don't understand. Not a trick. You have his phone.
00:52:21
You have... We're just trying to get him to tell us what happened. Because at the end of the day...
00:52:26
It's just told you three times. That's not the truth. At the end of the day, that lady lost her life.
00:52:30
I know that. I'm very sad for that with you. I'm very sad for Tammy. I was sick to my stomach when I heard about this.
00:52:35
And then to find out that he was there... The investigators kept pushing back, but having Jaden's mom in the room didn't make their job any easier.
00:52:45
So should I arrest Jordan today for homicide? because that's what's going to happen.
00:52:51
I said it with that story. We better do the light detector test first on Jordan, don't you think,
00:52:56
before you arrest him for homicide? It doesn't matter what he says. You guys have to do it.
00:53:03
Don't care. Just talk. Like, detective talk. You think I would let you arrest him?
00:53:11
Like, Jordan's here, so don't let you arrest Jordan without a light detector test?
00:53:14
And we don't have a choice in this. In the United States there's something called a probable cause.
00:53:19
You know what, I do have a choice. So, you're just going to have to talk about the attorney with the minimum wage, two jobs that I work.
00:53:28
Because, you know what, we do have choices. That happened in Italy, died. I know this lady died.
00:53:37
When you get the lie detector test set up for him, then you'll just have to contact me.
00:53:42
As for now, Jayden and I will be leaving. Jaden remained adamant that he hadn thrown the log
00:54:05
And every time investigators pushed him to admit otherwise, his mom stepped in. You've got to be completely honest.
00:54:12
This is your life. I know. Ms. Schaefer's life is already over. I know this. We've got to make her life right.
00:54:19
And I told you what happened. I told you, baby, can't get off. You can notice that before a pillow roll does to a lady's head, your head explodes.
00:54:28
Are you going to show him a picture of that, too? I have a picture of it. Good. That's pretty...
00:54:34
Do you want to see it? I can show you what your son did. Excuse me? I'm asking. What, my son did?
00:54:42
Yes, ma'am. There's witnesses to this. There's not witnesses. They're all saying each other did it.
00:54:49
And so you have some pretty good stuff, then I don't want to believe any of that.
00:54:58
I don't want to see some lady's head splattered. I don't want anybody to be injured.
00:55:03
So who do you think should be accountable for this? Whoever did it. Whoever was responsible for making the law go over the cliff.
00:55:12
Exactly. I would agree with that 100%. Yes. you know whether the kids were playing whether it was i'm sure they didn't do it on purpose
00:55:19
because they were playing if they were saying that this was an accident i'm sure they don't
00:55:25
just say i want to kill some lady let's throw a ball on her head i mean who does that jaden's mom
00:55:32
and the investigators continued to butt heads but in the end it was a losing battle for both sides
00:55:38
Jaden's mom couldn't stop her son from being arrested and investigators couldn't get him to admit he had thrown the log
00:55:46
Eventually, Jaden and his mom were informed that a judge had already signed off on Jaden's arrest
00:55:52
He was going to jail and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it You know what that's doing to me? That's hitting me in the head with a log
00:56:02
You cannot do that Because you can't take him to jail There's got people there Well, there's not good people, Jill.
00:56:10
There's bad people there. Why did you say he's in the law of the head? Because you're trying to take him away for something that you can't take him.
00:56:18
Madam, again, this is not me. This is the prosecutor's office. This is the actual prosecutor and the juvenile court judge.
00:56:24
This is out of my hands. You're just going to take him out of here with him right now through this school?
00:56:30
Yeah. How's that make you feel? It hasn't made me feel very good at all since the beginning of this.
00:56:36
September 2nd at 620 when I got that phone call and I seen that lady. It has not made me feel good at all.
00:56:42
This doesn't make me feel good. Do you know what? I have raised this boy for 17 years by myself, and this does not make me feel good.
00:56:47
Why would you take him out of his skull like this in front of these people? He's never been away from you.
00:56:53
You can't just take him down there. Yes, maybe we can. So stay in the room, please.
00:56:58
No, you guys. I'm going to hear if I have a court date. If I say he's told to me.
00:57:06
Jaden was officially placed under arrest. And when the handcuffs came out, his mom all but lost it.
00:57:14
You know he's going to pay handcuffs or something on him? Maybe that's her policy.
00:57:17
Oh, my gosh. You've got to greatly start off your life when you're 17. Can't you just, like, walk him out there?
00:57:25
He's not a criminal. Ms. Schaefer is 46 years old. Pardon me? Ms. Schaefer is 46 years old.
00:57:30
I know how old she is. I've read. What are you telling me that for? You're saying he's 17.
00:57:36
You know, I feel really bad for this lady that's gone in her family. This is not good to do to our family.
00:57:46
Jaden had the benefit of having his mom in the room during his interview, while Jordan had to face investigators on his own.
00:57:54
Though Jordan did get to call his mother, and the difference between the two parents couldn't have been more stark.
00:58:02
Were you a part of it, Jordan? I didn't like push it off but I moved the log with him I pulled it out I didn't know he was
00:58:11
gonna kick it off though but a woman died why did you not tell Chris and I this because I freaked
00:58:17
out mom I freaked out it doesn't matter I've taught you to do right Jordan a woman lost her life and you knew it always coming first is what you do
00:58:33
so i want to ask him for his dna sample it's just a swab of the mouth yes yes i mean if he's in the
00:58:40
wrong he knows that i've taught my kids that they take the punishment okay so we have your
00:58:46
permission to take that swab you have my permission to take his yes okay on one hand jaden's mom was
00:58:53
ready to defend her son no matter what he may have done. Jordan's mom, however, seemed ready to hand Jordan over to the police on a silver platter.
00:59:02
I'm not a parent, so I'll reserve my judgment on this one. You guys don't like it when I judge anyway, so...
00:59:10
You judge for yourselves. Who handled it better? Who is the better parent in this situation?
00:59:18
I know you'll have your own thoughts. Leave them in the comments. After Jayden was arrested, investigators took Jordan back to Hocking Hill State Park.
00:59:28
Once there, they walked him through his version of what happened the day Victoria Schaefer was killed.
00:59:35
Though much of his story still didn't add up. How did you move it? With my foot.
00:59:40
Well, I grabbed it at first, and it wouldn't move, so I took my foot and I pushed it like this with my foot.
00:59:47
I was just messing around. I wasn't even going to put it back. I was just messing around.
00:59:50
It's on board. And he was high. That's probably why he did it. And then after it went off it rolled and it bounced again after this That where it kind of went of went over that and there a lip right there So I hit the lip and it bounced That why I bounced
01:00:05
I knew it bounced, but I didn't know why. So that's why I thought he threw it. But he did say, I'm going to throw it.
01:00:11
After this happened, I kind of just realized the severity of it and how someone lost their life.
01:00:17
Like, how would I feel if that would happen to my mom when she was taking pictures of me or something from my singing pictures?
01:00:22
that's not fair to them to not know the answer to it and that's why i feel bad during this walk
01:00:28
through jordan claimed he felt bad about what happened but let's be honest it was a little
01:00:34
late for that if he really felt bad he would have come forward instead he made a pact with jaden to
01:00:41
keep the murder quiet and even bragged about it later to impress a girl he liked not exactly the
01:00:47
behavior of someone with a guilty conscience. Not exactly the behavior of someone with a
01:00:53
conscience, period. So what do you think should happen to you? Well, I'm hoping that I don't see anything too extreme, but I know that I'm probably
01:01:04
going to get charged for being a witness and saying anything about it. Well, being a witness,
01:01:11
you don't get charged for being a witness. Yeah, but I charge if you did something or
01:01:16
if you lied about it. That's what gets you in trouble. I haven't lied about anything so far.
01:01:21
Jordan claimed he hadn't lied about anything so far. In reality, he'd lied about nearly everything,
01:01:28
right up until investigators called him out. At first, he left out the log entirely.
01:01:34
Then he claimed Miranda and AJ hadn't seen what happened. After that, he insisted he never touched the log at all.
01:01:43
None of this was true. All of this begged a question, what else was Jordan lying about?
01:02:14
that he was thrown out. Woo! And where she was at? He is 100% right. So this is the point in time where you tell us
01:02:24
either you've seen him do it, you both did it, or it was more than two of you. But whatever happened needs to come out now
01:02:31
because we can't help you if we don't have it. I did not do it. I did not do it, and Miranda and AJ had nothing to do with it.
01:02:37
One of the strangest parts of this case was how all four teenagers described the log
01:02:42
as simply rolling off the cliff and not being thrown. But that didn't make sense.
01:02:49
For the log to land where it did, it would have taken considerable force. The reality was,
01:02:56
someone or multiple people had to have thrown it. And none of the teenagers could explain
01:03:02
that inconsistency. The only thing that made sense was that both Jordan and Jaden
01:03:07
picked up the log together and flung it off the cliff. I didn't help him do it. I don't remember what he did to get it off.
01:03:16
I just know Jayden did it. Why don't you remember? I don't know. You can remember everything else, but you can't remember that specific detail.
01:03:22
Yes, that's the only thing that I've had trouble remembering the whole time. That's the only thing.
01:03:27
Be in my shoes right now, okay? You can remember everything, but you can't remember that specific detail,
01:03:31
so I'm sitting here thinking, man, Jayden told me that Jordan made Jayden done. It happened so fast.
01:03:36
It happened so fast, I turned around. He said, I'm going to throw it off. I turned back around, and it was already going down.
01:03:42
Another unanswered question was why the two female witnesses pointed fingers at different people.
01:03:50
Miranda said Jaden threw the log. AJ claimed it was Jordan. Miranda even went as far as saying Jordan never touched the log at all,
01:03:59
which made no sense, considering Jordan himself admitted that he helped move it.
01:04:05
Jordan has admitted the log. Really? Jordan didn't move a log? He admitted to me.
01:04:12
Why would he admit to me that he moved the log? I'm telling you that Jordan, Jaden, was the one that moved the log.
01:04:19
Like, that's what I remember. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Like, me and Jordan have no connections.
01:04:25
Like, I don't like Jordan at all. Miranda, I took Jordan to the scene. We've done a walkthrough.
01:04:32
I'm just telling you what I remember. He was telling us how he moved the log where he was standing.
01:04:38
I'm not lying, though. I'm telling you what I remember. and if what I remember is wrong
01:04:43
then I can't help that but I'm trying to tell you as much as I know I can't help that
01:04:49
Investigators later suspected that Miranda was lying to protect herself because of a prior romantic relationship
01:04:57
she had with Jordan When they dated Jordan may not have reached Ohio's age of consent
01:05:04
which was 16 by the way Yeah, Ohio sucks It's possible Miranda did not want to implicate Jordan, fearing he might turn around and expose her.
01:05:18
She may have been trying to avoid facing statutory rape charges. Do you have any relationships with the police?
01:05:26
Jordan. Jordan? Yeah. Do you understand that we're not here about having sex with Jordan?
01:05:34
Yes, not having sex with Jordan. Miranda admitted she'd been in a relationship with Jordan,
01:05:40
but denied ever having sex with him. Nonetheless, Miranda was never charged with any form of sexual assault.
01:05:47
Instead, she was charged with obstruction for lying during the investigation of Victoria Schaefer's murder.
01:05:54
Miranda Spencer of Nelsonville received a suspended 90 sentence She pled guilty to obstructing official business In court Miranda changed her story
01:06:05
Instead of blaming Jaden, she claimed she couldn't remember who touched the log or which of the boys had sent it over the cliff.
01:06:14
As for Jaden and Jordan, both were indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide.
01:06:23
Despite being just 16, both were charged as adults, meaning they were now facing the full weight of the criminal justice system.
01:06:34
They ended up both taking plea deals where they would plead only to involuntary manslaughter in exchange for having the other charges, murder and reckless homicide, dropped.
01:06:44
17-year-old Jordan Buckley walked into court with his family and pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
01:06:51
How do you plead? Buckley then stood up, turned and addressed Victoria's family, including her husband Fritz.
01:07:00
I understand that my actions that day have caused your things life to change. And my hope from all of this is to use this trauma to learn and live the rest of my life in a way that will honor the Shakers.
01:07:20
Both teens took plea deals. In exchange, the murder and homicide charges were dropped, and their cases were sent back to juvenile court.
01:07:30
At their sentencing hearings, both Jaden and Jordan offered weak apologies to Victoria's family.
01:07:37
First, I wanted to apologize to Ms. Schaeffer's family. I know that no matter what I say, nothing will bring your loved one back.
01:07:45
I know what I did was wrong. I hope that you know I never intended to hurt anyone that day at Hockenville.
01:07:52
However, I realize now that my actions can have unintended consequences. I want to let you know that I think about this decision for the rest of my life.
01:08:04
I have learned from my wrongful actions and will take this opportunity to become a better person
01:08:09
and hopefully use this experience to help others. At the sentencing, Victoria's family members took turns speaking.
01:08:16
Her younger sister was first to address the court. I'm confronted daily by ways in which my sister is missing.
01:08:24
I'm sub-mindedly thinking of texting her when she crosses my mind, missing her encouragement when I need it most,
01:08:32
and the guidance that only an older sister can provide. I've been catching glimpses of her face in my own reflection.
01:08:39
I believe that is why over one year later, I'm not only still heartbroken over the loss of someone so critically important in my life,
01:08:45
But I'm angry that the individuals responsible did not immediately come forward, in fact, hiding the secret among them for over a month until someone else turned them in.
01:08:57
Next to speak and deliver a truly heartbreaking impact statement was Victoria's husband.
01:09:02
Victoria's death was so tragic, so devastating, and so senseless, it's unimaginable.
01:09:08
and whatever I say here today won't come even close to describing how painful this has been for me
01:09:16
and for my family. The night before she died, we were up late and she was editing photos. It was
01:09:21
probably after 1 a.m. She didn't have to get up early. The next day was Labor Day. She was looking
01:09:28
forward to going to Old Man's Cave and doing the photo shoot with her senior reps. We were lying in
01:09:35
bed and she was in my arms and she told me something she never told me before. She said
01:09:40
the happiest part of her day was at the end of the night and she was in my arms. She told
01:09:46
me she loved me and couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with me. I loved her
01:09:50
more at that moment than ever before. And the next night she was gone. The loss Victoria's family endured was unimaginable. But despite their grief, they agreed to the
01:10:03
plea deals that had been offered to Jaden and Jordan. I want to first clarify how we came to
01:10:09
this agreement because it was very, very difficult. We said we'd think about it for a few days.
01:10:17
My children are very compassionate and what ultimately helped us make the decision to offer
01:10:22
this one deal was that Victoria was a very compassionate person and we all felt that she
01:10:29
would have wanted to give them a second chance. In the end, it was the compassion Victoria had instilled in those around her that likely
01:10:40
spared Jaden and Jordan from a lifetime behind bars. During sentencing, Victoria's daughter read an impact statement written by Victoria's
01:10:50
mother. In it, Jaden and Jordan were offered only one path to redemption. I need to know that you will do your very best to turn your life around.
01:11:01
I need to know that when you are released from the sentence, you will have become a man who will make a contribution to the society, not just take from it.
01:11:10
This is an early chapter in your book of life. I sincerely pray for you that Victoria's loss will not be in vain.
01:11:18
Let this tragic circumstance catapult you to even greater goals that you can imagine today.
01:11:23
that you will dig in and dig deep to meet the challenge of becoming a great man,
01:11:29
a man who will bring honor to Victoria to make up in some way for one you so carelessly have taken from all of us.
01:11:38
Let the story of your life proclaim to all that you understood the gravity of your actions
01:11:43
and that you did all in your power to be a credit to society. Only that will satisfy me.
01:11:48
the forgiveness and the compassion that victoria's family showed in the court was truly remarkable far more than they would have gotten
01:12:00
That's for sure. The guilty pleas were entered and the impact statements were made.
01:12:06
All that was left was for a judge to deliver a sentence. The pain that you heard from them, indescribable.
01:12:14
I can't, I get angry listening to it, so I don't know if I could be as forgiving as they are.
01:12:23
Do you understand? Yes, sir. Do you understand that you took a mother of children your age, your same age, that you took their mother?
01:12:33
Do you understand that? Yes, sir. A wife, sister, and that's a void that can never be filled for them.
01:12:43
Now you're going to have some time to sit in DYS. Do you understand that, right?
01:12:47
Yes, sir. But you understand you're getting a second chance here now because they are giving.
01:12:52
Do you understand that, correct? Yes, sir, I'm not in it. You understand. And you understand that that not an option to Mrs Schaefer vet correct You getting a second chance because she did not get it In the end both Jordan Buckley and Jaden Churches were sentenced to just three years in juvenile detention
01:13:12
A slap on the wrist, if there ever was one. As for the biggest question of all, who actually threw the log?
01:13:20
The truth is, no one seems to know. Investigators couldn't prove it either way. And neither Jaden nor Jordan ever admitted to it in court.
01:13:30
Maybe Jaden did it. Maybe Jordan did it. Maybe they both did. Or maybe that detail doesn't matter as much as we think.
01:13:40
Because at the end of the day, both teenagers were legally responsible. Both of them made a choice to move, shove, kick, roll, or throw a 75-pound log off a cliff.
01:13:53
A log that came crashing down with enough force to shatter a skull and take Victoria Schaefer's life in an instant.
01:14:02
And both were held accountable in a way that reflected the wishes of Victoria's family.
01:14:08
So what else is there to do The conclusion of this case doesn come with a whole lot of satisfaction That for sure
01:14:18
It's messy. But, usually murder is messy. There are still unanswered questions, and the whole thing feels unfinished.
01:14:32
But sometimes, that's the only justice there is. and sometimes you know that's just life
01:15:06
I can believe this is our 13th year It absolute madness I did not think this is how my life was going to go Let put it that way Anyway thank you so much for being here
01:15:25
Thank you so much for being a fan, a listener, supporter, whatever. Any little thing you guys do, we appreciate.
01:15:31
I promise you. Even if it's just hitting a like button on a video or leaving a comment.
01:15:39
It's all very much appreciated. Thank you so much for being here. I hope 2026 is a wonderful year for all of you.
01:16:13
We'll be right back.