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E064: Bryce Laspisa
1.6k Plays5 years ago
Bryce Laspisa had been worrying his roommate and girlfriend recently. But before he had a chance to reveal what was at the root of his recent odd actions, he drove his vehicle into a ravine in what seemed a suicide attempt. But, with Bryce now missing, could appearances be deceiving? Could his disappearance have been the result of foul play?
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Transcript
Starting a Podcast with Buzzsprout
00:00:00
Speaker
Sleuth Hounds, have you ever considered creating your own podcast? Have you been inspired by listening to some of your favorites and thought, I'd love to try this out on my own. Whether it's a true crime podcast like ours, a motivational podcast, or maybe one filled with tips and strategies for those interested in the same activities you are.
00:00:18
Speaker
When Maggie and I first decided to start our podcast, we knew absolutely nothing about what podcasting would entail. But when we found that the platform Buzzsprout was one for which we didn't need any special equipment, just a computer microphone, some quiet space, and each other, we knew that this was the way to go. It is intuitive to use, fun to play around with, and so helpful in getting analytical data about our number of downloads to track trends and from where our listeners hail.
00:00:46
Speaker
Best yet, Buzzsprout is affordable, even by our teacher salary standards. Buzzsprout will get your podcasts listed on every major podcasting platform. So, what are you waiting for? Fulfill that dream of yours and start today. If you use our coffee and cases referral code, 709-643, linked on Facebook and in our show notes, not only will you help support our show, but you will receive a $20 Amazon gift card after your second month on a paid plan. It's that easy.
00:01:16
Speaker
Podcasting isn't hard when you have the right partners. Join over 100,000 podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world. Now it's time for the world to hear what you have to say.
Introduction to Bryce Lespisa Case
00:01:30
Speaker
In November of 2018, a photo was circulating online.
00:01:36
Speaker
In it is a thin five foot, 10 inch young man looking to be around 160 pounds with bright red hair. Strangers were proclaiming that they had found him. They had found the young man who had been missing since 2013. I'm sure adrenaline ran high for the family. It had been five years. What if it were real this time?
00:02:02
Speaker
I'm sure his mother Karen and his father Mike wanted to believe the news that their baby boy would soon be home with them. That those late night whispering wishes that all of this had been a nightmare from which they would awaken would come true.
00:02:19
Speaker
that the doubt, the terror, the uncertainty, the anxiety, the sleeplessness, and the tears would give way to assurance, happiness, peace, rest, and reunion. Would he look the same? Would his smile strike that special place in his parents' hearts a little harder the next time they saw it? Would his voice sound the same as the I love yous they heard now in their memory?
00:02:47
Speaker
I can't imagine the questions and the excitement they must have felt. Then I can't imagine the disappointment. When they found that the image was a hoax, no one had found their son.
00:03:02
Speaker
He was still out there somewhere for them, waiting to be found. It wasn't the first time that his parents waited to find out their son's fate, and it wouldn't be the last. This is the story of Bryce Lespisa.
00:03:33
Speaker
Oh.
Introducing 'Coffee and Cases'
00:03:53
Speaker
Welcome to coffee and cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Alison Williams. And my name is Maggie Damron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement.
00:04:09
Speaker
So justice and closure can be brought to these families. With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.
Discovery of Bryce's Abandoned Car
00:04:30
Speaker
At 5.30 AM, police responded to a call made to the California Highway Patrol. There on Main Ramp Road, the main boat launch access road of Castaic Lake in Southern California, law enforcement found a beige 2003 Toyota Highlander at the bottom of a 15 foot ravine, 100 feet from Lake Hughes Road.
00:04:58
Speaker
So the Toyota is at the bottom. Correct. Like crashed. Yes. So they had received some calls about the vehicle. And so they're responding to those calls. Upon closer inspection of the wreck, the rear window was broken. There were traces of blood inside the vehicle on the front passenger headrest and on the back seat.
00:05:27
Speaker
A duffel bag was located in the back seat of the car unzipped, but it still contained Bryce's laptop, wallet, ID, and cell phone. But one thing was missing Maggie. Bryce. This is a very like
00:05:50
Speaker
15 feet so pretty long way down there. Yeah I mean I feel like if you just go into a little ditch yeah that can be scary. But to go over 15 feet and the back window is broken which I think is weird. Right and all of his things are there but Bryce is not.
Accident or Intentional?
00:06:08
Speaker
Accident reconstruction worked the scene and from track mark patterns on the road above they could tell that speed was involved. Okay so maybe
00:06:20
Speaker
Like a suicide attempt? Well, that's one potential theory that we are going to talk about. So there's speed involved and there's no sign that the driver had made an effort to break before going over that edge into the ravine. So that to me says something. Yeah.
00:06:43
Speaker
So from the looks of things, it was as if Bryce had driven either accidentally or purposefully over the ledge into that ravine. So since Bryce was not in the vehicle, we can only assume that Bryce had survived the impact of the accident, right? So then we start questioning, okay, well, did he break the back window out?
00:07:07
Speaker
himself in order to get out. Right. Right. So that's a bit odd to me. Unless, like it didn't say where on the headrest, so I guess it could have been on the back. Like I don't know if the car is like tilted up.
00:07:24
Speaker
pushed with his hand right or something right and there's something on his hand exactly to get out so but we don't even know if he broke the back window himself to get out right and that again maybe he cut himself breaking the glass the rest of the way or did that window shatter upon impact or did someone else break it and pull Bryce out that's a lot of questions it is there's gonna be no
00:07:51
Speaker
even more. Oh perfect. What we do know is that and this is why I think you're right that he could have like had blood maybe just on his hand and he's using it to like press on the passenger headrest to get out.
00:08:06
Speaker
because the level of blood that was found on the upholstery inside showed that, I mean, though there could have been significant internal injuries, because that's a big fall, right? That the blood loss due to the accident was minimal, right? So again, it's not like, I don't know, something came through the window and punctured something and there's blood everywhere. That was not the case. So blood loss is minimal.
00:08:36
Speaker
and we know that he exited through that back window somehow. Either he went out it or someone pulled him out of it. I just don't know why it was a back window and like could he not still have rolled the window down and just gone up? See I don't know again I don't know how the car hit like if the front impact was so great that it like pushed the engine and all of that like up to the car. But
00:09:04
Speaker
He's gone, and here's the biggest question. Where did he go? Right. Because where would you go without your wallet? And at this time, you said 2013, your cell phone. Right. And he left those in the vehicle. And he's in the middle of nowhere. So I feel like I'd take my cell phone at least for a flashlight. Yeah. Or to call 911 when I had service. Yeah, right. So those things don't make any sense.
Bryce's Erratic Behavior
00:09:33
Speaker
So then we question, because questions, they're gonna continue. They abound. Right. Was he so dazed?
00:09:41
Speaker
Right? That all he thought about was like getting out of the car and going to get help that it didn't even like register in his mind. Oh, I need to grab my cell phone. Okay. So Anthony and his best friend were in a really bad car accident when we were juniors in high school and they went over like the hydroplane and went over an embankment.
00:10:05
Speaker
I'm not really sure how far but like trees caught them and they both were like knocked out and Anthony woke up first and said that when he woke up it was like just immediate panic because like he couldn't get his friend to wake up he couldn't get out of the car and he just like started punching the glass to try to break windows and he still has like glass in his hand so that could be similar to like if you're just flight or fright yeah
00:10:30
Speaker
Yes, totally. I was like, wait, that does not sound right. That did not come out correctly. Yes, fight or flight. So maybe it is kind of like that. Yeah, that would make sense. And a lot of people question as well why his duffel bag was open. So they're thinking, was there something in it?
00:10:53
Speaker
that he pulled out of it when he was exiting? And if so, what was it? Like what could have been more important than the things he left behind? That's true. And there's never been an answer to that.
00:11:07
Speaker
How far could he have gone? Honestly because he swore right Absolutely. Oh my goodness Rodney and I we were Hit in the side by a truck and then launched into a tree that was I mean that was traumatic like I still hear Billy Joel on the radio and it makes me think of the accident because Billy Joel was playing but
00:11:33
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, even that was so painful. And that, you know, he launched us like five feet. You know, I can't imagine a 15 foot fall. At a high speed. Right. So I can't imagine that he would have gone too, too far.
00:11:50
Speaker
And I didn't mention this, he was in the process of driving home to visit his parents. So again, I feel like if that's your intent and then this accident happens, who would be the first person who you would call? Your parents to say, hey, there's an accident. I'm going to be like, don't worry. Right. I'm fine. Right. I'm going to call 911. Or again, if he's injured.
00:12:10
Speaker
Why would that not be your first thought to call 911? Which is why, as you mentioned at the beginning, could this be suicide? That is one theory, and we're gonna get into that. But I am switching it up this week, Maggie, and I am starting the episode with a bajillion questions because normally I ask them all at the end. So now we've got them all at the beginning.
00:12:34
Speaker
Um, but I'll also end with some too. Who am I kidding? Oh, listeners, Maggie, you just wait.
Bryce's Life and College Choices
00:12:41
Speaker
So Sleuth Hounds, I don't know about you, but Maggie and I both have our parents back home and either we or they have to make road trips of several hours if we're going to see one another. And Maggie, I don't know how your parents are, but both my mom and my dad are worriers when it comes to driving
00:13:01
Speaker
And so, like, I'll tell my mom, okay, well, I'm gonna be there around three in the afternoon. And she'll start calling me around two just to make sure I'm doing okay on the road. Like, I'm gonna make it on time, that sort of thing. Or like, call me when you're passing, mom. Or exit, whatever, yeah. And so, and especially,
00:13:26
Speaker
If I drive after dark or my parents drive after dark after they come to visit me, I always say to them, okay, well send me a text when you get home so I know that you've had a safe trip. And that's only about a two and a half hour drive, but I still worry. Yeah, especially after dark. Right.
00:13:44
Speaker
Bryce was, as I mentioned before, going back home to visit his parents. The 19-year-old Bryce was attending Sierra College near Sacramento in Chico, California. And he had just started his sophomore year there. He was only about like four classes into the semester, so about two weeks. And he had told his parents that there was something that he wanted to talk to them about.
00:14:12
Speaker
more about that later, which was the reason behind the impromptu trip. Okay. Like I'm one of those people that like, if you text me and just say like, we need to talk, I'm like, what did I do to say that I made this person mad? Like why are they so mad at me? So I would be freaking out. Right. This appearance. Like I know some people see like talking face to face as
00:14:37
Speaker
I guess a lot different than talking over the phone. But to me, I mean, I'll say anything I need to say over the phone. I don't know.
00:14:46
Speaker
How far would you want to drive all the way back to? Right. How far a drive was it? Oh no, I have not said that I'm getting ready to. So his parents lived in Laguna Niguel, which was about 450 miles from where Bryce attended college. So with traffic, cause I looked it up, it's about an eight hour drive. So that's like way longer of a drive than I ever had to make that two and a half hours. Yeah.
00:15:15
Speaker
and he's gonna drive eight hours because he has to tell them something. I think I would just, again, do it over the phone. Right. And I'll drive eight hours. Right. Now, when I was in college, I worked as a bank teller back home, so I drove home every weekend to work and, like, to visit with my family. And Bryce didn't go back every weekend, you know, like I did, because how could he, because it's an eight-hour trip.
00:15:45
Speaker
But California is a far bigger state than Kentucky is. True. You can probably drive side to side of Kentucky in one, like nine hours. Probably, yeah.
00:15:56
Speaker
And another difference is that while I grew up in Northeastern Kentucky in what's called the Tri-State area, because it's right across the river from Ohio and from West Virginia, like we came to Lexington growing up, which is a bigger city. And so I was at least, when I went to college in Georgetown, I was at least familiar with
00:16:19
Speaker
Lexington with the area before I made that trip the first time myself, right? Um, I've told that story too about how the first time I drove to Lexington with my cousin, we did not know how to read. Have I said this? Oh, yes. I wrote signs correctly. So I feel you with familiarizing yourself. I mean, I still feel like
00:16:39
Speaker
Lexington can kind of be confusing. It'll be like road name A and then you cross over a street and it becomes road name B. Even though you're still on the same road. Right. And then it'll switch back. Yeah. Or it'll be man o' war with an apostrophe or man o' war without an apostrophe. So it's all confusing. But at least I was familiar enough with the area that I felt
00:17:04
Speaker
Right. Bryce, on the other hand, was not originally from California. Bryce was born on April 30, 1994 and raised by his parents, Karen and Michael Espisa, in the Chicago suburbs. So after Bryce had graduated from Naperville Central High School in 2012,
00:17:26
Speaker
his parents retired early and had moved the family cross country to settle in Laguna Niguel, California. Like for a specific reason?
Why a Distant Community College?
00:17:37
Speaker
Well that's a good question because I didn't read anywhere whether this was like a trip they'd always talked about making. Like had they always said yeah when we retire we want to retire in California where it's warm versus you know like
00:17:51
Speaker
Wendy, right? Of Chicago or like whether Bryce had talked about wanting to attend school out west. And maybe they just followed. Right. Thinking well that sounds like a nice place to retire or whatever. I didn't read that anywhere but regardless in August of 2012 right after Bryce graduated they moved from Illinois to Orange County, California. Okay.
00:18:19
Speaker
Bryce began looking with his parents' help from what I read for a college, and he finally decided to attend Sierra College, which was a community college, to get his basic credits before he hoped to transfer to a four-year university. But again, like, why go to a community college eight hours away from your parents' home? Okay.
00:18:42
Speaker
I was going to bring that up later, but we'll go ahead and talk about it now because that is something that a lot of people have found problematic as to why he would choose a community college that far away. Because obviously in California, it's the same as Kentucky community colleges. Well, they're called community for a reason. And so they're like dotted all over the state.
00:19:06
Speaker
um but because i feel like the purpose of going to community college in my mind i could be wrong and so you like kind of get like dip your toe in the water in college but you're still close enough to home that if you needed to go home you could before you commit to going to like a four-year university if you're moving eight hours away from home just go to your four-year university
00:19:27
Speaker
So I don't know and again I didn't read any information about this so I don't know if it was a financial decision. He did want to have that independence and maybe that's why he chose that one. You know even though it's further away but it is a lot cheaper at least to get like your gen ed classes out of the way.
00:19:47
Speaker
So I don't know if that's it. If his parents said, no, you have to go to a community college first. And he said, well, then can I at least, you know. That's true.
00:19:58
Speaker
A lot of people see it as problematic because
Concerns Over Substance Use
00:20:01
Speaker
they think it's some sort of indication about the relationship that he had with his parents and I don't see that at all because I mean I could have gone to the local community college or a college that was like 45 minutes away and lived with my parents but I didn't. I chose a school that was two and a half hours away but I don't think that's any indication of how close I am to my parents.
00:20:23
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think, I don't, I mean like I know some kids take into consideration how far away their college is from like their home, but like a lot of kids don't. Right. Like that's not a factor. Right. I think a lot of it has to do with just how much independence has been instilled in you. Yeah. You know, and whether you're ready to make that step.
00:20:43
Speaker
Maggie, from all accounts, Bryce was loving his classes, particularly those in graphic and industrial design as a college. So he seemed to be doing well. He rented a place with his friend, Sean Dixon. He had made friends with other students who were on campus. He had done well academically the previous year, and he was dating someone.
00:21:07
Speaker
a 20-year-old named Kim Sly. She was a blonde. She lived nearby to where he was renting the apartment with his friend Sean. And he just really enjoyed spending time with her. So again, like things are normal. Yeah. College life. Exactly. Bryce, from reports that came from those closest to him, seemed like, you said Maggie, a typical college student.
00:21:31
Speaker
He studied for his courses when he had to, but in his spare time, he would play video games all hours of the night with his friends. And I think that's pretty difficult. According to Bryce's roommate, Sean, as well as other friends, Bryce would also often drink. Which I think is typical of most college experiences. I would agree. And that drinking though was becoming worse.
00:21:57
Speaker
In fact, they said that recently, after sophomore year had begun, and remember we're only like two weeks into it, Bryce had taken to drinking heavily, a whole bottle of hard liquor each weekend.
00:22:11
Speaker
He's getting like blackout drive. Right. Additionally, Bryce had bought some prescription meds from someone and had begun taking Vyvanse, an ADHD medication for which he did not have a prescription. And he took it so that he could stay up all night long to play video games. So he's not taking it to study.
00:22:35
Speaker
He's taking it so he can stay awake and play video games. Yeah, because I've heard of kids taking like Ritalin so that they can stay awake during finals week to study. I have never heard of one taking it so they could stay up all night to play video games. That's weird. Right. Also alcohol prescription drugs. No, they don't mix. We just don't mix those. That's why it says on the bottle not drink alcohol. Right. Yep.
00:23:00
Speaker
The medication for which he did not have a prescription combined with a lack of sleep and that alcohol use made it even worse and it was affecting Bryce. He was not acting like himself and everyone around him saw it especially those closest to him.
Lead-Up to Disappearance
00:23:20
Speaker
His roommate Sean and his girlfriend Kim and Maggie
00:23:24
Speaker
I'm going to try to recreate the days leading up to that car accident that we talked about. Okay the car accident happened on August 30th 2013 that I mentioned at the start of the episode and a lot happened in the four-day span leading up to it that can have a bearing on how we're gonna analyze the case. Okay. Okay.
00:23:46
Speaker
So backtracking to August 26th, 2013. So five days before, cause we've got the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, okay? To five days before Bryce disappeared, his mother Karen spoke with him on the phone and reported that he sounded perfectly normal. Yeah, but college kids are really good liars. That's true. There were some photos that surfaced of Bryce that were also taken on the 26th though and
00:24:14
Speaker
But again, that could be fake as well, but he's his cheerful self in those photos. On August 27th though, four days before the accident, something shifted. His girlfriend Kim reported that Bryce admitted to her that he had taken quote, that pill.
00:24:35
Speaker
when she confronted him about his odd behavior that day. So she calls him out on it that he's acting weird and he admits to her that he had taken the vivance. Oh, okay. So I was wondering what that pill was. Yeah, that pill. And one of those examples of odd behavior
00:24:52
Speaker
is that Bryce gave away some of his possessions that day, including a pair of diamond earrings from his mom. Bryce had his ears pierced and something else, something that makes even less sense to me, his Xbox. So this to me does kind of seem
00:25:11
Speaker
suicidal. So at first when it was like he had the plans to visit his parents like that is not typical suicidal behavior. You're not gonna make plans. But like giving your possessions away that does kind of seem different to me. And we'll talk about that as well because I have
00:25:30
Speaker
fear as always. But yeah, that absolutely doesn't make sense because the whole reason he's taking Vyvanze, this unprescribed medication in the first place, was so he could stay up to play Xbox and yet he's giving his Xbox away. So that they can't play. Right. There are many who know about
00:25:53
Speaker
the accident that we talked about at the beginning, the lack of break marks at the scene who do become fixated on this giving away of possessions as a sign that Bryce had planned on taking his own life because that is pretty typical. It is true that this act of giving away possessions, visiting friends and family are warning signs for suicide according to the Cleveland Clinic but
00:26:19
Speaker
If Bryce were suffering from an underlying condition like depression, it's much more complex than just like a mere checklist of signs that someone does. And there are other ways to read the act of giving away. So here's my theory. This is pure speculation.
Interpretations of Bryce's Actions
00:26:38
Speaker
But couldn't it have also been likely the case that Bryce did something like
00:26:48
Speaker
traded the diamond earrings for the Vyvanse, right? Okay. Yeah. I feel like pills are an expensive habit. Right. Okay. So you're following me so far. So he was like, here's, here are the earrings. Give me this prescription. And then after taking some time to realize what he had done, right? His girlfriend called him out on it, right? So he knows it's a problem. He knows at least other people see it as a problem.
00:27:11
Speaker
could he have realized that he was just hurting himself, right? Because he's taking these, he's hurting himself, he's doing this, just so he can stay awake to play video games. And then made that decision that he needed to give away the Xbox, which is the root of like, exactly like what's causing him to want to take the medication.
00:27:37
Speaker
So if we're honest with ourselves, obviously we don't know, right? And the very act that some read as a telltale sign of suicide could be his first attempt at getting sober. Let's give this away. Yeah. Or let me sell my Xbox so I can buy back the earrings that someone bought me. Right. And so I guess there are other ways that it could be read. And so I guess I just want us to keep that in mind. Okay. It's not clear cut. Yes.
00:28:05
Speaker
On August 28th, three days out, things did not improve though. Bryce indicated to his roommate Sean that something was wrong, but he wouldn't say what. So, at what, you may have said this, what day did, do we know what day Bryce communicated with his family? Like, hey, I'm making this trip home.
00:28:30
Speaker
Not yet. Okay. But, um, you... Look up your rainforest. Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. So he had not yet told them, but he told his roommate something was wrong, but he wouldn't say what it was. Okay. Bryce texted his girlfriend on this day on August 28th, and again, we're three days out, to say that she would be better off without him. He then showed up at her place that day to break up with her.
00:28:56
Speaker
But when he came by, he was not acting like himself in her estimation. Like he shows up and she's like, this is not, you're not acting normal. In fact, she thought that he was acting irritable and unusual. So she actually took his car keys from him, props to her. Because seeing that, you know, he's not in a state that he should be driving. And so even though,
00:29:23
Speaker
he had just broken up with her and I'm sure she was heartbroken about that because it came out of nowhere. But I'm sure she still loved him. Absolutely. And I think that's why she did it because she loves him and she wants to keep him safe. But Bryce got so irate that Kim wouldn't give him the keys back that he actually called his mom on the phone to try to get her to convince Kim to give him his car keys back. Okay. Which I feel like any mom would be like, no, you're acting crazy.
00:29:54
Speaker
but that's not what happened. So it's likely in that conversation that Bryce's mom found out about the breakup and she actually offered to fly to Bryce the next day to visit. Cause she can tell he is upset, but I don't know if in her mind she thinks it just has to do with this recent breakup and that that's why he's acting irritable and unusual. I just think this is like,
00:30:25
Speaker
just kind of a weird mother-son relationship. Like, I could not, first off, I could not picture Anthony calling his mom to convince, to tell his mom to tell me to get his keys back. Right. And then I could not see Anthony's mom if we had broken up when we were dating, saying, I'll just fly out and visit you.
00:30:46
Speaker
That's just odd behavior to me. Unless unless she thought that maybe that would somehow like calm him down if she said well I'll be there soon like I'll come tomorrow. Or maybe she knew there was like something more going on and that was her way of like getting there to try to start whatever process was needed to help him maybe.
00:31:07
Speaker
That could be it. But whatever it was, he actually convinced her not to come and he said, hey, just help me get the keys back and I'll come to you. Like I'll drive and I'll visit you because there's a lot that I want to talk to you about. Okay. So, you know, she's thinking, okay, well he's going to get the keys back. He's going to drive home, get some sleep and then come see us.
00:31:35
Speaker
And I can only assume, like you said Maggie, because to me it's bizarre as well that she would say to the girlfriend, give him his keys back. So I can only assume that Bryce sounded lucid in the conversation like he sounded fine.
00:31:53
Speaker
because Karen did convince Kim to give Bryce the keys back so he could drive home. And her argument to Kim was, well, technically the car is mine. This is what his mom said. And I want you to give him the keys back. Again, this is just so weird. How old is he in this? He's 19. Okay, he's like, I feel like this is a conversation like 16 year olds would have. Yeah, it does seem very immature. It does.
00:32:21
Speaker
According to Kim, Bryce left her place around at 11.30 p.m. Bryce attempted to call his mom at 1 a.m., but she missed the call. So she said later she didn't really think anything of it. She just assumed that that was Bryce letting her know that he had made it back to his apartment safely.
Last Known Movements
00:32:42
Speaker
Okay. Phone records later revealed that Bryce wasn't home at all.
00:32:49
Speaker
Instead, he had made the phone call from a fairly remote area about an hour's drive away from his apartment. So he was supposed to go home, get some sleep, and then leave to go see his parents in the state. Right. But yet his cell phone is pinging. An hour away from his apartment at 1am. Right. So he didn't go home to get sleep. So, like, did he go here to just, like, think about things? We don't know.
00:33:16
Speaker
The most bizarre behavior though, Maggie, happened the last full day that we know Bryce's movements on Thursday, August 29th. Okay, because remember the accident is found at 5 ish, 5 30 a.m. on the 30th. Okay.
00:33:35
Speaker
So Karen and Michael Pisa, Bryce's parents, had gotten a notification that Bryce had to use their roadside assistance account because he had run out of gas near the Buttonwillow Rest area near Bakersfield, California. So it looks like he's
00:33:53
Speaker
on his way yeah and but he's run out of gas so between the time when Karen spoke with her son the night before right when he was in Kim's apartment and finding out that he was in Button Willow Bryce had already driven 350 of the 450 miles to his parents house so he's like almost there right yeah super close yeah
00:34:18
Speaker
A worker from the Castro Tire and Gas is the one who had delivered three gallons of gas to Bryce. And we know from the worker's account and that Karen and Mike's account was charged $20 for the gas delivery that Bryce was indeed in the vehicle.
00:34:36
Speaker
So Karen assumed obviously that Bryce is on his way home. I mean he's 350 of the miles you know 350 miles closer and he just told her the night before that he wanted to come in because he wanted to talk to his parents about something.
00:34:51
Speaker
So I found this odd, but in the research that I did, it said that he would have still been roughly three hours away from home. So I can only assume that that's because of like traffic because where he would have to drive is near Los Angeles. And so I'm guessing that's why that last hundred miles would take
00:35:15
Speaker
significant amount of time. Well yeah and like Anthony and I were planning a trip to Colorado so Centennial, Colorado. Yeah number one listener city. But we were like mapping out where we wanted to go and it would be a really short distance but it would take a long time to get there because of the terrain. Right yeah so terrain and traffic
00:35:39
Speaker
Yes. So even though he would have been about three hours away, at any rate he would be home before dinner on the 29th. So Karen and Mike began trying to get a hold of Bryce, kind of like my mom does with me, right? Trying to call several times throughout the morning, but none of their calls were answered.
00:35:57
Speaker
So worried sick that something had happened to him, right? To cause him not to answer the phone. Many reports say that Karen had actually called back to that Castro tire and gas, right? Then it brought him the three gallons of gasoline to see if they would go back like in the direction that he was going to be headed and check on him.
00:36:19
Speaker
Or she could have just called like the sheriff's office. Well she'll do that later. Okay. Okay so um this report said that the same worker actually went to check on Bryce and that he was still sitting in the same spot despite now having gasoline and the ability to have continued
00:36:40
Speaker
on his journey. So, you know, it would have only taken three hours. Those three hours, you know, are passing by quickly. And he's just hanging out there. They're trying to call Bryce. He's not answering. And then this worker goes and he's sitting in the exact same spot. So the worker actually reported back to Karen, Bryce's mom, that Bryce seemed fine.
00:37:04
Speaker
So he talked to him. He seemed like with it, which is super bizarre because you would think like if you've been sitting there for hours. Maybe you needed like a nap. I mean, it could be or he just kind of zoned out and then I don't know. But the worker said, I mean, he seemed fine. His eyes were a little bit red. He's tired. Right. Other than that, when he asked Bryce what he was doing, Bryce just said nothing.
00:37:31
Speaker
So odd. One report, though I could not find this corroborated by any other report, said that Karen finally spoke with her son around 1230 and per their conversation she expected him to arrive home around
00:37:50
Speaker
3 30 in the afternoon but again and that's one of the problems with this case and I'll bring it up again is that like only one source would have information that I couldn't find it anywhere else and so I don't know if it's accurate so I will always preface those details with I Don't know if this is accurate
00:38:11
Speaker
Again though, his arrival time of 3.30 came and went and no Bryce.
Search Efforts and Theories
00:38:17
Speaker
Again, she began her frantic phone calls to her son. Again, those calls went unanswered. Yeah, this is when I would be like, I'm calling the police. Or drive the rest of the way myself. Yeah, you're only three hours away. I'm just gonna drive and see if I find your car. Yeah. When Bryce hadn't arrived by 6pm, other reports say 9pm. So again, there's like miscommunication, but
00:38:41
Speaker
Either way, 6 p.m. or 9 p.m., she couldn't get in touch with him. She did call the police at the Orange County Sheriff's Department. And one report said that she had tracked her son's phone to see where he was. But I don't believe that report, because if she had that ability to track his phone. Exactly. She wouldn't have needed to call to see where he was. She would have known exactly where he was the whole time.
00:39:06
Speaker
Yeah, just like the case we literally talked about last week, you tracked her phone. Right. And so I don't believe that report that she somehow tracked it. Regardless, law enforcement found Bryce only eight miles away from where he had gas brought to him in Button Willow. So he had in roughly seven to nine hours, depending on when she called the police and all of that,
00:39:32
Speaker
In seven to nine hours since he had been delivered enough gas to get to a gas station he had only traveled eight total miles. So I'm really hoping that the next sentence you say is going to be that he was arrested but I'm gonna guess no. No. Because when the police got there they performed a field sobriety test which Bryce passed.
00:39:56
Speaker
So, I mean, this dude's not slept in like, I feel like three days. Yeah. But he passes his sobriety test with flying colors. They found him alert and responsive. And according to a couple of the reports, police officers also performed a search of his vehicle and found no drugs or alcohol. So like finding no reason to take him into custody other than like his parents are frantic and he's only driven eight miles. They allowed him to continue on his way.
00:40:24
Speaker
So maybe he's in the process of, like you said, getting clean. And that's like the bloodshot eyes. He's having withdrawals maybe. I'm so glad you said that because that's my theory. Good. I'll get to it at the end after I talk about everybody else's theory because I got to end with ours then. Yes. Okay.
00:40:40
Speaker
But before they left, they did encourage him to call his mom, saying like, you know, she's called us, she's really worried about you. And he seemed to them extremely reluctant to make the phone call. But he did.
00:40:56
Speaker
When he did talk to her he assured her that he was on his way and that he wanted to talk to her but that he was actually fine and was going to go hang out with some friends before he came home. It's just all so weird. I know. By 11 pm on the 29th Bryce had made two purchases. One for a dollar 71 to buy a drink
00:41:20
Speaker
and $39 in gas at the Valero gas station. Hey, at least he finally got gas. Exactly, on Lagoon Drive in Buttonwillow. So he's still in Buttonwillow, but he got some gas. So Bryce had now been in Buttonwillow for 12 to 13 hours. So he could have been home and almost back to school. Right, in that time.
00:41:43
Speaker
Sleuth Hounds and Maggie, one of my frustrations with researching this case, as I said a moment ago, is that there are so many details that I could only find in one or two resources, and I hate to even
00:41:56
Speaker
I'm torn always as to whether I should even say them because I can't corroborate the evidence. But I feel like would I be negligent if I didn't share it and it were accurate and that could be a clue. Yeah, an important piece. Right. So this next piece of information is one that I could not verify.
00:42:16
Speaker
but one source said that the Las Pises called that Castro Gas Entire again, because again, he's been here for hours, the police find him, he's only eight miles away, and that a driver from Castro Gas Entire this time actually followed Bryce until he got onto southbound Interstate 5 toward his parents' home. Okay, also, again,
00:42:48
Speaker
Why are you not just driving to your kid? I know. Like you've been waiting on him for 12 hours. He's three hours away from home. Right. Like that's literally
00:42:59
Speaker
the trip to my parents' house. So. And you know he's upset. He's got her a breakup. But you've called this gas station 7,000 times. You've called the sheriff's office, get in your car, and drive. I feel like I would have driven before I called the sheriff's office. Yeah. If I had to make the second phone call to the gas station, I would have been in my car. Right. But she did hear from her son again. The next time Karen Lespisa heard from her son, it was 2.08 AM.
00:43:28
Speaker
He said he was going south on interstate five. And was only about an hour and a half to two hours away from home. So he's at least creeping there. He's getting there. But then Bryce called again only 20 minutes later. So right before two 30. And this time he admits to his mom, I'm too tired to continue this drive. I'm going to pull over and sleep in the vehicle before I drive that last
00:43:58
Speaker
hour and a half to home. And that was their last conversation in the wee morning hours on August 30th.
00:44:10
Speaker
Now fast forward three hours and law enforcement has found Bryce's Highlander over that embankment at the bottom of the ravine at Castaic Lake. So what happened to cause the erratic behavior and what happened in those three hours? Because he calls his mom at 2.30 saying, I'm gonna take a nap. What's happened this whole day? Well, we're days leading up to it. Well, we know that he didn't actually pull over to sleep.
00:44:39
Speaker
Instead, he drove roughly 90 more miles to Castaic Lake. So he could have been home. He could have been home based on CCTV at the lake. So good. Thankfully they have this closed caption television recording it. Bryce drove a couple of times to the area of road where eventually he would drive off of and into the ravine. So can you see that it's hand dropping? You can see the Highlander.
00:45:08
Speaker
but you can't see him in the driver's seat. Not from what I read. You can see the vehicle. So he first drove up the road around 215. So this first trip is actually just minutes after speaking with his mom. Yeah, 208. Yeah, saying that he was on Interstate 5.
00:45:25
Speaker
And it was also just a few minutes before he called her back, telling her that he was gonna pull over and rest. So this could be where he had decided to like pull over and stop because it wouldn't have a whole lot of traffic. But how far away is it from Interstate 5? He said it was 90 miles off course, correct? Well, it was 90 miles
00:45:48
Speaker
past where, so he's calling her saying, hey, I'm going to stop here. I'm still about two hours away and rest, but he's not in the place where he's supposed to be. So like, why would he lie about that? Like, why would he keep driving? And I didn't read anywhere what time CCTV caught him leaving.
00:46:16
Speaker
Right, because it caught him going to that place twice. So I don't know how he got away from the place. So I don't know if like you have to come back the same way that you came in or if like there's an alternate route where you can like circle around. But the video camera caught Bryce again driving to the spot at 4.29 a.m. So at 2.15 and that's a big gap. I mean that's two hours.
00:46:44
Speaker
in the same spot. So like we have no idea what he did in those two hours. But we did know that like this is now 429 and his car was found. At 530. Yeah so like an hour later. Yep. So police officers actually arrived to the scene of the accident at approximately 530 and the time of the accident then is determined to be between 430 and 515. Because can we see him drive over the ravine in the surveillance?
00:47:12
Speaker
or the CCTV? No, I think everything I read said it was just showing him driving to the spot. Okay, gotcha. Because I feel like then you would know a lot more because you would be able to see the actions. So it's in a 45-minute time span that the accident happened. Around 8 a.m. a knot came at the list pieces home and the relief that Karen and Mike likely felt, thinking that their son Bryce had finally made it home,
00:47:39
Speaker
had to have been succeeded by horror when they opened the door to a California Highway Patrol officer, right? Like, this is not who they're expecting as they're opening the door. Law enforcement acted quickly in the case. Since the car was so near to Castaic Lake, their first inclination was, of course, to assume that they would find Bryce's body in the lake.
Unrelated Incident Adds Tension
00:48:06
Speaker
right because he's not in the car so he has to be somewhere and because of the the pattern to remember the acceleration and lack of break marks right so they're thinking they're thinking if this was a suicide attempt that's why the acceleration no break marks it didn't work
00:48:27
Speaker
right because he landed in the ravine but he was still alive that he busted out the back window got himself out but then would continue on with this right um and so they assumed that they would find his body in castaic lake
00:48:44
Speaker
But divers explored the lake for days and they found nothing. Search party scoured the land that was around the lake. Found no clues either. Volunteers searched nearby areas like the campgrounds in case maybe Bryce had walked away from the accident scene and had sought shelter. Again, nothing.
00:49:06
Speaker
Days into the search, firefighters responded to a call about a brush fire near the lake. When the firefighters got to the scene, they discovered that what had actually caused the fire was a body that had been set ablaze. A human body. So not an animal carcass, a human body. So authorities immediately wondered whether this sign of foul play was what they were looking for and that this was Briceless Pieces body.
00:49:35
Speaker
I'm gonna guess no. You would be correct. Because the body was so badly decomposed due to the fire, the less pieces had to wait for the coroner's report to find out that though. And they did find that it was not Bryce. Instead, it was a 35-year-old man named LaMondra Miles who had been shot, dumped, and set on fire. So, yes, horrific end to his life.
00:50:03
Speaker
With no closure for Bryce's family, searches went steady for two weeks and found not a single additional piece of evidence. So literally like he just vanished.
Extensive Search Operations
00:50:14
Speaker
That is until there was one other additional clue.
00:50:22
Speaker
Search dogs were called in to try to find Bryce's scent and the dogs did not go toward the lake from the car. Instead, the dogs traced Bryce's scent from the abandoned car to a truck stop
00:50:38
Speaker
near Castaic Lake, and that was where the scent ended. So maybe like a runaway? Right, and that's another theory that we're going to talk about. The lesbians were devastated, but they did everything in their power to find Bryce. They pulled together funds, they were able to offer a $5,000 reward that's still available for any information that would lead to Bryce's safe return, but this was in 2013, Maggie, and he still has not been found.
00:51:08
Speaker
In 2015, the Lespisa family hired a sonar boat to again search the lake, like just in case evidence was missed the first time. And after two days of the sonar boat and a private investigator that the family hired, also using a drone to search the area, again, no new evidence was located. So we have the car,
00:51:32
Speaker
with all of his belongings in it and we have a scent and we have the erratic behavior leading up to it. The Lispisa family just like I would have done looked for answers from literally every avenue possible so they consulted psychics and you know I don't want people to mock that because I feel like if that's your child is missing you would do anything whatever.
00:51:56
Speaker
And they hired at least a couple of private investigators over the years. However, because there was no sign of foul play, nor is there evidence of suicide, all we're left with are the theories. So Maggie, are you ready for them? Yes. Okay. So.
00:52:14
Speaker
Let me preface by saying again that based upon the amount of blood that was found in the vehicle, it is not likely that Bryce died in the accident and someone pulled his body from the vehicle.
00:52:27
Speaker
One of the private investigators who was hired by the family, Shannon Talos stated, quote, he likely did not sustain a debilitating injury at the scene. Given his physical conditioning, he absolutely had the ability to leave the scene. Logic is usually our best friend. All the logical facts surrounding this case seem to indicate that he likely walked away from the scene, end quote.
00:52:53
Speaker
So we got we got to kind of base all of our theories on that. Okay, so where did he go?
Theories on Bryce's Fate
00:53:01
Speaker
Theory number one goes back to the burning body. While the remains did not belong to Bryce, there are those out there who believe that Bryce came across the LeMondra Miles murder and as a witness had also become the victim of foul play.
00:53:18
Speaker
So this theory would assume that Bryce had been alive and wandering the wooded area surrounding Castaic Lake in the meantime. And this could be possible because the wooded area that made up the reserve on which Castaic Lake is located is over 11,000 acres of land. So it's quite large. What does it make sense to me about this theory? Well, where's his body? Right.
00:53:41
Speaker
It doesn't make sense to me with this theory why the perpetrator then wouldn't have burned Bryce's body as well. Like it's right there. You're already burning a body. There's already a murder scene. You know what I mean? So if Bryce just stumbled upon that scene, yeah, why wouldn't they have murdered him then and there? So that theory doesn't make sense to me.
00:54:02
Speaker
Theory two is that he committed suicide either in the lake or elsewhere in this 11,000 acres of land.
00:54:13
Speaker
The proponents of this theory note that Bryce had shown signs of depression. We've been talking about it. Given his recent dependence on hard liquor, his illegal prescription drug use, the giving away of his possessions, many say these are typical signs of someone who is suicidal. What's more, the day Bryce left Chico, he sent his roommate Sean a text message that read, quote, I love you, bro, seriously.
00:54:42
Speaker
You're the best person I've ever met and you saved my soul." Oh my gosh. So was this some form of like him saying goodbye to loved ones? Like a suicide note in a way? Yeah, it were. Like maybe this friend just really helped him, like we said, kind of start overcoming this addiction. Right.
00:55:02
Speaker
And then those who believe this theory, they point out the sudden breakup with Kim. And they think that the message that she's better off without him is somehow his way of like making it easier to commit suicide because then he's not like leaving her behind.
00:55:21
Speaker
But Bryce was not diagnosed with depression. He was not diagnosed with any mental illness. And up until the 27th, three days before his disappearance, he was enjoying his normal activities. He had healthy relationships with his friends. And yes, he had begun drinking, but like we talked about in the beginning, that's not necessarily something abnormal for college students in the United States.
00:55:47
Speaker
and taking the pills is less common, but again, not unheard of. So what could have driven him so suddenly to commit suicide if that is indeed what happened, right? Bryce did shift enough in his personality over those couple of days that his roommate, Shawn, and his girlfriend, Kim, were concerned about him and his safety, right? So there was something going on.
00:56:17
Speaker
That's really drastic to be like normal, your normal happy self. And then in three days you're committing suicide. Like I don't know how quickly, like wise. Like a psychotic break. I don't know either. Like the downward spiral. We also know that Bryce had told his mom on a couple of occasions that there was something that he wanted to talk to her about. But since he always spoke about it in such vague terms, we have no idea what it is that he wanted to say. And even with his roommate,
00:56:47
Speaker
He said there's something wrong, but he didn't say what.
00:56:52
Speaker
So many people assume that whatever it is that he wanted to talk to these people about was something that he thought was significant enough that he was scared to tell them, and it was that fear that led to his suicide. Like the only thing I could really think of, like, maybe he doesn't want to go to college anymore. Like, I don't, like he, there was nothing in his life that really pointed to any, which I can know we don't know him. Right. So maybe there were more significant things.
00:57:21
Speaker
right but again for any teenagers out there listening there is nothing significant enough that a parent would stop loving you or should stop loving you so
00:57:33
Speaker
literally talk. I tell my little slow sound all the time, talk to me. Whatever it is, just tell me about it. Yeah, there's nothing you could do that would make your parent not love you. Right. And so again though, those who believe this theory, they think that this is a reason that he sat in Button Willow for so long that he just kind of zoned out. He was thinking about
00:57:53
Speaker
how it would play out when he told his parents whatever it was that he needed to tell them and maybe his eyes were red like the Castro Gas entire worker had reported because he'd been crying. Those who believe this theory argue that Bryce had initially tried to commit suicide by driving off the road into the ravine but when that didn't produce the results that he had anticipated he was now stuck in the middle of nowhere and that he had gotten out of the car to walk into the lake to take his life.
00:58:24
Speaker
Now, why he would do that or believe that his parents wouldn't accept whatever news it was, many people think that Bryce's parents were overbearing and we talked about this at the beginning, that was the reason why he chose a community college so far away instead of one closer to home. But again, I don't really think that that is any sort of indication of
00:58:49
Speaker
parents being no I don't.
Host Theories on Disappearance
00:58:52
Speaker
So I don't see that as a reason why he would be scared to talk to them but I do wonder what he could have wanted to talk to them about that would have been so significant that he drove eight hours exactly that he felt he couldn't talk to them on the phone that he had to drive to tell them. So obviously there was something in his mind significant enough that it
00:59:12
Speaker
It needed a face-to-face conversation. So maybe he was going to tell them about his substance abuse. And maybe that? Yeah, maybe that was the issue that you needed help with. But I don't know. And if he had committed suicide though, why was his body not found? And why was the scent traced to the truck stop? True that. So there's conundrum.
00:59:41
Speaker
Theories three and four are related. Both have to do with this idea that Bryce had left the scene willingly and is still alive somewhere either due to situation or choice. So theory three supposes that something happened
00:59:58
Speaker
either Bryce was distracted from lack of sleep and went off the road, which again, could have happened, or that he did take the vehicle off the road on purpose, hence the evidence of acceleration. If the second possibility that he took the road off, took the vehicle off the road on purpose, he might still have intended to commit suicide, but this theory hinges upon the possibility that as a result of the accident,
01:00:27
Speaker
Bryce sustained a traumatic brain injury and so could be wandering somewhere perhaps in a town by now and doesn't know who he is. So perhaps he could have intentionally gone over the ravine to commit suicide but in that accident has sustained internal injuries like brain injuries and then he's getting out it would explain why he left everything right he's not thinking clearly and he's just wandering ends up at a truck stop but he doesn't know
01:00:56
Speaker
But wouldn't that be like something police would check, like John Doe's? But again, well, I'm going to give you some information that you're going to be shocked when I tell you about Lexington. But I'll get there in just a second. So this theory would explain the scent trail.
01:01:13
Speaker
And there have been several reports where people believed that they saw someone matching Bryce's description, like sometimes complete with the tattoo that he had on his left arm of a Taurus bull head with his birthday in Roman numerals.
01:01:28
Speaker
but none of the sightings so far have actually been Bryce. And this is a very hopeful theory, obviously, that Bryce could still be out there and that anyone listening to this podcast who has seen someone with that tattoo on their upper left-hand arm might still be able to provide information leading to his whereabouts. Theory four is similar to theory three.
01:01:53
Speaker
that Bryce might still be alive. But theory four supports the idea that Bryce is staying hidden by choice. So this theory assumes that he gave his possessions away because he wanted to start life fresh away from anything and anyone in his past. Well that explains the breakup with his girlfriend.
01:02:14
Speaker
Yep, and the text message that he sent to his roommate that kind of sounds like a goodbye, the giving away of the possessions. It would also explain why maybe he was so contemplative that he would have sat in button willow for so long, like just weighing the pros and cons of such a drastic choice. Like, is this what I really want to do? But with this theory, why tell his parents that he had something that he wanted to tell them and he was going to come home? That's true.
01:02:43
Speaker
So I guess he like intended to go home to like kind of tell his parents goodbye but then decided it was too risky to even do that. Or too hard. Yeah. Well I guess as a way to kind of explain this problem away also those who believe this theory argue that the whole thing was actually staged accident and all.
01:03:02
Speaker
So he might not have even been in the vehicle when it went over into the ravine, right? But he could have busted out the window, right? His blood, left it in the car and then gone away with someone or again walked straight to the truck stop and hitched a ride somewhere, right? And that,
01:03:30
Speaker
you know, he's just in, he left the car there, so I guess it distracts everybody. It's like the red herring. They're looking at the accident, trying to piece it together. And if we follow this theory to its logical end, then Bryce would still be out there alive somewhere, living like this transient lifestyle. And before you dismiss that idea completely, this is what I wanted to tell you, Maggie.
01:03:54
Speaker
There is a whole community of people, Rodney told me this and I had no idea, who live in cities undetected. Are you getting ready to ruin my perception of reality? Well, he told me that, because he's a firefighter, they had responded to a call one day and there was a whole group of individuals who live in Lexington in tunnels and under bridges and under overpasses and we have
01:04:20
Speaker
no idea. He said they even had ovens that they were running with propane. Like a whole community of people. This reminds me very much of the Divergent book series where they have the
01:04:35
Speaker
I don't even remember now what they're called but the people in the like the unwanted people right but they're yeah and this is in Lexington Maggie so imagine how large that community must be in a place like Los Angeles which is the city that Bryce was near so are we talking about like this is a population of people beyond homeless the homeless population or well they are homeless
01:04:56
Speaker
Yes, but they are in like these specific like hidden areas. So it's not like, you know, someone is homeless on the street and you pass by and you see them, right? And so you could report what they look like in a community together. Right. Hidden.
01:05:15
Speaker
So it's not out of the realm of possibility, right? And that could be where he was headed when he went to the bus stop. So that's that theory. So there are just a few details though about that theory that give me pause. It's really hard for me to believe
01:05:30
Speaker
that he would do that because he had good friends, he had a good romantic relationship. Like I just don't see enough reason that he would have wanted to leave that life behind for another one. Yeah, like what was happening in his personal life. Yeah, that was bad because it all seems good to us. So I am more likely to believe
01:05:52
Speaker
my personal theory. So I personally wonder, okay, I'm gonna go back to my theory at the beginning. If he had given away his possessions for that reason that I mentioned earlier, that he actually realized that the source of this Vyvanse use, right, was the Xbox. And he's been told by roommate and girlfriend that his behavior when he's on the Vyvanse is not right.
01:06:21
Speaker
And so for that reason, he's decided to get rid of his Xbox. Okay. So there's the possession. Okay. So if that could be true, follow my theory here. And again, Sleuth Hounds and Maggie, this is just me thinking out loud, but
01:06:37
Speaker
What if he had realized that becoming dependent on this drug was a problem and he had decided to stop taking it? Okay so like we said, like you said, the withdrawal because after some research I found that there's something called a vivance crash that is a result of withdrawal from the drug when you stop taking it.
01:06:59
Speaker
According to medical news today, quote, a few hours after the person stops taking vivance, it starts to leave their system, which leads to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Because vivance is a stimulant when the drug leaves the body, some people may feel effects that are opposite to stimulation, such as fatigue and irritability and even depression.
01:07:25
Speaker
And he was irritable when he broke up with his girlfriend. That's right. And that was literally like within 30 hours of the car crash. So some of the early symptoms of withdrawal according to that same website are things like depression, mood swings that range from anxiety to irritability to anger and paranoia or strange thoughts.
01:07:52
Speaker
And to deal with those side effects, one must avoid other stimulants like caffeine, which I can only assume that's the drink that he bought, to get good sleep, which he was not doing, and to avoid depressants like alcohol, which he had not previously been doing. So could the act of sitting in his car that seems such odd behavior have actually been part of him coping with that Vyvanse crash?
01:08:21
Speaker
Could he have fully intended on telling his parents about the drug use, but something happened that stopped him? It would make sense that he wanted to get sleep, right? But then maybe he felt anxiety and he continued on.
01:08:37
Speaker
And it could explain maybe even seemingly paranoid activity of driving several times through the area to find the right spot to stop to take a nap. And since the medication can cause hallucinations and strange thoughts, could he have believed he saw something and that's why he went off of the road, right? Or maybe
01:09:02
Speaker
Could he have had suicidal ideations because of the five ants? So if he were having such an adverse reaction then who knows what he might have thought or done after he left that scene of the accident. So many good questions. Those are my two cents. Do you agree? So I like your theory and I like the theory about the
01:09:27
Speaker
he's made a new life for himself. But have we thought about that maybe, I know his injuries externally were not enough to cause him to pass away, but have we thought about him dying from internal injuries and maybe being eaten by wild animals in that area? Again, that is a great theory because I think that, again, this is a very remote area. There's a lot of land to cover and that could absolutely be the case.
01:09:57
Speaker
that he started walking and maybe he even made it to the truck stop but then decided to I don't know why his scent would end there but I mean there could be or again that the scent dogs might have gotten it wrong and they could be wrong right and then he's still in there somewhere I think hope is so powerful because at its root are three of all of the humans can have love gratitude and faith
01:10:26
Speaker
It's what allows a family to face reality with resilience. They know that the outcome might not be the best case scenario, but they know there might one day be closure.
Family's Hope and Commemoration
01:10:37
Speaker
Their minds might one day be at ease and hope affords them the knowledge that they will together be able to survive.
01:10:45
Speaker
In the meantime, Karen and Mike Laspisa have been fostering hope themselves in the way they've chosen to honor Bryce's memory, each year on the anniversary of his disappearance to do random acts of kindness in his name. His mother stated, quote, we miss him very much and continue to hope that one day he will be reunited with his family. All we can ask is that people keep him in their thoughts and perform an act of kindness on his behalf, end quote.
01:11:15
Speaker
The less pieces are giving a gift, not just to the world, but in revealing to us how to show love to those who have lost a loved one. Sometimes with loss, especially in cases of potential suicide or substance abuse or overdose or in cold cases, we don't know how to appropriately show our sympathy or concern. We worry about saying the right thing. I'm sorry for your loss. This must be hard.
01:11:43
Speaker
But another way of coping is to actually talk about it whenever they're ready. Let's not stigmatize mental illness or substance abuse, but instead offer help. And those who have lost loved ones, let's make it clear to them that they can grieve as long as they need, no matter how long it takes. We'll still be here ready to listen.
Conclusion and Call to Action
01:12:08
Speaker
If you know anyone suffering from substance abuse or who is in a behavioral health crisis, please call the Confidential Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration at 1-800-622-HELP. If you know of anyone who is in distress and in need of emotional support, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
01:12:38
Speaker
Finally, if you have any information about Bryce Lespisa's case, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department can be reached at 323-890-5500 or you can also send photos to his family at findbrycelespisa at gmail.com. That's F-I-N-D-B-R-Y-C-E-L-A-S-P-I-S-A.
01:13:08
Speaker
Again, please like and join our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, to continue the conversation and see images related to this episode. As always, follow us on Twitter, at casescoffee, on Instagram, at coffee cases podcast, or you can always email us suggestions to coffeeandcasespodcastatgmail.com. Please tell your friends about our podcast so more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to rate our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon.
01:13:38
Speaker
Stay together. Stay safe. We'll see you next week.