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Episodes

The Phone Call

Episode 1

On September 12th, 1995 Carl Everett returned to his home in Conroe, Texas from an Amway meeting to find his back door propped open and his son McKay missing. Then the phone started to ring. On the line, a raspy-voiced woman demanded $500,000 if he ever wanted to see his son again.

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Questioning Everything

Episode 2

After 12-year-old McKay Everett disappeared, McKay's father Carl fell under scrutiny. "Anytime there's a kidnapping or a domestic violence case … you look at the spouse first," says Guy Williams, who was Sheriff of Montgomery County, Texas back in 1995. "It's kind of like the person that finds a body."

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Uncle Hilty

Episode 3

The third suspect investigated by law enforcement was a family friend named Hilton Crawford, or as McKay knew him ‘Uncle Hilty.’ Hilton was on a list of people who knew about the Amway meeting but hadn’t shown up. So the FBI drove out to interview him the following morning.

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Finding McKay

Episode 4

The FBI gathers down the street from the kidnapper's home to make an arrest. But concerned he might barricade himself inside his home and transform the arrest into a shootout, they wait for him to leave for work, then speed in to apprehend him.

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Hilton’s Story

Episode 5

Late on the night of Saturday, September 16th, 1995 four days after kidnapping McKay, Hilton Crawford drew Sheriff Guy Williams a map. The directions led to an exit of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge called Whiskey Bay, located between Lafayette and Baton Rouge Louisiana.

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Gambler’s logic

Episode 6

Not much is known about Hilton's early childhood, but he described it to author Tannie Shannon as typical. “He had, as best I know, a perfectly normal, completely happy childhood,” said Tannie. “Played sports in school. Was very popular.”

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The Elephant in the Room

Episode 7

In the aftermath of McKay Everett’s murder, his mother, Paulette, was devastated — and angry, too. "I wanted to make somebody pay," said Paulette. "I wanted to hurt somebody, I make no bones about that." Following the death of a loved one, said Dr. Katherine Shear, it's common to feel anger and guilt.

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The Scream

Episode 8

The trial proper for Hilton Crawford began on July 8th, 1996. Hilton had been charged with capital murder – a charge reserved for the most heinous killings, which made Hilton eligible for the death penalty.

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Endings

Episode 9

In February 2003, nearly seven years after Hilton Crawford received his death sentence, a letter arrived at Paulette's door from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, informing her about Hilton's upcoming execution.

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Bonus Episodes

Extended interviews and side stories, such as The Standoff in the Swamp, Ransom Caller Irene Flores, How the FBI Decides When to Arrest, and The Other Time Ric Metts was Polygraphed

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The Ransom Team

Trent Sell

Ben Kuebrich

Art Rascon

Aaron Mason