Carnival of Lies ////// Part 3 | Forensic Files

Here's a quick podcast for all you true crime fans. The case of the missing Reese's.
It was me at the store with my mouth. Motive? Um, they're Reese's. What was I going to do? Stop myself? Tune in next
time to see if I do it again. Spoiler, I will. Wow, that had everything. Reese's,
suspense, Reese's. >> Exclusively on AMC Plus. >> What is this place? >> A gripping new AMC Studios original
series. >> You'll find out soon enough. >> From executive producer Ridley Scott and
acclaimed director Karyn Kusama. >> Something feeds on our souls. >> Starring Dan Stevens, Judith Light, and
CCH Pounder. >> I am not Okay, none of this is okay. >> The Terror: Infamy, new limited series
stream now exclusively on AMC Plus. >> Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, thanks
for listening. I'm your host Nick and with me as always is a man reminding us all that at this year's midterm
elections, vote for Pedro. Here is the Captain. >> Vote twice if you can. It's good to be
seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend. Today we are drinking Hoser Juice Triple
IPA by the fine folks at Double Trouble Brewing. According to the folks at LCBO.com,
Double Trouble is an expert at creating premium craft beers and we agree. They say Hoser Juice Triple IPA erupts with
an intense hop profile highlighted by vibrant citrus and earthy pine tones complemented by a biscuity finish and a
hefty 10.8% ABV. A little boozy, a little bit on the boozy side I think, but still a very great craft beer.
Garage grade three and three quarter bottle caps out of five. And let's give some thanks and
praise to our good friends for helping us fill up the old garage fridge. First up a cheers to Amy Birch in Louisville,
Texas. >> big tall cans in the air to Caitlin from Philly. >> Next, here's a long distance cheers to
Carl Thompson Pedersen and I'm going to give this one a shot here, Captain, in Vile
Denmark. And to everyone who has donated to the beer fund and not got a shout out, please check your spam box or your
junk folder because you may just find an email from us sitting in there. To make
a donation go to truecrimegarage.com and to everyone that has we thank you. >> Yeah, b w e double r u n beer on. For
everything true crime, check out truecrimegarage.com. Make sure you sign up on the mailing
list and Colonel, that's enough of the beers and ass. >> All right, everybody gather around, grab
a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime. >> I'm delighted to have the opportunity to
help launch the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and to tell you that the safety and
protection of our children is a top priority on the national agenda. All Americans
and especially our youth should have the right and the opportunity to walk our streets, to
play, and to grow, and to live their lives without being at risk. These efforts are only the essential first
steps and formidable challenges remain. Meeting them is what the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children is all about. >> Timothy William Wiltsey, better known as
Timmy, was born August 6th, 1985. He disappeared at the age of 5 after he was last seen or reported to be last seen at
a carnival in Kennedy Park in Sayreville, New Jersey. This was on May 25th, 1991, which is also National
Missing Children's Day. His mother, Michelle, gave varying accounts in some of these accounts, she turned
away while buying a soda and he was simply gone. In others, he was abducted by two men
and a woman, one the woman who she identified as Ellen. Police already at the carnival for security and traffic
purposes shut down the event and searched the grounds but found no trace of Timmy.
Investigators pursued the lead about Ellen but it went nowhere. Michelle's inconsistent statements led
police to consider the possibility that she may be involved. In October of 1991,
Dan O'Malley found a child's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sneaker in the marshlands of Raritan Center Business
Park in Edison, New Jersey, across from the Raritan River in Sayreville, and turned it over to the police.
Michelle could not confirm that it was Timmy's sneaker. In April of 1992, law enforcement
searched the area that same area and found a second sneaker along with a pillowcase, a blue and white blanket,
and nearby officers recovered a skull and other bones near a tire that was dredged from the Red Root Creek.
The county medical examiner identified the remains as Timmy's and ruled the death a homicide, though the exact
medical cause of death could not be determined due to advanced decomposition. FBI laboratory testing
found no trace evidence on the recovered items, and investigators could not conclusively
link them to Timmy or Michelle. Michelle and her parents said they did not recognize the blanket as
coming from Michelle's home. And that is where we had left off there, Captain. A
missing person's case turned homicide investigation with a new set of what can be considered
evidence, but none that could or would yield any real leads or clues into how the boy had gone missing, been killed,
or how his remains ended up where they were found 11 months after he vanished. So, because of that, I want to hone in
on this search and go through it in detail and the results of that search. First, as we
know, time is the killer. Time in this case and the elements of the environment in which these items were found is the
killer of physical evidence. That being said, the first shoe was found in October of the previous year. It seems
most likely that the boy and some of that other stuff had all been there then. How they didn't find it in October of
'91 instead of April of '92? Well, add that to our list of mysteries here in this week's case.
Chalk it up to bad luck or to bad work. But regardless, let's get into the thick
of it, my friend. There's an FBI report on this case, on the Timmy Wiltsey case.
And it's available online if people want to dig through it. It's 211 pages. So, grab a second cup of coffee and a
blanket as we start with page one. I'm joking, of course. May- Hey. When we get really late in the game,
Captain, last season, we're just going to do that. We're just going to go through every
inch by inch of every single case. I mean, we really could go through 211 pages of this FBI report. If
>> If you do, >> the FBI is great at many things. They're usually very good at their reports. This
one's a little all over the shop. It doesn't It doesn't read like a chapter book.
>> Yeah. Uh it's kind of >> No Stephen King novel. >> It's spotty, let's say. But it's a It's
a good It's a good report, uh very thorough. But in regard to this search, because
what we get from the FBI report is very different from what you would see on the
news, hear on the radio, or read in the newspapers. You get the behind-the-scenes action of
some of the report and of the search itself. So, I'm going to I've summarized a small portion of this big, bulky FBI
file here to review some of the details of this search and the behind-the-scenes
action. So, it goes something like this, from the FBI report. It describes a search near the Raritan
Center in Edison, New Jersey, which is a large complex of businesses and warehouses.
They decided to do the search after investigators learned that the missing boy's mother, Michelle, had actually
worked there. And remember, she failed to report that when giving her work history to
law enforcement investigating the case. >> Right, but she did work there 3 years
prior. >> Correct. Yes. Michelle worked at a company in Raritan Center from September
1988 to March of 1989. And remember, Timothy disappeared on May 25th, 1991. I'm going to say this in Michelle's
defense. You already said that she, you know, had worked there years prior. I'm not convinced that she didn't
remember working there. But, in her defense, the proximity of where the body or the partial remains
were ultimately found, they're not very far from where the boy went missing if he did in fact go missing from the
Kennedy Park. >> Right. >> And >> So, do we know how far the remains were found from the business
park? >> Yes. So, where she had worked was about 0.4 miles from the location of where the
sneaker and the other items and the remains were found. >> Right, but how far away is this marsh
from the carnival he was at? >> Oh, it would just be a few miles. >> Right. >> It's
And what's interesting here is after the body is found or after the remains were found, there's at least one
law enforcement officer on the record stating like, "There's a lot of places to hide a body out here." Which just
that statement alone is when we went through the extensive search that was going on shortly after the boy was
reported missing. And that search extended beyond Kennedy Park, beyond the carnival, and and into the surrounding
areas. This would be, I would say, a neighboring area to the immediate surrounding areas. But with the state
>> with a statement like uh well, this would be a there's a lot of places to hide a body out here.
I I don't know. I'm just I'm uncertain. I'm less clueless as to why they certain
did not search this area. Or if they did, it wasn't a very thorough search when the boy was
reported missing in May of '91. I'm very confused, however, why this area wasn't
searched better in October of '91 when the shoe was found. >> Right. >> And their statement was always like,
well, we searched this area, but keep in mind the mom said it wasn't his shoe. Okay, that's fine, but you've been
You've also, years later, will be telling us you think she's been lying to you since the beginning. So, why start
believing her now? You can't pick and choose when to believe a liar. >> Well, like I said, you can.
>> Well, >> But there's a lot of stupid people, but there's also many possibilities, right?
So, you go, >> Do >> is it possible that Timmy just walked to this area, and because of the terrain,
that's how he passed away? >> It It's too far for that. It The terrain >> If it's within 5 mi Hold on. If it's
within 5 mi, you're telling me a a kid can't walk 5 mi? >> Yeah, I'm Well, I would believe yes,
that a child would be able to walk 5 mi. I have a difficult time believing that a
child would walk 5 mi alone and not be seen, and nobody come forward. This is not like a
it's not a uh There's This is a heavy heavily populated area. >> Yeah, I understand that, but
there's times that we have times and cases where eyewitnesses claim to see missing people that they don't see, and
then there's times that people just go missing and there's no there's no eyewitness accounts. So, all
I'm saying is as far as law enforcement goes or anybody that's interested in trying to solve this, you
have to put that as a possibility. Is it possibility that you could have got from
the carnival to this area? Sure. And then the other possibility is did they do any searches in this area? And if so,
is that any indication that the child might have been taken by somebody and kept somewhere
for a certain period of time. >> All I can talk about is what was reported, and we
know that there were a couple of searches that took place in October of '91 after that sneaker was
found. Let's go through this report, and you'll you'll see where why I have some
issues with with that those searches in particular. Okay, so the as described, the
the boy disappeared on May 25th, 1991. In the fall of '91, a person walking in the area,
Dan O'Malley, found a sneaker in an underdeveloped swampland. The building where Michelle worked was about 0.4 mi
from this location. The sneaker matched the size that Timothy wore and the make and model and color he was
known to wear. This is from Some of these words are directly from this FBI report. And it states, "Because
Michelle had been viewed as a prime suspect for multiple reasons, investigators considered the proximity a
notable coincidence and planned a search." What I'm trying to point out here is what the FBI report states emphatically
but doesn't all but doesn't state exactly what I'm saying. They are saying that this area where the
shoe was found by Dan O'Malley in October of '91 became priority only after they figured out that she omitted
having worked in the general area. >> Right. >> It was less of a priority when the
sneaker was actually found in October. They They took Basically, they took this from about a level five to a level 10
once they figured out that she had worked in that general area. What I'm pointing out, the reason why I'm
pointing it out not because I thought this kid put on a pair of roller skates and ended up dead in the swamp on his
own accord. I'm pointing it out that this area should have been a priority in October when the damn sneaker was found.
>> Yeah. It's a identifying marker. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah, so if we would have found a a red
tank top, would we have taken that as serious? >> And it's >> Look, it's also suspicious and
>> to where she lived. So, like to to say, "Well, oh, it's close in proximity to
where she had worked at one time." I don't have a full list of all the places that she worked and that's one thing
that we questioned. Well, it could be that she worked in a lot of locations near this area.
>> Right. >> But where she lived, where the park is, where he supposedly went missing from,
and where she previous worked previously worked, all three of these locations are
not far from where his body was found. >> But also the identifying marker, the shoes.
To me, it's suspicious that she can't say whether or not it's his. The shoe that she bought her son.
And I understand that a lot of kids would have bought these shoes. But then it goes back to the mental
state because let's just say she's completely innocent of everything. There's a part of her and I think she
even made these statements, she doesn't want this shoe to be her son's. Because this inevitably is evidence that
her son is not with her or with us anymore. >> Right. >> And so it's really >> not. Which is her statement, but
secretly she may not want it to be his shoe or known to be his shoe because they're getting close to finding his
remains that she put there. >> Right. And it And if those remains uh and possibly those remains would give
us evidence to lead us to the killer, which possibly could be his mother. >> Yeah. So the the report goes on let's
we'll continue through the summary. It says multiple agencies were invited for the search and the New Jersey State
Police provided a cadaver dog for 2 days worth of searching. After the dog searches, teams began a manual search.
They quickly found a second sneaker that appeared to match the one recovered in the fall of 1991. The two sneakers
formed a matched pair. Investigators then expanded the search area including Sorry, I misspoke. Investigators then
expanded the search area concluding that the shoes were likely thrown from a roadway rather than dropped. About 2
hours later searchers found a skull in a muddy creek leading to a culvert under the roadway with additional bones within
a few feet. The remains were on the opposite side of the roadway from the sneakers roughly 100 to 150 yards away.
So roughly a little more than a football field away. Edison Police Department units secured the scene overnight. The
Edison Fire Department provided water via a pumper truck to flush debris and sifting screens were used to recover
material from muck dug by hand from the creek bed. Initially, because many bones were found
inside a large discarded truck tire in the creek bed with limb bones nearby, investigators suggested the body may
have been placed inside the tire and then rolled downhill into the creek. Michelle was interviewed by detectives
from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the Sayreville Police Department. The report states her
demeanor seemed inconsistent with a grieving mother and that she showed little interest in the recovery details.
After the medical examiner's analysis, investigators determined most recovered bones were in fact those of an animal or
animals. The human remains consisted of the victim's skull, several arm and leg bones, approximately half of the pelvis,
and the lower jaw. This clarified that the tire rolling theory was raised before the final
analysis. So, based on the information that became available at the final analysis, investigators concluded it was
more likely the body was dragged or carried down the embankment and then thrown into
the creek bed. >> Yeah. Because also, if you put the body in this tire and rolled it down the hill,
then the the tire becomes identifying marker to possibly identify the killer. And also, he's 5 years old.
So, he's not going to weigh much. So, whether you're female or male, you should be able to
carry this body to dispose of him wherever you see fit, if that makes sense. >> After investigators recovered only
partial remains, the town moved into the grim ceremonial work of mourning. In May
of 1992, a funeral for Timothy Wiltsey was held in South Amboy. The service had the heavy stunned quiet
of a community trying to understand the unthinkable. Timothy's mother, Michelle, looked visibly shaken.
So unsteady that her parents had to hold her up and help her to walk. When the service ended, Timothy was laid
to rest in nearby Keyport. But the burial did not bring closure for the case, obviously. It opened a new
phase of scrutiny, one that shifted attention away from the carnival and onto Michelle herself. So, a week
after the funeral, information surfaced that changed the public's understanding of what investigators had been dealing
with behind the scenes. So, it became known that Michelle had nearly a year earlier changed her
account of how Timothy disappeared. Police said her story had shifted three times. And it also became public that
she had failed to lie detector test. So, while this is something that we've already covered in our telling of the
story, to the public, this is new info. They didn't know this. From the time that the boy was reported
missing, and on the news, they see the missing person's flyers when they're around and out about in town. And when
they are watching the news, they're seeing the boy's picture for months and months and months.
And then the body's found. This is information they didn't know during that 11 months.
It only came out just after the funeral services. And the reports I have are that it was leaked. I think
I likely think that it was intentionally leaked. And sometimes that's a good strategy. Detectives described
Michelle's demeanor during questioning as oddly flat and unemotional, saying that her way that she was behaving, the
way she presented herself, they didn't believe that that matched what they would expect from a mother
whose child had vanished. >> Yeah, but I hate this. I hate how we constantly go, "Well, we think they
should act this way." And they're not They're not out of control. I mean, I think sometimes you To me,
it's more Are they putting on an act or not? Are they being truthful or not? But
somebody sitting in front of law enforcement, especially if it's FBI, and they're approaching that with a
stoic manner, I don't find that to lean any way towards whether I I don't find that to lean
or sway me to lean one way, whether I think they're innocent or guilty. >> I'm with you. I think the overall
of that, I don't put a lot of weight into. Maybe some very specific behaviors or actions I would, but we've also seen
the flip of this coin, right? Where where law enforcement or media or even civilians are reviewing a case or
reviewing what they see in the news, and they go, "Well, I think the person's overreacting on and intentionally
overreacting." >> Yeah, but again, that goes to my idea. Are they acting? And if Are they being a
Or I guess are they acting in a in a performative manner? Again, and also do I believe that
they're being truthful or not? And I think there's multiple things that are working against Timothy's mom.
She changes her story. She basically withholds information. And then, I think sometimes, by not even
with the shoe, she's not even really leaning one way or the other on if it's the shoe. I mean, we have the shoe box.
So, that should tell us some information. >> Yeah, there there's much more with the
shoe telling us that it's probably his than rather than it's probably not. We talked about that a a lot in episode
two. And this is what I'm I'm getting at here and I'm I'm trying to avoid being overly critical about the investigation.
I do think that police did a good job. I do think that if let's pretend for a moment that Michelle is guilty. Well,
then it's a it's an uphill battle for detectives and investigators. She knows a lot and did a lot and put a lot of
things into place before he was even reported missing that they're working against in
>> Right. >> at a severe disadvantage. That's if we pretend, right? Clearly, that's if we
pretend that she did it. Now, let's pretend that we don't know who did it, which is how you should conduct your
investigation. My critique of this investigation is not that they didn't try hard or that they didn't
attempt their best to do a good job. My critique is they honed in on Michelle, whether that is right or wrong, but they
allowed that to steer their investigation. They should have searched this area where the sneaker was found better when
it was found, regardless if they believed her statement that it wasn't his shoe.
>> Right. >> What you What I'm saying is you can see this playing out as them building a case
against her in the pub in the public. This information was leaked about the her behavior behind the scenes. I
believe it was leaked on purpose. Why? So that the media could ask law enforcement enforcement questions that
they previously weren't asking them. >> Yeah, but we see that. >> and ask those same questions to
Michelle. When you think you have somebody guilty, you're looking for them to lay out an
an incriminate incrim- Sorry, learn how to You're looking for them to lay out an
incriminating statement Yeah. Or to slip up on one of their lies or several of their lies. And a great way to have that
happen organically is for the media to show up with microphones and shoving cameras in the woman's face.
>> Well, it goes back to the point where she says, "I move because of the media attention."
So, maybe there's some to that. And what the problem I have with this investigation is when there's things
that point to her story being truthful, they poopoo that. There's too much poopoing in this story. I mean, just
like with the carnival worker saying, "I saw this kid and this interaction and with this woman and then that later that
woman was looking for somebody maybe saying Timmy or Jimmy." Okay, there's not a million people at this freaking
carnival. If somebody's going, "Hey, I'm looking for a Timmy or Jimmy." Let's just assume that that person was
probably looking for a Timmy and not a Jimmy. And we can't just go, "Oh, well, she looked disheveled and maybe she was
on something, so I don't believe anything she says." Because that doesn't fit the narrative that I'm trying to
build. >> Yeah, it's That's my critique of the case that I think that they were chasing Michelle more than they
were chasing the case. And look, again, if you make it if you're lucky enough to
make it to the rank of detective, that's why you got into the business. I'm sorry
to say that, right? There's a missing kid. Ultimately, he's found his remains are found in this very area, but where
the shoe I would be if the chief would allow me, I would be there morning, noon, and
night for 7 to 10 days. You would have to drag my ass out of there. I don't care if my wife's making me sleep on the
couch every single night. I This is what I signed up This is the what I signed up
for. >> Right. This is my Super Bowl. >> justice for the victims and the excitement of a case like this.
>> Yeah, and then my other problem is when she comes forward and says, "Hey, and we
don't know how this went down. I don't have the transcript of this, but did she come forward and go, 'Hey, you
know that first story I told was kind of BS. This is really what happened.' And if
that's all that happened and she says, 'Well, there was this lady and there was these
two guys and X, Y, and Z happened.' If that's all that happened, I can see turning a suspicious eye. But when you
have other eyewitnesses that have no connection to the mother say, "We saw a child with uh
two men and a woman." Then you go, "Maybe there's some validity to the story and we don't know how they acted towards
her and how she received that. But if she received it as of I'm telling the truth and maybe it took a minute for me
to tell you the full truth, but this is the truth and this is why I didn't tell you I was afraid something bad could
happen or something worse could happen. If she felt like nobody believed her, then
there's then that becomes a breakdown in communication. So even if you think she
is suspicious, if you make her feel like she can come and talk to you and give you as much
information and she feels like you're believing her, if you're suspicious of her, you want to keep that gateway open
and I think they kind of shut that off. So then it comes to the shoe and I think
she didn't even know how to react. Do I tell them that I think it's the shoe or do I tell
them it's not the shoe and doesn't even matter because they don't believe anything I'm saying anyways.
>> Yeah. I don't know. I I tend to think that she didn't have a great answer for the shoe because she
had hoped that it would never be found and didn't get that far along in her her plan. One
of the polygraphics administrators talking to the media said that her regarding Michelle
her results were quote all over the charts and adding that what disturbed him most wasn't
only the inconsistent readings, but her defiant attitude throughout that process.
Now, inside her family the tension had its own shape. Michelle's brother Edward said that
Michelle knew that she had failed the polygraph exam. And according to him, the realization
didn't break her, it angered her. He described her as throwing things and lashing out in frustration at her
failing the test. >> Coming to Acorn TV. >> There's a killer on the loose. >> Brooke Shields stars in the new original
murder mystery. >> You're killing me. >> You spin some crackpot theory and I find
the evidence. >> I solve mysteries for a living. I think I'm good to go. >> Murder has met its match.
>> You cannot be here. This is a police investigation. >> I've written you. >> What does that mean?
>> He was a big city cop with a small jurisdiction. >> Boomers are so cute when they flirt.
>> You're killing me. All new episodes now on Acorn TV. >> As routine shift and summer plans begin,
it's easy for learning to take a backseat. IXL makes it simple to stay sharp and keep skills fresh in just a
few minutes a day. >> IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly
understand what they're learning. Whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and
writing skills, or reviewing science concepts. From pre-K through 12th grade with personalized interactive content
that adapts to each child's level and pace. >> IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school
districts in the US. And studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests. Proven in all 50 states. It's an easy
way to support learning now through summer and into the next school year. >> Make an impact on your child's learning.
Get IXL now. And Going West True Crime listeners can get an exclusive 20% off of IXL membership when they sign up
today at ixl.com/goingwest. >> Visit ixl.com/goingwest to get the most effective learning
program out there at the best price. >> Summer always changes how you get dressed. You want pieces that feel
lighter and more breathable. Things that are easy, but still put together. That's
where Quince comes in. They focus on high-quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Think breathable linen and
soft organic cotton. And Quince goes way beyond clothing. They have custom upholstered sofas, ceramic cookware,
premium bedding, and more for your home. It's the kind of brand you end up recommending to everyone for everything.
I've been recommending Quince for a couple years now. And I've been shopping quince.com for a couple of years now.
Why? Cuz they keep me coming back. Cuz they got the good stuff. I love their classic fashion. They got me looking
good for any situation. And you can shop quince.com for men's fashions, women's fashions, shop for
kids, they have travel essentials. And here's a secret, I've purchased a lot of gifts on quince.com. Elevate your summer
wardrobe, go to quince.com/garage for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada,
too. That's q-u-i-n-c-e.com/garage for free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com/garage
Picture this. It's the end of a long week. You're unwinding in the tub listening to your favorite true crime
podcast, and then chronic hives come back again in the middle of the episode. What a
wet blanket. Looks like another spell of itchy, swollen, red, or skin-colored hives. If you have chronic spontaneous
urticaria or CSU, there may be a different treatment option. Worried about your chronic hives
erupting our next episode? Learn more at treatmyhives.com/garage. All right, we are back talking in the
air. Cheers to everybody out there. And cheers to everybody that went to Crime Con this last weekend.
As time passed, the case remained unresolved, but it did not go quiet. Not at all, my friends. In January of 1994,
something happened that made the entire story feel absolutely stranger than fiction and even more volatile.
Michelle's car, her vehicle was found idling >> Yeah. >> empty with the door open at the home
that she shared with her brother. And now to her family, it looked like the beginning of a second nightmare.
They reported Michelle missing and feared that she had been kidnapped, too. In fact, they feared what most were
probably thinking when they heard of this, that potentially Michelle, the young mother of the once missing boy, may have
been abducted by the same person or persons who abducted Timmy. So, this is This is crazy stuff. We've reviewed a
lot of cases and have never We've never had anything like this in any of the cases. Boy goes missing and then later
the mother of the boy goes missing. This would be not quite, but nearly 3 years after Timothy went missing.
So, this is from nj.com here, Captain. And I'll just read a little bit of it. It says on January 21st, Michelle's car
was found idling outside the Woodbridge apartment she shared with her brother, Edward. The door of her white Toyota
Celica was ajar, and her purse was found inside. Her family feared she had been kidnapped, perhaps by the people who
took Timmy. Well, that fear, my garage friends, only lasted for 1 day. Because the next day, Michelle
reappeared. >> What happened to Michelle? >> But not in South Amboy, New Jersey.
>> Mhm. >> Not at home, not at a hospital. Michelle reappeared by walking up to police on a street
all the way in Detroit, Michigan. So, she tells an officer she had been released by her abductors,
and that she had been kidnapped by men posing as FBI agents. >> Mhm. >> And she said these men had told her that
they were going to, quote, teach her a lesson for talking about Timmy. Language that sounded
like both a punishment and a threat folded into one. >> Right. >> Now, back at home, the story took on
another sinister prop. This is because 2 weeks after Michelle returned from the air quote abduction,
Edward, again, this is Michelle's brother, he found an FBI business card left on her door. You know how the when
the detectives knock and no one's there, they'll sometimes they'll stuff a business card, wedge it between the
jam it in the door there. >> Or a slightly used pair of panties. >> So, he finds an FBI business card
>> Mhm. >> jammed into the door. On the back of the business card, there's a message on it
that just simply says, "It's not over." >> Okay. >> Now, the the actual FBI agent who has
overseeing who had on and off again worked this case, this would prompt him to resume digging,
right? And the investigation quickly found something that didn't fit the kidnapping
narrative at all. >> Okay. >> So, they find a local print shop that had recently did a job printing FBI
business cards >> Okay. >> for Michelle. >> Don't be suspicious. Don't be suspicious.
>> So, this is this a >> basically a [ __ ] ruse. >> Yeah. So, her statement was, "Look, I I
wasn't actually abducted by FBI. I was abducted by people that I figured out during the abduction were posing to be
FBI, and this must be some high-level stuff. Again, these could be the same people that were involved in the
abduction of her son, >> Mhm. >> and they're threatening her because she's talking about the abduction and
and what she knows about her missing son, trying to quiet her, scare her into shutting up and not helping police
anymore. That's the general idea here. But, the problem with that is these fake FBI business cards weren't
made by someone outside of the investigation. They were designed and paid for by Michelle.
Right. So, the FBI is like, "Hey, wait a second here, honey. We found uh this print shop that said you paid for these
business cards to be made and oh yeah, the one found jammed in your door, too. We're guessing you placed that there as
well." So, faced with that discovery, Michelle admitted what all this evidence was pointing
toward, that she had faked her own kidnapping. She said that she took a bus and traveled to Detroit and left her car
in a way that she knew that people would report her missing. Right. Now, even after she admitted that the
kidnapping was staged, she wouldn't talk any more about the staged kidnapping and also would not open up about the
deeper issue at the center of everything, the Because this the contradictory accounts that she gave
about Timothy's disappearance takes on a whole level a whole new level of weight here.
>> Mhm. >> After you've proven one hoax, right? >> Well, in fairness to Michelle, she's she
can't talk more about Timothy's case because she might have to kidnap herself. And her consequence
>> will result in another kidnapping. >> Yeah, I mean, this to me is the biggest red flag because what is
the point? The point was simply to try to make law enforcement believe that there was something bigger happening
here. >> Mhm. And that she wouldn't be able to help them or assist them in the investigation. I also think that it's
important to note she has this great idea. Please hear the sarcasm in my voice there.
She has this great idea after the discovery of the remains, not before. >> Right.
>> This is it's quite some time after that discovery, but still it's after. So, this hoax, this kidnapping hoax,
however, will have consequences of its own. You can't just fake kidnap yourself and report it to police and and claim
that the FBI had some level involved of involvement even if the people were just
posing to be FBI agents. >> Well, I don't know. >> And the FBI really doesn't like it when
you make fake FBI business cards. >> Yeah. >> Do that and see what happens. >> Well, it's kind of weird when she made
them on neon green stock. Uh no, but what what was her name? Sherri Papini? Did she fake kidnap
herself? >> Yeah. >> And she ended up getting like multiple documentaries. She'll probably write a
book about it. She'll probably become a multimillionaire because she fake kidnapped herself.
>> Well, she also got in quite a bit of trouble for that. And and there's >> She should have gotten more trouble.
>> the only one. She's a wife and there was another wife that did the same thing.
Basically, so they could spend a week or a long weekend with another man. >> Yeah, listen, no man no man's worth
that. >> Yeah. Uh what happened to you? Well, I got kidnapped. Here's the FBI card to prove it.
>> So, in March of 1995, Michelle was sentenced to 6 months of house arrest and 3 years of probation for the
FBI-related kidnapping hoax because she had not been kidnapped and lied to the police.
>> Wait, what she what did she get again? >> Um 6 months of house arrest and 3 years
of probation. >> Not enough. >> So, investigators in Sayreville believed they understood her motive. They
suspected she staged the kidnapping to avoid being subpoenaed in an investigation involving her boyfriend.
>> Mhm. >> So, they're actually thinking that her one of her motives for this was not all
about her dead or murdered son. >> Right. >> So, her boyfriend, he's a police officer.
>> Oh, great. >> At this time, okay? In in a neighboring community. This is Union County. He's in
Union County somewhere. And he had been accused So, he had been accused of improperly
checking license plate numbers. So, he's running plates for Michelle. You You can't do this. You can't like run plates
for friends and family. It happens a lot, though. >> Yeah. >> But, you're not supposed to do this. So,
improperly checking license plates and he's running these for Michelle. Now, Michelle is saying that she needs
him to run these because she believes that these are vehicles that are following her. She tells her boyfriend,
"There's been a lot of vehicles following me. I need to know who these people are. I don't feel safe." He
starts running these plates. >> Yeah. >> So, in May of 1995, the department decided to take actions against him over
those allegations. She would be subpoenaed to have to testify against her boyfriend.
>> Mhm. >> And they think that that is part of the motive for this of why she did this uh
kidnapping hoax. >> Well, she also might be afraid of having to take another polygraph test because
we know she's not good at that. And then she starts throwing things when she fails.
>> Well, but the other part of that, too, it's not so dumb, right? Because if she
were to be able to sell the abduction, >> Yeah. >> like, "Hey, I was abducted by these
people that I figured out weren't actually FBI." Well, then that would he's not improperly running
these plates. He he's running plate numbers because this woman thought she had been
followed and then she was later abducted. >> Yeah, but sometimes you put in too much
effort. It's like when somebody says, "Hey, come over to our house. We're having a
Halloween party." But you don't double-check to make sure it's a costume party and you and you
show up half-naked trying to be the sexiest cheerleader you can be and nobody else is dressed up. And so this
whole plan is foiled by the idea of, "Well, I'm going to go get business cards made." If she didn't ever make
those business cards, we'd be sitting here today going, "We don't know if this kidnapping was real or not." She
over-prepared and put too much effort in. >> Yeah, so that was in March of 1995.
And the dates might be a little jumbled there in that portion of the story, but it it boils down to when they were
deciding to take action against the boyfriend over those allegations. Now, some more time passes and Michelle kept
encountering the justice system in new and interesting ways. But again, this doesn't have anything to do with the
death of her son. >> Right. >> So in 1997, Michelle is pregnant with her second child. So if Timmy was still
alive, this would then be his older brother or younger brother, I'm sorry. Timmy would get to be an older brother.
But she again, pregnant, gets in trouble. She pled guilty to stealing a computer from an employer or former
employer at the time. It was a laptop taken for the reason that she wanted to give it to her police officer boyfriend
as a Christmas gift. >> Oh. >> Now, it wasn't the former employer who figures out what happened to the laptop.
No, it's the boyfriend who receives it as a Christmas gift. He quickly realizes this is stolen property. So, he reports
it. >> So, he's trying to get his pregnant girlfriend put in jail. >> I don't think he's trying to. That will
be what happens because she stole somebody's property and tried to gift it to him. So,
>> Yeah, but the chances are >> Hopefully, he's finally seeing the light is what I'm saying. He reports this. You
got to realize sometimes you're with a bad person and it takes some time to wake up. It sounds like he he woke up on
that Christmas day, received a laptop as a gift, and then completely woke up and
realized this chick ain't no good. >> Right, but let me paint you a picture. You're you're on Tinder or Bumble or
whatever the newest dating app is. And you go, "Oh, this this woman's you know, she's pretty attractive and I and and
she is her interests are true crime and true crime documentaries." And you go, "Oh,
we have some stuff in common." So, we go to the local Starbucks and we we decide
to sit down to have some vanilla lattes, right? And to chop it up a little bit. So, now we're chopping up and and then
the point of the date where you go, "Okay, well, you know, but your your profile name
seems like it was a nickname. What's your real name?" When she states that her name is Casey Anthony, you get up
from the table and you run as fast as you can. This individual knew her. Michelle was known by
everybody in the community. He knows the situation, and he's law enforcement. So,
all he has to do I I understand it's neighbor in law enforcement, but all he has to do is talk to other law
enforcement officers and if they go, "Hey, look, we are very suspicious of her."
Whether you killed your child or you became very suspicious of killing your child,
that is a deal breaker. You don't stay at the Applebee's and order a brownie sundae. You go, "Hey, it was
nice being with you. Uh you might be responsible for the death of a five- five-year-old child.
No, thank you. We're not going to We're not going to be dating." And then, when she fakes being kidnapped by FBI agent,
you go, "Yep, not going to be dating anymore." There was all these >> Well, you've already gotten him in
trouble for running the plates as well. Or at least I shouldn't say you got him in trouble.
He decided to do that for you knowing that it was wrong when >> Right, making bad decisions. Right, but
but this is where depending on what employer it was, there's probably no way of them knowing
that she took the laptop until he said, "Hey, this is this is stolen goods and I'm
going to report it." I I think this was his way of getting rid of her. >> Yeah, that's what I said. I think he
finally saw the light regardless if he was blinded by it before >> Right. >> or not, he finally saw the I mean, you
you don't you don't get a gift from your girlfriend and then report it as stolen
property if you intend to stay with her. >> Well, so >> I mean, well, I mean, we can't go down
every road here. We got to get through this case. I mean, everything's a possibility in every
different scenario, but we don't have time to discuss every one of those possibilities.
>> to your point, this could be the wake wake up call where he's like, "Okay, I gave her the benefit of the doubt here
and I gave her the benefit of the doubt here, but she's willing to steal this thing and then give it to me. So, now
I'm in possession of stolen goods. Okay, maybe maybe these other things that I gave her the benefit of the doubt, I'm
questioning more now." >> So, when this discovery is made, she is arrested again. She spends a day in jail
and then she is later sentenced to 4 months of house arrest and gets three additional years of probation. Now,
in 1998, Michelle left New Jersey behind and moved to the state of Florida. We've
referenced Florida a couple times already in our coverage. Remember, she at times had other family down in the
Sunshine State. In 1999, she would move again, this time to Apple Valley, Minnesota. There she
built a different looking life. Uh she got married in 2001 and started a new family. That same
year, she spoke with a reporter from the Star-Ledger who visited her. Took Took a
trip all the way out to Minnesota to interview Michelle, and Michelle agreed to the interview. She said that she was
getting on with her life, but she had still held out hope that the case would be resolved.
Her words, not mine, quote, "So everyone will know I was telling the truth." End
quote, she said. Not that I hope they find the killer of my son. >> Right. >> But I hope that the case is solved so
that everybody will know that I was telling the truth. That seems to be the most important thing to Michelle.
>> Bizarre. >> When pressed, when asked which version of her story was true regarding the
different explanations of how he went missing, how Timmy went missing, she answered in a way that offered
explanation without clarity. She said she had told police different things at different times based on things they
said to her. And she insisted she wasn't involved. She refused to go into more detail,
briefly reiterating that it all had started when I was standing at the refreshment stand.
And that was it. That's as much as she would say. Now, as you're probably guessing here,
if they had a DK sports book on marriages, I would vote this one as I would pick the under on this one. The
marriage didn't last. Michelle was pregnant with her third child when she returned to Florida. This is in 2003.
When she bought a small home in Port St. Lucie and she was working there as a paralegal.
Inside that home, she kept a beautiful picture of Timothy Wiltsey displayed where it could be seen not
just by her, but by anyone entering the home. This big beautiful picture of of her son
who had passed years prior. And she told her son, she was open about it. She told her sons,
you know, by this point she has two boys. And would remind them that the boy in the
photo was their brother, was their older brother. >> Right. >> For a long stretch through the early
2010s, the investigation itself it didn't really meaningfully advance. The case kind of lingered in the
background of official files and family histories. And it really started to feel
kind of like the unsolved tragedy that just sits in in a place, sits in place heavy, unresolved while everyone who had
any connection to it just grows older. But, around the 20th anniversary of Timothy Wiltsey's disappearance, an
investigator in the prosecutor's office decided it was time to start over. Not from scratch, not from the very
beginning, but from the evidence standpoint. Let's review everything and anything that may hold any evidentiary
value. The investigator returned to details that had long been known and yet never fully explained, asking what might
have been overlooked. One item that rose to the top of the stack here, Captain, is that blue and
white blanket found somewhat near Timothy's partial remains. At the time it was discovered, the
blanket had been shown only to Michelle and to Michelle's parents. >> Right, and they didn't recognize the
blanket. >> They didn't recognize it. However, to the investigator looking at the items,
specifically this one, and putting a lot of thought into it, it really started to
feel much less like a random object and much more like a private clue. And the new investigator believed that it
mattered. And when he presented his argument to the team, the other investigators
agreed. They focused really on something simple and practical here when you think about it. We've
already said it was hot that day. It was hot and it was humid that day. And their
general thought was a child would not likely carry a large blanket through a carnival.
>> Right. >> Number one. But number two, let's double down on that. A child would not likely
carry a large blanket through a carnival, especially on a humid 90° day. So, with that in mind, they drew a
conclusion that redirected the timeline of the disappearance. They reasoned the blanket likely came from Michelle's
home. If that was in fact true, then Timothy may have gone from the home to the location where his remains were
ultimately found, not from the home to the carnival and then onward. They believed the blanket may have been used
to cover Timothy's body after his death. >> Want to thank you for joining us here in
the garage. So much more to get to. Until then, be good, be kind, and don't litter.
>> LinkedIn's AI-powered job search can help you find the most relevant roles based on your goals and experience. It
cannot help you find something to talk about in the elevator. >> So, uh ride any dragons this weekend?
>> It can help you find your next job just by describing it in your own words. It
cannot stop your coworker from describing their dreams. >> So, I was flying, right?
>> And while we can't help you advance in the office foosball tournament, LinkedIn can help you advance in your
career. LinkedIn is the network that works for you. >> When you're craving something extra
delicious, extra saucy, and extra extra, there's Applebee's all you can eat. An unlimited spread of flavorful favorites
for just $15.99. You get all the tender signature riblets, all the crispy boneless wings, all the golden brown
double crunch shrimp, and endless classic fries. All at a price that is just right. Applebee's all you can eat
for just $15.99 per person per order. Now, that's eating good in the neighborhood. Limited time only, so
hurry in to your nearest Applebee's today.

Carnival of Lies ////// Part 3

Part 3 of 4

www.TrueCrimeGarage.com (http://www.truecrimegarage.com/)

May 25th is National Missing Children’s Day. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25, 1983 as the first National Missing Children’s Day. He established the annual observance to bring national awareness to child safety and encourage communities to prioritize protection efforts. The date was chosen to mark the sad anniversary of the disappearance of Etan Patz, a six-year-old who vanished from a New York City street corner on May 25, 1979. Twelve years after Etan Patz disappeared and on National Missing Children’s Day 1991, a five-year-old boy named Timothy Wiltsey vanished from a Carnival in Sayreville, New Jersey. This week in observance of National Missing Children’s Day, we take a look at a case that will never leave the hearts and minds of many. This is the unsolved case of Timothy “Timmy” Wiltsey. To learn more about National Missing Children’s Day and/or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children go to MissingKids.org (http://missingkids.org/)

Beer of the Week - Hoser Juice Triple IPA by Double Trouble Brewing

Garage Grade - 3 and 3 quarter bottle caps out of 5

More True Crime Garage can be found on Patreon and Apple subscriptions with our show - Off The Record. Catch dozens of episodes of Off The Record plus a couple of Bonus episodes and our first 50 when you sign up today.

True Crime Garage merchandise is available on our website’s store page.

Follow the show on X and Insta @TrueCrimeGarage / Follow Nic on X @TCGNIC / Follow The Captain on X @TCGCaptain

Thanks for listening and thanks for telling a friend. Be good, be kind, and don’t litter!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brief Summary

The episode discusses the unresolved case of Timothy Wiltsey, focusing on his mother's inconsistent statements and her staged kidnapping.

Key points

The Case of Timmy Wiltsey. Timmy disappeared at a carnival in 1991, leading to a complex investigation.
Shifting Stories. Timmy's mother changed her account of his disappearance multiple times, raising suspicions.
Michelle's Disappearance. Michelle's car was found idling, leading to fears she was kidnapped.
The Fake Kidnapping. Michelle staged her own kidnapping, claiming she was abducted by fake FBI agents.
Consequences of the Hoax. Michelle was sentenced for her staged kidnapping, revealing deeper motives.
Michelle's Accusations. Michelle's boyfriend runs license plates for her, leading to serious allegations against him.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Time is the killer. Time in this case and the elements of the environment.

Reflecting on the impact of time on evidence.

7:35WatchJun 3, 2026

Tension

70/ 100High tension

More from True Crime Garage TV

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.