Sneak peek: First Love, Then Murder | Forensic Files

I've never spoken publicly before about any of this. Never really fully healed from any of
what happened. It's like waking up every morning and having the same phone call.
911, what is the address of the emergency? 911 call came in October 2nd, 2017. It was called in as a welfare check.
Something happened at my ex-husband's house over the evening and my two children came to my house this
morning. Okay, and what did they tell you exactly? That their dad's gone and their older
sister's gone. Where are we, officers? Set the scene for us. This is Benson Street. And for me, this
is just another welfare check. But we don't know what we're walking into. What is your ex-husband's name?
Aaron Fryer. I learned that he was a good guy. He was a good dad. What is your daughter's name?
My oldest daughter's name is Ellen Fryer. How old is she? She's 15. Ellie was in the marching band. Very
bright, very intelligent. With the older daughter missing, it was very suspicious. We didn't really know how
suspicious it was until we saw what we saw when we got here. That for police. Dispatch yourself to
the engine. We cleared the house and in the living room, based on the blood splatter,
there was a serious assault, probable murder that occurred. So, time was of the essence, Mr.
Absolutely. Time is always of the essence, you know it. The only information I had was from the patrol
officers and what Sierra was able to tell us on scene. I remember waking up in the middle of
the night. We know at around 5:30 that Sierra heard the glass breaking. I just started listening. Just listening
to try and understand what was happening. I was certain she'd heard the assault,
but she hadn't realized that. Thank god she didn't walk out and interrupt this thing.
I was very terrified. Based on what she had seen at the house, she knew somebody
wasn't okay. She went over to the couch. She felt something wet and she when she pulled
her hand up, it was covered in blood. I just was in like a state of shock. Sierra could not locate her father,
Aaron, and her teenage sister, Ellie. We treated it as missing person, serious assault until we know otherwise.
Everyone was out looking. There was also a potential that this was what we could refer to as a no body
homicide. And those cases are always tough to work. As of right now in my family,
there are two family members missing. It's still like an open wound every day.

All new: When an Oregon teen disappears, investigators discover her forbidden relationship led to murder. "48 Hours" contributor Natalie Morales reports Saturday, April 19 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com

Brief Summary

A family's tragedy unfolds as police investigate the disappearance of Aaron Fryer and his daughter Ellen after a violent incident.

Key points

The Emergency Call. The chilling 911 call reveals a family's nightmare unfolding.
The Discovery of Blood. Police find evidence of a serious assault in the living room.
A Family's Tragic Loss. A mother recounts the harrowing day she learned her children were missing.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just started listening to try and understand what was happening.

2:12WatchApr 17, 2025

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

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