Sneak peek: Storm of Suspicion | Forensic Files

[Music] crystal always had a great spirit about her she knew what she wanted she went
for it to jump out of a perfect moment [Music] she could take care of herself [Music]
i didn't punk out like a girl she was obviously very beautiful very attractive but there
was something about her she radiated light i worked with crystal as a flight attendant
she was definitely a goofball and she would even describe herself as a dork she kind of has like a gypsy soul like
she was a flight attendant you know she just likes traveling i've been dating crystal mcdowell for a
few weeks now we've both been divorced and we knew exactly what we wanted you know when you first meet somebody
and you're kind of on cloud nine that's kind of how we were tropical storm harvey is expected to
strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall in texas hurricane warnings in place along most
of the texas coast friday morning august 25th is when she left the house she was actually living with her
ex-husband she was living in the master bedroom downstairs and he had moved into a bedroom upstairs he had
such a passion of love for her it was almost like an obsessive controlling love she sent me a few text messages and
i replied back but i never got to reply after that so i thought maybe she was just
preoccupied with getting ready for the storm across southern texas grocery store
shelves are bare people are rushing to stock up on last minute supplies at that point in time i just started
trying to find relatives or friends to reach out to them to see if they knew where she was
and that's when i reached out to jeff walters he's her uncle i get messages from her every
morning i get messages all throughout the day she's one of the most responsible people
that i know she never loses contact with us chambers county sheriff's office okay
no one can get a hold of her no one has heard from her and i'm really concerned it's a serious
storm it's going to last four or five days and quite frankly this is day day one this morning police are
searching for a texas mother who mysteriously disappeared before harvey hit we are hampered by
some of the flood issues but we are as aggressive as ever trying to locate crystal mcdowell
i knew she wouldn't run away she would never be that type of person so that was would she have ever left her kids
automatically as a sheriff i know that mothers don't leave their children and there's
obviously never a good time for anybody to become missing but the timing was terrible
was there a part of you that just went it can't get any worse um on more than one occasion
my gut tells me there's something catastrophically wrong with this scenario by the time floodwaters receded
authorities believed one of three men knew where crystal was got the boyfriend got
the ex-husband well then the uncle was making such noise about everything i started
thinking about him 21 months later one would be on trial for murder

"48 Hours" goes behind the scenes with investigators as they search for a mother of two who vanished just before Hurricane Harvey hit. Correspondent Maureen Maher investigates. Watch Saturday, August 1 at 9/8c on CBS.

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--- "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. For 27 seasons, "48 Hours" 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. Check local listings for "48 Hours" broadcast times.

Brief Summary

Crystal McDowell disappeared before Hurricane Harvey, leading to a tense investigation involving her boyfriend and ex-husband.

Key points

Crystal's Vibrant Spirit. Crystal was known for her great spirit and adventurous nature as a flight attendant.
The Calm Before the Storm. As Hurricane Harvey approached, Crystal's loved ones grew increasingly concerned for her safety.
A Mother's Disappearance. Crystal mysteriously vanished just before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, raising alarms among her family.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I didn't punk out like a girl.

A reflection on bravery and self-identity.

0:18WatchJul 29, 2020

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