1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,040 Hi everyone, this is Deb from Dying to be Found. 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:12,340 Before we get started, I just wanted to say that episodes contain disturbing discussions on harmful acts and crimes against animals and or humankind. 3 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:18,560 Recordings are not intended for young or sensitive audiences due to the content nature of this podcast. 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:34,080 Listener discretion is strongly advised. 5 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,000 Hi everyone, I'm Deb and I'm Shelby. 6 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,400 And here we go again, Shelbs. 7 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,200 I get to see you a little bit sooner than usual. 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,120 I've got this great rotation between you and your brother, Corey, plus Aunt Beth. 9 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,320 But it dawned on me this past week because I know everybody's so busy. 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:52,600 So thank you for being here. 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:53,800 I appreciate it. 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,280 It's always good to talk with you. 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,560 You know, we're going to talk to each other every day anyway. 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,360 You might as well talk to me about true crime. 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:00,280 That's right. 16 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,560 I was waiting on your phone call before we even hopped on. 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:04,400 Yeah, I know. 18 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,680 I was driving home and I thought, no, I'll just talk with her when I get on the recording session. 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,320 So it dawned on me that you all I'm very organized. 20 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,440 I use color coded calendars, spreadsheets, all sorts of things. 21 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,200 And I have got the whole year of Dying to be Found all laid out. 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,520 But then I'm like, does it really have to go in that order all the time? 23 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,640 Because I know what I'm talking to Aunt Beth about, and that's the early era. 24 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,160 I know what I'm talking to Corey about, and that's the rough and tough episodes. 25 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:37,480 And you get everything else. 26 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:39,640 I get the leftovers. 27 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:40,440 You do. 28 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,840 Yeah, so I say let's just stick to the content. 29 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:51,440 And if our listeners have anything to say about that, we would love your feedback on any of the eras that we talk about. 30 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,400 But Shelbs, how's your week? 31 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,280 It's good so far, but I'm looking forward to Friday. 32 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:58,480 Me too. 33 00:01:58,480 --> 00:01:59,760 I love to garden. 34 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:07,920 And if any of our listeners have any suggestions on what I can plant in some empty pots in the backyard, 35 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:13,480 I've got two very big, very mischievous dogs that like to eat plants. 36 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,840 So I'm trying to figure out what I can put in those pots where they're not going to chew them up. 37 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,400 The only thing I know of is marigolds. 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,360 But Shelby, I don't think you have that problem with little Holly, do you? 39 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,200 No, I don't. 40 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,760 We had cat in it once. 41 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,680 That was pretty funny. 42 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,640 I have two cats, as everybody knows. 43 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:34,000 Shelby with cats. 44 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,640 So there's my little plant story. 45 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:37,640 I'm sure you're ready to move on, Shelbs. 46 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:38,760 Anything else going on? 47 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:39,560 Nope. 48 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:40,240 Okay. 49 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,760 I have a very serious but personal question for you. 50 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:44,400 All right. 51 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,920 Do you pay attention to your surroundings when you go out in public? 52 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:50,000 Yes, I do. 53 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,120 I try to as much as possible. 54 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:52,560 Good. 55 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,120 Have you ever noticed anybody watching you or? 56 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,400 Nothing immediate comes to mind. 57 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,480 Nothing creepy, I guess. 58 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:02,080 That's good. 59 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,000 Unless you go to the gas station sometimes. 60 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:04,560 Yeah. 61 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:05,160 You know what? 62 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,960 There was one time that I stopped at a gas station. 63 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:14,960 I got out to pump the car and some man walks up to me with a little medicine bottle and 64 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:20,560 he's asking me to give him a donation so that he can fill his medication. 65 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,920 I was like, I'm not dealing with this right now. 66 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:24,240 Oh, that's weird. 67 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:24,760 Right? 68 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,000 I got in the car. 69 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,560 I hopped across the street to the other gas station. 70 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,680 I am not kidding you. 71 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:38,080 That same creepy man had beelined it across a four lane highway over to me to yell at 72 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,680 me for not giving him money. 73 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:41,280 Oh my gosh. 74 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:42,280 Isn't that weird? 75 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,160 Yeah, that's too much. 76 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:44,600 Yeah. 77 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,040 And I know my instincts. 78 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:51,960 So me personally, I am aware of my surroundings and it's really important to do that. 79 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,920 No matter where you are, I'm sure you've had a time or two where people just come up on 80 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,080 you in a parking lot. 81 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,480 Maybe when you're putting stuff in the trunk and people are all of a sudden right there. 82 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:03,800 You ever see that happen? 83 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:04,800 Yeah. 84 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:10,080 So the reason I ask is because I'm going to bring something a little close to home today, 85 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:11,080 Shelbs. 86 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,440 You live in Coastal Carolina. 87 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:18,360 To our listeners, I almost moved to North Carolina last summer and the county I had 88 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:25,600 chosen was Perquimans County and it's sort of rural, but it's just a really nice area. 89 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,240 It's very majestic. 90 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:33,080 And I saw this case out of Perquimans County that I wanted to talk with you about today. 91 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,360 And I think it's really important to Shelbs because you're a woman, you go out and run 92 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:42,520 errands and I think it's really important for you to be aware of those surroundings. 93 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:43,520 Absolutely. 94 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:44,520 Mm-hmm. 95 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,840 I wanted to do this case for a couple of reasons. 96 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:53,120 I go through this area pretty much annually on my way to Virginia Beach to see family. 97 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,180 So I'm really familiar with this area. 98 00:04:55,180 --> 00:05:00,520 You all, I think Southern Living Magazine is just absolutely majestic with the bridges 99 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,800 that you go over to get there. 100 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,240 It's just simply breathtaking. 101 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,440 I just love water. 102 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,760 So just imagine a small little coastal town with all those beautiful homes that you see 103 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:11,300 along the waterline. 104 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,180 It's just really, really pretty. 105 00:05:13,180 --> 00:05:18,480 So I'd mentioned that I was one hair away from moving there last summer. 106 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:23,680 I got a couple of job offers, but unfortunately the timing was off due to when the school 107 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,960 starts there versus here in Georgia. 108 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,680 We start almost a whole month earlier than North Carolina. 109 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,160 So I decided to stay for another year. 110 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:34,160 Who knows? 111 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,680 I'll probably end up back that way one day because I love Virginia Beach and the Outer 112 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:39,680 Banks. 113 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,400 Shelby, you and I talk about that all the time. 114 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:42,400 We've been there together. 115 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:43,400 Yes. 116 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,380 I'll tell you though, the water is entirely different from the Gulf of Mexico because 117 00:05:48,380 --> 00:05:54,020 if you're down south, the Florida Panhandle and in the Gulf Coast, gosh, you can go anywhere 118 00:05:54,020 --> 00:05:56,880 from Emerald Green to Crystal Blue. 119 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:03,980 Then the further north you go, not only is the water really cold, but you can't really 120 00:06:03,980 --> 00:06:06,360 see what's swimming around you. 121 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,320 You can see absolutely nothing. 122 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:09,320 Yeah. 123 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:10,920 So that's why I don't go in. 124 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:11,920 Me neither. 125 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:12,920 Okay. 126 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:18,640 I don't know how long this episode is going to be Shelby because there's not a ton of 127 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:23,640 information out there, but it's just too important not to cover today. 128 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,520 So let me just give you a little bit of history of the area that I'm going to be talking about 129 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:29,520 today. 130 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,360 It's Perquimans County, North Carolina. 131 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:39,920 It's very rural and Hertford is the county seat and you really don't have a ton of options 132 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,780 as far as nightlife, things like that. 133 00:06:42,780 --> 00:06:48,600 There is a town called Elizabeth City that you could go to if you're not in Hertford, 134 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,480 or you can go to Edenton, North Carolina. 135 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,420 Elizabeth City is a little bit bigger. 136 00:06:54,420 --> 00:07:00,480 It's a little hub between Hertford and Virginia Beach and there's probably a little bit more 137 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,400 to do there than there is in that town of Edenton. 138 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:12,280 Edenton is more of a sleepy seaside community, I would say, but it attracts a ton of tourists. 139 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:17,360 Just a smaller quaint seaside town and then Elizabeth City is a little bit larger. 140 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,360 Well, here's a little bit of trivia for you, Shelbs. 141 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,880 Have you ever heard of the pirate named Blackbeard? 142 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:24,120 I have. 143 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:30,320 Do you know that he is notorious back in the 1700s of frequently going up and down that 144 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,760 coastal region where Perquimans County is in North Carolina? 145 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,360 I actually did know that. 146 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:37,360 How did you know that? 147 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,680 Did you get that in a history lesson? 148 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:45,220 Because he parked his ship in the Albemarle Sound. 149 00:07:45,220 --> 00:07:49,360 And I have to know some of that for some of the tourists that come through. 150 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:55,080 Well, apparently there's also a professional baseball player who lived in Perquimans County 151 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,080 growing up. 152 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,340 His name is James Augustus Hunter, also known as Catfish Hunter. 153 00:08:00,340 --> 00:08:06,360 He pitched for Kansas City plus the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. 154 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,120 Catfish Hunter won five World Series championships. 155 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:11,760 I thought that was kind of cool. 156 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,520 Wow, that is really cool. 157 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:14,520 All right. 158 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:20,600 Well, let's move on to our story, which is about a 38 year old woman named Karen Basta. 159 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:26,040 On May 30th, 2015, Karen made plans to go hang out with a friend. 160 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:27,960 Karen planned to run errands. 161 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,000 She texted her mother Arlene later in the day that she would be home pretty early. 162 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,280 And that was the last time Shelby that anyone heard from her. 163 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:38,280 Wow. 164 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:39,280 Yeah. 165 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,280 Karen lived in an area called Holiday Island in Perquimans County. 166 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,280 And to be honest, I don't really know what that means. 167 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:52,520 I was looking on the map and it looks like it's a specific area known to local residents, 168 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,760 maybe like a rental area of sorts. 169 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:55,760 I'm not really sure. 170 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:00,660 So again, if anybody knows this area, DM me and let me know what that means. 171 00:09:00,660 --> 00:09:06,280 It's not clear if Karen lived at home with Arlene, but from what I read, it seems like 172 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,600 that's probably the case because Karen told her mom where she was going. 173 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:15,880 Arlene gave Karen her credit card and told her to have a good time and off she went. 174 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:20,880 She chose to meet her friend in Edenton over Elizabeth City. 175 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,920 And that is where Shelby, she was never seen again. 176 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,160 Oh, I have goosebumps. 177 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:31,960 Arlene actually waited a day or two before reporting Karen missing because in her words, 178 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:36,520 she just couldn't believe that something like this could happen to her daughter. 179 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:42,260 But taking off would not have been in Karen's character to do so without telling anybody 180 00:09:42,260 --> 00:09:44,760 where she was going, what she was doing. 181 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,120 When she was back, I told you that she had texted her mom to say, I'll be home early. 182 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:50,120 Yeah. 183 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:55,440 So it would be completely out of character for her to just take off for a couple of days. 184 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:00,400 She was also on medication that would have severe side effects if she stopped taking 185 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,400 it. 186 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:05,960 So you always hear those cases where people don't have their medication and they go missing. 187 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,280 I'm sure this is one of those life threatening alerts, I'm sure. 188 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,280 Yeah. 189 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:17,280 Well, there were some sightings of Karen's activities that were noted before she disappeared. 190 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:22,800 She was seen last at the Walgreens in Edenton, North Carolina, and her car was discovered 191 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:28,600 locked and abandoned in the back lot outside of the Gaslight Square parking lot. 192 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:34,760 More than likely, she was probably going to go along the downtown area of Edenton. 193 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:39,680 And I feel like there is a little walkway that takes you from that parking lot, kind 194 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:43,880 of like a walkway into just getting over to the other side of the buildings. 195 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:45,280 Yeah, probably. 196 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,400 I'm trying to see what day of the week. 197 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,280 It was a Saturday. 198 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:50,660 Okay, interesting. 199 00:10:50,660 --> 00:10:55,960 So she went missing on a Saturday and the parking lot in the front was full, so she 200 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,340 parked around the back. 201 00:10:58,340 --> 00:11:05,200 No fingerprints or DNA was identified on or around her car, so it's uncertain when Karen's 202 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,560 disappearance actually took place. 203 00:11:07,560 --> 00:11:11,440 I'm going to assume they didn't have cameras in that parking lot. 204 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:13,200 It doesn't sound like it. 205 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:19,500 Rescue divers did a search around the area, but nothing came to light in Karen's disappearance. 206 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:23,920 Investigators do believe Karen's disappearance is suspicious, especially since she never 207 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,120 told Arlene of any other plans besides going to meet that girlfriend. 208 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,120 I had told you it was out of character. 209 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:38,380 According to authorities, Karen stopped responding to calls and texts on May 30th, 2015. 210 00:11:38,380 --> 00:11:43,600 Cell phone records led them to a neighborhood in Edenton, North Carolina, but her phone 211 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,440 was never located. 212 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:46,440 Oh. 213 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:47,440 All right. 214 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,280 Enter Debbie Manning. 215 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:55,120 Debbie is a missing persons family advocate associated with the AWARE Foundation and the 216 00:11:55,120 --> 00:12:01,160 National Center for the Missing and Endangered, Incorporated, which is a nonprofit organization 217 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:07,160 that strives to create a culture who works tirelessly to give voices to the missing and 218 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:08,520 endangered. 219 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:15,240 Although Debbie has been working nonstop on Karen's case, I wanted to mention this organization 220 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:20,080 in the event that someone out there knows where Karen is today. 221 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:27,120 Debbie is a family advocate liaison and works on a lot of missing person cases in North 222 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:28,120 Carolina. 223 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:33,040 And again, Shelbs, it's just to me, this is an important case because there's just not 224 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:35,720 a ton of information. 225 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:42,240 There was one suspect in this case who was captured on CCTV using Arlene's credit card 226 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:47,480 to purchase cigarettes at the local Food Lion grocery store, plus swiping the card at a 227 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,720 gas station the day that Karen disappeared. 228 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:55,200 Authorities say that the footage taken from the gas station indicate that whoever used 229 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,200 Karen's credit card knew her in one way, shape or form. 230 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:00,200 Yeah, absolutely. 231 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,520 Didn't you say earlier that she was going to meet a girlfriend? 232 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,080 Yeah, but I'll tell you, it doesn't say specifically. 233 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,800 But now a gentleman has the card. 234 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:10,800 Exactly. 235 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:17,640 So I'm glad you said that because my question here is how can somebody nonchalantly use 236 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:22,760 someone else's credit card because you'll need a pin to complete that transaction? 237 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,520 Yeah, that's what I was wondering too. 238 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,440 So is that why they think he was an acquaintance? 239 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,280 Like how would he have gotten that information? 240 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,340 I don't know, unless it was an actual credit card. 241 00:13:34,340 --> 00:13:35,680 And you don't need a pin for that? 242 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:36,680 I don't know. 243 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:43,520 All right, this is about as close as authorities got to a suspect because this person was never 244 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:51,560 charged with any crimes in Karen's disappearance until 2018, three years after Karen's disappearance. 245 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,360 So this is that Thomas White Sr. 246 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:59,480 He was arrested and pleaded guilty to using Arlene's credit card the day after Karen 247 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:00,520 disappeared. 248 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,960 He received a maximum, Shelby, this is crazy. 249 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:11,560 He received a maximum of six weekends, six weekends in jail for using that credit card. 250 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:12,560 Wow. 251 00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:13,560 Oh my gosh. 252 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:19,040 Okay, I get that there's not enough evidence to charge Thomas with any wrongdoing. 253 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,240 I 100% get that. 254 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:27,800 But in today's day and age of identity theft, how is six weekends in jail acceptable? 255 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,600 I don't get that part. 256 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,160 No, I don't get it either. 257 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,120 You can do whatever you want during the week, but once it hits Friday, you got to come back 258 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:36,440 and see us. 259 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,040 Yeah, that's right. 260 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:42,240 Thomas was also ordered to pay $600 in restitution. 261 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:47,680 He was ordered never to contact Karen's family for any reason whatsoever. 262 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,600 And he was placed on 36 months of probation and parole. 263 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:57,520 I mean, okay, maybe the laws in North Carolina are different, but he got 36 months of probation 264 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,400 and parole. 265 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:04,560 What or probation is usually, I guess that's the, oh yeah, come back and see us on the 266 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,360 weekend for six weekends in a row. 267 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:12,780 But parole is usually when you're arrested for a crime that puts you into prison. 268 00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:14,720 So how could he get parole? 269 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,840 Maybe the prison was full that day, who knows? 270 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,120 And I will say this, there is a pretty major prison out that way. 271 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:25,840 Again, I travel that way every year to go see my in-laws, but I think it's between 272 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,040 Elizabeth City and Virginia. 273 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:29,040 Maybe. 274 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:35,760 Well, according to police records, Karen's cell phone activities told quite the tale. 275 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,720 Karen allegedly drove through Edenton. 276 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,840 She stopped at a fast food restaurant, drove past a bridge, and then drove into the vicinity 277 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,840 of Thomas White Sr's house. 278 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:53,400 That's about all they got on Karen's cell phone activity before the phone went dead. 279 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:58,200 So her phone stopped pinging pretty quickly after that. 280 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:04,520 Ultimately, White pleaded guilty to obtaining property under false pretenses if he violated 281 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,600 any of his sentencing. 282 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:12,900 And Shelby, by that I mean his six weekends in jail, he would be rearrested and ordered 283 00:16:12,900 --> 00:16:18,080 to pay $10,000 in bonds and appear in court. 284 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:23,320 And based on that timeline, Shelbs, all of his probation or parole would have expired 285 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:24,320 in 2021. 286 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,600 Today, he's free and clear. 287 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:33,800 As of today, North Carolina's governor, Roy Cooper's office, classifies Karen's disappearance 288 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:41,120 as a homicide and is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information on the disappearance 289 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,880 and whereabouts of Karen Basta. 290 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:51,600 The Perquimans County Sheriff's Office also holds a reward of $7,500 for information on 291 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,840 finding Karen's whereabouts. 292 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:59,040 According to the Charlie Project, Karen was last seen in Edenton, North Carolina and is 293 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,840 classified as endangered missing. 294 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:08,520 She has brown hair, blue eyes, and has a butterfly tattoo on her lower back, plus a small red 295 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,260 strawberry tattoo on her upper back just between her shoulder blades. 296 00:17:13,260 --> 00:17:20,280 She was last known to be driving a red 1997 Lincoln Continental vehicle that was recovered 297 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,720 in Edenton, North Carolina. 298 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:30,320 Karen is last known to be 5'2", 150 pounds, and was wearing a white t-shirt, white shorts, 299 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,720 and gray slip-on Skechers shoes. 300 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:38,480 Karen was last seen carrying a pink quilted pocketbook or purse with a paisley print. 301 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,560 Shelby, to me, that sounds like a Vera Bradley bag. 302 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,800 I was thinking the same thing. 303 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,320 Her car keys were also attached to a hook holder with a butterfly. 304 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:54,320 So I guess she had that on her person as far as her purse was concerned. 305 00:17:54,320 --> 00:18:00,680 According to NBC News, Karen had a cognitive impairment which should have activated a silver 306 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:06,800 alert that signifies that somebody who is mentally incapacitated due to illness or trauma. 307 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,980 I guess I didn't really realize it's much different from the amber alert, but silver 308 00:18:10,980 --> 00:18:16,120 alerts are usually activated for elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer's. 309 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:18,800 Yeah, that's what I thought. 310 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:19,800 Yeah. 311 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:24,680 It's issued when a threat is present to anyone with health or safety conditions. 312 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:30,520 Basically, this alert is issued for anyone with a cognitive disorder, regardless on how 313 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:31,800 old they are. 314 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:37,480 So I guess they sent out a silver alert for Karen because she needed that medication that 315 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:38,600 I told you about. 316 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:44,240 Karen was last seen leaving the Food Lion on May 30th, 2015. 317 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:49,200 And I mentioned her Lincoln Continental had last been parked in the back lot outside of 318 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,160 the Gaslight Square parking lot. 319 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:52,320 Yeah, right. 320 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:59,040 Karen's cell phone is known to be active in Perquimans County, which left and then returned 321 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,720 on the morning of June 1st, 2015. 322 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,480 After that time period, the phone went silent. 323 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,680 So there was no more activity after that. 324 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,240 Oh my goodness. 325 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:10,240 Yeah. 326 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:16,080 So that was the short story of Karen Basta out of Perquimans County, North Carolina. 327 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:22,480 I really wish I had more information on sightings or suspect, but truly I really tried to dig 328 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:23,480 into this case. 329 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,360 I just don't have any more information than that. 330 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:31,320 No, that's just crazy that there's, I mean, it's gone without a trace. 331 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:32,320 There's nothing. 332 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:33,320 I know. 333 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,160 That just makes me think she's got to be there somewhere. 334 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,200 Like, she still has to be in the area. 335 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:40,200 Yeah. 336 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:41,680 And she's got to be. 337 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:42,680 Yeah. 338 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:49,320 I mean, if nobody saw her go missing and her car was found really, really quickly, I can't 339 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,600 see her getting in the car and taking off somewhere, you know? 340 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,780 No, I wouldn't think so. 341 00:19:54,780 --> 00:20:00,240 If you have any information on Karen's whereabouts, please contact the Perquimans County Sheriff's 342 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:05,240 Department at 252-426-5615. 343 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:13,920 You can also call the Edenton Police Department at 252-337-4875 or the North Carolina State 344 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:19,840 Bureau of Investigations at 919-662-4500. 345 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,600 And there you have it, Shelbs. 346 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:26,440 That is the story of Karen Basta from Perquimans County, North Carolina. 347 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,520 Well, thank you for sharing. 348 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:33,360 I do hope someone has information and can call one of the numbers that you mentioned. 349 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:34,360 Absolutely. 350 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:37,720 So do you have a teachable moment for us today? 351 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:38,720 You know what? 352 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,720 I really don't. 353 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:46,600 I really tried to figure out what a good teachable moment would be coming from this story. 354 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,360 I'm just simply baffled that Karen vanished without a trace. 355 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:57,960 And it's really, really odd that her car was found, like I said, so quickly and no one 356 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,120 saw or heard anything. 357 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:02,440 And then, I mean, what's up with her cell phone? 358 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,320 Why did it go silent so fast? 359 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:05,800 Did somebody turn it off? 360 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,000 Did they throw it in the water? 361 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,920 I have a lot of questions on this. 362 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,160 Yeah, that's a really good question. 363 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,760 And unfortunately, they don't have the apps that we use now. 364 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,320 So her mom could at least see where it last pinged at. 365 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:20,320 Oh, so true. 366 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,940 Or no, they said that it was in the neighborhood, wasn't it? 367 00:21:23,940 --> 00:21:29,200 But that may not be precise of the last place that it was seen or last place that the phone 368 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,200 was. 369 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:31,200 Yeah, very true. 370 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,400 Well, the Department of Homeland Security currently has a campaign out there called 371 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,560 See Something, Say Something. 372 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:43,720 It's a national campaign to bring public awareness to terrorism, but it's also about reporting 373 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,600 suspicious activity to local law enforcement. 374 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:51,860 I really wanted to at least mention that because I think in this case, Shelby, the same terms 375 00:21:51,860 --> 00:21:55,200 apply if you see something, say something. 376 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,280 Yeah, absolutely. 377 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:02,000 And I think too that people tend not to say anything because they think that somebody 378 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:08,440 else will or they don't think that whatever it is that they may have seen is important 379 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,200 enough to report it. 380 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,800 There's a ton of different reasons why people don't report things. 381 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:19,000 But one last thought, and I'll bring my question from the very beginning of this storyline 382 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,600 back into play, Shelbs. 383 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,920 Yeah, it's really important to be aware of your surroundings and Shelby, especially you 384 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:25,920 because you're a woman. 385 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,480 You just need to be extra careful. 386 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,720 So I guess really if I'm going to get a teachable moment out of this, it's just to always be 387 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,600 aware of your surroundings. 388 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,840 And if you see something, say something. 389 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:38,840 I agree. 390 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,140 Well, let us know if you agree as well. 391 00:22:42,140 --> 00:22:47,080 We would love to receive feedback from our listeners on this storyline or any of our 392 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,440 other episodes. 393 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,880 Be sure to DM us on Instagram, send us some suggestions on what you want to hear. 394 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,760 And honestly, I've been playing around a little bit with the TikToks. 395 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:03,000 You all is kind of stupid, but send me some suggestions on what you want to see on TikTok. 396 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,000 I love them. 397 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:09,360 I think you're better at them than me. 398 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,200 You guys have to go see my TikTok. 399 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:12,200 You do. 400 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:13,200 All right. 401 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,040 Well, that's about all we've got. 402 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,000 Shelby, do you have anything else? 403 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,000 That's it. 404 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,000 Okay. 405 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,000 Talk to you soon. 406 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,000 Bye. 407 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,960 Thanks for listening to Dying to be Found. 408 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:30,200 Before we go, we would love for you to leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. 409 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:35,900 Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest at Dying to be Found. 410 00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:41,760 You can access our website, email, social media, and storyline request form by clicking 411 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,560 on our Linktree account found in our show notes. 412 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:50,080 If you like our episodes, consider buying us a coffee at buymeacoffee.com slash Dying 413 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,320 to be Found spelled just like you see it on our logo. 414 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,920 Feel free to message us on Instagram and let us know how we're doing. 415 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,920 With that, be sure to check us out every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. 416 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:24,120 We will talk to you all next week.