1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,780
The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts.

2
00:00:13,780 --> 00:00:18,400
All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

3
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,160
Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages.

4
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,560
Listener discretion is advised.

5
00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,280
I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.

6
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,680
And I'm your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.

7
00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,560
And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases.

8
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,400
And missing person cases.

9
00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,040
Hello everyone and welcome back to Cold and Missing.

10
00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,660
I'm your host, Ali.

11
00:00:38,660 --> 00:00:40,320
And I'm your co-host, Eli.

12
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,000
Welcome back everyone.

13
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,200
Thank you so much for hanging with us.

14
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:51,760
Last week it was the 4th of July here in the U.S. of A. And every time we sat down to record,

15
00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,360
fireworks would start going off in our neighborhood.

16
00:00:54,360 --> 00:01:01,640
But we're back this week and we are, I still can't believe it, being in the 90s like numbers

17
00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:02,920
wise for episodes.

18
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,680
But we are on episode 94.

19
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:10,720
Yep, episode 94 and this is a missing person case.

20
00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,240
Alrighty, let's get into it.

21
00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:19,020
So just as a quick content warning at the top, this case does involve a young person.

22
00:01:19,020 --> 00:01:23,440
Today we are talking about the missing person case of Shy’Kemmia Pate.

23
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,840
And this takes place in Unidilla, Georgia in September of 1998.

24
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,440
But first, a little bit about Shy’Kemmia.

25
00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,040
Shy’Kemmia, or ShyShy as she was known to her family and friends, so you'll hear

26
00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,840
me call her both throughout the podcast.

27
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,680
She's only 8 years old in 1998.

28
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,320
She had just started 3rd grade at Unidilla Elementary School.

29
00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,840
ShyShy is a tough little girl.

30
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:53,680
She has severe asthma at this time that required her to have at home breathing treatments.

31
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,200
She had an underdeveloped kidney and a weak bladder.

32
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,280
At this time in 1998 she had to wear pull up diapers due to the weak bladder, otherwise

33
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,120
she would have had to use the bathroom every 10 to 15 minutes.

34
00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,840
ShyShy also wore a brace on her leg due to a displaced kneecap.

35
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,560
Her little body was working hard, which often left her feeling tired.

36
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,960
Despite all of this, she is a joyful, happy, and outgoing child.

37
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,280
She loves skating and fashion.

38
00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,280
Her family was involved in their local church and ShyShy sang in the choir.

39
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,680
The family live in a close community.

40
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,800
The neighborhood is often buzzing with people, folks sitting outside playing card games,

41
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,160
kids running around playing.

42
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,240
The family lived across the street from the Roxy Club.

43
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:46,000
A nightclub where people often spent time out on the porch drinking and playing games.

44
00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,800
The Roxy Club tended to bring a rougher crowd.

45
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,720
Down the line, the Roxy Club will be shut down when the owners are shot and killed in

46
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:54,720
a robbery.

47
00:02:54,720 --> 00:03:03,160
In 1998, Shy’Kemmia is 4 foot, 4 inches, 59 pounds, and wore her hair in long braids with

48
00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:04,980
curls in the front.

49
00:03:04,980 --> 00:03:09,260
She had about 12 golden beads in her hair at this time.

50
00:03:09,260 --> 00:03:14,520
She also has a surgical scar along her waist.

51
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,960
And now, a timeline of events.

52
00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:24,000
During the last week of August in 1998, ShyShy suffers a severe asthma attack that actually

53
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,400
ends up putting her in the hospital.

54
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:33,080
However, by Friday, September 4th, she is back to her usual playful self.

55
00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,400
From my research, it seems that ShyShy spends the late afternoon and early evening

56
00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,020
hours playing outside.

57
00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:44,760
She is wearing a neon green Braves jersey where the word Braves is written in red letters,

58
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:49,600
black or blue jeans, and white K-Swiss tennis shoes.

59
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,200
That evening, there was a plan to attend the high school football game in a neighboring

60
00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:54,440
town.

61
00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,360
Her older 17-year-old sister was on the drill team and needed to be there.

62
00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:04,260
ShyShy's older sister also needed to put gas in the car before heading out.

63
00:04:04,260 --> 00:04:08,680
She decided to go fill up her car with gas and then swing back by and grab her little

64
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:09,680
sister.

65
00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,680
When she gets in her car, Shy’Kemmia is sitting on the family's front porch.

66
00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,040
The sisters wave at each other.

67
00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,840
Years later, her sister will recall, quote, I was just going to get the gas and come back

68
00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:22,940
and get her.

69
00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:26,160
I wish I would have stopped, end quote.

70
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,400
When her sister returns a few minutes later, Shy’Kemmia is gone.

71
00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,040
The last time that ShyShy is seen varies from report to report.

72
00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:40,840
It seems like she was last seen around 730, although a few newspapers say that a neighbor

73
00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:43,840
saw her around 820 p.m.

74
00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:50,680
So sometime between 730 and 820 seems to be the time where ShyShy is last seen.

75
00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:56,000
By all accounts, though, ShyShy was last seen very close to her home, just a few yards

76
00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000
away.

77
00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:03,240
When Shy’Kemmia‘s older sister comes back and sees that ShyShy is gone, panic doesn't

78
00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,240
set in right away.

79
00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,400
This was a small town, and it would have been normal for ShyShy to decide to ride with

80
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,720
a friend's family over to the game.

81
00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,920
However, as the sister arrives at the game and no one has seen ShyShy, panic starts

82
00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:18,400
to set in.

83
00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,960
Her sister years later will say, quote, I got home from the game and when I didn't

84
00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:29,200
see ShyShy, I asked my mom where she was and she said she wasn't home, end quote.

85
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,640
The family begins searching for ShyShy, still assuming that she had just skipped the

86
00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:35,800
game and was with a friend.

87
00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:41,320
But as more and more people haven't seen her in hours, the panic starts to reach a

88
00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:42,880
threshold.

89
00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,400
Her sister says, quote, around 10 o'clock we still hadn't found her.

90
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,340
Nobody had heard from her, end quote.

91
00:05:50,340 --> 00:05:54,880
Now it's reported online that when the family first attempts to report her missing, they're

92
00:05:54,880 --> 00:06:01,280
told incorrectly that they needed to wait 24 hours before the police can start an investigation.

93
00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:06,120
However, within hours, the family pushes and gets the report made.

94
00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:10,440
Once police are taking it seriously, a massive search is launched starting at the family

95
00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,480
home and spanning outward through the neighborhood.

96
00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,840
But police are already hours behind ShyShy and her abductor.

97
00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:21,000
Police first zero in on the Roxy Club during their canvas.

98
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,720
They assumed that one of the many patrons who routinely sat out on the porch would have

99
00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,360
seen little ShyShy  in her neon green shirt.

100
00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,540
But nobody had seen anything.

101
00:06:31,540 --> 00:06:35,820
Police are able to rule her father out quickly as he was serving time.

102
00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:40,440
Her dad, Chris Foster, still tried to help investigators in any way that he could, answering

103
00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,960
any questions and giving any information that he had.

104
00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,380
Quote, that's my baby.

105
00:06:46,380 --> 00:06:47,640
That's my heart.

106
00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,840
We were a lot more than father and daughter.

107
00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:51,800
We were the best of friends.

108
00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:52,920
End quote.

109
00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:58,600
Over the next week, police will launch helicopters, deploy ATVs, and send out every available

110
00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,640
officer to search the neighborhood.

111
00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,600
Neighbors will willingly let police search their homes, anything that can be done to

112
00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,960
help bring ShyShy home.

113
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:13,520
The FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation get involved pretty quickly in her case.

114
00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:18,920
And quickly, the search for ShyShy becomes the largest search in Dooley County history.

115
00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,880
Neighbors and her elementary school tie pink ribbons to their trees and doors to show support

116
00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,400
for her and her family.

117
00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:32,120
To this day, Veronica, ShyShy's mother, has a pink ribbon hanging on her door.

118
00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:37,560
By September 11, 1998, ShyShy has been missing for a week at this point.

119
00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:44,020
A $15,000 reward is offered for information leading to her safe return home.

120
00:07:44,020 --> 00:07:48,080
Police continue to work the case, following up on any lead they get.

121
00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:53,880
But by October 11, so it's been over a month now since Shy’Kemmia disappeared, and police

122
00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,240
are still baffled.

123
00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,480
Investigators are still searching all over Dooley County for her.

124
00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,760
The last few days, police have been searching land, air, and water.

125
00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:09,840
Dooley County Sheriff Van Peevee says, quote, We've been down every field road, down every

126
00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:10,840
dirt road.

127
00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,640
We've walked back into the woods off each road as far as we thought anyone could carry

128
00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:16,640
her.

129
00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,040
We've never seen anything like this.

130
00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:20,640
End quote.

131
00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,600
Investigators next move is to bring in cadaver dogs to see if they're able to find any sign

132
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,480
of the little girl.

133
00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:32,080
Another detective on the case, Detective Lamberth says, quote, We feel someone picked her up.

134
00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,800
We think somebody might have seen something.

135
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,920
Nobody's spoken up at this time.

136
00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,240
I really believe that girl is out there alive somewhere.

137
00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,480
This is something you just can't drop.

138
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:43,480
End quote.

139
00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:48,920
Later that month, on October 29, what should have been a day filled with celebration for

140
00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:54,820
ShyShy's ninth birthday is another painful reminder that time is moving and each day

141
00:08:54,820 --> 00:08:59,820
is another day without their precious daughter and sister.

142
00:08:59,820 --> 00:09:05,440
After those first few weeks of investigation, leads begin to dry up in the case and investigators

143
00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,600
are pulled off until only a few remain.

144
00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:14,120
In September of 1999, so it's been one year since Shy’Kemmia‘s abduction.

145
00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,040
Her mother, Veronica says, quote, I don't know what I'm going to do.

146
00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:22,720
I just feel like she's out there trying to call me, trying to make her way back.

147
00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:23,720
End quote.

148
00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,880
Most days, Veronica doesn't want to leave the house for fear that ShyShy will turn

149
00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:30,680
up and she won't be there to greet her.

150
00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:33,480
She says, quote, I don't want her to have to look for me.

151
00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,760
I want to be home when she comes back.

152
00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:37,240
End quote.

153
00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,120
Investigators also seem to be frustrated by what little progress has been made on the

154
00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:42,880
case.

155
00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,800
Detective Lamberth says, quote, we haven't been able to get a hand on it from the beginning.

156
00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:52,200
It's been frustrating for everybody, mentally and even physically.

157
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:53,200
End quote.

158
00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,920
The GBI are still involved in the case and one of their agents said, quote, I have worked

159
00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:03,240
30 years in the protection of children, going on 16 years with the GBI.

160
00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,520
And this is one of the most frustrating cases I've worked.

161
00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,800
You lie awake at night and wonder, what else can I do?

162
00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:11,280
What have I missed?

163
00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:12,280
End quote.

164
00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:16,240
Police and her family are holding on to the belief that she is still alive.

165
00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:21,160
Sheriff Peevee says, quote, nobody has come up with any information that she's dead or

166
00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:22,560
alive.

167
00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:27,960
And by now, usually for a criminal act, something would have probably surfaced.

168
00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,200
That's why it makes me feel like she's still alive.

169
00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,200
You might just call it a gut feeling.

170
00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,480
End quote.

171
00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,800
The family and investigators also believe that someone in the neighborhood saw more

172
00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,840
than what they've told police.

173
00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,240
Someone has information about that night.

174
00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,680
Veronica also believes that it was someone who shy shy knew that abducted her.

175
00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:53,800
Quote, I feel somebody saw and somebody knows what happened to my daughter.

176
00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:59,200
And I feel whoever got her knows her because I don't think no stranger got my baby.

177
00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,360
She knew what to do when strangers came around.

178
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,440
She learned from that McGruff the crime dog in school, she isn't going to ride with

179
00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,120
no stranger.

180
00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:08,360
End quote.

181
00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:13,000
Police also mentioned that they do have a suspect in the case that lives in the area.

182
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,320
But at this point, they do not have enough evidence to bring a case against him.

183
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,380
Detective Lamberth says, quote, just nothing has panned out enough that we can put the

184
00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:24,420
nail in the coffin.

185
00:11:24,420 --> 00:11:27,800
It is somebody from the area and it would be a neighbor.

186
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,020
End quote.

187
00:11:29,020 --> 00:11:35,360
In September of 2001, so it's been three years since Shy’Kemmia vanished.

188
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:40,120
Police arrest a man in the neighborhood on multiple rape charges.

189
00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:45,920
Investigators decide to excavate an abandoned well on his property in relation to Shy’Kemmia‘s

190
00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:47,560
case.

191
00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:53,720
Police dig for hours but didn't find anything except trash, pine needles and mud.

192
00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:59,760
Police say that they don't have any direct link between this ban and Shy’Kemmia's abduction,

193
00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,400
but investigators want to be thorough.

194
00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,600
In 2007, so it's been nine years since Shy’Kemmia was abducted.

195
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,760
And her mother starts each day with a prayer of gratitude.

196
00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:15,760
Quote, I think the Lord every morning that we haven't got a phone call telling us that

197
00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:17,720
she's been found dead.

198
00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,840
I feel in my heart that she's still alive.

199
00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,560
End quote.

200
00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:27,120
Investigators reveal that they have gotten very few tips over the years and Shy’Kemmia's

201
00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:28,120
case.

202
00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:33,900
An anonymous caller in Las Vegas called to tell police that a man had moved into a nearby

203
00:12:33,900 --> 00:12:37,620
apartment with a girl that looked like shy shy.

204
00:12:37,620 --> 00:12:40,880
Please look into this and it fizzles out.

205
00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:46,240
A few years later, a farmer called police saying that he found a suspicious mound at

206
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,360
the edge of one of his fields and he thought it could be a grave, that it could be shy

207
00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:51,880
shy.

208
00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:56,740
When police started to dig, all they found was hard red clay.

209
00:12:56,740 --> 00:13:00,760
That was the last tip that police had gotten at this point.

210
00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:07,120
In 2023, so it's been 25 years since shy shy's abduction and the National Center for

211
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:12,960
Missing and Exploited Children release a new age progress photo of Shy’Kemmia and what she

212
00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,760
would have looked like in her mid thirties.

213
00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:22,160
In 2024, Veronica sits down with local and national news outlets to talk about shy shy

214
00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,160
and try to bring more awareness to her daughter's case.

215
00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,320
She still believes firmly that shy shy is still alive.

216
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:35,020
She says, quote, even if she's fine and she don't want to come back here, I just want

217
00:13:35,020 --> 00:13:39,660
that stamp saying she's located and I never gave up looking for her.

218
00:13:39,660 --> 00:13:44,120
And no matter how long it takes, I'm not going to stop searching for my daughter.

219
00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:45,120
End quote.

220
00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,520
Detective Lamberth is still working any tip that comes into this case.

221
00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,880
He's worked it since the beginning.

222
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:57,600
He says, quote, I kindly feel it may be one person who was involved in this.

223
00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:58,720
End quote.

224
00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,440
One thing investigators feel sure of is that if  is still alive, she would have

225
00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:09,060
needed to seek medical attention at some point and would have likely needed to seek it well

226
00:14:09,060 --> 00:14:13,160
into adulthood due to her medical conditions.

227
00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:18,400
But that is all we know about the disappearance of Shy’Kemmia Pate.

228
00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:23,960
So if you know anything about the abduction of Shy’Kemmia Pate or shy shy's whereabouts

229
00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:33,400
today, please call the Dooley County Sheriff at 229-645-0920.

230
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:37,780
So that is the case of Shy’Kemmia Pate.

231
00:14:37,780 --> 00:14:44,520
Something about her nickname being shy shy and knowing that she wasn't, I don't know,

232
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:49,840
was I thought that was just very sweet.

233
00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:56,040
When you described like her community, I immediately could like hear her nickname being echoed in

234
00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:57,800
that space.

235
00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:04,020
My heart is really broken for her family and in particular her mother.

236
00:15:04,020 --> 00:15:12,360
She loves her so fiercely and to know that right now she could be our age, it's just

237
00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,840
I would want people to be looking for me if I was still out there.

238
00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:23,200
So I'm very happy to know that she has loved ones, especially her mother, just dedicated

239
00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,640
to never stopping looking for her.

240
00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:30,800
Yeah, her family have been fierce advocates for her and for keeping her name out there

241
00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,600
and her case active.

242
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,120
Her sister was giving interviews just a few years ago about what happened that night and

243
00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:42,680
that's actually where I was able to piece together a lot of information.

244
00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:49,640
There were some details really missing in the initial reports about what really happened

245
00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:55,280
when Shy’Kemmia went missing, like what exactly was the breakdown of events, but that interview

246
00:15:55,280 --> 00:16:00,400
that her sister gave was able to like paint a clear picture of those kind of last moments

247
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:07,600
of her going to get the gas and then coming back and Shy’Kemmia being gone and her thinking,

248
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,320
well, she'll probably be at the game and then she's not and the mom thinks she's at the

249
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:12,320
game.

250
00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:20,760
Like it's so heartbreaking that the miscommunication created that delay in getting reported, but

251
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:25,320
her family from the moment they realized what was happening have been looking for her.

252
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:33,000
Yeah, to kind of get into it here, the timeline wise, that was something that I immediately

253
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:43,320
wrote down, not just to advocate for her sister and put my mindset and what hers must be like

254
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:51,400
and the guilt she must feel and to just, you know, if she does happen to listen to remind

255
00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:58,200
her that it is not her fault, but to comment on that moment, I immediately understood it's

256
00:16:58,200 --> 00:16:59,840
something like that.

257
00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:06,080
Not necessarily a child going missing or being abducted by waiting and older sibling going

258
00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,080
for gas.

259
00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:13,280
That was would have been very, very normal in my neighborhood at that time as well, especially

260
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:20,920
I'm from a very big family, lots of shuffling around, a lot of kids, busy kids down to the

261
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:28,080
miscommunication around the football game and who went with where I just really feel

262
00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:32,480
for that moment in time because it would have been totally normal for her to wait a few

263
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:39,240
minutes on the porch of her own home while her sister runs to go get gas.

264
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,360
Children get to be safe, period.

265
00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:42,360
Children should be safe, period.

266
00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:47,360
Yeah, I think it's one of those things that it's hard to imagine in this day and age of

267
00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:53,240
like cell phones and kids with cell phones or Apple watches or, you know, parents with

268
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:54,560
cell phones, all of that.

269
00:17:54,560 --> 00:18:03,760
Like it's hard to imagine the freedom, but I kind of remember the summer of 1998 and

270
00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,880
it being like one of the freest summers of my life.

271
00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:11,280
Like I would write a note to my mom saying like I was going for a bike ride in the morning

272
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,900
and then I would just be gone until lunch, you know, like there were rules about where

273
00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:20,800
I should go and shouldn't go in the neighborhood, but you know, my parents couldn't pinpoint

274
00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:21,800
me exactly.

275
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,880
They'd have to kind of come look for me if they needed me.

276
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:30,160
So it's so normal for that time and it's just good to remind people because it does seem

277
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:38,680
so strange even just 20-ish years later to think about being that way, but that's really

278
00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:39,960
how it was.

279
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:48,040
To circle back to shy kemia, yes, her body was in so many ways facing multiple uphill

280
00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:54,720
climbs, but those battles are also markers of how strong she was.

281
00:18:54,720 --> 00:19:01,240
And even, you know, after she was hospitalized with her asthma attack and bounced back, what

282
00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:07,600
I just want to admire her strength in that like little body that was like doing everything

283
00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:12,400
it could to thrive and it seemed like she was part of a community and a family that

284
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:18,000
was also encouraging her to thrive even in the midst of facing these battles that are

285
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:25,640
so heartbreaking to hear about, but like that she didn't let them stop her.

286
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:32,560
Yeah, her health issues that she had as a child that, you know, doctors and investigators

287
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,800
believe would have continued on into adulthood.

288
00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:42,080
It actually brings up a question for me that I couldn't quite find an answer to, but investigators

289
00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:50,400
feel strongly that shy shy would have needed to see doctors, you know, well into adulthood.

290
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:57,160
So that made me wonder if like a nurse or a doctor is treating a patient under a name

291
00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:06,960
like you know Jane Doe, but it's really Shy’Kemmia Pate, are they able to go to police to say like,

292
00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:11,840
hey, I think this matches based off of X, Y, and Z ailments or is that like a HIPAA

293
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:17,160
violation because they don't know any better that it's not them.

294
00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,400
So that's something that I was trying to kind of dig into.

295
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,680
I don't work in the medical field at all, never have, so I don't quite know the ins

296
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,960
and outs of HIPAA laws.

297
00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:35,400
Maybe if one of our listeners does know, feel free to send us an email, we do check them.

298
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:41,600
So if one of you does maybe know the answer to that question, I know I would love to know.

299
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:47,000
Yeah, it's just something that struck me because I was like, well, these are pretty specific

300
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:52,240
ailments and you know, a scar across her abdomen, like these are things that if she has been

301
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:58,920
able to see a doctor that you know, a doctor might recognize, but if she's going in under

302
00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:06,360
a different name, then would they be able to report that to police under that suspicion?

303
00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,840
I don't know, maybe they are and you know, investigators keep it private, but I also

304
00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:16,280
don't know if they are able to do that because of the United States privacy laws around,

305
00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,020
you know, your healthcare and your privacy in doctor settings.

306
00:21:20,020 --> 00:21:24,000
So yeah, if you know, if that's something that you're familiar with, I would love to

307
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,000
know the answer.

308
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,040
I couldn't really find it in my research.

309
00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,800
It's such a kind of nuanced question.

310
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:37,840
I wanted to touch base just on the very major hiccup in the beginning of it needing to be

311
00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,800
24 hours.

312
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:46,440
I start, I became my, my body energy like just became frantic when you said it because

313
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,400
I knew that that wasn't supposed to be true.

314
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,800
Yeah, so there is no waiting period at all.

315
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:58,400
So if you ever, heaven forbid, need to report a child as missing, if someone pushes back

316
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,520
and says you need to wait, you push right back and say, no, I do not because there's

317
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,080
no waiting period for children.

318
00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:11,040
And there is no waiting period for reporting adults either, but how serious the police

319
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,600
will take that right away can vary from department to department as we've seen in so many of

320
00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:17,600
these cases.

321
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:23,280
But the family definitely pushed back pretty quickly and got her reported before the 24

322
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:27,200
hours, but it is really frustrating that that was happening.

323
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:34,560
Yeah, the fact that they had to push back in the middle of looking for their loved one,

324
00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:40,840
their child, what I wrote down was bananas because I knew, you know, there was something

325
00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,160
going off in me that knew the rule, knew the law.

326
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:52,680
Again, I feel like it's just a, such a testament to who the family is that they pushed back

327
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,920
immediately and were firm and their no and said, look for her.

328
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,040
And they did.

329
00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:06,360
It was, it's sad and unfair and wrong that they had to, but their love is so unconditional

330
00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:12,620
and forever committed to shykemia that they got it done.

331
00:23:12,620 --> 00:23:18,040
This is something else just commenting on again, just the mother daughter relationship

332
00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:19,040
there.

333
00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:24,120
She knew her daughter, she knew her so well to the point where, you know, she talked about

334
00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:26,840
what she learned in school about stranger danger.

335
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:32,360
She knew her own daughter and knew that she wouldn't get into a car of someone that she

336
00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:41,440
didn't know, which also brings me to the question of, well, if it was someone that she did know,

337
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:43,600
who the hell was it or is it?

338
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:49,720
And it's also terrifying to think that that person is still out there or that people know

339
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,960
and aren't coming forward with any information.

340
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,320
Yeah.

341
00:23:55,320 --> 00:24:04,280
The investigation does seem to have somebody in mind or a suspect at least that's kind

342
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,920
of been mentioned again and again over the years.

343
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:13,880
Now I don't know if the suspect that police had in mind for years is the same person who

344
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,520
was later convicted of rape and they dug the well up in the yard.

345
00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,880
I'm not sure if that is the same person.

346
00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:27,160
It didn't seem like it based off of some of the comments that investigators made that

347
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:33,400
they just wanted to be very thorough because of where he lived to shy shy.

348
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:38,040
But I do wonder who that suspect is in the neighborhood.

349
00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:44,460
And yeah, it just, I really agree with shy shy's family that it feels like somebody must

350
00:24:44,460 --> 00:24:49,320
have seen something that night because it was a beautiful Friday evening.

351
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:50,320
People were out.

352
00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,840
She was wearing a neon green Jersey.

353
00:24:52,840 --> 00:25:00,280
Like there were so many things that would make you think she would be seen.

354
00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:05,440
So I hope that somebody does come forward with what they know.

355
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:10,560
I hope for the future of this case, just like with all the cases we cover that the families

356
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,240
get answers.

357
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,720
I would love to see shy shy come home and be reunited with her family.

358
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:21,860
Her mom is still living in the same place just because she wants to be there when shy

359
00:25:21,860 --> 00:25:23,000
shy comes home.

360
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:30,240
And I really hope they get that reunion and the answers that they're looking for.

361
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:35,720
Again, if you know anything about the abduction of Shy’Kemmia Pate or shy shy's whereabouts

362
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:43,720
today, please call the Dooley County Sheriff at 229-645-0920.

363
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:49,560
We'll have pictures of shy shy on our Instagram at cold and missing.

364
00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:56,520
And we'll also have the recently created age progress photo that was just from 2023, I

365
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:57,520
believe.

366
00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,160
So definitely check it out there.

367
00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,000
Please share it.

368
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:02,000
Share the podcast.

369
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,300
Get, let's get shy shy's name out there and her picture out there.

370
00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:09,400
So if somebody recognizes her, we can get those answers.

371
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,380
We also would really appreciate it if you're not driving.

372
00:26:13,380 --> 00:26:19,300
If you could take a minute to review us, you can go to our website, www.coldandmissing.com

373
00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:24,180
or if you're an Apple podcast, leaving us a written review is really helpful in getting

374
00:26:24,180 --> 00:26:28,040
this case and this podcast into people's feed.

375
00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,200
So thank you if you've already done it.

376
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:31,200
Thank you.

377
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:32,200
Thank you.

378
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:33,200
Thank you.

379
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,200
If you've already done it.

380
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,440
But if you haven't, today's a today's a new day and you can you can do it today.

381
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,480
On our website, we have transcripts.

382
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:41,920
We have our back catalog.

383
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,720
If you're searching for a specific case to see if we've covered it, you can search there

384
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:50,560
really easily or if you just want to look your state up and see the cases we've covered,

385
00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,840
that's also doable on our website and you can review us there too.

386
00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,840
So lots of chances to review us today.

387
00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,480
It's a good day for a review.

388
00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,520
So that is all I have.

389
00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,800
Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing.

390
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,200
I hope you're having a safe summer.

391
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,700
I'm your host, Ali.

392
00:27:08,700 --> 00:27:10,520
And I'm your cohost, Eli.

393
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,600
Have a good week and stay safe, y'all.

394
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,800
Stay safe, y'all.