WEBVTT 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.789 The views and opinions expressed in Cold and 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.710 Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All 00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129 parties mentioned are considered innocent until 00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.929 proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing 00:00:18.929 --> 00:00:22.390 also contains adult themes and languages. Listener 00:00:22.390 --> 00:00:26.230 discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin 00:00:26.230 --> 00:00:28.989 -Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski. 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:31.289 And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:35.130 cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone, 00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:37.189 and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:00:37.189 --> 00:00:40.159 host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Welcome 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:43.259 back, everyone. And welcome back to both Ali 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:47.200 and I. Man, November sure had a hold on us. We 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.659 had colds back to back. Yes, it was the cold 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:53.100 in our household that just had a grip on the 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:56.119 both of us. And Eli had it really bad. And then 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:59.359 I had it really bad the next week. So I do apologize. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:00.979 I think this is the first time in the history 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:03.039 of the podcast that we've taken two consecutive 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:06.840 weeks off. But we wanted to... get back into 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:09.959 the recording booth, and get this new episode 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:13.159 out to you guys. That's right, and we are on 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:17.640 episode 148 this week. And this is a cold case. 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:22.400 All right, let's get into it. Let's do it. Today, 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:25.620 we are talking about the cold case of Mont Highley 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:29.239 IV, and this takes place in Shorter, Alabama 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:34.680 in November of 2003. But first, a little bit 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.510 about Mont. Mont Highley IV and his family moved 00:01:38.510 --> 00:01:41.609 to Alabama when he was young, but shorter Alabama 00:01:41.609 --> 00:01:44.829 was his home that he remembered the most. He 00:01:44.829 --> 00:01:48.590 was the son of Gail and Dr. Highley III, so throughout 00:01:48.590 --> 00:01:51.950 the timeline today, I'll be referring to his 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:55.129 dad as Dr. Highley and then Mont as Mont, since 00:01:55.129 --> 00:01:58.189 they share the same name. He also had two sisters, 00:01:58.250 --> 00:02:01.390 and they were a close family unit. They spent 00:02:01.390 --> 00:02:04.260 a lot of time together. They had a lake house, 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:08.039 and then around 250 acres of hunting land they 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:12.740 culled at the farm. The farm was just land, and 00:02:12.740 --> 00:02:16.199 it was pretty wild land with woods and creeks 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:18.960 running through it. There was a trailer on the 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:21.340 property as a home base where you could get warm 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:23.939 and spend the night. It was a place full of memories, 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:27.060 laughter, and time outdoors. This is where the 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:30.280 family spent a lot of time hunting. Mont loved 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:33.780 life. He loved people, the outdoors, and spending 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:36.639 time with family. Those who knew him described 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:39.919 him as loving and outgoing, the kind of person 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:42.759 who made everyone around him feel welcome. One 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:51.020 of his friends said, quote, In high school, Mont 00:02:51.020 --> 00:02:54.319 played both football and basketball. As an adult, 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:56.919 he was working construction jobs and living in 00:02:56.919 --> 00:02:59.719 Florida. But Alabama was always his home, and 00:02:59.719 --> 00:03:01.840 he would often come back to spend weekends and 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.240 the holidays with family. And that's exactly 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.680 what he did for Thanksgiving in 2003. So with 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.139 that, we will get into a timeline of events. 00:03:11.180 --> 00:03:14.979 So Thursday, November 27, 2003, Thanksgiving 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:18.580 Day. That Thanksgiving, Mont spent the day with 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:21.560 his family. His mother, Gail, would later remember 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:25.240 that Mont was a little quieter than usual, but 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:27.740 not in a way that worried her. just quieter. 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:31.860 The next day, Friday, November 28th, the day 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:34.259 after Thanksgiving, Mont and his father went 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:37.400 hunting near Prattville, Alabama, finishing up 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:41.719 around 5 p .m. As the sun began to set, Mont 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:44.099 told his dad that he was going to spend the night 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:46.460 at the family hunting cabin, the one they called 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:49.659 The Farm in Macon County. He and his dad had 00:03:49.659 --> 00:03:52.139 plans to meet there again the next day for another 00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:55.159 hunting trip. The next few points in the timeline 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:58.919 come from Alabama Cold Case Advocacy. I wasn't 00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:01.719 able to verify these with another source, but 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:03.580 wanted to include them in the timeline, but just 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:05.800 wanted to point out that I couldn't verify with 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.780 a second source on these. So before he left Montgomery, 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.360 Mont took a brief but friendly phone call, one 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:14.360 his mother remembered because it seemed cheerful. 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:18.060 Around 5 .30 that evening, he told his parents 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:21.160 goodbye and got into his green Tahoe and drove 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:24.459 toward the farm on County Road 30. At around 00:04:24.459 --> 00:04:27.800 6 to 6 .30 p .m., Monts stopped at a gas station 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:32.279 near I -85. According to Alabama Cold Case Advocacy, 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:34.839 security footage later confirmed that he bought 00:04:34.839 --> 00:04:37.899 some beer while at the convenience store. Also 00:04:37.899 --> 00:04:40.199 while there, he called a close friend and invited 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.199 him to go hunting that night. The friend couldn't 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.100 go because he already had plans. After 8 p .m., 00:04:47.100 --> 00:04:49.680 Mont's phone showed a few calls, but the last 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:52.139 cell phone activity from his phone was just after 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:56.480 9 .30 that night. However, police report that 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:00.439 the last seen sighting of Mont Highley was on County 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:05.180 Road 30, according to police. Okay, and with 00:05:05.180 --> 00:05:07.480 that, we're back into the official timeline. 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:13.040 So Saturday, November 29, 2003. That next afternoon, 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:16.740 around 3 p .m., Mont's dad arrived at the farm 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:19.839 for their planned hunting trip. But Mont wasn't 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:23.019 there. The gate to the property, which Mont always 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:26.600 kept locked, was wide open. While Mont was a 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:29.339 strong guy, he didn't love being out at the property 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:31.720 by himself. It creeped him out a little bit. 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:35.120 His dad also noticed that the metal storage building 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.120 was open too. The front door to the trailer on 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.519 the property was ajar and lights inside were 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:43.500 all left on. The TV was still playing, too, and 00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:46.439 the volume was loud. Dr. Highley said he could 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:49.240 hear it from outside of the trailer. But Mott 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:53.800 was gone, and so was his green Tahoe. Dr. Highley 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:56.420 says, quote, I figured one of his friends came 00:05:56.420 --> 00:05:59.600 by and said, come on, we'll go celebrate. The 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.180 Alabama -Auburn game had happened that day with 00:06:02.180 --> 00:06:05.579 a favorable outcome. Dr. Highley continues and 00:06:05.579 --> 00:06:08.660 says, quote, so I just locked up. I hunted, locked 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:11.949 it up, and came home. Later, Dr. Highley would 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:15.009 recall, quote, something felt strange. There 00:06:15.009 --> 00:06:17.389 were lots of things that weren't right. He was 00:06:17.389 --> 00:06:19.769 antsy about being out there by himself and he 00:06:19.769 --> 00:06:22.410 always locked the gate. Well, the gate was wide 00:06:22.410 --> 00:06:25.850 open. The next morning, Dr. Highley got a call 00:06:25.850 --> 00:06:28.509 from a man named Dale Segrist who lived about 00:06:28.509 --> 00:06:30.850 two and a half miles from the Highley family camp. 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:35.629 Dr. Highley says, quote, he, referring to Dale, 00:06:35.790 --> 00:06:39.370 was a judge at that time. He called saying Mont's 00:06:39.370 --> 00:06:42.050 truck was found behind his mother's house. His 00:06:42.050 --> 00:06:44.269 son Mike had a group that hunted out there during 00:06:44.269 --> 00:06:45.949 the week, and there were about five or six of 00:06:45.949 --> 00:06:48.930 them. When the Hyleys arrived to Dale's property, 00:06:49.209 --> 00:06:53.170 they find Mont's green Tahoe. Inside the car 00:06:53.170 --> 00:06:56.689 were his wallet and briefcase, with $200 cash 00:06:56.689 --> 00:06:59.750 still in it. The keys were in the ignition, and 00:06:59.750 --> 00:07:02.370 his hunting rifle was still inside the car, and 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.509 there didn't appear to be any signs of a struggle. 00:07:05.250 --> 00:07:08.620 When his dad turned the keys, On his car, it 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:10.600 started right up, so it didn't appear that he 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:13.399 had any kind of engine trouble. The Segrists 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:16.240 and the Heileys walked the property but found 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:19.800 no other trace of Mont. Mont's parents began 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:22.600 to panic. They decided to go check on their other 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:25.459 home at the lake, Lake Martin, and there was 00:07:25.459 --> 00:07:28.379 no sign of Mont there. They started calling his 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:30.899 friends and local hospitals to see if anybody 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:34.100 had heard of him, but no one had seen or heard 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:36.930 from him. That evening, his parents went back 00:07:36.930 --> 00:07:40.230 to the farm. This time they noticed details that 00:07:40.230 --> 00:07:44.170 his dad had missed before. Mont's new boots were 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:47.089 sitting side by side on the porch, but they were 00:07:47.089 --> 00:07:50.970 wet. His pants were also wet from the thighs 00:07:50.970 --> 00:07:54.629 down and were found on the bedroom floor. Inside 00:07:54.629 --> 00:07:58.430 of the pockets were $100 cash and his cell phone. 00:07:59.110 --> 00:08:01.970 His dad would later say, quote, if my son was 00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:04.009 going to take one thing with him, it's a cell 00:08:04.009 --> 00:08:07.180 phone. That's when the family knew something 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:10.300 was very wrong. They filed a missing person report 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:13.860 that evening. So over the next few days, from 00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:16.800 December 1st through the 4th, this marks the 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.259 search for Mont. Over the next few days, hundreds 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:22.920 of people join the search for Mont. Friends, 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:25.860 family, volunteers, and of course police comb 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:28.740 hundreds of acres across the family farm and 00:08:28.740 --> 00:08:31.819 adjoining properties. Helicopters were brought 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:34.360 in and tracking dogs were deployed looking for 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:38.139 any sign of Mont. During the search on that first 00:08:38.139 --> 00:08:41.519 day, December 1st, Mont's family's golf cart 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.840 was found stuck on a tree root. The family used 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:47.440 the golf cart to get around the property. Around 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:51.500 the golf cart was Mont's shirt, a pistol, and 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:53.980 a rechargeable flashlight that was still working. 00:08:54.789 --> 00:08:57.490 In some reports, it's noted that his cell phone 00:08:57.490 --> 00:08:59.970 was found here around the golf cart instead of 00:08:59.970 --> 00:09:02.129 in his pants in the trailer, so there is some 00:09:02.129 --> 00:09:04.350 discrepancy about where his cell phone was found. 00:09:05.169 --> 00:09:09.169 The golf cart itself wasn't badly stuck. Dr. 00:09:09.250 --> 00:09:12.429 Highley was able to free it by himself, which made 00:09:12.429 --> 00:09:14.409 it strange that Mont would have abandoned it. 00:09:14.529 --> 00:09:16.870 If his father could get it unstuck, Mont surely 00:09:16.870 --> 00:09:19.649 would have been able to get it unstuck. The tracking 00:09:19.649 --> 00:09:22.519 dogs did pick up Mont's scent. It led from the 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.379 Highleaf Farm to the Segrist property, then across 00:09:26.379 --> 00:09:29.299 the street to another property owned by a Segrist 00:09:29.299 --> 00:09:31.860 relative. And there, the scent trail stopped. 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:35.840 Again, police searched for days, but finally 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:38.679 on December 4th, six days after Mont disappeared, 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:42.019 police called off the search for him after finding 00:09:42.019 --> 00:09:47.120 no additional signs. On December 19th, Mont's 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.960 34th birthday come and goes without any sign 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:54.169 of him. On Christmas of that year, his family 00:09:54.169 --> 00:09:56.889 raised the reward money for information to $50 00:09:56.889 --> 00:10:01.029 ,000. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation was 00:10:01.029 --> 00:10:04.129 now involved in his disappearance, but investigators 00:10:04.129 --> 00:10:06.549 admitted that they were perplexed. There were 00:10:06.549 --> 00:10:08.889 no signs of a struggle anywhere and no clear 00:10:08.889 --> 00:10:14.370 crime scene. On January 14, 2004, nearly seven 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:17.830 weeks after Mont vanished, A man and his child 00:10:17.830 --> 00:10:20.169 were walking behind a restaurant called The Back 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:23.809 Forty, about half a mile from where Mont's Tahoe 00:10:23.809 --> 00:10:26.210 had been found and roughly two and a half miles 00:10:26.210 --> 00:10:29.490 from the family's hunting camp. The child wandered 00:10:29.490 --> 00:10:33.009 near an old grain silo. When the man went to 00:10:33.009 --> 00:10:35.610 go retrieve the child, he looked inside the grain 00:10:35.610 --> 00:10:39.710 silo and saw a body. According to the property 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:43.149 owners, the silo hadn't been used since the 1980s. 00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:46.450 It was near a barn that housed dogs, and just 00:10:46.450 --> 00:10:49.570 10 yards away was a pig pen, which may have masked 00:10:49.570 --> 00:10:51.870 the smell of any decomposition that was happening. 00:10:52.970 --> 00:10:55.129 Neighbors later said that they thought that area 00:10:55.129 --> 00:10:57.450 had been searched by police when they were doing 00:10:57.450 --> 00:11:00.110 their initial search for Mont, but police couldn't 00:11:00.110 --> 00:11:02.789 confirm if the inside of the silo had ever been 00:11:02.789 --> 00:11:04.789 checked, but it does appear that they had looked 00:11:04.789 --> 00:11:07.049 around that property during the initial search. 00:11:08.070 --> 00:11:10.409 The body was identified the next day through 00:11:10.409 --> 00:11:15.259 dental records. It was Mont. Inside of the silo, 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:19.179 police found something odd. A pair of pants folded 00:11:19.179 --> 00:11:23.100 neatly and placed on Mont's chest. His mother, 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:26.299 who often did his laundry still, didn't recognize 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:30.059 the pair of pants as one of his. Mont Mighley IV 00:11:30.059 --> 00:11:33.100 had been found, but no one could really say what 00:11:33.100 --> 00:11:36.080 happened to him. Police never release an official 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:39.799 cause of death or results from an autopsy. On 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:42.759 Sunday, January 18th, Mont's family held a memorial 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.600 service, and the church was packed with mourners 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:47.700 and people who wanted to pay their respects to 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:51.519 Mont. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation officially 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:55.279 takes over the case. Evidence was being processed, 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:58.080 but due to a backlog at the state forensic lab, 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.379 results are delayed for months in this investigation. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.980 It is reported that by mid -2004, so about six 00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:09.919 months after Mont's body had been found, a grand 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.559 jury had been convened, but no indictments were 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.899 returned. It wasn't until August of 2004, nearly 00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:19.659 nine months after Mont's disappearance, that 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:22.600 the governor announced a $5 ,000 reward for the 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:25.480 conviction of the murderer. And this was really 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:28.399 the first public confirmation that Mont's death 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:32.679 was being treated as a homicide. We know that 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:35.759 the Alabama Bureau of Investigation re -canvassed 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.899 the area, and new leads did come in, but no arrests 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:43.059 or no suspects were ever named. Another grand 00:12:43.059 --> 00:12:46.960 jury is held in 2005, but again, the same result. 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:52.720 No charges, no suspects. In October of 2022, 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:56.139 billboards went up around the area to reignite 00:12:56.139 --> 00:12:59.259 interest in Mont's case, and in July of 2025, 00:13:00.250 --> 00:13:02.950 The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation confirmed 00:13:02.950 --> 00:13:06.129 that the case remains open and unsolved, but 00:13:06.129 --> 00:13:08.269 didn't provide any more updates on where they 00:13:08.269 --> 00:13:12.730 are in the case. So as of today, it's been almost 00:13:12.730 --> 00:13:17.169 22 years since Mont Highley IV was murdered. So 00:13:17.169 --> 00:13:19.509 if you know anything about the murder of Mont 00:13:19.509 --> 00:13:23.929 Highley IV, please contact the Alabama SBI Montgomery 00:13:23.929 --> 00:13:31.440 office at 1 -800 -392 -8011. So that is the cold 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:35.259 case of Mont Highly IV. I really liked hearing 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:40.720 about Mont and how heavily involved he was with 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:42.919 his family. I loved knowing that he was a brother 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.840 of two sisters and that he loved the outdoors. 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:49.539 And just again, that he was so committed to spending 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:52.919 time with his family and building his life with 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:56.139 his extended family. at his side. It sounded 00:13:56.139 --> 00:13:59.259 like his home and the community that he built 00:13:59.259 --> 00:14:03.320 really meant a lot to him. Definitely. You know, 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:05.240 in reading all of the interviews with the family, 00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:07.580 I got the sense that they were all very close 00:14:07.580 --> 00:14:10.440 and Mont, you know, really enjoyed coming home. 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:13.059 He was living in Florida at this time, but according 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:14.980 to reports, he was actually looking for jobs 00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:16.820 that would, like construction jobs that would 00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:20.759 keep him in Alabama closer to family. So it was 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:23.169 definitely important for him. The first thing 00:14:23.169 --> 00:14:26.190 I want to take note of, which you said about 00:14:26.190 --> 00:14:28.750 Mont's mom, was that she noticed that he was 00:14:28.750 --> 00:14:34.009 quiet. It seemed like it would have been a personality 00:14:34.009 --> 00:14:36.970 trait for him to be, when he was with his family, 00:14:36.990 --> 00:14:40.190 a bit more involved, maybe rambunctious. But 00:14:40.190 --> 00:14:42.629 she took note that he was quiet and it was something 00:14:42.629 --> 00:14:45.830 that was not lost on me. Yeah, this is one of 00:14:45.830 --> 00:14:48.230 those examples of, you know, when someone goes 00:14:48.230 --> 00:14:51.399 missing or is murdered, how... everything kind 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:54.720 of surrounding that time period kind of gets 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.080 looked at in a whole new way. So with Mom being 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.419 quiet, is that related to ultimately what happened 00:15:01.419 --> 00:15:03.679 to him, or was he just having a quieter Thanksgiving? 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.320 It's hard to know at this point, but his mother 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:11.299 taking note of it I think is always notable. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:14.340 Like when a mom is noticing a change in her child, 00:15:14.500 --> 00:15:17.700 I always think that's worth noting. Another question 00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:24.100 I had was, Was Mont going out to the hunting 00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:28.200 home or the property something normal that he 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:30.879 did regularly? And I honestly don't think that 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:34.139 it was. Certainly not without someone else. We 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:36.720 know that even on his way there, he called a 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.779 friend on his cell phone to ask to meet him up 00:15:38.779 --> 00:15:41.200 there. The friend couldn't do it. And we know 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:43.059 that the following day that his dad was supposed 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:47.000 to be there. So for me, I don't think he went 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:50.580 out there completely by himself. very often. 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:54.980 And I don't know, I started to draw some conclusions 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:59.159 with that information. Yeah. So I actually had 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.120 the opposite impression. I had the impression 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:04.539 that it was at least normal enough for him to 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:07.879 go out there by himself, that his dad knew that 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:09.580 he was like kind of creeped out to be there by 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:12.840 himself, to like note that he always kept the 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:15.700 gate locked when he was out there. So I got the 00:16:15.700 --> 00:16:18.379 impression that it was something. At least with 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:21.539 some regularity, he would do. But I do agree 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:23.879 with you that it seems like if he could avoid 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:26.259 it, he wanted, you know, a buddy out there, a 00:16:26.259 --> 00:16:28.419 friend, someone to hang out with. It didn't seem 00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:29.960 like he really wanted to be there by himself 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.159 that often. I had another clarifying question. 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:36.379 You said something about the last time he was 00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:40.399 possibly seen was on the road. I don't remember 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.840 the name of it, but I. Was just curious about 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:47.539 more details on that. How was he seen on the 00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:50.100 road? Was he walking? Was he in his Tahoe? Was 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:53.600 he in the golf cart? I'd love more information 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:57.519 on that if you do have it. I would also love 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.600 more information on that. We don't have the details. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:04.900 Police just state that he was last seen on County 00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:09.299 Road 30. That is what we know. I don't know if 00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:11.599 that's, you know, we have this information coming 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:14.500 from the Alabama cold case advocacy that he was 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:18.160 stopping at, you know, like a gas station and 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:21.759 buying some beer. I don't know if that's coming 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.660 from the footage of him pulling out. I believe 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:29.779 that was on the Route 30 road. So maybe it's 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:31.660 just coming from there or maybe there's more 00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:34.380 information that, you know, he was walking. It 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:36.480 was the golf cart, the Tahoe, something like 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:40.980 that. That's at least where police last put him. 00:17:41.660 --> 00:17:45.720 Well, something we do know for sure from his 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:49.240 dad's memory is that the gate was unlocked. The 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:54.559 lights were on. The TV was on. And we know now 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.990 that the gate. would have been locked if Mont 00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:01.049 was inside and closed everything behind him. 00:18:01.069 --> 00:18:02.529 It seemed like to me that's something that the 00:18:02.529 --> 00:18:05.269 family usually does, or especially if someone 00:18:05.269 --> 00:18:07.829 is out at the property alone, they lock it up 00:18:07.829 --> 00:18:10.289 behind them. And that was not the case here. 00:18:10.410 --> 00:18:13.589 To me, that would have been a major red flag. 00:18:13.990 --> 00:18:17.529 I think it's possible that when you're not living 00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:20.130 your life assuming that something bad has happened 00:18:20.130 --> 00:18:22.390 to someone, it's completely possible that... 00:18:22.809 --> 00:18:25.250 The gate being unlocked and the TV being on and 00:18:25.250 --> 00:18:27.650 the lights being on wouldn't have read as a red 00:18:27.650 --> 00:18:32.109 flag to his dad. So I realize that that's a possibility 00:18:32.109 --> 00:18:34.809 here. Yeah. And his dad even, you know, kind 00:18:34.809 --> 00:18:38.210 of put backstory to it of being like, I know 00:18:38.210 --> 00:18:40.769 there was like an Auburn Alabama game happening 00:18:40.769 --> 00:18:45.170 the night before like that day. And I won't pretend 00:18:45.170 --> 00:18:47.569 to know which team the family was rooting for 00:18:47.569 --> 00:18:49.630 if it was Auburn or Alabama. I assume Alabama, 00:18:49.730 --> 00:18:52.670 but I guess it could be Auburn. But it was a 00:18:52.670 --> 00:18:54.769 favorable outcome. Like whoever Mont would have 00:18:54.769 --> 00:18:56.710 been rooting for would have won. So his dad just 00:18:56.710 --> 00:18:59.589 thought, hey, they probably left to go celebrate 00:18:59.589 --> 00:19:02.210 or watch the game somewhere at a bar or at a 00:19:02.210 --> 00:19:03.750 buddy's house or something like that. And he 00:19:03.750 --> 00:19:06.569 just kind of left quickly and didn't lock up. 00:19:07.170 --> 00:19:12.009 So his dad inevitably does his small hunting 00:19:12.009 --> 00:19:14.690 trip there, ends up going home, and then the 00:19:14.690 --> 00:19:17.849 following day gets the phone call from Dale S. 00:19:18.589 --> 00:19:22.119 Now. I want to know what his car is doing there, 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:26.119 and I'm sure you do as well. Was it driven there? 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:29.059 Was it dropped there? Did Mont drive it himself? 00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:33.960 There are so many questions behind this discovery. 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:38.079 Yeah, it's definitely interesting. And, you know, 00:19:38.099 --> 00:19:40.799 if I could sit down and learn anything about 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.599 this case, I would be interested to know if any 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.950 evidence came out of... His car, you know, as 00:19:46.950 --> 00:19:49.349 far as like foreign fingerprints maybe would 00:19:49.349 --> 00:19:53.750 go, you know, was the seat moved at all or was 00:19:53.750 --> 00:19:58.650 it where Mont would have had it? I know that 00:19:58.650 --> 00:20:00.690 the police said there didn't seem to be any signs 00:20:00.690 --> 00:20:03.750 of struggle within the Tahoe. And, you know, 00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:06.190 his briefcase was in there. His wallet was in 00:20:06.190 --> 00:20:09.069 there with cash, quite a bit of cash still in 00:20:09.069 --> 00:20:13.390 it. And his hunting rifle was also found in the 00:20:13.390 --> 00:20:18.660 car. He would have had a weapon with him, presumably, 00:20:18.660 --> 00:20:23.140 if he was in that car. So it's very strange that 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:26.460 it ended up there. This is another observation 00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:30.859 that I made, especially after the discovery of 00:20:30.859 --> 00:20:33.660 his car being out there and it being at a place 00:20:33.660 --> 00:20:38.099 that he knew. Something that I thought was there 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:41.000 were a lot of people in his life that knew he 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:44.069 was out there and that... presumably he would 00:20:44.069 --> 00:20:48.630 be out there alone. Again, that is not to design 00:20:48.630 --> 00:20:53.690 a pointing finger at anyone. But as far as this 00:20:53.690 --> 00:20:57.609 being a cold case, I think people having information 00:20:57.609 --> 00:21:01.009 that he was out there is worth mentioning. Yeah. 00:21:01.009 --> 00:21:04.009 And, you know, if that information from the Alabama 00:21:04.009 --> 00:21:07.650 cold case advocacy is accurate, you know, his 00:21:07.650 --> 00:21:11.000 cell phone was having activity. throughout that 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.700 day like that that Friday after Thanksgiving 00:21:13.700 --> 00:21:16.900 up until about 9 30 so we know he called at least 00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:19.079 one friend but maybe he reached out to other 00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:22.579 people so again if I could know anything about 00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:25.000 this case his cell phone activity for one is 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:27.500 one I'm really interested in who were those last 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:31.339 communications with what were the last um you 00:21:31.339 --> 00:21:34.420 know movements on the cell phone lots of questions 00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:37.900 there and potentially answers. I think the cell 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:41.019 phone could hold a lot of answers. And not to 00:21:41.019 --> 00:21:45.660 mention the discovery of the golf cart. I just 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:48.740 want to know what you make of it. To me, it read 00:21:48.740 --> 00:21:53.779 that, and this isn't all speculation so far from 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:57.480 my end, but to me, it read that Mont was maybe 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:00.619 riding the golf cart and trying to get away from 00:22:00.619 --> 00:22:04.650 something and had a small crash or bump but then 00:22:04.650 --> 00:22:07.769 again it also said that his dad could move it 00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:11.490 pretty easily so I don't know I guess I wanted 00:22:11.490 --> 00:22:14.670 to know what you made of it as well yes I think 00:22:14.670 --> 00:22:18.549 the golf cart is a very interesting piece of 00:22:18.549 --> 00:22:21.289 evidence and I would love to get clarity around 00:22:21.289 --> 00:22:24.549 what exactly was found around the golf cart it 00:22:24.549 --> 00:22:27.549 seems like for sure his shirt was found there 00:22:28.410 --> 00:22:31.329 um like a rechargeable flashlight that was still 00:22:31.329 --> 00:22:34.150 in working order was found there a pistol was 00:22:34.150 --> 00:22:36.769 found there and then maybe his cell phone but 00:22:36.769 --> 00:22:38.329 there are reports that was found back in the 00:22:38.329 --> 00:22:41.630 trailer so i'd love to get clarity on that but 00:22:41.630 --> 00:22:45.869 then as far as what i make of it tons of questions 00:22:45.869 --> 00:22:50.309 around it i get the sense of panic when i think 00:22:50.309 --> 00:22:54.809 about it just you know it getting snug or It 00:22:54.809 --> 00:22:57.289 getting snagged on a tree root. But his dad, 00:22:57.430 --> 00:22:59.829 from my understanding of it, his dad just kind 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:02.329 of like lifted the golf cart up over the root 00:23:02.329 --> 00:23:05.549 and then it was unstuck. It was free after that. 00:23:06.769 --> 00:23:10.130 So something as simple as that of just getting 00:23:10.130 --> 00:23:12.230 it unstuck, just kind of lifting it up over the 00:23:12.230 --> 00:23:15.329 barrier. It makes me just think that Mont was 00:23:15.329 --> 00:23:18.809 possibly panicked about something and didn't 00:23:18.809 --> 00:23:21.549 take the time to troubleshoot. It's like he had 00:23:21.549 --> 00:23:24.789 to go. He had to get away from it. But that's, 00:23:24.789 --> 00:23:26.809 again, all speculation on my part, but I just 00:23:26.809 --> 00:23:30.910 get the sense of panic around it. Yeah, a sense 00:23:30.910 --> 00:23:36.650 of panic and urgency, which brings me to when 00:23:36.650 --> 00:23:40.470 they had the dogs out doing scent trails after, 00:23:40.569 --> 00:23:44.410 you know, his car was found. Ultimately, the 00:23:44.410 --> 00:23:49.730 scents, the scent trails began and ended with 00:23:49.730 --> 00:23:55.700 no conclusion drawn. And that was heartbreaking 00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:58.079 for me, I think, to know that he was there and 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:02.279 to know what inevitably happened is all of this 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:07.960 happened very close to home. And it's so scary 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.440 and disturbing and upsetting to know that. Yeah, 00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:15.440 the scent trail is... Some interesting evidence. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.220 We know that the dogs picked it up starting at 00:24:19.220 --> 00:24:22.779 the Highley’s farm property and then it went to 00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:26.440 Dale's property and then went across the street 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:30.559 to a relative's of Dale's. Tons of questions 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:33.160 there because why did it suddenly stop? And I 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:34.960 would be curious as to where on the property 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:37.319 it stopped. Like, did it stop near the road? 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:39.420 So maybe he could have gotten into a car and 00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:42.299 that explains it? Or was it back out some ways? 00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:47.619 A lot more questions. Yeah. A couple of them 00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:50.559 being, why was his scent there in the first place? 00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:55.380 Questions we would love to have answers to. And 00:24:55.380 --> 00:24:59.380 ultimately what's found is Mont inside of a grain 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.599 silo. And I don't think that he climbed in there 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:07.240 himself. To me, it reads as someone was trying 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:12.440 to hide him or hide what they most likely had 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:17.980 done to him. And that's heartbreaking. I'm so 00:25:17.980 --> 00:25:21.339 sad to know that the family had to have that 00:25:21.339 --> 00:25:24.279 information, that they had to, if that makes 00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:27.079 sense, that they had to know it all, that their 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:31.539 loved one was just discarded. Yeah, and when, 00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:34.000 you know, Mont's body was first found, police 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:36.099 didn't reveal anything from the autopsy. We still 00:25:36.099 --> 00:25:38.460 don't have those results, but it wasn't even 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:41.000 revealed that it was a murder until, you know, 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.440 sometime later. The finding of the body, you 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:47.420 know, was obviously very devastating for the 00:25:47.420 --> 00:25:51.880 family. But then there's that detail of the pants 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.579 kind of neatly folded on his chest. Because that, 00:25:55.579 --> 00:25:59.700 to me, that's somebody that's not Mont putting 00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:04.940 them there. So I would be very curious to know 00:26:04.940 --> 00:26:08.259 if any, what police know about. The pair of pants. 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:10.539 And from my understanding, it was like a new 00:26:10.539 --> 00:26:12.700 pair of pants. That's kind of how they were described, 00:26:12.980 --> 00:26:15.140 was like a new pair of pants. So I don't know 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:17.640 if that meant it had tags on it or if they just 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:22.720 were very clean. I'm not sure. But very strange 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.660 detail there. Yeah, I was just going to say that. 00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:31.640 A lot of odd and end details that don't string 00:26:31.640 --> 00:26:35.700 together, but glaring things that stand out like 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:41.680 brand new pants. folded on top of someone who 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:46.140 is dead inside of a green silo. All of it reads 00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:49.900 as very, very suspicious and very odd to me. 00:26:50.740 --> 00:26:53.920 Ultimately, I would love answers for Mont and 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:56.400 justice for his family because they absolutely 00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:59.440 deserve that here. Well, then there are additional 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.400 just strange details like... The pants that his 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:05.079 family found in the trailer that were wet, like 00:27:05.079 --> 00:27:07.980 up to the thigh, and then his shoes were wet. 00:27:08.059 --> 00:27:12.220 But what does that mean? Where does that all 00:27:12.220 --> 00:27:15.960 come into play? And do they think his shirt that 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:19.559 was found by the golf cart was wet? Lots of questions 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:23.859 about what happened that Friday night when Mott 00:27:23.859 --> 00:27:27.220 went to the farm and likely disappeared that 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:29.839 night, it does seem. That's the evening that 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:32.759 police mark as Mott's disappearance was that 00:27:32.759 --> 00:27:34.920 Friday after Thanksgiving when he was out on 00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:38.660 the farm. So many questions. And ultimately, 00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:43.079 Mott's family want answers here. And there seems 00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:45.700 to be so much evidence in this case, strange 00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:48.240 evidence, that it just really makes me think 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:50.400 that there has to be something here. You know, 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:55.039 if we can go back with fresh eyes, with new testing. 00:27:56.539 --> 00:27:59.319 more scientific testing, more sensitive testing, 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:02.200 go back and what evidence do we have? I think 00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:04.359 we could get some more answers in Mont's case 00:28:04.359 --> 00:28:08.259 and have someone held accountable for his very 00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:11.539 untimely death and his murder. So again, if you 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:13.799 know anything about the murder of Mont Highley 00:28:13.799 --> 00:28:17.839 IV, please call the Alabama SBI Montgomery office 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:24.339 at 1 -800 -392 -8011. As always, I will be providing 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:27.859 graphics of Mont, and those will be shared on 00:28:27.859 --> 00:28:30.440 our Instagram. If you're not following us there 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:33.779 already, I really encourage you to do so. At 00:28:33.779 --> 00:28:36.079 Cold and Missing, it's where we share graphics 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:39.680 of all of our episodes, all of our cold cases, 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.000 all of our missing person cases. It's a great 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:46.440 way to engage with us and the true crime community 00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:50.079 in general, especially if you are interested 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:52.960 in amplifying cases like the ones that we cover 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:55.619 here at Cold and Missing. And if we ever need 00:28:55.619 --> 00:28:57.819 to take time off because we're sick, we always 00:28:57.819 --> 00:29:00.160 update the Instagram. 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But that is all I have for you 00:30:01.779 --> 00:30:04.079 today. Thank you so much for listening to Cold 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:06.839 and Missing. I'm your host, Ali. And I'm your 00:30:06.839 --> 00:30:09.599 co -host, Eli. Have a good week and stay safe, 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:11.039 y 'all. Stay safe, y 'all.