Ashley Flowers

But it would almost be weirder to me if he had something to do with it and then like left the car in his own complex.

If it was there for months.

I mean, the only thing we knew regarding the timing in those early days was that police believed the car was likely broken into sometime after it was abandoned there, totally unrelated to Nikki's disappearance.

So we knew it was there for at least a little bit of time, but nothing more than that in those early days.

Especially because they weren't looking in Ohio at all.

So if it wasn't Stephen who put it there, which we're saying we don't think it was, it may have been someone who knew that he lived there or at least knew that Nikki used to live there.

Maybe they knew about her and Stephen's rough relationship.

That is someone who has to know you pretty well, right?

Yeah.

Well, as detectives dug into her life in Dayton, one name kept coming up in their interviews.

Someone who worked with Nikki and lived nearby.

34-year-old Tommy Swint, who is a corrections officer at the facility where Nikki was employed, the Montgomery Education and Pre-Release Center.

Now, Tommy had a reputation for being close to her, maybe too close.

Some co-workers, friends, family described his behavior as protective, innocent, like a big brother figure.

Someone she had known for like five plus years.

But others called his behavior or feelings toward Nikki obsessive.

Nikki's sister, Michelle McCown Luster, said that Tommy had actually even sent lingerie to Nikki's bridal shower just weeks before she disappeared, if you remember.

She also said that one time, years before...

She walked in on Tommy, pinning Nikki against a chair, and Nikki had her, like, foot on his chest screaming for help, something that Tommy tried to, like, laugh off as just playing around.

And this is all sus, but kind of like with Bobby, it didn't go anywhere.