John Quinones

But on September 8th, 2016, Stacy Stanley drove into Ashland to run some errands, and she never returned home.

From ABC Audio in 2020, I'm John Quinones, and this is The Hand in the Window.

Episode 3, Be on the Lookout.

Stacey Stanley headed to the Walmart in Ashland for topsoil and gardening supplies.

While she was in town, she also got her nails done.

When she stopped for gas on the way home, she realized she'd been driving on a flat tire.

She called her sons for help.

Curtis says she was frantic and annoyed.

After all, she had just gotten a new tire.

Curtis and Corey got in touch with a family friend who was in Ashland that evening, and they arranged for him to swing by the gas station to help with Stacy's tire.

Kick rocks, meaning get lost.

Curtis says his mom had a tendency to trust people.

She'd give strangers rides all the time.

But in this case, everything seemed to turn out fine at first.

The stranger used the tools the family friend had brought to change the tire.

And that was that.

The next day, Corey went to work as usual.

But later that evening, he realized he hadn't heard from his mom yet.

No one answered when they knocked, and the door was locked.

So Stacy's sons and her sister ended up forcing the door open.