Unsuspecting (Milana Li)
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What happened to Milana Li?
Raising children can often feel like navigating a minefield of potential dangers. But for all of our modern-day methods for watching over our kids, from cell phones to doorbell cameras and GPS trackers, the risks to their safety never really goes away.
The fact is that a child's most treasured instinct, their curiosity, can also prove to be the most dangerous. Kids want to explore, meet new people, and obviously experience new things.
But there is a line between taking these healthy risks, the kind that build confidence and resilience, and the kind that, sometimes unknowingly, can lead to emotional, mental, or even physical danger.
And recognizing that line is not always easy, especially for teenagers who are often the ones most drawn to new people and new experiences, but do not always have the tools to protect themselves if those same people and experiences become threats to their safety.
Today's story takes us to Beaverton, Oregon, a leafy suburb just a few miles outside of Portland. Beaverton is filled with parks and tree-lined streets that weave through the quiet neighborhoods.
How was Milana Li's disappearance discovered?
But as everyone listening already knows, danger often lurks just under the surface of most idyllic towns. And in May of 2022, that community was shaken to its core when that danger came for one of its own, a 13-year-old girl named Milana Lee.
So I have prosecuted almost three dozen homicide cases. The majority of those were murders.
Like many prosecutors, Senior Deputy Attorney John Gerard had always felt a strong sense of duty, which is why before settling in Oregon, he served in the Army as a judge advocate and prosecutor.
And that's where I had my first exposure to criminal prosecution and decided that I enjoyed that and then went into the Washington County DA's office straight from there.
To be a successful prosecutor, you need to be disciplined, resilient, and have the ability to think strategically, all attributes which one would learn in the military.
And all the traits that John would deploy in his mission to seek justice for the most innocent of victims.
Thirteen-year-old Milana Lee and her family had recently immigrated to Beaverton from Kazakhstan. The bright young sixth grader hadn't been in the States very long, but she was already adapting well to life in her new hometown.
She was still making friends, getting to know people at her middle school, but she was generally quiet, liked by her peers and her teachers.
Milana was bright, she was kind, and at 13, already carrying a lot of responsibility at home, often watching her five-year-old sister while her mother worked long hours.
Which brings us to the early morning of May 9th, 2022. Milana's mom had just returned home from working a night shift at the nearby Nike headquarters, which employed many people in the area. And when she entered the house, she expected to see both her daughters asleep.
But while her youngest was there in bed, 13-year-old Milana was nowhere to be found.
She thought that Milana may have gone to school early, which was not unusual. And so she wasn't very concerned at that point in time. But she then got a call from the school indicating that Milana had not shown up to school. And that's when she became more panicked.
It is every parent's worst fear, suddenly not knowing where your child is. With your mind racing with the worst case scenarios, minutes can feel like hours and hours like days.
And despite her daughter being a trusted, responsible young woman, she was also at 13 still a child. And so Milana's mom did exactly what most parents would do. She called 911.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What happened to Milana Li?
0:45–1:57
2
How was Milana Li's disappearance discovered?
1:57–6:07
3
Where was Milana Li's body found?
6:07–10:35
4
What evidence was found at the crime scene?
10:35–16:58
5
Who was with Milana Li before her death?
16:58–19:40
6
Who is Daniel Gore?
19:40–21:21
7
How did police find and apprehend Daniel Gore?
21:21–22:35
8
What was revealed during Daniel Gore's police interview?
22:35–43:57