Zachary Michael Bernhardt (4 of Diamonds, Florida)
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Who is Zachary Michael Bernhardt and why is his case significant?
When we think of national parks, we picture peaceful hikes, scenic overlooks, and quiet moments. But Park Predators reminds us that even in the most beautiful places, dark secrets might be lurking. This podcast explores true stories of crimes that took place in the outdoors, places meant to bring people together with nature, but where things went tragically wrong. If you're drawn to the storytelling here on the deck, you'll want to check out Park Predators. Listen to Park Predators anywhere you get your podcasts.
Our card this week is Zachary Michael Bernhard, the Four of Diamonds from Florida. Almost twenty-six years ago, eight year old Zachary vanished from a second floor apartment in Clearwater, Florida, while most of his neighbors were sleeping.
I put him in the bed and then feed my dad. Is that in the whole apartment? And my paper down here closely not there either.
There was no sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle, no trace of him leaving.
I'm the voice who have your father. And I lied to my foot.
This was one of the early cases I covered on Crime Junkie more than seven years ago, but it's time to revisit it. And this time we have the inside track on what is now the longest running amber alert in the state of Florida and one of the largest cold case investigations in the history of Clearwater PD.
This investigation was extremely thorough. They interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people as part of this investigation. They searched miles and miles of area. And, you know, we're talking about this case almost 26 years later, and we're no closer to finance act.
For years the investigation appeared to focus on Zack's mom Lia. What was she doing away from home that night? Why would she leave the apartment unlocked? It could have been an innocent middle of the night walking. Or
The second theory would be that Leah just isn't telling us the truth about what occurred that night.
A new lieutenant recently took over the case, and he is hoping that you can help him find answers. I'm Ashley Flowers, and this is the deck.
It was around four forty five in the morning on september eleventh of two thousand when a call came into Clearwater PD dispatch that would rearrange assignments for every officer on duty.
Yeah, but Sure.
No. The caller identified herself as Leah Hackett. She was calling from a second floor apartment at the Savannah Trace Complex on the east side of Clearwater. Her eight-year-old son, Zachary, was missing.
Is
your
front door
marked and you opened? No it wasn't last. I w I didn't wake up, I went to the poll and then I came back and then I got in the shower and then he wasn't here.
Lieutenant Anthony Monty was on shift that morning. He was a beat cop on patrol in another part of the city. He wasn't part of the first brigade of officers dispatched to the apartment complex, but by the end of that day, the entire department was consumed by this mysterious disappearance.
I was one of a few patrol officers that was actually brought up to the criminal investigations to assist with um ongoing everyday cases while the entire division was investigating the disappearance of Zachary Bernhardt.
Lieutenant Monty is now the one in charge of the investigation as part of the Clearwater Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division.
Anytime we get a call of a missing child, those calls are handled urgently. We send, you know, as many resources as we can to start searching for that child and those types of calls are taken very seriously.
Even though he's been with the department for just about 30 years, it was only this year that he was assigned the Bernhardt case, and he sat down with the files. All 38 binders full, chronicling an investigation that has gone on for nearly 26 years. One that started with that panicked 911 call.
Please officers. Okay, go ahead and talk to him. No? Yeah, go ahead and talk to him. Okay.
It only took about thirty minutes for the first detective to arrive at Leah's apartment. On that 911 call, Leah had mentioned leaving the apartment to go for a swim and having left the apartment unlocked.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Zachary Michael Bernhardt and why is his case significant?
0:01–6:15
2
What were the initial findings of the Clearwater police after Zachary vanished?
6:15–12:09
3
How did Leah Hackett’s 911 call and timeline raise questions for investigators?
12:09–18:25
4
What new evidence did Lieutenant Anthony Monty uncover when he reviewed the case files?
18:25–26:12
5
What are the two main theories about Leah’s story on the night Zachary disappeared?
26:12–32:35
6
How did the Kevin Jalbert confidential informant tip affect the investigation?
32:35–39:42
7
What recent forensic steps are being taken to revive cold‑case leads?
39:42–45:33
8
How is The Deck ensuring the case stays active and funded for the future?
45:33–51:56