Linda Lamond
Appearances
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
Yes. I remember the first time we drove down that road, and it was sad. It's like, she's supposed to be here. She's not here. It was almost like living that day over again that we found out that she wasn't alive.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I've never been that close to that kind of tragedy. Death, yes, but someone that was killed, you know, that was murdered, it was too close. And I was like, no, this doesn't happen here. Not at all. But it had happened.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
You walk in that church and you felt like this is home. This is family. And I really think that is what kept her coming back. She felt safe there.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
You couldn't help but smile with her around because she just, she glowed. You know, she glowed. It didn't take a lot to make her happy.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
She would show up sometimes before the pastor. She loved the love we gave her.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
Since it was such a small community, it's like, she's got to be around here. You know, she couldn't have walked that far.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I mean, you're like, I have no idea. This looks like just an average white boy with sandy blonde hair.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
He was always with his mom and dad or if mom was there by herself.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
He would do anything for you. Anything you would ask him, hey, can you do this for me? And it would be, yes, ma'am, yes, sir.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I'll start. When we got to church, there's Ryan's parents, the pastor and his wife, and then I see Ryan in the middle.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
We sat down. And the pastor said that, you know, Ryan wants to tell us something. And he starts talking, but he's talking about his salvation. And my thought's like, what is he talking about?
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I'm lost. And he starts talking about that he had, you know, demon thoughts, or he had, you know, voices in his head that was telling him to do things.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I start crying, and I don't even remember everything he said at that point.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
Yeah, yeah. I don't know how he was able to do that at church. And my thought was, he needs to know we're angry. And so before he left, I just put my face in front of a killer's face. You know, I mean, that close. It kind of, it scared me a little bit, but I had grabbed his hands and told Ryan. I said, Ryan, we want to hate you, but we can't. We love you.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
Because I just wanted him to feel that what he did was wrong. Do you think he felt that? I'm hoping he did.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
I realize it's like I just put my face in front of a killer's face. You know, I'm in that close.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
He will never marry, never have kids, but he's still alive, and he can still see his family. He got the choice to live or die, and Shantae did not.
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
Yeah, devastated and in shock. There's bad things that go on in the community anywhere. You'll get that anywhere. But her specifically, why her?
Dateline NBC
The Haunted House Confession
He starts talking about demon thoughts. That's when it just exploded.