Where this was said
The Search — and the Evidence That Still Wasn't Enough
At 40:40 · chapter starts 39:20
Agents search Meirhofer's property and find a damning cache: bloodstained sheets, a necklace, lipstick, a girl's blouse, newspaper clippings about the very investigations he's central to, and — most chilling — a hand-drawn map of Camp Silver Cloud, the site of an earlier attempted strangulation. A to-do list labeled 'Things to do today' itemizes camp access routes with a checkmark beside Silver Cloud. A newspaper photo of 5-year-old Karen Smith, cut out from a fishing story, identifies what appears to be his next planned target; the FBI immediately assigns her a round-the-clock bodyguard who sleeps on her family's couch. But Meirhofer talks his way out of all of it, and investigators don't feel they have an airtight case. The voice lineup with Marietta and Bill — who separately identify Meirhofer's voice — and a face-to-face meeting in Montana still aren't enough for an arrest. He walks free.
Searching Meirhofer's property, investigators found bloody sheets, a little girl's blouse, a necklace, lipstick, a newspaper clipping of a target child, and a written to-do list of girl scout camps with checkmarks. He talked his way out of all of it. His arrogance was total — he seemed to feel untouchable.
After investigators found a newspaper clipping of 5-year-old Karen Smith in Meirhofer's possession alongside a marked-off camp to-do list, the FBI assigned an agent as her around-the-clock bodyguard.
When agents lost track of Meirhofer and the phone rang at the Jaeger house, Marietta didn't flinch. She answered, accepted the collect call, and said 'Hello, David.' He tried to play dumb. She told him she had sat across from him. Within 18 hours of going on the run, he reappeared — with a motel receipt from Salt Lake City in his pocket.
