[0:12]Yeah, they're sleeping. Police are speaking with Manuell Guillen Sr. Living inside his trailer are his son Manny and his girlfriend Brianna. They've been hiding a horrifying secret from their families that this detective is about to uncover. Hey Manny. Hey Brianna. Hands out of your pocket please. You guys know why I'm out here trying to talk to you guys? Uh, I guess baby? The baby is fine. A year ago the couple killed their daughter, buried her body in the woods near their trailer and continued living as if nothing happened. Over time Brianna's family began to grow suspicious, tipping off police that something is seriously wrong. By the time investigators catch on to the lies, both killers would walk free leaving their families and detectives to confront one of the darkest and most tragic discoveries of their lives. They killed her. I know he did. And I know you've been lying to us. Tell us what happened. Right there? Yeah, she's buried in there.
[1:21]That one? That's the vehicle here. This is the home of Aurelia and Manuel Senior, the parents of Manny Guillen. Police believe Manny is connected to a missing child investigation. Two days ago, Eddy County deputies received a troubling call from relatives of Manny's girlfriend, 24-year-old Brianna Stallings, reporting something concerning about her daughter. We were concerned about my cousin, uh, her name is Brianna Stallings, and we never seen her with her baby anymore. She blocked us all on social media and everything. She's with a guy named Manny, Manny Guillen. Brianna's cousin would go on to explain that the family hasn't seen Brianna's daughter in nearly a year and that one of the last places the child was seen alive is right here, at the residence of Manny's parents. These officers are here simply to conduct a welfare check. Unknowingly, they are moments away from stepping into one of the most disturbing murder investigations of their careers. 10-4. Godd*mmit, I can't see in there.
[2:30]Hello. Sergeant around the sheriff's office. Good, how are you, sir? Manuel Guillen. Nice to meet you, Manuel. Hi. I'm good, how are you? Officer, how are you? Is, um, anyone else here? No. Just you two? Can we go talk over here? Is that- Would that be okay? I'm just gonna talk with him real quick. Um... Do you know if Brianna had baby? Well, from what I heard already, yes, I know what happened already. When I, when I know the, um, uh... She was with my son, because one day, um, they appear over there, she no one care- Nobody they- Take care of her. But she's pregnant. She's pregnant. Did you know if the baby had been born? Did you ever see the baby? No, when, when they, when they when they born, uh, they were, were together. They were together and uh, like I told you boss. I don't know. According to Manny's father, Brianna appeared estranged from her own family. She didn't seem to have anyone looking out for her and slowly began leaning on Manny and his parents as she went through her pregnancy. On the surface, Manny's father seems unaware that anything might be wrong with Brianna's daughter. But officers are about to learn he may know far more about the missing child than he realizes. So when, when she had the baby, where were they living? After they had the baby, they went with me maybe, no, maybe, maybe a week, two weeks over there, and they went away and- So, right after they had the baby, they lived with you for a little bit? Yeah, because they told me they visit here some, someday again and then they disappear, because they were going back, I don't know. I respect her. I never treated bad. Never, because I see her as my daughter too. Yeah. But I never treated her bad. I treated with my heart. Through the language barrier, officers are able to piece together more of the story. Manny's father goes on to explain that his son served in the Marines and that he believed Manny cared deeply for Brianna's daughter and took good care of her. He also says that he tried to help the couple, allowing them to stay with him, offering support and showing sympathy for Brianna's situation after she became estranged from her own family. However, he also admits the couple were unstable. They would stay for a while, then disappear again. At the time, Manny's father believed he was doing the right thing, helping a struggling couple get back on their feet, but he has no idea that this will become the biggest regret of his life. Before leaving the place, officers also speak briefly with Manny's mother, who'd have some concerning statements about the couple. So, Manuel and Brianna never lived there when you were there?
[5:15]They come and go. With the baby? She, she wasn't at the house there when the baby was there. She visited, and that's it. Okay. Have you uh- Manny's mother would speak to officers in Spanish. She tells them that every time she asked Brianna and Manny about their daughter, the couple told her the child was with a family member. But she leaves out several concerning details about what was really going on in Manny's life. Details officers will soon uncover on their own. For now, police leave the residence with more questions than answers. They still don't know where Brianna and Manny are. And they still have no idea where their daughter might be. But just as they prepare to leave, Manny's brother pulls up to the house. Detectives quickly approach to speak with him where they'll get their first real lead on where Brianna's daughter might be. Your mom's a cool lady. God, I completely forgot about that. Sueza man. Good to see you. I'm Detective Johnson, man. Nice to meet you, sir. Hey, so we're just We just talked to your mom. Nobody's in trouble. Yeah, no one. But see, I have no idea why the family contacted you guys. I call- I told her to call me if she had any questions and I would give her any information that I had. And I did that. Um... Called who? Is it Brianna or her family member or what? For aunt. Okay. I got the messages right here. And have you talked to Brianna or Manuel at all or? I've, I talked to Brianna maybe, uh, a couple weeks ago. Have you seen her? Well, does she have a baby with her, or? I have not seen the baby since, it's been a couple of months now, probably like three, maybe more. I was wondering too, I was like- I haven't seen her in like a in a while. Is she okay? she had told me that one of her aunts was taking care of her. Yeah, no, I gotcha. Although Manny's brother reassures officers that the couple's child is with one of Brianna's aunts, he admits he hasn't seen her daughter in months and doesn't sound fully convinced by Brianna's story. Following this, detectives begin contacting Brianna's family. One by one, every one of her aunts tell the same thing. They do not have her daughter. One of Brianna's aunts, Ruby, insists detectives come speak with her in person because she's seen and heard troubling details about Brianna and Manny's relationship they need to look into. When detectives arrive to speak with Ruby, they'll quickly realize there's more to the story than a missing child. Hello. Are you, are you Ruby? Yes, sir. Hi, Ruby, I'm Detective Johnson. We spoke on the phone? Yes. I think you said you had something for me. Uh, yes, come on in. Come here, baby. Is that all right if I come in? I know something's going on because when Brianna was pregnant, sh- she was here with me and she left. She- I raised Brianna since age six. And I spoke to her brother earlier. I called him on my lunch break. That's- Is it Brian? Brian, okay. And I asked him, "Hey, what's going on?" I said, "Have you met your niece? Have you seen her?" He says, no, he hadn't. 'Cause when she had her baby that day, she called me. Yeah, and then you went to the hospital. Yeah, I went right away and he kinda got mad. The guy she's with- Who? Manny? Yeah, 'cause I was taking pictures. So she was already with Manny? Yes. And he kinda got mad and, and he whispered in her ear, and he walked out of the room. And I'm like... And I said, "He's mad, huh?" I told Brianna he got mad. She goes, "Yeah, Aunt Ruby, don't pay attention to him." What the detective is hearing now isn't just concerning. It's deeply unsettling. It's the first time the relationship between Brianna and Manny begins to sound volatile and potentially dangerous.
[8:47]Ruby doesn't know it yet, but her intuition is spot on. And in just a matter of days, she will be told the most horrific truth imaginable about her grandniece. For now, the detective leaves Ruby's home and heads back to the station, knowing they need to move quickly and locate Brianna and Manny. What Ruby shared was troubling, but it's only the beginning and far worse revelations are still to come. Two days pass with no sign of the couple or their child. Then a call comes in from a woman named Desiree, who identifies herself as Brianna's former roommate.
[9:28]She's heard about the missing child and has important information about Brianna's boyfriend Manny. Details his own family never shared with police. The only reason that everything is kind of worries me is just, she fell off and like she just didn't talk to nobody. And then this kind of like happens, you know? Do you know why she's kind of, um, disassociated herself from other people? Her and Manny were fighting so bad. He said he didn't want the baby. He has a son. And I'm pretty sure that he had got that baby tooken away because he beat the s*** out of the baby. And so he doesn't have that kid no more. The mom has the kid. Brianna, she lived with my mom for two years. She lived with me for a year and a half. I've always been, like, trying to help her out and stuff. Well, when she was pregnant, you know, he had said that he didn't want to be with her. He didn't want a baby. He doesn't want a kid. That's why he got rid of this other kid. So it kind of worries me on that part, you know? Needless to say, Desiree's call paints a disturbing picture of the couple. If Manny already lost custody of his own child due to abuse, then there's every possibility that Brianna's daughter may have suffered the same fate. Together, the pair comes across as volatile, irresponsible, and deeply unfit. A dynamic that only adds more urgency for the detectives to locate them and find the missing child. The next day, as detectives begin mapping out their next steps, they finally receive a tip on the couple's whereabouts. Brianna and Manny are staying at a trailer belonging to Manny's father. Officers immediately drive to the address, hoping to finally speak with the couple directly and get their side of the story. Police department. Several minutes pass with no answer. Then the officer knocks again. When Brianna and Manny finally step out of the trailer, it's clear they already know why the police are here and they have a story prepared. Hey, so, um- I'm Detective Johnson, by the way. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Do you guys know why I'm out here trying to talk to you guys? Uh, it's because I heard, um, I guess my family- saying state troopers were here and talking to his family, about uh... Do you know about what? I guess the baby? The baby's fine. I guess they said that they reported her missing because they haven't heard from her for over a year. So that's led to- that's why I'm involved as a detective, you know I mean, just 'cause stuff like that gets passed onto us. So. Uh, where's your baby at right now? She's with a friend. In Juarez. In Juarez? Yes. Okay. Who's your friend in Juarez? Her name's Maria. Maria? If you don't mind, I'm just gonna talk to you guys individually real quick, and then I'll I'll I'm gonna talk to both of you quick. So, like, can you just hang out with him for a minute? Sure. And can I talk to you over here? Yeah. So, obviously I don't, I don't know your your personal life, so I don't know anybody. I'm just trying to get it all figured out and- No, that's fine. I'm just mad 'cause- You're upset? I don't talk to them at all. What's- What's up with that? They're, they're annoying and they're all in my life. And I'm... That's one reason why I blocked them. I get you. Is your friend- I mean, did you take your baby down there or did-
[12:52]Yeah, I heard that she can take care of her 'cause I don't gotta do a lot of this stuff right now. So when did that happen? That happened- When did you- Like, two months ago... Two months ago? Brianna's explanation sounds reasonable. Her family constantly interferes in her life and she doesn't want to deal with them. She even speaks negatively about her aunt Ruby, claiming she was never supportive of her. Nothing about Brianna's story immediately raises alarms, so to verify the details, the officer moves on to speak with Manny separately to cross-check what Brianna has already said. This is when a small discrepancy surfaces. One that will mark the beginning of the couple's story falling apart. Hey man, so, um, can you kinda just of just give me the rundown on everything going on? All righty, so as far as I know, like, her family's been trying to get a hold of her because I guess they, uh, haven't been in touch and want to know how she's doing and the baby's doing. And she spoke to a couple family members. I think it was her aunt or her brother or some sh*t like that, 'cause they messaged her. And she told them too like, yeah, I'm like, we're doing okay. Like, you guys don't got to worry about nothing. And then they were like, okay, we just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And then after that, then they started- F**kin- my mom told me, she's all like, oh, hey, there's detectives here at my house, like, trying to figure out like 'cause you guys are missing or some sh*t. You guys haven't, like, talked to the family. Or like, dude, like, what the f**k? Like, she's talked to her aunts or someone, she's talked to a couple family members and let them know like everything was okay, and like, they're still doing this sh*t. So, I don't know. So the baby's in Juarez? Mmm. When did that happen? Roughly, the day or the month? Mmm, probably like New year, beginning of the year? Like, can you name what month? February, I think. Like February? Did they give you an address? Or like, how are you guys supposed to get in contact or what's the plan? Is she gonna go back for her baby at some point? Uh, so as far as I knew, is like once we got good and sh*t, we were gonna be I guess she was gonna be hitting us up back then. Uh, so that's all, all I know, so... Not only does Manny give a completely different time frame for when Brianna's daughter was given away, but he also can't provide any basic details for the supposed friend the child was given to. When the officer circles back to Brianna with the same question, she can't answer it either and offers no way to verify that this friend even exists. At this point, the officer's suspicion grows, and with the inconsistencies piling up, he makes the call to detain the couple and bring them to the station for further questioning. Once at the station, Brianna and Manny are placed into separate interview rooms. They still don't know their stories don't match, and investigators intend to keep it that way. This is the police's only chance to finally figure out what really happened to Brianna's daughter, and who's responsible. As for the couple, one wrong answer could expose the horrifying secret they've been hiding for months. And then, so how'd you get in contact with Maria? Um, through WhatsApp. Through WhatsApp? Yeah. When, when did this happen in a month? I said two months. I told you that. Two months ago? Yeah. Okay. Do you have the messages on WhatsApp from Maria? This is a new phone. The other one doesn't work. I- I can't remember the number either. It was like all kinds of you know, WhatsApp number, 011. Yeah, I don't know what it was. How do you get in contact with her to check on the baby? She told me she was gonna get, uh, Facebook, and, like, make one and talk to me through I mostly don't. That's all she told me. And you haven't talked to Maria or? Never since then, no. You haven't talked to her since that last time? No. How do we just make sure Khalanie's okay, Manuel? Because Brianna doesn't seem to know how, how we can just ensure that Khalanie's safe. If you think about it, that's kinda disturbing a little bit that a mother is maybe not a little bit more concerned about, you know, just helping us ensure that the child is safe. As far as I know, I know sometimes she has problems with her phone, and she, like, kinda has a hard time keeping it paid. So maybe it's like, she probably hasn't paid her phone bill. The only thing I can say is probably just wait for her until she gets her phone fixed and probably contact her back on WhatsApp. As expected, Brianna and Manny stick to their conflicting story. But more importantly, is that neither of them show any concern for their daughter's well-being. Despite not seeing or hearing anything from the supposed friend for weeks. What the couple doesn't know yet is that detectives have already followed up on the supposed friend Brianna mentioned and discovered that no such person exists. By now, it's painfully obvious to investigators that both Brianna and Manny are lying. So detectives decide it's time to lay out what they believe really happened to Brianna's daughter and confront her directly. Brianna, we, we need you to just be truthful with this. A lot of the stuff that you said is just not making any sense. And, and it's kind of hard to wrap our minds around the kind of the lack of concern you're showing. I mean, we just need, need the truth. We need to make sure Khalanie's okay. I mean, we get it, stuff happens. You know, people go through hard times, we understand that. Something happened, something that you don't. Whether or not Khalanie's okay or not, something happened. After this happened, you guys discussed this, tried to come up with a story talking about a person who we know nothing about, with no proof that Marie even exists. Tell us what happened. Mistakes happen, Brianna. What you do right now is what matters. I'm pretty sure I k*lled her. Huh? I'm pretty sure I k*lled her. All right. Brianna finally breaks and confesses to killing her daughter. After this admission, she becomes visibly emotional, and for several minutes, detectives are unable to get clear answers from her. As they slowly piece together her statements, a story begins to form. Brianna claims she fell asleep on her daughter while they were in the car, accidentally suffocating her. Panicked, she and Manny buried her daughter's body in a remote, wooded area where it has remained for nearly a year. After the confession, detectives decide to give Brianna a few minutes alone to collect herself and to reconsider the story she's choosing to tell. Because even now, she's taking full responsibility and insisting Manny had no part in what happened. When detectives return to the room, they know what they need to do next: convince Brianna to be honest about Manny's role and where her daughter's body is buried. Brianna. Hey, Brianna. How are you?
[19:40]I'm Sergeant Aranda. Doing okay? I'm Sergeant Marian.
[19:46]You need anything? You need water or anything? You need a snack? Okay. So, we kinda got a good understanding of what's going on, okay? You're not in any kinda trouble right now. Um, we wanna do what we can to help you, okay? Um, with, I guess, you being willing to help us as well, okay? Uh, would you be willing to drive up to Queens right now and kinda show us where we need to go? I don't drive. You're gonna go with us. Yeah. You're okay going with us? Yeah. How'd you get here? Manny, you. Would you be comfortable with Manuel going? Yeah. After agreeing to help detectives, Brianna seems to regain her composure, speaking calmly and answering questions as if the weight of her confession has already lifted. In the next room, Manny has no idea his girlfriend just confessed and took all the blame. But he's about to find out as detectives prepare to drive both of them to the one place they never wanted anyone to find.
[20:55]You guys ready?
[21:05]I can get up now. You okay? Yeah. My legs are kinda like numb. Uh, because of that seat.
[21:15]How you doing, sir? Oh, sorry, this is Sergeant Aranda. Manny, you know, this is- You know, Manny. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, sir.
[21:32]The couple and officers then drive out and hike deep into the woods to recover the body. A grim walk that will lead to what can only be described as a nightmare.
[21:46]Go ahead. Just grab it. Go ahead, Manuel. Go ahead, Manny. There you go. There you go. Here, come up. I don't have a light. I don't think it was down here. I think it was down here. Here. Right there? Yeah, she's buried in there. That one just sticking out there like a big old pimple. With all the sticks right there. She's underneath the rock? Yeah, she's underneath it. Those rocks. Yeah. So I just want you to know that that's not what we are doing. It's gonna be a long process, okay?
[23:16]You're 100% certain that's the spot though? Yes. Okay. Do you need me to stand by that thing for you guys, or? I think we're good, man. Um, we've been marking it along the way. By now, officers believe they've found the burial site. But because it's already dark, they halt the search until the following day. Before Brianna and Manny are allowed to leave, detectives instruct them to return at noon. For now, the pair isn't being detained and are treated as two people who may simply be caught in a tragic situation, at least based on what they're admitting. A far cry from the real truth behind their lies, a horrific truth that police are just hours away from discovering. The next morning Brianna meets detectives near the search site, but strangely, Manny doesn't join her. Instead, he waits inside a detective's car, refusing to return to the burial location. Brianna then leads investigators back to the wooded area with forensic experts following behind. She's about to give them the confirmation they've been searching for, even though the couple responsible will eventually still walk free.
[27:56]Back at the station, investigators regroup to discuss their plan. They agree that letting the couple go, at least temporarily, is what's best for the investigation. There is no autopsy yet, no confirmed cause of death, and no clear way to prove who is responsible. If Brianna and Manny were arrested immediately, they would almost certainly lawyer up and detectives would lose the only chance to confront them once the medical evidence comes back. By waiting, investigators gain a strategic advantage, the opportunity to secure a confession when the autopsy reveals the truth. But their plan comes with a major risk. The couple is now completely free to disappear. And what detectives don't know yet is that Manny has family in Mexico. Additionally, her description of Brianna as a follower only reinforces what investigators heard before. It's starting to make sense to detectives why Brianna would take the blame, even if Manny played a bigger role in what happened. By now though, Ruby is justifiably furious. She wants justice, even if it means putting her own niece behind bars. But without an autopsy, detectives still don't have definitive proof of how Brianna's daughter died or who is responsible. Making an arrest now could jeopardize the case. With that uncertainty hanging over the investigation, detectives wrap up the interview with Ruby. At this point, they still believe waiting is a safer option, but that decision comes with a dangerous consequence. It gives the couple exactly what they need: time to run, disappear and make sure they're never found.
[29:49]Over two months later, the autopsy results finally come in and the findings are more disturbing than anyone imagined.
[30:02]The report reveals multiple injuries and in the child's system. Most importantly, the manner of death is ruled a homicide. For the first time, detectives have confirmation that foul play was involved. Now they need to figure out which one of them is responsible and, more importantly, where they are. Detectives are quickly sent out to search for the couple, but they're nowhere to be found. Days turn into weeks and every possible address comes up empty. It begins to look like Ruby was right all along. The couple may have disappeared for good and gotten away with the murder of her grandniece.
[30:43]Eight full weeks pass, and still no sign of Brianna or Manny. Then, in February, detectives receive a tip that the couple has returned and is quietly staying at Manny's father's trailer at a nearby park. It's the first real lead since the autopsy. Officers are dispatched, but they're told to keep the encounter calm and convince the couple to come in voluntarily. The goal is to extract a confession, not spook them into running again. Minutes later, they arrive at the trailer park, hoping this time, the pair won't slip away.
