CA CA - Karlie Lain Gusé, 16, Mono County, 13 Oct 2018

[gitana1]

On one hand, the Dr. Phil show gave Karlie's face national exposure, which is good. On the other hand, the appearance made both parents & stepmom look bad. First Dr Phil embarrassed the stepmom and father by asking them why they wouldn't provide their home address, witness names, and the audio tape, and then after listening to the audio tape Dr Phil basically implied the bio mom and investigators were lying about the contents of the tape (re: asking to call 911 hypothetically versus begging to call in the moment). I thought it was pretty crummy of Dr. Phil to do that. He certainly should ask pointed questions to dig for the truth and sort out inconsistencies, but the questions he asked only raised more questions and did not really bring any clarity. For example, after dragging the stepmom and father through the mud and making them look quite suspicious, he did a 180 and said the stepmom was being truthful about the audio and that she had been very loving and calming to her stepdaughter.

He also stated that Karlie's audiotaped words pointed to the drug being laced with something like LSD. He should know that her symptoms could also simply be due to the effects of marijuana in and of itself. Instead he just throws around terms like "neocortex" and "limbic system" to try to make himself sound like an authority figure on the matter. Please. He had said in episode 1 that he could derive so much valuable information from listening to the audio, and then once he did, he barely said anything about it other than crying LSD/hallucinogens/sex trafficking. Dr. Phil exploits victims for his own agenda -- that is, drumming up extra drama for TV ratings and $$.

I don't disagree with your assessment of Dr. Phil. Sensationalism.

But I think this interview is very valuable to LE. I know they watched carefully.

 

[gitana1]

Watching the segment IMO the mother and investigator likely heard it differently than it was.

No one lied on that. I don't think Dr. Phil suggested the bio mom or investigator lied either.

I found the dad positively giddy when Dr. Phil seemed to agree with the she was picked up by traffickers theory. Like he felt their story was finally believed. Huge sigh of relief when Dr. Phil went there and I continue to find these two incredibly fake.

I note that bio mom ultimately stated she is not sure what time the kids were taken from the home by SM. Initially she said around 5:30 but later said she didn't know. So that could've been an innocent reason depending on what time the kids were removed.

We really need a list.

 

[bwt42]

Watching the segment IMO the mother and investigator likely heard it differently than it was.

No one lied on that. I don't think Dr. Phil suggested the bio mom or investigator lied either.

I found the dad positively giddy when Dr. Phil seemed to agree with the she was picked up by traffickers theory. Like he felt their story was finally believed. Huge sigh of relief when Dr. Phil went there and I continue to find these two incredibly fake.

I note that bio mom ultimately stated she is not sure what time the kids were taken from the home by SM. Initially she said around 5:30 but later said she didn't know. So that could've been an innocent reason depending on what time the kids were removed.

We really need a list.

I'm not a big fan of private investigators. The longer they stay on a case the more money they make. I do rate them above hired medical examiners. I've never seen a medical examiner go against their clients wishes.

 

[marylamby]

I have a lot of respect for Dr Phil. In this, I’m sure he wants to put the dad and SM at ease so they he can bring out as much as possible. The tape is telling but he might not share his real beliefs. For example, who gave her a hallucinogenic? Did the SM to “teach her a lesson”? I have lived through a brother overdosing, you panic and get help, you don’t be as unemotional and uncaring as the SM was on the tape. Very odd. As was changing story. The norm is to remember every single detail vividly, not be muddled.

Was she hallucinogenic? Maybe not. “Devil’s lettuce” was Karlie trying to leave clue that they were at a local isolated road, Casa Diablo (house of the devil) at the head of the road or at Casa Diablo Mountain off the road. I’d be checking . . .

I agree that DP was tempering his attitude toward dad and SM, in a funny way. I think he got what he wanted and may be forwarding his findings.
There are photos on SM's facebook of the family hiking in the mountains, I wonder where they would go?

 

[bwt42]

Watching the segment IMO the mother and investigator likely heard it differently than it was.

No one lied on that. I don't think Dr. Phil suggested the bio mom or investigator lied either.

I found the dad positively giddy when Dr. Phil seemed to agree with the she was picked up by traffickers theory. Like he felt their story was finally believed. Huge sigh of relief when Dr. Phil went there and I continue to find these two incredibly fake.

I note that bio mom ultimately stated she is not sure what time the kids were taken from the home by SM. Initially she said around 5:30 but later said she didn't know. So that could've been an innocent reason depending on what time the kids were removed.

We really need a list.

I could agree with hearing it different if Dr. Phil didn't ask the investigator if she wanted SM to call 911 vs the hypothetical.

 

[bwt42]

I agree that DP was tempering his attitude toward dad and SM, in a funny way. I think he got what he wanted and may be forwarding his findings.
There are photos on SM's facebook of the family hiking in the mountains, I wonder where they would go?

Forwarding his finding to who?

 

[MsMarple]

On one hand, the Dr. Phil show gave Karlie's face national exposure, which is good. On the other hand, the appearance made both parents & stepmom look bad. First Dr Phil embarrassed the stepmom and father by asking them why they wouldn't provide their home address, witness names, and the audio tape, and then after listening to the audio tape Dr Phil basically implied the bio mom and investigators were lying about the contents of the tape (re: asking to call 911 hypothetically versus begging to call in the moment). I thought it was pretty crummy of Dr. Phil to do that. He certainly should ask pointed questions to dig for the truth and sort out inconsistencies, but the questions he asked only raised more questions and did not really bring any clarity. For example, after dragging the stepmom and father through the mud and making them look quite suspicious, he did a 180 and said the stepmom was being truthful about the audio and that she had been very loving and calming to her stepdaughter.

He also stated that Karlie's audiotaped words pointed to the drug being laced with something like LSD. He should know that her symptoms could also simply be due to the effects of marijuana in and of itself. Instead he just throws around terms like "neocortex" and "limbic system" to try to make himself sound like an authority figure on the matter. Please. He had said in episode 1 that he could derive so much valuable information from listening to the audio, and then once he did, he barely said anything about it other than crying LSD/hallucinogens/sex trafficking. Dr. Phil exploits victims for his own agenda -- that is, drumming up extra drama for TV ratings and $$.

Just as an aside I have a like/dislike regarding Dr. Phil. Over the years I believe he has been helpful - to LE and the public - by interviewing parents in unsolved cases. He sometimes backs down or fails to follow up on certain issues but overall IMO it's been good to get the names of the missing out on national television.

But just when I feel he knows what he's doing there will be a show highlighting something ridiculous, like the many "psychics" he's featured. If he is truly a man of science then why does he appear to buy into these scams without questioning or asking for evidence? And in talking about his 45 years of practice he claims to have "specialized" in many, many different branches of psychology, some of which I question.

I get that he has to promote his brand and I see that he keeps expanding on his businesses, like his wife's beauty products and his new podcast. Still, he's a celebrity and he has the power to move cases along, or at least make the public aware. So I appreciate his interest in cases like Karlie's.

And in Karlie's case it sounds like she needs to be kept front and center until she's found. As for me, if I'm going to jump into it then I guess I should listen to the stepmom's videos. Sigh.

 

[kaykay543]

I could agree with hearing it different if Dr. Phil didn't ask the investigator if she wanted SM to call 911 vs the hypothetical.

I think technically they were all correct. She did ask her to call 911. But then followed it with “would you call 911 if I was dying”

I cannot imagine not taking her to a hospital with her talking like that. Just unbelievable to me that they didn’t take it more seriously. Back when this first started I also thought it was LSD because Karlie had asked BM (past addict) about what LSD was like.

I also felt in my prior posts she could have been picked up by a trafficker. In Ohio it’s not just troubled teens that get picked up. And that highway leads to Reno which is known for trafficking.

 

[Seattle1]

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to include comments made on the Dr. Phil talk show on March 25, 2019, by Karlie’s father and stepmother regarding their October interviews with Dateline

Sixteen-year-old Karlie Gusé missing after vanishing from California home

The next morning, around 5:45 a.m., Melissa said she went through her usual routine of opening the kids’ doors and saying good morning to them. She told Dateline she saw Karlie in her bed at that time. Melissa said she then went back to sleep for a little bit. But when she woke up a little bit later and opened Karlie’s door again, Karlie was nowhere to be found.

“I went back into our bedroom and I said [to Zachary], ‘Honey, she’s not here.’ And he said, ‘What do you mean she’s not here?’” Melissa said. “I said, ‘She’s gone. She’s not in her room. She’s not outside. She’s not in the backyard. She’s not anywhere.’”

Melissa and Zachary told Dateline they first thought Karlie might have gone for a walk. They decided to each get in their cars and drive around town to see if they could find her.

Karlie’s father Zachary told Dateline he wasn’t nervous, at first, because he thought they’d find her walking down the road. But after two hours and five minutes of searching with no sign of Karlie, Zachary said his concern quickly grew.

Melissa says it was about 9:30 a.m. when they arrived home after their search. Zachary then called Karlie’s mother Lindsay, who lives in Nevada, to let her know Karlie was missing. He then called the Mono County Sheriff’s Office and filed a missing persons report for Karlie.

SM's Updated Version:

In a March 2019 interview on the Dr. Phil daytime talk show, Melissa told Dr. Phil she had lied to NBC in October when she spoke to Dateline.

“Melissa, you told NBC, the next morning that at 5:45 a.m., you did your usual routine of opening up the kids’ doors, saying good morning, getting them ready for school -- that sort of thing. Did you – she was still in bed at that time. Did you go back and lay down?” Dr. Phil asked Melissa on the show which aired on March 25, 2019.

“No. That – the Dateline NBC?” Melissa answered. “Yeah, that was a false story. Because I wasn’t – it was a lie about checking in on Karlie. Because it was in the beginning, and I didn’t know what to say and – I shouldn’t have even done the interview.”

Karlie’s father Zachary was also on set with Dr. Phil.

“It was too early. You don’t know what to do,” Zachary told Dr. Phil. “There’s no handbook for this, man.”

It’s now unclear when, exactly, Karlie was last seen.

ETA: If bio mom relied on Melissa's statements, I believe she too would be confused in her timeline (as is the public). MOO

 

[SAMS]

On one hand, the Dr. Phil show gave Karlie's face national exposure, which is good. On the other hand, the appearance made both parents & stepmom look bad. First Dr Phil embarrassed the stepmom and father by asking them why they wouldn't provide their home address, witness names, and the audio tape, and then after listening to the audio tape Dr Phil basically implied the bio mom and investigators were lying about the contents of the tape (re: asking to call 911 hypothetically versus begging to call in the moment). I thought it was pretty crummy of Dr. Phil to do that. He certainly should ask pointed questions to dig for the truth and sort out inconsistencies, but the questions he asked only raised more questions and did not really bring any clarity. For example, after dragging the stepmom and father through the mud and making them look quite suspicious, he did a 180 and said the stepmom was being truthful about the audio and that she had been very loving and calming to her stepdaughter.

He also stated that Karlie's audiotaped words pointed to the drug being laced with something like LSD. He should know that her symptoms could also simply be due to the effects of marijuana in and of itself. Instead he just throws around terms like "neocortex" and "limbic system" to try to make himself sound like an authority figure on the matter. Please. He had said in episode 1 that he could derive so much valuable information from listening to the audio, and then once he did, he barely said anything about it other than crying LSD/hallucinogens/sex trafficking. Dr. Phil exploits victims for his own agenda -- that is, drumming up extra drama for TV ratings and $$.

This is exactly how I came away from the episode.

 

[missingm]

I agree that DP was tempering his attitude toward dad and SM, in a funny way. I think he got what he wanted and may be forwarding his findings.
There are photos on SM's facebook of the family hiking in the mountains, I wonder where they would go?

I doubt Dr. Phil could really report anything on the recording since it is only based on a single listen. I doubt anyone has a copy even though she claimed the investigator "got" the recording. She wouldn't even let Dr. Phil hold the device, he had to ask SM to raise the volume.

If anything the police need to seize that device and make a copy of the recording.

 

[missingm]

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to include comments made on the Dr. Phil talk show on March 25, 2019, by Karlie’s father and stepmother regarding their October interviews with Dateline

Sixteen-year-old Karlie Gusé missing after vanishing from California home

The next morning, around 5:45 a.m., Melissa said she went through her usual routine of opening the kids’ doors and saying good morning to them. She told Dateline she saw Karlie in her bed at that time. Melissa said she then went back to sleep for a little bit. But when she woke up a little bit later and opened Karlie’s door again, Karlie was nowhere to be found.

“I went back into our bedroom and I said [to Zachary], ‘Honey, she’s not here.’ And he said, ‘What do you mean she’s not here?’” Melissa said. “I said, ‘She’s gone. She’s not in her room. She’s not outside. She’s not in the backyard. She’s not anywhere.’”

Melissa and Zachary told Dateline they first thought Karlie might have gone for a walk. They decided to each get in their cars and drive around town to see if they could find her.

Karlie’s father Zachary told Dateline he wasn’t nervous, at first, because he thought they’d find her walking down the road. But after two hours and five minutes of searching with no sign of Karlie, Zachary said his concern quickly grew.

Melissa says it was about 9:30 a.m. when they arrived home after their search. Zachary then called Karlie’s mother Lindsay, who lives in Nevada, to let her know Karlie was missing. He then called the Mono County Sheriff’s Office and filed a missing persons report for Karlie.

SM's Updated Version:

In a March 2019 interview on the Dr. Phil daytime talk show, Melissa told Dr. Phil she had lied to NBC in October when she spoke to Dateline.

“Melissa, you told NBC, the next morning that at 5:45 a.m., you did your usual routine of opening up the kids’ doors, saying good morning, getting them ready for school -- that sort of thing. Did you – she was still in bed at that time. Did you go back and lay down?” Dr. Phil asked Melissa on the show which aired on March 25, 2019.

“No. That – the Dateline NBC?” Melissa answered. “Yeah, that was a false story. Because I wasn’t – it was a lie about checking in on Karlie. Because it was in the beginning, and I didn’t know what to say and – I shouldn’t have even done the interview.”

Karlie’s father Zachary was also on set with Dr. Phil.

“It was too early. You don’t know what to do,” Zachary told Dr. Phil. “There’s no handbook for this, man.”

It’s now unclear when, exactly, Karlie was last seen.

ETA: If bio mom relied on Melissa's statements, I believe she too would be confused in her timeline (as is the public). MOO

I don't have a handbook either, but I would know that lying about when you noticed her missing by 2 hours is not a good idea.

I wish it was followed up on, but the bio mom did say that dad showed her when he first got a call from SM letting him know Karlie was missing, which was 7:30 am. THAT raises a whole bunch of questions.

 

[Mauig’ma]

On the Dr. Phil show today, he said that he believed the marijuana was laced with lsd. I felt that I wanted to share my honest opinion on the family dynamic since this is a safe space to do so. Im not seeking someone to agree with me just providing a POV after watching both episodes of Dr. Phil on this case.
I’m a mother of a 2 1/2 year old daughter. I can’t fathom a parent or parents doing something harmful to their child. Ofcourse we have the Chris Watts case and anything is possible. I’m merely looking at this case as a teenage girl who got mixed up in a bad situation, as well as the parents, and she hallucinated through the night.
Details surrounding something that you never see coming can always be a bit sqewed. I wouldn’t bash on the family too much and point fingers on things we aren’t fully aware of. It’s just really sad and hurts my heart since I’m a parent myself.

I second all you just said! Unless a persons been there, done that no one imo should criticize. There’s no proof of either of them disappearing Karlie. I would hate being in their shoes right now. Moo

 

[keptbycats]

I found the dad positively giddy when Dr. Phil seemed to agree with the she was picked up by traffickers theory. Like he felt their story was finally believed. Huge sigh of relief when Dr. Phil went there and I continue to find these two incredibly fake.

Snipped for focus.

I totally noticed this same thing! It was as if his eyes suddenly brightened and his entire demeanor in that moment lifted, and there was almost a full body exhale. It was bizarre.

 

[bellesnwhistles]

I don't know what happened but my gut reaction is that SM is sketchy and lying. However, I am glad the show has put focus back on Karlie and hope it can spark some kind of progress, maybe someone will remember something.

 

[bellesnwhistles]

Snipped for focus.

I totally noticed this same thing! It was as if his eyes suddenly brightened and his entire demeanor in that moment lifted, and there was almost a full body exhale. It was bizarre.

It was the most emotional he was the entire time he was on camera. I was a bit confused, TBH.

 

[Seattle1]

I don't have a handbook either, but I would know that lying about when you noticed her missing by 2 hours is not a good idea.

I wish it was followed up on, but the bio mom did say that dad showed her when he first got a call from SM letting him know Karlie was missing, which was 7:30 am. THAT raises a whole bunch of questions.

Given the inconsistent statements, it makes one wonder if Dad/SM revised their accounts before or after they took the polygraph tests.... MOO

 

[Sunny123]

No child is ever charged for showing up at the ER high and no parent would be either unless they supplied their child with drugs.

If the parents were high themselves, however, they could've been scared to go in. And if there were any ongoing custody issues occurring (which would be unlikely at that age because what she wants would very much prevail by her age), they might have feared having an ER episode with a high child.

Or they're simply familiar with being too high and knew she would recover. Because that's what happened without medical intervention. No matter how high, it wears off.

Unless something else happened. Something abusive or something as a result of neglect like maybe the drug induced a latent psychotic episode and she wandered off while parents were too inebriated to watch her? I don't know.

I just don't know why she hasn't been found. It's open desert out there. Not the Grand Canyon.

And none of it explains why the kids were removed.

I wonder if she could have been hit by a car in the early morning by someone after she was seen by the neighbor walking, and then whomever hit her panicked. It could have initially been an accident, but she could have been critically injured. If the person was intoxicated, they may have not seen her in the dark. JMO

 

[MrsWells]

It was the most emotional he was the entire time he was on camera. I was a bit confused, TBH.

This matches my impression of stepmom. More of a show of emotion at the thought of being exonerated or validated than when talking about anything else.

 

[marylamby]

Forwarding his finding to who?

DP often works with law enforcement and other agencies.