Second Interview on HLN with Samantha’s mom and Ramage
BANFIELD: Tonight the plot thickens in the search for a young hissing mom, Samantha Sperry. Because we thought we knew how she vanished. But tonight
there are curious and quite frankly disturbing new details that mean she could have been the victim of something very sinister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TINA ARTIS, MOM OF MISSING WOMAN: Every day there`s just more questions. And not enough answers. Not any answers, really.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: The story goes when Samantha went into the woods on an ATV with the father of her boyfriend. But that they got stuck in the mud, and had
to spend the entire night out in the cold just using the running heat of the ATV to stay warm. In the morning, again the story goes they made it
out to a road, but that is where they separated. And that is where Samantha was never seen again. But is that really the real story? Because
when we first covered this we thought they had gone into the woods looking for Samantha`s boyfriend. And it turns out that is not the case at all.
Though what is strange about this is that that boyfriend did disappear, and later showed up at his father`s house, dehydrated and suffering from
hypothermia. He`d been gone for five days. And now what`s even more bizarre is that blood has been found in this woman`s home. So what
happened? There`s a real lack of answers here, and it is taking a toll on Samantha Sperry`s family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY ARTIS, STEPFATHER OF MISSING WOMAN: If she is in these woods, I hate to say it, there`s a good possibility she is not with us. You know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Joining me now is Chief Deputy, Davant Ramage of the Graves County Sheriff`s Office. And also, Samantha Perry`s mother, Tina Artis is
with me. Attorney Ashley Merchant is still with me on the program. Deputy Ramage, maybe you can help me understand why this is so complex. We
thought we knew one version of the story and we`re now hearing another version of the story. And I`m curious to find out if we got it wrong or if
police were told something that has suddenly changed.
DAVANT RAMAGE, CHIEF DEPUTY, GRAVES COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: Well, I`m not really sure what version that you have there. I mean, we were originally,
we didn`t even know that Samantha was missing. How we got onto that was Rhen was missing. He made a phone call to his mother, and he --
BANFIELD: That is her boyfriend, Rhen. It`s confusing. Rhen Hendrickson is her boyfriend, and Dusty Holder is Rhen`s dad.
RAMAGE: That is correct.
BANFIELD: Rhen and Dusty, Rhen being the boyfriend, and Dusty being Rhen`s dad. So go ahead.
RAMAGE: Right. So Rhen calls his mother and says that he is taken a large amount of pills and that he is going to kill himself. And that he is
running out in the woods.
[18:25:00] He has made a call to her, a Facetime call. And he goes missing. So from that point his family contacts law enforcement and we
become involved in the situation at that time. We do a cursory search that night for Mr. Hendrickson, and it`s through the night at the end of the
next day that we learn about Ms. Sperry missing as well. And the more that we hear the story, the more details that we hear about the story, we feel
like something is dreadfully wrong here. And from that point we start doing interviews of people, start calling people into the sheriff`s office
and trying to find out as many details about this as we can.
BANFIELD: So let me ask you this. The story we had heard originally was that Samantha was so concerned about her missing boyfriend Rhen that she
enlisted the help of Rhen`s dad. They jumped on an ATV and went looking for him. And lo and behold, she never comes out of the swamp, dad does
come out of the swamp, Rhen eventually comes out of the swamp, five days later dehydrated, but Samantha is still missing. Now the story is -- oh,
no, no, Rhen was not missing. Samantha and Rhen`s dad went for a ride on an ATV that got stuck. And when --
RAMAGE: Yes.
BANFIELD: And when Rhen`s dad came out of the swamp with Samantha and separated, somehow she just mysteriously disappeared saying I`m going to a
cousin`s house down the road. You go on ahead and go down to that store and call for a ride. Was there a cousin down the road? Was it really a
cousin?
RAMAGE: Not in the direction that Dusty indicated to us that she traveled. Dusty, from the point where they were, dusty traveled in a north direction,
and Samantha left that location, according to Dusty, in a south direction. And Samantha has no family in that direction. She does, however, have
family the other way. The way that Dusty went. So it never made sense to us that she would travel that way. We never could figure out why she would
go that way.
BANFIELD: And then there`s this whole notion of Rhen`s behavior as his dad and Samantha are reportedly getting on that ATV and going for a ride. And
this is just a joyride. This isn`t going anywhere for any reason other than let`s go for an ATV ride in the swamp. Rhen has apparently had,
according to his dad, has had a fight, might have been physical, because Samantha had some red marks on her, and is going back to Samantha`s home,
where he does not live, to spend the night. Is that correct?
RAMAGE: Yes, that is correct. Rhen told us his version of the events were that they showed up at his dad`s residence. And for whatever reason they
showed up there. And that Samantha wanted to go out and ride the ATV. And Dusty says that when they showed up it was very apparent that they had been
fighting, and he even indicated to us that Samantha had a red mark on the side of her face where he believed that Rhen had struck her. Rhen says
there was never a fight. He never struck her. There wasn`t anything like that. She just wanted to go on an ATV ride. So Dusty would not let Rhen
take his ATV out, and said that he would do it himself.
BANFIELD: OK.
RAMAGE: So at that point they get on the ATV and they go to the woods.
BANFIELD: So I want to be super clear to our viewers that while this story sounds very fishy, neither Rhen Hendrickson nor Dusty Holder have been
charged, neither one.
RAMAGE: Neither one of them, that is correct.
BANFIELD: They are not charge, with anything to do with the missing woman or anything even more sinister, it just sounds fishy. They have both taken
polygraph tests. I`m going to ask you about the results in a moment. But first I want to ask you, deputy, about the blood. Because in a very
happenstance way, a police officer was looking for a place to rent, happened to go to Samantha`s apartment with someone who was showing the
apartment, and he saw blood. While looking for a place to live he found blood in that apartment. Do we know whose blood and what else was found?
RAMAGE: Yes. At this particular time we do not know whose blood that was, or if it is related to this case at all. What I can tell you, a different
agent recovered that found it and recovered it. And I`m not seeing any official paperwork from that agency telling me the amount of blood, where
it was found, anything like that -
[18:30:00]
BANFIELD: But you know the details, right? I mean, it`s a bit weird, the blood is on the ceiling.
RAMAGE (via telephone): I do know the details. It was found in the home. When they cleaned the home out, after, you know, Samantha went missing. And
I do not know who cleaned it out. But the house was cleaned out.
Once it was cleaned out, that`s correct, another police officer from another jurisdiction went in to look at the apartment and he found that. He
made notification to them. And those samples have been taken and sent to the lab.
BANFIELD: Can you also tell me, deputy, apart from the strange detail that the blood was found on the ceiling, which as I understand has been maybe
explained away by some drug use and some syringe use and, you know, trying to get the bubbles out of the syringe, pops the blood matter to the
ceiling.
There were also some bloody clothes. What do you know about the bloody clothes that were found at the apartment?
RAMAGE (via telephone): Well, we found bloody clothes in a -- before -- we executed a search warrant. Our department executed a search warrant on Miss
Sperry`s residence a few weeks before the blood was found by the other agency.
Their belongings were still in the apartment at the time. We found some clothing, male clothing, that had blood on it, what we believe is blood. It
hasn`t been tested yet and verified, so I can`t officially say that it was blood. But we thought that it was and we sent it in for that testing.
Again, we haven`t gotten those results back yet to find out if we were correct first in assuming that it was blood.
And then second, we don`t know who it belongs to.
BANFIELD: So that`s another detail that still has to be resolved. Whose blood will end up being, you know --
RAMAGE (via telephone): Yes, we are waiting the results.
BANFIELD: Exactly. The tests. Whose blood will the tests actually yield as the source of the blood on the ceiling, of the apartment, and also on the
male clothing found because that will be very, very, very telling.
Chief deputy, if you could hold for a moment. I`m going to squeeze in a quick break. When we come back after the break, I`m going to ask you a
significant question. That is, why is Rhen in jail, even though he`s not charged with this? And is anybody else about to go to jail or soon be
charged for this?
After the break, we are also going to speak with Tina Artis, Samantha Sperry`s mom, who definitely thinks there is something, shall we say very
foul about this case. That`s after the break.
[18:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: We are still talking about the missing mother of two who supposedly disappeared after going on an ATV ride and then getting stuck in
a Kentucky swamp. And the new details tonight that may show that she`s a victim of foul play, although no one has been charged.
Tina Artis is Samantha Sperry`s mother. She joins me now on the phone. Ms. Artis, can you help me sort of sort through the stories that have been told
by Rhen Hendrickson, Samantha`s on again, off again boyfriend, and Dusty Holder, Rhen`s dad, about this whole ATV ride.
And then these missing moments for both Rhen and your daughter. Rhen emerges five days later and he`s in really bad shape. And Samantha never
emerges from that swamp. Do you believe their versions of the story?
TINA ARTIS, MOTHER OF SAMANTHA SPERRY (via telephone): I`ve not actually spoken to them. But no, I do not fully believe their versions of the story.
I believe there might be a little bit of truth in part of their story, possibly. But to fully believe their story as hundred percent fact, no, I
do not.
BANFIELD: This sounds like there may be bad blood, because if my daughter was missing, I think if any of our viewers watching, if their children were
missing, they would be in constant contact with the last people to have seen the missing person. But you`re not talking to them at all.
ARTIS (via telephone): It`s not that it`s bad blood per se. I don`t have any of their contact information. I went to school with Dusty, but we never
ran in the same circles, you know, so it`s not like we have a social connection or anything of that nature.
[18:40:02] BANFIELD: So you must be dealing mostly with the police then in terms of updates on your daughter`s case. As I understand it, it`s just
still a missing person`s case. It`s not anything more sinister than that technically. Correct?
ARTIS (via telephone): Yes, that`s the way I understand it.
BANFIELD: But do you believe it is something more than a missing persons case?
ARTIS (via telephone): I do. I feel in my heart of heart that she did meet foul play. I do feel -- I do feel that there is definitely more to the
story than what is being told. And I just have to have faith that it will eventually come out.
BANFIELD: There`s a whole other tragedy that`s playing out while Samantha is technically still missing, seven weeks now. And that is that she has two
little children.
ARTIS (via telephone): Yes.
BANFIELD: Are you looking after those little kids?
ARTIS (via telephone): Yes. Right now, I do. My husband and I, we do have custody of them at this time. They -- you know, their father is in their
life. And, you know, he comes to visit them every day.
BANFIELD: How old are they?
ARTIS (via telephone): They are 4 and 2.
BANFIELD: They`re little.
ARTIS (via telephone): They are.
BANFIELD: Do they know -- do they know anything right now? What are they being told about why they haven`t seen mommy in seven weeks?
ARTIS (via telephone): The oldest one, the 4-year-old, our granddaughter, she does know that Samantha is missing. She -- you know, she will ask me
every so often if we`ve heard anything new. And, you know, we talk about, you know, when mommy`s going to come home. She always wants to know when
mommy`s going to come home.
And I have to tell her that I don`t have an answer for that, you know, that we`re hoping mommy will be able to know where mommy is and just as soon as
possible.
BANFIELD: There`s another element to this that`s very curious, Tina, and that is where Samantha`s car was found. It was found abandoned. So this
wasn`t a case of Samantha going off on an ATV ride and her car was neatly parked at her home. It was abandoned in an area that was very close to
where she was allegedly stuck in the ATV, if that story is true.
It`s apparently very close to where Rhen emerged eventually from the woods, dehydrated five days later. Is there anything you think that abandoned car
can give us as a clue?
ARTIS (via telephone): I don`t know other than the fact that I know at some point in time, at least, at the very least, both Samantha and Rhen
were both in the vehicle at some point in time.
During that time span, you know, if there was an altercation, the way Rhen`s father, Dusty, had indicated to the police, I don`t know if there
could be proof of that, if it took place in the car or around the vehicle. I never actually saw the car.
And the police have towed that and have it in impound. I`ve not actually seen it since all of this has taken place. They have custody of the
vehicle.
BANFIELD: Yeah, it`s important to remind our viewers as we cover this story, while it is extremely weird and strange and it doesn`t add up, that
Rhen Hendrickson and Dusty Holder have not been charged in relation to Samantha Sperry`s situation, whatever her situation turns out to be.
But I will ask Chief Deputy Davant Ramage to come back on with me and tell me why is Rhen Hendrickson sitting in a cage tonight. Why is he in jail?
RAMAGE (via telephone): He`s in jail currently in a different county for what I understand is a probation violation. It could be either a probation
violation or a parole. But right now I believe it could be a probation violation.
BANFIELD: That`s a way to keep somebody under your thumb. Ashleigh Merchant, as an attorney, maybe you can help me devise sort of a strategy
if you`re investigating people who are not charged, but their stories don`t add up. It`s very convenient if they have a probation violation and you can
hold them.
It`s not so convenient like Dusty Holder is not being held right now to my knowledge. So, you know, how do the police go about something when it`s
just so curious and the stories are all over the place?
ASHLEIGH MERCHANT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. And it looks like they did a polygraph on these gentleman, on Rhen and on Dusty, and both of them passed
the polygraph.
[18:44:57] But that`s kind of easy to do because a polygraph doesn`t necessarily ask all of the questions surrounding the disappearance. The
polygraph could actually just ask certain questions, very specific questions that they can easily evade and they can easily get around.
They`re using this probation violation to get him in custody so that they can question him. Because without a body, without some evidence of foul
play, it`s very difficult to actually establish that a crime occurred. Because at this point, we all hope and pray and believe that she`s alive
somewhere and is going to be found.
So we`re not going to jump to that conclusion that there`s actually been a crime that`s been committed. So we can`t treat him as though he`s a suspect
because there`s no crime. But they can use this probation violation and use other charges in his past.
I mean, I looked him up earlier, he`s been to prison for robbery, he has got several different drug charges and different things like that. So I`m
sure that they`ve got things in his past, if he`s on parole or on probation, that they can use to hang over his head while they`re
interrogating him about this crime.
BANFIELD: We`re going to keep following this one because we just keep getting more and more bizarre, mysterious details. Ashleigh, I`m going to
ask you to stay with me. My thanks to Chief Deputy Davant Ramage and also Tina Artis, Samantha Sperry`s mom, for joining me.
