Mother Never Gave Up: The Search for Ali Lowitzer

speaker-1 (00:00) Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of Sugar Spice and Spirits. We are at the wonderful Texas hideout on Kirkendal. They are gracious enough to let us come here, so we're super excited. But not a not a fun topic today. Imagine your kid gets off the school bus and they go to their job to pick up a check and they don't come home. Nowhere to be found, never to be heard from again. Well that's exactly what happened to Joanne and her daughter Ali. So very heartbreaking in the sense I could not imagine what you've gone through for the past sixteen years. We're gonna dive into her story, bring some awareness, hopefully. she was 16 years old when she went missing. So we're gonna dive in today with Ali's mom as she shares about Ali and she shares about her journey and her search for Ali and answers. But before we do, we always start with the sip of the day, and we don't have purified water today. We actually have a painkiller. So some of us are drinking loaded and some of us are drinking unloaded. So cheers everybody. speaker-0 (01:15) Chairs. speaker-1 (01:17) You'll get to see who's loaded and who's not maybe by the end of the episode. You know, yeah, very very good. Good suggestion from the bartender here as well. So it's it's a tough topic. You know, it's it's been sixteen years and and we're having a little bit of fun with you know, conversation because you still live, you still have a life. But that's it's it's a tough journey you've been on. speaker-0 (01:45) It is. yeah, it's been sixteen years and it's not all serious, you know. I I get to meet a lot of wonderful people, you know, like you guys and people I wouldn't normally meet. I mean if it if it were for Ali I don't feel like I would be doing any of this. Yeah. I speaker-3 (02:09) I speaker-0 (02:10) don't feel like I would have my own voice. You know, I I was very shy, well, still pretty shy. But yeah, so I I totally blame Ali on me having a voice now and kind of coming out of my shell and doing things, you know. I feel like I've been forced to. you know, especially when it comes to the investigation. You know, I do a lot of things myself. questions. Yeah. speaker-1 (02:48) So Joanne, can you tell us about Ali, about her life before she disappeared, like who she was, what she liked to do or who she is? I don't know what's proper speaking in presence or or past. It's it's speaker-0 (03:04) well I I think throughout this conversation you'll hear me say was is you know, 'cause I don't know, you know. So I I do struggle with you know, is she still alive, is she not still alive? So if I say was or is then, you know, it's if with it being sixteen years, I think that's just part of it. You know, and and not having the the information that we need, you know. speaker-1 (03:34) Like you almost wish for the sixteen years that she's unless she's lived a good captive life or a good life that she isn't harmed or isn't being harmed that she's passed on to to heaven or you know, like yeah, I just I can't imagine. So like having this conversation. It's I'm being real and vulnerable with you in the sense and not but just the questions and thoughts that you have, like as a parent and somebody who we lived in the neighborhood over. And When Ali went missing it was what? You know, the everything that that happened. So I yeah. And that's why I wanted to have you on the show because I have followed Hope for Ali's Facebook page for a a very long time and just her story and your lack of response and and even care from law enforcement and everything. We'll get into that. So so tell us about Ali. speaker-0 (04:28) Sure. So Ali was sixteen at the time and she had a really busy life, you know, she had Girl Scouts and softball and school choir and speaker-1 (04:44) Mm. speaker-0 (04:45) she was looking forward to getting her braces off in the summer and taking driver's education, you know. But I think the most important thing to her besides her friends was her art. I think I have some of her art posted on my website, but since she knew what a crayon did, I mean she she'd been creating and drawing on everything, even furniture. But you know and then she as she got older, you know, kids, you know, get their own personalities and stuff and she was very comedic. so for an example, you know, when you when you have kids running around as kind of chaos, you know, and you want to get their attention, you know, I you know, I would normally say, Mason, Ali, you know. And then sometimes I would flub and you know, my tongue didn't work properly so the words wouldn't come out right, you know, I'd mix their names up and all kinds of stuff and Yeah. speaker-2 (06:00) Dyslexia of the tongue. And I speak for a living. Okay. And I do speaker-0 (06:05) It all the time. So so Ali liked to make fun of me when when that would happen to me. like I guess my favorite memory was I was trying to tell her not to do something or to stop doing something and instead of saying do not or don't it came out as donut. Yeah. So and she never let live that I was about to say that that one probably stuck for a good while. it did. Absolutely. Yeah. She was you know I and Way after that, you know, I'd say, you know, please don't you know, or don't do not or whatever. She's like, You mean donut? Yeah. Yeah. speaker-1 (06:52) What's one of your favorite memories of her? speaker-0 (06:57) Hmm. I would say one of the favorites, when she was playing softball, she was she was batting and I don't remember if it was a walk or if she actually hit the ball. and she made it to first base. and then she stole second and she was going around to to go to third and sh she got stuck. So they were tossing the ball, you know, between third base and second bus. Yeah. And you know, she kind of after going back and forth she was just gonna go for for third and she ended up elbowing the third baseman in the in the mouth. And she had braces. no. Yeah. So so there was you know, so I think a split lip or something and Ali felt so bad. I mean, I know it's not like a favorite memory of mine, but it's just something that came to mind and she felt horrible. She was crying because the other girl was crying and you know, so the game had to stop for a little bit, but Yeah, I just I just remembered about her character. Yeah. speaker-2 (08:24) And that was really important. speaker-1 (08:30) Can can you walk us through Sunday? speaker-0 (08:34) Sure. So it was April twenty sixth, twenty ten and it was a typical Monday for us. I was getting ready for work myself and trying to get Ali out of bed to get ready for school. And you know, once once I finally heard that she was out of bed, you know, I've continued to get ready for work and next thing I know it, you know, she says, bye mom. You know, I'm going out to the bus. And so I never actually laid eyes on her after I knew she was awake. And she got she got on the bus, she made it school. And throughout that day she had called and texted, you know, you're not supposed to while you're at school, but it was her her first cell phone that she got for Christmas, so it was like an extension of her hand. And so it was very typical of her to have contact with me from school. And so her the the first communication was that she wanted to stay after school to make up some work for one of her teachers. And you know, I told her, yes, of course, you know, my only concern is is logistics, you know, how are you what time are you gonna be done? Do I need to come pick you up? Or how are you gonna get home? All that good stuff. so after some time went by, I guess she spoke to the teacher and that that teacher couldn't stay after school. And so her plans kind of changed. So then she was asking if she could go to work to pick up her paycheck. And I said, well yeah, I can take you after I get home from work. Because her my mom, her grandmother, was usually at my house every afternoon. You know, she would fix the kids' snacks and, you know, whatever. but that day she wasn't able to be there. So, you know, I told Ali I said, just wait till I get home and I'll take you up there to get your paycheck. She's like, Well, I really want to to walk up there because I want to also see if I can work. And I'm like, I'm not crazy about you walking up there, you know, just wait till I get home. And she begged and begged and begged and begged and you know how kids, you know, they know what buttons to push, you know, to get where you mail email. Yeah. So, you know, she promised, you know, that she would walk straight there, that she would be okay, she'd let me know when she got there. And so reluctantly I caved and I said, Okay. You know, I said, But you're gonna let me know when you get there You're gonna let me know if you're gonna work, you know, all that good stuff. And you know, but with her her plans, so the she had also forgotten her house key at home. And you know, 'cause she had brought that up too, and I'm like, the door will be open, it's okay, you know. So if you decide not to walk, then just you know, the door would be open. And you know the some time went by and I got home around 530 and she wasn't there. Mason wasn't there. and Mason speaker-1 (12:29) is her older brother, right? speaker-0 (12:30) Yeah, yeah. He's he's three years older than her. And so I I send Ali a text and I'm like, you know, I assume that you're at work, you know, you didn't let me know. let me know what time I need to come pick you up. speaker-1 (12:45) Mm-hmm. speaker-0 (12:47) And some more time went by and I never heard from her. So you know, as as a mom, you know, I've I completely believe in, you know, listening to your inner tuition. You know, your inner tuition, you know, your gut. And, you know, it it it was telling me things but I'm like, no, no, no You know, just pushing that down. I'm like, no. speaker-2 (13:14) This is my daughter, this is just it's a kid, everything's fine, she'll get upset if I make a big deal about it, all these things that we tell speaker-0 (13:24) Overreact. speaker-2 (13:27) ourselves as parents. Like mom, this is on you, why would you question me? So yeah you're being a human, you're being a parent and you're ha you're I mean I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, I just speaker-0 (13:38) Exactly. Yeah. Well and everything you're describing i is typical sixteen year old behavior. Forgot the key at home. Yeah. Wanna go do this. Independence. Independence. speaker-1 (13:50) First check our first real job. speaker-0 (13:53) It was her first job but it would have been a about her third check. speaker-1 (13:56) Okay, so her third check. Mm-hmm. But like first time getting off the bus to walk to the job. First. So some independence. Like and you gotta let your kids grow. speaker-0 (14:05) Yeah. I mean And then how how far was it from the the distance that she had to walk? Less than a quarter of a mile. Wow. Yeah. speaker-1 (14:12) Friend of the neighborhood. speaker-0 (14:16) Yeah. And so you know the s some more time went by, you know, I'd shoot her another text and I'm like, Hello, you know. And there and it was still nothing. And typically if she did work during the week then I would go pick her up a little bit after nine o'clock, you know, 'cause then they would be cleaning up and closing and stuff like that. And it was a little before nine, and I was like borderline pissed off and concerned, you know, that that I hadn't heard from her. So I get in my truck and I drive up there and it was closed. You know, lights were out, chairs were on the tables, nobody there. Yeah. And that's that's when my my inner instinct freaked out. speaker-1 (15:11) Is that the moment you realize something was wrong? Like you're like really wrong. Yeah. Yeah. Did you have her boss's number? Like who do how do you even handle that? 'Cause I I can imagine like that's a newer job. You don't don't necessarily have the boss's or manager's number. speaker-0 (15:26) and did did she you know can you tell me did she did she come at all and if she did did she leave with someone or I or answer some questions and you don't have anywhere to contact anybody. Right, right. And I mean you there were there were red red flags with the owner of The Burger Barn before that. But you know sometimes you just you know chalk it up to you know just not knowing a person. Sure. speaker-1 (15:56) Was it closed early? Like you got there early? Yeah. And it speaker-0 (16:02) Yeah. wow. Yeah. speaker-1 (16:04) Because there's speculation about what happened with the owner and ties to another country and everything that was the biggest and heaviest thing that came out. speaker-0 (16:17) Yeah. So to to fast forward a little bit, John, Ali's dad, he went up there. I think it was it was the next day. You know, of course we had to wait till they opened, you know. And they said that they never saw her that night. And so we're like, okay, you know and there was you know with s surrounding the owner of The Burger Barn and I am an under no, you know, way saying that he's responsible for anything 'cause we don't know. We don't know. but after Ali went missing there were certain things that people told us, you know, about the owner that were you know, I talked about those red flags you know. He the The surveillance that was inside the restaurant was only on a twenty-four hour loop. So there was nothing there for us to recover as far as surveillance. the second speaker-1 (17:33) Uh, to me that is convenient Because you can s simply s click a button and change it to a twenty-four hour loop versus a seven day or whatever and if you would have had because we haven't gotten to this point, but if the police would have properly responded, they could have gotten the hard drive and retrieved the data that was on there. So what happened because you called the police when you got home? speaker-0 (17:57) We called them that night after after Mason and his friends had been out looking for Ali, after me and John had been out looking for Ali. it was close to midnight when we called precinct four. And one of their female constables came out and she wasn't at the house for Maybe ten minutes. Maybe. And what's her name? Remember. I wish I could remember. it's it speaker-1 (18:34) I wonder if she looks back on that. You know, like you like I know police are human and they have their faults, but I wonder if she looks back on that. Do you look back on it and think, Man, I should have handled things differently? Like ten minutes for a missing kid, even if it is a runaway? Like speaker-0 (18:50) I would love to know that. I would love to know that. I think even even I think it was a year or two years after Ali went missing, the driver of the school bus got my phone number and called. I wasn't home, but she spoke to her mom and you know, was just crying you know, saying, You know, I'm so sorry that this happened and you know, that she that speaker-1 (19:18) She replays it. speaker-0 (19:19) she Could have done something. Yeah. speaker-1 (19:21) Like you replay your day. Yeah. Like you like I I replayed it, like I remember it was a pretty day out. Like there wasn't anything like I remember things, like I don't remember much, but I do remember things and and you replay it over and over again. Like where were you when this happened? And I wonder if she's ever done any reflection just as a law enforcement LEO or done any counseling or healing. And part of her counseling and healing should be a reach out, like a some sort of something, in my opinion, because she just basically and I'll let you tell the story about what she did. She was there ten minutes and what? speaker-0 (19:57) So she she looked into Ali's room, didn't do anything, didn't like uncover anything or whatever. she just basically poked her head in the room and then came back out to the living room and started to walk towards the front door and she said, Well, you know, y'all probably had a fight and she's at a friend's house cooling off and I'm like speaker-2 (20:25) We didn't have a fight. speaker-1 (20:28) No, we probably didn't. speaker-0 (20:29) Like, no. They sh we didn't have a fight so we at work. speaker-1 (20:33) You could have killed her and that deputy or L.E.O. didn't do anything in the process to even really see like or do any kind of investigative like speaker-0 (20:41) Right. Right. speaker-1 (20:43) and I'm not not saying you did, but I'm just saying like from the investigative standpoint, like when the littles go missing. Mm-hmm. Usually, you know, ninety percent of the time who is it? speaker-0 (20:52) yeah. You know like it's just speaker-1 (20:54) So speaker-0 (20:56) biased that when when they assume because of her age, you had a fight. Yes. she snuck off with a boyfriend. she's out partying with her friends. she's a typical teenage girl with her team. Yeah. speaker-2 (21:08) Thanks. speaker-0 (21:08) I don't care if she is typical. She's my daughter. Yeah. And I and and you know, if you find her, I'll punish the crap out of her. But unless speaker-1 (21:15) Take speaker-0 (21:16) that matters. Yes. speaker-1 (21:17) Take the facts of the case, like did you have a fight? No, you probably had a fight. You probably when you've got a brother, you've got other people in the house that you can actually talk to and you can see text records and you can see, but in the meantime, while she's labeled a runaway and I twenty four hours, she's still a child, she's still a minor. speaker-0 (21:35) Yes. speaker-2 (21:36) Did you did they ask to see your text record anything? It literally was speaker-0 (21:41) They didn't even make a missing person report that night. It was days actually before they made a report. And how how old was this was this female deputy? I mean not old. so do you think she had kids? Her I mean, was she young enough to where she may I mean I I mean not that that should make a difference, but you know Yeah. Well I mean that's that's definitely, you know, one thing to consider, you know, with her mentality. I I think she if she had kids probably maybe a little bit younger than Ali. so I would say that I was older than her at the time. 'Cause I you know sometimes you just think as as no matter what your profession is, that mom mom mentality and and empathy and compassion for another mom that's going through something you I would think you almost couldn't help but put yourself in her shoes and say, Okay, tell me what's going on because if it were reversed, I would want you asking me these questions. Yeah. And and you didn't get that. And there was no advice from her whatsoever. And looking back at it, I wish that law enforcement would have resources, I mean they have resources, but I wish that they would offer, you know, well you can call blah blah blah, you know, you can call NCMEC you could call not anymore, but the the Laura Recovery Center, you know. or what about hospitals and, you know, stuff like that. You know you can do A B C Yes. But it was just absolutely nothing. speaker-2 (23:24) Was there an hour tomorrow? As to because they didn't ask you a question. I'm just baffled by that. That's just so alarming. Where they didn't ask, Tell me about your day and you are able to pull out your phone and say these are the things that you know, these are the conversations that we had and they didn't do that. Or say, all right, just so you know, and I know this is very annoying, but standard operating procedure is this. We're going to tr we have to treat it as this. However, I wanna know from your perspective, tell me from your side of the story what happened so we can at least get these notes. We can get it documented. I will tell you because it Again, I'm just saying this because of standard operating procedure, we have to treat this as a runaway. I know as a mom, this isn't what you want to hear, but this is what we're going to do. Now, this is what you can do in the meantime. And if at this point, whatever that timeline is, that this is no longer a we think this might be a runaway, but this is truly a missing persons, then you have these hours that you will contact us. This is what we want you to think of. These are the things you want to document. These are the things you need. You got none of that. None of it. speaker-0 (24:35) Well and I think you not that was sad thing about that is that I would imagine that from a parental standpoint, you're just so frazzled that you're like, I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing. Right. Exactly. Who who do I call? Do I call I I mean I called the police, that should have been the first the first spot and then you should hold my hand and say, Okay, let's check the hospitals, let's check, you know, heaven forbid the morgue, let's check he wherever, let's check all the best friends and and I would imagine I would just be sitting there going I I don't know what to do. Right. And and and that's the problem is that you just got nothing Yeah nothing to that's not what happens on TV. You know, you call the the police when you need help and boom, they're on it, you know. So I know it's not a T V show, but yeah, there was nothing. speaker-1 (25:21) So how has that day changed your life? Ugh. speaker-0 (25:29) That's a hard question, I guess. well I I definitely look over my shoulder when I'm out in public all the time. I I have my CHL, I have home security, you know. if I can't say that I'm paranoid, but you know, if if it was intentional you know, what happened to her, then I mean, they're still out there. Yeah. So and you know, I feel sometimes if I piss off the right person then I know. Yeah speaker-2 (26:10) Just the fact that you don't So what okay, do you bind? Like what happened after speaker-1 (26:17) So speaker-0 (26:18) Yeah. speaker-1 (26:20) Burger Barnes shut down shortly after. speaker-0 (26:22) Fourth of July weekend, after Ali went missing, they shut down. speaker-1 (26:27) About three months later it's gone. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I wanna point that out. But so they didn't respond. What happened after the police like left? You're on, you know, past twenty four hours. She still hasn't Mom, I'm home, like sorry, I spent the night at a friend's, I shouldn't have, whatever. Right. What what are you thinking? Where do you go from there? speaker-0 (26:46) What do you do? Well, I turned to social media to reach out to my friends and family and it was my sister that lived in New Jersey at the time that helped me make our very first flyer. you know, 'cause I I didn't like that, you know, and I consider my sister a very intelligent person and she's like, Well send me a photo and you know, send me this and you know, let's do that and so all the way from New Jersey, my sister was helping me. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean one thing speaker-1 (27:20) could thing you said is you put your own personal phone number on there. That speaker-0 (27:24) Yeah. speaker-1 (27:25) was probably your your the thing you regretted you didn't shouldn't have put your personal number on there. What number should you put or what like why do you say that? speaker-0 (27:33) anybody's but your own. I mean back back then we didn't we couldn't put law enforcement on there because they called her a runaway and didn't even take a report. you know, we putn couldn't put crime stoppers or, you know, any agencies on there because nobody was involved. so me and John put our phone numbers on the flyer and You know, I had I had posted on Facebook that Ali was missing and didn't come home and she was supposed to go to work, you know, I put just basic stuff out there and so my friends started organizing, you know. they could some of them came by and picked up flyers and one of from a Girl Scout Council, Gina she posted on there, you know, she's c she said called the Laura Recovery Center. And I'm like, Who's that? speaker-2 (28:35) Yeah. speaker-0 (28:37) I didn't know who that was so so I looked him up and got a phone number and and called him and it speaker-1 (28:48) I just speaker-0 (28:48) was like almost at midnight and they answered the phone. Wow. This was the next day and she said, We'll be there tomorrow. And they were the only ones that was taking anything seriously. And you know, it it even you know, once they came the third day, it even took them a little while to, you know, to get their footing, you know, to create a flyer and you know, all that other stuff, contact law enforcement and you know, finally when we when they made the flyer, you know, it we tried to post it everywhere and it was it was too late for our phone number. It was out there everywhere. But yeah, if it weren't for the Lower Recovery Center, I don't think there would ever be a missing person report or law enforcement involvement. That makes no sense. Yeah, yeah. And that's speaker-2 (29:46) be something that drives you absolutely crazy. speaker-0 (29:49) makes me so angry. But you know, they're more often than not, you know, I I feel like I've heard the same thing from families, you know, that law enforcement doesn't take them seriously and they're just left to do things on their own. speaker-1 (30:06) One of my kids asked me, he goes, Mom, if you go missing because he's a gamer in in the world or whatever. He's like, Mom, if you go missing, what do I do? He's like, Do I pay the ransom? I was dude, no, you don't ever pay the ransom. He's like you hire a private investigator and you get me, like whatever. Find Liam Ne Nielsen Nielsen. Nielsen speaker-0 (30:25) Lamb Nil Nelson Lambda. speaker-1 (30:28) And he'll he'll bring me back. So yeah, it's like you you gotta do your own police. speaker-0 (30:33) I don't know. Where where his daughter's missing and I can't speaker-2 (30:38) Speaking police work though. Like what what like what evidence? Who did they interview? Did they? Did like it sounds like you've had to do so much on your own. speaker-0 (30:50) so you guys probably know how large Harris County is. Mm-hmm. and it's it's broken up into different precincts. So when the the first constable came out she was with precinct four. They don't have specialty divisions. I don't know what what they call them. So they after they came in and they and they did a few things, they had to hand the case over to Harris County Runaway. And and then after that, you know, it kind of quickly changed hands, but a lot happened with the runaway division. and then there was when you so when you go up a step, the only where to the only where way to go is the homicide department. And we we were like, well, can't you pull phone records? Can't you pull surveillance? Can't you, you know, do this? And they're like, no, we can't do it. We can't do it. Our homicide department can do it. You know, they have more resources. And me and John were like, hell yes, you know, but bring them in, please, you know, let's let's do things. And once the homicide department had a hold of the case, everything stopped so they could investigate us. speaker-1 (32:18) investigate y'all. speaker-0 (32:19) Yes. speaker-1 (32:20) I'll investigate the parents. Yeah. speaker-0 (32:22) The entire family. What about speaker-1 (32:24) Investigate the whole overall case. Like everything, everybody. speaker-0 (32:26) Exactly. Yeah. And and by the time they had the case we were doing ground searches. NCMEC had already become involved. And you keep saying speaker-1 (32:37) Saying NCMEC what's that? speaker-0 (32:38) it's the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Okay. And I always some people are like, Well what's that? I'm like John Walsh's foundation. Yes. Yeah. speaker-1 (32:49) Conspiracy theorist in me, I'm not I'm I'm gonna try and stay away from that, okay. So what's the hardest part about not having answers? speaker-0 (33:01) the sleepless nights and the stress and mainly the sleepless nights, just not knowing is is called there's a term for it, it's called ambiguous loss. and I mean it's just something that eats at me all the time. speaker-1 (33:25) You don't have that peace. speaker-0 (33:27) So we we have a a a mutual friend who unfortunately lost her sister and and has not and her sister has her body has not been found. and it's an active investigation forty years later. And one thing that our friend said and I'm just I just wonder you know from your from your kids' perspective, she said that when her sister went missing Part of her mom went with her. And she said and and and again this is n not a reflection on anybody. She says a lot of times she said that that she is always referred to by her mother as her sister's sister. And she said I sometimes feel like I lost my identity because part of my mom was lost. Yeah. And I and and I and I can s I can certainly see that happening. Yeah. But you know and you have other children. Yeah. And I would imagine I would probably say, You're not leaving the house, you're not going anywhere. I would be so afraid that something like that would happen again. Yeah. how did it I mean the dynamics, the family dynamics, how did that impact Your you know, your daily routine, your you know, your work. I I mean I can I speaker-2 (34:44) thinking about mason. I keep thinking about mason. speaker-0 (34:47) Yeah. So yeah a lot. so me and John had already been separated but not divorced for like an entire year and a half when this happened. so it was me, Mason and Ali at home and then kinda my mom part time. She was over a lot. And So after this happened, speaker-1 (35:20) I speaker-0 (35:20) I just feel like I I was I was the the child almost and then Mason had to step up and and do things, you know, even though he was eighteen. you know, he did the grocery shopping. I didn't go to work for almost two weeks. so there there was a lot, you know. He he had to do the the lawn work and the laundry and you know. it it affected him, you know, all of his friends knew and I didn't he stayed gone a lot. you know, because of the you know, when when we finally started getting media attention, you know, he didn't want any part of that and he still doesn't. and so when when I gave him, you know, the it's all clear, you know, then he would come home. But he I mean till this day it's not something that we talk about all the time. You know, obviously but when he does talk about it, you know, there's tears and anger and you know, he he he expressed to me several years ago that speaker-1 (36:51) Yeah. speaker-0 (36:51) you know, and we were I guess he heard me on the phone or somet or talking to to a friend or something and He he waited till I was done with the conversation and it he decided to to give me his thoughts. And speaker-1 (37:11) He said he said speaker-0 (37:13) Said mom, he says, there's part of me that hopes that Ali's not alive. And and I looked at him. I speaker-1 (37:25) And I'm speaker-0 (37:26) was like, I'm like, but what if she's out there? You know, and he's like, mom, if she's out there, what is she going through? speaker-1 (37:37) Yeah. speaker-0 (37:39) And, you know, he went into detail, you know, 'cause we watch T V and I don't watch a lot of true crime anymore, but you know, we used to in in our house. Yeah, we live it. And and he's like, Mom, he's like, I don't I don't wish that Ali is alive out there and being held against her will and, you know be being held captive somewhere, you know, or being trafficked or you know, just these horrific, you know, images that you think of when you can't find your child, you know. And yeah, when he told me about that, you know, it it gave me a a different perspective other than, you know, just where is she? What's happening? speaker-1 (38:30) Yeah. Yeah. So law enforcement starts to investigate you. Now homicide, they're investigating you guys. You're you're guilty. Yeah. What happens from there? speaker-0 (38:43) well after they interrogate us and polygraph us and decided that we were innocent. not much happened after that. They I know that they interviewed some of Ali's friends, they went up to the high school late speaker-1 (39:06) Were her employers interviewed, were the owners interviewed, were speaker-0 (39:09) Yeah. Yeah. speaker-1 (39:10) did they do a polygraph? speaker-0 (39:13) we were told that the owner and one or two of the employees were polygraphed. speaker-2 (39:20) Yeah. speaker-0 (39:22) the the thing is law enforcement is not in any way obligated to tell us anything. Yeah. To this day we will give them information and we get no the most infuriating speaker-1 (39:40) Just not having answers. Not a response to what's coming in. Right. I remember too the white truck, Louisiana connection, the white truck in the area and the thought process like didn't he murder somebody in Louisiana or was seen in the area? Yeah. speaker-0 (39:56) Yeah, Brandon Laverne. He he came up on our radar during the searches for Mickey Schoenick, out of Lafayette. And by then I was involved with Texas Equesearch and I didn't actually get to to go to Lafayette and help search for Mickey but Yeah, I was in contact with her family. And there was a a group of us that actually went up to the area not Cleveland, but maybe a little plat past Clevel the Cleveland area, to where he burnt his truck, you know, just to to look, you know, and see, you know, where it was and what the area looked like. but it was that probably was the very first time that I felt like we might be close, you know, because his sister lived in spring. you know, somebody said that they did see a white truck on Cypress Wood speaking to a young lady. and yeah, it just kind of felt like it fit, you know. But long That was our first hope. And law enforcement, you know, of course after they arrested Brandon and they found Mickey and you know we've we gave our theory to law enforcement, we were told that they did drive over there to go talk to him and they they said that he had an alibi that he was working. So it couldn't have been him. No within the within Steinyear, yeah. It took a while, but yeah. speaker-1 (42:00) So what what keeps you going? speaker-0 (42:05) Help. speaker-1 (42:07) Hopefully. speaker-0 (42:08) does and Ali does. speaker-1 (42:10) Yes. speaker-0 (42:12) because when if we do find her and if she is alive out there, I don't want her to think that I ever gave up. speaker-1 (42:25) Live in the same house, the same phone number. speaker-0 (42:27) I do. I don't have my phone number anymore. I don't know. I g I gave up my landline 'cause I'm broke. But no I I gave up the landline a couple of years ago and as a matter of fact I finally gave up her cell phone number too. Yeah. It was it was costing me way too much to keep speaker-1 (42:53) Yeah. Yeah. So why is it so important to keep sharing a missing person's story? speaker-0 (43:03) Well the first thing I would say is if if it was your loved one or your child, you would want everybody on this entire planet to know that she's missing and that you're still looking. And you know, I I I wouldn't I don't want anybody to forget that we're still looking because you know throughout the years I've come across people that they'll recognize me or they'll come they'll find the Facebook page after a couple of years and they're like, I was hoping that she'd be found by now, you know, or I heard that she was found and I'm like, okay, well I gotta I gotta try harder. You know there's th it you always hear that old cliche that there's someone out there that knows something. Yeah. And you just have to hope that maybe under some circumstances They inadvertently tell someone and that someone has a conscience and and it will finally trickle back to you and say Exactly this is what we saw. This is where we go. Yes. That speaker-1 (44:04) Yeah, someone knows something. speaker-0 (44:08) is my hope. And this is what we do. And and whatever the outcome is, it it is the fact like you said, Yeah. She will know that you never gave up and then the fact that you advocate for this awareness and we'll go over that in just a little bit, but just To keep parents and law enforcement accountable and just say don't automatically assume the wrong thing because you could lose precious hours and minutes looking for someone if you just assume the wrong thing. Exactly. And that's exactly what happened to us, you know, and and I don't want that to happen to anybody else. You know. It's it's it's a living nightmare and you know, I I do whatever I can, whatever I can invent, you know, to to keep advocating for her and anybody else that wants my help. speaker-1 (45:01) So what can the public do to actually help? speaker-0 (45:06) the number one thing is just share. Share her flyers on social media. you know, like the the the t shirts. I mean you guys now are gonna be my walking billboard. Absolutely. You know, and hopefully, you know, you will wear it on vacations, wear it in public and so you know. Hopefully people yeah, yeah. Hopefully people will ask you, you know, what's this what does your shirt say? You know? And Yeah, I've I've had people not knowing who I am, you know, wearing one of my Ali shirts and they'll ask me, you know, is sh is she still missing, you know, and then I'll sometimes depending on my mood, I'll say, Yeah, that's my daughter or yeah, this is Ali, you know, she's been missing and so yeah. speaker-1 (45:55) So what conversations should parents have with their children, like for the safety and awareness aspect of things? speaker-0 (46:04) well first of all, your kids are never gonna listen to you. I I would say if if because I never got to have that talk with Ali, you know, but I mean all kids need to know that they're loved and if they do disappear somebody will miss them. And you know Let them know that if you can't come and talk to me, you know, go to that adult and talk to them, you know, about anything really. That kids it's very important for kids to have somebody to talk to. And and you know, from a from a parent standpoint, yeah, I mean you don't want to you don't want to scare them so much that they can't go out walk out the front door and and not enjoy life. Yeah. But At the same time, you always want them to be aware of their surroundings. And and that's just that's and those are conversations that we all have. I mean, my daughter's twenty eight years old and I life three sixty the hell out of her every day. Where why why is it she home? My mother my mother today, where are you going? Mindy and I are going to spring for for a podcast. All right, just making sure I see the end I'm just like, okay. You know, and It doesn't matter the age. No, it doesn't matter. I mean, I check on my parents. Well I mean we three track each other because we're always on the road and we're like, Well let's make sure she got home okay and it's just it's just a lack of it's it's just lack of help any place else and the awareness and the concern and the love that you have for your loved ones and your friends and your family that just you know and I think our kids need to understand that we're not being stalkers. Right. We're we're loving them. Yeah. And wanting to protect them. Yeah. I I have people quite often they'll either comment on a Facebook post or send me a message and you know, telling me that, you know, because I share Ali with them that you know, they talk to their kids about what happened to Ali. And and and that really That makes me feel good. speaker-2 (48:21) Yeah. speaker-0 (48:21) You know, that that I'm doing something. speaker-1 (48:24) Making an impact out of her legs. speaker-0 (48:26) Yeah. Making them aware of of Ali very well could prevent it from happening happening to one of them. Yeah. And that's you know yeah. That's huge. Exactly. Yeah. That's huge. speaker-1 (48:39) If you could change one thing about the way missing p persons reports are handled by law enforcement or handled in general, what would that be? speaker-0 (48:51) I would love to have a soapbox for that one. speaker-1 (48:55) here you go. speaker-0 (48:58) first of all, treat every case initially like that child is in danger because they are a child, you know, even at sixteen, seventeen. Take it seriously. And if they're next door, wonderful. Yeah. You know? Yeah. If if they end up coming home the next day because they did run away, wonderful. Yes. You know? speaker-1 (49:25) You can't recover data, you can't recover, you can't get information. Yeah. speaker-0 (49:30) So I I thought it was strange how you said it was it was the runaway division and then it went up to the homicide division. It's like what if they're not a damn runaway? There's a missing there's a something there's a missing step in there. That's speaker-1 (49:48) No body, so speaker-0 (49:50) why she didn't get an amber alert. speaker-1 (49:54) Ambiguous loss or speaker-0 (49:56) Yeah. There there's that that missing step is, you know, because when you say, she's a runaway, that doesn't make it any better. Right. But when you say she's missing, we determine she didn't do it intentionally. And we don't know what her status is of if she's alive or not. So there's this big, huge open gap where she she and so many other kids, and adults for that matter. Fit. And if law enforcement can't help, don't want to help, then give that parent some tools. speaker-2 (50:29) I think one of the things that we're talking about was that they're listed as or categor categorized as a runaway. Whether or not that's accurate. And then the next step is the homicide. Yeah. But there's so much of that opening where no, they're missing. Yeah. No, because to me the runaway sounds it gives them that that title of it was intentional. Yeah. I got mad at mama, got mad at my brother, got mad at my grandma and I took off and I'm gonna make them, you know, suffer for a little while. speaker-1 (51:08) They they labeled her a runaway until she was the legal age of an adult and then she was endangered missing. speaker-2 (51:16) See, I I d I that that should be immediate. Yeah. That that speaker-0 (51:21) Even if she is a runaway, she's still missing. speaker-2 (51:23) and she's still in danger. And she's still in danger. Yes. speaker-3 (51:27) That right that yeah, that was something that I was thinking of too. It's like, but she's not even eighteen. She's sixteen years old speaker-1 (51:35) I didn't. speaker-3 (51:35) and just labeled a runaway and and there's no real investigation. speaker-2 (51:40) I I can I not that I understand it but it w Well, she's an adult, she's eighteen, she's an adult, you know, it's like, well, you're right. Okay. But speaker-1 (51:50) I had the FBI tell me that. She's in a she's an adult now. She can go missing if she wants to. speaker-3 (51:55) But two years ago she was a minor and this has been going on for two years. So that gap, like what happened in those two years, you investigated us, you put us through all of this, you said we were innocent. Why are we not putting resources towards finding this child? Right. speaker-2 (52:11) Yeah. And then like we said, if if if the homicide like you said, the homicide they take precedence over the homicide cases. Mm-hmm. Understandable. Mm-hmm. speaker-1 (52:24) But speaker-2 (52:26) if they are not willing to help, like you alluded to earlier, that they won't share the information that they've got. Well you know what, if you're gonna sit on it and not do anything, then go ahead and give it to me. Yeah. And let me see what I can do. speaker-0 (52:42) Did hire a private investigator too. speaker-1 (52:44) Yeah, we've we've had several private investigators and speaker-2 (52:50) Was the police forthcoming with with the information did they share it with them? No. speaker-1 (52:54) No. No as a matter of fact. My favorite PI, she's not a PI anymore, Amber. they told her, don't call me, don't text me, don't email me. Because she was that persistent with them. You know, we have this information, you know, can you do something with it? And she she was one of the she was the squeaky wheel, you know. and because I have a problem with that. speaker-2 (53:23) I can't be a squeaky wheel. I'm I'm gonna say right now that other thing is bullshit. Yeah. I mean I'm sorry, straight up. And I I think I would be the first one. I think that's what needs to be done with law enforcement, with whether the sheriff's department, local police, whatever. You know what, if you've got information and you can't do anything about it, then let someone else freaking do it. speaker-1 (53:40) Well, it got so bad, I stopped putting law enforcement's information on all of my advocacy for Ali for for the longest Yeah. I even I I would say within the first five years I even had people reach out to me because they said that they would call the number on the flyers and they would say Ali who speaker-2 (54:06) Okay. speaker-1 (54:08) not receive any phone call back, you know, and just like it was infuriating Yeah. So then you hear about all speaker-2 (54:16) Cold case, you know, the cold case division. speaker-0 (54:19) At least they have a body and speaker-3 (54:30) Earlier Kelly referenced a case that they do know, unfortunately, Becky Beard is deceased. There's so much evidence that points to that. But there is there is no body. There's somebody that actually confessed. It's a it's a whole onion that you just peel back. There's a lot still going on with it. That's why the family's looking for answers. You don't have that answer at all. speaker-2 (54:52) No. No. And so the speaker-3 (54:55) The hope. I love that you you lead with hope for Ali. Mm-hmm. You know, you say, Wear the shirt, take Ali with you. I'm gonna take Ali with me. You know. And and I and I do know that you have other shirts if people want to to get and want to be able to share her story and talk about her. speaker-2 (55:12) Yeah. speaker-1 (55:14) As a matter of fact, you know, people do ask me all the time, you know, if I sell the shirts and I I don't sell them online because I don't wanna have to deal with shipping and packaging and post office and everything. But speaker-0 (55:29) Yeah. speaker-1 (55:31) but but I did just there's a a website called Cafe Press. Yes. Have y'all heard of that? Yeah. speaker-3 (55:39) Okay press. speaker-1 (55:40) I I did just I think I did like four or five different images where there's t shirts and some tumblers and a pillow, you know, just things random things, you know, and like a little necklace or keychain or whatever, because you know, I've had some fundraisers and I understand not everybody can afford, you know, $35 for a t-shirt. and Cafe Press allows me and you know, Allie's supporters to be able to support me without breaking the bank, basically. You know, speaker-3 (56:22) So you can speaker-0 (56:26) I'm con speaker-1 (56:27) So yeah, yeah. speaker-2 (56:29) I would very much like to get a few of these shirts. I've got a future daughter in law who's up at Round Top all the time doing her art and my stepson who she's marrying runs drug interdiction up and down I ten. And he sees lots of things and lots of people. And if he knows and if he's made aware, then he you know, maybe he can spread the word 'cause he's speaker-0 (56:51) Do you have a Venmo for donations or anything? Do you have a donation website to help you or speaker-1 (56:56) I on my website, Alexandria Lowitzer dot com there is a donation button on there. It goes to PayPal. I don't think I've ever used Venmo. Okay speaker-0 (57:10) Well what? speaker-3 (57:10) It's great by the way. speaker-1 (57:13) I mean I've sent money through Zell to people, but nobody usually ever sends me money. So speaker-0 (57:19) I I wanna thank you for coming here. Thank you for being here and sharing Allie's story and your hope for Ali. And we have hope for you to get answers. You know, we want you as the listener to be able to share the story, share Allie's story, go to the website, make a donation, buy a shirt, go to the cafe press, we'll put that down below. So be sure to get that information. Contact law enforcement if you have credible information, but make sure it's credible. Don't say yes, all are at Walmart. you know. Someone that looked like, yeah, I I heard that story. So speaker-1 (57:53) Or send it to me. speaker-0 (57:55) And support, you know, organizations that assist families of missing persons, like get out and do search parties, get out and look and be part of the solution to help find those missing individuals. I think it's really just important to be there and show up too because enough pressure coming from the community I think could have changed things a little more in the sense of I think people were just in shock like she's a runaway, what speaker-2 (58:21) Quick. Well and I want to know from the law enforcement standpoint if you know why they won't share anything with you, is it because they really don't have anything? Because they basically sat on their hands and did do and didn't do anything and they're embarrassed and ashamed that they have so little to go on? Or is there a dumb policy that keeps things from being shared, which I think is ridiculous. speaker-1 (58:42) It's I feel it's ridiculous. but they should be ashamed that they lost the one and only surveillance that was out there. speaker-0 (58:50) Yeah, they could have confiscated that especially on speaker-1 (58:52) Yeah. So speaker-3 (58:59) Somebody knows something. Somebody knows something. speaker-2 (59:01) Somebody knows something and and if you know something and or you hear something and you even want to bring a tip and or it's anonymous, it doesn't matter as long as it just you know hopefully we can get some answers. speaker-0 (59:14) So cheers to you. Cheers to Ali and cheers to you. Yes.