Chelsea Grimm

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3:01Today I'm discussing the disappearance of Chelsea Grimm. In late September 2023, 32-year-old Chelsea Grimm left her home in San Diego, California to drive to Connecticut for a wedding. But a few days into her trip, she'd only gotten as far as Phoenix, Arizona. This should have been about a 5 or 6 hour drive from San Diego, but at this point Chelsea calls her parents, and lets them know that she thinks this entire cross-country trip idea is just too ambitious, and she can't make the drive alone. But she's not quite ready to come home yet. Since she's already in Arizona, she says that she's going to stay for a few more days in camp, and she warns them that they should expect her to be in areas without cell service.

3:41Basically a call to tell them not to worry, and that she'll be home in a few days. but more than a few days passed without being able to get in touch with Chelsea, and her parents report her missing on October 4th. The very next day, Chelsea's vehicle is found. It was abandoned on a dirt road with two flat tires. And her phone, wallet, tent, sleeping bag, some clothing, and her beloved pet-bearded dragon were all missing from the vehicle. Now, at first, Chelsea's parents and investigators believed that flat tires aside, maybe Chelsea just went camping, like she said she would. But as they begin to dig deeper, they find that during these few days between last speaking to her parents and her vehicle being found, a lot happened.

4:26Including Chelsea having an interaction with the local sheriff's office and attempting to pay for a hotel room in Euros, stating that she was trying to stay off the grid. This is the case of Chelsea Grimm. As of recording this episode, it's been about a month since 32-year-old Chelsea Grimm set out on a cross-country trip from her home in San Diego to Connecticut to attend a wedding. Now, Chelsea had actually planned to fly out to the wedding, but she'd recently gotten a pet-bearded dragon she calls Roz or Roxy, and the airlines wouldn't let her bring it on the plane. So on the day she was supposed to fly out, she calls her parents and says that she's going to drive to the wedding, and basically just make a road trip out of it.

5:08Now, of course, this would be a very ambitious drive for anyone. To travel about 3 ,000 miles across basically the entire United States like that would take about 43 hours of driving time. Not even factoring in stopping for gas, food, stopping to let her pet bearded dragon use the restroom, or sleeping. Even if she could drive 12 hours a day, she's still looking at about three and a half days to get to Connecticut. But according to Chelsea's parents, she's a very loving, compassionate person, which means if she can't take her new bearded dragon with her, driving seemed like her best option. So on Sunday, September 24th, 2023, Chelsea sets out on her trip in her white 2019 Ford Escape SUV.

5:52We can assume that she packed everything she might need for the wedding. Clothes, toiletries, that kind of thing. And we do know that she packed camping gear, specifically a tent and a sleeping bag. According to an interview Chelsea's mother Janet did with Brian Enten from News Nation, Chelsea was kind of up for anything in terms of her sleeping arrangements. She told her mom that she did have gear for camping, but she was just going to see how things would go. She might camp, or she might get a hotel. She was keeping her plans pretty loose. But just three days later, on Wednesday, September 27th, Chelsea had only made it to Arizona, just the next state over.

6:30Now, unfortunately, we don't really know what Chelsea was doing for these three days, or why it took her three days to complete what should have been about a six-hour drive. And I can say that I've made this drive several times. Even on the longest route, it's pretty much just a lot of freeway. It's an easy drive. Even if for some reason she didn't have directions, wasn't using GPS, it's really not easy to get lost. But on the 27th, she meets with a friend in Phoenix at her home, and they make plans to have brunch together the next day. That afternoon, Chelsea called her parents and explained what was going on She said that she'd only made it to Arizona And that she didn't think she could drive to Connecticut for the wedding by herself So she says she's going to skip the wedding But she wasn't planning on going straight home She told her parents that she planned to stay in Arizona for a couple more days and do some camping And then she'd make the drive back home to San Diego Or at least that's what they assumed Janet told News Nation, quote

7:44Now,

7:50Janet and Stephen Grimm say that this isn't totally unlike their daughter to change plans at the last minute. While she did usually keep her parents informed of what was going on, In the same interview, her father said, quote,

8:16At this point, Chelsea's parents say that they suggest a few different options for her to get back home, and even offer to fly her back home from Phoenix to San Diego so she doesn't have to make the drive. but they say that Chelsea just didn't want to change her plans. She tells them she's just going to make the best of it and camp for a few days. She also gives them a heads up that the areas she plans to visit will have little to no cell service. A few days passed and Chelsea's parents didn't hear from her. They figure she just didn't have cell service. But as a few days turned into almost a week, they began to worry.

8:51Although Chelsea is 32 years old and had a newer, presumably reliable car This was out of character for her Her parents describe her as an artist who is very compassionate and an over-communicator It just wasn't like her to not tell them what was going on, knowing how worried they would be So on October 4th, they finally decide to report her missing to the Phoenix Police Department And the next day, her vehicle was found This episode of Voices for Justice is brought to you by Quince. I love giving gifts, and Quince really does make that so easy. They have something for everyone, from soft Mongolian cashmere sweaters for$50 that look and feel like designer pieces, silk tops and skirts for dressing up, perfectly cut denim for everyday wear, and outerwear that actually keeps you warm.

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10:40This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Greenlight. I think one of the best gifts you can give your kids is the gift of financial literacy. I know it might sound a little corny, but think about how much it helps in life. Not only as a kid just to kind of develop and polish those skills, but as you also enter adulthood. When you have that skill set of financial literacy, it makes life so much easier. Now, if you haven't heard of Greenlight, it's a debit card and money app for families. It helps you teach kids and teens about money before bad habits or costly mistakes can take hold. Parents can send money quickly, track every purchase with real-time notifications, and even assign chores for allowance.

11:21Greenlight really does help kids learn how to save, invest, and build confidence with money. This is truly a product that I wish I had growing up. Like I said, I think it would have given me a much better head start in life. Join millions of parents already using Greenlight, the number one family finance and safety app. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at greenlight.com slash justice. That's greenlight.com slash justice to get started. greenlight.com slash justice. On Thursday, October 5th, 2023, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle. This was near Forest Service Road 6 northeast of Ash Fork, Arizona.

12:04The vehicle was found in the middle of a dirt road, and both tires on the right side were flat. Some local hunter saw the vehicle and realized something seemed off. It was locked, but some belongings were inside, and the owner was clearly gone and not camping anywhere in the area that they could see. So the responding officer presumably runs the plate, and realized it belonged to Chelsea Grimm, who was reported missing to the Phoenix Police department about 24 hours earlier. And this is really where the investigation into Chelsea's case begins. As they become more familiar with the circumstances surrounding Chelsea's disappearance, they are able to identify some items missing from the vehicle.

12:44Her cell phone, wallet, some clothing, sleeping bag, tent, and her beloved bearded dragon were all gone. But at this point, they don't know if something terrible happened, if Chelsea was just camping like she told her parents she planned to do, or if she just got a ride from someone and hasn't gotten in touch with her parents yet. So they begin to investigate and trace Chelsea's steps, and they develop a pretty detailed timeline. Here's what we know. Chelsea canceled her plans to have brunch with that friend in Phoenix on September 28th. Instead, she drove about 170 miles north to the small town of Seligman, Arizona.

13:22And when I say small, I mean this town is tiny. In 2020, they had a reported population of just over 900 people. But Chelsea finds a hotel that she wants to stay at in this town, and the employee that helped her does report some odd behavior. They say that she seemed disoriented, and actually tried to pay in euros, saying she was trying to stay off the grid. According to a handful of sources, this same night, Chelsea was seen speaking with a quote, Williams neighbor in their driveway. Now, they are referring to Williams, Arizona, which is a town close to Seligman. But to be totally honest, I don't know exactly what this means.

14:05Chelsea doesn't have a home in Williams, and wasn't reported visiting a friend there either, at least as far as we know right now. So I think we should just take this to mean she was speaking to a person in their driveway. I'll admit that it's a little confusing, but at this point, there's so little out there about Chelsea. I just want to include any interactions with her that I can. And this isn't where Chelsea's activity ends for the night. At around 10.30pm, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office responds to a suspicious activity call in the Williams Cemetery. And here an officer finds Chelsea crying in her SUV.

14:42She explains that she's there to work on a photography project about missing soldiers. Now this is another detail that I was confused about when I first heard it. But in that interview with News Nation, her parents give some background about their daughter and explain why they didn't think it was odd at all. They describe Chelsea as an artist and a photographer who supplements her income with her art. Not only that, they also explain that Chelsea really loved her grandfather, who was a World War II veteran. So this project about missing soldiers that she mentions just isn't a red flag for her parents.

15:17Chelsea also tells the officer that she was planning to camp nearby, and he suggests that she might want to go to the Love's travel stop across the way just to be safe. Now, the officer that night was wearing a body cam, and this interaction seems to have lasted about nine minutes, but I want to play you some clips from the audio so you can hear Chelsea's demeanor for yourself. Hello. Hello. How are you doing? I'm okay. How are you? Are you doing all right? Yeah, I just was doing a photo shoot of the lost soldiers and got a little emotional so I was crying before I got back on the road. Yeah, if it's okay with you to hang out here for another like 15 or 20 and then head on the road, that would be my plan, I think.

15:55Do you have like a hotel around here or anything? I don't. I was actually thinking of just camping for the night, but I wasn't really sure exactly yet. Gotcha. I didn't plan to be here until sunset. The yellow lights over there, the loves, it's a trucker stopping in the gas station here. You can just sleep there. Nobody will bother you. Awesome. Yeah, Now, in addition to discussing Chelsea's plans for the night, the officer also tells her that he can smell marijuana, and she admits to smoking it earlier in the day. But in the end, the officer decides that Chelsea is not impaired, and he lets her go.

16:30Chelsea's parents have commented on this video, and like the officer, they agree that she seemed completely fine, and they don't find anything unusual about this video or interaction. This is not the last time Chelsea was seen, but this is the day when all activity on Chelsea's cell phone and credit card stops. And as far as I could find, despite Chelsea posting pretty regularly on social media, that stops here too. From here, there's just one last sighting of Chelsea that we know of. Two days later, on Saturday, September 30th, she's spotted about 20 miles west of the Williams Cemetery, northeast of Ash Fork, Arizona.

17:10Here, a person only described as a woodcutter sees her camping in her car, and this person just seems to do a courtesy check on her. They ask if she's okay, if she needs anything, and according to this person, Chelsea says no. They even go back and check on her a second time, and Chelsea again says that she's fine. Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll told CBS 8, quote, He talked to her around noon, and she said she was fine, and she didn't need any help, and she was out taking photographs. This is the last reported interaction with Chelsea Grimm before her parents reported her missing four days later on October 4th, 2023.

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18:48Get tickets now. I think this timeline can be a little confusing, but it's crucial. So let's do a little recap. On September 24th, 2023, Chelsea leaves for Connecticut. On September 27th, she meets her friend in Phoenix and tells her parents that she's canceling the rest of her road trip, but plans to stay in Arizona for a few more days to camp. The next day on the 28th, she cancels her plans to see her friend again, and is seen about three hours north of Phoenix in Seligman, Arizona, where she tries to pay for a hotel room in Euros, telling the employee she's trying to stay off the grid. But she doesn't stay at that hotel.

19:28She then travels about 40 minutes east to Williams, where she's seen speaking to someone in their driveway, and she's seen later that night in the Williams Cemetery, where an officer approaches her and suggests that she stays at the Love's travel stop just across the freeway. Now, as of this recording, we don't know if Chelsea took that officer's advice to go to Love's. This is actually something Kelly Townsend, the PI her parents hired, says he's trying to look into. Chelsea's seen just one last time two days later about 20 miles east of Williams near Ash Fork, Arizona. Then, four days later, on October 4th, she's reported missing, and the next day her vehicle is found near Ash Fork in the middle of the road with both right tires flat.

20:13And this is where Chelsea's trail ends, or at least what we know of her trail right now. There have been some large searches for Chelsea. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office say that they've had hundreds of people on the ground searching for her, as well as aerial support near where her SUV was found. They've also notified authorities in Connecticut and in surrounding states about Chelsea's odd disappearance. At this point, authorities aren't really sure what to think. While their initial statements early in the case leaned away from foul play, they now say it's possible. Or Chelsea could just be lost.

20:51Chelsea's father, Steven, told News Nation, quote, She was upset with a boy she was dating. She was scared of him. We feel like she was running away from him. And I think overall that was affecting a lot of her mindset. But authorities have said that all of Chelsea's ex-boyfriends have been ruled out. Chelsea's parents have been pretty open with authorities that she has had some mental health concerns in the past. But they say nothing like this has ever happened. Or anything major in general. And Chelsea's friend, that responding officer, and the woodcutter who last saw her all report that she seemed fine.

21:29However, authorities are not ruling out the possibility that Chelsea is suffering from some type of crisis right now. While of course foul play is being considered, her parents believe that the fact that Chelsea's pet bearded dragon was missing from the vehicle when it was found is a good sign. They think that this means that she could have left her vehicle willingly. Her mother said, quote, Chelsea has always had a special spot in her heart for children, elderly people, and animals. She would never leave an animal behind. She just wouldn't do it. So I think that is a telltale sign. And of course, the fact that her wallet, tent, sleeping bag, and some of her clothing were also taken does seem to point towards Chelsea making some type of alternative plan after her SUV got those two flat tires.

22:17But unfortunately, this is pretty much where Chelsea's case is today As of this recording, it's been about a month since she was last seen Which brings me right to our call to action This is a very new case, obviously And I think that there's a lot of hope that Chelsea could be found While her case has gotten some news coverage I'd love to see a sense of urgency for her We all know how crucial these first few hours, days, and weeks are after someone goes missing No matter what happened to Chelsea, she has loved ones looking for answers, and multiple agencies looking for her. Please share her story and please share her photo.

22:56I will have the last known photo of Chelsea and photos of her vehicle, tattoo, and bearded dragon on the Voices for Justice social media pages and website for easy sharing. But please share.

23:15As a reminder, 32-year-old Chelsea Grimm was last seen on September 30, 2023, northeast of Ash Fork, Arizona. She is a white female, with light brown or blondish hair and blue eyes. She is 5 '8", weighs approximately 115 to 135 pounds, and has a tattoo of a vine with leaves on it on her left forearm. Her 2019 white Ford Escape SUV has been recovered. Anyone with information is asked to call the Coconino County Sheriff's Office at 928-774-4523. But, as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time. Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice Media original.

24:10If you love what we do here, please take a moment to follow and rate the show in your podcast player. It helps us and helps more people find these cases in need of justice.

24:40Thank you.

25:10Welcome to the Secret After Show. I don't have a ton to say about Chelsea's case that I haven't already said. Obviously, I have a sweet spot for cases that are in my own backyard. And because I knew so much about, like, the routes that she traveled, I just, I don't know, I felt compelled to cover it. And you guys know how I am. Sometimes I find these brand new cases that I guess I personally feel like aren't getting a ton of attention sometimes and just want to help share. And I'll say it again, I know I've said it in past episodes and I don't mean to preach, but I never want this show to have such a high barrier for cases that cases that might produce a shorter episode like this one can't make it on.