Lisa McBride

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2:00have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice.

2:15Today, I'm discussing the case of Lisa McBride from Vernon, New Jersey. When 27-year-old Lisa went missing in 1990, action was taken immediately. She was reported missing within hours of last being seen. The police and prosecutor's office began working the case immediately, and seemingly all resources were used in the search and investigation to find her, including a$100 ,000 reward. No investigation is perfect, but Lisa seemed really close. Which leaves me asking the question, with a nearly perfect response, a ton of resources and help from law enforcement and the local community, how is her case still unsolved nearly three decades later?

3:01This is the case of Lisa McBride. Lisa was that girl. She was beautiful but down to earth and had nearly everything going for her. She attended West Milford High School where she found really great success in her dance troupe. They were called the new generation of dancers. It was made up of eight dancers who performed ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance. And they were good. So good that they all traveled to Romania when Lisa was just 16 years old to perform. She graduated from high school in 1981, and went on to take two years of courses at Ryder College, now known as Ryder University in New Jersey.

3:45By 1990, she'd bought and fixed up a home in the Highland Lakes neighborhood of Vernon, New Jersey. Her friends helped her paint and complete the landscaping. While she worked as an executive secretary at the Lakeland State Bank, she also taught ballet classes on the side, and was affectionately known by her students as Miss Lisa. She dreamed of maybe opening her own studio one day. But dance wasn't her only passion. Lisa was also a competitive shooter and avid hiker. Like I said, it seemed like Lisa was that girl. Beauty, brains, muscles, she had it all. She was also described as incredibly kind and empathetic.

4:26She was always bringing in stray animals and had two cats of her own. And she was a good daughter. She went to go see her parents, George and Norma McBride, at least once a week. They lived about 30 minutes away in Newton, where her father owned and operated a plastics plant. By the time Lisa was 27, in the spring of 1990, her brother Douglas had his first child. and asked Lisa to be the godmother. By all accounts, she was extremely happy. She dated when the opportunity was right, but wasn't really looking to get married. She was more focused on just figuring out her career path and creating a happy life for herself.

5:06Really, the only complaint I found about Lisa in my research was that she was pretty hard to get a good picture of, because she was always making silly faces. And one of her mom's last memories was of exactly this. On Thursday, June 21st, 1990, Lisa's parents were hosting some friends at their home, and Lisa came over for a visit. While her mom was taking pictures of everyone there, she kind of joked that she wasn't taking her picture. So Norma snaps what she doesn't realize will be the last photo she'll ever take of her daughter. The next night, on Friday, June 22nd, Lisa and three of her friends drive about an hour and a half into Manhattan to the Beacon Theater.

5:47They're going to go see a country concert. They have a good time, but they're not quite ready to end their night. So they stop at Big John's Pub in West Milford for a little nightcap. Lisa's seen by several witnesses talking and just having a good time. And she's kind of socializing with everyone. She runs into three old friends that she shares her phone number with. But Lisa does have to work in the morning. So after having three beers, she says her goodbyes and leaves at about 1.30 a.m. She drives home alone. And there is some conflicting reporting here about how many people saw her arrive home, but at least one neighbor sees her get out of her car and go into her house at about 2am.

6:31Really, just a few hours later at 7.30am, Lisa's co-workers are trying to call her to see where she's at. She'd never missed a day of work in all three years that she'd been at the bank, and now they can't get a hold of her. So they don't hesitate. They immediately contact her family to let them know that Lisa didn't show up and that no one can get a hold of her. At about 10am, Lisa's brother Douglas gets to Lisa's house to see what's going on. I mean, she went to a concert the night before, we know that she only had three beers, but maybe she was hungover, or sick, or something. Lisa lived alone with just her two cats, so there's no roommate to confirm with either.

7:13and it's 1990 so no one has a cell phone. Douglas' really only choice is to go over there to see what's going on. And the first thing that he notices is that Lisa's car was in the driveway. It's a good sign, but when he lets himself in using a spare key, it's immediately clear that something was very wrong. Even though Lisa's car is in the driveway, her purse and keys are gone. He also notices that for some reason, Lisa's couch has been pulled about six inches away from the wall. And when he makes it to Lisa's bedroom, he sees that the light on her dresser is still on. But all the sheets and blankets from her bed are gone, completely missing from the house.

8:00And he only finds one of Lisa's cats. The second cat, who was extremely skittish around men, was gone. again he knows something is really wrong here and there is some conflicting reporting about who found what in some reports it says douglas found what i'm about to tell you next and in others it says the police either way throughout searching the home they find even more when they began looking around the outside of lisa's house they saw that her phone line had been cut They also see that the screen on one of her windows had two large slashes in it. Large enough for a person to get through. This message is sponsored by Greenlight.

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10:43All these and more screaming this Halloween season with Hulu on Disney+. Bundle subscription required. 18+. Select Hulu content via Disney+. Additional content on Hulu app. Terms apply. Visit DisneyPlus.com slash Hulu for details. Police immediately suspect foul play in Lisa's case. Now, I'll warn you that they are keeping a lot of information withheld from the public. But as far as we know, there was no blood or anything resembling a homicide crime scene in Lisa's home. At this point, they believe that Lisa was likely abducted. And like I told you in the introduction of this episode, police were on the case immediately.

11:22Quickly, a 17-member task force was assembled, made up of the FBI, state police, and local Sussex County investigators. They set up a dedicated command trailer right next to the Vernon Police Station. Lisa's parents also set up a dedicated phone line for tips about their daughter, and George paid his employees at the plastics plant to halt production and pump out Lisa's missing person flyer. Lisa McBride, 27 years old, 5 '7", 135 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes Last seen wearing blue jeans, a white shirt with a shoelace-type black tie in the back Her family also put up a$100 ,000 reward for her safe return Her case was picked up by the media immediately She was featured on TV, in the newspaper And investigators were getting a ton of tips but none of them led to Lisa.

12:20It's been reported that her brother Douglas was consumed by his sister's disappearance and he spent much of his time searching the woods by her house for her. I know that not all families have the resources that Lisa's did but I think it's really commendable to see a family do literally everything within their power to find their loved one and law enforcement seemed incredibly grateful for their help too. In all the reporting I found on Lisa's case, her parents always praise their efforts and say that they were kept informed every step of the way. Of course, the entire situation isn't ideal, but I would say that the response really was.

13:02And of course, while there were extensive searches for Lisa, law enforcement was working the investigation as well. They quickly eliminated the friends that Lisa went to the concert with that night. but while they were speaking to Lisa's friend group, investigators became increasingly concerned about a man that had been pursuing her for a date rather aggressively, to the point that Lisa expressed concern. This man, who has never been named by law enforcement, had asked Lisa on several dates. He showed up at her work and left flowers on her car. This is obviously someone they want to talk to. The problem was, they couldn't find him.

13:44So this lead just kind of sits. In the first few weeks after Lisa goes missing, investigators conduct over 500 interviews, and really don't come up with much. In July, they followed up on a report of a woman who was either pushed out of or fell out of a moving car. She matched Lisa's description, but it was another dead end. Her family also stayed near Lisa's home, using food to try to lure back her missing cat, but they never came back. Lisa's flyers are sent all around the country and to Canada, but summer turns to fall and there's still no sign of her anywhere, so they plan another massive search.

14:32About 200 people plan to search 30 ,000 acres of land in Vernon and West Milford, They planned to search Wawayanda State Park and the Newark watershed. Everything was set up for October 20th. That morning, the volunteers get up, get dressed, and ready to do this massive search. But that very same day, just hours before they were set to begin, Lisa was found. At 9.30am, a hunter named Robert Cole was birdwatching just off the Delaware River about 30 miles from Lisa's home. and he saw what he immediately recognized as human remains. He says that he ran out of the wooded area looking for a park ranger to help, but couldn't find anyone.

15:20So he leaves, contacts the state police, and he leads them back to Lisa. She was nude, and her remains were nearly skeletal. Twelve hours later, Lisa was officially identified using dental records, and investigators from the prosecutor's office traveled to George and Norma McBride's home to tell them in person that their daughter had been found. When Norma heard the news, she collapsed. It wasn't the outcome anyone was hoping for. Very little has been released about Lisa's death, but we know that whoever did this didn't try to conceal her body with brush or debris. Her cheekbone was fractured, likely from blunt force trauma And she was murdered Investigators believe Lisa was killed shortly after she went missing And later placed in this area There was no indication that Lisa had visited this spot in the past And it was mostly frequented by hunters And not visible from the road Mostly being covered by pine trees I found in early reporting in this case that metal detectors were used by investigators.

16:34But what, if anything was found, hasn't been released?

16:42Lisa was laid to rest next to her grandparents in Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover in November. By 1991, police tell the record that they believe that they've likely talked to Lisa's killer at this point. They just couldn't pinpoint exactly who. But they hoped that by withholding so much information from the public, it would lead to a slam-dunk prosecution when that day came. Of course, investigators and everyone was still wondering who could have done this. Specifically, if the persistent man Lisa was concerned about did this. He was suspect number one in the media. and again they have kept the details vague but eventually they get in contact with one of lisa's friends who happened to write down the man's license plate number that makes lisa's anonymous friend who had the foresight to write down that license plate number our hero of this week's episode they found the man investigators won't say where only that he was quote, out west, end quote, and he had a solid alibi for the night Lisa went missing and was likely killed.

17:57It was another dead end, but with their main suspect eliminated, it meant that they were one step closer to finding whoever did this. But again, you guys, what if any progress was made hasn't been shared with the public? By 2003, investigators had conducted over 1 ,500 interviews in this case. They consulted with the FBI to compare notes on similar cases. And they consulted with psychics. In a 2003 interview with The Record, Norma McBride says that she thought it was entirely possible that Lisa's killer was local, living among them, that it could be someone they know. It was honestly really heartbreaking to go through all the reports about Lisa over the years.

18:45Her parents did often give interviews. You can see a clear progression of them losing hope over the years. And I don't blame them. But investigators kept trying. That same year, a new detective was assigned to her case. And in 2004, Sussex County forms a dedicated cold case unit. just to work six cases, including Lisa's. At this point, 14 years had passed since Lisa was murdered, and they really hoped that with all these advances in technology, it would lead them to finally cracking the case. They specifically mention advances in DNA evidence gathering, database recording, ballistics identification, and being able to lift fingerprints from items like leather and cloth.

19:35but Lisa's killer isn't identified and by 2010 her case file fills up two cabinets at the prosecutor's office George McBride passed away in 2015 and Norma just three years later in 2018 never knowing what happened to their daughter but again as more time passes and technology advances investigators aren't ready to give up on finding Lisa's killer and in 2022, over 30 years later, they get the green light to exhume Lisa's body.

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21:13Download the free Rakuten app or go to Rakuten.com to start saving today. It's the most rewarding way to shop. That's R-A-K-U-T-E-N. Rakuten.com. As is a theme in this case, we don't have many details about this. only that they felt it was a necessary step in their investigation and that they took some type of DNA evidence. Though they do say that they don't have reason to believe that more than one person was involved in Lisa's murder. So take that for what you will. The DNA is sent off to Bodie's lab in Virginia and that's where Lisa's case is today. The results of the testing, what they tested, we don't know.

21:59we only know that they have not announced that Lisa's killer has been found. So, what happened to Lisa McBride? In my research, I found statements from law enforcement saying that they believe whoever killed Lisa was familiar with the area, that there were only so many ways to get in and out of Lisa's community in Highland Lakes, and that they were not easy to navigate. but I found another statement from law enforcement saying that they felt like the killer didn't need knowledge of where they moved Lisa's body after she was killed they say this area where Lisa was found was close to the river and Dingman's Ferry Bridge basically you just turn off the road and it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere so maybe they were familiar with the area where she lived and not familiar with where they put her I don't know No one who knew Lisa could think of anyone who might want to harm her, and we know the man asking her out on dates was cleared.

23:04She didn't have a significant other and she wasn't dating anyone. The other unsolved homicides in the area didn't seem to be a match with Lisa's case either. All we're left with is speculation, but we know that she likely would have had many ways to defend herself. I told you earlier in the episode that Lisa was athletic. She hiked and she taught ballet. After over a decade of dancing, I think it's pretty safe to assume that she was pretty agile and flexible. She was also a competitive shooter, which leads me to believe that there was likely at least one gun in her home. I think it's possible that whoever did this was waiting for Lisa to get home that night.

23:48cut the phone line, cut the screen, and crawled through the window. Whoever it was scared off one of her cats, and they sat and waited for her to get home so that she didn't have time to grab her gun. Though, it's also entirely possible that they did all of that after Lisa got home and went to bed. Obviously, with her bedsheets and all her blankets being gone, I think it's very likely that something happened to Lisa on her bed, and whoever did this took and disposed of them to help cover their tracks. What gives me hope in Lisa's case is that investigators say they have the evidence they need to prosecute whoever killed her.

24:29They just need that last piece of the puzzle to identify who that person is. Which brings me right to our call to action. Of course, I'm going to ask you to share Lisa's case. While it did receive a lot of media coverage when she first went missing, that has of course dwindled greatly over the years. And really, nobody seems to be talking about her case anymore. But I'm also going to ask that when you share Lisa's case, you mention two crucial pieces of evidence that have never been recovered. Lisa's black medium-sized oval purse, and the metal keychain that was attached. This keychain is one of a kind.

25:14It's a brass nameplate with Lisa's nickname engraved on it, WESA, which is spelled W-E-E-S-A. I think it's really possible that whoever did this either kept or tried to hide the keychain somewhere, as opposed to taking the time to melt it down. I think of all the evidence that's missing in this case after all these years, that is the item that's most likely to be found and the easiest to identify. It could be in someone's attic found during construction. I mean, it could show up at a thrift store. I know it's a long shot, but we've definitely seen crazier things happen in true crime. That keychain might just be the last piece of the puzzle investigators need to finally get answers in Lisa's case.

26:03So please share.

26:11As a reminder, Lisa McBride was 27 years old when she went missing from Vernon, New Jersey on Saturday, June 23, 1990. She was likely killed shortly after. She was white, with brown hair and brown eyes, was 5 '7 and weighed approximately 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a white shirt with a shoelace-type black tie in the back. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office at 973-383-1570. But, as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.

27:02Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. If you love what we do here, please don't forget to follow, rate, and review the show in your podcast player. It's an easy and totally free way to help us and help more people find these cases in need of justice.

27:28Thank you.