Sky Metalwala

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1:52This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have 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.

2:16Today I'm discussing the case of Skye Metawalla. On a cold morning in 2011, a young mother pulled her car to the side of the road, claiming it ran out of gas. She says she left her two-year-old son, Skye, asleep in the vehicle while she took her four-year-old daughter to get help. When they returned, Skye was gone. What followed is a case that has continued to stun the nation for nearly 15 years. This is the case of Skye Metawalla. Just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, 2011, in Washington State, the Bellevue Police Department received a 911 call from 30-year-old Julia Burakova. It really sounded like every parent's worst nightmare.

3:01She was calling to report that her two-year-old son, Sky, was missing. Officers rushed to the scene. Here and throughout the early investigation into Sky's disappearance, Julia begins to explain what happened. She says that about two and a half hours ago, at 7.20 a.m., she left her apartment in Redmond, Washington with her two children. At this time, she had a four-year-old daughter, but since she was so young when this happened and hasn't consented to being a part of this story publicly as far as I could find, I don't feel comfortable naming her in this episode. So we'll just call her Ashley.

3:36So she's traveling with four-year-old Ashley and her two-year-old son, Sky. Now, Julia's statements have been vague about exactly what symptoms he had, but she says Skye was sick. So sick that she couldn't wait to schedule a doctor's appointment. She was driving him straight to Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, where they had a hospital. But then her car ran out of gas and stalled about 15 minutes into the drive. It's a silver 1998 Acura Integra two-door coupe. The car is left on the side of the road at the corner of Northeast 24th Street and 112th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue, just five minutes shy of the medical center, or just over a mile away.

4:16So we're at about 7.35 a.m. when Julia says that her car ran out of gas. And there's another problem. According to reporting by the Associated Press, Julia left her purse, wallet, ID, and cell phone at home. So she has no way to call anyone and no way to pay for more gas. She has to walk. So she says that due to the colder weather, which was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, she decided to leave Skye buckled in his car seat sleeping in the unlocked car alone, while she and four-year-old Ashley walk about a mile to a gas station to get help. Specifically, she said that she didn't want to expose Skye to the cold weather.

4:55There are some conflicting resources here, but it looks like it takes her about an hour to get to the gas station. Here, she calls her friend Shelby. Shelby comes, picks them up, and they head back to the car. This takes about another hour. And by the time they get to Julia's car, Sky is gone. He's no longer buckled in his car seat, and he's nowhere to be seen in the surrounding area. So Julia calls 911. Immediately, there are massive search efforts for Sky. They scour a 20-block area surrounding the car and go door-to-door looking for witnesses. They also set up roadblocks to stop drivers and ask if they'd seen Skye.

5:35Now, I want to set the scene a little bit. It's not like Julia's car was in the middle of nowhere. While they were close to a wooded area, they're basically in a pretty upscale part of town, with a mix of homes and businesses. There's also a school nearby, it is far from desolate. So it would seem that the chances of Skye being taken or wandering away without anyone seeing him would be slim. At the very least, if Sky was crying for some reason, you'd think that someone would hear him, but that apparently wasn't the case. They ultimately only found one witness who said that they drove by the car at about 8.50am and that it seemed to be empty.

6:11No Julia, no Ashley, and no Sky. The Bellevue PD also brings in search and rescue dogs and cadaver dogs, who do not make any hits on or around Julia's car. There's basically no trace of Skye. According to statements from Skye's father, Solomon Medawalla, it sounds like Skye was able to walk, but him unbuckling himself, moving the front seat forward, or climbing over the center console and getting out of the car seemed unlikely as well, at least according to statements made by police. There was also no blood or any sign of a struggle in the car, so really the only option at this point is foul play.

6:51And as investigators are looking at Julia's car, they discover something that changes the entire course of this case. It was fine. There were no mechanical issues, and it had over two gallons of gas. There was also no gas can in sight, so it clearly hadn't just been refueled after running out of gas. It was clear to investigators that Julia's story was not adding up.

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8:33A lot happens on the following day, Monday, November 7th. Julia consented to having her apartment searched by investigators. They also searched a residence she had previously lived at in Kirkland and her vehicle, but nothing related to Skye's disappearance was found. They also planned to remove the gas tank from Julia's car and process the vehicle for fingerprints. And while Julia was initially cooperative, this didn't last for very long. She stopped talking to investigators and did decline to take a polygraph test. And Major Mike Johnson from the Bellevue PD was pretty open about where the investigation stood.

9:10He told King 5 News, quote, Given the limited amount of information we have, the fact that there's really no solid leads to follow up on in regard to where he might be, absolutely we suspect foul play. Someone close to this family knows what happened to this child. End quote. Sky's case was picked up pretty quickly by local and national news outlets. Reporters began running stories that Sky hadn't been seen for nearly two weeks before he went missing. But police have also stated that according to interviews with Ashley, Skye was in the car with her and their mother that day. There was also surveillance video from the parking garage of Julia's apartment complex on the morning Skye went missing.

9:53That's how we know that they left at 7.20am. So I guess, really, take all that for what you will. It seems that the last time Skye was seen is still up for debate. The media also began working with Skye's father, Solomon. He says that he was only notified that Skye was missing at 10.30 a.m. that day when three officers came to his home. He was immediately interviewed by reporters at his attorney's office in Bellevue, openly stating that he felt Julia's story was bizarre and puzzling. He also questioned why she wouldn't take both kids with her and knock on a door nearby for help. He did take a polygraph test, which came back inconclusive.

10:34His lawyer said that that was to be expected, because his client was way too tired for an accurate test. He added that Solomon would be taking another test the following day, and it does appear that he did, but the results of that test have not been made public. Solomon and several of his family members also submitted DNA samples to match with DNA evidence found at Julia's apartment, but whatever that DNA evidence was has not been specified in the media. So at this point, literally 24 hours into the investigation, Skye's mother has stopped cooperating, and his father is very forward-facing in the media, doubting her story, as police also cast a light of suspicion on the family.

11:16And as investigators begin to look further into this case and really everyone's history, a very disturbing story begins to come to the surface. Now, to really understand Skye's case, we need to go way back and talk about some history. Julia was born in Soviet Russia. In court documents, she described a pretty horrific childhood. It included daily beatings and electroshock therapy. In the 90s, her family immigrated to the U.S., and in 1997, when Julia was 15 years old and a sophomore at Bellevue High school, she met Solomon at a gas station. He was 21 years old and invited her to a party. A 21-year-old pursuing a 15-year-old is not a relationship of equals.

12:02It is statutory rape. A 15-year-old cannot consent to sex. I just can't in good faith say that they started a romantic relationship. But this is when they met. Julia told licensed clinical psychologist Stephen J. Cummings that pretty quickly she discovered that Solomon was, quote, very controlling, declared himself to be a Christ-like figure who had great persuasive skills due to his charm, end quote. Cummings added, quote, an emotional abuse pattern insidiously set in, where Julia gradually became dependent upon Solomon for her very identity and self-esteem, end quote. But they stayed together, and Julia began working at Solomon's family business, the King Street Cafe.

12:50Here, she was led to believe that she was a co-owner in the business, but she later discovered that that was never the case. They later purchased a condo together in Bellevue, but the fighting persisted and even escalated to the point of police intervention during a public argument at a gas station. According to court documents, despite Julia not having an ownership stake in the business, she and Solomon were passionate about running it. But things seemed to have taken a major turn in 2003, when Solomon's mother told Julia that if they didn't get married, he would be deported back to Pakistan.

13:24So they got married and had a small ceremony in Solomon's mother's kitchen. A few years later, they had their first and only daughter together. But things didn't get any better from here. Soon, a rival business moved in next to theirs, and it detrimentally harmed their business. At this point, we're getting close to the year 2008, which of course was a major economic turning point in the U.S. that destroyed countless people financially. But they really kind of doubled down on this and bought a nearly million-dollar house in Kirkland while still maintaining the mortgage on their Bellevue condo.

13:59By 2009, Julia discovered that Solomon had been hiding a huge secret from her. They were six months behind on their mortgage payments, and the timing couldn't be any worse. Julia was pregnant with their second child, Skye. By the fall, their home was foreclosed on, and they moved back to the Bellevue condo. Skye was born on September 6, 2009, right in the middle of all the chaos. He was only two months old when he was mentioned in his first police report. Julia and Solomon had taken him to a Target store and left him alone in their vehicle for 55 minutes in 27-degree weather. Luckily, someone walked by the vehicle and saw Skye alone crying in his car seat and called police.

14:44When officers got to the scene, they asked the store to page the owners of the vehicle, and that's when Julia and Solomon came forward. They both received citations from the Redmond Police Department for reckless endangerment and were made to complete 40 hours of community service as well as parenting classes. There was also a CPS investigation in disguise care, but by 2011, the case was fully dismissed due to Julia and Solomon completing their classes and volunteer hours. This would later be brought up during their divorce proceedings as evidence of neglect. Those proceedings and documents are where a lot of this background information came from.

15:22They officially separated in March 2010, after Julia was involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals on two occasions after discussing dying by suicide over text to Solomon. Now, like I said earlier, I have changed the name of their daughter for this episode, but the text said, quote, Please, please, I am begging with my whole heart. Help me find a peaceful way to die. I cannot live another day and cause you, Ashley, and Skye any more suffering. I am dead inside anyway and have been dead for a long time. You will not miss me at all, and Ashley and Skye have the best daddy in the world, so I know they will be okay.

16:02End quote. According to reporting by Matt Phelps for the Kirkland Reporter, Solomon called the police, described the text messages, and expressed concern that Julia was home alone with Skye, who was six months old at the time. When officers arrived, Julia admitted to having suicidal thoughts. And as divorce proceedings tend to go, things got pretty nasty as each parent fought for custody of the kids. Solomon brought up the text messages in court, and Julia said that she didn't plan on dying by suicide, that it was only a desperate attempt to get her husband's attention. But Solomon argued in court that Julia was struggling with her mental health.

16:43He said that she had a severe case of OCD and bipolar disorder that deeply impacted their children. He argued that Julia cared more about cleaning a countertop than feeding the kids, and eventually had a dream about strangling Skye. He also said that Julia essentially refused to keep any food in their home to avoid getting it dirty, and often didn't feed the kids for this reason. Julia's mother also stated that she believed Julia was ill. She said in court, quote, neither your husband nor I would like for you to live with us at your current condition. all of us, your children included, are suffering from your abuse, end quote.

17:24However, her mother would later state that she only believed this because Solomon, quote, little by little, he convinced me that my daughter was sick, end quote. And clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen A. Scholl added, quote, although Ms. Biryukova is dealing with a severe form of OCD, I do not believe that this interferes with her ability to be a compassionate, effective parent to her children, end quote. Another psychologist also said that they believed Julia was an intense young woman, but her only interest was to provide a good life for her kids. Julia accused Solomon of abusing her and the children, saying that he'd beat the kids with a wooden spoon.

18:08And while a social worker did find evidence that Solomon had caused bruising on Ashley, and Ashley herself stated as much, ultimately, CPS deemed all allegations of abuse or neglect against either parent to be unfounded. And in the fall of 2010, Julia was granted full custody of the kids. But the court battle continued. On November 1st, 2011, so just days before Sky went missing, Julia and Solomon went through an 11-hour court-ordered mediation to discuss custody. and they did reach an agreement which allowed Solomon visitation rights. But the next day, Julia said that she believed she made a mistake and felt pressured into this agreement.

18:50And just five days later, Skye was gone. When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you know your choices matter. You're the expert because you know what fits your life. And getting it right starts with good information. That's why America's beverage companies are sharing more information about our ingredients at GoodToKnowFacts.org. No spin, no judgments, just the facts straight from the experts for more than 140 beverage ingredients. Visit GoodToKnowFacts.org.

19:28When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp. The secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets Mom's 60th. And never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end-to-end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp. Message privately with everyone. Learn more at whatsapp.com. Now that we know about some history and the court proceedings leading up to Sky's disappearance, let's get back to the investigation. After Skye was reported missing, Ashley was taken from her mother's care and placed into CPS custody.

20:09At this point, Solomon tells investigators that he believes Julia is responsible for his disappearance. He tells them about this dream that she allegedly had where she strangled him. So really, all eyes were and continued to be focused on Julia. Now, I do think it's worth noting here that Shelby, that friend who picked Julia up that day, really hasn't said much in the media. and it doesn't seem that she was involved past just trying to help a friend out that day. Solomon did assist in the efforts to find Skye, and he and his friends helped distribute flyers around the area he went missing from.

20:45The Sunday following Skye's disappearance, investigators also went back out to the scene where Julia's car was found, and they set up another five-hour roadblock. Basically, they were trying to replicate the conditions of the morning Skye went missing, Same time, same place, and hopefully, same people. According to reporting by CBS News, they speak to at least 20 people who might have been in the area when Sky went missing. But it didn't seem like any of them had any information that led them any closer to Sky. Then, on November 14th, there appeared to be a break in the case. According to reporting by HLN News, a ransom note was sent to the creator of a Facebook page created to assist in locating Sky.

21:28The creator is anonymous, but this note was quickly released to the media. It said, quote, Your child is alive, but suffering from shock. If you want your child back alive, you must make available the sum of U.S. $25 ,000. I must warn you that if this note goes public to police or you make a demand for proof, and don't write the money within the next 24 hours, fingers cut off one by one, end quote. It's terrible and shocking, but according to reporting by the Redmond Reporter, the police do quickly rule out this note as a legitimate lead. Now, there were more searches for Sky, including a meticulous search of the 640-acre Maymore Park in Redmond.

22:17Searchers found a toddler-sized shoe, but it ultimately was determined to not belong to Sky. By November 15th, the Bellevue police announced that they've gotten over a thousand tips in Skye's case, but that it remained a missing persons investigation and had not yet turned criminal. But they also reiterated that they were investigating all theories at this point. We are less than two weeks into this case, and the police really have nothing other than some pretty scary accusations against Julia, and Julia wasn't talking. But soon, a very interesting theory came to light. According to Solomon, one of Julia's favorite shows was Law & Order, and the night before Skye was reported missing, a rerun of the show aired with a pretty similar plot to Skye's disappearance.

23:07In the episode, a woman says that she left her young son in his car seat while she went into a store to buy diapers. When she came out, her son and her car were gone. By the end of the episode, they discover that the child's parents had fabricated the story, and they find the child's remains on the beach. And this isn't just a random internet theory. The police have confirmed the odd similarities as well. According to reporting by the Huffington Post, Bellevue Police Major Mike Johnson said, I've heard about the Law & Order SVU episode that has great similarity to this case. I heard that it aired Saturday, the day before the disappearance of Skye.

23:45I know that there are several folks up in the operations center of the command post that have taken a look at that episode, and have commented that it is strikingly similar in nature. End quote. Unfortunately, Sky's case really does go cold at this point. By December 2011, Solomon was granted full custody of his daughter Ashley, and Julia was granted supervised visitation. In February 2012, a vigil was held for Sky at Bellevue Park, where Solomon was in attendance and thanked attendees. By 2013, police confirmed that Julia still refused to speak to investigators, but that they were still receiving leads in Sky's case.

24:27Solomon's attorney also speaks to the media to say that he doesn't believe Sky is alive and that Julia is responsible. In 2014, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age-progressed photo of Skye, and that same year, Julia got remarried to a man named Alan Morgan. But it doesn't seem that things were going well for them. Morgan goes to jail on Christmas Eve for assaulting Julia and violating a no-contact order, which is horrifying by itself. But even scarier, because at this time, Julia was pregnant with his child. In July 2015, Julia gave birth to her second son, who all called Joseph.

25:07Just like Ashley, for the protection of this child, I have changed his name. But this sparked a lot of controversy, because the real name Julia had chosen was actually Skye's middle name. Now, I know that I'm making it a little confusing here, but again, I'm just trying to protect this kid who can't choose whether or not to contribute to his own digital footprint, so bear with me. At this point, Alan Morgan was still in jail for assaulting Julia, and it seems that pretty much immediately, due to both parents, CPS becomes involved and investigates the well-being of baby Joseph. According to reporting by King5News, within hours of Joseph's birth, CPS got a referral expressing concern for the newborn due to Julia's mental health, and outlined basically everything that was brought up in Julia and Solomon's divorce proceedings and Skye's disappearance.

25:58There was also concern that Julia was attempting to violate the no-contact order she had with her husband. She was also petitioning the court to have it lifted. Essentially, there were many reasons cited to spark the CPS investigation into the baby's welfare. Now, records for Joseph are obviously private, and for good reason, but we do know that Julia would eventually admit that she was not able to see her son outside of supervised visitation. That same year, 2015, the Bellevue police chief made a public plea for Julia to cooperate with them. And on the five-year anniversary of Skye going missing in 2016, he outright said that he believed Julia lied to the police about the circumstances of his disappearance.