Page 58 of Everything She Feared

“And?”

“We need to go back to the park.”

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The music andmontage forTell-Tale Heartsplays on phones, laptops and monitors around the world.

It’s followed by Shane with a Blue Jays ball cap and Sonya in her red-framed glasses, both wearing headphones and seated at their microphones.

“A massive hello to everyone,” Sonya says.

“Welcome to another episode of our true-crime show.”

They acknowledge their global audience, run through the show’s background and give their advisory about graphic content, then get started.

“Today we have a special guest for our featured case,” Sonya says.

“I’m fascinated with this one. We did a little reading up on it and even though it goes back years, it really still hasn’t ended,” Shane says.

“That’s right. On today’sTell-Tale Heartswe’re looking at Herman and Magda Vryker, a husband-and-wife team linked to at least seven murders in 1994 and 1995 in the US, across Montana, Idaho and Washington,” Sonya says. “But their victims were never found. To beat the death penalty, or life in prison, for an easier sentence, Magda made a plea deal with prosecutors to locate the bodies,” Sonya says.

“But she outsmarted them,” Shane says. “Once she had the signed deal, Magda failed to locate their victims, claiming a faulty memory. She served her time and, after her release with no further conditions, remained silent before disappearing off the grid. To take us deeper into the story of the Vrykers, Beatrice Clearfield joins us from Tampa, Florida. Beatrice is with the social media groupThe Hunters—Finding Magda. Welcome, Beatrice.”

The screen divides to show a woman in her late forties, early fifties. Missing person posters of victims in the case serve as her backdrop. “Thank you for having me.”

“Tell us,” Shane says, “how you got involved in this particular case.”

“Well, before moving to Florida, I was living in Montana when it emerged. It just haunted me that part of it took place not far from where I grew up. I followed the case and, seeing that justice was never really served, I wanted to do something about it. So that’s howThe Huntersgot started.”

“Now, in the time since Magda’s release, your group has dedicated itself to seeking justice by tracking her and posting information on where you think she may be and what you think she may be doing?” Sonya says.

“Yes, we have five-thousand members from across the US and around the world. Most are concerned everyday people. We also have retired cops, reporters, professional researchers, legal and forensic experts, you name it, using their skills to actively search for Magda over the years.”

“What are the challenges in finding her?” Sonya asks.

“Well, many records concerning Magda, especially those that relate to her daughter, are sealed by court orders.”

“So, you haven’t located Magda or her daughter?” Shane asks.

“Not officially.”

“Not officially?” Shane repeats.

“No, but we believe we’re close.”

“Now, before we get into why your group is doing this and its objective, can you outline the case for us and how it broke?”

“In 1994 and 1995, several reports surfaced of people missing in Montana, Idaho and Washington,” Beatrice says.

“Sadly, countless numbers of people are reported missing each year in the US,” Sonya says.

“That’s unfortunately true. But a connection to these cases came to light in late June 1995. A Canadian woman who’d crossed the border from British Columbia into Idaho gave a Bonner County sheriff’s deputy a chilling account. The woman had narrowly escaped with her life after she’d spotted a van on the shoulder and stopped to aid a woman and her child on a back road during a storm.”

“The Canadian woman broke the case?” Shane asks.

“Yes, the sole survivor. Remarkably, and this is so rare, she remembered a good part of the van’s plate. It led investigators to a mobile home on the outskirts of Billings, Montana, the residence of Herman and Magda Vryker and their toddler daughter, Hayley.”

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