Mlwakee, Wonn.Janary 15, 2019.Jaal Wahngton ha been a plber for 12 year.

Fxed thoand of dran, leared thoand of log, een everythng yo old agne tk n a ppe.

Bt today, at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool, h aera pk p oethng dfferent.

Soethng that look lke fabr, a bakpak trap, lothng.

He old gnore t.Jt nake the dran lke alway.

lear the log, ove on to the next job.

Bt oethng tell h to nvetgate deeper.

He open the an dranage leanot n the ealed baeent.

And what he fnd wll hant Mlwakee forever.

Sx tdent ng for year, hdden n the ppe, rght nderneath everyone’ feet.

Janary 15, 2019.

Jaal Wahngton pll h work van nto the parkng lot of Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool.

Thrd te th onth.

Sae proble.

Clogged dranage n the baeent bathroo.

He’ 34 year old.

Been workng for Donovan Plbng Serve for 6 year.

Good pay, beneft, pport h two kd.

Bt lately, oethng’ been botherng h abot th partlar aont.

Th ornng, before he left the hop, h bo, Frank Donovan, gave h the al ntrton.

Frank, leaned forward, tappng the dek wth a pen.

Jt nake t lke alway.

In and ot.

Don’t overthnk t.

Jaal aked the qeton he’ been akng for onth.

He hfted h weght, frtraton evdent n h tane.

Why don’t we fx the an lne? Th hool all every 2 week.

Frank leaned bak n h har.

58 year old, owned Donovan Plbng for 30 year.

Blt t fro nothng.

Now had 12 trk on the road.

He teepled h fnger lookng at Jaal over h glae.

Beae they pay every te.

That’ good bne, Jaal.

We fx t peranently.

We loe the rerrng revene.

Yo ndertand? Jaal ndertood.

He jt ddn’t agree.

Bt he needed th job.

Sngle father, two kd, rent, bll, ar payent, an’t afford to ake wave, o he drve to Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool.

Agan, Lnoln Heght t on the north de of Mlwakee.

Blt n 1952.

Three tore, red brk, hanlnk fene arond the pereter.

agng bt tll tandng.

The neghborhood ed to be dfferent.

Bak n the 50 and 60, otly workngla whte fale, fatory worker, non job, table onty.

By the 80, whte flght happened, fatore loed, job dappeared, deograph hfted.

Now 2019, the neghborhood 78% blak, low noe, hgh neployent.

The hool reflet that realty.

450 tdent, 78% blak, 15% Latno, 7% other, nderfnded, overrowded laroo, otdated textbook, nfratrtre fallng apart, bt the teaher try.

The tdent try.

Everyone doe ther bet wth what they have.

Jaal walk nto the an offe.

The eretary, Mr.Paler, look p and le.

She phe her glae p her noe.

Bak agan.

Jaal nod, retng h heavy tool bag on the onter.

Bak agan.

Baeent bathroo.

She getre toward the nner offe.

Yep.

Prnpal Roberton expetng yo.

Prnpal Helen Roberton appear fro her offe.

She’ 62 year old.

Been prnpal here for 25 year.

Seen the neghborhood hange.

Seen fndng dry p.

Seen good teaher leave for better payng dtrt.

She look tred.

alway look tred.

She rb her teple, lookng exhated.

Mr.Wahngton, ae proble.

Tolet bakng p, nk dranng low.

Can yo fx t? Jaal adjt h ap repetflly.

I’ll do y bet, a’a.

She wave a hand toward the hallway.

Jeroe wll take yo down.

He’ or jantor.

He’ll how yo where everythng .

Jeroe Caldwell eerge fro the hallway.

52 year old, Vetna veteran, been workng at Lnoln Heght for 28 year, longer than anyone ele on taff.

Nght hft jantor, work alone, keep the bldng rnnng.

He’ tall, thn, weathered fae, doen’t le h, keep to helf.

Jeroe trn wthot akng eye ontat, h key jnglng.

Follow e.

They walk throgh the hallway.

Loker lne the wall.

Stdent artwork hang on blletn board.

The bldng ell lke ndtral leaner and old book.

Down the tar nto the baeent.

The teperatre drop.

Floreent lght flker.

Conrete floor.

Low elng.

Expoed ppe rnnng everywhere.

Jeroe pont a gloved fnger to a floor dran n the orner of the boy’ bathroo.

Sae pot a alway.

Bak p every ople week.

Danny ally oe and nake take h 20 nte.

Danny Danny Kowalk, Frank Donovan’ nephew, 28 year old, got the job throgh faly onneton, doe the n reqred, get pad, goe hoe.

Jaal ha worked wth Dany, wathed h t orner.

Snake dran wthot nvetgatng the root ae.

Fx ypto, not proble.

That’ how Frank want t.

Keep the toer allng.

Keep the oney flowng.

Bt Jaal’ dfferent.

H father wa a plber.

Taght h.

Do the job rght or don’t do t at all.

Take prde n yor work.

Fx thng properly.

Jaal et p h eqpent.

Caera nake.

Dran agr.

Flahlght.

Ppe wrenh.

Tool bag.

He feed the aera down the dran.

Wathe the ontor.

The aera travel throgh the ppe.

6 ft.

10 ft.

15 ft.

The al debr appear on reen.

har, oap , neral bldp, tree root growng throgh rak.

Bt then oethng dfferent.

Soethng that ake Jaal pae.

Fabr, dark ble fabr ovng lghtly n the water flow.

He zoo n wth the aera, get loer.

It look lke a bakpak, a pee of lothng.

Jaal pll the aera bak lghtly, angle t dfferent way, tryng to get a better vew.

Defntely fabr.

Defntely not natral bldp.

Soethng that doen’t belong n a dranage ppe.

He old nake t, ph t throgh, lear the log, all t done lke Dany alway doe.

Bt h father’ voe ehoe n h head.

Do t rght.

Jaal trn to Jeroe, who’ tandng n the doorway wathng.

Jaal look p fro the ontor.

I need to ae the an leanot.

Where t? Jeroe hft h weght, rong h ar.

That’ n the old boler roo.

Been ealed off for year.

Jaal frown, lookng p fro h eqpent.

Why ealed? Jeroe hrg tffly.

Prnpal ad there were trtral e.

Unafe.

Nobody’ allowed down there.

Jaal look at h aera reen agan, tdyng the age.

I need to hek the an lne.

Can’t fx th properly wthot t.

Jeroe hetate, h eye dartng to the hallway.

Prnpal won’t lke t.

Jaal tand p, wpng h hand on h rag.

I’ not tryng to ae proble.

I’ tryng to do y job rght.

If there’ a blokage n the an lne, nakng th dran won’t fx anythng.

It’ll jt log agan next week.

Jeroe tde Jaal for a long oent, then nod lowly.

All rght, t’ yor all, bt I’ tellng yo, nobody goe down there.

Jaal pk p h flahlght.

Yo have the key? Jeroe pat h poket.

Yeah.

They walk to the far end of the baeent, pat the old gy eqpent torage, pat the ned laroo, to a heavy etal door.

Chan wrap arond the handle.

A padlok ere the.

A gn hang on the door.

Danger.

Do not enter.

Strtral daage.

Athorzed peronnel only.

Jeroe pll ot h key rng, fnd the rght key, nlok the padlok.

The han rattle a he nwrap the.

The ond ehoe n the epty baeent.

He pll the door open.

Hnge reeh.

The ell ht edately.

Cheal, ty, dap, and nderneath t all, oethng ele.

Soethng wrong.

Soethng organ and rotten.

Jaal [lear throat] over h noe wth h forear, gaggng lghtly.

What that ell? Jeroe hake h head, keepng h fae pave.

Old bldng, old, water daage.

Cold be anythng.

Jaal lk on h flahlght, tep throgh the doorway.

The boler roo ave, 30 ft x 40 ft.

Hgh elng wth expoed bea.

Old frnae fro the 50 t lent and rted.

Ppe rn everywhere.

Cobweb hang thk n the orner.

Dt over everythng, bt the roo n’t trtrally daaged.

The wall are old.

The elng ntat.

The floor level.

Th roo fne.

So why ha t been ealed for year? Jaal weep h flahlght arond lookng for the an dranage leanot.

There n the far orner, a large at ron ae panel n the floor.

4 ft x 4 ft.

Heavy dty ndtral.

He walk toward t.

The ell get tronger wth every tep.

Jeroe tay by the door, grppng the handle.

Yo re abot th? Jaal et h jaw, kneelng on the floor.

I’ re.

Jaal kneel bede the leanot panel.

Rn h hand over t.

The bolt are rted.

Been here a long te.

Bt the panel telf look antaned.

Not a dty a everythng ele.

Soeone’ been down here reently.

He pll ot h oket wrenh, tart reovng the bolt.

They ret at frt, rted tght, bt they trn lowly.

One bolt.

Two.

Three.

For.

The ell ntenfe.

Cheal harp lke foraldahhde.

Lke a bology lab, bt wore.

Fve bolt.

Sx.

7.

8.

The lat bolt oe free.

Jaal grp the edge of the panel.

It’ heavy.

Cat ron.

Probably wegh 100 lb.

He lft, tran.

The panel hft, lde.

He phe t ade and freeze.

H flahlght bea ht the openng.

bode, han bode, all bode, teenager, hldren, preerved, deopoed, wrapped n plat, tffed nto the dranage yte.

Jaal’ bran refe to proe what he’ eeng.

H eye regter the age.

Bakpak, hool nfor, neaker, har, bt h nd an’t aept t.

One body loet to the rfae.

The plat wrap ha torn.

He an ee a fae partally deopoed.

Eye oket epty.

Skn plled tght, bt tll reognzably han.

Stll reognzably a hld.

Behnd that one, another and another taked, layered lke oeone wa hdng the, tryng to ft a any a poble n the lted pae.

Sx of the, aybe ore beneath, tangled together n a groteqe ple.

Jaal’ toah lrhe.

He tble bakward.

H flahlght fall fro h hand, latter on the onrete floor.

The bea roll, atng ovng hadow aro the boler roo wall.

He tre to breathe.

Can’t.

H het tght.

H von tnnel.

Th n’t real.

Th an’t be real.

Bt t .

The ell prove t.

The heal ell.

The deay nderneath.

The wrongne of t all.

He’ fond bode before.

Me n dran.

Rat n ewage lne.

One a at that rawled nto a tor dran and ded.

Bt never th.

Never hldren.

Never ltple hldren.

Never rder.

H hand are hakng.

H whole body hakng.

He lthe h het tryng to teady h breathng.

Oh god.

Oh god.

Oh god.

H knee bkle.

He athe helf agant the wall, lde down, t hard on the old onrete.

Jeroe appear n the doorway, h foottep eho.

Jeroe’ voe ond dtant a he peer nto the gloo.

What? What’ wrong? Jaal pont at the leanot, h hand hakng volently.

There are There are kd n there.

Dead kd.

Mltple kd.

Jeroe tep forward, lookng nto the openng, h fae gong pale.

What the? [lear throat] Jaal rable for h phone.

H hand are treblng o badly he an barely grp t.

It lp, fall, bone on the onrete.

He grab t, fblng a t lp fro h grap agan.

No, no, no.

He grab t.

Sreen raked bt tll work.

H fnger fble on the reen.

Take three tre to nlok t.

He an’t reeber h paode.

Fnally get t.

Open the phone app.

dal 911.

The phone rng one, twe, pkp, pleae pk p.

Thrd rng.

A woan’ voe anwer.

Profeonal and al.

911.

What yor eergeny? Jaal tre to peak.

H voe won’t work.

He wallow.

Tre agan.

Jaal wallow hard, h throat dry.

I’ I’ at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool n the baeent.

I fond.

I fond.

The word won’t oe.

The operator’ voe rean teady.

Sr, what dd yo fnd? Are yo njred? He qeeze h eye ht.

Bode.

Chldren’ bode.

Mltple bode n the dranage yte.

Slene on the other end.

Jt for a eond.

Then the operator’ voe.

More rgent.

Now there lene on the other end for a plt eond.

Then the operator peak wth ore rgeny.

Sr, an yo repeat that? Dd yo ay bode? Jaal tare at the open ppe, tear blrrng h von.

Ye, dead bode.

Kd, x of the, aybe ore.

They’re n the ppe ndergrond n the baeent.

Yo need to end pole now.

Rght now.

He hear typng, rapd lkng.

He hear rapd typng on the lne.

Offer are beng dpathed to yor loaton.

Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool, orret? Jaal wpe weat fro h forehead wth a hakng hand.

Ye, the baeent.

The old boler roo.

There’ a dranage leanot.

They’re nde t.

The operator ak the tandard qeton.

Are yo n edate danger? Jaal look at Jeroe.

Jeroe tandng perfetly tll, tarng at the leanot.

H fae opletely whte, expreon nreadable.

Jaal look at Jeroe, who han’t oved.

I don’t know.

I don’t thnk o.

They’ve been here a long te.

They’re not freh.

They’re Soeone preerved the.

Pt heal on the.

The operator’ voe fr.

Stay on the lne wth e, r.

Don’t toh anythng.

Don’t ove anythng.

Pole are 3 nte away.

What yor nae? He lean h head bak agant the old wall.

Jaal.

Jaal Wahngton.

I’ a plber.

I wa jt tryng to fx a dran.

I jt I jt opened the leanot and they were there.

H voe break.

He’ ryng now, tear rnnng down h fae.

The operator ontne to peak ally.

Jaal, yo’re dong great.

Stay wth e.

Are yo alone? Jaal glane at the doorway.

No, the jantor here.

Jeroe, the hool jantor, he ak qkly.

I he njred? Jaal hake h head.

No, he’ jt tandng there lookng.

Jeroe han’t oved, han’t poken, jt tare at the bode wth an expreon Jaal an’t read.

The operator are h.

Okay, Jaal.

Pole are 90 eond away.

Stay where yo are.

Keep the lne open.

Jaal nod.

Even thogh he an’t ee h, he t on the floor, bak agant the wall, phone preed to h ear, tarng at the leanot.

Sx hldren, x teenager, oeone’ on, oeone’ daghter, hdden n a dranage ppe n a hool baeent for year, aybe deade.

How dd nobody know? How dd nobody fnd the? Jeroe tll han’t oved, jt tand there, frozen, tarng.

Jaal an hear ren now, dtant, gettng loer.

Jaal lft h head a a dtant ond grow loder.

I hear ren.

The operator onfr that’ or offer.

They’re alot there.

Stay on the lne ntl they reah yo.

60 eond.

90 eond.

Fnally, foottep on the tar.

Heavy boot.

Mltple people.

Voe.

Rado hatter.

He hear foottep on the tar and rea.

Down here n the boler roo.

For offer enter.

See the leanot.

See the bode.

One offer edately rado, lookng gr.

We need hode.

We need the re ene nt.

We need the edal exaner.

Mltple vt, jvenle.

Appear to be long-ter.

Wthn 30 nte, the hool rronded.

Sqad ar, narked detetve vehle, re ene van, new helopter overhead, reporter gatherng at the fene.

Prnpal Roberton n her offe ryng.

She t at her dek, obbng nto a te.

Th an’t be real.

Th an’t be happenng.

Not at y hool.

Not here.

Detetve Sarah Jona arrve.

43 year old, hode dvon, 20 year on the fore, een everythng or thoght he had.

She deend nto the baeent, enter the boler roo, look nto the leanot, take a deep breath, teade herelf.

Detetve Jona take a deep breath and trn to her partner.

Get the edal exaner down here.

Fll re ene protool.

I want photo, eareent, every detal doented, and get e a lt of every tdent who’ gone ng fro th hool n the lat 30 year.

The re ene tea work throgh the nght, areflly extratng the bode, photographng everythng, olletng evdene.

Sx bode total, all jvenle, age approxately 12 to 16, all n varo tate of deopoton.

The oldet ha been here approxately 16 year.

The newet approxately 4 year.

All have been treated wth heal.

Foraldahhde, balng fld, oethng to low the deay, oethng to rede the ell.

All tll have dentfaton, hool ID n ther bakpak, peronal te, phone, wallet.

By ornng, Detetve Jona ha nae.

Vt one, Aalyah Dav, age 14, ng ne May 2003.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after baketball prate.

Vt 2.

Tyrone Mthell, age 15, ng ne Septeber 2005.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after debate tea prate.

Vt three.

Keha Wlla, age 13, ng ne Marh 2007.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after hor rehearal.

Vt for, Darnell Thopon, age 16.

Mng ne Noveber 2009.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after football prate.

Vt fve, Jane Rodrgez, age 12, ng ne Aprl 2014.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after ene lb.

Vt x.

Karee Jakon, age 14.

Mng ne Otober 2018.

Lat een at Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool after Blak Stdent Matter Clb eetng.

Sx tdent, all fro the ae hool, all hgh ahever, all dappeared over 16 year, and nobody onneted the.

Detetve Jona t n her ar, read throgh the ng peron’ report.

All x ae were nvetgated.

Sort of Aalyah Dav.

Parent reported her ng edately.

Pole took a report, earhed the neghborhood, ntervewed frend, fond nothng.

Cae went old after 3 onth.

Parent were told he probably ran away.

She ddn’t.

Tyrone Mthell.

Sae pattern.

Report fled.

Mnal nvetgaton.

Labeled a rnaway.

Cae loed.

Keha Wlla.

Sae.

Darnell Thopon.

Sae.

Jane Rodrgez.

Sae.

Karee Jakon.

Mot reent.

Invetgaton wa ore thorogh, bt tll went nowhere.

No lead, no wtnee.

Dappeared wthot a trae.

Sx ng hldren, all fro one hool, all n a 16-year pan.

How dd nobody ee the pattern? Jona know the anwer.

She doen’t want to adt t, bt he know.

They were poor.

They were norte.

They were fro the north de.

When ddle-la whte kd go ng, t’ natonal new.

Aber alert.

FBI eda overage.

Everyone are.

When poor kd fro the north de go ng, t’ a paragraph n the loal new.

Maybe f t’ a low new day, the yte faled the.

All x of the.

By the next ornng, the eda ha the tory.

Sx tdent fond dead n Mlwakee hool.

Every new hannel, every webte, everyone’ talkng abot t.

The fale are notfed.

Detetve Jona doe t peronally.

Goe to eah hoe, knok on eah door.

Detetve Jona park otde a all hoe on the north de.

1723 North Paler Street.

The addre fro Aalyah Dav’ ng peron fle.

She take a deep breath.

Th never get eaer.

16 year thee people have wated, hoped, wondered.

She walk p the raked dewalk, lb the three tep to the porh, knok on the door, foottep nde, the door open.

A woan tand there.

Late 50, gray har plled bak, tred eye.

She’ wearng a work nfor.

Hoe health ad, Jona gee.

The woan ee Jona’ badge.

Her fae hange.

Color dran fro t.

Her hand grp the door frae.

She hake her head, bakng away lghtly.

No, no, pleae.

Jona tep loer, her voe oft.

Mr.Dav.

The woan look at her, tear ntantly fllng her eye.

Yo fond her.

Yo fond y baby.

Jona nod lowly, reovng her hat.

Ye, a’a.

We fond Aalyah.

Patra’ leg gve ot.

She grab the door frae, tay tandng, bt barely.

She grp the wood ntl her knkle trn whte.

I he? Jona reahe ot to teady her.

I’ o orry, Mr.Dav.

Aalyah deeaed.

We fond her rean th ornng.

The word rean break oethng n Patra.

She ake a ond, not qte a rea, not qte a ry, oethng nhan, oethng that oe fro deep n the het where gref lve.

She ollape, drop to her knee rght there n the doorway.

Jona ove qkly, athe her, help her nde to the oh.

Patra obbng.

Fll body ob, rokng bak and forth.

She gap for ar between ob.

Where? Where wa he? Jona hetate.

Th the wort part.

She peak qetly.

At Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool n the baeent.

Patra’ head nap p, hok ttng throgh the gref.

The hool? She wa at the hool th whole te.

Jona lower her eye.

Ye, a’a.

Patra tare at the detetve, dbelef ethed on her fae.

for 16 year.

16 year.

I looked for her.

I alled pole.

I hred nvetgator.

I pt p flyer.

I earhed every treet, every abandoned bldng.

And he wa at her hool the whole te.

Jona nod olenly.

I’ o orry.

Patra’ gref trn to anger, her voe rng.

Who? Who dd th? Who took y baby? Jona eet her gaze.

We have a pet n tody.

Jeroe Caldwell.

He wa the jantor at Patra gap, lthng her het.

Jeroe.

Jeroe Caldwell.

I know Jeroe.

He wa there when I reported Aalyah ng.

He helped earh the hool.

He told e.

Her voe break.

He told e he wa re he’d oe hoe.

He ad grl lke Aalyah alway oe hoe.

She tart ryng agan.

Harder now.

She rok bak and forth hggng herelf.

He looked e n the eye 16 year ago.

Stood rght n front of e and led.

And he wa there, rght there n h bldng.

And he knew.

He knew the whole te.

Patra pt her fae n her hand, holder hakng.

Jona t wth her.

There’ nothng to ay.

No word that ake th better.

After a long oent, Patra peak agan, voe qeter now.

She wpe her fae wth a treblng hand.

“Can I ee her?” Jona peak gently.

“The edal exaner wll need to oplete the atopy frt.

Then, ye, we’ll arrange for yo to to have her bak.

” Patra nod, wpe her eye.

She tand p lowly, walkng to the phone.

I need to all her father, Jeroe.

He lve n Chago now, rearred, bt he never topped lookng ether.

He all e every year on her brthday.

ak f there’ any new.

She look at Jona, heartbroken.

Now I have new.

Jona repeat th ene fve ore te.

Fve ore fale, fve ore other, father, grandparent.

All of the had hoped.

All of the had wondered.

All of the had been told ther hldren probably ran away, probably were rnaway, probably tarted new lve oewhere.

All of the were led to.

By the yte, by the pole, by everyone who hold have ared ore.

The onty explode.

Protet otde the pole taton.

How dd yo not know? Sx hldren fro one hool.

Why weren’t they proteted? Mlwakeekey’ ayor hold a pre onferene.

Proe a fll nvetgaton.

Proe aontablty.

Proe th wll never happen agan.

Bt t already happened.

Sx te.

Detetve Jona retrn to Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool.

She need to ndertand how th happened.

How x tdent dappeared and nobody knew they were n the bldng the whole te.

She ntervew Prnpal Roberton agan.

Jona lean forward aro the dek.

Dd yo note a pattern? Sx tdent ng fro yor hool over 16 year.

Roberton’ hand hake a he hold her offee p.

I I knew tdent went ng, bt they weren’t all at the ae te.

It wa pread ot.

2 year between oe of the, 3 year, I thoght.

Everyone thoght they ran away.

Jona pree harder.

Sx tdent, all hgh ahever, all nvolved n hool atvte, all dappeared fro hool grond.

Yo ddn’t thnk that wa po? Roberton defend herelf weekly.

I reported every dappearane to the pole.

Every ngle one.

I dd what I wa ppoed to do.

Jona hake her head.

Bt yo ddn’t ph.

Yo ddn’t deand nvetgaton.

Yo ddn’t onnet the dot.

Roberton tart ryng, overng her fae.

I faled the.

I know I faled the, bt I ddn’t know.

I wear I ddn’t know they were here n y bldng.

All th te, Jona beleve her.

Roberton neglgent.

Wllflly blnd, aybe, bt not oplt.

Soeone ele knew.

Soeone wth ae to the baeent.

Soeone who old ove freely throgh the bldng.

Soeone who had been here for all 16 year.

Jeroe Caldwell.

Jona pll Jeroe’ eployent reord.

Started at Lnoln Heght n 1991.

28 year.

Nght hft jantor.

Work alone.

Ha key to everythng, nldng the boler roo.

She rn a bakgrond hek.

Jeroe Caldwell, age 52, Vetna veteran, honorable dharge n 1976, oved to Mlwakee n 1988, arred n 1990, dvored n 2001.

No hldren, no rnal reord.

Not even a parkng tket.

Bt Jona dg deeper.

Soal eda, onlne for, eage board, and there t .

Jeroe’ dgtal footprnt, pot on obre webte, rat rant, oplant abot deograph hangng, anger abot affratve aton, pot abot kd today don’t know ther plae.

One pot fro 2008, rght after Keha Wlla dappeared.

Thee hool ed to be repetable.

Now they’re overrn.

Soethng need to be done.

Another pot fro 2014.

Every year t get wore.

Every year, ore of the takng over everythng.

Soeone ha to top t.

Jona get a warrant.

Searhe Jeroe’ hoe.

Sall ranh hoe on the oth de.

Modet, lean, organzed, bt n the baeent, hdden behnd a fale wall.

They fnd t.

Trophe, peronal te, thng that belong to the vt.

Alyah’ baketball jerey.

Nber 23, fraed on the wall.

Tyrone’ debate trophy.

Frt plae tate haponhp on a helf.

Keha’ hor edal regonal opetton gold Darnell’ football gae ball fro hoeong gned by the tea.

Jane’ ene far rbbon.

Frt plae eleentary dvon.

Karee’ blak tdent atter btton.

The one he wore every day.

Sx vt.

Sx trophe.

Sx render of what Jeroe took fro the world.

And n a loked flng abnet, Jona fnd Jeroe’ opter enrypted, paword proteted.

The FBI yber nt rak t n 3 day.

Inde, detaled log, date, te, loaton, derpton.

Jeroe doented everythng.

May 18, 2003.

Aalyah Dav.

Baketball prate ended at 5:00 pm

She tayed late to prate free throw.

bldng epty.

I approahed her n the gy, told her there wa a water leak n the loker roo he needed to ee.

She followed e to the baeent, to the boler roo.

She foght tronger than expeted.

Baketball player, athlet, bt I wa tronger.

Strangled her wth eletral ord.

7 nte.

Then he topped, wrapped her n plat heetng fro antenane loet, plaed her n the dranage leanot, pored nbalng fld, ealed the panel.

Nobody wll look there.

Nobody ever goe n that roo.

Septeber 9, 2005.

Tyrone Mthell.

Debate prate.

Stayed late revewng argent.

I told h Prnpal Roberton wanted to ee h n the baeent torage.

Needed help ovng boxe.

He beleved e.

Why woldn’t he? I’ taff trted.

Been here 14 year.

He followed e down nto the boler roo.

I ed the ord agan, qker th te.

5 nte.

He ddn’t fght a hard.

Saller, not athlet lke Aalyah.

Sae proe.

Plat heal ealed n the leanot.

Two bode now.

Stll nobody know.

The log ontne.

All x vt.

All doented n horrfyng detal.

Jeroe ddn’t jt kll the.

He tded the, talked the, planned eah one, wated for the rght oent when they were alone, when nobody wold ee.

He ed h poton, h [lear throat] ae, h key, h falarty wth the bldng, and he ed the hool’ neglgene, the ealed boler roo that nobody entered, the dranage proble that nobody fxed properly, the plbng opany that only dd teporary repar.

For 16 year, Jeroe’ eret wa afe ntl Jaal Wahngton deded to do h job properly.

Febrary 3rd, 2019.

Jeroe Caldwell arreted at h hoe, harged wth x ont of frtdegree rder.

He doen’t ret, doen’t deny anythng, jt tare at the offer wth epty eye.

He hold ot h wrt for the handff.

Took yo long enogh.

At the pole taton, Jeroe wave h rght to an attorney.

ay he want to onfe, want to explan.

Detetve Jona t aro fro h.

Reordng deve rnnng.

Two other detetve a wtnee.

Detetve Jona t aro fro h.

The reordng deve rnnng.

Why? Why thee x tdent? Detetve Jona tde h aro the etal table.

The reordng deve lght blnk red.

Two other detetve tand agant the wall.

Wtnee.

Jeroe look ofortable, relaxed, lke they’re havng a aal onveraton.

That’ what bother Jona ot.

The alne, the lak of reore.

Jeroe lean forward, retng h elbow on the table.

Yo want the trth? The real trth? Jona keep her expreon netral.

Jeroe look at the wall, lot n eory.

I tarted workng at Lnoln Heght n 1991.

Bak then, t wa a good hool.

Motly whte kd, workngla, repetfl, knew ther plae.

The neghborhood wa afe.

People took are of ther property.

It wa Aera.

Real Aera.

Jona tay lent.

Let h talk.

Let h hang helf wth h own word.

He near.

By the late ‘9, thng tarted hangng.

Deograph hfted.

Whte fale oved ot.

New fale oved n.

dfferent fale.

He ay dfferent lke t’ poon.

The hool hanged by 2000.

Maybe 60% of the tdent were norte.

By 2005, over 70%.

By 2010, over 80%.

Jona keep her fae netral, bt nde he’ dgted.

Jona lenhe her jaw.

So, yo klled the beae of ther rae.

Jeroe hake h head dvely.

Yo don’t ndertand.

I klled the beae they repreented everythng wrong wth th ontry.

They were takng over, replang , and everyone wa elebratng t.

Dverty, nlon, eqty.

He pt the word.

All thoe word that really ean get rd of whte people.

Jona la her hand on the table.

They were hldren.

Jeroe’ expreon doen’t hange.

He hrg.

They were the ftre.

the ftre I oldn’t aept, o I elnated part of t.

She ak the qeton that hant her.

Why thee x pefally? Jeroe le, old and epty.

Beae they were the bet, the brghtet, the one who were gong oewhere.

Aalyah had holarhp offer, dvon 1 baketball.

She wold have ade t.

Tyrone wa Yale bond, fll rde, debate hapon, ftre lawyer.

Keha had a reordng ontrat nteret talent ot at her perforane.

Darnell wa the frt n h faly gong to ollege.

Football holarhp breakng the yle.

Jane wa a gen.

Sene prodgy.

NASA nternhp lned p.

And Karee Jeroe’ expreon harden.

Karee wa the wort.

Started that lb.

Blak tdent atter.

Organzed protet.

Deanded hange.

Thoght he old ake a dfferene.

thoght he had power.

I howed h he ddn’t.

Jona feel k, wallowng ble.

Yo klled x hldren beae they were efl.

He lean bak n h har.

I klled x threat.

Sx ybol of what’ detroyng th ontry.

And f that plber hadn’t gotten ro, I wold have klled ore.

There’ a frehan grl debate tea already akng wave.

She wold have been next.

Jona end the ntervew.

Can’t lten anyore.

Jeroe Caldwell n’t nane.

He’ not entally ll.

He’ not delonal.

He’ a rat.

A hatefl, volent rat who ed h poton to rder hldren.

And the yte let h do t for 16 year.

The tral begn Noveber 4th, 2019.

The proeton preent overwhelng evdene.

The bode, the trophe, the opter log, the onfeon, the rat onlne pot.

Jeroe’ ortapponted attorney tre, arge ental llne, arge PTSD fro Vetna, arge anythng to avod the death penalty.

Bt Wonn doen’t have the death penalty.

The bet the proeton an hope for lfe wthot parole.

The fale tetfy.

The proetor tand.

The proetor tand and annone.

The tate all Patra Dav.

Patra walk to the wtne tand.

She’ wearng her bet dre, navy ble, the one he wore to Aalyah’ 8th grade gradaton.

Before everythng, he’ worn n, t down, look dretly at Jeroe.

He tare bak, no expreon, epty eye.

The proetor approahe the tand gently.

Mr.

Dav, an yo tell the ort abot yor daghter, Aalyah? Patra take a breath to teady herelf.

Aalyah wa y only hld.

Born Aprl 2nd, 1989.

She ae ot reang, ad at the world.

That’ how he tayed.

Fere, trong, deterned.

A all le roe Patra’ fae.

A eory.

She le fondly.

She tarted playng baketball when he wa x.

Fell n love wth t.

Ued to leep wth her baketball.

I’d fnd her n the ornng rled arond t lke a teddy bear.

Soe jror le.

Other are already ryng.

She look ot at the adene.

By ddle hool, he wa the bet player n the ty.

14 year old and ollege were already wathng her.

Dvon 1 hool, holarhp offer ong n.

Unverty of Connett alled Tenneee, Notrada.

Patra’ voe waver.

She wpe a tear fro her heek.

She had a ftre.

A real ftre.

She wa gong to be the frt n or faly to go to ollege.

Frt to get ot, frt to ake t.

She look at Jeroe agan.

He’ tll tarng.

Stll epty.

She glare at the defendant.

May 18th, 2003.

She went to baketball prate after hool.

She alway tayed late.

Extra prate, free throw, layp.

Alway tryng to get better.

Patra wpe her eye.

Her voe treble.

She alled e at 5:30.

Sad prate wa over.

ad he’d be hoe by 6:00.

She lved 10 blok fro hool.

She’d walked t a hndred te.

Her voe break.

She take a hdderng breath.

She never ae hoe.

I alled the hool at 6:15.

Serty gard ad the bldng wa epty.

Everyone gone? No, Aalyah.

The ortroo lent.

Everyone ltenng.

She look dretly at the jry now.

I alled pole at 6:30.

Fled a report.

They earhed, ntervewed her frend, heked the rote hoe, fond nothng.

Patra look dretly at the jry.

Now, tear trea down her fae.

For 16 year, I wondered.

Every day, every ngle day, where y baby? I he alve? I he hrt? I he ared? I he allng for e? She take a haky breath.

I pt p flyer, thoand of the.

Her fae on every pole, every tore wndow.

Have yo een Aalyah Dav? Her voe get loder.

I hred nvetgator, pent every penny I had, went nto debt, ddn’t are, jt wanted to fnd her.

She pont a treblng fnger at Jeroe.

And the whole te, the whole 16 year, he wa there at her hool n the baeent, 30 feet fro where I lat poke to her on the phone.

She tand p hakng wth rage.

And he knew he pt her there.

He klled y baby and tffed her n a ppe lke garbage.

And then he wathed e earh, wathed e ffer, wathed e hope.

Patra tand p.

The jdge doen’t top her.

She hot.

My daghter wa gong to be oethng.

She wa gong to ake t ot.

Gong to go to ollege, play ball, aybe go pro.

She had everythng ahead of her.

She look at Jeroe wth pre fre.

And yo took t beae he wa blak.

Beae he wa efl.

Beae he dared to drea.

Beae he wa everythng yo hated.

Patra’ voe drop.

Qet.

Deadly.

She lean over the ralng.

I hope yo rot n that ell.

I hope every day feel lke a year.

I hope yo de alone and forgotten beae that’ what yo deerve.

She t bak down.

The ortroo lent.

Jeroe tll how no reaton.

Jt t there epty, bt one jror openly weepng.

Other have ther hand over ther oth.

Several look at Jeroe wth pre hatred.

The proetor ay qetly.

No frther qeton, yor honor.

Tyrone’ father tetfe.

Keha’ grandother, Darnell’ other, Jane’ parent, Karee’ entre faly.

All of the tell the ae tory.

Brght kd, talented kd, kd wth ftre, kd who were gong to break yle, hange trajetore, ake ther fale prod, all of the tolen by a an who hated what they repreented.

The tral lat 3 week.

The jry delberate 4 hor.

Glty on all ont.

Sx ont of frt-degree rder.

Jdge Mara Hernandez look down at Jeroe over her petale.

Mr.

Caldwell, yo have been fond glty of rderng x hldren.

Sx nnoent hldren whoe only re wa beng efl whle not beng whte.

Yo hnted the, talked the, klled the, and hd ther bode for year whle ther fale ffered.

Yo have hown no reore, no hanty, no deeny.

I entene yo to lfe n pron wthot the poblty of parole.

Sx onetve lfe entene.

Yo wll de n pron.

And yo wll de knowng that thoe x hldren aoplhed ore n ther hort lve than yo ever dd n yor entre erable extene.

Jeroe how no reaton.

Jt tand there epty.

He’ taken away to Wonn’ ax erty pron where he’ll pend the ret of h lfe.

Bt the tory doen’t end there.

The nvetgaton expand.

How dd Jeroe get away wth th for 16 year? Detetve Jona exane every falre pont.

Falre one, the hool.

Prnpal Roberton adtted he never phed hard for nvetgaton, never onneted the pattern, never deanded anwer.

She’ aked to regn.

doe o n Janary 2020, replaed by a new prnpal who edately pleent afety protool.

Stdent hek-n yte, erty aera, better overght, falre.

Two, the pole departent.

Sx ng peron ae fro one loaton, all nally nvetgated, all labeled a rnaway.

The Mlwakee Pole Departent lanhe an nternal revew.

fnd yte e, plt ba n how ng peron ae are handled.

Poor kd, epeally norty kd, don’t get the ae attenton a ddle-la whte kd.

The hef of pole e a pbl apology, proe refor, new protool, better tranng, dedated tak fore for ng peron, bt apologe don’t brng bak x hldren, falre.

Three, Donovan Plbng Serve.

Detetve Jona ntervew Frank Donovan and Danny Kowalk.

Were they oplt? Dd they know? Trn ot, no.

They ddn’t know abot the bode, bt ther neglgene allowed Jeroe to ontne.

For 16 year, Donovan Plbng erved Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool.

For 16 year, they only dd teporary fxe.

nake dran, leared log, olleted fee, never nvetgated the an lne, never opened the leanot n the boler roo, never dd the job properly.

If they had, the bode wold have been fond year earler.

Maybe after Aalyah, aybe after Tyrone, ertanly before all x.

Jona preent her fndng to the dtrt attorney.

Are Frank and Dany rnally lable? The DA ay, “No, neglgene n’t a re.

Beng lazy n’t a re.

Prortzng proft over proper erve n’t a re.

Bt the ort of pbl opnon dagree.

The tory break.

Plbng opany’ neglgene allowed kller to hde bode for 16 year.

Donovan plbng erve detroyed.

Ctoer anel ontrat.

The hool dtrt drop the.

Bnee refe to work wth the.

Frank Donovan tre to fght t.

Hre a PR fr.

Ie tateent.

Frank peak to the pre aera lookng fltered.

We followed ndtry tandard.

We dd what wa aked.

We oldn’t have known.

Nobody are.

The opany ollape wthn 3 onth.

Danny Kowalk fred.

Can’t fnd work.

Everyone know h nae.

The lazy plber who naked dran 127 te and never looked deeper.

He ove to another tate, hange h nae, tre to tart over, bt Jaal Wahngton beoe a hero.

The plber who dd h job rght, who refed to take hortt, who nted on nvetgatng properly.

If Jaal had jt naked the dran lke Dany alway dd, the bode ght tll be there.

Jeroe ght have klled ore tdent.

The fale ght never have gotten anwer, bt Jaal ared.

Jaal took prde n h work.

Jaal dd what wa rght ntead of what wa eay.

The Mlwakee Waterwork Departent offer h a job.

Lead plber for the entre hool dtrt.

Better pay, better beneft, better prpoe.

H frt andate, npet every hool’ dranage yte, all 163 hool, top to botto, an lne, leanot, everythng.

No hortt, no teporary fxe.

Do t rght.

Jaal aept.

Qt Donovan Plbng.

Start h new job Marh 1t, 2020.

H tea fnd proble everywhere.

Old ppe, tree root, blokage.

Nothng a horrf a Lnoln Heght, bt proble that need real fxe.

They fx the properly, peranently.

In Deeber 2019, Lnoln Heght Mddle Shool hold a eoral erve.

The hool renaed, now alled the reebered Sx Aadey.

In the front ortyard, a eoral ereted.

Sx bronze tate, lfe-zed.

Sx tdent, forever yong, forever reebered.

Alya Dav, ar raed n a jp hot.

Inrpton: She oared.

Tyrone Mthell, holdng a gavel.

Inrpton: He poke trth.

Keha Wlla, oth open n ong.

Inrpton: She ang hope.

Darnell Thopon, football n hand.

Inrpton: He broke barrer.

Jane Rodrgez lookng throgh a teleope.

Inrpton: She reahed for tar.

Karee Jakon, ft raed.

Inrpton: He foght for jte.

The fale gather.

Patra Dav, Tyrone’ father, Jeroe Mthell.

Keha’ grandother, Dorothy Wlla.

Darnell’ other, Angela Thopon.

Jane’ parent, Carlo and Mara Rodrgez.

Karee’ other, La Jakon.

They hold hand.

They ry.

They reeber.

Prnpal Martnez, the new prnpal, peak.

Prnpal Martnez peak nto the rophone, her voe ehong.

Thee x tdent were tolen fro .

Stolen fro ther fale.

Stolen fro ther ftre.

Stolen by hatred.

Stolen by ra.

tolen by a yte that ddn’t vale ther lve enogh to protet the.

She getre to the tate, bt they are not forgotten.

They wll never be forgotten.

Every tdent who walk throgh thee door wll ee ther eoral.

We’ll learn ther tore, wll know ther nae.

She read the nae lowly.

Aalyah, Tyrone, Keha, Darnell, Jane, Karee.

She look ot at the tdent.

They deerved better.

They deerve to lve.

They deerve ther ftre.

We annot gve the that.

Bt we an proe to protet every tdent who oe after the.

We an proe to note when hldren are ng.

We an proe to fght for the.

We an proe to are.

She onlde.

The reebered x aadey tand a a tetaent to x brght lght that were extnghed too oon.

Bt ther legay wll hne forever.

The rowd lent.

Then oeone tart ngng oftly.

A gopel hyn, Aazng Grae, how weet the ond.

Other jon n.

Voe rng, fllng the ortyard that aved a wreth lke e.

The fale ng throgh ther tear.

I one wa lot, bt now I’ fond.

Patra Dav hold Aalyah’ baketball jerey, the one Jeroe kept.

The one the pole retrned to her.

Nber 23.

Wa blnd, bt now I ee.

The ong end.

The eoral erve onlde.

The fale plae flower at the bae of eah tate.

Prple flower for Aalyah, her favorte olor.

Yellow roe for Tyrone, h other’ hoe.

Whte le for Keha fro her hrh hor.

Red arnaton for Darnell, h tea olor.

Snflower for Jane.

She loved atronoy.

Loved the n.

Afran volet for Karee.

Choen by h Blak Stdent Matter lb eber.

The fale leave lowly, reltantly, not wantng to go, not wantng to leave ther hldren agan.

Bt the eoral wll alway be here.

The reebered x aadey wll alway tand.

The nae wll alway be poken.

Jaal Wahngton attend the ereony.

Stand n the bak.

Doen’t want attenton.

Doen’t want to take away fro the faly’ oent.

Bt Patra Dav ee h, walk over, take h hand.

Patra Dav walk over and take Jaal’ hand.

Thank yo.

Thank yo for arng enogh to look.

Thank yo for dong yor job rght.

Thank yo for brngng y baby hoe.

Jaal’ eye fll wth tear a he look at her.

I wh I’d done t ooner.

I wh I’d nted onth ago.

Maybe.

Patra qeeze h hand, nterrptng h.

No.

No.

No whatf.

Yo dd what yo dd.

Yo fond the.

Yo gave anwer.

Yo gave lore.

Yo gave a hane to bry or hldren.

That’ everythng.

She hg h tght.

A other’ ebrae.

The other fale jon one by one, thankng Jaal.

Thankng the an who refed to take hortt.

Jaal drve hoe that nght.

H kd are watng.

H daghter Keha, age nne, h on Mar, age even.

He hg the tght, hold the loe.

He ke the top of ther head.

I love yo.

Never forget that.

They don’t ndertand why he’ o eotonal, bt they hg bak anyway.

Jaal thnk abot Aalyah, Tyrone, Keha, Darnell, Jane, Karee.

Sx kd who hold be alve.

Sx kd who hold have ftre.

Sx kd who deerved better fro every yte degned to protet the.

He thnk abot h job.

npetng hool dranage yte, lookng for proble, fxng the properly.

It’ not jt abot ppe anyore.

It’ abot afety, abot proteton, abot akng re no other Jeroe Caldwell an hde horror n plan ght.

Soete t ean brngng hldren