In 2011, 21-year-old Bethany Decker was very busy. She was buzzing around Ashburn, Virginia -- balancing college, her toddler son Kai, and a baby who was on the way.
On January 28, 2011, she went to visit her grandmother, Evelyn Bayles.
During that visit, they caught up and chatted about how Bethany was doing at school and at work.
Call it a grandma’s intuition, but Evelyn said something seemed to be weighing on Bethany.
She said Bethany did not seem like herself that day. Seemed troubled.
Evelyn said when Bethany wasn’t talking on her phone, she seemed to be firing off a text every second.
Then, suddenly, she said she had to leave right away.
Evelyn tried to stop her, but was unsuccessful.
Bethany drove off.
That was the last time Evelyn saw her granddaughter.
Once the family realized Bethany was missing they began a desperate search. They got the whole country talking about Bethany.
Detectives investigated Bethany’s disappearance tirelessly, but had to face a harsh reality: the facts pointed to homicide...
To find out what happened, watch the full episode, “Bethany Vanished” on Peacock now.
You can also watch on the NBC app.
Bethany’s family remembers fond memories they shared with her.
After you’ve watched the episode, learn more about Help Save the Next Girl, an organization aimed at preventing violent crimes against young women. Bethany’s mom became greatly involved in the organization after Bethany’s disappearance.
