Ep 17. Hard Life in the Big Easy

In Disappeared season 5 episode 17 titled "Hard Life in the Big Easy," viewers are taken to New Orleans, Louisiana, where a young woman named Terrilyn Monette goes missing after a night out with friends.

Terrilyn, a 26-year-old California native, had recently moved to New Orleans to work as a second-grade teacher in the city's public school system. Described as vivacious and bubbly, Terrilyn quickly made friends and was well-liked by her colleagues.

On March 2, 2013, Terrilyn went out to celebrate her Teacher of the Year nomination with friends at the Parlay's bar in the Lakeview neighborhood. According to witnesses, Terrilyn left the bar around 4 a.m. and was never seen again.

The next day, Terrilyn failed to show up for church or work, prompting her friends and family to launch a search effort. Police also got involved in the investigation, but they initially treated Terrilyn's case as a missing person's report, as there was no evidence of foul play.

As the days turned into weeks and then months, the search for Terrilyn intensified. Her family and friends launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about her disappearance, while police searched tirelessly for any clues.

The investigation took a turn when police found Terrilyn's car, a black Honda Accord, parked on the side of a residential street in the nearby Bayou St. John neighborhood. The car was locked, and Terrilyn's belongings, including her cell phone, were still inside.

This discovery sparked fears that something sinister had happened to Terrilyn, and police began to investigate the possibility of foul play. They questioned people who had been at the bar with Terrilyn, as well as residents in the neighborhood where her car was found.

Despite their efforts, the investigation stalled, and Terrilyn's family and friends were left to wonder what had happened to her. They believed that someone knew something and that the truth would eventually come out.

In the years since Terrilyn's disappearance, her case has continued to generate media attention, and her family has never given up hope of finding her. They believe that Terrilyn was a victim of foul play and that someone in the New Orleans community knows what happened to her.

"Hard Life in the Big Easy" is a captivating episode of Disappeared that highlights the heartbreaking story of Terrilyn Monette's disappearance. Through interviews with her friends and family, as well as law enforcement officials, viewers are taken on a journey of emotions as they follow the search for answers in this puzzling case.

The episode sheds light on the challenges faced by law enforcement in investigations of missing person cases, particularly those that involve adults who may have disappeared voluntarily. It also highlights the power of social media and community activism in raising awareness about these cases and keeping them in the public eye.

Overall, "Hard Life in the Big Easy" is a must-watch episode of Disappeared that highlights the heartbreaking story of Terrilyn Monette's disappearance while also raising important questions about the larger issues surrounding missing person cases.