Ep 3. Dancing into Darkness

On the third episode of the fifth season of Disappeared, titled "Dancing into Darkness," we follow the story of Bethany Decker, a 21-year-old woman who disappeared from her apartment in Ashburn, Virginia in January 2011.

Bethany was a young mother studying to be a medical assistant at a local college. At the time of her disappearance, she was five months pregnant with her second child and was in the middle of a custody battle with her estranged husband, Emile Decker, who was serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army.

The episode starts by highlighting Bethany's love for dancing, particularly salsa dancing. She was a regular at a local dance studio where she met a man named Ronald Roldan, who became her dance partner and friend. Ronald, a married man, was also in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan around the same time as Emile. Bethany had confided in Ronald about her struggles with Emile and her desire to start a new life with her children.

As the investigation into her disappearance unfolded, detectives focused on those closest to Bethany. Emile was cleared of any involvement in her disappearance as he had a verified alibi, and Ronald's alibi was deemed less credible. It was also discovered that Ronald had a criminal history and was charged with sexual misconduct after an incident at the dance studio with another woman.

The episode delves into the complicated relationship between Bethany and Ronald, including evidence of text messages between the two after her disappearance. Ronald maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in her disappearance or knowledge of her whereabouts.

Investigators also looked into other potential suspects, including a former coworker who had made unwanted advances towards Bethany and a man who claimed to have seen her at a casino in West Virginia. However, none of these leads brought them any closer to finding Bethany.

The episode concludes with Bethany's family and friends holding a vigil in her honor, still left with no answers or closure. The case remains unsolved and Bethany's whereabouts are still unknown.

Throughout the episode, the viewer is taken on a journey of twists and turns as the investigation into Bethany's disappearance unfolds. Dancing into Darkness highlights the emotional toll that disappearances have on not only the missing person's loved ones but also the detectives and investigators working tirelessly to solve the case.