Justin Lum
25 min
To Tylee and JJ,
It’s been six months since I learned about you two. Siblings not linked by blood but connected by pure unconditional love. It was December 21st, 2019 when I really looked at your missing poster. I had no idea what would transpire after that.
The connections, the twists and suspicious circumstances surrounding your family. We needed to note everything we knew on a white board that night to make sense of it all. At the time, we didn’t even have all the dates 100% accurate. But we knew something was wrong.
I remember messaging Kay and Brandon late in the night. They really brought this whole case to light. The next day December 22nd, the rest is history. The bond I now share with those two is something I will always cherish. The tenacity and strength they have shown throughout this search has inspired me and reminded me that I do have a purpose. Journalism matters but more importantly being a good human matters more.
That board morphed into a wall of who’s who and documents we just kept compiling. Each moment we uncovered new information, we just became hungry for more. Finding the truth became addictive. I’m so appreciative of the people we met along the way who contributed to peeling the layers back. This experience is something I will never forget and I am grateful for my team’s support as I could not do half my job without them.
Tylee and JJ, I obviously never met you two. But the dozens of pictures and videos of you are engrained in my memory. The way you brought so many together to find you. What we now know, is hard to process still. Something we can admit we all feared after so many months but never wanted to accept. You didn’t deserve to have your lives cut so short. Tylee, you should be with your best friends, driving your Jeep in the Arizona summer - excited about what your future holds as you turn 18 in the fall. JJ, you should have already been showered with gifts on your 8th birthday last month, spoiled by your grandparents and extended family. Your story has changed my life, period.
I am truly sorry you both were failed so miserably. But you are loved deeply and justice will be served. Rest In Peace.
(Photos at link)
Justin Lum Fox 10 Phoenix