Podcaster weighs in on own investigation into 2018 Shank disappearance case
CENTREVILLE — James Baysinger, host of the "Hide and Seek" podcast through Sasquatch Productions in Washington state, has dedicated an entire season to a woman who has been missing from the Burr Oak/Sturgis area since Nov. 30, 2018.
Brittany Wallace Shank was 23 years old at the time of her disappearance.
More:Community rallies to help solve Shank missing persons case
Baysinger answered questions by the Sturgis Journal on his involvement with an independent investigation into the details surrounding her disappearance, what he has discovered, and what he hopes will happen next to find what happened on a cold night in 2018.
Sturgis Journal: What piqued your interest in Brittany's case?
Baysinger: When I created the show "Hide and Seek," I knew I wanted to focus on missing-person cases that are not well known. Brittany's case is the third case I've investigated. I feel that the person responsible for the victim's disappearance gets more confident by the day that no one seems to care. The longer the case goes cold, the family of the victim feels like their loved one is forgotten.
When I read Brittany's story, I was perplexed by the details surrounding her case. How is it possible no one knows who the male was with Brittany the night she disappeared?
Much time and work spent on Brittany's case compared to (the investigations of) Nancy Moyer and Logan Schiendelman (which) have been significantly more. Brittany's case required more time to investigate. The reason for that is because of how many rumors and leads I needed to follow up on. I received lots of information from people who claimed to be close to Brittany. Cyphering through that data and information was challenging and time-consuming.
SJ: What are some of the things you have discovered or uncovered in your own approach to the case?
Baysinger: During my investigation, we discovered that Brittany's social media information has continued to be tampered with. During my season, we watched her Facebook profiles disappear. Who and why someone would do that is a question I believe needs to be asked. When someone goes missing, the spouse (husband or wife) should always be a person of interest from day one. I don't feel Brittany's separated husband has adequately been looked at by law enforcement.
SJ: Have you assisted in the solving of any other cases?
Baysinger: During my first season (2019), I covered a case in WA about a woman who went missing in 2009. Her name is Nancy Moyer. It was a 10-year cold case when I began investigating Nancy's disappearance. During the middle of my season, on July 9, 2019, Eric Roberts called local authorities to confess that he had murdered Nancy. Eric was a co-worker of Nancy's at the time of her disappearance. I was told by a trusted source with law enforcement that when Eric was asked, "Why are you choosing now to confess?" Eric (Robert) talked about the weight of guilt he felt and mentioned me doing this show on her disappearance. I think the show brought the pressure Nancy's case needed and played a factor in Eric's reason to confess. Not long after his confession, Eric recanted his testimony and was released not long after his arrest. When Eric was released, I decided to show up at his residence unannounced and conduct an interview with him. We are still in the stages of DNA testing.
SJ: Where to from here with Brittany's case?
Baysinger: I hope the communities surrounding Brittany's case will continue to show Brittany and her family the support they need. This is every parent's worst nightmare. Brittany's parents (Jessica and Greg) live with that daily. A nightmare that never ends and repeats from the moment they wake up until they go to bed. Continue to spread awareness. Talk about Brittany's story when the opportunity allows it.
When I ask family members of the victims, "what's the hardest part?" The answer is always the same, "not knowing."
The work put into Brittany's case by the St. Joseph County Sheriff's office has been significant. The challenge I see with most agencies when working on cold cases is that they only get to work on them when they have time to do so.
My team and I have spent more time on this case than anyone. I'm from Washington and traveled three times to the area. I've conducted over 200 interviews and spent lots of time speaking with those willing to talk. We're nearly two years into investigating Brittany's disappearance, and I've communicated my discoveries and concerns with the detective. I hope the sheriff's office takes the information I provided thoughtfully.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Podcaster discusses his investigation into 2018 Shank disappearance
