It’s a story we’ve covered before: the disappearance of Pamela Butler in 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The case puzzled detectives -- who pored over the extensive security footage of Pamela’s house. How could she have disappeared from inside her own home, and none of her cameras caught it?
Before long, the case would grow cold.
Pamela’s brother, Derrick Butler, fought to keep his sister’s case relevant. Derrick is now is on the board of the Black & Missing Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring that missing persons of color get the media attention they deserve.
Learn more about the foundation here:
Long after Pamela’s case went cold, authorities finally zeroed in on a suspect.
They solved Pam’s case.
But in doing so, the detectives opened up an entirely new saga.
It’s a story Dateline hadn’t told before, about another woman who had gone missing in Virginia almost two decades prior to Pamela’s disappearance.
A woman named Marta Rodriguez.
The two women, Pamela and Marta, didn’t know each other, but they both ended up — years apart — in the same place.
For the rest of the story, you can watch our full episode, “A Haunting Stretch of Road,” now.
After watching the episode, you can learn more about the prosecutor in Marta’s case, who has a message for those facing challenges in life.