02x01 - Miya Marcano

[bunniefuu]

- I called my mom.

I was like, hey, when's the
last time you spoke to miya?

- His exact words to me was,
"mom, I can't find miya."

The last anybody spoke to her,

She was waiting on an uber
to go to the airport.

- I thought
that it was human trafficking.

She's so pretty
and so friendly.

Maybe she got in an uber,
and she was kidnapped.

- I think that's probably
when they knew

That this guy could
possibly be connected to this.

- This red shirt
is what miya was wearing

When she was last seen.

- Miya, I know you're alive.

I know you're out there.

- One moment, she was there,

And the next, she was gone.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- A young woman
is missing tonight

After leaving a bar
with a stranger,

Then texting help to a friend.

♪ ♪

- You are watching
her terrifying abduction.

♪ ♪

- A missing woman's nude body
was discovered in this ravine.

- Miraculously,
the young woman survived.

♪ ♪

[camera shutter clicking]

- There is an alarming crisis
of violence,

Kidnapping, and m*rder
against innocent women.

- The senseless m*rder
has struck a chord

With thousands of women.

♪ ♪

- This has sparked
a global movement online

Of women sharing
their own fears.

They're united under the
hashtag #textmewhenyougethome,

A phrase that women
are all too familiar with.

♪ ♪

[soft music]

- Miya is my princess,
my daughter,

My beautiful daughter.

Miya is life.

A beautiful light,
a bright light.

Miya is the most perfect human
being that I've ever met.

Narrator:
In September of 2021,

Miya marcano is a 19-year-old
college student

Living in orlando, florida.

- My family is from
the u.S. Virgin islands--

St. Thomas, st. Croix too.

Her dad's family
is from trinidad,

And miya was born in florida.

But nobody couldn't tell her
she was not born

In st. Croix, virgin islands.

That's where her heart
and soul was.

- Carnival is a really big part
of our lives in the islands.

- Carnival is a tradition
from the caribbean.

It's the emancipation
of sl*very,

Where they wear
different costumes,

And you dance all the way
up through--

Like, it's like
a freedom thing.

She participated every year.

- She loved carnival,
like, so much.

She loved putting
on the costumes,

Dressing up, doing her makeup,
going out and dancing,

And listening to the music
that she loved.

I think that's probably one
of the top things

That she enjoyed to do.

- From the time
miya was very little,

She was in the costume,
all dressed up.

And she did that
for a lot of years.

So carnival time
was just our family's time

To kind of get together,
and celebrate, and have fun.

- Miya was like the glue
to both families

Because she
just loved get-togethers,

Loved being with family.

That was miya.

- She was outgoing.
She was really funny.

She always knew how
to bring a vibe.

She always knew how
to bring happiness.

- Miya's interests were sports,
for sure, dancing.

She loved going out,
traveling, meeting people.

- She's been really good
at school her whole life.

She always got good grades.

- She made smart decisions,
you know.

She's never one to disappoint,

You know, like,
where you have to be like,

Oh, no,
what is she gonna do now?

No, miya was very--
was a very good girl.

- Her whole life
has been like a princess.

She was the family princess.

She would brighten the room.

And she was just fun
to be around.

- Hey, devia.

I just want to say a special
congratulations to you.

I'm very proud of you,
and I can't wait to see

What the future holds for you.

I love you.

[dramatic music]

Narrator: At 18 years old,
miya heads to college

In orange county, florida.

- She wanted
to do orthopedic surgery.

She wanted to be one
of the best

Orthopedic surgeons there is.

That was just her.

Narrator: It's the first time
she's living on her own.

- She was excited
to be on her own.

Not even to just go
and do whatever she wanted,

But just to have
her own space.

- It was my understanding that
that was a pretty safe area.

There's off-campus apartments.

There's college, you know,
bars and restaurants,

Fraternity and sorority houses
not too far away.

Narrator:
Miya loves school and flies

Through her freshman year.

As a sophomore, she transfers
schools within orlando

And rents a different
apartment with a roommate.

- She was
in a gated community.

Her dad went above and beyond.

She had
a ground floor apartment.

He went and added
extra security locks

Onto her windows.

Miya had mace.

She had one
of those stun g*n things.

Narrator: Miya's family
warns her about the dangers

That can occur living in a big
city as a young single woman.

- My sister said to her--
and my niece--that any time,

Any time you're kidnapped
or somebody grabs you,

Bite, scratch, fight, scream.

We always told her
to go in a group.

Don't ever go by yourself.

Always check
your surroundings.

As much as I wanted
to keep her in a bubble,

I could not, you know?

I had to let her live.

I had to let her
experience life.

[soft music]

♪

Narrator: As miya settles into
her sophomore year in college,

She takes a job
in the leasing office

Of her apartment complex.

- I know that miya's family

Researched the school,

The area, the apartment
that she was living in.

If she was gonna work,
she literally worked

At the apartment complex
that she lived,

So she didn't have
to go too far.

Narrator:
Between school and work,

Miya's family checks in
with her almost daily.

They also keep up
with her by following

Her social media accounts.

- Social media was a really
big part of miya's life.

She was always on social media.

- The pictures that she would
post on instagram and stuff,

You would be able to see
right away what kind

Of person she is.

It was nothing hidden
behind her, nothing.

She was always full of smiles,
laughter, jokes.

♪ ♪

- Miya was traveling home,

Getting ready for the vacation
that we had planned.

We were getting ready
to go on a trip to jamaica.

- I knew she was
coming this weekend.

She was definitely excited.

She was like,
"hey, I'm gonna spend

A night or two by your house."

I was like, ok.
And that was it.

She was happy.

- She had texted me,
I think, at 1:33 p.M.

Because I was working
in orlando at the time.

I was filling up gas in my
car, getting ready to go home.

She lived five minutes away
from where I was working.

I already checked
out of my hotel.

I couldn't go
anywhere else after that.

So I was like,
"I'm actually getting

Ready to head home right now."

She was like, "no, don't worry
about it because dad said

He'll buy me a ticket
to come home tonight."

So I was like, all right.
No problem.

Narrator: Miya's parents
are divorced.

Her mom lives
in the virgin islands,

And her dad
in fort lauderdale.

- We knew that she was
taking a flight

To fort lauderdale
to her dad's.

And then I told her,
"don't forget,

Call me when you get
in the uber."

And she's like, "I know, mom."

Narrator: Around 5:00 p.M.,
miya's brother marlon

Arrives home
to fort lauderdale

After a 3 1/2 hour drive
from orlando.

- My grandma was like, "hey,
you heard from your sister?"

Like, I keep calling her,
but it's not going through.

[phone buzzes]

So I left the house,
and now, like,

It's on my mind
that she never answered.

So I sent her a text.
I was like, "yo, call me."

I had to stop to the store
for something.

And I told myself--I was like,
if I go into this store,

And I don't either get
a call or text back,

Then I'ma be,
like, a little alert,

You know what I'm saying,
and then I went into the store.

I came out.
I didn't have anything.

Like, no notifications
on my phone.

- My son, he calls.

His exact words to me was,
"mom, I can't find miya."

And you know, I was like,
"what do you mean,

You can't find miya?"

So I called her, and it
went straight to voicemail.

Something was wrong.

And then that's
when everything started.

[tense music]

Narrator:
19-year-old miya marcano,

A college sophomore, hasn't
answered any recent texts

Or calls from her family.

- If I call miya,
and she doesn't answer,

She will text me,
"auntie pia, I'm in class,"

Or she was like,
"I'll call you right back.

I'm doing something."

I didn't get a reply, so now
I started to get worried.

- I texted, like,
multiple times.

The first one was, like,
"hey" or something like that.

And then the second one was--

I think was just, like,
six question marks.

But the second time
is when I realized

That my text messages
weren't going through.

- I knew she was leaving work
at 5:00,

But I wasn't sure
if she left at 5:00,

Or she left earlier
to catch an earlier flight.

Narrator: After working
at the apartment complex

Where she lives, miya's father
buys her a plane ticket

To fly home
later that evening.

- She was scheduled to take a
flight back to fort lauderdale

To start participating
in our carnival festivities

That we have every year.

- The first call
I made was to her job

Because I wanted to find out
what time she left work.

They were closed by then.

My next calls
were to uber or lyft,

Just to see if maybe
she caught one of them,

And she forgot her phone.

They wouldn't give me
any information.

They said only the police
could get that information.

You know, I'm--you don't want
to go into panic yet

Because you want to give it
the benefit of the doubt

Because things happen.

Narrator:
Miya's family reaches out

To her friends in orlando,

Hoping one of them
has heard from her.

- One of my best friends,

He lived five minutes away
from my sister.

I told him to just post up
by the front door,

And nobody ever came
to the front door.

Narrator: Miya's family
also calls her roommate.

She isn't at home
and hasn't heard from miya.

- Instantly, I just--

I knew something was wrong
because that's not miya at all.

Narrator: Even though
miya's family have been trying

To find her for hours,
they still hold out hope

She boarded her flight
to fort lauderdale

And that this is all
just a big misunderstanding.

- I just didn't want
to think the worst.

At the time, I just thought
that she was on the plane safe

And her phone was off.

- We were waiting on a flight.

We just wanted to make sure,
before we called her missing,

That she was not
on that flight.

Narrator: Since miya's mom
lives in the virgin islands,

She calls miya's grandmother
in fort lauderdale for help.

- Her grandmother actually went
to the airport to wait

To see if she came
off of that flight.

And she did not.

- When they heard
that she wasn't on the flight,

Then it was really serious.

Narrator:
Miya's mom calls 911.

They would not go
into the apartment

Because there was
nothing wrong,

So they needed somebody
to invite them in.

And the roommate eventually
came in and let them in.

Narrator:
Inside miya's apartment,

Everything looks normal.

Miya's bedroom door
is closed and locked.

Police knock on miya's door,
but no one answers.

For unknown reasons, they
do not attempt to gain entry.

Instead, they go outside
and look into her room

Through a window.

- Her bedroom door was locked.

So the officers went
around the back,

And her window was open.

There's no way
those windows could be open

Because there's extra security
on the windows,

And the window was wide open.

Narrator: Looking into miya's
room from the outside window,

Authorities believe
nothing seems out of place,

But miya's family
isn't taking any chances.

- Her dad drove up
within hours of knowing

That we couldn't find her

Because I'm still here
in the virgin islands,

So there's no way for me
to get a flight out that fast.

Narrator: Miya's dad,
her brother, and cousin

Drive through the night.

- We just wanted
to find my sister.

Because in a situation
like that,

You don't know what to think.

Narrator: Miya's family prays
for answers as they try

To figure out
why she disappeared.

- Over the night,
it was my aunt

That was really keeping
our side of the family posted

On what was going on.

I couldn't sleep.
I didn't go to sleep.

I stayed up.

I actually texted her
when my mom

Told me that they
couldn't find her.

I just said, "miya," just
to see if it would go through,

But it didn't go through,

So I knew her phone
was either dead or off.

I knew something
was really wrong.

♪ ♪

Narrator: Miya's father
and family arrive

At her apartment in orlando.

They force their way
into miya's room

And are shocked
by what they see inside.

- They gained access
to her room,

And that's where things
got very, very dark.

Narrator: Although miya's room
looked normal to authorities

From outside her window,
inside, her family uncovers

A very different story.

- They knew something was wrong

Because the entire bedroom
was in disarray.

There was dried blood
on her pillow.

And there was a teddy bear
that, I guess,

She would bring everywhere,
and that bear was still there.

- There was a cubby
pushed behind the door,

And the locks
on the windows were gone.

We know that there
was a struggle

Because of how her room was.

She used to wear these chains,

And they were busted
on the ground.

And she'd wear
these bracelets that--

They're from st. Croix.

They're called
crucian bracelets,

And they're very, very strong.

And two of them
were broken on the floor.

There's no way, no how

You could break these bracelets
without a struggle.

The room that night--
her bedroom that night,

That was it.

It couldn't get
any more serious than that.

Everybody knows their children.
Every parent knows their child.

We knew something was wrong.

[tense music]

Narrator:
19-year-old miya marcano

Has been missing
for over seven hours.

- Her mom called the police
in orlando

To do a well-being check
on her.

Miya wasn't home,
and miya's door was locked.

The family was able to go
inside and see her bedroom.

Her dad had actually come
and installed locks

On the window at one point,
and those locks were removed.

Her necklace that she always
wears was on the floor.

That's when they knew
that something was wrong.

Narrator: Miya's dad
and brother call her mom

Back in the virgin islands.

- People have asked me,

Did you ever get a feeling
that something was wrong?

On September 25th,
as I'm getting ready

To try to go to the airport
to get a flight out

From st. Thomas to orlando,
I'm in the shower,

And I'm praying,
and I'm talking aloud,

And I have my eyes closed,
and when I open my eyes,

I see my daughter
in front of me,

A vision of my daughter.

She's crying,
and she has her hands,

Like, by her neck.

I didn't tell anybody.

What does this mean?

You know, you want positivity
out in this outcome

Because I don't want it
to be negative.

Narrator: That night, as news

Of miya's
disappearance spreads,

Her family is still
with the sheriff's deputy

At her apartment in orlando.

They firmly believe miya has
been the victim of a crime.

- I think the first thought
that came to my mind

Was maybe she got in an uber
to go to the airport,

And she was kidnapped.

I know orlando
is very popular when it comes

To sex trafficking
and different stuff.

I was like,
what else can it be?

She's not gonna run away.

- I thought at first
that it was human trafficking.

That was one of my fears.

She's so pretty
and so friendly.

Narrator: One of the first
questions on everybody's mind

Is if miya has any enemies
or knows of anyone

Who would want to hurt her.

- I really didn't
have any clue.

So honestly, I didn't have
any suspects in my mind

Because she never told us
about anyone that would

Treat her that way or do
anything to her like that.

- She never came
to me and said,

"auntie pia,
I'm scared of someone,"

Or, "I have someone
that wants to fight me."

Never.

Narrator: Another question
is if miya was dating anyone

Or had problems
with an ex-boyfriend.

- Miya has always
had a lot of friends.

I don't believe she had
a boyfriend at the time.

Narrator: Miya may
not have had a boyfriend,

But her roommate
tells miya's family

There was someone
who had interest in her.

- Her roommate texts us
and tells us

To check the maintenance man.

She gave his name and told us
to check this guy out.

Narrator: The maintenance man,
and miya's coworker

At her apartment complex,

Is 27-year-old
armando caballero.

- This guy worked with her,

And this guy
was obsessed with her.

And he had been,
you know, making attempts

To go out with her,
and she wasn't interested.

He had been sending her
a lot of messages

And things like that.

Narrator: Miya's family
is surprised to hear

That she a problem
with her coworker.

- I never really pressed
my sister on who

She was friends with or who
she was communicating with.

If anybody ever disrespected
her or said something

Out of pocket,
she told her friends.

And then
when everything happened,

Her friends told me,
but she never told me.

Narrator: That night
and into the early hours,

As news of miya's
disappearance spreads,

More of her friends call
and show up at her apartment

With suspicions about armando.

Since he was the apartment
maintenance man,

He might have known
miya's building number

And had access
to her apartment.

- This guy
had been texting her,

Saying that he wanted
to give her money.

He wanted to cash app her
his life savings.

He had obviously been
interested in her.

So he had maybe
made some advances,

And she wasn't interested,

And I guess they had texted
back and forth.

And of course,
this is a coworker

Of hers at some point,

So I would imagine
she was being polite,

And responding,
and saying no thank you

To the money and all that
stuff she was being offered.

I think that's probably
when they knew that something

Isn't right
and that this guy could

Possibly be connected to this.

Narrator: As both
miya's family and the deputy

At the scene learn
about armando's obsession,

The unthinkable happens.

Armando arrives
at miya's apartment.

- They were at the apartment,
and there he was,

Walking around.

And if he's off his shift,
why would he be there?

And I think, like them
and all of our families,

If they believe
that somebody is suspicious

And looks responsible,
they're gonna confront them.

And that's what they did.

Narrator:
One of miya's relatives

Turns on their cell phone

And records the confrontation
with armando.

He says he got a call from
a mutual friend named tati,

And that something
happened to miya.

- But no one knows tati.
You keep mentioning tati.

No one knows tati.

The roommates
don't even know tati.

You keep saying
tati is her friend.

- Showing up here
at 4:00 in the morning.

- So they were recording
the whole thing.

He just said
he had heard from a friend

That something was wrong,
and he came to check it out.

- As of right now, you have
sent obsessive texts to miya.

We have all seen the texts.

You talked about giving
her your life savings.

You cash apped her money,

And you claim
that you weren't in touch.

- Who told her I gave her
my life savings?

- It's on text.
- I never said that.

- As a matter of fact,
we're gonna get a police report

To pull your phone records
if that's the case.

- And they were asking him
the tough questions.

They were saying,
"what's going on?

What do you--
do you know anything?"

- There's evidence
of obsession, of something.

You're fascinated with miya.

- It's not only from my side,
so don't try to make this--

- No one's saying that.
It takes two.

- She's not here
to defend herself right now.

- Obviously, she's missing.

So we're talking to you, who's
been going back and forth--

- I respect that.
I understand that.

That is y'all family.
- Right.

- But until we figure out
what's going on,

Just don't beat me up.

- No one's beating you up.

- If I'm guilty,
why would I come here?

- You put yourself
in the middle right here.

You brought yourself over here.

- I think,
as a family member, they knew

That something was off
with this guy.

- Somebody's missing, and
you don't think it's serious.

Someone that--
- maybe they're hanging out.

They got this place right here.

They go downtown.
I don't know.

Maybe her phone is off.
I don't know where she'd be.

- Very nonchalant, "I don't
know what you're talking about.

I don't know where she is."

Couldn't care less.

Narrator: Authorities ask
armando when he last saw miya.

He says
it was around 3:00 p.M.

Miya's family wants
armando taken into custody

And questioned,
but with no probable cause

To arrest or detain him,

Authorities
instead let him go.

- If you ask me,
they were actually treating him

Like he was a victim, you know?

Like, trying to shield him
from the questions

That her dad was asking.

Just sad, you know?

Narrator: As the sun comes up
and miya is still missing,

More family members arrive
to help look for her.

- Miya went missing Friday.

We got there the Saturday.

Narrator: While searching,
they once again see armando.

This time,
they decide to take matters

Into their own hands
and follow him.

- Everything
about him screamed,

"I know where she is."

Everything about him.
Every single thing about him.

[tense music]

Narrator: After 19-year-old
miya marcano goes missing,

Her family believes
her coworker armando caballero

Might have something to do
with her disappearance.

- I heard his name
from one of miya's friends,

Probably like an hour or two
before he showed back up

To miya's apartment.

That's really how he got
onto the radar, to be honest.

- They didn't have enough
to pinpoint him

As the main suspect,

Which is why
she had went missing,

And he was still walking
around the apartment complex.

- We have all seen the texts.

You talked about giving her
your life savings.

Narrator:
According to miya's friends,

Armando is obsessed with her.

When he shows up at her
apartment in the early hours

After she went missing,

It proves to miya's family
that he's involved.

- I guess the radar went up
with him, that--

Because why are you here
at this hour?

And I asked my sister,
"who is this guy?"

And she was like,
"I don't even know who he is."

Narrator: Hours
after they confront armando,

Miya's family sees him again
and decides to follow him.

- This man was still living
his life, walking around,

So they went ahead
and they followed him

To where he was living

And took a video
from across the street.

- It was her grandmother and
her cousins, was in the car.

- The one video,
that was her blanket.

Her grandmother gave
her a pink blanket.

And when they followed him,
here he is,

Taking out that same blanket
that was in miya's room.

He had it in his hand.

Narrator: Again,
miya's relatives call 911.

- I think a family member
even went in with him

With the assistance
of a police officer,

To go inside
and check out his apartment.

Narrator: By the time
investigators arrive,

The pink blanket
is nowhere to be found.

- Where is that blanket today?
Nobody knows.

He took it in.

Never found it.

There is video of him with it,
so we know he had it.

Narrator: After looking
around armando's apartment,

Police do not see any evidence
tying him to miya.

Her family is devastated.

♪ ♪

- So they shot that video
on their own over the weekend,

And right there
knew something was wrong.

And that's when,
you know, once we arrived,

And we were all covering this,

And we're all looking
for her...

- The orange county
sheriff's office released

This update missing flyer
on Tuesday.

They say this red shirt
is what miya was wearing

When she was last seen
on Friday.

Narrator: 24 hours
after miya's disappearance,

Authorities begin
to look into her case.

- We're trying to help
the police as best that we can,

To try to find miya.

You know, we're up there
searching miles and miles

Of long grass areas
all around,

Trying to find her,
you know, just trying

To do our best that we can
to help bring her home safe.

Narrator:
Her family invites the public

To help search for miya.

They want to make sure
miya's case is getting

As much coverage as possible.

- We're just ready
to bring her home,

But we need everyone's help.

- I really feel like
that's unfortunately

How it has to happen,

To garner the support
of mainstream media

For black and brown people
of color that are missing.

- The search
is pretty high intense.

A lot of walking,
a lot of going in places,

Like, getting dirty.

Walking through creeks
and things like that.

Going against wilderness.

- My mom called me
on the phone, and she was like,

"they need you to speak
at a press release.

We need to do
this press release right now."

So they brought us out,
and we--

I spoke on behalf
of our family.

Miya, this message is for you.

I know you're alive.

I know you're out there.
We love you.

My speech was to her,
and I was talking to her.

This family believes in god,

We believe in hope,
and we have faith.

As soon as you're ready,
miya, come.

Give us the sign,
and we're right there.

You know it.

I told her to always be strong
because we're here.

We're waiting for her.

We're fighting for her,
you know?

At that point, it was like,
I hope that she's alive.

I pray that she's alive.

I hope I'm not searching
for a body.

I hope I'm searching for her.

[tense music]

Narrator: Three days
after miya's disappearance,

A 911 call comes in saying

Armando caballero
has died by suicide.

Narrator: Caballero was found
in the maintenance garage

Of a building
where he used to work.

[soft music]

- We were on our way
to the police station.

And that's the day I found out
that he k*lled himself.

- It was the turning point
because they knew

This man was likely guilty
and was likely responsible.

- It's a sense of defeat.

He k*lled himself.

And he's the only one
that has all the answers

To where my child is.

- Investigators were here
all day long,

Zeroing in on this area
behind me now.

I've covered people
that have gone missing,

But I think this was
a little different

Because it was almost like
working backwards a little bit

Because she
was actively missing,

And I feel like
we were kind of working

Alongside the detectives,
the police, and the family

To find her and kind of put
the missing pieces together.

Narrator: As investigators
now look into miya's case

With a focus on armando
as the suspect,

Her family's only mission
is to find miya.

- There was a very big turnout
on the people

That showed up to support us
during that time.

A lot of family came down
from even canada.

They came down to orlando
to help for the search.

- Every morning, we wake up,
meet down in the lobby,

And we'll figure out, like,
"yo, today,

We're gonna go
comb this area."

"all right, bet,
we're gonna go pass out

Posters in this area."

"all right, bet, I'ma go door
to door in this community."

- They were doing interviews,
press conferences

Whenever they could,
and we became close with them.

That was really unique.

Sometimes, families
are really closed off.

And in this case,
they wanted to do whatever

They could to get her back.

And they were
kind of using us as a tool

To get that message
across publicly.

- Every day,
there was--we had vans

Lined up in the parking lot.

Every day that we would
do a candlelight vigil,

There was endless media
trying to get an interview.

Narrator: Over the next few
days, as the search continues,

The demand on miya's family
to provide updates

On her case grows.

They eventually
make the decision to hire

A public relations firm.

- There was a lot of calls
for interviews

And press conferences.

And you know,
the marcano family

And the scarbriel family
was completely overwhelmed

And very focused
on finding their daughter,

So we took on the management
of the media at that time.

Not just media,
but social media.

She was big on tiktok.

She had an instagram,
a facebook.

So I had started to post
a lot of their flyers

And calls to action
on our platforms

As well as other platforms
that I organize and run.

You know, there were hundreds
of thousands of people

That were retweeting,
and reposting, and sharing,

And commenting,
and sending love,

And sending support.

It was coming
from all over the world.

Narrator: Over a week
after miya went missing,

Investigators release
a timeline of what they

Believe happened on the day
of her disappearance.

- In her disappearance.

Narrator: At 4:34 p.M.,
while miya was at work,

A master key fob belonging
to the maintenance man

In her building,
armando caballero,

Was used
to enter her apartment.

[tense music]

Miya hadn't put in a service
request for maintenance.

At 5:00 p.M., after working
in the leasing office

Of her apartment complex,
security camera footage

Shows miya walking
back to her apartment.

♪ ♪

Miya's key fob
is used to enter

Her apartment at 5:06 p.M.

♪ ♪

She is never heard from again.

♪ ♪

[phone buzzing]

Authorities tracked down
armando caballero's

Phone records for the day
miya went missing

And the three days
before he k*lled himself.

His phone records show he was
at miya's apartment complex

At the time
of her disappearance.

Shortly after she
returned home,

His cell phone
leaves the building

And starts pinging
off towers around orlando.

- Wherever his cell phone
went off,

That's where police
were searching.

So that's why we went up
to seminole county.

His phone was, I guess, pinged

In that area
for quite some time.

We ended up even going
a lot further north.

That was completely
out of the way,

And I believe
police essentially told us

That he may have
went up there--

It's kind of a marshy area--
to throw them off.

Narrator: Eight days
after miya went missing,

Police search one
of the locations

Where armando's phone pinged.

It happens to be in the woods
behind an apartment complex

Where he used to live,
near new smyrna beach,

Just outside orlando.

♪

- That morning, we were
on our way down to new smyrna.

And as we hit the highway,
he calls,

The detective,
and asks me to come in.

And then he asked me
who I'm with,

And I told him, with family,
and he said, bring your sister.

- When we got there,
the detective said

Only me and her could
go inside, nobody else.

They took us to a room,

And then I just knew
I had a bad feeling.

They said
that they found someone,

And they found a bag
that matches hers.

I'm sorry.

- And I remember them telling
me that they found a body.

Her purse was found next
to her with her ids,

And I think
that's what I remember

Most of that conversation.

And in that minute,
every single memory I had

Of miya just went, shoo!

From birth until that day.

[somber music]

♪ ♪

One moment, she was there,

And the next, she was gone.

[soft music]

- We begin with breaking news.

Sadly, the search
for 19-year-old miya marcano

Has ended.

Authorities have found
the body of a female

Who they believe
is the missing teen.

Narrator: Eight days
after 19-year-old miya marcano

Went missing,
she is found dead

In the woods
behind an apartment complex

Where the prime suspect
in her m*rder,

Armando caballero, once lived.

♪ ♪

Miya's body
is found partially clothed

With no visible signs
of sexual as*ault.

Her hands, feet,
and mouth area

Have been bound
with duct tape.

The medical examiner
states that,

"due to advanced
decomposition,

"the cause of death
is the result

Of homicide
by undetermined means."

- At 19,
miya had her whole life

Ahead of her.

I would never get to see her
become an orthopedic surgeon,

Never get to see her
be a wife, a mom.

You know,
you have your children.

You know, you set them up.
You put them in the world.

You try your best
to protect them.

And then for somebody
to feel that they have

The right
to take that from you...

♪ ♪

- When they told me,
I just dropped down to a knee.

It's just something
I'll never be able to get over.

- I was
with her brother marlon.

He tells me, like,
they found her.

And I asked him,
I was like, "is she ok?"

And he was like, "no."

Probably the worst thing
I've been through

In life to this moment.

Just full of hate,
anger, sadness.

- On the day that I was
traveling up

To help look for her
is when they found her.

I saw the orlando police
department started their live.

So I watched it,
and I listened

To what they were saying,
and as soon as it ended,

I just broke down crying
in the airport.

- Hundreds of orange county
sheriff's office personnel

Were committed to this case
and working very hard.

Everyone wanted this outcome
to be different.

- I know she fought,
and she fought hard.

I know that.

- For the next couple of days,

I think everyone
was still in shock.

♪ ♪

And so we just spent
time together,

And everyone was just trying
to figure out what happened.

Narrator: Investigators
believe armando's obsession

With miya was his motive.

After using a master key fob,
it's suspected

He k*lled her and dumped
her body in the woods.

Then he k*lled himself when
he became the prime suspect.

♪ ♪

- I think that's what made
this story so--

Just so difficult
because for a parent,

You can do everything right,
and this can still happen.

Your 19-year-old daughter,
you cannot prepare her

For someone to be in her room
when she gets home from work.

Narrator: The pink blanket
miya's family believes

Armando took from
her apartment is never found.

♪ ♪

- The last time I saw her,
I wish I--you know,

You just hugged her longer,

You held her longer.

♪ ♪

When I saw the clips
on the news of the tape

Of her walking
into her apartment,

I screamed so loud that day,
telling her not to go,

Even though I already knew
what the outcome was.

It mentally,
mentally destroys you.

♪ ♪

- Our father
who art in heaven...

- We stayed in orlando
for a couple of days

Until they were ready to take
her to fort lauderdale.

We wanted to give her such
a good send-off, you know.

But it was very sad.

It was happy, and it was sad

Because they made it
like a celebration of life.

You know, 19 years old.

♪ ♪

- You know, every day,
I look at her pictures,

And, you know,
eventually, that's it.

There's no more pictures
to be made.

There's no more memories.

♪ ♪

Her pictures
are gonna get faded,

Just like everything else
in life.

She's gonna be forever 19.
That's it.

Narrator: In the midst
of their grief,

Miya's family decides
to take action

And create her legacy.

- We're turning pain
into purpose.

The miya marcano foundation
is a nonprofit organization

That has a primary focus

To help a person's families
that are missing,

To provide the support,
the education,

The knowledge,
and the resources

To help find their loved one.

And then we got some wind
underneath our wings,

And we decided that a law
needed to be changed.

- We had a law passed
in her name.

It's called miya's law.
It's a bipartisan legislation.

- The law ultimately wanted
to do three things.

And that was to, one,
when a maintenance man comes,

You have to be informed now
a whole 24 hours in advance.

Two, is to ensure
that apartment complexes

Keep a record
and a log of every time

That a member of their staff
enters an apartment.

And three and most important,

Is to ensure
that background checks

Are conducted
on every single employee,

Especially the ones
that have direct access

To keys and units.

This is not just a state
of florida issue.

Our goal would be to get
miya's law passed nationally.

- You know,
I find myself at times,

Like, waiting to get that call
like, "hey, mom, what's up?"

You know,
I feel her presence a lot.

I do.
Miya is everywhere.

Everywhere.

- Not a day goes by that I
don't think about my sister.

Our real life
would never be the same.

- We always think
we have time, you know?

I never think that I
would be sitting here today,

Talking about miya in the past,
you know?

I always thought
that I had forever.

- I want everyone
to remember her,

Remember her name,
remember her beautiful smile.

- If I could text
miya right now,

I would tell her
that I love her,

And her name
will forever live on.

The miya marcano foundation
will forever live on.

- I just wish
I could hug her more,

Tell her I love her more.

You know, 19 was way too short.

Way too short.

♪ ♪