An A&E, Original Podcast.

This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and violence.

Listener discretion is advised.

As a 13-year-old, you don't even think of things like this. You didn't see this kind of stuff on TV back then. You didn't hear about this in the news. No, you, I don't think any 13 year old could ever think that something like

this would happen.

In August of 1978, 13 year old Randy Gilbert and his 14 year old sister Lisa were living in a

newly built home with her dad and stepmom in Lansing Michigan.

What I was like as a 14 year old was just an average teenage girl on a

summer break from high school. I didn't have a whole lot of friends that lived in

the vicinity of the house.

So I was pretty much to myself.

I like to sit and watch TV or listen to music.

My parents had just recently gone through a divorce. There's six of us kids. I'm the youngest of six.

Us kids were split up through the court system. My father remarried. I wasn't where I really wanted to be. Made the best of it.

It was just Lisa, my sister and I, that went with my father to a new school district, new town, new home, new stepmother.

It was tough, it was tough, but you know, didn't know any better at the time. You just kind of went with it.

Lisa and Randy were on summer break.

Both of their parents worked during the day, but the kids were old enough to stay home by themselves.

Back in August 16th of 1978, I started out my day.

We always start our day is to call our stepmom, let her know that we're up,

and then we go about our business, do whatever we want to do, whether it's chores,

if we had laundry to do, watch TV, listen to the radio.

...