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Sensitive topics are discussed.

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In May 2011, 26-year-old Bay Area nursing student Michelle Lay went missing from the medical center where she worked.

The unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance puzzled detectives.

Was Michelle taken in a random abduction?

Or had she been targeted?

This is Jamie and you're listening to Murderish.

Join me as I look into the case of Michelle Lay. This case takes us to Hayward, California, a city located in the East Bay Area of San Francisco in Alameda County.

Hayward is known for its cultural diversity and vibrant downtown arts district.

Michelle Le lived in nearby San Mateo, located on the San Francisco Peninsula.

She made a 25-minute commute to Hayward daily to complete class and clinical rotations for her nursing degree.

Michelle Huang T. Lay was born on October 12, 1984, in San Diego, California.

Michelle's parents, Ailey, and Shunle, were first-generation Vietnamese Americans.

Both sets of families fled their home country after the Vietnam War and immigrated to

San Diego. That's where I and Shune eventually met and married. Michelle and her younger brother,

Michael, were raised in Rancho Penaesquitos, a wealthy San Diego suburb. Their large extended family

lived close by. With 15 cousins, along with a lot of aunts and uncles, a

stone's throw away, the lay home was always buzzing with activity. Michelle, Michael, and their

cousin Christine were particularly close, since their ages were within four years of each other.

Growing up, the trio had video game tournaments, played Pokemon, and had board game game marathons it was a happy time film with camaraderie and laughter from a young age michelle was cognizant of how hard her mother worked as a nurse i spent long hours on her feet but that didn't stop her from being an attentive mother

michelle admired her mom's strong work ethic and aspired to walk in her footsteps someday.

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