Our card this week is Tina Milford, the Nine of Hearts from South Carolina.

The stories we cover on this show have made me more aware than ever how even the smallest of choices and

chance encounters can change the course of a person's life. A last minute decision or

even a shift in schedule can have a positive impact or result in dire consequences.

And in the Wii Morning Hours on June 24th, 1983, something out of Tina Milford's control placed the young mother on the same path as a predator.

I'm Ashley Flowers, and this is the deck. Oh, It was close to 3 a.m. when Levis Smith Jr. pulled into the parking lot of

Lil Cricket convenience store for a cup of Joe. The store sat right by the on-ramp of I-85 North in Anderson, South Carolina, but it wasn't too

busy at this hour. In fact, his was the only other car in the parking lot aside from the one

lone station wagon probably

belonging to the overnight employee. Except when he stepped inside no one was

up front ready to serve him some much-needed caffeine. Now he probably figured the sole attendant had just gone to the back or something,

so I imagine he called out listening for someone in the shadows of the storage room,

maybe a shout in return, the shuffle of feet.

But there was still nothing, just eerie silence.

His spidey senses began to tingle,

or should I say his deputy senses, because though he was retired now,

Levis used to be a sheriff's deputy.

So he scanned the store, lights on, door unlocked, register secured, no signs of a struggle.

But still, the unnerving silence swayed Levis to pick up the phone and call police anyway.

Better safe than sorry. Deputies with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene within a few minutes

and searched the store and surrounding area for any sign that something was actually

wrong here.

...