WHERE IS DENVER PD? WHERE IS WINTER PARK PD? 2 Women Missing, Cops Won't Help

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

News, True Crime

4.2 • 8.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2023

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Two women go missing within six miles of each other in Winter Park, Colorado.

Melissa Whitsitt moved from Tennessee to Colorado in May to start a job at Winter Park Resort, almost 70 miles outside Denver. Mom Cindy Whitsett says her daughter had two days off and was supposed to return to work on Tuesday, August 15th. Whitsitt didn’t show up for her shift the police are called and a welfare check is complete.

Whitsitt is not at her home. Police have confirmed that she got on a bus to Denver on Saturday around 10 a.m. She was wearing blue bell-bottom jeans, a blue tank top and/or a white sweatshirt.

The Whitsitts say their daughter's phone pinged in Denver, but an unknown man was using it. Melissa Whitsitt's debit card has not been used since she went missing. Whitsitt doesn't have a car and hasn't contacted friends or family since the day she was last seen. Whisitt's parents say they have had to conduct their own investigation, as cops say they're outnumbered by missing people cases.

Svetlana Ustimenko is an avid hiker living in Broward County, Florida, according to the Idaho Statesman. Family members say Ustimenko had been drawn to the peaceful Colorado mountains.

After finding her rental car had not been returned by the due date and learning that Ustimenko was reported as missing from Florida, authorities launched an immediate search around the area where her vehicle was located on August 11.

According to a news release from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand County Search and Rescue, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Rescue Dogs of the United States, Colorado Search and Rescue as well as drones and volunteers, began searching for Ustimenko. Six cadaver dogs joined the search efforts to no avail.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

Jerry Whitsitt - Melissa Whitsitt’s father
Cindy Whitsitt- Melissa Whitsitt’s mother
Wendy Patrick – California Prosecutor, Author of “Why Bad Looks Good” and “Red Flags,” and Host of “Today with Dr. Wendy” on KCBQ in San Diego; Twitter: @WendyPatrickPHD
R. Lee Walters - President of EXCALIBUR Private Investigation, Fmr. FBI Special Agent; FB: Excalibur Private Investigations
Dr. Carla Manly - Clinical Psychologist, Author of, “Date Smart: Transform Your Relationships & Love Fearlessly”
Spencer McKee - Director of Content for OutThere Colorado; IG: @spence.outside; @outtherecolorado, Twitter/X: @spencemckee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The mystery deepens as two women, Melissa and Svetlana, go missing about six miles apart
0:24.9	from each other, and the same time span. This all happening at Winter Park, Colorado.
0:34.0	How do two women seemingly vanish into thin air? Just six miles apart. Just days apart.
0:43.9	Are they connected?
0:45.7	I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Fox Nation
0:50.3	and Series 6, M-111. First of all, take a listen, our friends at K-C-N-C.
0:57.2	So we did what a mom and dad would do and get in the car and so flights didn't work.
1:02.2	So we started driving and so we just appreciate any help and all. We're just trying to keep
1:07.4	her face alive. We're trying to keep her out there.
1:12.5	If you think you know where Melissa is, you're asked to please get in touch with the Denver
1:15.7	Police Department.
1:16.7	One of the two women were first addressing a beautiful young girl, Melissa Whitsitt,
1:22.6	joining me right now, her mom and dad calling from Tennessee.
1:28.6	Mr. Mrs. Whitsitt, thank you for being with us.
1:30.8	Thank you for having us so much. We appreciate it.
1:33.7	No, ma'am, please, it's our honor to have you. We're doing all we can do to help find these
1:40.6	two beautiful women, tip line 970722777779. Repeat 970722777979.
1:55.3	Miss Whitsitt, when did you realize that Melissa is missing?
2:01.0	It was actually Tuesday morning, Monday, she was off work and we didn't reach her and that
2:09.0	was not unusual because we didn't know that was her day off. We thought she was working
2:12.8	that day. Some days in weeks they switched it from Sunday, Monday to Monday to Tuesday.
2:17.4	So when she was working as a chef, she would not have her phone and typically we wouldn't
	...

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