A Young Girl Disappeared from Her Yard in 1999.
Sixteen Years Later, She Was Found by Her Godmother.
On June 15, 1999, the quiet city of Riverside was shaken by the disappearance of an 18-year-old girl named Ashley Crawford. That sunny afternoon, the teenager stepped out into her front yard to collect the mail. A few minutes later, her mother called her inside for lunch—but Ashley never returned.
The letters were left lying on the ground. From that moment on, Ashley was gone.
For years, the police investigated the case. They interviewed neighbors, friends, and teachers, and searched every corner of the city, but no trace of Ashley was ever found. The case was classified as a suspected kidnapping, and over time it went cold.
For Ashley’s parents, David and Liada Crawford, the pain of not knowing what had happened to their daughter became a wound that never healed. In 2003, overwhelmed by grief, they moved to Arizona in search of a new beginning.
The Discovery That Reopened the Case
Sixteen years later, the mystery returned with force.
In August 2015, Rebecca Thompson, Ashley’s godmother and lifelong neighbor, was working in her garden when something buried underground changed everything. While digging near an old oak tree, she struck a small, rusted metal container.
Inside was a butterfly necklace—the very one Ashley had been wearing on the day she disappeared—and a handwritten note.
The words shook Rebecca to her core:
“If anything happens to me, find the truth about Dr. Breppa.
Basement of the clinic, Room B7.
Ashley Crawford — June 15, 1999.”
The discovery not only gave the family renewed hope, but also raised suspicion around a man who had long been untouchable: Dr. Harold Breppa.
A Respected Doctor Under Suspicion
Dr. Breppa had been Ashley’s family physician since childhood and was one of the most respected figures in the community. He was known not only for his private medical practice, but also for his charitable work and his role on the municipal council.
When Ashley disappeared, Breppa had even participated in the search.
Detective Marcus Rodríguez, assigned to reopen the case, wasted no time investigating the clinic. In the basement—specifically Room B7—he made a disturbing discovery. On the wall, hidden behind shelves, were faint letters spelling the word “HELP.”
Though the wall had been painted over several times, the word was still visible.
A Pattern Begins to Emerge
The investigation soon uncovered more troubling details. A clinic nurse confessed that during Ashley’s final appointment, she had undergone extensive blood testing and had been seen alone by the doctor—something unusual for routine checkups.
According to Ashley’s mother and her best friend, Ashley had been cheerful in the days before her disappearance, but had complained of pain and anxiety—highly uncharacteristic for her.
What initially appeared to be a single suspicious case soon revealed a disturbing pattern. As Detective Rodríguez reviewed medical records, he discovered that other young patients had experienced similar situations before disappearing.
Between 1997 and 2008, at least five young women, aged 18 to 21, all patients of Dr. Breppa, vanished shortly after medical appointments involving “special” blood tests. At the time, their cases were attributed to voluntary runaways, domestic violence, or isolated disappearances.
No one had connected the dots.
The Mask Falls
Even some police officers—including retired detective Warren Hayes—later admitted they had suspected Breppa. The doctor had earned everyone’s trust, actively participated in search efforts, and displayed what appeared to be genuine grief.
But the new evidence painted a very different picture: that of a calculated predator who used prestige as a shield to hide his crimes.
Testimonies from clinic security guards added more pieces to the puzzle. Some recalled seeing the doctor entering the basement late at night, when the clinic was supposedly closed. Others reported strange noises coming from the area where Room B7 was located.
As the investigation progressed, Dr. Breppa’s spotless past began to crumble. The pattern of disappearances, altered medical records, and hidden evidence within his own clinic placed him at the center of suspicion.
Yet the hardest part was still to come—the concrete evidence that could finally bring him to justice.
Ashley’s Voice After Sixteen Years
For the Crawford family and for Rebecca, the discovery of that buried container meant far more than a clue.
It was Ashley’s voice, breaking through sixteen years of silence—a desperate message, buried in the garden, that finally surfaced to demand the truth.