Judge orders release of police drone videos from investigation into “phantom car crash”
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A Superior Court judge has ordered the release of police drone videos and other video footage from the investigation into the disappearance and deaths of Stephanie Mayorga and Paige Escalera, and what was referred to a “phantom car crash.”
Judge orders release of police drone videos after reviewing the footage
Judge Phyllis Gorham had viewed the police drone videos before ruling that the three aerial videos and footage from inside an officer’s cruiser should be released.
The couple went missing on April 15th and it wasn’t until 19 days later before the car was discovered in the thick bushes some 150 feet from the intersection of River Road and Independence Boulevard in Wilmington, N.C.
The accident was reported to 911 on the same evening the two women disappeared, however, police officers did not find the crashed vehicle at the time. It had been a hectic night for the local police and one of the officers could be heard saying, “And we’re looking for a phantom car crash.”
Releasing the drone videos was compelling given the questions from the general public that remained about the deadly car accident, argued WECT News, and Port City Daily. Wilmington Police did not object to the release of the April 15 videos.
The three drone videos show the heavily damaged car being dragged out of the dense vegetation.
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