It started as a smart financial decision.
Monica Daniels, a 34-year-old graphic designer from Vermont, purchased a 2013 sedan at a local car auction. The vehicle had low mileage, a clean title, and all the modern features she wanted—Bluetooth, heated seats, and built-in GPS.
“It was practically spotless,” she recalled. “The dealership said it had one previous owner who passed away.”
But something about the car didn’t sit right.
The GPS That Wouldn’t Reset
On her second day driving the car, Monica noticed something strange. Every time she turned on the GPS, it suggested a route—automatically.
The destination: an unnamed location in the middle of the woods, about 45 miles away.
“I didn’t input anything,” she said. “It just kept rerouting, no matter where I was going. I tried to reset the system, delete saved addresses, even called the manufacturer. Nothing worked.”
Eventually, curiosity won.
A Trip Into the Trees
One Saturday morning, Monica followed the route.
“It was deep—miles off the highway, no signs, barely a trail. My cell signal dropped halfway in,” she said. “I almost turned back. But I needed to know.”
The car led her to a clearing surrounded by pine trees. At the edge of the clearing stood the rotted remains of what looked like an old hunting shack.
Inside, dust-covered furniture, collapsed beams—and something else. A rusted license plate. A tattered photo. And a locked toolbox.
What Was Hidden in the Car
Disturbed, Monica returned home and examined the vehicle more closely.
That’s when she noticed the trunk liner seemed uneven.
Pulling it back, she found a hidden compartment sealed with duct tape. Inside: a plastic evidence bag, an old cassette tape, a torn page from a journal, and a newspaper clipping dated 1997 with the headline: “Missing Teen Still Unfound—Family Demands Answers.”
“I felt sick,” Monica said. “I realized this car had a story. And it wasn’t over.”
Connecting to a Cold Case
Monica contacted local authorities. Days later, detectives confirmed the objects were linked to a 26-year-old cold case involving a missing 17-year-old girl who vanished from a nearby county.
The original suspect? A former forest ranger—later cleared due to lack of evidence—who died last year.
He was also the registered owner of Monica’s newly purchased car.
A Mystery Reopened
With the newly discovered items, police reopened the case and began a search of the shack and surrounding woods. Cadaver dogs were brought in. A local cold case task force was reactivated.
The case is still ongoing, but authorities say Monica’s discovery could finally bring closure to a decades-old mystery.
Tech, Fate, and the Unfinished
Was it fate? A glitch? Or something more?
“I don’t know what led me there,” Monica said. “But I don’t think it was an accident. That car wanted someone to find the truth. I was just the one who listened.”