Murder by nature

Vanished Without a Trace: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bryce Laspisa

• Jazmin Ramirez • Season 2 • Episode 5

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What leads a promising college student to vanish without a trace? Join me, Jazmin Ramirez, on a gripping journey as we unravel the enigma of Bryce David Laspisa's disappearance—a case that continues to baffle and haunt those who knew him. Bryce's story takes a troubling turn as we explore his life from an impressive freshman year at Sierra College to the unsettling behaviors that marked his sophomore year. Through vivid accounts from friends like his roommate Sean and girlfriend Kim, we uncover the concerning escalation of Bryce's alcohol use and his alarming dependency on Vyvanse, painting a portrait of a young man spiraling into mystery.

Bryce's transformation from a thriving student to someone who alarmed his loved ones with erratic behavior is just the beginning. We dig into the eerie sequence of events that led to his car being found abandoned and crashed, with no sign of Bryce himself. As his mother, Karen, and a stranger named Christian try desperately to ensure his safety, Bryce's cryptic decisions and actions only deepen the puzzle. Even as roadside assistance is called to his location, the unresolved nature of his intentions leaves us questioning what truly happened in those last moments he was seen.

Despite exhaustive search efforts and a reward for information, Bryce remains missing, leaving a void for his family and friends that is both chilling and heartbreaking. This episode of Murder by Nature is a poignant reminder of how quickly a familiar life can morph into an inexplicable mystery. I invite you to listen, reflect, and remain vigilant, as Bryce's unresolved story is a powerful testament to the unknown shadows that can lurk in our everyday lives. Join me next week for another compelling narrative that challenges the boundaries of understanding and safety.


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Jazmin Ramirez:

Welcome to Murder by Nature, where the darkness of true crime, unsolved disappearances and chilling mysteries come to life. I'm your host, jasmine Ramirez, and if you're brave enough to join us, prepare for a journey into the unknown. Our references for today are Reddit, all that's Interesting, rankercom, nbc Los Angeles, missingpeopleinamericaorg, the Morbid Library, storiesoftheunsolvedcom, uncoveredcom, chilling Crimes, wegothiscoveredcom, abc7, Investigation Discovery and Disappeared Blog. Bryce was young, talented and full of potential. At just 19 years old, he was on the track for success, An ambitious college student with a bright future ahead of him. But then, one day, everything changed. A series of strange events unfold and Bryce vanished without a trace, leaving behind a trail of questions, eerie clues and a devastated family desperate for answers. What happened to Bryce, and why, after all of these years, did his disappearance remain one of the most perplexed cases in recent history? Bryce David LaPisa was born April 30, 1994, to parents Karen and Michael LaPisa. As their only child. Bryce was raised in a loving, supportive home. He had this close bond with his parents. He was known for his artistic talent, his sharp sense of humor and his vibrant red hair. Now, these traits made him stand out, but not just in a crowd, but in the lives of those who knew him.

Jazmin Ramirez:

In 2012, after graduating from Naperville Central High School in Illinois, the LaPisa family made a big move and relocated to Laguna, niguel, california. Bryce was eager to pursue his passion for industrial and graphic design and he enrolled at Sierra College in Rockland, California, a town about 450 miles from his family's new home. His freshman year was a success. Bryce excelled in classes. He made new friends. He started dating a fellow student named Kim. By all accounts, he was happy, thriving and looking forward to what came next. As the school year wrapped up, he packed his bags and made the long drive home to Laguna Niguel, ready to spend the summer with his parents. And that summer it was everything he hoped for. He took an English class at a local college to get ahead on credits. He wanted to graduate college early, so he was doing everything he could to get ahead. He spent quality time with his parents and he soaked in the joys of just being home. Life seemed normal, life seemed good.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But as summer came to a close, something began to change in Bryce. At first the signs were subtle, a small shift in his behavior that was easy to brush off. Nothing alarming, nothing yet. No one knew at the time, but these changes would soon spiral into something much darker, something that would lead Bryce down a road from which he would never return. So what happened to Bryce LaPisa? Over the next hour, we're going to unravel the strange details of his final days, his unusual behavior and the chilling phone call that he made. This was a haunting mystery, so stay with me, because this case only gets stranger from here.

Jazmin Ramirez:

The start of the new semester is supposed to be a fresh beginning, a chance to reset, refocus and move forward. When Bryce returned to Sierra College for his sophomore year in August of 2013, everything seemed normal at first. He attended his classes, reconnected with friends, and he even called his mother, karen, on August 26, chatting about his day To her. He sounded upbeat, he was the same Bryce that she'd always known. But those closest to him at school saw a different side, one that was beginning to unravel. At first, the changes were subtle.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Bryce's roommate Sean began noticing troubling behaviors that he was having. He was always a social drinker, but now the alcohol seemed to be daily. His roommate Sean watched Bryce as he downed hard liquor at an alarming rate, sometimes multiple bottles in a single weekend. And it wasn't just the partying. It was something more something darker. And this is when Vyvanse came in. It was a prescription drug used to treat ADHD. It was known as the study drug, a stimulant that can keep you awake so you can study for hours on end. But Bryce wasn't using it to study. He was using it to stay up all night and play video games. Now, at first his friends chalked it up like it's college. This is what the college life is, and the late nights they weren't unusual.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But as the days passed, the effects of Bryce's habits became impossible to ignore. His behavior was erratic. His speech patterns had changed. His once easygoing nature was unraveling into something distant and unpredictable. And then he started saying goodbye. Now Bryce gave Sean his Xbox, just handed it over, no reason, no explanation. And these earrings? They were diamond earrings that his mother had given him. He just gave those away too. And then the text came I love you, bro. Seriously, you're the best person I've ever met. You saved my soul.

Jazmin Ramirez:

This is when sean knew something was wrong. He picked with the phone, called karen. Now, karen didn't think too much of it at first. Maybe he was still adjusting back to being in college and everything was just kind of coming at him. You go from this chill, easy summer to them back into the hustle.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But on august 27th, bryce made a decision that no one saw coming out of the blue. He texted his girlfriend, kim, and the message was short you're better off without me. Kim's heart dropped. She immediately called Bryce, pressing him for answers. What did he mean? What was wrong? He was vague, distant, but he did agree to come to her apartment and talk.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now, when Bryce arrived, kim barely recognized him. His eyes were glossy, his words slurred, his body language was off. He was there, but he wasn't really there. Something was seriously wrong with him. Kim knew that she couldn't let him leave, not like this, so she took his car keys. Bryce was a little bit frustrated by this. He told her he was fine and that she was overreacting, but Kim refused to budge. For hours they went back and forth, back and forth, and finally Bryce picked up the phone and called his mother.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Karen listened to Kim explain why she had taken the keys. She was worried, terrified even, that something was going on with Bryce. But Bryce got on the phone and his tone was casual. He brushed off Kim's concerns and insisted that she was only upset because he had broken up with her Now. Karen was concerned for her son, as he she just spoke the roommate, and now this is happening. Karen passed the phone over to her husband to see if he felt the same way, but his words were smooth, reassuring, and his dad was convinced that his son was fine. Karen offered to fly up the next day, though, to check in on him. Maybe that will help, maybe if she came and helped and got him through whatever he was going through. But bryce told her no, not yet, we'll talk later. He said I have a lot to talk to you about. After this, karen convinced kim to give bryce his keys back, even though kim hesitated, but eventually she handed them over and watched as bryce walked out the door.

Jazmin Ramirez:

At 11 30 pm, karen called bryce after he left and told him to call her as soon as he gets home. So she knows that he's safe. And he agreed. Now hours passed, and at 1 am Bryce called his mother again just to let her know that he was home going to bed. But that wasn't the end of this.

Jazmin Ramirez:

At 11 am on the 29th, michael and Karen received a notification that would only deepen their worries about everything that was going on. Their insurance company had just informed them that their roadside assistance was used on their Toyota Highlander. This was the car that Bryce drove. Apparently, he ran out of fuel and while driving home he decided that he was going to just use, you know, aaa to get something going. Now. This wasn't unusual, it was just a little hiccup. Karen tried to call bryce, hoping to hear his voice. This would ease her concerns, but the phone rang and rang and rang. There was no answer. Karen was trying not to panic because, again, this could just be a little hiccup. Maybe he didn't tell her when he called again at 1, but he was home, that's what he said, and she continued to get this pit in her stomach. So she called Shawn. Did Bryce make it home? Shawn's voice on the other end was a little grim no, bryce didn't come home last night.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Then the unsullying truth began to set in, though. Bryce didn't return to his apartment. So where did he go? Karen and Michael were desperate for answers, and they decided they were going to turn to Bryce's bank statement. They were hoping to get a clue check to see where he is. Maybe he did something and they'll be able to kind of track it there. And that's when they saw something that they didn't really anticipate and I think that this can be a little shocking. We know that he used roadside assistance, but on the statement there was a charge for an auto shop. I'm sure that, like most parents, that would bring some fear into seeing your child not get home and then seeing an auto shop. But this charge came from Castro Tire and gas in Buttonwillow. It seemed that Bryce had just run out of gas. That's all that happened and that's what the roadside assistance was about. And that morning the owner of the shop, a man named christian, confirmed the transaction. Christian had delivered three gallons of gasoline to bryce after he ran out of fuel near button willow, roughly about a half like halfway from his apartment in rockland to his family home and live good in the gal.

Jazmin Ramirez:

For a moment, this kind of settled karen and michael's assumptions. They thought that he was doing all this, something else, something was going on, but this they're like okay, he's on his way home, but by noon Bryce still hadn't arrived. Now, with growing anxiety, karen decided to call Christian again, the guy who owned the auto shop. Now he helped Bryce earlier that day, so maybe he can give them some answer. Christian was kind and helpful and he did offer to go back to the spot where he delivered the gas. He didn't think Bryce would be there, but at least he can give it a shot. When he arrived, though, he found Bryce sitting in the same spot, not moving. Christian called Karen back to let her know. Yeah, he's still here, just staring out in the parking lot. He walked up to Bryce and told him he needs to call his parents. They're worried about him. Bryce was hesitant, but he calls Karen. He lets her know that he's fine, he's on his way home. He'll be there by 3 pm.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But as Christian drove away, the picture Karen and Michael were trying to piece together that didn't seem to quite add up was this Bryce had left Kim's apartment at 1130 the night before, and if he had been in Buttonwillow by 9 am that morning, that means that he had driven over nine and a half hours. That's nearly four more hours than the actual drive from rockland to laguna niguel that could have been taken. This is all. According to google maps, it's just under six hours. So what was he doing all that time? Where had he gone? Why had he stopped? What happened during those missing hours?

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now, as hours passed by, every hour brought this anxiety and they grew more frantic waiting for Bryce to show up. At 6 pm Bryce had missed several check-ins. They decided that now it's time to call the Orange County Sheriff's Department and file a missing persons report. They don't know where their son is. The department, upon receiving the request, immediately decided they were going to track Bryce's cell phone. They were able to quickly locate him, but what they discovered sent a chill down their spines. He was still in Buttonwillow, the same small town where Christian found him, just where he delivered the gas hours earlier in that morning. But now Bryce had only driven eight more miles from the spot that he was last seen at.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Deputies were dispatched to find him and when they arrived they found Bryce sitting in his Toyota Highlander, seemingly unbothered, completely calm. The officers approached him and, to their surprise, bryce was perfectly lucid, responsive and cooperative. Hey, are you all right? One of the deputies said, concerned about his erratic behavior from earlier that day, that they were reporting. Bryce looked up at the officer, passed every test that they can give him for sobriety, without hesitation, hesitation, and calmly explained that he'd simply just stopped to relax. I'm just blowing off some steam, although this seemed completely unnormal for someone to be sitting in the middle of a parking lot for hours. In this small town, it didn't really cause much red flags for them.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now, the deputies were informed about this unsettling behavior by Karen, and they decided that they were going to search Bryce's car. They were looking for any signs of drugs, alcohol, anything that might explain this odd behavior. But they found nothing no substance, no signs of intoxication. He was fine. The officers spoke to him briefly and after some discussion they came to the conclusion that Bryce didn't seem to be under the influence of anything. But there were still questions that went unanswered. Why hadn't he made it home yet? Why was he just sitting in this parking lot? He claimed that he was going to be meeting up with friends who now remain unidentified.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But despite these lingering concerns, the deputies made the decision to let Bryce continue on his way. They requested that he called his mother, though, to reassure her. They're scared, they're nervous, and Bryce was a little bit hesitant at first, but after some gentle nudging he agreed to make the call. When Karen spoke to her son, she asked him where were you? What are you doing? Why haven't you made it home? Who are you waiting for? Bryce, though really calm and collective decided that he was just going to say I'm fine, mom, I'm just putting my things into my car, I'm waiting for a friend. Karen was confused though. Who was this friend? Why was it taking so long for them to meet him and why didn't he leave this spot? Regardless, bryce assured her that he'd be back on the road soon and he would come home. The officers seemed satisfied with his response. They knew he was safe to drive and they just kind of left him to go about this journey. They were confident he will make it home this time.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But as hours passed, bryce still hadn't arrived. Karen began to panic. She tried to call him again and again and again, but each time there was no response, and by 8 pm she was frantic. She called Christian again, explaining that Bryce still hadn't shown up. Christian, the ever so helpful stranger, agreed he was going to go check on Bryce one more time. He drove to Buttonwillow and found Bryce exactly where he had been when the police left him, still sitting in his car. Christian, unwilling to leave things unsolved now it's like he went in dad mode he decided he was going to take it upon himself to ensure that this time Bryce got back on the road. He offered to follow him to make sure he was heading in the right direction and Bryce was reluctant. But he agreed and for the next 10 miles Christian followed him. And as he finally drove out of Buttonwillow and headed back to the freeway, christian checked in with Karen again and at 9 pm he reported that Bryce was on the road. He's headed south on Interstate 5. He will be there and Karen was relieved Okay, he's on his way home, she told himself.

Jazmin Ramirez:

However, hours continued to pass and there was still no sign of Bryce. Now Karen and Michael were beginning to become extremely worried. Now Karen and Michael were beginning to become extremely worried and around 11 pm Bryce had finally called to check in with his parents. He provided an update on his progress, mentioned that he was stopping for gas picking up drinks, and he didn't know exactly where he was because he said it was extremely dark and he couldn't give them any answers. But he said my GPS says I'm going to be there and the next few hours were kind of filled with this uncertainty. And Karen decides she's going to call Bryce again. But he didn't answer and she started to grow anxious. And then, around 1.50 am, bryce called her back when he was asked where he was. He was adamant that he couldn't see any street signs again. He was unsure of his exact location and he couldn't identify any landmarks. This left Karen even more on edge. She didn't know how far Bryce was before he was going to get home because he kept not meeting these timelines.

Jazmin Ramirez:

At 2.08 am, bryce called Karen again for the last time. He told her that he was too tired to continue driving and he decided he was going to pull over to sleep. The fact that he had been awake for almost 48 hours kind of weighed heavily on this decision, and Karen didn't want to push it anymore. He mentioned that his GPS showed that he would be home by 3.25 am. But they agreed okay, fine, you're going to sleep, just go to the side of the road, go to bed. When you wake up, come straight home. This is the best choice. They hoped that maybe after this rest he would be a little bit more himself and he would make that final stretch home. And after this call they decided okay, we're going to go to bed, we're going to wake up in the morning. He's going to be here.

Jazmin Ramirez:

But morning and Bryce never showed up. Calls to his phone went unanswered and as time dragged on, karen and Mike's anxiety escalated. They already endured so much uncertainty the day before, and now it seemed like their son had just disappeared into thin air. For several hours, karen repeatedly called Bryce's phone, hoping for some sort of response, just for him to pick up, but the phone never answered. The calm voice that she heard on the other end just hours before, reassuring her that he was just stopping to sleep, now felt like a distant memory.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Karen and Mike were still anxiously awaiting any sign of their son. They spent the night hoping that when morning came he was going to be here. Bryce would be home, but instead of hearing the sound of his car pulling into the driveway, the doorbell rang. Expecting it to be Bryce, they jumped up, rushed to the door. It was a long, stressful night and they were just relieved. But when they opened it, they were greeted by a police officer from the California Highway Patrol. The officer asked if they owned a 2003 Toyota Highlander, and when they confirmed that it was their son's car, the officer's face grew even more serious. He explained that Bryce's vehicle had been found abandoned at the bottom of a 25-foot embankment near Cascade Lake just hours north.

Jazmin Ramirez:

At 5.30 am that morning, the news hit them like this gut punch. The car found lying on the side was crashed, the rear window broken, and the officer explained it seemed like Bryce had likely broken the window from the inside after the crash and probably escaped the wreckage. However, he was nowhere to be found. His phone, laptop, wallet were all still inside the car, but his duffel bag had been found outside near the broken window. This was that one first unsettling clue. Why had Bryce leave so many of his personal belongings behind, especially his phone and his wallet, but he'd taken the duffel bag with him? Means behind, especially his phone, in his wallet, but he'd taken the duffel bag with him. As they processed this information, the officer mentioned that Bryce's blood had been found inside the car Just two small drops on the passenger headrest and backseat. The blood appeared to be an indicator that there was only minor injuries, but there was a possibility for internal injuries.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now, in the wake of this, authorities launched an intensive search of the area near Cascade Lake. This is where his vehicle was found. It was wrecked. The search, which stretched on for days, involved coordinating efforts with search dogs, volunteers, helicopters, scuba divers, anything and everything to find any trace of Bryce. The area was thoroughly combed and the lake itself, located about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, was searched in depth by divers. The focus was placed on the Government Cove, a popular location near the lake's main boat launch. This is where ascent from these dogs kind of followed Bryce.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now, despite these exhausting efforts, the search picked up no sign. For more than two weeks teams worked tirelessly around the crash site, but nothing was sustainable. The only lead that they were able to get was from those search dogs. This lead, it followed Bryce's scent from the back of his car and it kind of trailed around and it pointed to a gas station slash truck stop on Cascadic Road. This indicated that he may have walked all the way over there from this crash site and the discovery was nine days after Bryce went missing.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Now police wanted to go through everything. They wanted to look through all of the signs and they found surveillance footage near the ravine off of Lake Hughes Road and it offered some insight into Bryce's movements that day. The footage showed that Bryce's vehicle passed through the area at 2.15 am and then again at 4.29 am. The area at 2.15 am and then again at 4.29 am. On the first pass it only had been about seven minutes after Bryce's last phone call with his mother, in which he told her that he was pulling over to sleep. However, this video suggested that was not true. Bryce never actually stopped to rest. Instead, he continued to drive around and around and around the lake.

Jazmin Ramirez:

As investigators analyzed the footage of the crash, they began to believe that Bryce had intentionally drove into this embankment. This, combined with his actions in the moments before the crash, led them to kind of bring up this theory that Bryce had been experiencing some mental health issues and he was potentially suicidal. Now, when they were investigating the crash, it looked like with the descent and sudden acceleration it suggested that he pushed on the gas to end his life. Though they just kind of were speculating this With the way that this was set up, bryce's family really took in like no, he's not like that, that's not how he is. But there was no other evidence to indicate anything else happened. Now everyone jumps in and says maybe there was foul play, but they haven't been able to find any clear evidence of that either and the scene raised more troubling kind of questions for them.

Jazmin Ramirez:

In the weeks following his disappearance, law enforcement officers received numerous tips and potential sightings of Bryce across western United States, but none of them led to any breakthroughs. Mike and Karen were desperate for information and they worked hard to spread the awareness of their son's case. They created missing persons flyers. They reached out to the media. They were hoping to get any word out. Unfortunately, their efforts brought no solid leads. And despite these concerns, they felt uncertain that their son would have just walked away willingly. Nothing would point to Bryce doing this. He wouldn't hurt the people he loved. He had no history of hitchhiking. He enjoyed outdoor activities, but he wasn't familiar with this area. They firmly believed that Bryce would try to reach out to them, to someone to find help. He wouldn't just walk into the unknown. Now the investigation continued, with authorities just focusing on the pieces of information that they could get. They were trying to find any leads from the gas station where his scent went, and days passed by and they were just left with this mystery about their son's disappearance.

Jazmin Ramirez:

On September 4, 2013, the discovery of a burning body near Lake Hughes Road briefly reignited some hope. They thought that this was a major break, that it was something. However, authorities quickly determined that the remains did not belong to Bryce. The body was later identified as 35-year-old Lamar Dean Miles, who was shot multiple times and set on fire. Investigators believe that his murder was connected to unpaid debts, not any connection to Bryce's disappearance. Just days after police confirmed that the body was not Bryce, the official search for him was called off. Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies said we've pretty much exhausted searching that area and they basically found nothing. So they're kind of at a standstill.

Jazmin Ramirez:

For Bryce's parents, however, the search was far from over. They were clinging to the hope that their son was still alive. They continued to pursue any and every possibility that came their way. In the early days of his disappearance. Multiple tips and sightings were reported, but again nothing led to anything. So, despite no record, no phone number, no contact, nothing they were still determined to find their son. They even hired a private investigator, but again no leads.

Jazmin Ramirez:

Bryce was described at 5'11", weighing about 170 pounds. He had striking red hair, blue eyes, a distinctive tattoo of a Taurus bull head with a Roman numeral on his left shoulder. At the time of his disappearance he was last seen wearing white cargo shorts and a blue and white checkered shirt with white and red Nike shoes. Authorities have no evidence of foul play in Bryce's disappearance, nor was there any actual proof that he died by suicide? His body was never located in or around Cascade Lake, where the vehicle was abandoned with no physical evidence or no clear explanation.

Jazmin Ramirez:

His case still remains one of the most baffling missing persons cases in recent history. Bryce's family continues to seek answers and they offer a $5,000 reward for any information that can lead to his return. A $5,000 reward for any information that can lead to his return. With this still being an ongoing case, anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Investigator at 323-890-5500 or provide a nominous tip through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or lacrimestoppersorg. And that brings us to the end of another unsettling tale. As always, thank you for listening to Murder by Nature. If you enjoyed tonight's episode, leave us a raving review on Apple Podcasts, spotify or wherever you're listening to, and be sure to return back next week for a brand new story that will keep you up at night. Until then, I'm Jasmine Ramirez, reminding you to stay vigilant, stay safe and remember don't get murdered and, for the love of all things darkest, don't become a murderer.

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