Karlie Gusé's disappearance: 3 things to know about the case

A seemingly drugged 16-year-old Karlie Gusé disappeared from her California home, where she resided with her father Zachary, stepmother Melissa, and two younger siblings. The parents claimed she had smoked marijuana at a party the previous night and had been acting erratically, and in the early morning hours, she was gone from the house.

The ensuing search for Karlie failed to yield positive results, with only one successful tip coming from a man who claimed he saw a girl, who fit the missing teen's description, walking by his home that morning. Others believe she likely died of a drug overdose or was abducted. Karlie has not been found to date.

People Magazine Investigates will re-examine Karlie Gusé disappearance in a brand-new episode, titled The Strange Disappearance of Karlie Guse, which is scheduled to air on the channel this Monday, August 7, 2023, at 9:00 pm ET.

An official synopsis for the show says:

"The true stories behind crimes that transcended headlines and became part of popular culture are uncovered with first-hand interviews that reveal shocking twists, new evidence and unexpected resolutions."

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Karlie Gusé's disappearance: The events leading up to the incident and the ongoing search, among other details

1) Karlie was acting erratically the night before she mysteriously disappeared

According to several sources, 16-year-old Karlie Gusé resided in Chalfant Valley, California, with her father, stepmother, and two younger siblings, and on the night of October 12, 2018, left home after informing her parents that she was going to attend a high school football game. The teen, however, skipped the game to attend a party with her then-boyfriend Donald Arrowood III.

Karlie reportedly smoked marijuana at the party that night, and something wasn't right about it. Donald later claimed that "she hadn't smoked in a while" and that it likely "could've triggered something." The teen then called her stepmother Melissa to pick her up from the venue.

Melissa, who arrived at 9:00 pm, saw Karlie running down the street away from the party and alleged that she "looked pale as a ghost." When they reached home, she started behaving erratically and acting paranoid. The former claimed she spent the night in her room, comforting and helping the girl fall asleep.

However, Melissa dozed off sometime after 5:00 am and woke up around 7:00 am to find Karlie missing from her room and the house. The parents searched the neighborhood before informing law enforcement about what transpired at around 9:00 am that same morning.

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2) Her father believed she had been drugged

Karlie Gusé's father Zachary believed that the teen looked like she was on drugs that night and suspected that the marijuana she smoked at the party was likely laced with other substances. He, along with the girl's stepmother Melissa, allegedly taped an audio recording from the night. They were going to show it to Karlie later and teach her about the consequences of drugs.

According to SFGATE, Zachary later told the FBI in an interview that,

"I'm down to two things. I'm down to either she crossed that desert so far that nobody found her, or she was abducted. She got in the wrong car with the wrong person."

The concerned father further added,

"My whole body and soul. I'd give it all up. Just to have her home safe."

The same outlet reported that detectives used dogs and helicopters to canvass the entire region along Highway 6 near White Mountain Estates Road and the areas that extended beyond, but there was no sign of her.

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3) Karlie Gusé's last possible sighting was that same morning, a witness reported

During the search for Karlie Gusé, detectives received a crucial tip from a witness named Richard Eddy, who allegedly spotted the teen walking past his home in the early morning hours of October 13, 2018. Richard, who lived in Mono County, claimed a young, long-haired woman wearing a T-shirt and grey pants walked by his home. He told the FBI,

"I thought, 'That's kind of weird.' And she was waving a piece of paper. Like a 12-by-12 piece of paper. She was just waving it in the air and walked by."

Later that day, when Melissa arrived at his front door asking about his missing stepdaughter, Richard rode his motorcycle in and around the area to help in the search. Unfortunately, Karlie was nowhere to be found.

People Magazine reported that Karlie's mother Lindsay Fairley believed she probably died of a drug overdose. Lindsay also suspected that Zachary and Melissa were keeping crucial evidence concerning the case to themselves. But the couple was cleared of any suspicion after they passed a polygraph test.

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Karlie Gusé's case will be featured in an upcoming People Magazine Investigates episode on Monday at 9 pm ET.