Episode
Bringing Brooke Home
1:24:03
Published: Thu Dec 10 2020
Description
In this Dateline classic, 19-year-old Brooke Wilberger returns home to Oregon for summer break from college. While cleaning apartments in Corvallis she vanishes, leaving behind her flip flops. Kate Snow reports. Originally aired on NBC on February 4, 2011.
Chapters
Two cases of missing college students, one thousand miles away from each other, become one big mystery as one man is behind both disappearances.
00:00 - 01:08 (01:08)
Summary
Two cases of missing college students, one thousand miles away from each other, become one big mystery as one man is behind both disappearances.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
The disappearance of Brooke Wilberger, a student at Brigham Young University, in 2004 sent shockwaves throughout the community and has yet to be solved.
01:22 - 08:45 (07:22)
Summary
The disappearance of Brooke Wilberger, a student at Brigham Young University, in 2004 sent shockwaves throughout the community and has yet to be solved.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
John Van Houten, a detective of the Corvallis Police department, narrates the story of Brooke Wilberger's disappearance, a 19-year-old student who vanished from Oregon State University in 2004, while he investigated the case.
08:45 - 12:46 (04:01)
Summary
John Van Houten, a detective of the Corvallis Police department, narrates the story of Brooke Wilberger's disappearance, a 19-year-old student who vanished from Oregon State University in 2004, while he investigated the case.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Elizabeth Smart, a 14-year-old girl, was abducted from her bedroom in Utah by a street preacher and held captive for nine months before being miraculously rescued.
12:46 - 16:55 (04:08)
Summary
Elizabeth Smart, a 14-year-old girl, was abducted from her bedroom in Utah by a street preacher and held captive for nine months before being miraculously rescued. Her family's fear was escalated when they were told there may be up to 2,000 sex offenders in the area.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
A search in Oregon State Police SWAT team blew open the front door of the suspect's parent's home, where they found tens of thousands of pornographic images, including a small number of staged scenes depicting tortured, raped, and mutilated women.
16:55 - 22:13 (05:18)
Summary
A search in Oregon State Police SWAT team blew open the front door of the suspect's parent's home, where they found tens of thousands of pornographic images, including a small number of staged scenes depicting tortured, raped, and mutilated women.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
The investigation into the murder of Brooke Hart led detectives to interrogate a man named Sun-Koo Kim who was eventually convicted of burglary and served time for his offense.
22:13 - 26:14 (04:01)
Summary
The investigation into the murder of Brooke Hart led detectives to interrogate a man named Sun-Koo Kim who was eventually convicted of burglary and served time for his offense.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Waitress Dara Finks helped a young woman who was frantically trying to get help from someone inside a restaurant by inviting her to her car and assuring her safety in Albuquerque's toughest neighbourhood.
26:14 - 31:11 (04:57)
Summary
Waitress Dara Finks helped a young woman who was frantically trying to get help from someone inside a restaurant by inviting her to her car and assuring her safety in Albuquerque's toughest neighbourhood.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
A police officer rescues a woman who had been kidnapped and held captive in a car in Houston, TX.
31:11 - 36:13 (05:02)
Summary
A police officer rescues a woman who had been kidnapped and held captive in a car in Houston, TX. The kidnapper, Joe, was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Joel Patrick Courtney has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping, and aggravated battery.
36:13 - 40:22 (04:08)
Summary
Joel Patrick Courtney has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping, and aggravated battery. He is suspected to have been involved in the kidnapping of Brooke and could face decades in prison if convicted.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Investigators following a lead on a suspect charged with abducting a blonde college student thought they had found a potential link to the unsolved disappearance of Brooke Wilburger.
40:22 - 44:27 (04:05)
Summary
Investigators following a lead on a suspect charged with abducting a blonde college student thought they had found a potential link to the unsolved disappearance of Brooke Wilburger. However, before they could pursue the matter, they had to find out all they could about the individual.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Dina's family was compelled to ask difficult questions and take matters into their own hands when their daughter disappeared, leading to a search for truth and justice.
44:29 - 50:12 (05:42)
Summary
Dina's family was compelled to ask difficult questions and take matters into their own hands when their daughter disappeared, leading to a search for truth and justice.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Police receive a tip about a suspicious Dodge Caravan with Minnesota plates in the stadium parking lot where Brooke Wilberger was abducted, and discover further connections to Joel Courtney, a potential suspect.
50:12 - 55:21 (05:09)
Summary
Police receive a tip about a suspicious Dodge Caravan with Minnesota plates in the stadium parking lot where Brooke Wilberger was abducted, and discover further connections to Joel Courtney, a potential suspect.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
In this podcast episode, investigators talk about their struggle to gather enough evidence to charge Joel Courtney with the murder of Brooke Wilberger, and how forensic technology ultimately helped solve the case.
55:21 - 1:01:24 (06:03)
Summary
In this podcast episode, investigators talk about their struggle to gather enough evidence to charge Joel Courtney with the murder of Brooke Wilberger, and how forensic technology ultimately helped solve the case.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Joel Courtney, the culprit of the abduction of University of New Mexico student Brooke Wilberger, was found competent to stand trial after almost three years since the incident.
1:01:24 - 1:07:16 (05:51)
Summary
Joel Courtney, the culprit of the abduction of University of New Mexico student Brooke Wilberger, was found competent to stand trial after almost three years since the incident. Courtney pled guilty in September 2007 and laughed while hearing the sentence of the death penalty, feeling like it would not affect him in the long run since they never found the body of his victim.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
The case of Brooke's rape and murder was difficult for the prosecution without Brooke's body.
1:07:16 - 1:11:58 (04:42)
Summary
The case of Brooke's rape and murder was difficult for the prosecution without Brooke's body. Despite the plea bargain offered by the prosecution, Joel refused to admit to murder and reveal Brooke's body's location, leading to a challenging trial situation.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
After five years of searching, Brooke Wilberger's killer, Joel Courtney, has finally confessed.
1:11:58 - 1:17:05 (05:06)
Summary
After five years of searching, Brooke Wilberger's killer, Joel Courtney, has finally confessed. Now, as the Wilberger family prepares to bring her body home, the deal that would allow for closure may falter.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
Brooke's killer was brought to justice and sentenced.
1:17:07 - 1:22:14 (05:06)
Summary
Brooke's killer was brought to justice and sentenced. Her family visited the site where Brooke's remains were found as investigators recovered clothing and marked spots where human remains had been discovered.
EpisodeBringing Brooke Home
PodcastDateline NBC
This podcast episode discusses the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger and the impact it had on her family and the community.
1:22:14 - 1:23:56 (01:42)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the disappearance of Brooke Wilberger and the impact it had on her family and the community. It also questions whether the perpetrator would have been caught without the help of a vigilant waitress in New Mexico.