In a state of desperation, Mary released her children into God's hands, for she'd rather know they were dead than to never know where they were. She had run out of money and the investigators had run out of leads; all she had left was hope with God to find her missing children. Following a disparaging marriage, she filed for divorce and relocated with her children from Texas to Nebraska to be close to her family. Shortly after the move, her ex-husband, Donnie, demanded the children return to Texas with him for a two-week visit. The thought of a two-week visit made Mary incredibly anxious given the very young ages of the children coupled with Donnie's erratic behavior towards them. However, Donnie convinced her the children would be just fine, after all, he was their father. The reluctantly agreed upon 14-day visit turned into a 31-day nightmare. Upon their return, the mental state of her children was haunting: lifeless expressions, fear to be alone at night, nightmares, distant stares, nervous habits and anxieties. The children had clearly suffered trauma at the hands of their father. Because of their changed demeanors, Mary did everything possible to keep from sending her children again. After an 18-month legal battle between Texas and Nebraska, Mary came up short. Mary had no choice but to follow the Texas-mandated visitation schedule, despite knowing she was sending her children into harm's way. This time, Donnie did everything to keep Mary from ever seeing her children again, including the unthinkable measure of disappearing without a trace.