Capture The Queen

She's Young, She's A Con, And She Is Evading Law Enforcement

(CBS)  But FBI consultant Frank Abagnale doesn't buy that theory, and it’s important to note that none of Esther’s military friends, including Brengel, have been accused of any wrongdoing.

"I don't think Esther is into espionage. I think Esther is simply looking now to take on the role of a military officer," explains Abagnale, whose exploits as a young conman inspired the movie "Catch Me If You Can."

He spent years posing as a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor; then years more in prison. "This may be something that really intrigues her like the airline thing intrigued me," Abagnale explains.

And he says Esther’s not afraid to use sex to get what she wants, just like he did.

"Using sex could open doors for her, couldn't it?" Van Sant asks.

"Absolutely," Abagnale says. "'Cause she could get to know military people who can answer all these questions. What's my story? She is just laying the groundwork: to how do I take on this new role?"

It appears Esther was busy laying the groundwork for something during her last year in New York City. Credit card receipts indicate mysterious trips to Virginia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio. She ran several online credit checks, and bought a voice changer at a spy shop. Like a chess master, it appears Esther was thinking many moves ahead, all the while holding down a 3.22 grade point average at Columbia.

In 2006, when Esther ditched the New York cops pursuing the Brooke Henson lead, Bita was left to wonder. "Her numbers were disconnected," Bita remembers. "Pretty much most of her e-mail accounts were closed."

And she began to worry. "So I thought something bad happened to her, or she did something bad. I didn’t know," Bita says.

As Esther Reed crisscrosses America like the black queen on a chessboard, she suddenly finds herself facing her toughest opponent yet.

This September, a federal grand jury in South Carolina handed down an indictment charging Esther with felony identity theft and student loan fraud. With the full investigative powers of the Secret Service now deployed, it seemed likely that Esther would be apprehended quickly.

Private investigator Steven Rambam, eager to find Esther first, believes her best friend Bita will be the key to the case. "Bita has been in touch with her through all of her aliases, through all of her activities. I believe that if Bita wants to, Bita can give me Esther Reed," Rambam tells Van Sant.

But it turns out we know more about Esther than Bita does.

"She was not adopted. She was not a chess player, didn't play in any tournaments. None of that is true. None," Van Sant tells Bita.

"I'm still in shock," Bita says. "Really in shock about all of that. I don't think it's even quite hit me completely yet."

After months on the case, neither Rambam nor the Secret Service can say where Esther went after she fled New York.

"Just assuming anyone's identity is a lot easier today than when I did it," notes Frank Abagnale.

He is confident Esther will be tripped up eventually, not by some dogged investigator, but by the emotional strain of life on the run. "It was a very lonely life. And it was not a life I would ever wanna live over again," Abagnale explains.

"You think Esther, on any level, is a happy person today?" Van Sant asks.

"No. Not really happy. Someone who has no future, is living day by day, there's nothing permanent in her life. You can't exist like that," he says. "I hope Esther's listening to what I'm saying. And that I want Esther to know that she has talent. She has creativity. She is somebody. So, I hope Esther gives herself up, and does something positive with her life."

Travis...furthermore, the 2007 treaty between USA and Great Britain does include Isle of Man. Check page 13 of the following document...
http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/KFile/371332_CMND_7146.pdf

Travis...I wasn''t talking about the Isle of Man, I was talking about the government''s investigation.

[mona210-2009]

And just to weigh in on hearseluv''s and luvtrucrime''s debate over why Esther is getting more attention than Brooke, I agree that Esther story is unfortunately more interesting. It''s also ongoing, where as it''s pretty clear that Brooke is dead. Yes, it was extremely insensitive of Campbell to refer to her as "not good enough", but people would be making the same assumption about Esther if she hadn''t proven otherwise. Esther''s case would resemble Brooke''s - a missing person most likely dead and just as likely never to be found - if she hadn''t committed the crimes that people are finding so fascinating (before somebody reams me for my choice of words let me say that fascinating, just like compelling or intriguing, is not automatically positive - Esther Reed can be fascinating the same way OBL was intriguing to Time or Newsweek or which ever magazine it was). I''m sure that there are more missing persons cases out there than can be counted that are just as deserving of attention as Brooke''s, but not getting any period. At least Brooke is getting some national media now.

[mona210-2009]

When I first learned of Esther/Brooke''s story on CNN last winter I read a few articles online about it and I wish Van Sant had talked about/to more of Esther''s family. I remember getting the impression from the articles that her family was quite dysfunctional - Edna Strom was not her only 1/2 or step sibling - and that she had possibly been abused by family before her disappearance and by a boyfriend after. Not that this would excuse what she''s done, but it would provide a better motive than poor self-esteem.

[lauren0211]

Esther, are you reading this? Do the right thing. Stop running. It can be a lonely world out there.
There are some people who still care about you.
I wish you well, and hope you are ok and out of harms way. It is time to stop and think.

[travis_towle]

coldsteel71 - I do know what I am talking about - do a search on my name on Google... hummm that site IRAradio.com of mine was shut down by the FBI in 2001 %u2013 how would I know about an island with no extradition huh %u2013 probably because most of the IRA & Orange boys are there hiding along with other government avoiders in plain site with no fear of extradition right? So keep your comments about my comments and me not knowing facts to yourself or do your own research.

[hearseluv]

luvtrucrime, I can say a lot about Brooke.
1. She is missing
2. She is loved by her family and they are doing everything possible to find her
3. The TRPD didn''t care about Brooke in 1999 and Jon Campbell proved that with his laugh and statement Campbell says, "I don''t think Brooke was good enough to run away, to disappear entirely with a tenth grade education and drop off the face of the earth and not leave any trail." (Btw..he is no longer with the TRPD)
If you wasn''t so wrapped up in Esther you would know the answers to your questions.

[luvtrucrime]

ok, but what can you say about brooke? there seems to be so little information. why are the police not hammering away at the boyfriend that she fought with the last night she was seen? what is his history? are they looking for any other suspects? who saw them fighting and was that person(s) questioned?
and a question about esther reed. is she the next sante kimes?

[hearseluv]

What is wrong with you people???? Brooke Henson is MISSING!! Her family is no closer to knowing the truth today than they were 8 years ago. Who cares about Esther Reed???!!!! Her family knows she is alive. I''m sick of hearing about Esther. It''s time people stopped glorifying this con-artist. She is a CRIMINAL!

[rashid821]

This is a fascinating story! I bet it would be a box office hit when done on a big screen.

Travis...you have no idea what you are talking about. Until you have your facts straight, you should probably keep your comments to yourself.

[diallosma]

I just wanted to share a little of my story to show CBS just how someone could stay on the run for years. At 18 I started making money by illegal means. At 20 I got caught but after I bailed out I changed my name and "went on the run." Vermont you can get a license in one day but you can in North Carolina too. So I got a license in N.C. but got a new one same name in Kentucky. Made up SSN and lease will get you an ID in almost any state (I won''t share the details :)) Every time I moved I changed SSN and disconnected phone and left no forwarding address. As simple as that I was a fugitive for 3 yrs. Like the man said "it''s a lonely life." I did get caught but it was after I had quit the illegal stuff and had my son. It was inevitable just a matter of how and when the right time was. She will get caught eventually but most likely it will just be because she''s tired of looking over her shoulder.

[luvtrucrime]

hmmmmmm! now which one of you writing a comment is esther reed?

[ken_sch]

The thing that get''s me is that people would buy the story that she was making all this money playing in chess tournaments.

[kurtisvlaurl]

At the 2007 Oregon Country Fair (Veneta, Oregon) there was a woman whose faced looked a lot like Esther Elizabeth Reed''s face at the clothing optional sauna and showers. She was beautiful. I really thought it odd she was with an old man. It didn''t register with me then why a woman young and beautiful would be with such an old man?, but I guess it makes sense if she was conning money for a living. At least that didn''t stop her from giving me an elaborate massage.

I am highly disappointed with the story about Esther Reed/Brooke Henson. You did not cover the Brooke aspect in enough detail. You asked viewers to come forward with any information that could help to find Esther. Why was there no such request for information that could lead the police to Brooke? There was also no mention of the $12,000 reward money available for information that leads to finding Brooke. Esther''s family knows that she is ALIVE and a FUGITIVE. Brooke''s family is no closer to getting her disappearance solved. Jon Campbell''s comment about Brooke being a dropout and not being "good enough" to disappear should not have aired. After all, Esther is also a high school dropout. What makes Esther better than Brooke? The story seemed to treat Brooke as a footnote in Esther''s status as a criminal. It is Esther who should have been used as a footnote in the disappearance of Brooke. You could have done so much more to help find Brooke. Here is an idea, Make another show to showcase Brooke. I''m sure you have enough footage that was cut from Esther''s show. Why didn''t you use your high dollar detective to help find Brooke? Help Brooke''s family - FIND BROOKE!