you're a dream twister this is "nightline." tonight, hunt for clues. >> we just want her back. >> the starlet chasing hollywood dreams. her body found in a shallow grave, the mystery of her death now the focus of a popular podcast. but the last man believed to see her alive now found dead. investigators on the trail. >> appeared to be the case early on that there was foul play involved in this case. >> the surprising role google played in the hunt for answers. plus curtains up. >> let me show you how it's done. >> behind the scenes with bobby bones, as he coaches the next big celebrity hopefuls on

"american idol." his humble beginnings and surprising journey to stardom. >> i grew up without a dad and my mom was an addict who ended up dies in her 40s. >> now helping aspiring artists find their voice. but first the "nightline" five.

good evening, thanks for

joining us. tonight it's a murder mystery full of twists. the aspiring star hoping to break into hollywood. her baffling murder made even more so when the last known person to see her is also found dead. it's the focus of a true crime podcast, fueling new leads to investigate. here's abc's matt gutman. >> a young and beautiful woman with dreams of making it in hollywood. >> she was last seen near her apartment a week ago. >> friends and family have not heard from her since february 23rd. >> reporter: it's a hollywood story with a grim ending. a beautiful and hopeful starlet. >> i would like to know. >> reporter: seemingly vanishing without a trace. 25-year-old adaiah, last seen on february 23rd, 2018. >> this was the corner coffee shop, and she went to the academy nearby. this is the ground zero for that hollywood ambition. >> reporter: the story of her

disappearance now at the center of a blockbuster podcast to live and die in l.a. hosted by neil strauss. the story unfolds in real time as he works with private investigator jaden brant to piece together what he says happened to her. >> this is where she lived. and think about it. you come here from macedonia. you have this dream that you're going to be a star one day. the last place she was seen. and seen with her boyfriend chris. >> reporter: and this all began back in february 2018 when the aspiring actress from macedonia first vanished. her friend sounded the alarm to the lapd. concerned she wasn't mereliy ona road trip with her boyfriend chris at the time. feeling frustrated, friends and family hired brachbnt, a privat

investigator with experience with law enforcement. >> we're very active in the case, been working it since late yesterday and following all the leads as they arrive. >> reporter: brant brought strauss in, hoping to continue giving the disappearance media attention. >> she was in hollywood. she was last seen on friday. >> which, this friday? or the friday like the week before? >> no, this friday. >> okay. yeah. >> wow. >> reporter: and since that call, they have been working as a team for more than a year on the case, filling in critical gaps in the mystery. >> appeared to be the case pretty early on that there was foul play involved in this case and it was likely a homicide. >> reporter: they say that boyfriend became a suspect early in the investigation, a fellow actor seen here in this reel. >> reporter: they say he was engaged at the time of his relationship. a month after her disappearance,

her body was found in northern california. she died of blunt force trauma, and police reportedly went looking to speak to spots. >> if he did do it, what was the motive. >> eyewitness news news news new her boyfriend. >> reporter: it may never be known. he shot and killed himself after a chase with highway patrol. >> this situation is highly unique in that there was a homicide occurred and that our primary suspect at that time committed suicide. you know, it changes our ability to investigate, because we don't have the ability to actually speak with our suspect. >> now there's two families devastated by this. >> reporter: and now spots' family is trying to help strauss dig for the truth. >> shared his information and said we just want to know what happened. we know our chris is a good kid.

he's never hurt anyone in his life. we know this can't be him, but we also want to know the truth and trust that you're objective about it. >> reporter: which includes handing over his digital footprint. >> google is not just tracking you, but it's very easy to find it jury seyourself or anyone wh access can find your exact movements down to the minute. it's insane. it just so happens that chris spots never turned his phone off. so we were able to see the moment he picked up adaiah, the day she disappeared. >> reporter: google data provided a map of his movement with incredibly precise details, something cell phone data failed to provide. anybody can pull this up who has a gmail account or any e-mail account? >> yeah, i'm almost loathe to say it, because if somebody goes missing they'll turn this off. we wouldn't know what happened if chris had this off. >> reporter: the data, strauss

says, began to gave him a tick-tock of the last day she was seen alive. >> he arrives at her home at 12:48. you can figure out he came in at this time and something happened between them, maybe he turned it off himself. but we know that's connected to him arriving there. >> reporter: they say the data also shows spots' phone in the area where her body would be found. as the team leads its own parallel investigation, strauss is outspoken about the lack of law enforcement presources for missing persons cases. >> if you go to the lapd website, it says what to do if someone goes missing, that you love, or a loved one. and the thing to do, it says we get thousands of these case as year, and most likely they'll come back. if they don't come back, contact us. we'll take a report. however, we can't really put our full investigatory power behind it, because there's no proof it's a homicide.

they're just missing. if you want to find that person, hire an investigator. they're basically telling people we don't have the capacity to deal with t and you can't just only rely on the police. >> reporter: at the time of spots' death, the lapd said he was responsible for her murder. >> we also believe that mr. spots, christopher spots was somehow involved in her death, and we believe this to be a homicide. >> reporter: the lapd now considers the case to be closed and is confident it found the killer. nobody else was charged as being involved and they now consider the case closed. but with what we see with spots' google location data, strauss and his team aren't satisfied with that conclusion and have been retracing the days leading up to his road trip, convinced he may have had help in her death. they brought us to a hardware store and an apartment building in north hollywood which they

stops before picking her up. >> she told her friend that she was going to the funeral of chris spots' uncle. and really, where suspicion started to get raised is when we called chris spots' family and they said he doesn't have an uncle that passed away. if we can find the person he stopped to visit we can find out what he was doing there. we're checking the current tenants to find if it's someone who is co-op to chris's phone bill. >> reporter: this is the latest hit in the booming industry of true crime multi-media. following the likes of serial. >> it's serial. one story told week by week. >> reporter: netflix's making of a murder and "the jinx." and about 1 million are downloading this every week. what is the secret sauce? >> i think it's curiosity and

obsession. it's all unfolding in real time. you know something before the police do, before the families do. there's a part of it that's like a documentary. >> reporter: a tragic truth, one that isn't deterring strauss and brant who still hope to uncover the truth behind a heartbreaking loss. >> and you can listen to all the episodes of "to live and die in l.a." for free on apple podcast. tune in on may 17th for the finale. and up next, the unorthodox rise to stardom for the mentor of "american idol." is staying happy and healthy. so, i add protein, vitamins and minerals to my diet with boost®. boost® high protein nutritional drink has 20 grams of protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. all with guaranteed great taste. and now try new boost® peaches and creme natural flavor. with 27 vitamins and minerals and 10 grams of protein.

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country radio deejay bobby bones is accustomed to making spotlight both on and off the stage. but his was a shot to fame from humble beginning, and now a mentor to those vying to be the next "american idol." here's maggie rulli. >> how awesome to get a call with good news. >> right. >> how awesome would it be? >> it would be really, roo elea good news. >> reporter: when it comes to advice, bobby bones is the guy to go to. the famed radio deejay is the show's in-house mentor, helping guide these young hopefuls on their journey to become the next "american idol." >> welcome to "american idol"! >> reporter: even filling in for ryan as host. >> i look most like him, so they asked me to fill his shoes tonight.

>> reporter: do people ever get you and ryan confused? >> i think we're just two white dudes. sometimes he wears glasses, too. two white guys with glasses, you don't know the difference, but ryan's a lot richer than i am. i don't know that they get us that confused. there's so many different kinds of wonderful artists here. >> reporter: you're an integral part of the show. is it intimidating? >> to walk out on the stage with those big "american idol" letters are on, i go if i could tell the kid in me watching this show that this was going to happen i don't think i would have believed me. it's a legacy. and i don't want to be the one to screw it up. really, i don't. >> reporter: 39-year-old bones is having a moment. but it was a long road to get here. >> you know, i come from a really small town of 700 people in mountain pine, arkansas. i grew up without a dad, and my mom was an addict, too, who ended up dying in her 40s. for me, i needed to break the cycle somehow.

i needed to get an education and get out. i was the first kid to graduate high school and college from my family, from the days when i was 5, 6, 7 years old sleeping on the couch. when i went to college is when i first had a bed. i wanted to show others they could do it. if i can do it, i think anyone out there can do it. here she is, dolly parton, everybody. >> reporter: today he's one of the most influential voices on the radio. >> the most intimidating room in all of nashville. >> reporter: the bobby bones show plays to an audience of millions. >> i'm so over me. >> none of us are over you, bobby. nobody's over bobby bones but you. >> reporter: he's also a stand-up comedian. >> as you may know, i'm an awkward person. >> reporter: and has authored not one but two "neyo times" sellers. last year he waltzed his way into america's hearts on

"dancing with the stars," putting on the greatest show. ♪ this is the greatest show >> bobby and sharla. >> reporter: at the end, taking home the coveted mirror ball trophy. what was that experience like? >> it was okay. i mean, it was just like being dropped in a foreign country and going survive. week one i fell down and hurt myself. i wiped out pretty hard on the show, but i got through, and i kept getting through, you know, like i tell them on "american idol," you don't have to be the best singer. if you're trying to be the best singer you're not going to win. but you can be america's favori favorite singer. i think i was their favorite. and i won with, you know, what i use every day. and that is just be who you are. >> reporter: who is bobby bones? >> who, who am i? i'm someone who, i love what i do. i talk to a lot of people in a lot of different ways, but i think i'm able to be successful because i think they see me in

them. >> will you use the one save of the season tonight? >> yes. [cheers and applause] >> reporter: sunday's episode ended in a shocking scene. >> you're all so great. i love you so much. lacy. >> reporter: with the credits rolling, the judges used their power to spare lacy, sending home a fan favorite, jeremiah hermit. we were on set ahead of that surprise upset. catching up with bones and the contestants just hours before showtime. >> there are so few of you now. we can get all of you guys into one room now. i'm really proud of all you guys. we've been together six months now. that's longer than any other lationshipive ah relationship i've had in the last few years. the goal is to do your best and let et end cothe end come to yo. >> reporter: how would you describe what bobby has meant to you? >> bobby haseld me out when

i've been on the show. when i'm having a bad day, he'll talk to me, and i'll use those tips and advice that he's given me, and it will make me happier. >> one thing that appreciate about bobby is that he's approachable, and whether you're in front of the camera or not in front of the camera, he's like, hey, you can talk to me. and i feel like i've been able to confide with bobby. >> i remember on hollywood week when i was going to do an original song, and he was like, that's a really big risk. and one of my biggest performances was that song. >> reporter: so what has that process been like, being a mentor and really getting to know these young people at this crazy moment of their life? >> when i come into the show, it's, when there are 1,000 people, you're with them with all the cuts. >> you won't make eye contact. >> you're seeing them not only

grow as singers, but them get to experience new things. and some of them grow as people. some are so young. like i look at madison. ♪ this is my last night with you ♪ >> and i go holy crap, like you're 17 years old, and she has such poise. i really just want to be someone who helps them grow. >> if you've just tuned in, do not adjust your tv sets. i'm bobby bones standing in for a sick ryan seacrest. >> reporter: living out his very own american dream. >> i mean, when you're starting off, was this even part of your wildest dreams? did you know these kind of opportunit in life? >> ah, i hoped. i think if you don't set your goal super high no one else will. i don't know if it was "american idol" specifically. i have much bigger goals. if i don't, who's going to? and i don't know if that's a cocky thing to say. i'm not saying i'm good, i just

have bigger goals. i think i can be the governor of arkansas, i thinkki i can be president of the united states if i want. i think i'm representing a lot of people out there who aren't being heard. >> reporter: for "nightline," maggie rulli in los angeles. >> of course you can watch "american idol" live sunday night, coast-to-coast starting at 8:00 eastern. that's 5:00 in the west here on abc. up next, the life-changing gift for one little boy. his dance of joy going viral. ♪ you want a fresh-smelling home, but some air fresheners use heavy, overwhelming scents. introducing febreze one; a new range of innovative air fresheners with no heavy perfumes that you can feel good about using in your home to deliver a light, natural-smelling freshness. febreze one neutralizes stale, stuffy odors and releases a subtle hint of fragrance like bamboo or lemongrass ginger. to eliminate odors with no heavy perfumes,

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finally tonight, showing gratitude with a heartfelt happy dance. this is achmed ramen, dancing in a clinic in afghanistan, celebrating the gift of a prosthetic leg in a now viral video. losing his limb at just 8 months old losing his leg in a clash with the taliban and

he has plenty of reason to smile and dance for joy. that's sheer poetry in motion. that's "nightline." you can always catch our full episodes on hulu. good night, america. man, that's a cool looking hot tub. we should check on the baby. he's so sweet. maybe too sweet? et's down. your home is only as smart as your internet. get reliable at&t fiber and get speeds up to 300 megabits per second and directv.

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