Sunday Jan. 20. After a long night of music and partying, Jessica Deal and KT Hunter woke up about 9 a.m. at the house on Mackay Court.

The two had slept in KT’s bedroom and their friend Brianna Denison had taken the living room couch. But that morning, KT and Jessica made a surprising discovery.

Jessica Deal: We went out to the kitchen; started making breakfast. The kitchen was right in front of the couch. And Brianna wasn't sleeping there anymore.

At first, they weren't concerned. This was a student house after all and college kids were always coming and going. They figured Brianna had traded the couch for a bed during the night.

Jessica Deal: KT pointed to the couch and was like, "where's Brianna?" And we figured maybe she was upstairs in one of the roommate's empty rooms.

KT went upstairs to the bedroom where she thought Bri was sleeping.

KT Hunter: And I knocked on the door, just was, like, "hey, time to get up."

At about 9:45, KT tried once again to rouse Brianna. Once again, she got no response.

KT Hunter: I just am pounding on the door. And things start entering my mind. So, I start just pounding on my other roommate's door. Just all these things running through my mind, like, "What is going on? Where is Bri?"

Only then did it hit KT that Brianna was not in the house. She was, in fact, nowhere to be found -- even though her things were still there.

KT Hunter: Her cell phone was there, her shoes were there. I know she went to bed in a tank top. Her purse is there. Her whole life was there. And so I couldn't understand where she could've possibly gone.

Especially since it was wintertime and freezing cold that night and Brianna hadn't even taken her shoes with her. KT called Brianna’s mom, Bridgette.

Bridgette Denison: She called around 10:00.

Josh Mankiewicz: And your first thought was?

Bridgette Denison: Not good.

Josh Mankiewicz: So you worried right away?

Bridgette Denison: Well, yeah, because her cell phone was there. And she had no car. And she said that her shoes-- you know, everything she had was still at the house. I knew she wasn't out walking around with no shoes on. So I said, "I’ll be right there."

Back at the house, KT made another discovery -- this one terrifying. There was blood -- a small amount, two spots and a spatter -- on the pillow that had been under Brianna’s head.

KT Hunter: And I called her mom right back. And I’m, like, I was just in hysterics, crying. I'm, like, "There's blood on the pillow." And so, then I called 911.

Bridgette couldn't get to KT’s house fast enough.

Josh Mankiewicz: So your mind's got to be working overtime at that time--

Bridgette Denison: Well, I was really freaked out. I mean, there was obviously, you know-- it was something really bad, blood, and my child without her cell phone. I mean, what kid is without their cell phone?

Stunned, reeling -- Brianna’s family and friends were suddenly living a nightmare. A short time later, when Bri's aunt Lauren Denison arrived at the house, police cars were everywhere.

Lauren Denison: Bridget is an incredibly strong woman. And she just broke down into tears. And these young girls that live there or were there, you know, were crying too. And the police department was trying to figure some things out.

Lieutenant Robert McDonald heads up the Reno police department's detective division. McDonald was off that Sunday. But he got a call at home.

Lt. McDonald: This was a case that was, you know, didn't have a good sound to it right from the beginning. And that's when I got dressed and headed in to work.

Things started to happen fast. Lieutenant McDonald and his colleagues quickly agreed they were looking at a possible abduction. They had a young woman to find.

Lt. McDonald: Washoe County Search and Rescue had come out and already started a search of the neighborhood. Our patrol division was already going from door to door, trying to find out if anybody saw anything unusual, heard anything.

Family and friends gathered at Bridgette’s home asking what they could do.

Bridgette Denison: And I said, "I need this in the media. And they went with it and they didn't stop.”

(TV news broadcast)

“Denison is described as 5 foot tall, 98 pounds, was last seen wearing pink sweats and a white tank top…”

KRNV-TV reporter Victoria Campbell remembers hearing the story on the news that night.

Victoria Campbell: And I remember thinking that's odd in Reno. We don't usually see kidnappings. And especially of a 19-year-old. I mean, she's an adult. It was a case that kind of caught my eye.

Monday, Jan. 21
The day after Brianna disappeared. Police went door to door again. Search crews went out with dogs and helicopters, and the FBI joined the hunt.

As a shattered, terrified family waited for the one call -- the only call -- that mattered, Brianna’s grandfather pleaded for her return.

(TV news from Jan. 21)

Bob Zunino: If she's with somebody right now, whoever it may be. We want her back.

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