THE FAMILY IS HORRIFIED AT BEING TOLD CMPD DETECTIVE GASKIN SAYS MARY "HAS DONE THIS BEFORE WITH GUYS" AND IS NOT IN DANGER!

At noon on April 3, 2020, the family receives a screenshot of a text message written by a former CMPD homicide detective who was still with CMPD. Mary has now been gone for SEVEN DAYS.  It reads:

"They are working on it today. I called the upper chain and asked them to prioritize. Please tell family that they need to have one person call the detective with info. He said he got dozens of calls and emails from numerous people in the family/friends wanting info. Apparently, she's done this before with guys so that's why they are on it but not heavily initially. They have it as a priority now though"

The family is shocked, horrified, and furious. NOTHING could be further from the truth, and could only have come from Lavery and Pham. Detective Gaskin NEVER asked the family about this. Never asked about Mary or her friends. Never looked for her. He profiled her. She was sweet, caring,very naive and she was an innocent victim who needed a hero. We were truly stunned and terrified.

The same day a media contact sent a message. They had heard from WBTV that when they  inquired about Mary being missing, they were told that CMPD did not think Mary was in danger.

Already frantic, the family was devastated and desperate. We found it unfathomable that anyone could do this to Mary. To say this about her and not help her. And we still do.

JUST AS THE GOVERNOR SHUTS DOWN THE STATE DUE TO COVID-19 MARY IS LURED OUT OF HER HOME BY KELLY LAVERY 

Mary got into an Uber the afternoon of March 28, Sent to her home by Kelly Lavery. Taking Mary to The Yards at NoDa Apartments where Lavery, under the guise of friendship, had invited Mary for a "girls' night" of movies and makeup.

On March 30th after trying to reach Mary with calls and texts, her grandmother, with whom Mary lived, went to pick her up. 

Banging on the door repeatedly until Kelly Lavery opened it. Lavery and Lavi Pham told her Mary had left. Her grandmother knew this was not true. 

Lavery had allowed Mary's grandmother inside briefly to look around and call out for Mary. But refused to let her into the back bedroom area. She quickly told her to leave while holding a hammer. 

 Loud arguing drew the attention of a neighbor across the hall saying she will have to call someone.  Her grandmother responded, "Please do, call someone" knowing Mary was in grave danger. That Mary's cognitive disability, working memory, and eyesight( not having her glasses) made it impossible that she had left. In addition, her phone was off.

She called 911 for help and was told to go home and file a missing person's report. Mary was not missing. She was trapped. Her grandmother had been and still was aware of Mary's whereabouts. Mary was never missing. She was taken. 

She did not want to leave. She needed help getting Mary from Lavery and Pham who had a history of cruelty towards and harassing Mary online. Mary's grandmother knew Lavi Pham. She needed  the police to come to rescue Mary.

Desperate to get help for Mary, her grandmother followed the direction of the 911 operator and met the responding officer at home. There, while waiting for the 911 responding officer to call about Mary, she explained to him that Mary was in danger.

Panic-stricken and terrified for Mary she explained that Mary had a disability. The officer asked if Mary had a diagnosis saying that will escalate the response of CMPD. 

She explained that Mary was diagnosed with 22q deletion syndrome which impaired her ability to protect herself.

While the officer was there, the 911 responding officer called. She had gone to do a "well check" on Mary at the apartment. She knocked and got no response so she just left. She left taking no further action.  

The responding officer asked for the photos of Mary, Lavery, and Pham that Lavery and Pham had posted online. Saying the case would be assigned to a detective who would call in the morning. But in the meantime to send him the photos. 

Her grandmother, believing the police were going to go get Mary, immediately sent the photos to his email.

Then returned to the apartment.  It's gated not only in the access to the parking lots but the breezeways leading to the apartment themselves are locked and gated. 

Horrified, she could not get to Mary and she was trapped inside with Lavery and Pham. 

It Is Now March 31st 

 Mary has been gone for two and a half days and three nights. Longer than she has ever been away from home without family. Lavery and Pham had done something to Mary.  And her grandmother knew it.

It was afternoon before the Detective called. Her grandmother explained that Mary was not missing and that she was endangered. She explained that Mary had a disability and that these people had a history of harassing Mary. 

By now she had contacted the apartment management who was coming in to look at the security cameras for any sign of Mary during the time Lavery claimed she left the apartment. The manager said it would take an hour or so. Mary's grandmother also relayed this to Detective Gaskin who responded “ that’s good.”

The detective said he couldn't come to the apartment today but would be working the case from "here". 

Upset, asking what she should do fearing they will hurt Mary now that she has called the police, the detective tells her she can call 911. 

At this time, not understanding how the police department works her grandmother assumed the detective would be working on getting the police to get to Mary. 

It was only later that we came to understand how much being directed to the Missing Persons Unit didn’t make sense.

Detective Gaskin  Doesn't Come Family Calls 911 Again

By now Mary's grandmother had contacted everyone in the family. Mary's mother was en route to the apartments with a friend. She calls 911 again, desperation increasing by the second.

Mary's mother and friend arrive ahead of the police. Once there the responding officer says he will only take Mary's mother up to the apartment. Then returns saying it's not the right apartment. 

Her grandmother takes both he and Mary's mother to the correct apartment door and waits around the corner at the elevator right beside the apartment. 

Lavi Pham comes to the door. After repeated back and forth with the officer he finally agrees to allow Mary's mother inside. 

He escorts her through the apartment. Takes her into the back room where someone is lying on the bed underneath a blanket. Mary's mother is told it's Kelly Lavery sleeping. She is unaware there is another bathroom.  Pham quickly ushers her back out of the apartment. 

Speaking with the responding officer insisting they have done something with Mary, her grandmother tells him about the apartment manager who is looking through the cameras for Mary. 

The officer then leaves and says he is speaking with Detective Gaskin. We assumed that the police would now be taking steps to find out what has happened to Mary. We can see him on the phone.

CMPD And The Security Cameras

Mary's grandmother calls the apartment manager to check on the progress of reviewing the security cameras for Mary.

He tells her that the police officer told him to stop looking at the cameras. Not to look for Mary! He says all he needs is for them to come in and ask and he will look. Or that the police can look. At this point, we have no contact information other than the incoming call from Detective Gaskin.

Over the next FOUR days, the members of Mary's family would repeatedly implore Detective Gaskin to review the security cameras. 

Mary's Family Members Desperately Try To Make Detective Gaskin Understand That She's In Danger

Mary's grandmother knowing Mary was still in the apartment is trying desperately to explain to Detective Gaskin that she is in terrible danger. The family knew Mary was still in the apartment and if not, Lavery and Pham had done something to her.  

The family tried repeatedly to explain that and the significance of her disability to the Detective. 

Mary's great Uncle tried to reach him to explain. Her great Aunt sent an email from Maryland in an attempt to explain her disability. 

Mary's Uncle who worked as a police officer at UNCC went to his upper chain and they called the Detective to try to explain the urgency. The US Marshal Service contacted the CMPD and Detective Gaskin. 

Mary's grandmother was constantly trying to reach Detective Gaskin as was Mary's mother.

Mary's Family And Community Did Not Wait For The Detective

Mary's stepfather went to the apartment door and banged on the door demanding answers. 

Detective Gaskin informed us that Lavery and Pham complained that they felt threatened. He told us to stay away from the door.

 Multiple community members printed flyers and hung them in the area surrounding the apartment. They spoke to people and told them about Mary.

 Detective Gaskin told us not to go onto the property and not to stop people coming in and out of the apartment complex to ask them if they had seen Mary and give them a flyer. 

When doing this we found that no one knew about Mary until we told them. 

We contacted, the CEO of the complex who told us we could have anything and everything we needed including speaking to the apartment residents and bringing dogs right up to the apartment door. 

Community members mobilized and formed search parties of the wooded areas and train tracks.

 Mary's mother was working with an organization that works to find people being sex trafficked. 

Her grandmother kept a constant vigil at the apartments, talking to residents determined to get to Mary. 

Flyers are printed by complete strangers, signs are made. A drone is brought out. Arrangements are made to bring bloodhounds to search for Mary. 

Mary's grandmother is frantic and desperately trying to explain that Lavery and Pham have Mary and have done something to her.

No Police Presence

There is no sign of the police. No police searching. No dogs, no helicopter. No police presence. No alert. Nothing. 

Early on Detective Gaskin had told us not to go to the media as that would only create false leads. 

At one point Mary's grandmother stops a policeman driving by asking him if he knew who Mary was. He did not.  Once she explained he said "Oh yeah, I saw the flyer". He then looked it up and explains there is a "Bolo" which only means that they would be aware if they came upon Mary not that they are out actively looking for her. Her grandmother tearfully begs him to speak to the detective on Mary's behalf, telling him Mary deserves a hero. He is sympathetic and says he will speak to Detective Gaskin.

Family And Friends Utilize Social Media To Find Out What They Did With Mary

Mary's siblings, friends, and former classmates take to social media asking for information about Mary. 

They focus on posts done by Lavi Pham and Kelly Lavery. What they find is both shocking and terrifying. 

They reach out to people who associate with Lavery and Pham. Multiple people joining the conversations warn of the danger Mary is in at the hands of Lavery and Pham.

Mary's sister comes across posts of James Salerno in the apartment with Lavery and Pham. She immediately posts asking for information. 

Meanwhile, a former classmate also has begun to probe the online connections to Lavery and Pham. 

Pushing for answers. They begin to hear horrible details about Mary being murdered by Lavery, Pham, Salerno, and his girlfriend. People they spoke to went to the police. 

Detective Gaskin is also immediately contacted by them.

Once Contacted, Detective Gaskin FINALLY Goes Into The Apartment

Mary has now been gone for six days.

On the morning of April 2nd, 2020 Gaskin finally tells us he needs probable cause and to send him whatever we have to provide that.

Multiple family members frantically start sending him everything from screenshots of Kelly Lavery harassing and threatening Mary online in the past, to her with guns, drug photos they're posting online, Mary's disability information, everything we can think of to convince him Mary is in danger and needs help.

On the night of April 2, 2020, Detective Gaskin went to the apartment after being told Mary had been murdered and was hidden in a mattress in Lavery and Pham's apartment. He asked to come in and search and Lavery and Pham let him in. He allowed Pham to lift the mattress where Mary was concealed. The person accused of murdering Mary lifted the mattress so the police wouldn't feel how heavy it was. 

Detective Gaskin looked around the apartment, spoke with them, and left. Still not elevating the level of urgency and danger that Mary was in. Regardless of this information and completely disregarding our pleas for Mary's safety. 

He issued no alert. He still had not looked at the cameras. There was no search being conducted and he had not issued a missing person alert to the media.

CMPD Detective Gaskin Says Mary Is Not In Danger!!!

April 3rd, 2020

Mary's grandmother receives one of the very few phone calls she got from Detective Gaskin.

Gaskin tells her he went into the apartment and searched for Mary the night before.

He tells her Mary is not there. 

Her grandmother asks if he looked everywhere. Under the beds, under the couch, in the closets? She brings up a plastic container on the balcony asking if he looked inside that. 

Detective Gaskin tells her he looked all around the apartment and sat and talked to Lavery and Pham. 

He says to her "Do you understand that she's not in there"?

She replies No, she does not. She is insistent that Lavery and Pham have Mary. That they have her inside the apartment or have done something with her. 

Nothing else was possible. Mary could not have left on her own. She had never been away from home this long without family. And that she had never AT ALL been anywhere that family didn't know where she was. 

Her grandmother implores Detective Gaskin to make them tell us what they did to Mary and where she is. Mary has now been gone for seven days.

This same afternoon Mary's Uncle calls the corporate office of the company that owns the apartment complex getting permission within ten minutes to view the security camera footage. 

Mary's grandmother and her mother go to begin to watch the cameras. Her mother insists that she will watch every second from March 28th on. Knowing that they are lying about Mary leaving we are now trying to prove that. While there they discover that the 28th of March and the 29th are now going to be gone.  Erased.

In addition, the management office has to close up and leave at two pm and we will have to return in the morning. This is devastating and Mary's mother watches as much as she can of the footage from the 30th of March, the day Lavery and Pham claim that Mary left. There is no sign of Mary. 

The management tells us that Detective Gaskin had finally been there that morning before we arrived and had looked at some of the footage. 

Mary's mother arranges to come back in the morning so she can see it all.  

Her grandmother has been trying to reach Detective Gaskin. The people with the bloodhounds want him to sign off before they bring the dogs. She continues that effort as well as trying to ask about what he saw on the camera as the footage from the 28th was only erased an hour before she and Mary's mother arrived. 

Detective Gaskin isn't replying about anything.

**THE FAMILY IS HORRIFIED AT BEING TOLD   CMPD DETECTIVE GASKIN SAYS MARY HAS DONE THIS BEFORE WITH GUYS AND NOT IN DANGER!**

At noon on April 3, 2020 

We receive the screenshot reading:

"They are working on it today. I called the upper chain and asked them to prioritize. Please tell family that they need to have one person call the detective with info. He said he got dozens of calls and emails from numerous people in the family/friends wanting info. Apparently, she's done this before with guys so that's why they are on it but not heavily initially. They have it as a priority now though"

**NOTHING could be further from the truth** 

This same afternoon a media contact saying WBTV called to inquire about Mary being missing, were told that CMPD did not think Mary was in danger.

We would find out later that April 3, 2020, was also the day Detective Gaskin finally put out a missing post about Mary on Twitter. Mary has now been trapped with Lavery, Pham, Salerno, and Diehl for Seven Days.  

Siblings, Classmates, Using Social Media PUSH HARDER To Get Detective Gaskin To Take Action 

April 4th 2020. Mary's mother is back at the management office looking at the cameras. She watches every second even though she knows she won't see Mary. She watches for any clue as to what they have done to her. She watches the entire week for hours. While speaking with the people who look for sex trafficked girls at the same time.

Mary's grandmother is frantic. She is still trying to get in touch with Detective Gaskin. Still trying to get the bloodhounds to the apartment. She is now saying she will sleep on the grounds of the apartment until she finds Mary. Insisting she knows Mary is there.

People are still passing out flyers, hanging them, and putting up missing signs looking for Mary.

Search parties have been formed and out looking around the apartment area.

Meanwhile, Mary's siblings and the other people are still working on social media. 

The people who called and went to the police went back to the police and also called again. 

The information has not changed and Salerno is still saying they killed Mary and put her in a mattress. He is now saying they are going to move her that night and burn the mattress. 

The person who engaged these people online contacts Detective Gaskin and tells him he has to get a search warrant. That they are planning on moving Mary.

 Telling him they will sit in front of the apartments until he does. 

They and another person who was at the apartments searching, sit waiting and watching until the police come.

On the Eve of Mary's mother's birthday, April 4, 2020, the police finally go in to rescue Mary.

Mary's grandmother is called at about 10 pm by a railyard police officer she had given her number to. He tells her Mary has been found and that an ambulance has arrived. He did not know anything about her condition. Mary's grandmother goes immediately to CMC Main Hospital.

Everything is barricaded because of Covid 19. She gets out of her car and goes up to the ER guard. Begging him to go look for and find out about Mary. He comes back telling her Mary is not there. She's heading for the next hospital when she gets a call from her son-in-law to come home. 

Mary's mother get's the same call.

Mary's family gathers outside of her home. Waiting in agony for the police to arrive. Not knowing if Mary is dead or alive.

Two police officers arrive. Her grandmother immediately asks where Detective Gaskin is and is eventually told that he is "stuck at the scene".

The two officers come inside the home into the living room. Feet from Mary's bedroom and proceed to tell us that they murdered Mary, wrapped her in plastic, cut open the mattress, and hide her inside. That it was impossible to tell who was inside the plastic but they were certain it was going to be Mary. They said their usual speech for the circumstances. Gave us business cards, maybe a pamphlet and they left.

Mary was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, N.C. in the Spring of 2020. Mary was not found until more than a week later. Lack of concern for Mary and implicit bias kept the detective from taking our pleas for help seriously.

There was nothing we could do but scream. And we're still screaming.

JUSTICE FOR MARY!

None of the family ever heard from Detective Gaskin after that night. None of us ever met him.

Mary Matters.