Speaker 1: 0:01

Exactly one year before, the world was horrified by the disappearance of high school senior Natalie Holloway in Aruba. A teen from Brighton vanished in the waters off the same island. My biggest grief is the loss of my son and not knowing what happened to him. But Maxie Rees never became a household name and his 2004 disappearance is still unsolved.

Speaker 2: 0:27

There are so many cases that I research and investigate that strike me to my core. One of those cases dates all the way back to 2004. During that time I was only a teenager, but as a mom now, I can't imagine experiencing the loss of a child. It fueled a fire in me, a fire so deep, a yearning to know more, seek answers and advocate for this family. This case took me to a place I've never been in an investigation and would haunt me not only as an investigative journalist but as a mom, as I spent countless hours researching this case and carefully putting the pieces together. The picture that revealed itself was incredibly dark and absolutely terrifying.

Speaker 2: 1:20

Over the course of this series, I'm diving into the unsolved disappearance of 14-year-old Max DeVries and sharing never-before-heard interviews with his family and friends. We'll dive into clues, timelines and the tragic story of a bright, adventurous young man whose life was cut short by predators who were lurking in plain sight. I'm Jen Rivera, and this is the Unseen Truth the Disappearance of Max DeVries. This is Episode 1, the Vacation. It's May 2004, and 14-year-old Max DeVries, his mom Yvonne, his sister Dominique and his aunt Pat are about to head on a vacation to Aruba. His aunt Pat are about to head on a vacation to Aruba. Just 18 months prior, max and Dominique's father, george, unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. So this vacation was meant to not only be healing but fun for the family after an extremely difficult 18 months. Little does the family know their lives are about to change forever. To get the full picture of this case, we need to take it piece by piece. So let's take it back to the beginning, where Max's story begins.

Speaker 2: 3:21

Maximus William DeVries was born on April 18, 1990, and was raised right outside of Detroit, in Brighton, michigan. His mother, yvonne, was a stay-at-home mom at the time and focused on caring for Max and his younger sister, dominique. His father, george, was a strategic asset manager for Dunkin' Donuts and would help business owners open Dunkin' Donuts franchises across Michigan. The family was living the American dream. The DeVries family was extremely close and shared a love for the water. From a young age, max and Dominique were taught by George to pilot their family's sailboat and would spend a ton of time together on the water. At 14, max was named a charter boat first mate, which was a representation of just how skilled he was on the water. Outside of his love for being out to sea. Max was described by his friends and family as smart, witty and fun.

Speaker 3: 4:21

Really a magnetic personality is Max. Who is Max? And again he'd come over and we would always enjoy and embrace each other. And just a really good kid Gave you a hug when he saw you and gave you a hug when he said goodbye.

Speaker 4: 4:41

Me and Max went to school together. I moved there when I was in fifth grade and I feel like it was more in middle school that we really got to know each other. Actually, he was one of my boyfriends back in seventh grade. He's hard not to know just because he just had a presence about him. So anytime he was around you knew it. He just kind of lit up a room. Life is short, but boats are cool, like that's. I feel like it's kind of what he lived by. You know like he just, yeah, like like to live on the water, always fishing or doing something by the water.

Speaker 5: 5:15

You know he loved his family. There was, there was no doubt about it. Anytime I was there, you know, spending time with him, even if it was just later on the day, it wouldn't be uncommon for him just to come up and give me a hug. Max was a smart kid, he just always was. Anything that he learned he picked it up quick.

Speaker 6: 5:32

Max was fearless. He, you know he really first of all he was a good kid. He, when adults they entertain quite a bit and whenever adults were gathered out on their patio or whatever, it was always enjoyable when Max came out to hang out with us and he was always just a, you know, a young boy who could easily talk with us and laugh with us and tell jokes and you know we could talk about school or whatever was going on in his life. You know, played the guitar, so sometimes he'd play songs for people and just that really comfortable young man.

Speaker 2: 6:14

Despite the loss of her husband, george, on November 10, 2002, yvonne remains extremely grounded and strong for her children. Over the course of the next 18 months, the family leans on each other and maneuvers through grief and healing. At this time, yvonne decides to plan a vacation to Aruba with her family after a difficult 18 months. Little does the family know this trip will be the beginning of another tragedy, a tragedy that begins after meeting two men while on vacation in Aruba. A tragedy that no one expects. We're going to revisit where it all began in episode two, the Men. That episode is available right now. Make sure to follow us on social media at Unseen Truth Podcast and visit UnseenTruthPodcastcom for more case information.

Speaker 1: 7:12

The the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. Thanks for watching.