What happened to Haleigh Murphy? Preview Dateline: Missing In America Season 5

August 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On June 16, 2023, in Temple, Texas, 22-year-old Haleigh Murphy spoke to her mother Becky Mitchell on the phone for 45 minutes while Becky got ready for work. Haleigh mentioned she was planning to go to a yacht party with her ex-boyfriend. Later that day, she asked her sister Harley to help pack for the weekend trip. “She has so many clothes,” Harley recalled. “She’s like, I have like thirty bathing suits, and I need to just pick three. Can you help?” Nothing about the day seemed unusual. Haleigh was close with her family, fiercely protective of those she loved, and devoted to her two-year-old son, JJ. Her best friend Brittany Ketchum said she had never seen a light in Haleigh’s eyes like when she was pregnant with JJ. No one in her circle knew they were making final memories with her. Haleigh said bye to her son, got in the car, and left. Some of those memories are excruciating. Becky feels guilt: “Yeah. I feel a lot of guilt.” It turns out Haleigh—devoted mother, daughter, sister, friend—had a dangerous secret. And her family believes it was deadly. “It’s a terrible story,” Becky said. “Sounds like a movie. Not real life.”

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What you'll learn

1 (01:03) **Preview Introduction** - Josh Mankiewicz introduces Dateline: Missing In America Season 5, asking listeners if they might have a clue to solve one of six new unsolved mysteries.
2 (01:32) **Haleigh Murphy's Last Normal Day** - On June 16, 2023, 22-year-old Haleigh Murphy starts her day in Temple, Texas, speaking with her mother, Becky Mitchell, for 45 minutes.
3 (02:12) **Packing for the Getaway** - Haleigh asks her sister, Harley Murphy, to help her pack for the weekend trip, revealing her large wardrobe and playful personality.
4 (02:27) **Haleigh as a Devoted Mother** - Haleigh's two-year-old son, JJ, held a special place in her heart, as noted by her best friend, Brittany Ketchum.
5 (02:56) **Final Memories and Family Guilt** - Haleigh says goodbye to her son and leaves, marking the last time her family sees her; Becky expresses deep guilt about that moment.
6 (03:13) **The Dangerous Secret** - The narrative reveals that Haleigh, seemingly a devoted mother and family member, had a dangerous secret that her family believes led to her death.
7 (03:25) **Closing Call to Action** - The preview ends with a plea for listeners to search for Dateline: Missing In America to hear the full season.

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Show Notes

Hey Dateline fans, here's a special preview of the next episode of Dateline: Missing in America Season 5. In "Haleigh's Secret," Josh Mankiewicz reports on the disappearance of 22-year-old Army veteran and mother Haleigh Murphy, who was last seen leaving a bar in Round Rock, Texas with a male friend on June 16, 2023. Her family has not heard from her since that night. Listen to the full episode in the 'Dateline: Missing in America' feed - something you hear might jog a memory that could help authorities find Haleigh.

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