Ashes to Ash: The Disappearance of Robert Bee

- Season 1

(2019)

Robert Bee, aka Bonzai, was a 13-year-old boy who went missing in November of 2016 in the small town of Pekin, Illinois. Bonzai came from a troubled home and was quickly headed toward juvenile detention due to his rough lifestyle. So when he first went missing, it was considered as nothing more than a runaway situation as Bonzai had sometimes left home for days on end. But by January of 2017, Bonzai was considered missing and search efforts were in full force. Details surrounding his disappearance were murky and contradictory and his skeletal remains were finally ...

The investigation continues with talks to Bonzai's mother and a number of reporters that were investigating the case from the beginning. We learn about Pekin itself as well as details surrounding the earlier days of Bonzai's life. We also hear from the people who were with Lisa and Bonzai on the final night that Bonzai was seen by anyone in public.

As the night set on the first official day he was missing, the community banded together to start looking for this little boy. There were false sightings, unanswered questions, and tips not followed up on while the community continued to look. The people of Pekin searched even despite requests from law enforcement to stop the searches. Tips poured in as family, friends, and concerned citizens continued to hold vigil, pray, and look for the missing teen. One of the tips that came in was in regards to potential evidence in a secondary location.

The team looks into the claim that Trucks 4 Kids found items that could potentially be linked to the disappearance of Bonzai. These items were found a mere day before the skeleton was discovered on land in Tazwell County. Were these items connected, do these items correlate with Bonzai's murder, or is this a red herring? They also start to look further into the people who were around Lisa and Bonzai at the time of his disappearance and their possible involvement.

Pictures are sent to Ash of items that were found off a tip given for Trucks 4 Kids. These items include a pillow case, balaclava, a possible jaw bone, vertebrae, sock, gloves, tote lid, and a red/gray sweater. The team starts really looking into these items and the images, to see if they have a connection to the Bonzai case. The culpability of DCFS is also thrown into the mix. The team speaks to an individual who works with the Central Illinois DCFS and foster care system. We also hear from friends and acquaintances who have information regarding DCFS and how they ...

As they talk through the different theories, they get a dark insight into the underbelly of Pekin, Illinois. A gentleman even comes forward with a theory that connects the murder of Mark Helmig and the disappearance of Richard Griener to the murder of Robert Bee Junior. These crimes are almost 50 years apart, so their possible connection brings new speculation to the investigation. Ash also interviews Brooke, who speaks about communicating with a psychic, just a month after Bonzai's disappearance. This psychic leads Brooke and other searchers to just 8 blocks from ...

We are able to get in touch with Nicole who acted as the "middle man" between the clairvoyant and Brooke as Brooke continued her searches for Bonzai. We show who the clairvoyant is and how they got involved. We also talk about Trucks 4 Kids. We interview them about how their searches went and what they found. We also discover the person who gave the tip to Trucks 4 Kids who lead the group to find possible evidence and bones under the 474 bridge.

Lisa Bee, Bonzai's mother, speaks to us about her theories on what might have happened to her son. The team breaks down the days around November 16th-18th of 2016. Bonzai was officially declared missing on November 18th. As the crew uncovers new information, we are able to see the timeline more clearly, and this helps us decipher additional information on when exactly Robert Bee went missing. Find out who was at the get together that is consistently looked at as a possible event leading to the death of Bonzai. We help debunk this theory and show how we arrived at this...

In Episode 9, the crew asks the question of nature vs. nurture and tries to unpack whether Bonzai's behavior could be traced back to his environment. Our sources detail instances of substance use and Bonzai's relationship with his mother, Lisa Bee, who also speaks on his changing behavior.

Episode 10 is about looking back to move forward. The crew revisits a prior conversation with Mansion Kessler, takes a deeper look at various pieces of evidence found throughout the investigation, crosses the blue house theory off their list, and hears an additional anecdote from Lisa Bee.