How often do you hear about violence against women? How many sleepless nights have you spent thinking about how dangerously sick sexual offenders are? How much does it affect you that sexual offenders do not care about age but just the biological structure? It is scary to be a woman in a world where the safety of a young girl is at stake. If we look back into the history of mankind, we will see women and children being harassed and raped each time war broke. Recently, the shocking voice message of a Russian soldier shook the world right after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. Facts and figures about crimes against women are higher all over the world than any other crime. Starting from domestic violence to female infanticide to raping minor girls, the world’s animalist side unapologetically comes out each time crime against women surfaces.
Another common reason for child disappearance is abduction by the parent. However, the Hulu Original mini-series “Still Missing Morgan” deals with six-year-old Morgan Nick’s mysterious missing case. The series focuses on the shock and the personal experience through a series of interviews, home videos, and conversations with parents to bring into the spotlight the horror that shook the Nick family.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Was Morgan Nick?
Morgan Nick was the eldest daughter of Colleen Nick and Morris Nick. Both her parents were in the military, and when they retired, they wanted to move close to where their family lived. They moved to Arkansas in 1993 and lived in Ozark. They were a happy family, and Morgan was a happy child. However, on June 9, 1995, she went missing from Alma, Arkansas, around 10:45 PM. She was abducted from a league ball game for young players. Morgan was there to watch the game with her mother. Toward the end of the game, she and two other children went to play near the parking spot. While the trio was returning to their parents, Morgan stooped to take sand out of her shoe. Unfortunately, that’s the last time she was seen.
Several searches were conducted, and various witnesses mentioned a red Ford truck with a white camper, which was spotted in the parking area, as an important lead. However, the police and the investigative team failed to find any solid ground. There has been mention of a strange and creepy man overlooking the children as they play. However, till today, Morgan is a missing person.
A Tale Of Pain, Horror, And Despair
There is no greater pain than losing a child. The Nick family had seen the worst. A lot of false alarms were raised, the police department failed to find a concrete lead, and on top of that, the father was blamed. Unfortunately, our society has set standards for emotional outbursts for men and women. Someone exceeding that receding the said parameter is often suspected. The father, as he refused to come forth on the news channel, was said to be involved with Morgan’s disappearance. In an incident, as Morris says in the first episode, he was once pushed aside by a journalist. When he confronted the journalist, the latter was quick to say that no audience wants to hear how the father feels; all they care about is the mother.
So, somewhere among the immense grief the family was carrying, unsure where their daughter was, society didn’t fail to astonish them with its criticisms. However, it is unfair to say that everyone was distant. The Nick family had said several times that friends, family, and even strangers were helping them in the search for Morgan. Morgan’s disappearance and the fact that there was no suspect took a toll on both the people and the department. Even Morris found a way to deal with the hurtful suspicions against him. He began thinking that the more people talked about him, the more people talked about Morgan, which might just help them find her. Toward the end of the first episode, Collen explains why it is difficult for her to give up the search for her daughter after almost 28 years; from the moment she held her newborn daughter, she knew she would always fight for her. And, it is a fight, she will never back down from.
Changed Times, Changed Measures
In the very first episode, we see footage that has been shot over the past two years about the open investigation. The series begins with the interview of Mr. Ron Brown, the Crawford County Sheriff, who explains the psychology of a man who is sexually aroused by a child. He calls them “twisted beyond untwisting.” The conversation takes place as he gives a tour of the “C Block,” which is where the sex offenders are locked up. Soon, we will see glimpses of Morgan that had been recorded through home cameras as Collen Nick narrates their lives before the horrible incident.
We also see interviews by Mr. Russell White, the Chief of Police at Alma PD, where he defines how hope keeps families like Nick’s going. We also see Detective Brett Hartley and his fresh ideas for digging into the case, which was almost 25 years old when he was appointed in 2019. He says he feels positive about his methods and his operation and expects a fruitful result in the end. However, the first episode introduces the audience to the case and the proceedings and ends on a positive note, where both the investigative officer and the family show their fighting spirit after more than two decades.
Making a docuseries on a sensitive issue such as the disappearance of a young girl is not an easy one. Ridley Scott took a brave step in producing the series. The show is bound to emotionally dampen you and make you wonder if we would ever know what drives a person to abduct and, if at all, be the reason why a young girl will forever go missing.
