In a short but somber interview Tuesday on “The Dr. Phil Show,” the mother of Dylan Redwine – the 13-year-old who vanished from his father’s home in 2012 and whose remains were found seven months later – provided a brief update on the unsolved case.
Elaine Hatfield Hall, in her third appearance on the TV show, told the host through a video interview that it remains a struggle to keep the tragic story of her son’s disappearance and death in the spotlight.
“We worked diligently on – on trying to, you know, make waves or do whatever we can do to try and, you know, keep Dylan’s story out there,” she said. “And try and keep pressure on law enforcement as well as Mark.”
During a court-ordered visitation with his father, Mark Redwine, in November 2012, Dylan Redwine disappeared, prompting a massive search and rescue operation around Vallecito Reservoir, about a 45-minute drive northeast of Durango.
While their son’s whereabouts remained a mystery, Hall and her former husband leveled public accusations against one another, each blaming the other for Dylan’s disappearance.
In June 2013, partial remains of Dylan were found 10 miles from his father’s home, off of a Forest Service road. The La Plata County Coroner’s Office ruled the manner of death as “unknown.”
Two years later, in August, the coroner’s office reclassified the death as a homicide. The office has refused to explain what details prompted the ruling – citing an open investigation.
Also in August, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, based on evidence collected and behavior throughout the investigation, named Mark Redwine a “person of interest” in the death of his son.
Days later, Mark Redwine filed a countersuit against his former wife, accusing Hatfield of making inaccurate statements to pressure law enforcement to consider him a suspect.
Speaking to Dr. Phil, Hall’s frustration and sadness that there was not much of an update was apparent.
“There are still searches, ongoing searches that happen and through those searches there has been new information, new evidence that has been found,” she said from a barren room in her home.
Hall told Dr. Phil of her ex-husband’s countersuit, which she said the courts call “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and of her advocacy of a bill approved by the Colorado Legislature that would make tampering with a dead body a high felony offense. The bill has been sent to the governor’s desk.
Dr. Phil vowed to continue to closely follow the case, reiterating his offer to Mark Redwine for a polygraph test “anywhere on the globe.” Mark Redwine has declined the offer on numerous occasions.
This article was updated to correct Elaine’s last name and status of the bill on tampering with a body.
