Her Name Was Unique. The Dangers She Faced Were 'Common'

When Monica Hesse was a young reporter, she covered the story of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old single mom of two young boys who vanished from her DC apartment in October 2010, while she was hosting a sleepover for her kids and their 9-year-old cousin. It was a case that went cold for over a decade—until a break came and a suspect was convicted for her murder, despite the fact that no body was ever found. Writing for the Washington Post, Hesse relays how the mystery of Harris' disappearance "had tortured her family and baffled strangers, including me." Over the years, some people speculated that Harris had ditched her children and started a new life elsewhere. Tips trickled in, with some claiming Harris was living as far as Georgia and Michigan. Hesse's own theory was that Harris had perhaps stepped outside for a smoke and was "dragged into a car and driven away."

Then, in late 2020, Isaac Moye was arrested in connection with her disappearance. He was tied to Harris by semen residue left on her sofa, as well as GPS records from an ankle monitor he was wearing. Everyone, Hesse included, had theorized that Harris' disappearance was a crime born of unusual circumstances. However, authorities said Moye had had an unrequited crush on Harris, which led to a revelation that struck Hesse "like a thunderbolt": "Unique was surrounded by possible dangers. Not because of weird, singular circumstances, but because of common ones." Hesse cites those dangers, including financial ones (her kids' dad was balking on child support) and the fact she'd been involved with "multiple men" who were said to have abused other women. "'True crime' focuses on the extraordinary," Hesse writes. "But true crimes are ordinary and all too common." Moye, 46, was convicted in June and faces up to 40 years behind bars. More from Hesse here. (More Longform stories.)