The plan was to visit the estate in Texas’ Hill Country for a typical weekend getaway with pals.
Quiet and reflective, Aidan Heartfield enjoyed these weekends and frequently took his girlfriend, Ella Cahill, to his family’s home. They drove down to the house in Hunt, Texas, close to the Guadalupe River, with Ms. Cahill’s college roommate, Reese Manchaca, and a lifelong high school acquaintance, Joyce Catherine Badon. Around 1 a.m. on Friday, Mr. Heartfield sent a selfie after the four of them—all 21—were grilled.
Ms. Cahill and Mr. Heartfield had discussed the possible format of their own ceremony during a portion of her sister’s May wedding in Italy. After graduating from college, they intended to move in together, having been in love since their sophomore year of high school. Ms. Cahill had decided to study business management, while Mr. Heartfield was thrilled about the marketing internship he had landed for his senior year.
However, Aidan woke up to water in the house at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Friday. When he called his father, he instructed them to go to a higher location.
In an interview, Ms. Cahill’s older sister, Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik, described what she had been told: “All hell broke loose.” Mr. Heartfield said he had to assist his girlfriend and gave Ms. Badon the phone. A scream was heard. My goodness, they were just carried away, and Ms. Badon advised her to express her affection for her parents. The line then stopped working.
Two bodies, those of Ms. Badon and Ms. Manchaca, have been found in the days that have passed. Ms. Cahill and Mr. Heartfield are still missing.
“Really, it’s a kick in the heart,” Ms. Cahill-Hodulik said. They were only here to enjoy themselves, she said. They were wonderful children.
She claimed to be standing on a slab, which was all that remained of the house, as she spoke on Tuesday morning. She claimed that in order to find her sister and her boyfriend, the whole family had driven down to the area.
A few items have been retrieved. Ms. Badon, Mr. Heartfield, and Ms. Cahill in Mr. Heartfield’s vehicle in a high school photo. His keys and his watch. The makeup bag of Ms. Cahill. Half a mile from the house, a sweater on a tree limb.
According to Ms. Cahill-Hodulik, there are no words to describe it. We have a bit of her, so it’s kind of comforting. However, I then reflect on the condition in which we discovered them. And I return to the memory of her fear.
“We hope they’re found together,” she continued. We will remain for however long it takes. Until they are located, I doubt that any of us will find any kind of closure.