Tinder Messages Reveal How Sydney Loofe Was Allegedly Lured

The prosecution continued to bolster their case on Wednesday, showing Tinder messages of how Bailey Boswell allegedly lured Sydney Loofe to her Wilber apartment. There was no indication that Sydney even knew Aubrey Trail at the time.

The initial Tinder conversation between Loofe and Boswell, who used the alias “Audrey,” first started on Nov. 11, 2017, after both girls “swiped right.”

According to Assistant Attorney General Mike Guinan, the messages started off with introductions, talk of arranging a date and what they like to eat. He said Boswell indicated that she “just made cornbread and black-eyed peas” and Sydney told her she was eating at Applebees.

“Yeah, they’re just chit-chatting back and forth,” FBI agent Mike Maseth testified.

Boswell asks if she likes casinos, and Sydney tells her she’s only been to a casino once — on her 21st birthday. They discuss possibly visiting a casino on a future date.

On Nov. 13, the women start to set up their first date as Boswell suggests “maybe meet first somewhere in Lincoln cruise and smoke (marijuana) and get to know each other a little bit and I’ll take you on a date to Riva (Steak & Seafood at Ameristar) and pay for as much gambling as you want to do.” 

Sydney replied, “Haha okay (: I’m def down to cruise and smoke first. I haven’t smoked in 6 days.” Sydney later explained that she “was trying to quit,” but didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to smoke with “a gorgeous girl” and offers to pay her some money for the marijuana.

“I have plenty of money dear and plenty of weed lol I can give you some bomb a-- sh--,” Boswell told her.

Boswell tells Sydney all she needs is her address and Sydney said, “Ok, tomorrow.” Boswell presses her again later, saying she needs her address so she “can see how long it will take to get there.” Sydney sent her address, and within one minute, Boswell did a Google search of that address and made a reservation at the Best Western in Lincoln. 

They scheduled a time to meet on the evening of Nov. 14 and Sydney asked, “Just going to be me and you, right?” To which Boswell responded, “OK. Yes. Of course.”

Guinan asked Maseth, “No indication of a male involved?” and the FBI agent replied, “No.”

Boswell picked up Sydney to drive around Lincoln and smoke just before 6 p.m. She took Sydney back home a couple hours later and made plans for a second date the following night.

There are messages back and forth in the morning. Sydney went to work her shift at Menards just before noon. At 12:23 p.m., Boswell asks her via Tinder, “How’s your day going?” Maseth said this message was sent the same time Trail and Boswell pulled out of the Menards parking lot. Sydney replied around 2 p.m. 

Boswell picked up Sydney shortly before 7 p.m. that night as she typed, “Here.” That was their final Tinder conversation.

“The blacked out area under that was for other Tinder matches Bailey Boswell had after Sydney,” Guinan said as he pointed to the messages. 

After Sydney was picked up for their date, phone records indicate the young women travelled to Boswell’s apartment in Wilber. There are no more records for Sydney’s phone after 8:08 p.m.

Other witnesses testified in Saline County District Court on Wednesday, including a Grand Island hotel manager, a Kearney hotel manager and the security director for Ameristar in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

They detailed surveillance footage of Trail, Boswell and K.B. checking in and out of hotels in the days after Sydney’s body was dismembered and scattered in Clay County. 

The Kearney manager said the trio checked in around 1:19 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2017, but “left the hotel literally 20 minutes later” with all of their luggage. “

It was the day before Thanksgiving,” she said. “We honestly thought it was a dad and two daughters. We thought maybe they had family in town and didn’t trust leaving their luggage, but they never came back.”

Maseth said an officer with the Lincoln Police Department called Boswell’s phone number about 11:45 a.m. that morning. 

According to earlier testimony, Trail and Boswell moved around after that, staying in Iowa motels before traveling to Missouri where they were arrested on Nov. 30.

Testimony wrapped up around noon on Wednesday and Judge Vicky Johnson told the jury they didn’t need to report again until Monday morning due to the Fourth of July holiday.

Once again, Trail did not appear in court. He has been absent since he cut his neck on June 24. His attorneys Joe and Ben Murray said they don’t know what his intent was on that day or when he will return to court.

“Physically, he’s doing fine,” Ben Murray said. “I think the problem is sitting for 9 or 10 hours in the courtroom is what he’s worried about, but we expect him back here at some point.”

Trial testimony will likely conclude next Tuesday. It’s not clear whether Trail will testify in his own defense.

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