She Goes by Jane: A True Crime Podcast
She Goes by Jane is a true crime podcast that focuses on the stories of missing women and unidentified women. Each episode explores unsolved disappearances and Jane Doe cases with deep research, historical context, and original poetry, featuring guest readings by actors and advocates. Unlike other true crime podcasts, it centers the victims—not the killers. No gore, no gimmicks, just the truth told with care. It is perfect for listeners who want ethical true crime storytelling about unsolved mysteries, missing persons, and cold cases.
Episodes
152: Still Missing: The Disappearance of Irene Silverman, Pt 3
Irene Silverman was missing. And by the time Sante and Kenneth Kimes went to trial for her murder, there was still no body, no murder weapon, and no definitive account of what happened to her the day she was last seen.
The prosecution was face with building a "no body" murder case, a tricky proposition even with the mounting evidence against Sante and Kenneth. So they carefully assembled a slate
151: The Man in the Mansion: The Disappearance of Irene Silverman, Pt 2
By the summer of 1998, Irene Silverman was becoming increasingly uneasy about her new tenant.Manny Guerin had only been a tenant for a few days when he started making her uncomfortable. He would avoid her eyes when they passed, slink around the edges of the lobby to stay out of range of the security camera, and he seemed to be sneaking an older woman into his apartment.Irene noticed it all, and sh
150: The White Elephant: The Disappearance of Irene Silverman, Pt 1
Before Irene Silverman was a missing woman, she was a ballerina, a wife, a hostess, and the owner of one of Manhattan's most unusual homes: a home that would become the centerpiece of her missing persons case.
Irene grew up in New Orleans and became a ballet dancer before moving to New York City. There, she joined the corps de ballet at Radio City Music Hall. In 1941, she married a businessman wi
149: Hernando County Jane Doe: The Women Left Behind, Pt 2
In 1981, investigators were just beginning to uncover the extent of Billy Mansfield Jr’s violence, and his arrest for the murder of a young mother in California, Rene Saling, was only the beginning.
In part 2, we return to the investigation as authorities begin to piece together his possible involvement in the disappearance of Sandra Graham from a bar in Tampa. But when an informant comes forward
148: Hernando County Jane Doe: The Women Who Vanished Before Her, Part 1
In 1980, Pam Sherrell escaped a violent attack by a man who abducted her and tried to kill her. He evaded capture, but her escape would set off a chain of events that revealed a much darker story unfolding in Hernando County, Florida.
Months later and thousands of miles away, two young women crossed paths with the same man at a bar. He tried to get them to leave with him. They refused, but as they
147: The Missing Women of Pinellas County, Pt 2: Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson
He was finally caught. Just not for the women.For years, Cleveland Hill Jr. was connected to the disappearances of Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson, three women who vanished from Pinellas County, Florida between 1974 and 1989.Warnings had been made. Allegations had accumulated. Investigators had reason to suspect Hill. But no charges ever came for the three missing women.Then, in t
146: The Missing Women of Pinellas County, Pt 1: Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson
Three women disappeared from Pinellas County, Florida over the course of fifteen years.They came from different backgrounds. Their lives followed different paths. But their disappearances would eventually point investigators toward the same man.In 1974, Margaret Dash left home to buy medicine for a sick relative and never returned. In 1982, Retha Hiers drove out to buy laundry detergent and vanish
145: San Diego’s Lost Women, Episode 3: The Jane Does
Law enforcement called some of San Diego's missing and murdered women "NHIs," short for No Humans Involved. It was police slang used to describe victims they believed didn't matter.By 1988, the number of women disappearing from San Diego County had become impossible to ignore. Years before, the sheriff had said there was not a disproportionate number of women, but by the time forty-three women wer
144: San Diego’s Lost Women, Episode 2: Mary Colette Rawlinson
In October 1985, 19-year-old Mary Colette Rawlinson walked out of a home in San Diego, California, telling her boyfriend she'd be right back. She was never seen again.
As more women disappeared from El Cajon Boulevard and the surrounding communities, investigators struggled to answer a troubling question: were these isolated crimes, or was someone hunting women across San Diego County?
In Part Two
143: San Diego’s Lost Women, Episode 1: Cynthia Maine
In the 1980s, dozens of women disappeared from San Diego, California. One of them was 26-year-old Cynthia Maine.
Cynthia was a daughter, sister, mother, and woman trying to survive addiction while working along El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego’s notorious red light district. By 1986, she was rebuilding her life. She had found work as a waitress, but she was also serving as a police informant. Just mo
142: The Only Missing WASP: The Disappearance of Gertrude Tompkins Silver
On October 26, 1944, Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins Silver took off from Mines Field in Los Angeles in a P-51 Mustang on what should have been a routine ferry flight.
She never arrived.
Gertrude was one of the pioneering Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), the civilian women who flew military aircraft during World War II so male pilots could be sent overseas. She was also the only WASP to disappear
141: The Disappearance of Ilonka Cann: A Coroner’s Jury Speaks
On May 26, 1970, twenty-six-year-old Ilonka Cann vanished from the rural Pennsylvania farmhouse she shared with her husband and fifteen-month-old son.
The day before, she had spoken with her parents in Ohio and talked about coming home for a visit that summer.
She never made that trip.
In the weeks and months that followed, investigators searched fields, ponds, and woodlots surrounding the isolate
140: The Empty Seat: The Disappearance of Thora Chamberlain
On November 2, 1945, fourteen-year-old Thora Chamberlain left school in Campbell, California, expecting to attend a football game that evening.
Her friends saved her a seat.
Thora never arrived.
Witnesses later reported seeing her speaking with a man dressed as a serviceman before getting into his vehicle. Within weeks, investigators focused on Thomas McMonigle, a local laborer with a history of v
139: The Women Who Talk to the Dead: A Conversation with Katherine Schweit
Most people assume that unidentified persons' cases are actively investigated, that somewhere, someone is still working to restore a name to the dead.
But the reality is often far more complicated.
This week, She Goes by Jane presents a special interview with author and former FBI agent Katherine Schweit about her new book, Women Who Talk to the Dead: The True Story of 200 Forgotten Murder Victims
138: Lois and Karen Williams: A Mother, Daughter, and the Shadow of Melvin Chelcie Carr
In January 1967, Lois Williams and her 17-year-old daughter Karen disappeared from their apartment on East 21st Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Inside, everything appeared untouched: coats hanging in the closet, a lamp left burning, and Karen’s schoolbook still open where she had been studying the night before.
Neither woman was ever seen again.
Years later, investigators would begin to suspect l
137: Clackamas County Jane Doe: The Victim Richard Marquette Said No One Would Remember
In June 1975, investigators followed serial killer Richard Marquette into the woods near Oregon’s Clackamas River. There, buried beneath the soil of a popular campground, they uncovered the remains of an unidentified woman—a victim Marquette reportedly claimed no one would ever look for.More than fifty years later, she is still known only as Clackamas County Jane Doe.In this episode, we examine wo
136: Patricia Weeks & Cynthia Jabour: The Unsolved Mysteries Case of Robert Weeks
Patricia Weeks, Cynthia Jabour, and Carol Ann Riley disappeared years apart after ending relationships with the same man: Robert Weeks, whose case would later be featured on Unsolved Mysteries.
In 1968, Patricia Weeks vanished from Las Vegas shortly after divorcing Robert Weeks and gaining custody of their four children. More than a decade later, Arizona real estate agent Cynthia Jabour disappeare
135: The Evidence Left Behind: The Disappearance of Toni Bachman (Part 2)
When Toni Bachman disappeared from White Bear Township, Minnesota in April 1997, investigators initially faced uncertainty. Some believed she may have left on her own. But as police searched the family home, disturbing evidence began to emerge—evidence that challenged the idea that Toni had simply walked away.
In Part 2 of this two-part series, we follow the investigation into Toni Bachman’s disap
134: Missing After Logging Off: The Disappearance of Toni Bachman (Part 1)
In 1997, as the internet connected strangers across state lines, Minnesota-native Toni Bachman formed a close bond with a man in West Virginia. Friends say she was thinking seriously about change. About leaving. About building a future that looked different from the life she had.
Then she disappeared.
At first, there were questions no one could answer. Did Toni leave her marriage behind? Did she r
133: Honolulu Jane Doe: The Unidentified Woman Found Alive in Hawaii | Unsolved Case with guest reader Louise Penny
An unidentified woman found living in Honolulu in 2004 remains without a name—exploring the rare and overlooked reality of living Jane Doe cases in the U.S.
In 2004, an unidentified woman was found living in a beach park in Honolulu, Hawaii—alive, but unable to say who she was.Known as the Honolulu Jane Doe, she was diagnosed with dementia and schizophrenia, leaving her without a name, a history,
132: Tammy Lynn Leppert: The Actress Who Vanished | An Unsolved Florida Disappearance with guest reader Kathy Garver
If you grew up in the 1980s, you may have seen Tammy Lynn Leppert without ever knowing her name.
A model, aspiring actress, and rising presence in Hollywood, Tammy appeared in films like Scarface and Spring Break. With her striking look and growing momentum, 1983 was supposed to be the year everything changed.
Instead, it became the year she disappeared.
On July 6, 1983, Tammy left her home, telli
131: The Texas Killing Fields Update: Clyde Hedrick, Laura Miller, and New Charges in the Calder Road Murders
In this update episode, we return to the Texas Killing Fields—specifically the 25-acre stretch of land off Calder Road in League City, Texas, where four women were found murdered over the course of years: Heide Fye, Laura Miller, Audrey Cook, and Donna Prudhomme.
For decades, their cases remained unsolved.
Investigators pursued multiple leads and named several persons of interest, but one name con
130: The Morgan City Murders: Mary Rodermund, Bertha Gould, and the Teens Who Never Came Home
In 1978, a series of disappearances and murders terrified Morgan City, Louisiana.
Sixteen-year-old Mary Rodermund vanished after leaving home to run a simple errand. Hours later, her parents received a phone call—it was her kidnapper. He forced Mary onto the phone, where she told her parents she was okay. It would be the last time anyone ever heard from her.
Weeks later, nineteen-year-
129: A Fatal “Accident”: The Disappearance of Leslee Larson
In June 1975, 20-year-old Leslee Larson disappeared while mushroom hunting with her husband near Little Prickly Pear Creek in Wolf Creek, Montana. He told investigators she slipped into the swollen water and drowned—a tragic accident in a fast-moving river.
But from the beginning, there were questions.
Years later, after his third wife died in another supposed accident while hiking along the cliff
128: She Went for a Morning Run: The Unsolved Disappearance of Elizabeth Miller (1983) with guest reader Chrissy Champagne
On August 16, 1983, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Miller left her home in Idaho Springs for a routine morning jog. It was something she did often—a way to stay in shape for basketball, a moment of independence in a small mountain community. But that morning, Elizabeth never came home.
Witnesses reported seeing Elizabeth speaking with a man in a pickup truck. Days earlier, a man matching that descrip
127: The Disappearance of Charlotte Lysdale: Minnesota’s First Murder Trial Without a Body
On June 14, 1985, Charlotte Lysdale, a widow living in Pine River, Minnesota, drove to her former home on Lower Hay Lake to meet the man buying the property from her. She was last seen arriving between 6:10 and 6:20 p.m.
The buyer, Jerome Bye, later said he paid Lysdale thousands of dollars during the meeting and that she handed over the deed to the property. He told investigators she left a coupl
126: The Identification of Ventura County Jane Doe: The Story of Maricela Rocha Parga
In July 1980, the body of a young pregnant woman was discovered in the parking lot of Westlake High School in Westlake, California. She had been brutally raped, strangled, and stabbed. Investigators quickly realized she had been killed somewhere else and left behind—but they had no idea who she was.
For decades, she was known only as Ventura County Jane Doe.
In 2015, DNA evidence linked her murder
125: Vanished in Wyoming: The Irene Gakwa Case
In February 2022, 32-year-old Irene Gakwa vanished from Gillette, Wyoming. A nursing student who had moved from Kenya to pursue her dreams, Irene was deeply connected to her family—speaking with them almost every day. Then the calls suddenly stopped.
Strange text messages appeared, written in a way that didn’t sound like her. Her accounts were deleted. Her phone was deactivated. She was never hear
124: Lola Celli
It’s 1946. Twenty-four year old Lola Celli is visiting her parents in Grandview Heights, Ohio when she decides to take a bus into Columbus to buy some nylons. But her neighbors don’t report seeing her on the morning bus nor is there any record of her making a purchase at the store she planned to visit. Is it possible that something happened to Lola in the two blocks between her parents’ home and t
123: The Disappearance of Yeda “Dede” Rosenthal | Missing Woman in New Jersey
When 32-year-old Yeda “Dede” Rosenthal failed to show up for work in February 1991, her coworkers immediately knew something was wrong. Dede was a dedicated behavioral management specialist at the Elwyn Institute, known for her commitment to supporting autistic clients.
A welfare check at her Cherry Hill, New Jersey apartment revealed troubling signs: an unlocked door, untouched newspapers, person
122: Wanda Kirkum and the Case of “Valentine Doe”
On Valentine’s Day in 1991, a young woman was seen hitchhiking along U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys. The next morning, her body was discovered in a wooded area near mile marker 35. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled. For nearly three decades, she was known only as “Valentine Doe.”
In June 2020, she was finally identified as On Valentine’s Day in 1991, a young woman was seen hitchhi
121: Gone in Omaha: The Disappearance of Camisha Hollis with guest reader Chipo Chung
On the night of April 1–2, 2018, Camisha Hollis vanished from her Omaha home after a violent argument with her longtime partner, Marvin L. Young III. Her three daughters woke the next morning to find their mother gone, her car and phone missing, and the house silent but for troubling signs of what had occurred.
Investigators discovered blood at the home, spent shell casings, and evidence of forced
120: The Disappearance of Ann Gotlib, Part 2: The Confession Lost
The 1983 disappearance of Ann Gotlib, a 12-year-old girl who vanished from outside a Louisville, Kentucky mall, has long been considered one of the city’s most troubling cold cases. In Part 2, the focus shifts from the search for Ann to the investigative failures that may have prevented her case from ever being solved.
Years after Ann disappeared, a new confession surfaces in a Kentucky prison yar
119: The Disappearance of Ann Gotlib: A Mall, a Missing Child, and a Confession (Part 1)
In June 1983, 12-year-old Ann Gotlib vanished from outside Bashford Manor Mall in Louisville, Kentucky. Ann was a gifted pianist, writer, and recent immigrant whose family had fled the Soviet Union seeking a better life for her. What should have been an ordinary afternoon ended in one of Kentucky’s most haunting unsolved missing child cases.
As Ann’s disappearance gripped the city, her case became
118: The Final Call: The Disappearance of Coral Hall
Fourteen-year-old Coral Hall made one last desperate call to a friend from a pay phone in Flint, Michigan on September 22, 1998—the day after her birthday. Just hours earlier, she had gone to the state Department of Human Services to report the abuse happening at home.
But by the time help arrived, Coral was gone.
For years, police believed she was a runaway. But beneath the surface was a history
117: Case Update: The Disappearance of The Martin Family
In this case update, we cover the latest developments in the disappearance of the Martin Family. The 1958 Christmas holiday was quickly approaching, and the Martin family of five set out on a quiet Sunday drive to collect greenery for their holiday decorations. They waved goodbye to their neighbors, never to return. Months later, the bodies of two of the children, Susan and her older sister Virgin
116: Case Update: Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes (formerly known as Peaches and Baby Doe)
Once known as Peaches and Baby Doe, Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes have their names back. In this recap of their identification earlier this year, Aimee provides a new update. Long suspected to have been victims of the Long Island Serial Killer/Gilgo Beach Killer, an arrest has been made in connection with Tanya’s death.
📍 Find us on Instagram & Facebook.
📚 Get Aimee’s book, Doe, now availa
115: Special Episode: Part 2 - Dorothy Mort, Sydney’s Most Sensational Murderess
In this special 2 part GIRLHUNT x She Goes By Jane crossover, Aimee and Vanessa dive into a story that filled Australia’s newspaper headlines for months in 1920. A handsome war hero doctor is found murdered inside a suburban home. The only suspect: a middle aged mother of two who had been his patient. What happened behind closed doors that day was only part of the story.
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114: Special Episode: Dorothy Mort, Sydney’s Most Sensational Murderess
In this special GIRLHUNT x She Goes By Jane crossover, Aimee and Vanessa dive into a story that filled Australia’s newspaper headlines for months in 1920. A handsome war hero doctor is found murdered inside a suburban home. The only suspect: a middle aged mother of two who had been his patient. What happened behind closed doors that day was only part of the story.
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113: Missing in Vermont: The Mary Wilcox Case
In 2006, 78-year-old Mary Wilcox disappeared from her Westford, Vermont home. Living with Alzheimer’s, she often struggled with confusion, but on that November day, she was upset and vanished without a trace. Initially believed to have wandered off due to her illness, investigators later uncovered troubling evidence within her own household.
Mary’s case highlights the vulnerabilities of elderly in
112: Cold Case Mystery: Seminole County Jane Doe
In 1974, a teenager riding his bike stumbled upon a body behind the newly built mall in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The woman—later known as Seminole County Jane Doe—was stabbed, possibly sexually assaulted, and left unidentified for decades.
In 1982, Gerald Stano, a man who would confess to dozens of murders, claimed responsibility for her death. But even his confession did little to answer the m
111: The Actress and the River Bride: Greta Granstedt, Bessie Hyde & a Forgotten Scandal
In this special holiday-week episode, we step away from our usual format to bring you a true-crime-meets-Hollywood story pulled from GIRLHUNT: the life of Greta Granstedt, a young woman who stepped onto a ship in 1927 as a nude art model and stepped off as a future film star with a new name—and a long-buried shooting scandal trailing behind her.
Long before Greta appeared on screen with icons lik
110: The Disappearance of Doreen Vincent | Connecticut, 1988
On June 15, 1988, 12-year-old Doreen Vincent disappeared from her father’s home on Whirlwind Hill Road in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Her father claimed they argued and she left through the front door with some clothes and money. But Doreen never made it to her mother’s home, and she’s never been seen again.
From the beginning, the story didn’t add up.
A locked deadbolt. Conflicting timelines. D
109: Missing on I-96: The Paige Renkoski Case
In May 1990, substitute teacher Paige Renkoski disappeared under unusual circumstances in DeWitt Township, Michigan. After dropping her mother off at Detroit Metro Airport, Paige was last seen on the shoulder of Interstate 96 near Fowlerville, speaking with two unidentified men near a maroon minivan. Hours later, her silver Oldsmobile was found abandoned with the keys in the ignition, doors unlock
108: Missing in Portland: Yolanda Panek
Yolanda Panek was a rising star—a record-breaking athlete, Rose Festival Court representative, and mentor to dozens of middle school girls in Portland’s science and math programs. But in July 1995, the 21-year-old mother vanished without a trace. The next morning, her car was found abandoned with her two-year-old son inside, unharmed, and evidence pointed to a shocking case of intimate partner vio
107: Evelyn Hartley: The Missing Babysitter and Ed Gein
When Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story introduced Evelyn Hartley as a victim, it blurred fact and fiction—recreating her kidnapping and murder in a visually stylized narrative. But Evelyn Hartley was no fictional character. A straight-A teen, beloved by friends and family, she vanished from La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1953 while babysitting, sparking one of the largest searches in the state’s histo
106: Oak Grove Jane Doe: Oregon’s Oldest Unidentified Victim
In April 1946, a burlap sack pulled from the Willamette River south of Portland revealed something horrifying: the torso of a woman, carefully dismembered and discarded. Over the next several months, more body parts surfaced, and newspapers across the country covered what became known as the Wisdom Light Murder. Nearly eighty years later, this victim is remembered only as Oak Grove Jane Doe — Oreg
105: Mother and Daughter Gone: The Disappearance of Liliana & Daniela Moreno
On May 30, 2016, 41-year-old Liliana Moreno and her 9-year-old daughter Daniela vanished from Hialeah Gardens, Florida.
Their apartment door was locked. Her car was parked outside. Liliana’s purse, wallet, and passport were left behind — and food was still sitting out on the stove.
The last person to see them alive was Daniela’s biological father. He claimed he dropped them off on the side of the
104: The Disappearance of Diane Van Reeth and the Woman in His Wallet with guest reader Taylor Blackwell
In August 1995, Diane Van Reeth left her Tucson home for work and never arrived. Two days later, her minivan was found abandoned with the keys still inside.
Her husband soon became the focus of the investigation. Detectives discovered he was living under an alias and was a fugitive with a violent history — including a prior manslaughter conviction and an attempted murder charge in Massachusetts. B
Unsolved: The 1995 Disappearance of Robin Murphy | Part 2 with guest reader Nora McLellan
Nearly thirty years after her disappearance, Robin Murphy’s case remains unsolved. In Part 2, She Goes By Jane examines the lingering questions: Was Robin’s disappearance connected to the murder of 12-year-old Josette Wright? Did investigators overlook critical evidence? And why does her story still haunt the Hudson Valley today?
📖 Featuring an original poem written in Robin’s honor, read by Canad
Unsolved: The 1995 Disappearance of Robin Murphy | Part 1 with guest reader Nora McLellan
In the spring of 1995, seventeen-year-old Robin Murphy vanished after borrowing her mother’s car to visit her boyfriend in New York’s Hudson Valley. The car was found abandoned the next day — but Robin was gone. Just months earlier, 12-year-old Josette Wright disappeared in the same community. When Josette’s body was discovered, two men were convicted of her murder, but authorities insisted the ca
The Disappearance of Merrian Carver (2004) – Cruise Ship Disappearance
In August 2004, 40-year-old Merrian Carver vanished from a Celebrity Cruise ship traveling from Seattle to Alaska. She was last seen the next day—and then she disappeared without explanation. For a week, no one reported her missing. Her belongings were given away, her absence ignored, and her family left in the dark until they began their own search for answers.
Like the disappearance of Amy Lynn
Unsolved: Angela Allen’s Disappearance | Syracuse, 1979 with guest reader Chioma Umeala
In December 1979, 28-year-old Angela Allen vanished from Syracuse, New York, the day after Christmas. That morning, she called her mother — sounding tired, but otherwise fine. Hours later, she was gone. Her last paycheck sat unclaimed, until her husband tried to pick it up. Investigators believe Angela was killed that day, possibly buried in one of two places she had once visited on dates.
Decades
Episode 99: Cynthia and Jackie Leslie with special guest Catherine McKenzie
They said they were going to go babysit, but secretly had other plans to meet up with a friend. When teenagers Cynthia and Jackie Leslie left their Mesa, Arizona home in 1974, no one was worried. After all, everyone assumed they were exactly where they said: babysitting. When they didn’t return home, though, their family was plunged into a mystery now almost 50 years old. In this episode we cover
Episode 98: Pah Pow with guest Reader Rainbow Dickerson
When 30-year-old Pah Pow leaves her apartment, the only witness is her young son who says she left with a man he recognized but whose name he didn’t know. Her family thought she was with family, her family thought she was with friends. This mistake meant nearly a week passed before anyone realized Pah was missing. An immigrant from Thailand, Pah lived with her husband and children in Aberdeen, Sou
The Unsolved Kidnapping of Carrie Lawson--Missing from Alabama with guest reader Kristin Minter
In September 1991, 25-year-old attorney Carolyn “Carrie” Lawson was living the life she had worked so hard to build—newly married, just admitted to the bar, and settling into her first home in Jasper, Alabama. But one late-night phone call changed everything.
A masked gunman abducted Carrie from her driveway, and within hours, her family received a ransom demand. The money was paid—but Carrie was
Unsolved in Georgia: The Disappearances of Twyla Mickey & Belinda Norred, and the Murder of Rita Creasman
In 1986, 28-year-old Rita Eubanks Creasman was found strangled in a Georgia creek. Just three years later, Twyla Mickey left a chilling message for her parents: “I’ve got to get out of here.” Hours later, she vanished. Then, in 1992, Belinda Norred disappeared after an argument with the same man tied to both Rita and Twyla.
Three women. Three families. One name that threads through them all.
This
Case Update: Bitter Creek Betty & I-90 Jane Doe Identified as Irene Vasquez and Cindi Estrada
For more than 30 years, they had no names. One was known only as Bitter Creek Betty, found murdered near a Wyoming highway in 1992. The other was called the Sheridan County / I-90 Jane Doe, discovered the same year on the opposite end of the state. Both were young. Both were forgotten—until forensic DNA finally gave them back their identities.
Now we know who they were: Irene Vasquez and Cindi Arl
Episode 94: Ruth Loader
In August 1994, 79-year-old Ruth Loader was recovering from her cancer treatments at her rural Ohio farmhouse, ready for a quiet evening with her book. She never made it to the breakfast she had planned with her sister the next morning. When her daughter arrived at Ruth’s home, the back door was splintered, her glasses were left on the pillow, and Ruth was gone.
In this episode, we trace the distu
Episode 93: Amelia Zelko, Part 2 with guest reader Taylor Meskimen
After newspaper owner and journalist Amelia Zelko vanished in 1957, the search for answers stretched from the streets of Joliet, Illinois, all the way to Washington, D.C. In this second part of our series, we uncover how Robert F. Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI secretly joined the investigation, chasing leads that pointed to organized crime. We also revisit a chilling claim: a woman who believe
Episode 92: Amelia Zelko, Part 1 with guest reader Taylor Meskimen
Just before midnight on September 27, 1957, a quiet neighborhood in Joliet, Illinois, was jolted awake by the sound of a woman’s scream, a car door slamming, and tires screeching into the night. By morning, 47-year-old journalist and co-owner of The Joliet Spectator, Amelia Zelko, was gone. Known for her fearless reporting on organized crime and political corruption, Amelia had powerful enemies an
Episode 91: Nicole Russo with guest reader Elisa Donovan
Sixteen-year-old Nicole Russo loved poetry, dreamed of becoming an auto mechanic, and had just started preparing for her GED. In March 1995, she left her Brick, New Jersey home to visit her new boyfriend’s mother on Long Island. She never came home.
What followed was a deeply troubling investigation that would uncover bloodstains, a chilling confession, and a desperate attempt to cover up the trut
Episode 90: Arrilla Webb-Vaul with guest reader Cassandra Naud
When 23-year-old Arrilla Webb-Vaul vanished from Bossier, Louisiana in 1979, all she left behind was a slashed tire and a silent car on a quiet road. Authorities said she walked away. Her family never believed it.
In this episode, we investigate the unsolved disappearance of Arrilla Webb-Vaul, exploring the overlooked evidence, the eerily similar case of another missing woman, and the patterns of
Episode 89: Laurie Partridge with guest reader Liz Vassey
On December 4, 1974, 17-year-old Laurie Partridge left school early, saying she wasn’t feeling well. She never made it home. Missing with her were the pair of Beach Boys concert tickets her dad had purchased for her for a show scheduled a week later. The night of the concert, police watched for her, but in the sea of 4000 people, Laurie was nowhere to be found. And though Laurie never showed, her
Episode 87: Case Update: Tanya Jackson (Peaches) and Tatiana Dykes (Baby Doe) with guest readers Raven Goodwin and Coco Jones
For years, they were known only by nicknames—Peaches and Baby Doe. A woman and her toddler, found miles apart in Long Island, unidentified and unnamed. But investigators never gave up hope. They believed that science would one day provide the answers they needed. And now, it has.
This episode shares the story of Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes—their lives, their loss, and the long fight to return
Episode 86: Yeda “Dede” Rosenthal with guest reader Laura Ault
When 32-year-old Yeda "Dede" Rosenthal vanished without a trace, it shocked everyone who knew her. A dedicated professional at New Jersey’s Elywn Institute, Dede was known for her unwavering commitment to her work with autistic clients. But when she failed to show up for work one day, her coworkers grew immediately concerned. A visit to her apartment revealed unsettling clues—an unlocked door, a p
Episode 85: Barbara Ann Bockwith with guest reader Julia Reilly
Barbara Ann Bockwith was just 20 years old when she vanished from her college campus in Pensacola, Florida.The University of West Florida student arrived early for her final exam, exhausted after an all-night study session. Realizing she’d left her notes in the car, she rushed out to retrieve them—just ten minutes before class. She never returned.
In this episode, we trace Barbara’s final known st
What Happened to Masumi Watanabe? A Case That Shook Oahu with guest reader Erika Prevost
At 21 years old, Masumi Watanabe traveled from Japan to Hawaii to gain independence and confidence while staying with family friends. By all accounts, she was thriving.
Just one week before she was scheduled to return home, Masumi disappeared.
Her case quickly became a tragedy that deeply impacted the community on Oahu, raising difficult questions about safety, accountability, and what might have
Sonoma County Jane Doe & Jeannette Kamahele: The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders
In 1972, Jeannette Kamahele left her home near Santa Rosa Junior College and was last seen hitchhiking near a freeway onramp. She never made it to class. By 1979, hikers discovered the remains of the Sonoma County Jane Doe in rural California.
Were these women connected? Both cases unfolded during a decade of violence in Sonoma County, when multiple young women—often hitchhikers—were murdered and
Episode 82: Regina Brown with guest reader Gwendolyn Osbourne
A Flight Attendant’s Fears, a Controlling Husband, and a Disappearance IgnoredIn 1987, Regina Brown—a devoted mother and flight attendant—was doing everything she could to escape. She had already sent two of her children to Texas for safety, and on March 26th, she put the last of her three on a plane. That was the last time anyone saw her.
Before she vanished, Regina had confided in a friend: If s
Episode 81: Joanna Otto with guest reader Elizabeth Saunders
A Mother’s Grief, a Missing Daughter, and a Legacy of Remembrance
When 19-year-old Joanna Otto vanished after a party in Pensacola, Florida, the world barely noticed. Police dismissed her case, assuming she left on her own. But her loved ones knew better. Joanna had last been seen getting a ride from a man later convicted of kidnapping and assaulting another young woman. And yet—decades later—ther
Episode 80: The Martin Family
The 1958 Christmas holiday was quickly approaching, and the Martin family of five set out on a quiet Sunday drive to collect greenery for their holiday decorations. They waved goodbye to their neighbors, never to return. Months later, the bodies of two of the children, Susan and her older sister Virginia, were found in Oregon’s Columbia River, but the rest of the family was never found. Their sudd
Episode 79: Virginia Pictou-Noyes with guest read Althea Sam
On April 24th, 1994, police respond to a call at a bar in Bangor, Maine. Outside they find Virginia Pictou-Noyes who claims her husband and brother-in-law had just beat her outside the bar. With her husband under arrest and her brother-in-law charged in the assault, Virginia is taken to an area hospital for her injuries. There, around 1am, she quietly slips out of the hospital. The last she is see
Episode 78: Maria Bozo with guest reader Ann Pirvu
In the summer of 1999, 46-year-old Maria Bozi, a Romanian immigrant living in the United Kingdom, met and married a man after a whirlwind romance. Within months, she would move to the United States to live with him. And soon after, she would disappear.
This week we’re joined by guest reader Ann Pirvu. Ann is a Romanian-Canadian actress and producer from Toronto, Ontario. She is best k
Episode 77: Heather Elvis
On the night of December 17, 2013, 20-year-old Heather Elvis goes on a first date with a former high school classmate. The two eat dinner, look at Christmas decorations together, and he tries to teach her to drive a stick shift. And then, after he says goodnight to her, Heather gets a call. It’s her ex. He says he’s leaving his wife and he wants her back. Within hours, Heather goes missing.
Join
26: Episode 76: Audrey Moate with guest reader Janet Kidder
In 1956, the brutal murder of family man Thomas Hotard at a Louisiana lover’s lane leaves a trail of unanswered questions. Investigators quickly discover a mysterious connection to Audrey Moate, a woman whose sudden disappearance raises even more chilling suspicions. Was Audrey a victim, or does her vanishing hide a darker secret? As the investigation unfolds, shocking revelations about Audrey’s l
75: Episode 75: Paula Weldon
SummaryIn 1946, Paula Welden, a college student at Bennington College, mysteriously disappears, leaving behind a chilling unsolved case that has haunted the region for decades. As her disappearance unfolds, it sparks a dark fascination that even inspired famous writers like Donna Tartt and Shirley Jackson as well as spurred the creation of the Vermont State Police. But who was Paula Welden, and wh
74: Episode 74: Barbara Newhall Follett (Ep 2) with guest reader Kerry O'Malley
Barbara Newhall Follett had published her first novel at 12, traveled the world by 14, and regularly corresponded with scientists, artists, and sailors. So at age 15, when she ran away for the first time, it was because she couldn’t understand why she would be forced into a life not created wholly on her own. It won’t be the first time, Barbara disappears because in 1939, at the age of 25, she doe
73: Episode 73: Barbara Newhall Follett (Ep 1) with guest reader Kerry O'Malley
By age 9, Barbara Newhall Follett had written her first novel draft. By age 12, she’d published it with a major publishing house, selling out of the initial print run before it even made it to stores. By age 14 she left her Connecticut home to travel to Barbados, Tahiti, and Samoa chasing new story ideas and escaping the turmoil of her parents’s divorce. And by age 15, she’d disappear. Barbara New
72: Episode 72: Etta Riel with guest reader Marsha Mason
In November 1934, new mother Etta Riel mysteriously disappears just hours before she’s set to attend a crucial paternity hearing. Her family believes she was preparing to reconcile with the man she claimed was the father of her baby, and that they were planning to elope to New York for a fresh start. But the man in question insists they were never intimate and that he was ready to expose her suppo
