We’re diving into one of the most perplexing travel mysteries in recent history — the disappearance and tragic death of Judy Smith. In April of 1997, Judy traveled to Philadelphia with her husband, a routine trip that took a bizarre turn when she vanished without a trace. Five months later, her remains were discovered hundreds of miles away in the rugged mountains of North Carolina. How did a loving wife and mother, last seen in a bustling East Coast city, end up dead in the Blue Ridge Mountains...
Jun 26, 2025•40 min•Ep. 84
He was young, ambitious, and heir to one of the most powerful families in American history. But Michael Rockefeller wasn’t chasing money, politics, or prestige. He was chasing meaning… Art. Culture. A sense of connection that no trust fund could buy. In 1961, the 23 year old Harvard graduate vanished off the coast of what is now Indonesia - just moments after saying he thought he could make it to shore. He was never seen again. Officially? They say he drowned. But in the decades since, a darker ...
Jun 19, 2025•42 min•Ep. 83
A road trip gone wrong. A young mother driving alone. A motel room untouched — and a rental car abandoned, hazard lights still blinking on a desolate Pennsylvania highway. In April 1994, 23-year-old Karen Denise Wells left Oklahoma for New Jersey. She never arrived. Somewhere between a late-night fast food stop and her motel, Karen disappeared — leaving behind a trail of unsettling clues, mysterious mileage on her car, and a string of unanswered questions. No struggle. No goodbye. Just a mystery...
Jun 12, 2025•36 min•Ep. 82
Tom and Eileen Lonergan set off for what should have been an unforgettable day diving the Great Barrier Reef - clear skies, calm waters, and a boat full of tourists just like them. But when the dive boat returned to the shore, no one noticed they were missing. Not at first. Not for two whole days, until it was discovered their belongings were still on the boat - wallets, passports, towels… untouched. And Tom and Eileen? Gone. Were they forgotten in a tragic oversight… or did something else happe...
Jun 05, 2025•42 min•Ep. 81
When we talk about travel nightmares, we often picture what lurks outside - dark alleys, strangers with bad intentions, stories that begin with a missed train or a wrong run. But sometimes… the danger is already inside. Today, we’re opening the door on something even more haunting: fire. Sudden. Consuming, Unforgiving. Because for some travelers, the scariest part of their journey wasn’t a distant unknown - it was their bed. Their room. The place they thought they were safest. In this episode, w...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 80
When we pack our bags and check into a hostel, we’re chasing adventure. A new city, a bunk bed, the promise of strangers who might become friends - or at least someone to split a cab with. And honestly? I love staying in hostels. I’ve stayed in them all over - tiny ones in coastal towns to big ones in the heart of cities. They’re chaotic, friendly, weird, and wonderful. And for the most part, they feel safe.But behind the cheerful welcome signs and communal kitchens, something darker can hide. A...
May 22, 2025•57 min•Ep. 79
Today on The Last Trip, we’re diving into the darker side of travel with someone who knows exactly where the bodies are buried - literally and figuratively. Dawn Barclay is an award - winning travel journalist with a knack for uncovering the truth behind paradise. You might know her from her groundbreaking guide Traveling Different, which helps neurodiverse families navigate the chaos of vacationing with grace and strategy. But under the name DM Barr, she’s also a thriller writer who crafts susp...
May 19, 2025•27 min•Ep. 78
It was a quiet spring morning in Idyllwild, California - April 7, 2017 - when 25 year old David O’Sullivan put on his backpack, stepped onto the Pacific Crest Trail, and vanished. The Irish hiker had come to America chasing a dream: to walk from Mexico to Canada, alone, through some of the country’s wildest landscapes. The day before, he’d sent a brief email from the town’s small library - his last known communication. Since then, there’s been nothing. No calls. No confirmed sightings. No trace ...
May 15, 2025•55 min•Ep. 77
She was known as “Shark Girl” - a fearless underwater photographer who swam with predators most of us only dare to watch on TV. At 48, Valerie de la Valdene had it all: a career that earned her a spot in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, features on Shark Week, a culinary education under a world-renowned chef, and the kind of wealth that came with a prestigious family name. But in June 2014, Valerie was found dead in the Galapagos Islands - a single gunshot wound to the left temple. Authorities cal...
May 08, 2025•39 min•Ep. 76
On April 15, 2005, District Attorney Ray Gricar took the day off, got in his car, and set out on a quiet road trip—just a short drive to clear his head. But he never came home. His car was later found abandoned, his wallet and phone missing, and his laptop destroyed and dumped in a river. And then... nothing. In this episode, we explore the mysterious disappearance of Ray Gricar—a seasoned prosecutor who had spent decades putting criminals behind bars. Did he walk away from his life? Was he targ...
May 01, 2025•41 min•Ep. 75
In September 2019, a yellow Jeep Wrangler was found abandoned at a remote trailhead on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Everything inside looked normal—except the woman who rented it, Lucy Schuhmann, was missing. The 48-year-old traveler from Louisville, Kentucky, had come to the island alone, seeking peace and nature. She checked into a rental near Coral Bay, unpacked, and then vanished. Her belongings were left behind. Her ID was found in her daypack at the end of a trail. Despite extensiv...
Apr 24, 2025•38 min•Ep. 74
A 62-year-old man boards a plane—but his travel path makes no sense. Charlotte. Austin. Dallas. And finally… Cancun. When Robert Cantrell lands in Mexico, he clears customs—but never makes it to baggage claim. Days later, he reappears—shoeless, confused, and unable to remember his own name. A journalist finds him. Then he disappears again. Was he lost, drugged, or targeted? A voicemail, a detention center, and a suitcase returned without him—all raise more questions than answers. This week, we u...
Apr 17, 2025•42 min•Ep. 73
Money, power, and mystery—three ingredients for a disappearance that still haunts the Pacific. Larry Hillblom, co-founder of DHL, built a shipping empire and amassed a fortune. Yet, he chose to live in secrecy on a remote Pacific island, surrounded by scandal and whispers of something darker. In 1995, his small plane crashed near Saipan. Wreckage was found. Bodies recovered. But Hillblom? Gone. No body. No trace. Just questions. Did he perish in the ocean—or stage the ultimate escape? With mount...
Apr 10, 2025•45 min•Ep. 72
Annie and Robin Korkki set out on the trip of a lifetime - a luxurious island getaway in paradise. But on the morning of September 22, 2016, their dream vacation came to a chilling end. After a day of drinking and laughter at an exclusive resort in Seychelles, the sisters were escorted back to their villa by their personal butler. But they never stepped outside again. When hotel staff finally entered the room, they found an eerie scene - both women, fully clothed, lying side by side in bed. No s...
Apr 03, 2025•29 min•Ep. 71
A yoga retreat in paradise turned into a chilling mystery when Taylor Casey, 41, vanished from the Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island on June 19, 2024. Last seen that evening, she was gone by morning—leaving behind only one clue: her phone, later found in the ocean. In this follow-up to Episode 45, we speak with Taylor’s mother, Colette Seymore, and her close friend, Emily, who are still searching for answers. They share who Taylor was, their concerns about the investigation, and why they don’t...
Mar 27, 2025•59 min•Ep. 70
One moment, 66 year old Raymond Ashcroft was walking through the legendary ruins of Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site deep in the Guatemalan rainforest. The next? He was gone. No struggle. No witnesses. Just… silence. Authorities launched a desperate search within a half hour of his disappearance. But Raymond? He had disappeared into the shadows of history, just like the ancient Maya who once ruled these lands. Was it an accident? Did he wander off and couldn’t find his way back? Was it foul p...
Mar 20, 2025•35 min•Ep. 69
In early 1959, nine hikers set out on a skiing expedition across the northern Ural Mountains—Igor Dyatlov, Yuri Doroshenko, Lyudmila Dubinina, Georgiy Krivonishenko, Alexander Kolevatov, Zinaida Kolmogorova, Rustem Slobodin, Nikolai Thibeaux-Brignolles, and Semyon Zolotaryov. Their journey would end in one of the most chilling and perplexing mysteries in modern history. On the night of February 1st, something terrifying forced them to flee their tent into the freezing wilderness—half-dressed and...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 68
In Episode 56, we walked through the timeline of Skye Budnick’s disappearance, sharing the details made public by investigators and her family. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, or need a refresher, we recommend going back before diving into this one. In this episode, I’m joined by Skye’s sister, Megan Lebron, for a deeper look into who Skye was, the challenges her family has faced in the years since she vanished, and any new developments in the case. On April 1, 2008, Skye boarded a ...
Feb 27, 2025•52 min•Ep. 67
In November 2024, what started as a fun night out in the party town of Vang Vieng turned into a horrifying nightmare. Six tourists from around the world never woke up. Others barely escaped with their lives. At first it seemed like a tragic accident, a case of tainted alcohol, poisoning unsuspecting travelers in the party town of Vang Vieng, Laos. But as the details emerged, the story took a darker turn. Why were only tourists affected? Why did local authorities move so quickly to shut down the ...
Feb 20, 2025•38 min•Ep. 66
On August 21st, 2024, we released Episode 41, the case of Ryan Roth. In that episode, I walked you through the timeline of events and shared the details investigators made to the public. In this episode, I’m joined by Ryan’s uncle, Sean Flynn, as we take a deeper look at who Ryan was before his alleged suicide, why Sean is searching for him, any new updates in the case - and where Ryan might be now. If you haven’t listened to Episode 41 yet, or need a refresher, I encourage you to revisit it bef...
Feb 13, 2025•42 min•Ep. 65
Sarah Papenheim was young, talented, and full of life - a gifted blues drummer from Minnesota with dreams of making a difference. She traveled halfway across the world to study psychology in the Netherlands, never imagining that the person she shared an apartment with would become her worst nightmare. It was a quiet December afternoon in 2018 when everything changed. There was a brutal attack, a desperate attempt to escape, and a crime so shocking that it left 2 countries searching for answers. ...
Feb 06, 2025•29 min•Ep. 64
Antoine Herran was 28 years old when he left France for what was meant to be a 3 week vacation in Australia in April of 1998. On the day he was supposed to return home,he reportedly jumped off The Gap, a series of towering cliffs near Sydney. Authorities later recovered a body they believed to be his. However, when Antoine’s family arrived in Australia, they were stunned to find out the body did not belong to him. This sparked a lot of speculation that Antoine orchestrated an elaborate plan to f...
Jan 30, 2025•36 min•Ep. 63
On March 20, 2024, we released Episode 19, which covered the tragic case of Jason Cortez. In that episode, I guided you through the timeline of events and shared the publicly available details from investigators. In this episode, I’m joined by Jason’s father, Candelario Cortez, to delve deeper into Jason’s life, the challenges his family has endured since his heartbreaking murder, and any new developments in the case. If you haven’t listened to Episode 19 yet, or need a refresher, I encourage yo...
Jan 23, 2025•45 min•Ep. 62
Travis Sackett was an experienced traveler with a passion for service. He dedicated years to volunteering with AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, working in Peru and Guatemala, and most recently, lending a hand in Ecuador. In February 2021, just two months into his stay in Ecuador, Travis set out on what should have been a routine hike. The trail wasn’t particularly challenging, and witnesses reported seeing him during the day. But he never returned. Was it a tragic accident along the path? Or coul...
Jan 16, 2025•30 min•Ep. 61
Michal Krowczynski was a math teacher and Polish tourist who set out to explore Arizona and California during his winter break. Tragically, he vanished under mysterious circumstances on January 17th, 2019, while in San Diego, California. Since that day, Michal has not been seen or heard from, and investigators describe his disappearance as highly unusual. Nearly 6 years later, his family remains without answers, still searching for any clue about what happened to him. Where is Michal Krówczyński...
Jan 09, 2025•29 min•Ep. 60
Hello fellow travelers and true crime enthusiasts! I wanted to share a quick update to keep you all in the loop on what’s been happening behind the scenes with The Last Trip Podcast . Looking ahead, I’m really excited about what’s coming in 2025. I’ve been working on updates for some previous cases and lining up interviews with family members of those cases. These upcoming episodes are close to my heart, and I can’t wait to share them with you. Thank you again for being part of this journey with...
Dec 26, 2024•2 min•Ep. 59
The case of Barbara Jean Monaco is a mystery that time cannot erase. On August 20th, 1978, Barbara Jean hit the road with her sister and 2 friends. Their destination? Virginia Beach - a sunny getaway to celebrate Barbara’s milestone 18th birthday. The trio checked into the Aloha motel, ready for a week of fun and freedom. But that celebration took a dark turn. When Barbara Jean left the motel to meet up with a bartender she’d planned a date with, she vanished without a trace. She never made it t...
Dec 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 58
This week’s episode takes a wild turn into the unbelievable. Our missing person didn’t just vanish - he faked his own death, traveled halfway around the globe, and ultimately got caught. It all started when Ryan Borgwardt told his family he was going kayaking. When he didn’t return, his wife reported him missing. Authorities found his overturned kayak and life preserver, shifting the mission from a rescue to a recovery. But after an exhaustive search, no trace of Ryan’s body turned up in the lak...
Dec 12, 2024•34 min•Ep. 57
In 2008, 21-year-old Skye Budnick boarded a one-way flight from Connecticut to Japan without informing anyone of her plans. Upon arriving, she was last seen at an inn in northern Japan. After that, her trail vanished, leaving behind a growing mystery. Why did Skye go to Japan? What happened to her after she arrived? And where is she now? More than 16 years later, her family continues their relentless search for answers. Listen as we dive into Japan, the case of Skye Budnick, and how to stay aliv...
Dec 05, 2024•32 min•Ep. 56
Why are so many people disappearing and turning up murdered on Tenerife, the popular vacation island? Could a serial killer be responsible? Since the start of 2024, at least 12 people have vanished from Tenerife and the nearby island of La Gomera. In total, 28 individuals have gone missing under mysterious circumstances on Tenerife since 2015 — many of them tourists. Are these disappearances the result of unfortunate accidents in the island's rugged terrain, or is there something far more sinist...
Nov 28, 2024•35 min•Ep. 55
