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Dark Downeast

audiochuck
Dark Downeast: Maine and New England's True Crime Podcast digs into the decades-old and modern day cases that prickle the history of Vacationland and beyond – the unsolved homicides, undetermined deaths, unexplained disappearances and other dark stories of New England. Investigative journalist and storyteller Kylie Low gets straight to the story with a mix of narrated episodes and documentary style production featuring interviews with surviving family and friends and insight on the investigations from detectives and sources who know these cases best. This is heart-centered, ethical true crime, bringing light to stories you’re not hearing on other podcasts. It is Dark Downeast's mission to honor the legacy of the humans at the heart of each story and bring new attention to the cases still awaiting justice.

Episodes

The Murder of Rhonda & Cor’an Johnson (Connecticut)

When a young mother and her 6-month-old son were found dead in their car one September night in 1996, no one could fathom the senselessness of ending two young lives with still so much ahead of them. Who would have the motive to kill a mother and her baby? Despite the suspicion that continues to surround an individual connected to the little boy, police in Stamford, Connecticut are still struggling to build a case against anyone almost 30 years later. If you have information about the homicides ...

Mar 28, 202436 min

The Disappearance of Ralph Robbins (Massachusetts)

When Ralph Robbins went missing in 1993, his disappearance seemed to be forgotten almost as soon as it was reported. Now over 30 years later, his daughter is searching for answers, but more than anything, she wants closure. If you have any information about the 1993 disappearance of Ralph “Roby” Robbins, please contact Massachusetts State Police Lt. Ann Marie Robertson at (508) 961-1918. View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/ralphrobbins Dark Downeast is an audioch...

Mar 21, 202431 min

The Murder of Amon Jamiel (Rhode Island)

In March of 1978, the small town of Warren, Rhode Island was sent into a tailspin after a well-known member of their community was shot to death just days after his business burned to the ground. Who would have it out for a man so beloved? The deeper you dig into this unsolved case, the murkier it gets. If you have any information about the unsolved homicide of Amon Jamiel, please contact the Cold Case Rhode Island tip line at 1-877-RI-SOLVE. View source material and photos for this episode at d...

Mar 14, 202444 min

The Disappearance of Regina Brown (Connecticut)

Nearly four decades after a Connecticut flight attendant and mother disappeared without a trace, investigators don’t seem any closer to solving the mystery. But ask anyone who knows anything about Regina Brown’s life, and they’ll tell you exactly what they believe happened and who they feel is responsible for her disappearance…If only they had the evidence to prove it. If you have information relating to the 1987 disappearance of Regina Brown, please contact the Newtown Police Department at (203...

Feb 29, 202448 min

The Murder of Patricia Scoville (Vermont)

On a crisp fall day in October of 1991, Patricia Scoville set out for a bike ride on the scenic Moss Glen Falls trails in Stowe, Vermont. When she hadn’t returned home more than two days later, Patty’s roommate reported her missing, triggering a search and rescue effort that soon morphed into a homicide investigation. The case that unfolded baffled investigators for almost two decades, but the person responsible for Patricia’s death could only hide for so long. Thanks to efforts by Patty’s paren...

Feb 22, 202438 min

The Murder of Roberta "Bobbie" Miller (New Hampshire)

When 54-year-old Bobbie Miller and her dog were found dead in their Gilford, New Hampshire home one November afternoon in 2010, it didn’t take long for the public to point the finger at her former husband. The circumstances might be convincing, but over a decade later, no one has been arrested for Bobbie’s murder. Her family waits alongside so many others for closure in her unsolved homicide. If you have information about the 2010 unsolved homicide of Roberta “Bobbie” Miller, please contact the ...

Feb 15, 202442 min

The Disappearance of John Lango (Pennsylvania)

On January 1, 1988, 17-year-old John Lango walked out the front door of his home in Pottsville, Pennsylvania never to return. He was treated as a runaway, but now more than three decades later, all signs indicate John never meant to disappear on his own. John Lango’s case unfolded just outside the boundaries of New England. However, Dark Downeast is sharing this mini episode alongside other audiochuck shows to bring attention to unsolved missing persons cases in honor of National Missing Persons...

Feb 08, 202417 min

The Disappearance of Audrey Groat (Vermont)

It has been more than three decades since the day 41-year-old Audrey Groat left her Northfield, Vermont home supposedly for an afternoon of shopping only to vanish without a trace. The initial search for the missing mother had just a few details to go on, but not even those details can really be trusted. The most important question still lingers: What really happened on that August afternoon in 1993? If you have any information relating to the disappearance of Audrey Groat, please contact Vermon...

Feb 08, 202442 min

The Victims of the Hitch-Hike Murderer (Massachusetts)

On a chilly December night in 1972 just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, what might have been just a routine traffic stop took an unexpected turn when two police officers trailed a mysterious man in a dark Cadillac and their pursuit spiraled into a high-speed chase and a shoot out. When officers finally caught up to the vehicle and apprehended the driver, the past four months of fear and torment through the greater Boston area would finally come to an end. These are the stories of Kathleen Rand...

Feb 01, 202445 min

The Murder of Gwendolyn Taylor (Massachusetts)

On the night Gwendolyn Taylor was attacked just outside her apartment building in Dorchester, Massachusetts, witnesses watched helplessly as an unknown man grabbed the 18-year old, demanded money, and told everyone within earshot not to call the police. When her body was discovered hours later, those same witnesses found themselves at the heart of the investigation. Their recollections of the man they saw that night pointed authorities to a suspect, and blood evidence left no room for doubt: Tho...

Jan 25, 202442 min

The Suspicious Death of Barbara Ann Ripley (Maine)

It was early afternoon of September 29, 1971 and 11-year old Barbara Ann Ripley should’ve been getting off the bus at home in North Yarmouth, Maine like she did every Wednesday. When she didn’t walk through the front door on schedule, her mother went looking for Barbara in what she thought was the most likely of places. But Barbara wasn’t there, and not even an extensive days-long search effort would uncover any trace of the little girl. Over a decade passed before the community and the Ripley f...

Jan 18, 202452 min

The Disappearance of Nadine Mendonça (Massachusetts)

When 25-year old Nadine Mendonça went to her favorite hang out in downtown Fall River, Massachusetts for a casual night out, neither she nor her family could’ve expected it would end the way it did. To this day, Nadine’s family is still trying to figure out exactly what happened that July night in 1991, and after over 30 years, where exactly Nadine could be now. If you have any information about the 1991 disappearance of Nadine Mendonça, please contact Massachusetts State Police Lt. Ann Marie Ro...

Jan 11, 202438 min

The Murder of Matthew Margolies (Connecticut)

When 13-year old Matthew Margolies didn’t come home for supper on the night of August 31, 1984, police in Greenwich, Connecticut launched a full scale search scouring the Pemberwick woods and waters of the Byram River for any sign of the young fisherman. Despite numerous suspects and abundant evidence over the last 40 years, police have failed to make an arrest in this senseless crime that tossed the otherwise idyllic New England town into a state of chaos. The 1984 homicide of Matthew Margolies...

Jan 04, 202441 min

The Murder of Jon Pownall (Maine)

MAINE, 1973: Just months into production of a new and exciting project, film director Jon Pownall was found dead at his Monument Square office in Portland, Maine. Why would anyone want to kill him? As the investigation into his murder began, a motive for his death emerged, but the question of who was behind it all is one that still hasn’t been answered with a conviction 50 years later. Lynda Pownall-Carlson was only 16-years old when her father was killed. She’s on Dark Downeast to share her fat...

Sep 25, 202359 min

UPDATE: The Murders of David Nixon & Steven Ray Johnson (Maine)

A special update to this week’s episode, Murder on Goose Rocks Beach, covering the cases of David J. Nixon and Steven Ray Johnson. View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/davidjnixon Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low. Follow @darkdowneast on Instagram , Facebook , and TikTok To suggest a case, email [email protected]...

Sep 23, 20233 min

The Murders of David Nixon & Steven Ray Johnson (Maine)

MAINE, 1987: On the night of June 8, 1987, David Nixon had just hung up the phone with his father. He called back home to let his folks know that he was staying over at their family beach house in Kennebunkport, Maine for one more night. That phone call was the last contact David ever had with his family. Sometime after he put the phone back on the hook, David was killed just steps from the house on Goose Rocks Beach. The investigation into the murder of David J. Nixon would span the entire east...

Sep 18, 202338 min

The Murder of Jimmy Stone (Connecticut)

CONNECTICUT, 2018: On the night of May 18, 2018, 36-year old James “Jimmy” Stone Jr. was loading up his belongings from the trailer where he once lived on the Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation in Colchester, Connecticut to take them to his new apartment. Somehow, the mundane task of packing and moving became a deadly one. Jimmy never made it off the reservation alive. The investigation into the murder of Jimmy Stone is ongoing, and though Connecticut State Police continue to work diligently on ...

Sep 11, 202334 min

The Murder of Patricia Moreno (Massachusetts)

MASSACHUSETTS, 1991: On July 20th, 1991, 17-year-old Patricia Moreno sat on the fire escape at her foster family’s apartment building. She often used the fire escape for solace – the apartment was crowded and hot and loud – but in the early morning hours of that scorching summer night, her place of respite became the scene of her murder. For over three decades, the mystery of Patricia's death persisted. The occupants of the apartment claimed to have heard gunshots but had no knowledge of the sho...

Aug 28, 202333 min

The Disappearance of Ralph Jean-Marie (Vermont)

VERMONT, 2020: On April 15, 2020, 38-year old Ralph “Rizz” Jean-Marie was reported missing from a motel where he was living in Barre, Vermont. The story was that he up and left after an argument, leaving behind his personal belongings, never to be seen again. But from day one of the investigation, law enforcement had reason to believe the initial narrative of Ralph’s disappearance wasn’t anchored in the whole truth. The early investigation indicated that someone, or multiple someones, had a hand...

Aug 21, 202349 min

The Victims of the Last Call Killer (New York)

NEW YORK CITY, 1990s: On May 28, 2001, after an eight year long investigation spanning three states, New York police officers finally closed in on their target: a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital. Advancements in fingerprinting technology had finally identified a suspect connected to garbage bags containing the remains of four men discarded on the side of the road in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. His name was Richard Westall Rogers Jr. AKA The Last Call Killer. In this follow-up episode t...

Aug 14, 202338 min

The Murder of Frederic Alan Spencer (Maine)

MAINE, 1973: In April of 1973, the vibrant college town of Orono, Maine was shattered by a shocking murder that sent tremors through the University of Maine community. The victim was Frederic Alan Spencer, a promising UMaine graduate student with a bright future ahead. When Frederic's roommate came forward and confessed to the killing, it seemed like an open and shut case. However, as the trial of Richard Westall Rogers Jr. unfolded, it was clear the case was far from simple. Despite his admissi...

Aug 07, 202327 min

The Murders of Laura Kempton & Tammy Little (New Hampshire)

PORTSMOUTH, 1981 & 1982: In just over a year span during the early 1980s in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the lives of two young women were ended by an assailant who broke into their apartments, violently attacked and beat them, and somehow managed to escape undetected, remaining anonymous for decades. Laura Kempton and Tammy Little’s murders have long been intertwined. As you’ll hear, the circumstances of their deaths and their lives are just too similar to ignore a possible connection, but now in...

Jul 31, 202344 min

The Murder of Raymond "Butch" Weed (Maine)

MAINE, 2003: On the night of December 23, 2003, two friends dropping off Christmas gifts at the home of 40-year old Raymond “Butch” Weed were shocked to find that their friend, a well-known and beloved member of the Wilton, Maine community, was dead. Sometime between his regular visit to his favorite hangout in downtown Wilton and returning home just a quarter mile away on Main Street, an unknown assailant entered Butch’s home and stole his life. To this day, a suspect has never been apprehended...

Jul 10, 202337 min

The Murder of Anita Piteau, The Huntington Beach Jane Doe (California)

On March 14, 1968, kids playing in the oil fields of Huntington Beach, California discovered the brutally beaten body of a young woman. Investigators scoured the scene for clues, finding shoe imprints, marks from tires, and a cigarette butt, but it had rained the night before and so any other evidence left behind had likely washed away. Police labeled the woman a Jane Doe and set out to investigate her identity and her death, but the woman found there would not have her name returned to her for ...

Jul 03, 202335 min

The Murder of Anne "Nancy" Payson Holt (Maine)

MAINE, 1976: Anne Payson Holt, better known as Nancy, was almost 80-years old, but not quite yet. Her milestone birthday and the fancy gala planned in her honor was still a few days away in early October of 1976, but Nancy never saw a day past 79. On October 5, 1976, the safety of her secluded Falmouth Foreside estate was violated by intruders seeking electronics. Before they fled the dirt drive of Thornhurst Road though, they stole more than a television. They stole Nancy’s life. Nancy’s grandd...

Jun 26, 202340 min

The Disappearance of Kristopher Bryan Lewis (Massachusetts)

BOSTON, 2014: On February 4, 2014, 13-year old Kristopher Bryan Lewis got off the school bus at his usual stop on the corner of West Selden and Morton Street in Boston, Massachusetts. He should've been home just a few minutes later around 5:30 p.m. but Kristopher never returned. Kristopher's mother Nina Cancel-Rodgers reported him missing that night. At first, police dismissed Nina’s concerns. The media turned her away. She and her family took matters into their own hands, making noise and bring...

Jun 19, 202329 min

The Murder of Louise Chaput (New Hampshire)

NEW HAMPSHIRE, 2001: It was late fall of 2001 and Louise Chaput was looking forward to her weekend plans of hiking the White Mountains with friends. But when those plans fell through, Louise, who was eager to return to the majestic White Mountains that she’d hiked before, decided to do the trip on her own. She arrived at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center in New Hampshire on the afternoon of Thursday, November 15, 2001. Before checking into her camp lodgings for the night, she set out on a short ...

Jun 12, 202325 min

The Murders Aboard the Herbert Fuller (Massachusetts)

ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1896: The chilled, windy air of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded the ship past midnight on July 14, 1896. Nine days into its voyage between Boston, Massachusetts and Rosario, Argentina, a single shriek rang out through the back cabin where the officers of the ship resided - the after house. A guest aboard the ship later found the bodies of Captain Charles Nash, his wife, Laura, and the second mate, August Blomberg. The next week on the Herbert Fuller was tense and full of suspicion....

Jun 05, 202328 min

The Murder of Charlotte A. Dunn (Maine)

MAINE, 1971: The quiet of a dark late spring evening in Bangor, Maine was interrupted by frightened screams inside an Otis Street Apartment building. Though several residents would later report hearing the sounds of a woman in distress, no one called for help, no one picked up the phone to dial the police, and no one checked in on their downstairs neighbor, 84-year old Charlotte Dunn, until the next morning when help would be a lost cause. Police had a prime suspect for Charlotte Dunn’s murder f...

May 29, 202344 min

Sylvia Baker (3 of Spades, Connecticut) from The Deck

Sylvia Baker, 28, went downstairs on July 17th, 1982 to take out the trash. Sylvia never returned to her apartment, where her two young kids were watching TV. When she was found the next day, nude and bound with pieces of her own clothing, her family remained in a state of shock as police worked to track down her killers. Over 40 years later, no one’s been held accountable for Sylvia’s murder, but a DNA match and other clues have investigators closer than ever to the truth. If you have informati...

May 22, 202334 min
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