Going West: True Crime - podcast cover

Going West: True Crime

Dark West Productionsiamunwell.com
Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman discuss haunting details of different disappearance and murder cases week by week. New episodes released every Tuesday and Friday.

Episodes

Kelsey Berreth // 454

On Thanksgiving, 2018, a 29-year-old woman went missing in Colorado after last being spotted in a grocery store with her daughter. When investigators found traces of blood at her abandoned townhome, a sinister plot was uncovered that involved poisoned coffee, numerous road trips, and a baseball bat. This is the story of Kelsey Berreth.

Nov 16, 202459 minEp. 454

Michaela Garecht // 453

In November of 1988, a nine-year-old girl was abducted in broad daylight from the parking lot of her local corner store. Despite there being witnesses who relayed the assailant’s appearance to police, years passed without any significant movement in the case. But once DNA technology became advanced enough to provide a match from a fingerprint left on the girl’s scooter, a suspect was arrested. Sadly, she was not his only victim. This is the disappearance of Michaela Garecht.

Nov 13, 202443 minEp. 453

Dustin Kjersem / Update // 452

Part 1 posted on October 29, 2024 - Episode 449. On October 10, 2024, a 35-year-old Montana man was murdered in his tent while camping in a secluded Montana site. Thanks to DNA found on a beer can in his tent, police arrested his killer three weeks later, on October 31, 2024. This is the updated story of Dustin Kjersem.

Nov 09, 202444 minEp. 452

Sonya Ivanoff // 451

In the early night hours of August 11, 2003, a 19-year-old Indigenous woman set off on a walk through the rain alone after spending time with friends in her home of Nome, Alaska. But when her roommate noticed her absence the following morning, she reported her missing. And just a day after doing so, her nude body was found shot to death in a gravel pit by an abandoned gold mine. As police put the puzzle pieces together, an unexpected suspect emerged - and fast. This is the story of Sonya Ivanoff...

Nov 06, 202449 minEp. 451

Murder in the Hamptons // 450

In October of 2001, a 52-year-old man was found bludgeoned to death in his East Hampton home after missing a work meeting in the city. Just days before finalizing their divorce, investigators were keen on questioning his wife, along with her suspicious electrician boyfriend. But were they involved, or was someone else out to get the powerful investment banker? This is the story of Ted Ammon.

Nov 01, 202454 minEp. 450

Dustin Kjersem // 449 (Happening Now)

On October 12, 2024, the friend of a 35-year-old Montana man stumbled upon his body in a tent when he didn’t show to their agreed meeting spot for a weekend camping trip. When police arrived at the scene along Moose Creek, they initially wondered if it was a brutal bear attack. But upon closer inspection it was clear that it was no animal mauling, and instead, a vicious believed-axe murder. This is the story of Dustin Kjersem.

Oct 30, 202447 minEp. 449

Cherilyn Hawkley // 448

On October 31st, 1993, a beloved 39-year-old teacher was found strangled to death inside her car in a quiet suburb of Sacramento. As police investigated her final movements, they started to believe that someone she knew was behind her murder. But now, over 30 years later, we’re still left in the dark about what really happened to her that night. Many are left wondering if hers is connected to a similar cold case from the area, and whether both are victims of the infamous Golden State Killer. Thi...

Oct 26, 202444 minEp. 448

Arelie Garcia // 447

On an early morning in September of 2022, a 25-year-old woman vanished without a trace after leaving her Salinas, California apartment. Later, her beloved car was found abandoned along Highway 1 in Big Sur, with all of her belongings locked inside. Surveillance video showed her last known movements, but where did she go afterwards? And where has she been since? This is the story of Arelie Garcia.

Oct 22, 202447 minEp. 447

The Phantom Killer // 446

In the winter and early spring of 1946, a series of moonlight attacks and murders occurred along Lovers Lanes in Texarkana, Texas, leaving the small city terrified of a maniac in their midst. As police, the FBI, and Texas Rangers tried to find the assailant responsible for 5 murders and 3 survivor attacks, a slew of suspects presented themselves in the area - making investigators wonder: Who really is this masked, senseless killer? This is the story of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, and the Ph...

Oct 15, 20241 hrEp. 446

The Menendez Murders / Part 2 // 445

In August of 1989, two brothers entered their parents’ Beverly Hills mansion, and shot them multiple times, killing them almost instantly. When police arrived, the men maintained that the murders had taken place while they were at the movies, which police initially believed. But after a painstaking, months-long investigation, and a guilt-ridden confession to a therapist, the men were arrested for the murders. There seemed to be no question whether or not they had committed the crime, but the rea...

Oct 10, 20242 hr 31 minEp. 445

The Menendez Murders / Part 1 // 444

In August of 1989, two brothers entered their parents’ Beverly Hills mansion, and shot them multiple times, killing them almost instantly. When police arrived, the men maintained that the murders had taken place while they were at the movies, which police initially believed. But after a painstaking, months-long investigation, and a guilt-ridden confession to a therapist, the men were arrested for the murders. There seemed to be no question whether or not they had committed the crime, but the rea...

Oct 08, 202455 minEp. 444

Mengqi Ji // 443

In October of 2019, a 28-year-old engineer vanished from her Missouri home, prompting her parents to fly to the United States from China to begin looking for her in desperation. But when there was no trace of her, suspicions turned toward someone very close to her, with discreet recordings recovered from her phone casting this person in an even more villainous light. This is the story of Mengqi Ji.

Oct 04, 202452 minEp. 443

Stephanie Condon // 442

On a misty October evening in 1998, a 14-year-old girl arrived at her cousins Oregon home to babysit her twins. But when she returned from a night out, the evening before Halloween, she found her cousin gone. While her twins were safe in their cribs, her teenage cousin was missing - with no signs of a struggle or forced entry into the house. Although they had already been speculating foul play, when her remains were eventually found amongst thick woodland, her case was officially considered a ho...

Oct 02, 202446 minEp. 442

Corey Wieneke // 441

In October of 1992, a 22-year-old man was found brutally murdered inside his Iowa home. Years passed with no answers, until a witness, who had been just nine years old at the time, came forward about her witnessing a black candlelit confession... Then finally, a previously eliminated suspect was arrested. This is the story of Corey Wieneke.

Sep 28, 202441 minEp. 441

Tara Calico // 440

In September of 1988, a 19-year-old woman went missing while riding her bike near her New Mexico home. With signs of a struggle left behind, suspicions were raised that she had been kidnapped. The case grew even more perplexing when, the following year, a Polaroid photo was found in a Florida parking lot depicting a young woman bound and gagged in the back of a van, and it was quickly connected to her case. This is the story of Tara Calico.

Sep 24, 202447 minEp. 440

Kelley Stage Clayton // 439

In September of 2015, a 35-year-old woman was beaten to death by a masked man inside her secluded home in the woods of Upstate New York. Her young children were the only witnesses, and her daughter was able to reveal a surprising detail about the intruder, leading to a suspect that would devastate her tight-knit family. This is the murder of Kelley Stage Clayton.

Sep 20, 202447 minEp. 439

The Route 29 Stalker // 438

In 1996, a woman vanished along Route 29 in Virginia, and dozens of others came forward to say they had been followed in their cars by a man in a dark colored truck, always telling them that there was something wrong with their vehicles and that they needed to pull over. Possibly active as recently as 2014, the list of his potential victims grew long. Some of them were eventually proven to be linked to unrelated culprits, but his identity remains unknown. Who is this mysterious highway phantom, ...

Sep 18, 202443 minEp. 438

Pamela Vitale // 437

In October of 2005, a 52-year-old woman was brutally murdered in her home in suburban San Francisco, bludgeoned and disemboweled. As police investigated the case, an unsuspecting person of interest entered their frame of view: her 16-year-old neighbor. This is the murder of Pamela Vitale.

Sep 13, 202455 minEp. 437

Heather Teague // 436

In August of 1995, a 23-year-old woman was sunbathing on a Kentucky riverside when an unknown man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her off into the woods. The only person to witness this was a man who was observing her from his telescope, all the way across the river. An investigation began immediately, with police receiving incredibly helpful clues regarding possible suspects. So, what happened to her? This is the story of Heather Teague.

Sep 11, 202451 minEp. 436

Danielle Houchins // 435

In September of 1996, a 15-year-old girl was found assaulted and drowned near a fishing access site in Montana. Though they initially suspected it to be an accident, police spent decades trying to catch her killer, until the search finally concluded in July of this year. This is the murder of Danielle Houchins.

Sep 07, 202445 minEp. 435

Kenneka Jenkins // 434

In September of 2017, a 19-year-old woman headed to a party at a Chicago hotel, only to be found dead in one of their unused hotel freezers under suspicious circumstances, just hours after being reported missing. This is the story of Kenneka Jenkins.

Aug 30, 202449 minEp. 434

Andrea DelVesco // 433

In September of 2015, a Los Angeles apartment building full of UCLA sorority sisters caught on fire. Luckily, no one was killed in the flames, but to the surprise of its residents, a 21-year-old woman’s remains were revealed inside. The manner of death was ruled homicide after it was determined she had been stabbed 19 times, and as police reviewed surveillance footage in the area and interviewed locals, a suspect emerged. This is the murder of Andrea DelVesco.

Aug 27, 202445 minEp. 433

Henry McCabe // 432

In September of 2015, a 31-year-old man spent his evening at a Minnesota nightclub before being dropped off at a gas station by a friend. Shortly afterwards, around 2:30am, his wife received a phone call where he groaned in pain, and potentially even claimed to have been shot. But strangely, when his body was found in a lake two months later, there was no sign of a gunshot wound. So what really happened to him? This is the suspicious death of Henry McCabe.

Aug 24, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 432

Shadow McClaine // 431

In September of 2016, a 25-year-old Private in the Army suddenly vanished from Tennessee. Weeks later, her skeletal remains were found, with all signs pointing to murder. With the discovery of an upcoming court date regarding assault charges against another soldier, police narrowed in on a partial suspect, only to find out that they had gotten help. This is the story of Shadow McClaine.

Aug 21, 202445 minEp. 431

Sara Anne Wood // 430

In August of 1993, a 12-year-old girl vanished while riding her bicycle home from the Upstate New York church where her father worked as a pastor. Police dove into her case, fearing she’d been abducted, but came up empty…until the perpetrator struck again just a few months later. And he had more than one child’s blood on his hands. This is the story of Sara Anne Wood.

Aug 14, 202445 minEp. 430

Torrey Pines State Beach Murders // 429

In the 1970s and 1980s, two teenage girls were brutally murdered on a San Diego beach six years apart, mere yards away from each other. An investigation just as twisted as the murders themselves brought three suicides, more questions than answers, and the possibility that a serial killer is still on the loose. These are the Torrey Pines State Beach Murders, otherwise known as the murders of Barbara Nantais and Claire Hough.

Aug 10, 202443 minEp. 429

Chelsea Grimm // 428

In September of 2023, a 32-year-old woman left California to embark on a solo cross-country road trip, headed for a wedding in Connecticut. When the journey proved too troublesome, she called her parents to tell them she was heading back. But after racking up a few strange encounters with locals in Arizona, and two slashed tires, she was never heard from again. This is the story of Chelsea Grimm.

Aug 07, 202451 minEp. 428

Michele Harris // 427

On September 11, 2001, amongst the unforgettable terrorist attacks, a 35-year-old mother went missing under suspicious circumstances across the state of New York. When her car was found at the bottom of her winding driveway, the keys still in the ignition, she was reported missing. With an important meeting she missed the following day, police recognized motive for why someone could want her dead. But is that what happened? Or would a last-minute witness account be the key to solving her case? T...

Aug 03, 202451 minEp. 427

Bryce Laspisa // 426

In August of 2013, a 19-year-old man drove down the state of California allegedly heading to his parent’s house. After speaking to his mom numerous times throughout the day, it was determined that for much of that time, he wasn’t driving at all - but instead, sitting on the side of the road in his car, rarely progressing, with an incredibly eerie timeline. The next morning, his car was found to have driven into Castaic Lake, but he was nowhere to be found. This is the story of Bryce Laspisa....

Jul 31, 202452 minEp. 426

The Shenandoah National Park Murders // 425

In May of 1996, two women set off into the wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains for a hike, and never came back out again. Strange details at the scene of their murder lead many to wonder who their killer was, brutally slaying them in their tent. But eventually, the investigation named a suspect. These are the murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans, also known as the Shenandoah National Park Murders.

Jul 27, 202441 minEp. 425