November 27, 1970. Ventura County, California. While representing Leslie Van Houten during the Manson Family’s murder trial, 35-year old attorney Ronald Hughes leaves to go on a camping trip. He never returns and his decomposed body is found wedged between two boulders in a gorge four months later. While the actual cause of death cannot be determined, rumours circulate about foul play, as Charles Manson had grown angry at Hughes and allegedly threatened him. Was Ronald Hughes’ death nothing more...
Jan 03, 2018•42 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast April 20, 1989. Circle, Montana. While driving on the wrong side of a rural highway, 37-year old Patricia Meehan gets into a collision with another car. After staring blankly at the vehicle’s driver, Patricia walks out onto the prairie and disappears. During the next few months, there would be numerous sightings of a disoriented-woman resembling Patricia. This leads to speculation that the trauma of the car crash caused Patricia to develop amnesia and forget who she was, but she is ultimately ne...
Dec 27, 2017•40 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Christmas Eve 1931. Superior, Arizona. While driving through the desert, a couple named Ed and Julia Stewart experience a flat tire and pull over to a remote spot. They soon discover an abandoned newborn baby girl inside a hatbox and turn her over to the authorities. While the story of the “Hatbox Baby” becomes a media sensation, the child’s family cannot be located, so she is adopted out to a couple, whose identities are kept secret from the public. Over 50 years later, a woman named Sharon Ell...
Dec 20, 2017•36 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Christmas Eve, 1973. New London, Connecticut. While changing a tire, 20-year old Kevin Showalter is struck by a passing vehicle and killed in a hit-and-run. When the local police botch the investigation and make no effort to solve the case, Kevin’s mother is forced to fight for answers on her own. Years later, a grand jury investigation is launched and the town’s former mayor is named as the probable driver of the vehicle. However, further complications ensue when another man comes forward and c...
Dec 13, 2017•40 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast December 22, 1967. Chicago, Illinois. After leaving work and picking up his son from school, Dr. John Branion, a prominent African-American physician who treated Martin Luther King Jr., returns home to discover that his wife, Donna Branion, has been shot to death. Police become suspicious of Dr. Branion’s behaviour and eventually charge him with the murder after discovering that the likely murder weapon, a Walther PPK, and four shells are missing from his home. Even though Branion appears to hav...
Dec 06, 2017•59 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast February 24, 1978. Chico, California. After embarking on a road trip to attend a basketball game, five mentally disabled young men – 24-year old Jackie Huett, 29-year old Bill Sterling, 30-year old Jack Madruga, 32-year old Ted Weiher, and 25-year old Gary Mathias – begin the 50-mile drive back to their homes in Yuba County, but never arrive. Four days later, their abandoned car is found in some snow on an isolated mountain road, but the five men, a.k.a. “The Yuba County Five”, have gone missing...
Nov 29, 2017•42 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast November 30, 1963. West Hollywood, California. After not being heard from for over two days, the nude body of 22-year actress Karyn Kupcinet is discovered on the couch inside her apartment. Her death is initially suspected of being a drug overdose, but when the coroner discovers a broken hyoid bone in Karyn’s throat, he rules that she was a victim of strangulation. Years later, Karyn’s death is unexpectedly linked to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy with allegations that she was mu...
Nov 22, 2017•43 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast May 19, 2004. New York City. After leaving her apartment, 21-year old Julliard student Sarah Fox does not return and is found strangled to death in a wooded area at Inwood Hill Park six days later. Her nude body is posed in a ritualistic fashion and surrounded by two dozen tulip petals. A suspect named Dimitry Sheinman eventually pops up on the radar and claims that he had visions of the murder. As the years pass by, Sheinman starts claiming that Sarah is communicating with him from beyond the g...
Nov 15, 2017•27 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast December 1, 1991. Herndon, Virginia. The parents of 21-year old Tommy Burkett return home to find him dead in his bedroom, the apparent victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. When the authorities arrive, Tommy’s parents are immediately taken aback by their suspicious behaviour and notice strange discrepancies to make them believe their son did not commit suicide. Upon further investigation, they find evidence to suggest Tommy might have been murdered for doing undercover work with the Drug En...
Nov 08, 2017•53 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast June 15, 1998. Bloomington, Illinois. Three-year old Christina McNeil is discovered dead inside her bedroom and small cuts can be found in her window screen. The investigation soon focuses on Christina’s father, Barton McNeil, who is eventually convicted of his daughter’s murder and receives a life sentence. However, Barton continually maintains his innocence and points the finger at another suspect, who winds up going to prison for another brutal murder years later. This controversial case is t...
Nov 06, 2017•29 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast September 7, 2015. Fridley, Minnesota. After spending the evening at a nightclub, 32-year old Henry McCabe is dropped off at a gas station by an acquaintance sometime after 2:00 AM. Shortly thereafter, Henry’s wife receives a phone call in which he sounds like he’s moaning in pain and claiming he’s been shot, and she winds up recording an odd voicemail containing unexplained growling noises. Henry’s body is found in Rush Lake nearly two months later and since there are no noticeable signs of fou...
Nov 01, 2017•48 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast Happy Halloween, everyone! As a special piece of bonus content this month, “The Trail Went Cold” has participated in a joint collaboration with over a dozen podcasters in which each of us share our own scary Halloween-themed story. Hosted by Tyler from The Minds of Madness , the end result is the spookiest Halloween podcast episode you’ve ever heard. Contributing Podcasts: Creepy Fairy Tales for Unwanted Children The Murder Road Trip Podcast Evil Podcast The Trail Went Cold American Crimecast 36...
Oct 31, 2017•2 hr 7 min•Ep 506•Transcript available on Metacast October 21, 1978. Cape Otway, Australia. After leaving on a seemingly routine training flight in a Cessna 182 aircraft, 20-year old pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes without explanation over Bass Strait. During a radio transmission, Valentich describes seeing an unidentified flying object and his final words are: “It’s hovering and it’s not an aircraft”. When eyewitnesses report seeing strange things in the sky that night, speculation mounts that Valentich’s disappearance might have been the re...
Oct 25, 2017•50 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast May 14, 2008. Marshall, Minnesota. The parents of 19-year old Brandon Swanson receive a late-night phone call from their son, who claims that his car has become stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere. The Swansons leave to go pick Brandon up, but have trouble finding him. At one point, Brandon’s father hears him shout a swear word over the phone before the call abruptly cuts off, and there is no answer to repeated attempts to phone him back. Even though his abandoned car is eventually found o...
Oct 18, 2017•37 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast October 27, 2007. Grand Forks, North Dakota. 38-year old Joel Lovelien and his fiancée attend a Halloween party at a local bar. When Joel takes a moment to step outside, he is beaten to death in the parking lot. The investigation leads to a suspect named Travis Stay, who was so intoxicated that night that he cannot even remember what happened. Travis goes on trial for Joel’s murder, but his defence team manages to generate reasonable doubt by diverting attention towards a group of costumed suspe...
Oct 11, 2017•37 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast October 31, 1986. Long Beach, New York. Chaim Weiss, a 15-year old Orthodox Jewish rabbinical student, returns to his dormitory after attending Shabbat services at his yeshiva high school. The following morning, Chaim’s body is found on his dorm room floor. At some point during the night, an unknown individual entered his room and brutally murdered him while he slept. Police conduct an extensive investigation and interview students and faculty members from the yeshiva, but are unable to uncover ...
Oct 04, 2017•28 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast October 24, 1961. Lincoln, Massachusetts. 30-year old housewife and mother Joan Risch vanishes from her home and the evidence at the scene suggests a violent abduction. Witnesses report seeing a bloody, disoriented woman matching Joan’s description walking down the road that day, but this woman is never found. Over one year later, evidence is uncovered to suggest Joan might have decided to stage her own disappearance. Was Joan Risch abducted, did she disappear voluntarily, or is there an altoget...
Sep 27, 2017•41 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast June 4, 1999. Wasilla, Alaska. While spending the night at a friend’s house, 15-year old Michael Palmer slips out to attend a graduation party. While biking home with friends, Michael vanishes without a trace, but his bicycle and sneakers are soon discovered at separate locations. In April 2010, Michael’s older brother, Chucky, disappears while riding a snow machine in the Talkeetna Mountains. Even though his snow machine is recovered, Chucky himself is never found. This week’s minisode of “The ...
Sep 20, 2017•24 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast September 13, 1992. Boston, Massachusetts. While working as the ramp supervisor for Northwest Airlines at Logan International Airport, 27-year old Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz leaves in the middle of her shift to purchase food for her crew. She never returns and is not reported missing by her co-workers before she is found murdered inside the trunk of her car the following morning. One year later, Su’s mother finds her diary and is shocked to read that Su was the victim of non-stop sexual harassment ...
Sep 13, 2017•38 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast May 22, 1982. Hamersville, Ohio. 46-year old appliance repairman Permon Gilbert leaves his family’s home to perform some service calls. He never returns and his nude body is found in a ditch the following day. Investigators fail to turn up any strong leads, but numerous theories surround Permon’s murder. Was his death connected to drug trafficking? Was he killed because of his brother’s recent testimony in an organized crime case? Or could his murder have been the result of a secret affair gone ...
Sep 06, 2017•26 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast May 15, 1930. Chicago, Illinois. After a newspaper ad seeks assistance for the poverty-stricken family of two-year old Mary Agnes Moroney, a woman calling herself Julia Otis shows up at their home to help. She offers to take Mary Agnes shopping to buy her new clothes, but they never return. 22 years later, a woman named Mary McClelland comes forward after suspecting she might be Mary Agnes and experts conclude that she is probably the missing child. However, after Mary McClelland passes away in ...
Aug 30, 2017•38 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast November 30, 1990. Parma, Ohio. 41-year old Elaine Johnson vanishes without explanation from her apartment complex. She leaves behind her car and wallet, along with clothes in the laundry room dryer, and is officially reported missing three days later. A series of strange cryptic notes are found in Elaine’s apartment, leading to much speculation about her mental state at the time she went missing. However, suspicion also mounts against Elaine’s boyfriend, who changes his story about the last tim...
Aug 23, 2017•22 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast December 4, 1982. Boise, Idaho. A stranger enters the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and takes his own life by swallowing a cyanide capsule. He carries a suicide note signed “William L. Toomey”, but this turns out to be a false name and the man is never identified. Years later, investigators explore a theory that Toomey’s suicide might be connected to the murders of two Catholic priests, Father Patrick Ryan and Father Benjamin Carrier. To further complicate matters, a suspect was arrested for Fath...
Aug 16, 2017•46 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast April 4, 1991. Clinton, Missouri. While driving home, 20-year old Angela Hammond stops at a phone booth to call her fiancee, Rob Shafer, and describes a suspicious-looking man in a pickup truck in the parking lot. Rob suddenly hears Angela scream and drives into town to check on her. He passes by a pick-up truck and sees Angela struggling with an unidentified man, but after attempting a pursuit, the transmission on Rob’s truck gives out and this is the last anyone ever sees of Angela. But who wa...
Aug 09, 2017•27 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast December 27, 1993. Lockhart, Texas. The body of 38-year old Latricia White is discovered in her bed after having been shot six times. Latricia’s live-in boyfriend, Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen, has vanished from their home, alongside his nine-year son, Chance. Three days later, Dub’s abandoned pick-up truck is discovered, containing many of his personal items and blood which does not belong to Latricia. Since Dub was known for having a volatile temper, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder and a w...
Aug 02, 2017•36 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast July 13, 2007. Nannup, Australia. 27-year old Chantelle McDougall lives with her six-year old daughter, Leela, Leela’s 45-year old father, Simon Kadwell, and their 40-year old friend, Tony Popic. Chantelle tells her parents that they are all taking a trip to Brazil together, but the group never returns and no paper trail can be found to suggest they left the country. It turns out that Simon Kadwell has been living under a stolen identity for years and is the leader of a doomsday cult called The ...
Jul 26, 2017•24 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast October 14, 1965. Atlanta, Georgia. After having dinner with a friend, 25-year old bank secretary Mary Shotwell Little vanishes without explanation. The following day, her abandoned vehicle is discovered with traces of blood and Mary’s neatly folded undergarments inside. Mary’s gasoline card is also used at two separate service stations in North Carolina by a woman matching her description and two unidentified male companions. The case would contain a number of bizarre developments, including an...
Jul 19, 2017•48 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast February 25, 2014. Perranporth, England. The nude body of an unidentified male is discovered after washing up on Perranporth Beach. The victim has a sock stuffed in his mouth, which has been tied in place by headphones. He is soon identified as Alan Jeal, a 64-year old loner from the town of Wadebridge. Investigators use CCTV footage to track Alan’s movements on the night before he was found and learn that he travelled to two other nearby towns before he went to Perranporth. The footage opens up...
Jul 12, 2017•25 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast July 1, 1974. Beirut, Lebanon. Bashir Kouchacji is kidnapped by a group of unidentified men who spend the next five days interrogating and torturing him for reasons he doesn’t understand. Nine years later, after Bashir has moved to Washington, D.C. and become a successful restaurateur, he finds himself being tormented by a non-stop series of threatening phone calls from a mysterious figure known only as “L’Enfant”. The calls continue for an entire decade and take a toll on Bashir’s mental health...
Jul 05, 2017•42 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast May 24, 1990. Livingston County, Michigan. After dropping her mother off at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and spending the afternoon with a friend, 30-year old Paige Renkoski starts driving home. That evening, her abandoned vehicle is discovered with the engine running on the shoulder of Interstate 96, but Paige has vanished without a trace. Before she went missing, witnesses recalled seeing Paige speak with a man outside her vehicle at that location, but he is never identified and Paige is never...
Jun 28, 2017•24 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast 
