Last week, we brought you the first part of Melissa Highsmith’s story. On August 23, 1971, 21-month-old Melissa was abducted by a woman who responded to a classified ad her mother placed in the local newspaper. Or, at least, that’s the story that Melissa’s mother and roommate told police when they reported her missing. Was Melissa really abducted by this woman calling herself Ruth Johnson, or was there more to the story? And that’s just the beginning of the 50-year-old stone-cold mystery we’ve b...
Nov 21, 2022•52 min•Ep. 372
On August 18, 1971, a classified ad was published for a single day in the Fort Worth, Texas newspaper, the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram." The ad read, "Babysitter wanted from 8 to 3:30 days, Spanish Gate apartments, call after 3 pm" with a phone number listed. On August 23, 1971, a woman who said her name was Ruth Johnson came to the door of Alta Highsmith, who had placed the ad, and said she was there to pick up Alta's 21-month-old daughter, Melissa Highsmith. Alta's roommate gave the baby to the ...
Nov 14, 2022•49 min•Ep. 371
Last week, we brought you the first installment in Jarrod Green's story. 20-year-old Jarrod Green disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas, in September of 1994. Jarrod seemed to be in a panic and concerned about his safety. He was emotional on a call with his girlfriend but wouldn't go into details. Jarrod also retrieved a gun from a friend. His family knew he had plans to meet someone, and then he vanished. Jarrod's car turned up in Searcy at a store several days later. Today, we will explore the peo...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 370
On September 30, 1994, 20-year-old Jarrod Green disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas. Jarrod had indicated to his family that he had plans to meet with someone that night. During a phone call with his girlfriend, Jarrod was clearly upset but wouldn't tell her what was wrong. Jarrod had previously given a gun to a friend and retrieved the gun, saying he needed it for protection. Jarrod never made it home that evening and was never seen or heard from again. Days later, Jarrod's car was found abandone...
Oct 31, 2022•49 min•Ep. 369
Last week, we brought you the first part of Allison Whiddon’s story, which started with another woman with the same name being mistaken for the missing Allison. She joined Allison’s family in their search for Allison, which included looking at numerous possible suspects, knocking on doors, excavating land, and speaking to witnesses to yield information. Then, there was an alleged confession that detailed Allison’s death- who was involved, when, and where. But was that story believable or a compl...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 368
Around April 19, 2016, 44-year-old Kelly "Allison" Whiddon disappeared from Panama City Beach, Florida. Allison was in the middle of breaking up with the man she had been dating. This man had a history of violence and threats he promised to make good on. The two got into an altercation in a restaurant, and her boyfriend claimed he never saw her again, changed his story later, and subsequently refused to cooperate with police after they started investigating her disappearance. No one reported All...
Oct 17, 2022•48 min•Ep. 367
In December 2015, 42-year-old Brandon Helms was temporarily living with a friend in Lakeland, Georgia. Brandon and his wife had recently separated, and Brandon was navigating this new territory. Brandon wanted to make his marriage work. He loved his wife and adored their daughters. On December 14th, Brandon’s wife called his parents to ask if they had seen or heard from him, but they had not. Brandon’s friend said Brandon was there when he left the house that day, but when he returned, Brandon w...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 366
Sometime between May 16 and May 25, 2020, 53-year-old Dawn Blankenheim vanished from Chico, California. No isolated event or indication foreshadowed her disappearance, but like every missing person, Dawn didn't just disappear. There is always more to the story. Dawn had been in the hospital in mid-May and was picked up by a friend after she was discharged. They were spotted at a local bar together over the weekend. Dawn scheduled a rideshare service to get home, then abruptly canceled. No one ha...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 365
21-year-old Megan Foglesong disappeared from Alden, Kansas, around the end of November 2015. When we first covered Megan’s story in 2016, nearly everyone pointed to Megan’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, David Madden. Megan attempted to leave him in the past and told others around Thanksgiving of 2015 that she was leaving him again. Several days later, Megan sent a message to a friend indicating that she was back at David’s, then she went silent. Around this time, David texted the local undershe...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 364
In early June of 2021, 47-year-old Jamie Valdez and his wife, Anna, had just moved to Booneville, Arkansas, from Texas. Their relationship was on the rocks, and Jamie’s wife said that Jamie left their home on June 9, 2021. An old coworker claims that she saw Jamie 30 miles north of Booneville in Ozark several days later, and the coworker invited him over for dinner with her family. She said he planned to go home and patch things up with his wife. Jamie Valdez has never been seen again. His disap...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 363
On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara was a bright young woman with plans for her future. She was saving for her first apartment that she planned to rent when she turned 16 in the fall. Barb’s dreams came to a screeching halt on that chilly spring evening when she seemingly disappeared into the night. Piecing together even the most basic clues today is difficult. Who last saw Barb, and at what time? And how can we even confirm these thing...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 362
On April 11, 1981, a 15-year-old girl named Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara's mother, Louise, called around to her friends to see if they had seen her, but no one said they had. Louise reported her daughter missing to the Williston Police Department and sent any tips she heard their way. The weeks and months passed with no sign of Barbara, and her case went ice cold. It didn't seem like much was being done to find Barb, at least to her loved ones; that is how it ...
Sep 12, 2022•50 min•Ep. 361
Three years ago, we brought you the story of Lillianna Pagano, who had been abducted by her mother, Jillanne, when Lillianna was an infant. A few days before airing our story on Lillianna, we received word that she had been found alive and was reunited with her father, Tyler, a completely unexpected surprise. While this was the ending we hope for in every story, Tyler and Lillianna still had a rough road ahead of them. Lillianna had been missing for nearly six years and was told her father was d...
Sep 05, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 360
16-year-old Toby Anderson had found himself in some trouble during his teen years. Toby’s life wasn’t easy, and he began to act out. Toby was sent to a juvenile facility in Northern California and was shifted around between different family members. Then, he just disappeared, and everyone seemed to believe Toby had run away. Since Toby had been in trouble, running away didn’t seem far-fetched. Toby’s father searched for him and contacted relatives in other states to see if he had turned up there...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 359
In the early morning hours of August 29, 2014, a call came in about a person seen sitting on the railing of the I-10 bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Police responded and found an abandoned truck belonging to 22-year-old Jake Latiolais. The truck was running, and Jake's phone was inside, but no sign of Jake. The 911 callers remain unknown, or at least, police haven't shared the identity of the people who made the calls, but Jake Latiolais has never been seen aga...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 358
On March 26, 2020, 45-year-old Eugene Prins planned a short road trip with a friend to drop off a wood splitter. They started out in Woonsocket, South Dakota, and drove about 25 miles east to the tiny town of Fedora. After that, Eugene and his friend were spotted at a bar in Forestburg, which was along their route home. The last confirmed sighting of Eugene was at the bar. The truck they were in was seen on camera driving away from the bar at 7:38 PM. Other bar patrons said that you could tell t...
Aug 08, 2022•54 min•Ep. 357
On July 11, 1969, 15-year-old Cynthia Constantine took her dog for a walk as she did every afternoon in the family’s hometown of Oakdale, New York. Cynthia loved walking along the railroad tracks alongside a busy highway and often explored the area with her brother. On this day, Cynthia walked with her dog alone, picking up cattails along the way. Cynthia had planned to go check out a muskrat burrow she spotted earlier in the day while with her brother. But Cynthia never returned home, and when ...
Aug 01, 2022•47 min•Ep. 356
It was during the summer of 1968 that a 35-year-old woman named Madeline Babcock disappeared from Venice, California. Madeline’s apartment appeared to have been cleared out. Her family reported her missing, but the police didn’t seem interested. Madeline had a right to move and not tell her family. She had the right to disappear if she wanted to. Around this same time, a little girl in Washington believed she witnessed her father and his friend murder a woman. These two stories would move parall...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 355
22-year-old George James was last seen by his family on November 23, 1998. He argued with his mother at her Millbrook, Alabama, home and stormed off. Something seemed to be weighing heavily on George, like he needed to escape some sort of danger. George’s mother, Tillis, was confused by this interaction but never imagined this would be the last time she would ever see her son. As the days passed with no word from George, Tillis reported him missing. And since that day, she has never stopped sear...
Jul 18, 2022•59 min•Ep. 354
On November 25, 2019, 29-year-old Daniel Reoch was in the custody of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Squamish, British Columbia. They picked Daniel up while walking along a rural road in temperatures just barely above freezing, and he was not dressed for the weather. Daniel called his uncle, but something didn’t seem right- his demeanor was off, he was in the midst of a crisis- and the police and Daniel’s family were concerned. But they couldn’t hold him, and he was released from custody th...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 352
On October 1, 1976, Jimmy Don Robinson disappeared from Elmore City, Oklahoma, just a week after his 21st birthday. Jimmy was no longer living at the Robinson family home but stopped by around midnight. His mom had just gotten home after working a late shift and was cooking some dinner for herself. Jimmy briefly spoke to his family, and they noticed there was a man in the passenger seat of the car that Jimmy was driving. They didn't recognize the man, and Jimmy didn't mention who he was. He said...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 351
Shortly before midnight on March 26, 2021, 70-year-old Sandra Eckert got into a fight with her husband. It wasn't their first, in fact, it may not have been their first that day. Sandra and her husband had remained in a mutually miserable marriage that was plagued by COVID quarantines, inheritance disputes, and other issues. So when Sandra and her husband's vehicle disappeared around 11:30 PM, it seemed possible that she left in anger and went to stay somewhere else. But just a few hours later, ...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 350
Yesterday, we brought you the first installment of Isaac Seidel’s story. You learned a lot about Isaac’s life and the events that occurred in the lead-up to his disappearance. You also learned that Isaac disappeared along with his bike, phone, and backpack. Everything else seemed to be left behind at his home. Isaac hadn’t told anyone that he planned to go anywhere. In fact, it appeared that Isaac had gone about his regular Sunday routine. He had his chicken out thawing, which is something he wo...
Jun 07, 2022•59 min•Ep. 349
36-year-old Isaac Seidel disappeared from Blain, Pennsylvania, on September 12, 2021. By the time Isaac's loved ones realized that anything was wrong, Isaac had already missed a few days of work. When they went to his home, where Isaac lived alone, an eerie scene was left behind. Isaac's bicycle, backpack, and phone were missing, but everything else seemed to be there except Isaac. He had left chicken thawing in the sink. It appeared that he had decided to go for a bike ride and planned to be ba...
Jun 06, 2022•54 min•Ep. 348
Two months ago, we brought you the story of three missing people from Chickasha, Oklahoma, Teresa Kennedy, Bethany Tiner, and Rachel Lewis. One month later, on April 29, 2022, Teresa Kennedy was taken into custody. All three missing people were found alive and safe. At a moment’s notice, not only their lives, but those of so many others were turned upside down, possibly forever. You can donate to Teresa’s legal defense fund at findbethandmom.com/donate . If you have any information about the cha...
May 30, 2022•56 min•Ep. 347
Last week, we brought you the first two installments of Bill Jamison’s story. In Part 1, we discussed what occurred the night that Bill disappeared and the initial investigation into his disappearance. In Part 2, we went over all the strange things with Bill’s job and the people connected to his job who may have had a motive to harm Bill. Today, we will take a look at some other aspects of this case and discuss all the different theories that have emerged over the years. If you have any informat...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 346
In the early morning hours of March 27, 1981, Bill Jamison disappeared after a night out at a bar and stopping for a quick bite to eat at a diner. When Bill left the restaurant, it was a clear night in the mid to low the 40s. But something happened to Bill after he left the diner. The waitress who served Bill didn’t notice anything was wrong. Bill ordered the same thing he always got during his late-night stops. Bill finished his meal, walked out into the night, and disappeared forever. Yesterda...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 345
March 26, 1981, was just an ordinary day for 33-year-old William Jamison. He went to work at Haug Die Casting Company in Kenilworth, NJ, where he was the vice president of production. After work, Bill went to a restaurant for dinner. Bill’s next stop was the Chez Lounge inside Linden Lanes Bowling Alley in Linden, NJ. After spending several hours enjoying drinks and good conversation with friends and acquaintances, Bill left and stopped at the St. George Diner in Linden for a quick late-night me...
May 16, 2022•59 min•Ep. 344
17-year-old Andrea Cotten disappeared from Corsicana, Texas, in late January of 2004. In 2021, a local resident reached out to us about Andrea- the only missing person in Corsicana. So we started doing research and looking for people who knew her, and would talk to us. We learned that Andrea’s story was far bigger, more scandalous, and stranger than we could have imagined, all with Andrea, not yet an adult but not seemingly considered a child, at its center. There were stories that Andrea was la...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 343
19-year-old Judith Brown disappeared from New York City in April of 1977. Judith lived on her own, so her family wasn’t immediately aware that she was missing. Judith’s family learned she was missing when the FBI came knocking at their door. They were shocked to learn that Judith had disappeared along with someone else, a murderer who had escaped from a local mental health facility. More than 45 years later, both of them remain missing. For many years, Judith’s family kept quiet about this. It w...
May 02, 2022•57 min•Ep. 342
