The Trail Went Cold

November 16, 1982. An abandoned SUV is discovered in the middle of a desolate Wyoming prairie and numerous possessions are scattered all over the highway. The vehicle belongs to Don Kemp, a former New York City ad executive who has left his old life behind and vanished without a trace. In spite of an extensive search of the area, it is four years before Don’s skeletal remains are found on the prairie. However, five months after Don originally disappeared, one of his friends allegedly received a series of bizarre phone calls from him. Did Don die of exposure shortly after abandoning his vehicle? Or was he killed elsewhere before his remains were somehow returned to the prairie years later? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I analyze the very first case to ever be featured on “Unsolved Mysteries”. Additional Reading: https://unsolved.com/gallery/don-kemp/ https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Donald_Kemp The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed b

July 10, 1991. El Dorado, Arkansas. A young blonde woman known to her friends as “Mercedes” is shot to death by her estranged ex-boyfriend at a seedy motel. It turns out Mercedes has been living under a stolen identity and no one in her life – not even the man who murdered her – knows who she really is. An extensive check into the woman’s background turns up many pieces of a puzzle which does not fit together and investigators are unable to uncover her true identity. However, it is possible she might be connected to some other unsolved cold cases… including one we have previously featured on this very podcast! Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I share the story of the mysterious unidentified woman known as “El Dorado Jane Doe”. Please check out the Doe Network profile page for El Dorado Jane Doe, which contains her vital statistics, numerous photographs, and contact info for the proper authorities should you happen to recognize her: http://doenetwork.org/cases/81ufar.html Additional Readi

On April 9, 1997, Judy Smith, a 50-year old wife and mother from Newton, Massachusetts, decided to accompany her husband, Jeff, on a business trip to Philadelphia. The following day, Judy set out to do some sightseeing in the city while her husband attended a conference. When Jeff returned to their hotel that night, Judy was not there and she could not be found anywhere in the city. Five months later, Judy’s skeletal remains would be discovered in a mountainous area… 600 miles away in North Carolina! The evidence indicated foul play, but eyewitness sightings seemed to suggest that Judy had traveled to the area voluntarily. Did Judy take an impromptu 600-mile trip without telling her family and if so, how did she wind up dead in the Appalachian Mountains? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I analyze the truly baffling unexplained death of Judy Smith. Additional Reading: http://unsolved.com/archives/judy-smith http://citypaper.net/articles/071797/article010.shtml http://citypaper.net/article

April 26, 1980. Manchester, New Hampshire. Judith Rahn goes out of town, leaving her 14-year old daughter, Laureen, alone at their apartment. When Judith returns home late that night, she discovers that one of Laureen’s friends is sleeping in her bed, but Laureen herself is missing without explanation. Over the next few years, there would be several strange leads to suggest that Laureen somehow wound up in California, including some unexplained calls on Judith’s phone bill and an unlikely connection to a notable porn star. Each clue in this case seems to be a piece of a large jigsaw puzzle which doesn’t quite fit together. Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I attempt to analyze the truly bizarre unsolved disappearance of Laureen Rahn Additional Reading: http://charleyproject.org/case/laureen-ann-rahn The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

October 1, 2003. Naples, Florida. A Mexican national named Felipe Santos gets into a minor traffic accident and mysteriously disappears after being taken into custody by the police. Three months later, another Naples man named Terrance Williams also vanishes without explanation after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop. What makes this story so unusual is that both men were last seen being taken into custody by the same police officer: Corporal Steve Calkins. Was this all just a very bizarre coincidence or was Calkins responsible for the disappearance of both men? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I examine one of the most controversial missing persons cases of recent memory. Additional Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Terrance_Williams_and_Felipe_Santos http://charleyproject.org/case/terrance-deon-williams http://charleyproject.org/case/felipe-santos https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/11/tyler-perry-reward-missing-men/1826873/ The Trail Wen

December 22, 1981. 19-year old Rhonda Hinson attends an office Christmas party in Hickory, North Carolina. Sometime after midnight, Rhonda is driving back home when she is struck by a bullet fired from a high-powered rifle, killing her instantly and causing her car to crash into the ditch. Incredibly, the bullet manages to travel through the vehicle’s trunk, back seat, and driver’s seat, striking Rhonda in the heart and killing her instantly. The seemingly impossible fatal shot, along with a strange eyewitness sighting of an unidentified man at the scene, has led to debate about whether Rhonda was deliberately targeted or the unfortunate victim of a freak accident. Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I analyze the baffling murder of Rhonda Hinson. Additional Reading: http://unsolved.com/archives/rhonda-hinson http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/22/who-killed-rhonda-family-looks-for-answers-in-34-year-old-cold-case-murder.html http://www.morganton.com/news/rhonda-hinson-s-murder-turns/article_

January 5, 1994. A former Marine named David Cox vanishes from his home in Medfield, Massachusetts and is found shot to death three months later. In 1986, Cox had been involved in a controversial “Code Red” hazing incident while stationed at Guantanamo Bay, which would inspire the hit movie, “A Few Good Men”. When Cox saw the movie, he organized a lawsuit and became an outspoken critic of both the film and the U.S. military’s activities in Cuba. Did Cox’s actions eventually lead to his death? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I analyze the unsolved murder of David Cox. Additional Reading: https://unsolved.com/gallery/david-cox/ https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-04-10-1994100064-story.html The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 23, 1974. 17-year old Mary Rachel Trlica, 14-year old Lisa Renee Wilson and 9-year old Julie Ann Moseley, a.k.a. the “Fort Worth Three”, head on a shopping trip to a mall in Fort Worth, Texas. The three girls never return home and their abandoned car is found in the mall parking lot. The next morning, Rachel’s husband finds a strange mysterious letter in his mailbox which throws the whole case for a loop. Did Rachel actually write this letter and stage her own disappearance, or did something much more sinister happen? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I analyze the baffling unsolved disappearance of the “Fort Worth Three.” Additional Reading: http://charleyproject.org/case/mary-rachel-trlica http://charleyproject.org/case/lisa-renee-wilson http://charleyproject.org/case/julie-ann-moseley http://www.missingtrio.com/TRIO/index.aspx https://cw33.com/2014/12/24/40-years-later-vigil-for-missing-fort-worth-girls/ The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is

April 29, 1986. Lawton Oklahoma. A fifty-year-old housewife is killed in a flaming car crash, which is initially ruled to be accident. However, her husband uncovers strange evidence, suggesting that her death might be something far more sinister. After that, the trail went cold… Additional Reading: https://unsolved.com/gallery/aileen-conway/ The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.