The Vanished Podcast

On January 14, 2016, Ebonee Spears’ parents were desperately trying to get their thirty-year-old daughter some help. Ebonee hadn’t been acting like herself, possibly displaying signs of a mental health or medical crisis, and her family wanted to her to check in for an evaluation. As Ebonee’s family raced to help their daughter between the afternoon of January 14th and throughout the next day, strange things began to happen, and Ebonee Spears has not been seen since late in the evening of January 15, 2016. This week, we’re exploring the odd and extraordinary events leading up to Ebonee’s disappearance more than three years ago and looking into some of the more mysterious aspects of her case.If you have any information about Ebonee’s disappearance, please contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3686 or 910-343-3600.

On October 1, 2013, Jillanne Pagano abducted her 3 month old daughter, Lillianna, from Rocheport, MO. Lillianna’s parents, Tyler and Jillanne, had a falling out shortly after young Lillianna was born. One day, Tyler received a text message stating that Jillanne and Lillianna were going out of state. When he inquired further as to where they were going and for how long he received no answer. It would be more than five years before this case would get a big break.This episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Erika Gwynn. To find more of Erika's work, please check out her podcast at https://www.apexandabyss.com.

On September 30, 2011, 18-year-old Nieko Lisi went missing. Nieko was last seen in Addison, NY with his friend Robert Knight. Nieko and Robert went to Nieko’s uncle’s home around 2pm that afternoon. Nieko told his uncle that he and his friend were heading to Buffalo, New York to go camping. The pair were driving a pick-up truck that they claimed belonged to Robert’s grandfather, but this would later be proven to be untrue.The following day, Nieko spoke to his grandmother via telephone. Little did his family know, this would be the last time they would speak to him.A few days later, Nieko’s mother, Monica, got a letter in the mail that contained Nieko’s drivers license. According to the note attached to the license, it had been found in Hornell, NY which is about a 20 minute drive from where Nieko and his family lived. Nieko’s family members were already concerned given the fact that they had not heard from him in a few days, receiving the license in the mail sent them into a panic.Nieko Lisi was reported miss

On July 22, 2016, 25-year-old paramedic, Eric Pracht and his fiance had a small get together at their condo in Lakewood, Colorado. As the party was winding down and most of the guests had left, a disagreement between the pair and two people close to them, turned into more of an argument. According to those present, Eric took a walk to cool off. They waited for him to come back but Eric never returned. Despite extensive searches, no trace of Eric has ever been found. Eric’s disappearance is a baffling mystery with bizarre clues but they just haven’t found enough pieces of the puzzle to solve it.If you have any information about Eric’s disappearance, please call the Lakewood Police Department at (303) 987-7111.UPDATE- On April 23, 2020, a hiker found human remains in an area not far from where Eric disappeared. On April 24, 2020, it was announced that the remains were identified as Eric Pracht.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.

On May 31, 1995, 35-year-old Danny Lee Kelley disappeared from Gold Hill, Oregon. He had been staying with some friends when they called his family for help stating that he was acting strange, they thought he may need to go to the hospital. Several family members responded to the scene and witnessed Danny’s strange behavior, talking to people who weren’t there and acting paranoid. They attempted to get him in the car when he just took off running toward the Rogue River. His sister and her boyfriend chased after Danny but he was never seen or heard from again. His family has many theories on what happened to Danny from he simply drowned in the river to him staging this to disappear to Mexico. Nearly 24 years have passed since Danny disappeared and his oldest son, Shane, has renewed the efforts to find answers.If you have any information about Danny’s disappearance, please call the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 541-774-6800.

On the evening of November 3, 2018, 28-year-old veteran James Liedtka and his roommate joined some friends on a popular street in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for a night of celebrating a friend’s birthday. During that evening, James got separated from the group he was with. In the early morning hours of November 4, James was seen on a surveillance video walking behind a local bar in the direction of a bike path. That camera footage is the last known sighting of James. Extensive searches have been conducted but no trace of him has been found.If you have any information about the disappearance of James Liedtka, please contact the Eau Claire Police Department at 715-839-4972.You can follow James’ story on social media at www.facebook.com/BringJamesLiedtkaHome.

On February 4, 2011, the Texas Hill Country was experiencing some abnormally cold weather. It had been snowing in New Braunfels, and the temperatures dipped below 20 degrees. 18-month-old Joshua Davis was staying warm in bed with his mom watching movies when she realized he had crawled off. She got up to search for Joshua but he was nowhere to be found. A search ensued, but no trace of Joshua has ever been found. Joshua’s family maintains that he must have gotten out of the house or been taken by someone, but who? The New Braunfels Police Department believes that the answers to this story lie with the people who were in the house that day.If you have any information about Joshua’s disappearance, you can call the New Braunfels Police Department at 830-221-4100. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $4,000 for information in this case that leads to an arrest of grand jury indictment. To remain anonymous and to collect the reward, contact Crime Stoppers at 830-620-TIPS (8477) (or 1-800-640-8422)

Lisa Prescott was last seen on August 31, 2018 at her home in Griffin Park which is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. According to those who saw Lisa before she disappeared, it was around 6:00 PM that evening when she was spotted watching TV in her bedroom, already in her pajamas for the evening. This indicated to her niece, who was at her home at the time, that her aunt was staying in for the evening.Lisa was experiencing some severe health problems and it is said that she would not have been able to walk 100 yards by herself. Because of these health issues, Lisa’s sister-in-law came over to check on her the following morning. When she arrived, she noticed that Lisa’s door was unlocked and that her dog had been wandering around the house unattended. This was something that was very unusual behavior for Lisa. She never left her house unlocked and, if she wasn’t home, her dog would be crated. While searching through the house Lisa’s medication, phone, keys and purse were located, but no sign of Lisa.It has been

On May 3, 2017, 22-year-old Akia Eggleston was seen in Baltimore, Maryland on surveillance video withdrawing money from her bank account. She was 8 months pregnant with her second child and was unable to drive or even walk more than a short distance because her pregnancy was considered high-risk. After this bank transaction, Akia was never seen again. She was preparing to move to a new apartment and was planning her baby shower where she would share the gender of her baby with those she loved. Akia had two-year-old daughter, a son on the way, and her whole life in front of her. What happened to Akia after this bank transaction on May 3?If you have any information about Akia’s disappearance, you can call the Baltimore Police Department at 443-984-7385 or 410-396-2100. You can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 866-756-2587. Alternatively, you can contact the FBI at 410-265-8080.You can follow Akia’s story on social media at Missing Akia EgglestonSpecial thanks to Claudia Rivero and Rosemary Rad

During Easter of 2013, 37-year-old Ryan Blagojevic disappeared from the central harbor area of Portland, Maine. He had struggled with alcohol as a teen but when he suffered a severe brain injury in an accident a few years prior to his disappearance, it led to a more serious dependence on alcohol. Ryan had lived in the area for around two years— on the streets and in and out of shelters, so specifics about his life at this time are vague. What is known however, is that on the evening of March 31, 2013, he was intoxicated, kicked out of a shelter and the police were called. After they spoke with him and he went on his way — Ryan was never seen again.If you have information about Ryan’s disappearance, please call Detective Chris Giesecke at the Portland Maine Police Dept. at (207) 874-8593.You can follow Ryan's case on Facebook at Missing Ryan Blagojevic.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.This episode was sponsored by:Stamps.com- Go to Stamps.com and cli

On December 26, 2016, 58-year-old Lori Feltz disappeared from Cynthiana, KY. When Lori was young, she was in a terrible car accident. This accident killed her younger brother, who was a passenger in the vehicle, and Lori suffered a traumatic brain injury. This accident would change the course of her life forever. Lori, as a result of this injury, had intellectual disabilities, short term memory loss, seizures and required a caregiver to help her with daily tasks and make sure she took her medication.Around 9 AM on December 26, 2016, Lori was last seen leaving her house on Hick Hardy Road to walk up a path to go help her sister at the home next door. The path was only about 300 yards and this was a route she would walk on a regular basis for exercise. However, she never made it to see her sister. Her sister, Tricia, was expecting Lori and became concerned when she didn’t arrive but she couldn’t find Lori anywhere. Lori’s family members believe that it is possible that she became disoriented on her walk an

Around 11PM on August 16, 2017, 60-year-old Randy Cuddy left his residence in Apple Valley, California to head to work. Randy never made it to his place of employment and was never seen again. His car was found several weeks later in a remote area of the desert in Victorville, California. Randy’s family says that there are so many things that don’t add up about his disappearance, but the police maintain that there is no evidence that Randy met with foul play. What happened to Randy on his way to work on August 16th, 2017? Did he walk away from his life or did something far more sinister happen?If you have any information about Randy’s disappearance, please call the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office at 760-552-6800.You can follow Randy’s story on Facebook at Help Find Randy Cuddy: https://www.facebook.com/Help-Find-Randy-Cuddy-139620306778507/This episode was sponsored by:Lending Club- Go to LendingClub.com/Vanished to check your rate in minutes and borrow up to $40,000.Sleep Number- Y

43-year-old Donald Dugger was last seen in Warroad, Minnesota in the early morning hours of August 11th, 2012. Don was a trucker and had just returned to his place of employment to return the semi he was driving. His plan was to then drive his car back home. Don called his sister and explained that there were people outside of his truck and that he was concerned. She heard Donnie ask “what do you want? I am trying to cooperate.” He then told her that he was going to call 911, which he did. Police responded to the scene but the people Don had seen weren’t there. They left after speaking with Don and later returned to see him loading his personal belongings into his car from the semi. That is the last time anyone saw Donald Dugger. His car was later found abandoned on an ATV trail inside Beltrami Island State Forest.Over six and a half years later, Donald Dugger is still missing and his case remains unsolved.If you have any information about the disappearance of Donald Dugger, please contac

Dennis Day is known as being one of the original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers. He was just 12 years old back in 1955 when he was hired to appear on the show but that was a long time ago and only a small part of Dennis’ life. Fast forward 63 years to July 15, 2018, now 76-year-old Dennis Day allegedly told his roommate that he was going to visit some friends for a few days and left on foot with his dog from his home in Phoenix, Oregon. Two days prior, Dennis’ husband, Ernie, was taken to the hospital by ambulance after a fall. Ernie suffers from some memory problems, and was unable to describe what Dennis looked like currently, who his friends were, or if he had any family. In the eight months since Dennis disappeared, his loved ones have embarked on a mission to find out what happened to him, but have been left with more questions than answers.UPDATE- On April 4, 2019, remains were located inside Dennis Day’s home. The remains have not been identified yet.June 6, 2019 UPDATE- The remains found bac

On August 6, 2017, 17 year old James Candy climbed out of his bedroom window during the night and left his home in the Vegreville area of Alberta, Canada with only the clothes he was wearing and the lariat he used on the family farm. Earlier that evening, his parents had talked to him about his use of marijuana in their home after his mom found a small amount of it in the pocket of his jacket. Before he went to bed, he and his dad made plans to do some work the next day, agreed on a time, and said "I love you" to each other. This would be the last time James’ father spoke to his youngest son. The next day, his parents realized that he was missing and called the local police. Searches for James commenced, however, no trace of James has ever been found.If you have any information about James’ disappearance, you can call the Vegreville Royal Canadian Mounted Police at 780-632-2223.You can follow James’ story on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FindJamesCandyThis episode was sponsored by:Robinhood- Robi

On July 1, 2018, 28 year old Kevin Graves went missing while spending the weekend at the Electric Forest Music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan. Kevin was attending the music festival with his girlfriend and two of their friends when an alleged argument broke out between the couple. According to those with Kevin that day, he stormed off from them while acting erratic and he was never seen or heard from again.Kevin’s girlfriend notified the police that he was missing and she told his family that she couldn’t find him after the festival. Knowing this was unlike him, Kevin’s loved ones went into immediate action to try and find him.What they would uncover in their investigation would be a series of strange possibilities as to what happened to Kevin that day. They have considered everything from foul play to the idea that Kevin may have joined a cult.There is currently a $10,000 reward for information regarding his whereabouts.Anyone with information about the disappearance of Kevin Graves is asked to call the Oakl

On the afternoon of September 19, 1993, 28 year old Salvador Ramirez, or Sal as was known to loved ones, attended a family gathering at his brothers home in Yonkers, New York after dropping his mother off at JFK Airport. After the gathering, he played some soccer and then left to drive to Elmsford, New York, where he was to collect his two-year-old daughter from his estranged wife's home. A friend saw him driving in that direction but Sal was never seen again. In Part 1, you heard about the disappearance of 28-year-old Sal Ramirez. In Part 2, we are going to take a look at what has happened in the years since his disappearance and where the case stands today.If you have any information regarding Sal’s disappearance, please contact the Yonkers Police Department at 914-377-7731.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.

On the afternoon of September 19, 1993, 28 year old Salvador Ramirez, or Sal as was known to loved ones, attended a family gathering at his brothers home in Yonkers, New York after dropping his mother off at JFK Airport. After the gathering, he played some soccer and then left to drive to Elmsford, New York, where he was to collect his two-year-old daughter from his estranged wife's home. A friend saw him driving in that direction but Sal was never seen again. That was over twenty-five years ago. He has long been described as a man who lived for his baby daughter, had no reason to disappear and showed no signs of mental distress.If you have any information regarding Sal’s disappearance, please contact the Yonkers Police Department at 914-377-7731.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.

On February 17, 2009, 22 year old Laura Nimbach went missing. According to reports, Laura’s last interaction was with a police officer in St. Petersburg, FL. Laura allegedly told the officer that she had been at a domestic violence shelter the previous day, but had left for unknown reasons. Laura was in the midst of leaving a highly abusive relationship and was currently without a permanent place to stay. She had been bouncing around from friends homes to shelters. After this interaction Laura Nimbach told the officer she would make her way to another shelter, but after they parted ways Laura was never seen or heard from again. In the days following her disappearance, Laura was due to make an appearance in court to testify against her abuser, but she never showed up.If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Laura Nimbach please call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office 727-582-6333You can follow Laura's case on social media at What happened to Laura Nimbach.This episode was co-researched

On July 4, 2017, while Americans all over the United States were celebrating Independence Day with barbecues, fireworks, and quality family time, 9-year-old Kayla Unbehaun was spending time visiting her mother in Wheaton, Illinois. The following day, her father, Ryan Iskerka, left work and went to pick up his daughter, Kayla. However, when he arrived at Kayla’s mother’s residence, Kayla and her mother, Heather, were nowhere to be found. Heather’s father and uncle told Ryan that Heather had taken Kayla camping in Wisconsin but Ryan knew that something wasn’t right and immediately called police. In the 18 months that have passed since that day, Kayla and Heather have not been seen or heard from. Heather Unbehaun currently has an active warrant for felony kidnapping.Link to more information on sovereign citizens: https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2010/april/sovereigncitizens_041310/domestic-terrorism-the-sovereign-citizen-movementIf you have any information about Kayla’s disappearance, please c