The Vanished Podcast

On October 2, 1976, a farmer and his young granddaughter were riding a tractor through the fields of Seneca, Illinois. The farmer saw what he thought to be a deer laying in a ditch and wanted to show his granddaughter. As he approached, he found a young woman, nude, her head covered in a plastic bag and a sweater. The farmer drove back home and notified authorities. Soon after, the Grundy County Sheriff’s officers arrived and found a young black woman dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities tried to identify the woman but no one came forward. They were unable to match her to any missing persons reports. Six weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, she was buried in an unmarked grave in a local cemetery. 43 years later, she remains unidentified. On this episode of The Vanished, we are taking a look at the other side of missing persons cases; the unidentified.Jane Doe's case was re-opened last year. Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson and Chief Coroner John Callahan join us to speak about their mission to give

On May 27, 1999, 42-year-old Dale Williams, a body shop owner in Nucla, CO, got a phone call from a stranded motorist asking for assistance. Dale, being a well-liked and helpful individual, agreed to come to the aid of this stranded person. Though, this was not something he typically did in his line of work. A friend of Dale's was visiting his shop when the call came in and thought it was a woman based on the conversation.On his way to the motorist, Dale stopped and spoke to a friend of his at a local gas station and he indicated to them what he was up to while he was out and about that day, but he never told them exactly who he was going help. This interaction is the last confirmed time anyone saw or spoke to Dale Williams.Later, Dale’s wife called to see where her husband was. It was not unusual for Dale to lose track of time when he was focused on his work, but by the next morning and seeing no sign of Dale anywhere, his wife decided to report him missing.Dale’s pick-up truck was found later that year in J

On August 30, 2017, 23-year-old Terasi Niholimbele left the home that he shared with his wife and young daughter and a friend dropped him off at a residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He has not been seen or heard from since. In the 16 months since Terasi has disappeared, his family has struggled to find answers. In Part 1, we discussed the story of Terasi’s family’s journey to the United States to escape war and genocide in their home country. Terasi and his family came to the United States as refugees in 1998, when Terasi was only four years old. He quickly adapted to life in the US, but continued to struggle with some of the challenges faced by those who have been through such traumatic situations.If you have any information about Terasi’s disappearance, please contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-534-2121.You can follow Terasi’s case on Facebook at “Bring Terasi Home.” This episode was sponsored by:Ritual- Visit Ritual.com/Vanished to try their Essential for Women vitamins.Man Crates

On August 30, 2017, 23-year-old Terasi Niholimbele left the home that he shared with his wife and young daughter and a friend dropped him off at a residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He has not been seen or heard from since. In the 16 months since Terasi has disappeared, his family has struggled to find answers. If you have any information about Terasi’s disappearance, please contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-534-2121.You can follow Terasi’s case on Facebook at “Bring Terasi Home.” This episode was sponsored by:Lending Club- Go to LendingClub.com/Vanished to check your rate in minutes and borrow up to $40,000.Flamingo - Get the Flamingo shave set, a $22 value, for just $16 plus FREE SHIPPING when you visit ShopFlamingo.com/VANISHED.Quip- If you go to Getquip.com/vanished right now, you'll get your first refill pack FREE with a QUIP electric toothbrush.Brooklinen - Visit Brooklinen.com and use promo code MIA for $20 off AND free shipping.

On July 24, 2009, 82-year-old Peter Achermann was last seen in Staples, Minnesota. He had left his home in Leader, MN to run errands and he was spotted shopping in town. Peter’s wife expected him to be home between 2pm - 3pm that day, but Peter never returned.The following day, Peter’s ’95 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon was found about 10 miles from his home near a wooded area and his car looked like it was stuck in some mud. Inside of the vehicle was groceries and medication that Peter had picked up for his wife the previous day. However, the car keys and Peter’s walking cane were missing.According to Peter’s family he was in good health and was not experiencing any type of medical issue that would cause him to be confused and wander off, nor do they believe he would have any reason to walk away from his family.If you have any information or tips regarding the whereabouts of Peter Achermann please contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at (800) 450-2677 or (218) 547-1424.This episode was co-researched and

On the afternoon of April 26th, 2010, 16-year-old Alexandria Joy Lowitzer, or Ali as she was known, got off of her school bus across from her home in Spring, Texas. Ali, a sophomore at Spring High School, wanted to walk up to her new workplace, The Burger Barn. She had a paycheck to collect and she told her mom she might be able to pick up a shift that afternoon. Her mom, Jo Ann, was reluctant because Ali had only been working there a few weeks and she hadn’t walked there before. Ali pleaded with her mom until she gave in.Two boys got off the bus with Ali and noticed she lagged behind, not walking as she usually would towards her home, but going the opposite way, out of the neighbourhood in the direction of the Burger Barn.Ali didn't make it to The Burger Barn and was never seen or heard from again.If you have any information about the disappearance of Ali Lowitzer, please contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office 713-221-6000.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestla

53-year-old Mark Shearer was last seen on September 27, 2016 when his friend, Tom, stopped over to borrow a pair of bolt cutters. Mark's friends and sister began to notice that they hadn't heard from Mark and attempted to reach him by phone. They didn't get an answer and Mark never returned their calls. His friends stopped over but there was no sign of Mark. While at his house, they noticed some things that seemed out of place. They contacted the police to do a welfare check, they worried that he could have had a medical emergency inside the home but there was no trace of Mark. They reported Mark missing and the police realized that Mark's motorcycle had been found abandoned just days after he was last seen. Over two years have passed and they still have no clue what happened to Mark.If you have any information about the disappearance of Mark Shearer, please contact the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 602-534-2121 or Det. Christopher Jansen at (602) 495-2019. If you would like to remain

On September 26, 2016, 21-year-old Keeshae Jacobs told her mother, Toni, that she was going to spend the night at a friend’s house and that she would call the next morning. Keeshae never made it back to her home in Richmond, Virginia and Toni never heard from her daughter again. Keeshae’s mother immediately knew that this was not like her daughter and called family and then the police. In the two years since Keeshae has vanished, her brother has been murdered, and her mother has spent many sleepless nights looking for her daughter. This case is full of unanswered questions, mysterious characters and possibilities.If you have any information about the disappearance of Keeshae Jacobs, please call the Richmond Police Department at 804-801-4503. You can also leave an anonymous message with Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.You can follow Keeshae’s case on Facebook at Help Find Keeshae Jacobs.This episode was sponsored by:Sleep Number- Come in during the lowest prices of the season and save $400 on a Sleep Number 360

48-year-old Kathleen Mohn was last seen at her home in the Gulph Mills section of Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania on the evening of December 3, 1999. Kathleen had intended on spending the weekend in Levittown, Pennsylvania, just about a 40 minute drive from her home. At this time in her life, Kathleen was living with her husband, Thomas Mohn. After over 20 years of marriage, the two had become estranged and had begun openly seeing other people, but they still remained living under one roof. Kathleen had spent most weekends with her boyfriend in Levittown and this weekend in early December was no different. Her husband has said that she left the house around 9PM that evening but she never made it to her destination and her car was later found abandoned in Tullytown, PA.For the past 19 years, the police have had one suspect in mind, but their evidence is circumstantial. What they are certain of is that Kathleen didn’t just walk away from her life, the believe that she is a homicide victim.&nb

On the evening of February 16, 2018, 20-year old Ryan Shtuka went to a silent disco with some of his friends in the resort town of Sun Peaks, British Columbia. Later on that evening, he and his friends went to a house party nearby. In the early morning hours of the 17th, Ryan was seen getting up to leave the house party to head back home after a fun night. Nothing appeared to be wrong or out of the ordinary. His friends thought Ryan was right behind them as they walked back on that cold, February night. However, Ryan Shtuka would never be seen or heard from again. Extensive searches have been conducted for Ryan but no trace of him has been found. What happened to Ryan during his walk home in Sun Peaks remains a mystery.There is currently a $15,000 reward for any information regarding Ryan’s whereabouts. If you have any information about Ryan’s disappearance please contact Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.You can follow Ryan's case on Facebook at Missing: Ryan Shtuka.

On December 19, 2017, Nathaniel Holmes, who had just turned seventeen, went missing after being dropped off at his new school.  Nathaniel had been attending an online high school program but just five weeks before his disappearance, he had transferred Hidden Lake High School in Westminster, Colorado. On the morning of his disappearance, Nathaniel went to the principal’s office and said he needed to speak with with his friend, Anthony. The principal refused to take Anthony out of class. After that, Nathaniel walked out of the school and no one has seen him since.  If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Nathaniel Holmes, please call the Westminster police at 303-658-4360.There is currently a $10,000 reward being offered.  You can follow Nathaniel’s case on Facebook by joining the Bring Nathaniel Home group.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.This episode was sponsored by:Liquid I.V. - Use the code VANISHED to get 20% off yo

On February 22, 2018, 20-year-old Gabriel Cordova Tejada disappeared from his home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gabriel was a mechanical engineering major at the University of South Florida and had a mid-term exam that day. His mother, Angela, and brother, Carlos, came home around lunch time and realized that something was wrong. Gabriel was gone but all of his belongings were there, including the car he was supposed to drive to USF. They found a note on his phone that caused them to become alarmed and contact the police department. Gabriel has been missing for 9 months and no trace of him has been found.If you have any information about Gabriel Cordova Tejada’s disappearance, please contact the Saint Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.You can follow Gabriel’s case on Facebook at Help Find Gabriel Cordova Tejada.This episode was sponsored by:Quip- If you go to Getquip.com/vanished right now, you'll get your first refill pack FREE with a QUIP electric toothbrush.Liquid I.V. - Use t

36-year-old Jake Boyd disappeared from his Columbus, Ohio apartment in January of 2017. The last time he spoke to family was on January 5th but his roommate claims to have seen Jake leave on the 11th. According to his roommate, Jake left with two unknown people in a car to move to another town. Jake left behind his own car, his phone, tablet and various other items. Jake was never seen or heard from again.Jake's sister, Jamie, is desperately searching for answers but there aren't many leads to go on.If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Jake Boyd please contact Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or go to their website at www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip. You can also call the Columbus Police Department at 614-645-4545.If you would like to follow Jake’s case on social media, Jamie has set up a facebook page called Where is my brother, Jake Boyd?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&nb

On December 1, 2015, Katelin Michelle Akens flew across the country from her home in Arizona to visit her family in Virginia. She had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of her nephew, and wanted to see him as soon as he was born. Four days later, on December 5, 2015, 19-year-old Katelin was supposed to fly back home to Arizona, but she never boarded her flight. A few days after she disappeared, her luggage was found on the side of a Virginia road with her wallet, identification, cash, and plane ticket, but there was no sign of Katelin. On the afternoon of her disappearance, Katelin texted a couple people but they found the texts to be strange and didn't believe the messages came from Katelin. The last person to see Katelin was her former stepfather, James Branton. He says he last saw Katelin when he dropped her off at a mall several hours before her flight, but has refused to take a polygraph and law enforcement has struggled to break the encryption on his phone.Nearly three years have passed since Katelin

On May 3, 2006, 45-year-old Thomas Profitt disappeared from Winchester, Kentucky. He had told his daughter, Amanda, that he was going to come visit her and his newborn granddaughter in the hospital. Thomas never made it to the hospital and was never seen or heard from again. His maroon 1997 Buick Century went missing that day along with Thomas and has never been located. Thomas was known to be a family man and had told several people how excited he was to go meet his new granddaughter. The baby had arrived about 14 weeks early, and he was so relieved that she was born healthy. His case took a strange twist when his wife told police a completely different story. She said he left saying he was going to the river and she would never see him again. We spoke to Thomas’s two daughters, Amanda and Jeanie, for this episode as well as his sister, Darlene and the detective working his case.If you have any information about Thomas Profitt’s disappearance, you can call the Winchester, K

At 8:30 PM on December 9th, 2001, 38 year-old mother of three, Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, told her family that she was going Christmas shopping. She left the home in Stoneville, North Carolina in her green, 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport van with the North Carolina license plate “ROK-N-ON." She was headed for Martinsville, less than 20 miles away over the border into Virginia. Going shopping at night wasn’t unusual for her, and being right before Christmas and just days before her oldest daughter’s birthday, no one thought twice about it. But at midnight that night, Michele’s husband woke up their 14 year-old daughter, Amanda, worried that her mom had not come home.Michele never returned, and neither her, nor her van have ever been seen since.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Michele Hundley Smith, please contact the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office at 336-634-3232.You can follow Michele’s case on Facebook at Bring Michele Hundley Smith Home.The episode was co-researched and written by Ma

On June 24, 2002, 19-year-old Brookley Louks arrived home and realized that her Greenwood, Indiana apartment had been burglarized. She called 911 and police came to take a report. After that, she left the apartment around 5:30pm and a witness claimed to see her get into her blue 1990 Chevy Corsica. The witness saw her get into the passenger side and noticed that a man was driving. She phoned her mother and sister, Mista, that evening and said that she was going to spend the night at her boyfriend’s house. Her boyfriend lived a little over 30 minutes away. Brookley never made it to her boyfriend’s house and she has never been seen or heard from again. This case is full of unanswered questions, rumors, and possible suspects.More than sixteen years have passed since Brookley disappeared and her sister, Mista, is still searching for answers. Several of the people believed to be involved in this case have died, but Mista hasn’t given up on finding her sister.Anyone with information about Brookley’s case is ur

On the evening of February 7th 2018, 23-year-old tribal member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Khadijah Rose Britton was visiting a friend. She lived in the small Mendocino County community of Covelo, California. According to a witness, her ex-boyfriend; 37 year old Negie Fallis IV, and his new girlfriend; 20 year old, Antonia Bautista-Dalson pulled up in a black mercedes sedan.Negie was seen carrying a gun— said to be a small Derringer pistol, as he approached the door, and demanded that Khadijah come out to speak with him.A physical altercation broke out and Negie was seen chasing Khadijah around the car, which was being driven by his current girlfriend, he was seen hitting Khadijah, before shoving her into the car before speeding away with her in it.That witness didn’t come forward right away, and the details are murky.What we do know is, Khadijah Britton has never been seen or heard from again.At the time this episode was produced, her reward was $50,000 but has since been raised to $60,000. 

62-year-old Dan Jarski disappeared from Grant Park, Illinois on September 9, 2018. That morning, he fed his dog, took the key to his van and his driver’s license and left. Dan left his wallet and cell phone at home. His vehicle was recovered a few days later at a state park, but no trace of him has been found. Law enforcement agencies have conducted extensive searches for Dan using ATVs, drones, dogs, boats, and more. Dan’s wife Janace is looking for answers about why Dan disappeared and what may have happened to him.Anyone with information about Dan’s case is urged to call the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office at 815-933-3324 or Detective Brady Bertrand at 815-802-7159.You can follow Dan’s case on Facebook at Find Dan Jarski.UPDATE: Dan's remains were located in Kankakee River State Park on November 10, 2018.This episode was sponsored by:Betabrand-Get 20% off Betabrand's dress pant yoga pants by visiting betabrand.com and using code VANISHED.

31-year-old Jessica Earl was last seen in Tallapoosa, GA on June 8, 2018. Jessica was looking to purchase an ATV for her son's birthday. A man that Jessica had met just about a month earlier offered to help her find one to buy. In fact, he said he had a friend who was selling one. Jessica gave him the money but never received the ATV. She was very upset over this and tracked the man down to get her money back. The two had an argument and the man took Jessica’s car keys. Jessica decided to leave on foot and called a friend asking for a ride. That was the last time anyone heard from Jessica Earl. You can find more information and updates on her case on Facebook. The page is called: Missing Jessica Earl.The Haralson County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $1,000 reward for any information pertaining to Jessica’s whereabouts. Jessica’s family has also added a $13,000 reward.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Jessica Earl, please contact the Haralson County Sheriff's Office at 770-6