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The Vanished Podcast

Wondery

The Vanished is a true crime podcast that explores the stories of those who have gone missing. The Vanished goes beyond conventional news reports to take a deep dive into the story of a different missing person each week. Host Marissa Jones brings you exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement and experts. What will The Vanished uncover next?

Listen to The Vanished on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/ now.

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Our Editor's Take

When a missing person alert appears, the world pays attention. What happens when the story fades from the front page and the news cycles to the next big thing? How do the families keep hope alive? Are the cases ever solved? The Vanished Podcast has the answers.

Every story in The Vanished Podcast is different. But they all have a common thread: the people left behind and the loved ones begging for answers. Marissa Jones picks up the case files and talks to those involved. Jones finds common ground with the people she talks to. That's because her grandfather disappeared in 1928. The Vanished Podcast is perfect for those who love true crime.

Most people never experience the heartache of having a loved one go missing. But for lovers of true crime, scrutinizing stories of the lost provides thrills. Jones digs into the details of some of the most significant missing-person cases. Some cases date back many years, and some are more recent. Every time a case goes cold, it seems like a new situation refreshes the lines of investigation. The Vanished Podcast puts each case under the microscope and takes listeners along for the ride.

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True CrimeTrue Crime

Episodes

Andi Wagner
Today
Andi Wagner
In early August 2022, 24-year-old Andi Wagner mysteriously vanished from Evansville, Indiana. On August 6th, she briefly visited her grandparents' house before heading out. Andi's destination was unknown. Later, she was with a man she knew. He claimed Andi left his home either late on the evening of the 6th or in the early morning hours of the 7th. Oddly, evidence showed that the phone Andi was using continued to ping at that location until the afternoon of the 7th. In the wake of her disappearance, conflicting stories began to emerge about who Andi had been with and when, muddying the details of what transpired when Andi vanished. Despite extensive search efforts, no trace of Andi Wagner has ever been found.For a time, Andi's case drew national attention, but it also attracted the involvement of individuals with questionable motives, shifting focus away from the search for her. Over time, her disappearance has become almost mythical in local lore, amplifying rumors and speculation. Nearly two and a half years later, Andi's loved ones continue their tireless pursuit of answers, determined to uncover the truth behind her sudden and unexplained disappearance.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Andi Wagner please call the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7896.The Kingsman Philanthropic Corp. is currently offering a $25,000 reward; tips may also be submitted by calling or texting 930-212-2610 or emailing tips@therealkingsman.org.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Replay: Barbara Cotton Part 2 - A Tangled Web
24-12-2024
Replay: Barbara Cotton Part 2 - A Tangled Web
On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton vanished without a trace from Williston, North Dakota. A bright and ambitious young woman, Barbara had big dreams for her future. She was saving money for her first apartment, which she planned to rent when she turned 16 that fall. But those dreams were abruptly shattered on that chilly spring evening when Barbara disappeared, seemingly into thin air.To this day, piecing together even the most basic details about that night remains a challenge. Who was the last person to see Barbara, and at what time? How can we verify these accounts after so many years? Conflicting stories and missing pieces of the puzzle make it difficult to discern the truth. However, the investigation into Barbara's disappearance has not been forgotten, and there is a renewed drive to uncover what really happened. With each passing day, more people are committed to uncovering the truth—and they may be getting closer to solving the mystery.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Barbara Cotton, please contact the Williston Police Department at 701-577-1212.You can follow Barb’s story on social media at Find Barb Cotton. You can find more information at FindBarbCotton.com, and check out Dakota Spotlight wherever you get your podcasts.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Replay: Barbara Cotton Part 1 - A Lost Girl
23-12-2024
Replay: Barbara Cotton Part 1 - A Lost Girl
On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton vanished without a trace from Williston, North Dakota. Her mother, Louise, immediately began contacting Barbara’s friends, hoping to learn to find her. When no one had seen her, Louise reported her daughter missing to the Williston Police Department and passed along any tips she received. However, as the weeks and months passed, there was no sign of Barbara, and the case went cold. To those closest to her, it seemed as though little was being done to locate her, fueling their suspicions that the investigation was stagnant. The prevailing assumption at the time was that Barbara may have run away, a common conclusion for missing teens in that era.However, decades later, the case remains unsolved, and there is now a renewed push to uncover the truth behind Barbara Cotton’s disappearance. Many questions remain unanswered, and the search for answers continues.If you have any information about Barbara Cotton’s disappearance, please contact the Williston Police Department at 701-577-1212.You can follow Barb’s story on social media at Find Barb Cotton. You can find more information at FindBarbCotton.com, and check out Dakota Spotlight wherever you get your podcasts.Support us by supporting our sponsors!If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Anastasia Ferriera
16-12-2024
Anastasia Ferriera
Nineteen-year-old Anastasia Ferreira, affectionately known as "Stasia" by those closest to her, was the kind of person who couldn't help but be noticed. Though Anastasia stood just around 4'11", her personality loomed large, making her impossible to overlook. She was a vibrant force of nature to her family: a ball of energy with a heart big enough to embrace everyone she encountered. As a child, Anastasia was a daredevil, fearlessly climbing swing sets to the highest bar and filming herself spinning on ceiling fans. Her loved ones remember her as adventurous and bold, someone who constantly pushed boundaries and wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. Yet, beneath that fearless exterior was a young woman shaped by early childhood trauma and a relentless desire for stability in a chaotic world.In mid-March 2023, Stasia vanished without a trace from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The details surrounding her disappearance are as perplexing as they are devastating. One moment, Anastasia was engaging with friends and posting on social media; the next, she was gone, leaving her family in a state of agony, desperately searching for answers in the face of her sudden and unexplained absence.Upon learning that Anastasia was missing, her family began searching the streets of Albuquerque for clues about what may have happened to her. They began hearing a flurry of stories that seemed conflicting. Nearly two years later, they are still sifting through the puzzle pieces they have gathered, hoping that the truth will come into focus.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Anastasia Ferreira, please call the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-242-2677.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bethany Collins Buckles Part 2: Targeted
02-12-2024
Bethany Collins Buckles Part 2: Targeted
Last week, you heard Part 1 of Bethany Collins Buckles’ story. You learned about her life, struggles, and sudden disappearance just as she planned for her mother’s Thanksgiving visit. Jolinda had expected to hear from Bethany, but she grew concerned when the call didn’t come. At the time, Jolinda was in Atlanta, hours away from Bethany’s condo in Asheville. She contacted the Asheville Police Department, requesting a welfare check. Officers reported that no one was home, and Bethany’s car was missing.When Jolinda finally arrived in Asheville, she discovered something even more troubling—Bethany’s dog had been left alone in the apartment for days without food or water, which was out of character for her daughter. Yet, there was no sign of a struggle inside the condo. Jolinda immediately reported Bethany missing, and the investigation began. Authorities traced Bethany’s phone, which appeared to be moving around the Asheville and Swannanoa areas before going radio silent. Then, months later, in February 2022, a break in the case came when Bethany’s car was found in a grocery store parking lot not far from her Asheville condo and near where her phone had been pinging in late November. But the mystery deepened; whoever had left the car there managed to avoid detection, and no one had seen anything.This week, we will dive deeper into the mystery of what happened to Bethany and explore why she may have been targeted. What were the circumstances leading up to her disappearance, and who might have been involved? We’ll examine the details surrounding the car’s discovery and the investigation that followed, as we search for answers to this puzzling case.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Bethany Collins Buckles, please contact Detective Kevin Taylor from the Asheville Police Department at 828-259-5945.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bethany Collins Buckles Part 1: Thanksgiving
25-11-2024
Bethany Collins Buckles Part 1: Thanksgiving
In the week leading up to Thanksgiving 2021, Bethany Collins Buckles was making holiday plans with her mother, Jolinda. Bethany was at her condo in Asheville, North Carolina, while Jolinda was at her home in Atlanta, Georgia. Jolinda planned to drive to Asheville for the holiday, and they were creating a shopping list to send to the grocery store for pick-up. This way, they would have everything they needed to prepare Thanksgiving dinner once Jolinda arrived in town. Before ending their call, they agreed to finalize their plans the next day. However, Jolinda never heard from Bethany again. Concerned and unable to drive to Bethany's condo from Atlanta, she contacted the Asheville Police Department to request a welfare check. An officer reported back that no one was home and that Bethany's car was not parked outside. When Jolinda eventually arrived in Asheville, she went to Bethany's condo and discovered that her little dog had been left locked inside for days without food or water, which was very unlike Bethany. This prompted Jolinda to report her daughter as missing. As the investigation into Bethany's disappearance began, the authorities uncovered several strange clues. Years later, those clues have still not led to any breakthroughs in finding Bethany.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Bethany Collins Buckles, please contact Detective Kevin Taylor from the Asheville Police Department at 828-259-5945.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Braonain McGinnis
18-11-2024
Braonain McGinnis
The 2023 holiday season was already in full swing, with many of us busy wrapping gifts and preparing for festive gatherings, when 24-year-old Braonain McGinnis quietly vanished from his home in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Braonain and his mother, Patricia, worked opposite shifts, so it wasn't unusual for them to miss each other except for brief moments when coming or going. Therefore, Patricia did not immediately notice that her son was missing. Initially, she thought Braonain was at work and, later on, that he was simply asleep in his room. However, when Patricia realized Braonain had disappeared, she reported him missing to the Anne Arundel County Police Department, who began investigating his whereabouts on December 21, 2023. Christmas passed with no word from Braonain, and then New Year's came, deepening their concerns. A couple of weeks after Braonain was last seen, his family was shocked to learn that his vehicle had been found abandoned over 2,000 miles away in the mountains of Arizona. Extensive searches ensued, but no trace of Braonain McGinnis was ever found. It has been nearly a year since Braonain vanished, and his loved ones have worked tirelessly to try to piece together the clues that he left behind. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Braonain McGinnis, please call the Coconino County Sheriff's Office at 928-774-4523 or 1-800-338-7888 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111. You may also contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department at (410) 222-8050.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April Geyer and Roseanna Forcum
11-11-2024
April Geyer and Roseanna Forcum
The summer of 1998 was coming to a close when two young women disappeared from the St. Cloud area of Minnesota. April Geyer was 21 years old, and Roseanna Forcum was just 15. April and Rose had only recently become acquainted. Although they ran in the same social circle, it wasn’t immediately clear that the girls had vanished together. At that time, we were approaching the end of an era when most people didn’t own cell phones. You had to wait until you reached your destination or found a pay phone to call home and inform your parents about your plans and when you would return. As April and Rose’s families independently searched for them, they eventually realized they weren’t alone. Two years later, an informant came forward with information indicating that April and Rose were together when they disappeared, even identifying a suspect believed to be their killer. Despite extensive searches, April and Rose were never found. Now, twenty-six years later, their families are determined to bring their stories back into the light, hoping to finally uncover the truth.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of April Geyer and Roseanna Forcum, please contact the BCA tip line at 877-996-6222.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cameron Sequeira Part 2: Threads of Deception
28-10-2024
Cameron Sequeira Part 2: Threads of Deception
Last week, you heard Part 1 of Cameron Sequeira’s story. Cameron disappeared from Forest Lakes, Arizona, in June 2010, along with his dog, Zero. Cameron’s parents were told that he dropped off his 2-year-old daughter with his girlfriend’s great-grandmother, Louise, before leaving to walk his dog. Louise attempted to report Cameron missing the following day after he failed to return to pick up his daughter; however, an officer said she had to wait until Cameron was missing for more than 24 hours. Zero later came back without a collar or leash.In the days that followed, chaos ensued when another resident of the same property fled the state with his infant son. Cameron’s parents learned about a rift between this man and Cameron, which led them to question whether this man's departure was connected to Cameron’s disappearance or merely a coincidence, perhaps motivated by a desire to protect his child. Join us as we delve deeper into this mystery and unravel what may have happened to Cameron Sequeira.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cameron Sequeira, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523 or 1-800-338-7888. To remain anonymous, you may call Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cameron Sequeira Part 1: Missing on the Mountain
21-10-2024
Cameron Sequeira Part 1: Missing on the Mountain
It was late June 2010 when 32-year-old Cameron Sequeira disappeared from Forest Lakes, Arizona. The story goes that Cameron left his young daughter with one of his girlfriend's relatives and then went for a walk with his beloved dog, Zero. Zero returned a couple of days later, but no one ever saw or heard from Cameron again. His parents were alerted that their son was missing, and they traveled from their home in Oregon to Arizona to aid in the search efforts to find Cameron. When they arrived in Forest Lakes, the whole situation wasn't adding up. Days after Cameron had vanished, authorities were alerted that a man living on the same property had fled the area with his infant son. Now, law enforcement had two mysteries on their hands. Were these events related? More than 14 years later, Cameron's family is still piecing together the clues to figure out what happened to their son.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cameron Sequeira, please call the Coconino County Sheriff's Office at 928-774-4523 or 1-800-338-7888. If you wish to remain anonymous, please call Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Goldie Thornsberry Part 2: Injustice
14-10-2024
Goldie Thornsberry Part 2: Injustice
Last week, we shared the first installment of Goldie Thornsberry’s story. You learned that she disappeared from Fayetteville, Arkansas, in early 1996. Goldie was reported missing after her bank noticed strange activity on her checking account. When the investigation began, officers went to Goldie’s apartment and were greeted by one of her daughters, who said Goldie wasn’t home; she was traveling to visit family members. This story shifted with time about where exactly Goldie planned to go and whom she was traveling to visit. Investigators contacted relatives who said they hadn’t seen or heard from Goldie. Goldie’s daughter and son-in-law were later charged with forgery after investigators determined they were using her checks. They became the main suspects in Goldie’s disappearance. Still, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t find Goldie or any hard evidence to prove what happened to her. In 2010, there was a remarkable development in the case after one of Goldie’s former neighbors saw a news story about a Jane Doe who was found inside of a well in Little Rock in 2000 and thought it was Goldie. After a DNA comparison came back indicating it was, in fact, Goldie, they could finally move forward with the case. While there was a mountain of circumstantial evidence against Goldie's daughter and son-in-law, would it be enough for a conviction?If you have any information about the murder of Goldie Thornsberry, please call the Fayetteville Police Department at 479-587-3555.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Goldie Thornsberry Part 1: The Woman in the Well
07-10-2024
Goldie Thornsberry Part 1: The Woman in the Well
In the summer of 2000, two development consultants were surveying land on Cantrell Road in Little Rock, Arkansas, when they noticed a drainage area and decided to investigate its source. Venturing a short distance into the woods, they stumbled upon a well. One of the workers thought he saw something at the bottom and prodded it with a stick. As the object shifted, it became evident that it was a human skull. That's when they decided it was time to call the Little Rock Police Department.Human remains were retrieved from the well, and it was later confirmed that the victim was a woman. Unable to match Jane Doe to any missing persons reports in the area, her case quickly went ice cold.Ten years later, the police department had a clay recreation made of what Jane Doe may have looked like, hoping that a visual representation of the woman might trigger someone's memory. One evening in Little Rock, a man who had lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the 90s saw the clay bust on the news and was struck by its resemblance to his former neighbor, Goldie Thornsberry, who had disappeared in 1996. He contacted the authorities, and that tip took a cold case that some had hoped time had forgotten off the shelf and thrust it back into the spotlight.If you have any information about the murder of Goldie Thornsberry, please call the Fayetteville Police Department at 479-587-3555.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Zyanya Valora
30-09-2024
Zyanya Valora
On June 24, 2024, 21-year-old Zyanya Valora stayed up late after her parents went to bed. In the early morning hours of June 25, around 2:30 AM, she is believed to have left their home in Ojai, California. Her family suspects she was barefoot and wearing a tank top and shorts.Later that morning, Zyanya's parents assumed she was simply sleeping in, as young people often do. However, around 11 AM, her mother, Damaris, discovered that her daughter was not in her room or anywhere inside their home. Concerned, Damaris called her husband at work and began searching the neighborhood. After failing to find Zyanya, Damaris reported her daughter missing.An extensive search was conducted for Zyanya, who has Autism and is considered at-risk. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office, along with other agencies, dedicated five days to searching the area. Unfortunately, despite these extensive efforts, no trace of Zyanya Valora has been found.If you have any information about Zyanya Valora's disappearance, please contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Office at (805) 654-9511.You can follow the search efforts for Zyanya at Find Zyanya Valora. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lawrence Hammett
23-09-2024
Lawrence Hammett
On the afternoon of June 24, 2023, 41-year-old Lawrence Hammett was transferred from Montrose Regional Health to Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colorado. Approximately two hours later, a staff member attempted to call Lawrence back, but he was gone. No one knew that Lawrence had been transferred to a hospital roughly two and a half hours away, and they began to notice that they stopped seeing him around town. Weeks passed without word, and Lawrence's loved ones began comparing notes. No one had heard from him. They searched around Montrose, but there was no trace of Lawrence there. Eventually, Lawrence's sister contacted the Montrose Police Department to file a missing persons report, and they told her that he had been in the hospital and was transferred to Durango. This news moved their search more than 100 miles away, and by that time, the camera footage from June 24 was long gone. They didn't have any clues to point them in the direction that Lawrence may have gone or if he had left with someone.More than a year later, Lawrence's loved ones are still picking up the pieces, searching for any information that could help bring the puzzle of what happened to him into focus. If you have any information about Lawrence Hammett's disappearance, please call the Durango Police Department at 970-375-4700.If you are in the area and want to help, Lawrence's loved ones are planning a search party in Durango on Oct 5, 2024. You can find more information on the Bring Lawrence Home Facebook page.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.