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 or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/ now.
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.
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32-year-old Alana Carroll was last seen by her family on August 15, 2023. It was typical for Alana to check in with her family frequently, so they became increasingly concerned when several days passed without any communication from her. Her grandmother, Joyce, ultimately decided to report Alana missing to the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses later reported seeing Alana at a property she often visited in Battle Ground, Washington, but the timing of these sightings was unclear. There were also unverified claims from others who said they had seen Alana into September and October. As rumors began to circulate, unsettling stories about Alana's disappearance spread, leaving her loved ones unsure of what to believe.
Nearly a year later, news emerged about a person of interest in the case, but was this case closed or just another story?
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Alana Carroll, please contact Detective Arvizo with the Clark County Sheriff's Office at 564-397-2028.
If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.
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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.
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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.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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:
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We first shared the story of Eric Franks’ disappearance in October 2021. While his case is still unsolved, we have significant new information to share with you nearly three years after our original episodes aired, which could potentially shed light on this mystery.
In March 2011, 38-year-old Eric Franks disappeared from Saginaw, Michigan. In 2010, Eric learned he had a teenage daughter, so he traveled to the Saginaw area to connect with her. Eric went radio silent in early March, but then his family began receiving emails from Eric periodically. They went along with this for a time, as they had no reason to question that Eric was sending the emails. Still, something was off about the whole thing, and later, they decided to report Eric missing. Over the last 13 years, a bizarre string of events has unfolded, unraveling disturbing clues about what may have happened and who may be responsible for Eric’s disappearance.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Eric Franks, please call the Michigan State Police at 989-495-5555.
If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On the night of October 20, 1972, 26-year-old Patricia Wagner left her Jersey City apartment for a coffee date with her new boyfriend, Dennis. Her mother, Marie, agreed to watch Patty's two young sons, Kenny and Michael, for a few hours. Before leaving, Patty's oldest son, Kenny, begged her not to go. He was overcome by a bad feeling about his mother going out that night, but he didn't know why. Patty reassured her young son that she would return later and headed out of her apartment for her date. That was the last known sighting of Patricia Wagner. Patty never came home, and her family never heard from her again. Although Patty's mother quickly jumped into action to report her daughter missing, Patty's case went ice cold. Decades later, a younger family member became determined to do what she could to find her long-lost cousin.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Patricia Jane Wagner, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000.
You can follow the efforts to find Patty on social media at "Where Is Patricia Jane Wagner?" Be sure to follow Madison's page and Facebook group, "AVoice4TheLost."
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:
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the early days of the show, I came across a website called haveyouseenandy.com. The website focused on the case of Andy Puglisi, a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from a pool in Lawrence, MA, in August 1976. Andy's friend, Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, created and maintained the website. Melanie had previously directed an HBO documentary about Andy's case, which won an Emmy in 2008 for Outstanding Investigative Journalism.
When I contacted Melanie to inquire about featuring Andy on the show, I was surprised that she responded and agreed, given my limited experience in podcasting at the time. After Andy's original episode aired, Melanie and I stayed in touch, and she even provided her expertise when we covered similar cases from that era.
Through her research, Melanie discovered that there were more missing and murdered children with stories similar to Andy's. This realization led her to shift her focus from Andy's individual case to a broader perspective, uncovering shocking new information along the way. Melanie always expressed a desire to continue telling Andy's story after realizing that this story was more extensive than just one boy disappearing from a pool in 1976.
Melanie often discussed a project she was working on during our conversations. This project that she was chipping away at, a podcast called Open Investigation, is set to be released starting September 3. Melanie joined us again this week to discuss the developments in Andy's case and tell us about her podcast. The trailer is available today, and the first episode will be released tomorrow. You can subscribe to Open Investigation now wherever you listen to 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:
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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