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 or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/ now.

  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Replay: Toby Anderson

    At just 16 years old, Toby Anderson found himself tangled in a web of trouble. His teenage years were marked by hardship, pushing him to act out in ways that strained his relationships. Sent to a juvenile facility in Northern California, Toby was shuffled between different family members, struggling to find stability. Then, without warning, he vanished. Everyone assumed he had run away, a plausible scenario given his troubled past.

    Toby's father searched for him, reaching out to relatives across the country in hopes of tracking him down. But Toby never turned up. When his father passed away, the search slowly faded into the background.

    Decades later, a determined cousin became intrigued by the mystery surrounding Toby. As she dug deeper, she began to uncover startling truths that contradicted what she had been told. What she uncovered was not just puzzling, it was terrifying.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Toby Anderson, please contact the Oregon State Police at (541) 776-6236.

    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:

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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.

    3 March 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Shannon Merry

    It was Easter Sunday in 2013 when Shannon Merry's family last heard from her. During a phone call with her mother, who was in North Carolina while Shannon was in Ronkonkoma, New York, they had a disagreement, and the conversation ended on a sour note. After the call, Shannon's mother did not hear from her again and assumed that her daughter was upset. As time passed, Shannon's friends also noticed her absence; she stopped texting, calling, and posting on social media. Their concern grew as days turned into weeks, then months, and eventually years. Seven years later, they were finally able to have Shannon reported as a missing person.

    However, the considerable time that had passed since anyone had heard from Shannon posed significant challenges for law enforcement in their investigation. The lack of immediate leads, fading of physical evidence, and difficulties in tracking down new information after such a long period hindered investigators' efforts to piece together what happened to Shannon Merry.

    Today, Shannon's loved ones are appealing to the public for leads, hoping that someone will come forward with vital information. They believe that even the smallest clue could make a significant difference in their search and remain hopeful that the public’s assistance will bring them closer to finding Shannon.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Shannon Merry, please call the Suffolk County Police Department Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or 911.

    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:

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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.

    24 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Roberta Michels-Hopkins

    In February of 1981, Roberta Michels-Hopkins, a 29-year-old mother of two, disappeared from Camden, New Jersey, without a trace. The story goes that she left her home, heading out to buy a pack of cigarettes, and never returned. Roberta's sister said she received a phone call from the man Roberta was in a relationship with, asking if she had seen or heard from Roberta. This phone call prompted her sister to try to report Roberta as missing. However, no official record of a missing persons report was filed until 41 years later. Roberta's sister was told that Roberta had the right to disappear if she wanted to. It was as if Roberta had vanished, slipping through the cracks of time, and her name became seemingly forgotten.

    Roberta's son, who was an infant at the time of her disappearance, spent much of his childhood in foster care, lost in a world without answers. Years later, he had a daughter named Trinity, who would unknowingly step into a mystery much larger than she could have imagined. In 2019, just for fun, Trinity sent a DNA sample to one of those commercial databases, never expecting it to lead her to the unsettling truth that her grandmother had vanished and, shockingly, that no one had been searching for her.

    What began as a simple curiosity soon became an obsession for Trinity. She dug deeper, uncovering a tangled web of unanswered questions and missing pieces. By 2022, she had ensured that Roberta's disappearance was finally acknowledged by law enforcement, officially reporting her grandmother as a missing person. But how did Roberta's story remain buried for so long? The mystery still lingers, and Trinity is determined to uncover the truth.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Roberta Michels-Hopkins, please contact Detective Geoffrey Chiumento of the Cinnaminson Township Police Department at 856-829-6667, ext. 2075, or the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554.

    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:

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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.

    17 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Tamala "Nikki" Wells

    In early August 2012, 33-year-old Tamala “Nikki” Wells vanished from her Detroit, Michigan, home under mysterious circumstances, leaving her family in a state of confusion and despair. The last person to see Tamala, her boyfriend, claims she drove off from their home on the evening of August 6th in a white 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix, but after that, she disappeared without a trace.

    The following morning, Tamala’s mother, Donna, received a chilling call from her young granddaughter. She revealed that Tamala had not come home, sparking immediate concern. Donna, who lived in Florida, rushed to Detroit to help search for her daughter. What followed was a series of unsettling discoveries. Tamala’s car, reportedly driven by her on the night she disappeared, was found abandoned in a different part of town, but Tamala herself was nowhere to be found.

    As days turned into weeks, the case began to go cold. However, Tamala’s family believes that the investigation was mishandled from the start and that there is still hope of finding her. They are convinced that with a fresh look and renewed effort, this case could be solved.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Tamala "Nikki" Wells, please contact the Detroit Police Department at (313) 596-2200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.

    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:

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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.

    10 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 57 minutes 25 seconds
    Jeremy Lawrence

    On August 20, 2023, 39-year-old Jeremy Lawrence visited his girlfriend and newborn daughter at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. After spending time with them, he left the hospital around 5:30 PM, planning to ride his ATV roughly 70 miles to his parents' home in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. About an hour later, around 6:30 PM, he was seen on surveillance footage. After 7 PM, his mother, Debbie, began to worry. She had expected him to return by that time. 

    Debbie began calling Jeremy's phone, and just before 7:30 PM, Jeremy texted Debbie, asking, "What's up?" Minutes later, Jeremy was spotted on surveillance footage once again. At 7:34 PM, Jeremy replied to Debbie, "Not close. When do you think I left?" Then, at 7:49 PM, he texted again, "I'll call in a little while." However, the promised call never came, and Debbie's concern deepened as the hours passed without any word from her son. Starting around 9:00 PM, Debbie began repeatedly calling Jeremy, but there was no answer. She tried to reassure herself, thinking he might be unable to hear the calls over the noise of the ATV.

    Around 10:00 PM, Jeremy finally picked up the phone. His brief and unsettling response, "Stop calling," was followed by the call abruptly ending. That was the last time Debbie would hear from her son. Jeremy's phone soon powered down or died. By the following morning, Jeremy had still not made it to his parents' home, prompting Debbie to report her son missing.

    In the months that followed, questions about Jeremy's personal life and relationships emerged, leaving those closest to him searching for answers about what might have been happening in his life leading up to his disappearance. As of now, nearly 18 months later, his family and friends continue their search, holding onto hope that Jeremy will one day be found.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Jeremy Lawrence, please call the Duluth Police Department at 218-730-5400.

    You can follow developments in Jeremy's case on the Find Jeremy 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:

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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.

    3 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 53 minutes 37 seconds
    Darrel Johnson Part 2: Triangle Beneath the Stars

    In late June 2024, Darrel Johnson traveled from Phoenix to a remote state park in northeastern New Mexico with 33 other campers. They were celebrating the birthday of a woman’s daughter, who some described as Darrel’s girlfriend while others referred to her simply as a friend. Reports indicate that Darrel arrived at the campground around 11 AM on June 28 and spent the rest of the day there. It has been suggested that an argument occurred between Darrel and another man, identified as the woman’s boyfriend; however, this account of the evening has been disputed.

    Around 11 PM that night, Darrel’s companion reportedly checked on him in his tent to see if he was okay. Darrel assured her that he was fine. However, by 7 AM the following morning, he was missing from his tent, and no one in the group knew where he had gone. Initially, the campers were not alarmed, assuming that Darrel had gone for a walk, perhaps to the restrooms.

    When Darrel did not return, they contacted authorities to report him missing. Investigating officers spoke with nearby campers and discovered that shortly after midnight, one witness believed Darrel approached their group and asked to borrow a flashlight. After receiving the flashlight, he was seen walking away, initially heading along the shoreline before turning back toward his campsite. After that, Darrel was never seen or heard from again.

    Back in Phoenix, Darrel’s family was stunned to learn from the New Mexico State Police that he was missing. They hadn’t even known he had left town. His son and daughter-in-law quickly packed up their family and drove nine hours to assist in the search.

    As days turned to weeks without new leads, tensions began to rise between Darrel’s family and the group he had camped with. Darrel’s family became suspicious, feeling that the others must know more than they were revealing. They started to notice discrepancies in the stories they were being told. Meanwhile, the family of the woman Darrel had traveled with felt they were being unfairly accused of his disappearance. The situation became increasingly tense, and communication between the two sides ultimately broke down.

    More than six months later, the investigation remains at a standstill. However, Darrel’s family refuses to give up their search, holding onto hope that answers will eventually be found.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Darrel Johnson, please call the New Mexico State Police at 505-425-6771.

    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:

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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.

    27 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 56 minutes 27 seconds
    Darrel Johnson Part 1: Where the Trail Ends

    On June 28, 2024, Darrel Johnson left his home in Phoenix, Arizona, and traveled to Conchas Lake State Park in New Mexico to join a group of over 30 people camping there for a birthday celebration. The group arrived and settled into their campsite. According to those camping with him, Darrel was last seen around 11 PM that night.

    However, a fellow camper, who was not part of Darrel's group, reported seeing him after midnight. This camper recalled that the individual he believed was Darrel asked to borrow a flashlight and was then seen walking back toward his campsite with it in hand. That was the last sighting of Darrel Johnson. What happened to him after that moment remains a mystery.

    In the months that followed, Darrel's family launched an intensive search, determined to find any clue that would lead them to him. Despite their relentless efforts, not a single trace of Darrel has been uncovered.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Darrel Johnson, please call the New Mexico State Police at 505-425-6771.

    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:

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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.

    20 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    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 [email protected].

    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:

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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.

    13 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 19 minutes
    Katherine Hammontre Sundquist

    In April 2019, Katherine Hammontre Sundquist embarked on a hike with friends and her beloved dog, Tootsie, in a national park near San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. Their destination was a picturesque waterfall. Before the hike, Katherine had injured her foot, and not long after beginning the trek, she informed her friends that her foot was hurting. She decided to stay back at the first set of pools with Tootsie while the others continued on to the waterfall. It would take the group approximately 50 minutes to reach the waterfall and return to where Katherine was waiting. However, by the time the group returned, both Kat and Tootsie had vanished. Despite extensive searches of the area, no trace of either Katherine or Tootsie has ever been found. As news of Kat’s disappearance spread, rumors began to circulate within the community of San Felipe. People pointed fingers in various directions, but more than five years later, the mystery of what happened to Katherine Hammontre Sundquist remains unsolved.

    You can follow Desiree’s efforts on social media at Katerine is still missing.  

    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:

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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.

    6 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 58 minutes 51 seconds
    Replay: Isaac Seidel Part 2 - The Last Ride

    Yesterday, we shared the first part of Isaac Seidel's story, providing insight into his life and the events leading up to his disappearance. You learned that Isaac vanished along with his bike, phone, and backpack, leaving behind everything else at his home. Isaac hadn't mentioned to anyone that he had plans to go anywhere. In fact, it appeared that Isaac was simply going about his usual Sunday routine. He had chicken thawing, something he regularly did to prep meals for the week. It seemed he set out for a bike ride, intending to return in time for dinner. But something happened to Isaac, and several years later, his whereabouts remain unknown.

    If you have any information about Isaac Seidel’s disappearance, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at (717) 567-3110. Isaac’s dark green Cannondale bicycle is also missing.

    Megan has a social media page for Isaac to help spread awareness. You can follow her over on Facebook at Find Isaac Seidel

    If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is open 24/7 at 800-273-8255.

    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:

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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.

    31 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 53 minutes 48 seconds
    Replay: Isaac Seidel Part 1 - A Simple Life

    Isaac Seidel, a 36-year-old man from Blain, Pennsylvania, disappeared on September 12, 2021. His loved ones grew concerned when Isaac missed several days of work, prompting them to visit his home. There, they discovered a chilling scene: Isaac, who lived alone, was gone, but his bicycle, backpack, and phone were missing. Everything else seemed untouched, including chicken thawing in the sink, suggesting he had planned to return home to cook dinner.

    Initially, Isaac’s family feared he might have suffered a tragic accident, and they began combing the roads near his home, searching ditches and ravines, but found no trace of him. Now, several years later, they continue to search for answers, holding onto hope that they will uncover the truth behind his disappearance.

    If you have any information regarding Isaac Seidel’s whereabouts, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at (717) 567-3110. Isaac was last seen with his dark green Cannondale bicycle.

    You can follow Isaac's case on social media at Find Isaac Seidel

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    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:

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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.

    30 December 2024, 8:00 am
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