The Vanished Podcast

Wondery

<p>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?</p><p>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 <a href="http://wondery.com/shows/the-vanished-podcast/">wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/</a> now.</p>

  • 43 minutes
    Replay: Michele Hundley Smith - Located Alive

    This episode originally aired on October 28, 2018. It has been remastered and now includes new information at the end regarding significant developments in this case.

    At 8:30 PM on December 9, 2001, 38-year-old mother of three, Michele Lyn Hundley Smith, told her family she was going Christmas shopping. She left her home in Stoneville, North Carolina, driving her green 1995 Pontiac Trans Sport van with North Carolina license plate “ROK-N-ON.” She was headed to Martinsville, Virginia, less than 20 miles away.

    Shopping at night wasn’t unusual for Michele. It wasn't long before Christmas and shortly before her oldest daughter’s birthday. No one thought twice about it. But by midnight, Michele still hadn’t returned. Her husband woke their 14-year-old daughter, Amanda, concerned that something was wrong. Michele never came home.

    For more than 24 years, Michele’s disappearance remained unsolved. Then, in February 2026, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Michele had been located alive. 

    This re-release contains the original episode as it aired in 2018, followed by an update segment at the end discussing these recent developments.

    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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    2 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 5 minutes
    Travis Roberson

    On the evening of February 28, 2006, 23-year-old Travis Roberson traveled from his home in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, to downtown Fayetteville to attend a Mardi Gras celebration. He was there with friends, enjoying what was meant to be a night of music, crowds, and celebration. At some point during the evening, Travis told the others he wasn’t feeling well and said he was going to walk back to the car to wait until everyone was ready to leave. When the rest of the group returned to the vehicle later that night, Travis was nowhere to be found. At first, there was no immediate panic. Friends assumed Travis may have met someone or found another way home, and that he would call to let them know what was going on. But hours passed, then days, and that call never came.

    Travis’s family reported him missing to the Siloam Springs Police Department. Since Travis was last seen in downtown Fayetteville, police later said the case was transferred to the Fayetteville Police Department. What happened next would have long-lasting consequences. Due to a breakdown in communication between agencies, no one opened an active investigation into Travis’s disappearance. For years, each department believed the other was handling the case. In reality, no investigation was underway at all.

    By the time the error was discovered, critical time had been lost. Leads had gone cold, evidence was gone, and memories had faded. Nearly twenty years later, Travis Roberson’s family is still searching for answers about what happened to him that night.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Travis Roberson, please contact the Siloam Springs Police Department at 479-524-4118.

    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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    23 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 56 minutes 2 seconds
    Keyonta Davis

    Keyonta Davis disappeared from Baltimore, Maryland, just days after his twenty-first birthday in March of 2020. On his birthday, Keyonta stopped by his mother Angie’s home, and the two made plans to get together the following day so she could bake him a cake. The next day, Keyonta went to work and called Angie during his lunch break. Nothing about that conversation suggested anything was wrong, but he never showed up for that birthday cake, and Angie never heard from her son again.

    Keyonta was a young adult with disabilities who needed ongoing support as he moved into adulthood. He worked part-time at an adult day care center, a job he enjoyed and took pride in. Although he was no longer living at home, Keyonta stayed in regular contact with his mother and other family members. Disappearing without a word was completely out of character for him.

    In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Keyonta confided in Angie about the people he was living with. He told her they were taking his money and using the benefits he received because of his disability. Angie began to fear her son was being financially exploited. When she tried to step in and help, she was met with resistance. Keyonta insisted he could handle the situation himself.

    When Angie attempted to report her son missing, she said the Baltimore Police Department initially turned her away, telling her that Keyonta was an adult and did not have to stay in contact with family if he didn’t want to. But Angie knew something was wrong. With little help from authorities, she felt compelled to begin asking questions on her own. What she learned was deeply troubling.

    Although a missing persons case was eventually opened, Angie believes little effort was made to locate Keyonta or determine what happened to him. Nearly six years later, she continues to advocate for her son, pushing for answers and justice.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Keyonta Davis, please contact the Baltimore Police Department Missing Persons Unit at (443) 983-7385.

    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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    16 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 1 hour 23 seconds
    Michael Terrell Green

    In early March of 2020, 35-year-old Michael Green left his home in Winnfield, Louisiana. It wasn’t unusual for Michael to come and go, and a few days without hearing from him didn’t immediately raise concern. But as the days stretched on, his absence began to feel heavier. Michael was usually in touch, or at least visible somewhere around town. This time, he wasn’t.

    Michael's sister sent him messages, but Michael didn’t respond. That alone was unsettling. In mid-March, she sent him a message on Facebook Messenger, saying their mother was worried and asking him to get in touch. She could see that Michael’s account was active, a small sign that he was still out there. Then, that too was gone. Deactivated, it vanished just like Michael himself had.

    Michael's family reported him missing to the Winnfield Police Department, and horrifying rumors about what happened to him quickly spread around town. Nearly six years later, the question of what happened to Michael Green remains unanswered.

    If you have any information about Michael’s disappearance, please contact the Winnfield Police Department at 318-628-3511.

    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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    9 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 33 minutes
    Replay: Joan Bernal Part 2

    Joan Bernal's episodes originally aired in October 2020. In December of 1988, Joan Bernal, her husband, and their children had plans to leave their home in Joliet, Illinois, and head to Texas to visit her husband’s family for the holidays. Things didn’t go as planned, and they weren’t able to bring Joan’s children from a previous marriage due to custody issues. According to Joan’s husband, Gil, they decided to make the trip anyway. He later told investigators that Joan became upset during the drive and that he dropped her off near a bus stop in McAlester, Oklahoma, and gave her cash so she could return to Illinois. The plan, he said, was for Joan to pick up her other children and then fly to Texas to meet them. Joan Bernal has never been seen or heard from again.

    Over the years, this case has been marked by conflicting accounts, unanswered questions, and lingering uncertainty about what truly happened to Joan. Investigators and Joan’s loved ones have wrestled with whether she could still be alive, whether foul play was involved, and why no verified trace of her has ever surfaced.

    Update:

    In December 2025, 37 years after Joan Bernal was last seen, the case took a significant turn. A Will County grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging Joan’s husband, Gilbert Bernal, with first-degree murder in connection with her disappearance. Stay tuned through the end of Part 2 for more details on the recent developments in this case.

    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 2026, 8:00 am
  • 54 minutes 55 seconds
    Replay: Joan Bernal Part 1

    Joan Bernal's episodes originally aired in October 2020. In December of 1988, Joan Bernal, her husband, and their children had plans to leave their home in Joliet, Illinois, and head to Texas to visit her husband’s family for the holidays. Things didn’t go as planned, and they weren’t able to bring Joan’s children from a previous marriage due to custody issues. According to Joan’s husband, Gil, they decided to make the trip anyway. He later told investigators that Joan became upset during the drive and that he dropped her off near a bus stop in McAlester, Oklahoma, and gave her cash so she could return to Illinois. The plan, he said, was for Joan to pick up her other children and then fly to Texas to meet them. Joan Bernal has never been seen or heard from again.

    Over the years, this case has been marked by conflicting accounts, unanswered questions, and lingering uncertainty about what truly happened to Joan. Investigators and Joan’s loved ones have wrestled with whether she could still be alive, whether foul play was involved, and why no verified trace of her has ever surfaced.

    Update:

    In December 2025, 37 years after Joan Bernal was last seen, the case took a significant turn. A Will County grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging Joan’s husband, Gilbert Bernal, with first-degree murder in connection with her disappearance. Stay tuned through the end of Part 2 for more details on the recent developments in this case.

    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.

    2 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    Amy McHale

    On June 13, 2016, 44-year-old Amy McHale said goodbye to her mother and left her home in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nothing about that moment suggested it would be the last time her family would see her, but it was.

    In the early morning hours of June 14, Amy called her daughter, Amanda, and left a voicemail. When Amanda listened to the message later that morning, it didn’t raise any immediate alarm bells, but when she tried to call her mother back, it went straight to voicemail. In the message, Amy said she was staying at her ex-husband’s house, something she did from time to time. At first, no one was overly concerned. Amy was an adult who had her own routines, and everyone assumed she would resurface, as she always had before. As hours turned into days with no word, concern for Amy began to grow. Amy’s ex-husband told family members that she had been at his home when he went to bed on the night of June 13, but when he woke up the next morning, Amy was gone. From that point forward, there were no confirmed sightings or clear answers about where she may have gone.

    Nearly a decade has passed since Amy vanished, and her loved ones are still searching for answers, holding onto hope that someone knows what happened and will finally decide to step forward.

    If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Amy McHale, please contact the Philadelphia Police Department at (215) 686-3013.

    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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    26 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    Dan Davis

    In the days leading up to Thanksgiving 2025, the family and friends of 59-year-old Daniel Davis began to grow increasingly concerned. Dan was known as deeply reliable. His coworkers couldn’t even remember him missing a single day of work in decades. Much of Dan’s life revolved around his job at 115 Bourbon Street, a well-known music venue in Merrionette Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb just outside the city of Chicago.

    They soon learned that Dan had been involved in a car accident late on the night of Monday, November 24. After the crash, Dan was dropped off at his workplace, where he walked inside and briefly greeted the two remaining coworkers. In the early morning hours of November 25, Dan was seen walking away from 115 Bourbon Street.

    Once Dan's loved ones learned about the accident, questions immediately followed. Where was he, and why wasn’t he answering calls or text messages? Had Dan sought medical attention afterward? As hours passed without contact, it became clear that something was wrong. Dan was reported missing to the Chicago Police Department, and surveillance footage began to surface.

    Almost immediately, they noticed something troubling. The surveillance footage was bizarre, but it didn’t clearly point to what had happened or where Dan might have gone. When they entered his apartment, they found items left in a manner out of character, deepening the confusion rather than providing answers. The final known surveillance video of Dan was recorded on Wednesday, November 26, around 6:30 p.m. Dan was seen exiting a church in Blue Island, Illinois, a community just south of Chicago. After that moment, Dan Davis vanished without a trace.

    Despite exhaustive search efforts by law enforcement, family, friends, and volunteers, no further confirmed sightings or answers have emerged. Nearly two months later, what happened to Dan Davis remains a mystery.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Dan Davis, please contact the Chicago Police Department Area 2 Special Victims Unit at (312) 747-8274.

    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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    19 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Robert Maguire

    On January 12, 2025, 50-year-old Robert Maguire, known to those closest to him as Bobby, said goodbye to his father and boarded a bus in Wilmington, Delaware. His destination was Scranton, Pennsylvania. Those cities are only about 2 to 3 hours apart, but the route the bus Bobby boarded included a stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, where he was expected to transfer to a second bus bound for Scranton. On the other end of the trip, Bobby’s cousin was waiting for a call to let him know he had arrived and was ready to be picked up. That call never came.

    At first, the silence did not raise an immediate alarm. Bobby’s cousin assumed he had decided not to make the trip. His family in Delaware believed he had arrived safely. As more time passed with no word from Bobby, those assumptions fell away, and the family realized something was wrong. What makes Bobby’s disappearance especially difficult is the uncertainty of where it occurred. Somewhere between Wilmington, New York City, and Scranton, Bobby vanished. With multiple buses, a major transit hub, and time unaccounted for, his last confirmed location remains unclear. This has left his family unsure where to focus their search. One year later, they’re still searching for answers.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Robert Maguire, please contact the Wilmington Police Department at (302) 654-5151.

    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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    12 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    Kaila Vincent Vatole

    On the afternoon of January 8, 2023, deputies from the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a trespassing call in Dow, Illinois. A landowner reported seeing two men riding across his fields: one on a four-wheeler and the other driving a blue Buick. When deputies caught up with one of the men, he explained that he was searching for his girlfriend, 39-year-old Kaila Vincent Vatole, who had left their residence earlier that day. He said he didn’t know which direction she had gone, but he was worried about her and told deputies she might be suicidal.

    Given the seriousness of the situation, a search for Kaila began immediately. Deputies arrived on scene shortly after 2 p.m., and, with daylight already fading in the winter months, a helicopter was requested to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall. Several other agencies were called in to assist with the search efforts. Deputies went door to door, asking neighbors if anyone had seen Kaila, but no one had. It was as if she had simply vanished without a trace. The sheriff then contacted the Illinois State Police to request an aircraft equipped with heat-sensing technology, hoping it could locate Kaila. The pilot identified several heat signatures, but each proved to be an empty well or a culvert.

    They began pinging Kaila’s phone. A deputy also attempted to call her several times, and that's when it was heard ringing inside the house under a pile of clothing. At that point, investigators realized Kaila had left without her phone, eliminating what might have been their strongest digital trail. In the days that followed, deputies returned to the area to search, but no trace of Kaila was found. More than three years later, what happened to Kaila Vincent Vatole remains unknown.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Kaila Vincent Vatole, please contact the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office at 618-498-6881.

    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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    5 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Replay: Margaret "Kay-Alana" Turner Part 2 - The Shattered Window

    Kay-Alana Turner’s episodes first aired in November 2023. On March 9, 2023, 27-year-old Kay-Alana Turner left a friend’s home in Silsbee, Texas, and began driving toward Austin, about four hours away, apparently to visit a friend. In the days leading up to March 9, Kay-Alana had not been sleeping well and did not seem quite like herself. In the early morning hours of March 10, witnesses in Hockley and Tomball, Texas, interacted with Kay-Alana after she asked if she could sleep in their driveways. By that time, her phone had died.

    Around 6 a.m., a homeowner in the Holly Creek Estates subdivision in Tomball noticed Kay-Alana’s car parked in their driveway, with Kay-Alana asleep inside. The homeowner contacted someone from the homeowner’s association and nearby neighbors. As several people gathered around the vehicle and attempted to wake her, Kay-Alana became frightened. When she tried to leave, her car was blocked. An officer from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office then broke the driver's side window of her vehicle.

    Kay-Alana fled first by driving through a yard and across nearby farmland, then into a wooded area where her car became stuck. Deputies pursued her on foot. Kay-Alana ran into the woods, dropping her phone along the way and later removing her shoes, which were filled with glass from the broken window. In the days that followed, her loved ones compared accounts and came to believe that Kay-Alana had been experiencing a mental health crisis that night. Despite extensive searches of the area where she was last seen, no further trace of her was found beyond her phone and shoes.

    On April 19, 2024, after more than a year of searching, Kay-Alana Turner’s remains were found by Texas Equusearch in Montgomery County, Texas, less than 1,000 feet from where her car had been abandoned on March 10, 2023. She was positively identified through dental records. Due to the condition of her remains, the medical examiner ruled the cause of death as undetermined, with the manner classified as accidental, noting no evidence of foul play.

    In the months that followed, body camera footage from Kay-Alana’s initial encounter with Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies was released, sparking concern and controversy. In the footage, deputies were heard making joking and disparaging remarks about Kay-Alana, including comments about her appearance after viewing her identification. The footage intensified scrutiny of the response to Kay-Alana on the day she disappeared and raised broader questions about how law enforcement handles encounters involving individuals experiencing medical or mental health crises.

    Kay-Alana Turner was laid to rest in November 2024. Her family continues to seek accountability and hopes her story leads to meaningful change, believing that compassion and understanding could have made a critical difference that day.

    Photo Credit: James Blaign Rambo

    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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    30 December 2025, 8:00 am
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