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Vanished

“The past is filled with incredible mysteries; the clues to solving them all around; hidden in plain sight. But these stories begin with some of the most famous vanishings in history." Join attorney Jennifer Taylor and investigator Chris Williamson as they re-open some of the biggest disappearance cases in all of history. Chasing clues, witnesses and new information Jennifer and Chris will take you on the ride of a lifetime and uncover new evidence in some of the biggest historical cold cases ever; some of which the world won't be ready to believe. "Vanished" is a ChrisEvan Films production, and part of the Straight Up Strange podcast network.

  • 39 minutes 48 seconds
    S3 Ep10: Vanished: Amelia Earhart "Summer 2019 (Part 2)"
    On July 5th 2020, we walked away from the Amelia Earhart case as a team. After over a year of recording and almost two years in production, we ended what I thought was the final conversation we’d have on this show regarding Amelia Earhart. 

    Well, you know how that goes…..

    2 weeks ago, on January 26th, a very intriguing sonar image of what appears to be an aircraft 16,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific was revealed by Tony Romeo and Deep Sea Vision - a team that had been searching in that area for any remnants they could find of the holy grail of aviation. Sometimes, when you’re searching for a needle in the biggest haystack on the face of the earth, you produce a miracle. 

    Tonight, for one night only, we return to our audience and re-open the case that we left over 4 years ago. 

    Suddenly, it’s the summer of 2019 again. And Jen Taylor hasn't missed a step. 

    This is a line I never thought I’d say again. Welcome back to Vanished. This is Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan.

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING
    • Is This Amelia Earhart’s Long-Lost Plane? @ The Wall Street Journal
    • Liz Smith’s Dateline Theory Blog 
    • Tantalizing Theories About the Earhart Disappearance @ History

    10 February 2024, 2:38 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    S3 Ep9: Vanished: The Mary Celeste "Abandoned Ship" (Live)
    It’s December 5th, 1872. The waters of the Atlantic are cold and desolate. Unforgiving. 

    A British brigantine, the Dei Gratia sits about 400 miles east of the Azores when crew members spot a ship that seems to just be bobbing on the endless waves -  lifeless in an ocean that seems to never end.   

    The Captain of the Dei Gratia, David Morehouse was surprised when he discovered that the ship his men were seeing, was none other than the Mary Celeste - a brigantine that left New York City eight days earlier bound for Genoa, Italy. Surely, they should have made it by now, he thought. Something must be wrong. 

    Under the order of Captain Morehouse, the Dei Gratia changes course in an attempt to investigate the seemingly abandoned ship. 

    Upon arrival at the Celeste, Morehouse sends a search party that includes first mate Oliver Deveau and second mate John Wright to board the brigantine and begin a search. Among the many strange things that the De Gratia crew discovered upon boarding the ship, was that her vessels were set, her cargo intact, but her crew of ten, including Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, and their two-year- old daughter was nowhere to be found. Below deck, the ship’s charts and maps were a mess, but present. It’s only lifeboat was missing, and one of it’s two pumps had been strangely disassembled. There was over a 6 month supply of both food and water, but no one aboard the ship to consume it. 

    The absence of life aboard the Celeste immediately fueled rumors and speculation, that still send shivers down the spines of some of modern day’s most seasoned nautical investigators.

    Again, under orders of Captain Morehouse, the crew of the Dei Gratia took control of the abandoned ship and sailed it 800 miles to Gibraltar where a British court convened a salvage hearing to determine if the spoils of the Mary Celeste would be divided up amongst the crew of the Dei Gratia under maritime salvage insurance law. 

    The case wouldn’t be so cut and dry though, as the attorney general in charge of the inquiry, Frederick Solly - Flood, suspected that foul play may have played a part in the mysterious vanishing of the ship’s crew. That is where tonight’s story begins. 

    Welcome back to Vanished. This is the Mary Celeste. 

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING
    • What Happened to the Mary Celeste? @ History
    • The Chilling Mystery Of The Mary Celeste, The Ghost Ship Found Empty In The Atlantic In 1872 @ All Things Interesting
    • The Incredible and Chilling Story of the Mary Celeste @ Modeler's Central
    27 November 2023, 12:15 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    S3 Ep8: Vanished: Amy Johnson "Skyfall"
    It’s January 5th 1941, the skies are gray and filled with water, ready at any minute to pour down to the Earth below. Amy Johnson, whom many people referred to as the British Amelia Earhart, is soaring through the air, her eyes fixed on the horizon, her heart beating with excitement and trepidation. Little does she know that she’s about to live the final moments of her life. 

    Up to this point, the flight has been uneventful, but as Johnson approaches the Thames Estuary, she begins to encounter poor weather conditions. This is, as they say, where story ends and theory begins.

    The exact cause of the accident that led to Johnson's death is still unclear. But in recent years, an alternate explanation to what history says happened that day has been offered. And it’s one that calls to a more tragic ending to one of aviation’s biggest icon’s. A woman’s name you’ve likely never heard of….until now. 

    Welcome back to Vanished. This is Amy Johnson.

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 
    • Mysterious demise of pioneering aviator Amy @ London News Online 
    • The Distinguished Career Of Pioneering British Aviator Amy Johnson @ Simple Flying
    • The ongoing mystery of Hull pilot Amy Johnson who died 81 years ago today @ Hull Daily Mail 
    • Amy Johnson: Death of pioneering aviator 'may have been covered up' @ Independent 

    21 May 2023, 8:26 pm
  • 28 minutes 20 seconds
    S3 Ep7: Vanished: Zodiac "Epilogue"
    Welcome back to a very different part 4 than we thought we’d have. I guess that’s how it goes in these cases right? When you follow the evidence, wherever it leads, sometimes what it uncovers, or doesn’t may surprise you. 

    Trial by Jury is now behind us, and if you’re listening to this, hopefully you’ve made your own conclusions about what was presented during that part of the series. Does it compel you? Are you convinced? Maybe we were able to present enough of a case to make you want to consider the fact that the man known as the Zodiac, wasn’t one man at all. 

    At any rate, we’re leaving San Francisco - off to other cases. But we couldn’t leave without giving you our final thoughts on what we took from trial, and discussing the toll that we deal with in creating this show for you, our audience.

    It’s not without its risk, and as you’ll soon discover, it’s not without fallout. This is the epilogue for our series on the man known only as Zodiac. 

    2 May 2023, 12:35 am
  • 3 hours 6 minutes
    S3 Ep6: Vanished: Zodiac "Trial by Jury"
    Despite countless investigations and numerous suspects over the years, the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains a mystery to this day. But what would it take to try this case in modern times? In order to build a strong case, new looks at Zodiac would need to start with a deep dive back into the original evidence, including potential DNA samples, fingerprints, and any other forensic evidence that might have been overlooked in the past - and that’s what we’re trying to do here. 

    In recent years, one suspect has started to attract the attention of a few modern day investigators, and that attention is beginning to shift the focus back to a man that holds a very interesting position in the case as we’ve come to know it. 

    Tonight, we’re going to unpack a story that might be a little head scratching at first, but as you’ll hear, the theory we’re about to put forth, has roots that run very deep into Zodiac mythology. In fact, it has a lot to do with a suspect that, if you’re familiar at all with this case, you’ll know. But there's a twist to this story - one that plays right into the Zodiac’s potential motives by playing directly to the ego that seemed to be at the center for every decision he ever made.

    When we started our look at this case, I really didn’t know where it would take us. After hearing what you’ll hear tonight, I’m more convinced than ever that we have identified the Zodiac killer. Or maybe I should say Zodiac killers.

    Welcome back to Vanished. This is a trial by jury for Don Cheney and Arthur Leigh Allen. 

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING

    19 April 2023, 1:58 am
  • 2 hours 56 minutes
    S3 Ep5: Vanished: Zodiac “Many Undiscovered Victims”
    You ever heard the phrase slippery slope? Well, we’re all on one right now. This is what it’s like. An overload of information coming at you in rapid succession. Maybe that’ll be a looming theme over this season. So, in the interest and perhaps celebration of speed, Jen and I have decided to hold our thoughts on the case for a discussion that will come at the end of our series in a format we’ve only done once before on this show.

    Zodiac has been hiding behind a mask and a moniker for far too long - using them as way to inflict power over the victims he choose to bring unspeakable harm to.  Now it's time that we take back that power. Welcome back to Vanished and our multi part series on the man known as Zodiac.

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING
    • Nine Zodiac Killer Suspects And The Disturbing Stories Behind Them @ATI
    • The Zodiac Ciphers: What Cryptologists Know @ History
    • Has The Zodiac Killer Mystery Been Solved (Again)? @LosAngeles Magazine
    • Sighting In on The Zodiac Killer: Unmasking America's Most Puzzling Unsolved Murders by Drew Beeson @ Amazon
    • Drew Beeson's DrewTube Page 
    3 April 2023, 2:19 am
  • 2 hours 57 minutes
    S3 Ep4: Vanished: Zodiac "Sick of Living, Unwilling to Die"
    The upscale neighborhood of Presidio Heights; in the north side of San Francisco - is a whole world unto itself. You can get anywhere in the city 30 minutes from here. Walking distance to Golden Gate Park with stunning views of the bay. Today, it’s known as one of the safest neighborhoods in Northern California. 

    In downtown San Francisco, the sounds of the sirens fill the neighborhoods. In the late 1960’s, the city was a beacon of peace, light, and freedom to love anyway you wanted. 

    What a time to live. 

    In 1967, RollingStone was created among the inspiration of music that dominated radio, and every corner of the city. As important as that was, the city served as ground zero for civil rights battles, anti war demonstrations and the rise of the black power movement. 

    The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by brothers Charles and Michael De Young. And it’s a massive part of our next story. But we’ll talk about that later. 

    The 60’s weren’t all love and light though. One story made things really dark. A story that loomed over the country and the world like a storm that just wouldn't stop coming. A still unidentified man, relentlessly stalked the San Francisco bay area, striking abject terror into the hearts of it’s citizens for years to come. When all was said and done, our next subject claimed the lives of five victims and has been reportedly credited with up to 32 more, all the while, taunting newspapers, and the media with his crimes. 

    Sound familiar? 

    We’ve covered a lot of bad people on this show. Serial killers, hijackers, pirates, and assassins. But only one of them is known world wide by a symbol and single name that still fascinates and horrifies everyone that’s ever investigated him. 

    Welcome back to Vanished, and our multi part investigation into the man known only as Zodiac.

    LINKS SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 
    18 March 2023, 6:30 am
  • 55 minutes 1 second
    S3 Ep3: Vanished: Judge Crater "Good Time Joe"
    The dive into this case has been unmeasurable. What I thought was a case that wouldn't interest me at all, has now become an obsession.

    Funny how that works out.

    As we wind down our investigation into the vanishing of Judge Joe Crater, we thought it would be beneficial to bring in an expert on the case to educate us all on what researching Crater is like, and how it changes you as a person.

    Tonight, as we end our series, we’re joined by Stephen Riegel, Author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York to help us dissect August 6th, 1930, as well as Crater’s mindset, actions, and perhaps the reasons behind those actions. 

    No matter what you think about what happened on August the 6th, I think we can all agree that Judge Joe Crater, should go down in history as one of the most influential disappearance cases of all time.

    For now, let’s wrap things up. This is part three of our series on Judge Crater.

    Links Show Notes & Further Reading
    14 November 2022, 4:30 am
  • 1 hour 56 minutes
    S3 Ep2: Vanished: Judge Crater "Judge Crater, Call Your Office"
    Disappearances are always hard to understand. 

    Most of the time, we’re looking for someone that was taken from us against their will. Sometimes, they’re a mystery that we can’t explain. Every once in a while though, the disappearance is voluntary, and maybe that’s what we’re dealing with here. 

    Was Judge Joe Crater murdered? Or did he stage an elaborate exit leaving his wife, friends, and colleagues scratching their heads in frustration? On the night of August the 6th 1930, Crater stepped out of a well-known steak house and into a cab on the streets of New York never to be seen again. Or, maybe not.

    In part two of our series, we’ll dig deeper into those questions, and we’ll try to make sense of the timeline leading up to August the 6th. Season 3 continues as we welcome you back to Vanished: Judge Crater.

    Links Show Notes & Further Reading


    7 October 2022, 12:04 am
  • 38 minutes 14 seconds
    S3 Ep1: Vanished: Judge Crater "The Missingest Man in New York"
    August 25th, 1930, was the first day of the New York Supreme Court's fall term. But its newest judge didn't show up for court. Justice Joseph Crater's lifelong ambition was to be a judge. By all accounts, he was ecstatic at his recent appointment to the bench by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. But his seat on the bench this day was inexplicably empty. In fact, no one had seen justice crater in 19 days, when he cleaned out his office, cashed a couple of checks for a fairly large sum of money, had dinner with a friend then got into a taxi, never to be seen again.

    He left behind a frantic wife, a veritable harem of mistresses, and a brewing political scandal, but no solid evidence as to where he might have gone, or what might have happened to him. Could justice Crater have been the victim of the political machine, blackmail, or his own hubris? Was this the work of organized crime or a random act of violence? Or did he simply walk away of his own volition and start a new life in Chicago, California, or Canada?

    Season 3 has arrived.

    Welcome to Vanished: Judge Crater.

    Links     Show Notes & Further Reading
    19 September 2022, 12:03 am
  • 2 hours 21 minutes
    S2 Ep14: Vanished: Henry Every "All Hail the Pirate King"
    When we were last together, we spoke of DB Cooper, and the only unsolved case of air piracy in US history. Tonight, we take piracy to a whole new level. 
    In the late 1600’s, in just a two year period, a single man would lead a mutiny aboard a ship named Charles the second, become the captain elect of that ship, and go on to have the most successful pirate career of anyone that ever lived. Like Cooper, he has no beginning. In fact, modern day scholars can’t even agree on when he was born. 
    After the most successful raid of his short career, this man would vanish into thin air, leading to the first worldwide manhunt and a trial that would have an absolutely shocking ending. You really gotta hand it to those pirates boy. They don’t stand on ceremony, especially Henry Every. No this guy disappears into the vast oceans with a treasure that today could be worth north of hundreds of millions of dollars. 
    Legend says that Every became so successful that he lived out his days in a legendary pirate city on Madagascar where the streets were paved in gold, and the riches were so vast, he need never be concerned with money again. 
    Others, tell a different story. 
    One thing’s for certain. No one ever found him. Maybe more importantly, no one ever found the treasure. 
    The end of season 2 is upon us. 
    Finally, it’s time to set sail. This is Vanished: Henry Every.

    [Stay till the end of the show for a very special treat from Technofunkboy]

    LINKS  SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 
    • “Enemy of All Mankind” by Steven Johnson @ Amazon
    • Henry Every @ Wikipedia
    • “The Most Successful Pirate You’ve Never Heard Of” @ History
    • “The Elusive Henry Every” @ The History Press
    • Henry Every @ The Pirate King 
    • Proclamation for Apprehending Henry Every Alias Bridgeman 
    • “Silver Coins Unearthed in New England May Be Loot From One of The Greatest Crimes in History” @ Livescience 

    24 March 2022, 1:00 am
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