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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?

All episodes are available for free. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

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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

Jared McColloch Part 2: The Helpers
Mar 4 2024
Jared McColloch Part 2: The Helpers
It was the first weekend in November of 2023 when Jared McColloch left his home in Louisiana and set out on what appears to be a spur-of-the-moment trip to visit his son in Illinois. During Jared’s drive across several states, the time changed, falling back one hour, which has caused confusion as his loved ones worked to establish a definitive timeline of his disappearance based on phone pings, surveillance footage, and receipts. At some point during Jared’s trip, he veered off course and headed east, away from his intended destination, and no one seems to know why. There was an unconfirmed sighting of Jared, his truck, and dogs at a restaurant near the border of Illinois and Indiana. Jared’s truck was later found abandoned in Indiana. According to records, his vehicle ran out of gas, and the battery died around 6:30 PM. Jared’s phone last synched around that same time, as well. Law enforcement searched around the vehicle to no avail. Others stepped up to help with the search efforts and were stumped. Jared left behind a trail of bizarre clues that no one has been able to piece together to solve this mystery- at least not yet.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Jared McColloch, please contact the Knox County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 882-7660.Special thanks to Brothers Underwater Recovery and Band Together K9 Search, Rescue and Retrieval.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.
Jared McColloch Part 1: Fall Back
Feb 26 2024
Jared McColloch Part 1: Fall Back
On the evening of November 4, 2023, 33-year-old Jared McColloch left his home in Marion, Louisiana, for a spur-of-the moment trip. It is believed that Jared was planning to drive to the Salem, Illinois, area to visit his teenage son. Jared packed his truck with some supplies and his two beloved dogs. That 500-plus trip should have taken Jared roughly eight and a half hours. Along the way, Jared stopped at various gas stations to fill his gas tank and grab food and drinks. Jared was spotted on camera arriving in the Salem, IL, area in the early morning hours of November 5, where he purchased some gas and an energy drink. Several hours later, he was seen at another nearby gas station. After this time, Jared seemed to veer off course from his intended destination. He was then seen a third time at yet another gas station, but he now appeared to be heading east toward Indiana, and no one knows why or where he was going. The following day, Jared's mother received a phone call from law enforcement in the state of Indiana, informing her that her son's truck had been found abandoned in a very remote area with some of the doors left open. Jared's dogs were still sitting inside. The news was highly alarming to Jared's loved ones; he would have never left his dogs like that. Since that day, they have been poring over the bizarre clues left behind, looking for any explanation for what happened to Jared and why. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Jared McColloch, please contact the Knox County Sheriff's Office at (812) 882-7660.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.
Kevin Winters Part 1: Lost in Paradise
Feb 12 2024
Kevin Winters Part 1: Lost in Paradise
On the evening of September 2, 2021, Kevin Winters was at one of his favorite restaurants having dinner in Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui. About an hour later, Kevin was seen on camera depositing a check at a nearby ATM. It remains unclear where Kevin went after that time. It’s believed that Kevin had taken public transportation to the restaurant that evening, and the place he had been staying was about 29 miles away. Kevin showed up on the same ATM camera the following morning, still wearing the same clothes he had on the night before. Kevin was once again making a deposit. Kevin walked away from the ATM that morning and was never seen or heard from again. Kevin had a close relationship with their mother; the two spoke twice every single day. When she didn’t hear from Kevin and couldn’t reach him by phone, she knew something was wrong. Thousands of miles away in Michigan, Kevin’s parents decided it was time to report their son missing. Nearly two and a half years later, Kevin’s family is still working to piece together the trail of bizarre clues left behind. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Kevin Winters, please call the Maui County Police Department at (808) 244-6400.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.
Amber Arnett Part 2: Snitch
Jan 29 2024
Amber Arnett Part 2: Snitch
By the summer of 2023, most would say that Amber Arnett had hit rock bottom. She had lost her home and job after allowing her boyfriend to stay at the care facility that she managed. Amber was also now facing charges due to this incident. She was due to be in court on July 13, 2023, but Amber never made it. In fact, Amber disappeared from Lansing, Michigan, just 19 days before she was to appear in court. We may never know whether Amber was innocent or guilty of the charges because she never had the opportunity to plead her case before the court. As Amber’s loved ones began searching for her, they heard stories about what happened to Amber. They were told that in the lead-up to Amber’s disappearance, suspicions had been brewing in her circle, suspicions that Amber was planning to snitch. If this is true, we have no way of knowing, but the consensus has been that some people believed that Amber was gathering evidence about something so that she could trade that information for a lighter sentence on her pending charges. What that something was, we can’t be sure. There was plenty of criminal activity going on in that circle, but some believe that Amber had witnessed a very serious crime, a murder. You can follow the search efforts for Amber on social media at Help Us Find Amber. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Amber Arnett, please call the Lansing Police Department at (517) 483-4600.If you have a missing loved one you would like featured on the show; please fill out our case submission form.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Amber Arnett Part 1: A Cry for Help
Jan 22 2024
Amber Arnett Part 1: A Cry for Help
In late June of 2023, 39-year-old Amber Arnett contacted her mother, Marty, asking if she could stay with her at her home for a bit. Amber expressed that she didn’t feel safe where she had been living. Marty was away on a trip and told her daughter that she would be home late the following day. Marty expected to see or hear from Amber after she returned to Lansing, Michigan, but she never heard from her daughter again. The days began to pass, and Marty still had not heard from Amber. At first, Marty assumed she had found somewhere to stay or that maybe things had turned out okay. However, Amber was outgoing and frequently posted on social media and messaged back and forth with those she was close to. Marty began asking around, and no one had seen or heard from Amber. That was when Marty decided to go to the police to report Amber missing. Over the past seven months, Marty has been digging for clues to help find Amber, and she has uncovered a tangled web of people and stories. Still, nothing has led to concrete evidence pointing to what happened to Amber Arnett.You can follow the search efforts for Amber on social media at Help Us Find Amber. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Amber Arnett, please call the Lansing Police Department at (517) 483-4600.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 "Larry" Goodman
Jan 15 2024
Lawrence "Larry" Goodman
In late December of 1978, 15-year-old Larry Goodman disappeared from Park Ridge, New Jersey. His mother left home that day to go shopping and asked Larry if he would like to go along with her, but he declined. When she arrived home, Larry was gone. His mother reported that he had left home wearing a red flannel shirt, jeans, a denim jacket, sneakers and had $30 in his pocket. Investigators spoke to the teen's friends, teachers, and parents, but no one knew where he may have gone. Larry was a good student, and there didn't appear to be anything in his life to run from. There were articles in the local paper detailing Larry's mysterious disappearance. The local police stated they had run down every lead and hoped to appeal to the public for information. Everyone was shocked when Larry reappeared 27 days later on his 16th birthday. Larry told his mother he had been hundreds of miles away in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The police closed the case now that he was home safe, but that wouldn't last long. Soon, Larry was gone again. Everyone assumed he had run away from home again and would return soon. This time, there were no articles in the newspaper about Larry Goodman. He never called or came home, and 45 years later, Larry's case remains unsolved.If you have any information about the disappearance of Larry Goodman, please contact the Park Ridge Police Department at (201) 391-5401 or the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000.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.
Mary Badaracco
Jan 8 2024
Mary Badaracco
38-year-old Mary Badaracco disappeared from Sherman, Connecticut, in August of 1984. At the time, Mary had been married to her husband, Dominic, for 14 years. According to Dominic, Mary left him and took almost all of her belongings and $100,000 in cash that he had stashed inside their home. Dominic didn't report Mary missing; according to Mary's daughters, he discouraged them from reporting their mother missing to local authorities. The last time that one of Mary's daughters had heard from her was on August 19. Dominic said he saw Mary on August 20, but she was gone when he returned from work. Following Mary's disappearance, one of Mary's daughters went to Mary and Dominic's home and found Mary's car parked in the driveway. How had she left without her car? Even more disturbing, the windshield was shattered. Just as Mary had, the vehicle later disappeared, too. In the months that followed, Dominic divorced Mary and moved on to a new relationship. Years later, the case heated up when a member of the Hell's Angels came forward with a tip about what happened to Mary, which may just be the closest they have ever come to finding answers. However, this is a case that many people seem too afraid to speak about. For four decades, rumors have swirled about what happened to Mary Badaracco. The truth has always been just out of reach and clouded by dangerous people. The story of Mary's disappearance spans the spectrum from motorcycle gang members with ties to organized crime to threats against a local politician and even bribery of a judge.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Mary Badaracco, please call the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad Troop A at 800-376-1554.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.
Daniel Maleska
Dec 11 2023
Daniel Maleska
On Friday, May 15, 1987, 32-year-old Daniel Maleska left his home in Princeton, Minnesota, to travel about three hours north to Gunn Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. That weekend, Dan, his brother Mike, and several other longtime friends planned a camping trip for the opening of fishing season. Dan and Mike were raised as avid outdoorsmen, and opening weekend was a big deal. While this was their first time visiting Gunn Lake, this annual trip was something they looked forward to all year. The area where the men were camping was very rural and densely wooded. It wasn't a campground with amenities; they were roughing it, but that was how Dan and his buddies liked it. The men set up camp, spent many hours fishing on the lake, drank some beers, and seemed to be having a great time. However, by Sunday morning, Dan had vanished. They found a canoe in the water with some of his fishing supplies still inside. It looked like he had been plucked from that boat, leaving his items undisturbed. Despite extensive searches of the lake and surrounding wilderness, no trace of Dan Maleska has ever surfaced. The circumstances have left his loved ones to wonder if the scene was staged and Dan planned to disappear.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dan Maleska, please call the Itasca County Sheriff's Office at (218) 326-3477.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.
Margaret "Kay-Alana" Turner Part 2: The Shattered Window
Nov 27 2023
Margaret "Kay-Alana" Turner Part 2: The Shattered Window
On March 9, 2023, 27-year-old Kay-Alana Turner left a friend’s home in Silsbee, Texas, and headed toward Austin, about four hours away, apparently to see a friend. In the days leading up to March 9, Kay-Alana had not been sleeping well, and she didn’t seem quite like herself. Witnesses in the towns of Hockley and Tomball, Texas, interacted with Kay-Alana in the early morning hours of March 10. She had been asking people if she could sleep in their driveways. By this time, Kay-Alana’s phone had died. Around 6 AM, a homeowner in the Holly Creek Estates subdivision in Tomball, Texas, noticed Kay-Alana’s car in their driveway, and she was asleep inside. The homeowner decided to call someone from their homeowner’s association and other neighbors. They gathered around Kay-Alana’s car and attempted to wake her. Kay-Alana was scared and decided to drive her car away, but they blocked her. Then, an officer from Harris County broke Kay-Alana’s driver-side window. She bolted, first by driving her car through the yard, out through some farmland, and eventually into the woods, where the vehicle got stuck. With deputies behind her on foot, she decided to run. Kay-Alana dropped her phone along the way and later removed her shoes, full of glass from the broken window. In the days that followed, Kay-Alana’s loved ones began to compare notes and came to believe that she was suffering a mental health crisis that night. Despite extensive searches of the area where Kay-Alana was last seen, no trace of her, other than her phone and shoes, has ever been found.If you have any information about Kay-Alana’s disappearance, please contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-755-7427.Photo Credit: James Blaign RamboIf 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.
Margaret "Kay-Alana" Turner Part 1: Lost
Nov 20 2023
Margaret "Kay-Alana" Turner Part 1: Lost
On March 8, 2023, 27-year-old Kay-Alana Turner stayed at a friend’s home in Silsbee, Texas. Kay-Alana’s friend, Brittany, noticed that she hadn’t been sleeping well, and something appeared to be troubling Kay-Alana. The following morning, Brittany left for work, believing Kay-Alana was asleep. As the day wore on, Brittany kept trying to contact Kay-Alana, but something was off with the way that her text messages were going through. She attempted to reach Kay-Alana via phone and Facetime video calls. She eventually reached Kay-Alana, but something still wasn’t quite right, and she didn’t know where her friend was. Brittany enlisted the help of Kay-Alana’s boyfriend, James, who went out searching for her that night. He stopped at all of Kay-Alana’s familiar places with no luck. They later learned that Kay-Alana had planned to visit a friend in Austin, about a four-hour drive from Brittany’s home. Where along that 245-mile trip could something have gone wrong? Did Kay-Alana get into an accident? Had she run out of gas? They searched frantically throughout the night, and by the next morning, stories began to emerge about Kay-Alana that seemed so out of character for her. Kay-Alana’s loved ones couldn’t believe what they were hearing. One thing they knew for sure was that they needed to find Kay-Alana.If you have any information about Kay-Alana’s disappearance, please contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-755-7427.Photo Credit: James Blaign RamboIf 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.
William "Arlin" Bynum
Nov 13 2023
William "Arlin" Bynum
On August 14, 2003, 40-year-old William "Arlin" Bynum was at a bar and grill in Big Spring, Texas. Big Spring is where Arlin was born, but he was a stranger, having lived his entire life outside of the small town. Arlin enjoyed the evening having drinks with friends. He was last seen walking toward his truck on the morning of August 15, shortly before the bar closed. After that, the trail ends. The next day, Arlin didn't show up for lunch with a relative, and from there, his family knew something was wrong. They found his truck still parked outside the restaurant, and the search began. Twenty years later, Arlin has never been seen or heard from again. The story of his disappearance spans the spectrum from questionable friends, to abandoned wells, to the possibility of cartel involvement. Today, there are many complicated factors that make solving the mystery of what happened to Arlin Bynum seem nearly impossible, but his loved ones aren't giving up.If you have any information about Arlin's disappearance, please call the Big Spring Police Department at 432-264-2559 or the Texas Rangers Division Company "E" at 915-834-7664. Crimestoppers is offering a cash reward. To submit an anonymous tip, call 432-263-8477 (TIPS) or use P3tips.com and reference case #20303930.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.