Coffee and Cases Podcast

A name carries history, identity, and belonging—but what happens when it's lost to time? In 1984, the quiet town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was rocked by a gruesome discovery along Interstate 65-- the discovery of a body. With no immediate clues to her identity, the woman became known only as "Bowling Green Jane Doe," her past a mystery and her voice silenced. Who was she? How did she end up ther...

When 31-year-old Megan Drumhiller hugged her parents goodbye in January 2022, no one could have guessed it would be the last time they’d see her. She had dreams of moving, a tight-knit family who adored her, and a love for music that connected her deeply with her father. But when Megan suddenly stopped responding to messages, concern grew into fear—and that fear was justified. What happened to Meg...

On a quiet spring morning in 1986, a farmer in Lawton, Oklahoma, noticed a column of smoke rising from a desolate stretch of road. What he found would haunt the town for decades—a car, consumed by flames, welded into the guardrail of a deserted bridge. Inside was the body of 50-year-old Aileen Conway, a devoted wife and mother of seven. At first, authorities believed it was a tragic accident, but...

On March 26, 1991, a public holiday in South Korea, five boys from Daegu—aged 9 to 13—went missing while searching for salamander eggs near Mount Waryong. After missing their taekwondo lesson, their parents initially searched for them, but eventually reported them missing. Unfortunately, police initially dismissed the boys as runaways. Media attention about the lost boys grew, dubbing them the "Fr...

When Olivia Lone Bear went missing on October 24, 2017, her family was thrust into a search that would span years, uncovering a series of perplexing details that would leave them without answers. This episode delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Olivia's disappearance, from the cryptic final texts sent from her phone to the unexplainable discovery of the truck she had been driving...

Judy Smith had packed her bags, ready to join her new husband Jeffrey on a work trip to Philadelphia in April 1997. Since Jeffrey’s day was filled with conference meetings, she had decided to explore the city by herself. But she never returned to the hotel. Where did she go? What happened? And how could it be possible that this investigation would end up focused not in Philadelphia but 600 miles a...

January 6th, 1988 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island began like so many others for the Cole family. It was yet another frigid day but Christine, who had just turned 10, was excited to help by running some errands for her mom. Christine had clear directions on where to go and what to get. But, as dinnertime came and went without Christine returning from her errands, her mother knew something was wrong. And...

January 6th, 1988 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island began like so many others for the Cole family. It was yet another frigid day but Christine, who had just turned 10, was excited to help by running some errands for her mom. Christine had clear directions on where to go and what to get. But, as dinnertime came and went without Christine returning from her errands, her mother knew something was wrong. And...

Welcome, true-crime lovers, to New Year, New Binge 2025 Edition! What you’ll find included is your guide to an exciting lineup of podcasts that will make 2025 your best year for listening yet. New Years is a time for resolutions, and mine is simple: to share with you the most captivating, chilling, and downright binge-worthy true-crime podcasts. Whether you’re looking to uncover unsolved mysteries...

Welcome, true-crime lovers, to New Year, New Binge 2025 Edition! What you’ll find included is your guide to an exciting lineup of podcasts that will make 2025 your best year for listening yet. New Years is a time for resolutions, and mine is simple: to share with you the most captivating, chilling, and downright binge-worthy true-crime podcasts. Whether you’re looking to uncover unsolved mysteries...

Jim Kimball had faced loss as a child when his father passed away. When his siblings chose to talk about their feelings, Jim kept his bottled up instead-- until his emotions grew too large to be contained. Then, on April 13th, 1993, he disappeared. If you are interested in bonus content for our show or in getting some Coffee and Cases swag, please consider joining Patreon. There are various levels...

In the 1970s and 80s, the quiet towns of Weeki Wachee, Florida, and Watsonville, California, became the unlikely settings for a horrifying series of crimes. The story begins with Billy Mansfield, Jr., a convicted serial killer currently serving multiple life sentences, whose crimes shocked the nation. But Billy wasn’t alone; his father, William Mansfield Sr., a convicted child molester, and brothe...

Angie Clinger and her friends would spend their summer days exploring the woods and hillsides near their homes in Monroe Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. But on July 22nd, 1990, the day before Angie's 8th birthday, a simple outing with friends took a dark and unexpected turn. While playing near a tunnel under a railroad trestle, the children stumbled upon a horrifying discovery that would f...

In Bethel, New York, from August 15th through the 18th, 1969, roughly half a million people had gathered to celebrate what was touted as “3 Days of Peace and Music” that we now refer to with a single word: Woodstock. But around a thousand mile away, in the staid community of Burlington, Iowa, life kept its slower pace, children played across the city’s 200 acres of manicured parks and residents sa...

This week, Maggie tells Allison about the haunted Whaley House in California. With tales of the supernature borne from family tragedy, this home is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in America. Journey with us back to the 1800s to learn about the family’s history. Should you wish to watch the TikTok videos mentioned in the episode, they are linked below: https://www.tiktok.com/@hwolfgho...

Eleven-year-old Shannon Paulk was excited to visit with her friends and neighbors in the Candlestick Mobile Home Park in Prattville, Alabama on August 16th, 2001 after spending much of the summer away with family. She wanted to see friends and visit neighbors’ animals. Many neighbors recall seeing or speaking with the friendly Shannon that morning. Then, Shannon was gone, and those same friends an...

It all began on February 3rd, 1958 in a quaint suburban home in Seaford, New York; and, for the next few weeks, the Hermann family was plagued by an onslaught of bizarre and alarming occurrences. In total, the nearly 70 incidents caused by the force now known as Popper the Poltergeist were witnessed by the family, friends, law enforcement, journalists, and even a television audience. It was a case...

The victim at the center of our case this week, Lopaz Richardson, was a talented artist, and it was art and the supportive community that is so often bred from art that were driving passions in his life. So, when he disappeared on July 7th, 2021 at such a successful time in his life, those close to him knew that foul play was involved, even though law enforcement seem to believe otherwise. If you...

In 1901, Rose Harsent, domestic servant and devout churchgoer, found herself at the center of local rumors of an affair with the married choirmaster, Williams Gardner. Though the two both denied those rumors, speculation only increased when Rose learned she was pregnant. So, when the pregnant Rose’s life was brutally taken, suspicions turned primarily to one suspect; but was he responsible? If you...

Six-year-old Carol Ann Stephens had gone outside to play by herself, just as she had many times before. But on April 7th, 1959, she didn’t return home when her mother called. When details of a specific car and unknown man emerge, finding Carol became even more dire. And, when her body was found two weeks later, the search for the perpetrator ramped up. If you are interested in bonus content for ou...

This week, Allison and Maggie get a little silly (it has been a long week!) and discuss the Vermont’s own version of the Bermuda Triangle— the Bennington Triangle. Were the cases in this week’s episode the result of a serial killer or was it something supernatural? If you are interested in bonus content for our show or in getting some Coffee and Cases swag, please consider joining Patreon. There a...

When a second disappearance occurred on October 4th, 1988, in the exact location of an abduction less than a year earlier, on November 21st, 1987, law enforcement knew something unusual had happened. Were the disappearances explainable? Or had the two met with foul play, whether at the hands of strangers or at the hands of someone they knew very well? In this week’s case, Allison explores the disa...

You've heard the case of the Boy in the Box, but have the heard the case of an unknown child known as "Little Lord Fauntleroy"? In this week's episode, we explore the case of this child, discovered in 1921 in a rock quarry pond in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Who was he? How did he end up there? And will time reveal the truth behind his identity? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

How do you solve a crime with no evidence? How do you solve a crime when you don’t know when it occurred? And how do you solve a crime when you don’t even know IF it occurred. While those are the questions one man’s lawyer is asking, one woman’s family is convinced of foul play. What really happened to Marsha Brantley of Cleveland, Tennessee sometime between May and July of 2009? If you are intere...

She is Vatican City’s only missing person case. Fifteen-year-old Emanuela Orlandi was a typical teenage girl, until she went missing on June 22nd, 1983, and her disappearance was tied to theories of secrets within the Vatican, to international espionage, and to the Italian mafia. But why Emanuela? Who knew the truth behind her disappearance? And what secret was someone willing to go to every extre...