The Vanished Podcast

This episode originally aired on January 12, 2026. 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. Although the cities are only a few hours apart, Bobby's bus route included a stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, where he wa...

In Part 1 of Niqui McCown's story, we retraced her final known hours before she disappeared from Richmond, Indiana, on July 22, 2001. More than three months later, Niqui's GMC Jimmy was discovered at an apartment complex in Dayton, Ohio, raising new questions about where she had gone and who she may have encountered. The discovery also brought renewed attention to Niqui's coworkers and social circ...

On Sunday, July 22, 2001, 28-year-old Marilyn “Niqui” McCown attended church with her nine-year-old daughter, Payton, and her fiancé, Bobby. Niqui had a lot to look forward to. She was preparing to get married in less than a month, continuing her education, and building a career in criminal justice. That afternoon, she headed out to do laundry, something she'd done countless Sundays before. But du...

This episode first aired on June 29, 2020. On September 26, 2018, 57-year-old Kimberly Flint disappeared from rural Rusk County, Texas. That afternoon, authorities responded to a single-vehicle accident on Highway 84 near the Angelina River. They found Kim's Jeep crashed along the bridge, but there was no sign of the driver. When police contacted the registered owner, Kim's husband, James Roy Flin...

In February 2022, 21-year-old Rylee James Styler traveled to Leavenworth, Kansas, to spend the weekend with friends. Rylee moved around often, splitting his time between Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, so when his mom, Teri, didn’t hear from him for a few days, it wasn’t immediately alarming. Rylee always resurfaced, but this time, he didn’t. Shortly before communication stopped, Rylee sent his be...

On the evening of August 30, 2001, 44-year-old Edgar Sanchez drove to the Baldwin, New York, home of his older brother, 53-year-old Frank Sanchez. Edgar left his car there, and the brothers headed out together in Frank’s white Chevrolet Lumina. They were believed to be meeting someone they had known for years. The brothers were close, and cars had always been a major part of both of their lives. F...

This episode first aired on August 8, 2022. On March 26, 2020, 45-year-old Eugene Prins planned a short road trip with a friend to drop off a wood splitter. They started out in Woonsocket, South Dakota, and drove about 25 miles east to the tiny town of Fedora. Afterward, Eugene and his friend stopped at a bar in Forestburg, along their route home. The two were captured on surveillance footage leav...

In April 2010, 24-year-old Tanner Sharp left his sister’s home in California and told his family he was heading to Kansas, where a friend had a job waiting for him. Over the next few weeks, Tanner remained in contact, but his calls were brief, and he shared very little about his new life. During his final calls to family, he said he was getting a new phone and would reach out once he had the new n...

Last week, in Part 1 of Wade Hack’s story, we followed Wade’s final months in Baltimore and the account of what happened in the days before he disappeared. But as his family and friends began trying to verify that story, they kept running into the same problem: so much of it depended on information they could not independently confirm. In Part 2, we’ll learn what Wade’s loved ones uncovered when t...

In June of 2024, 31-year-old Wade Hack traveled from North Carolina to Baltimore, Maryland, to spend time with a man he had met online. What was supposed to be about a week-long visit stretched into several months. By late October, Wade was making plans to return home. But just days before his family was expecting him back in North Carolina, Wade disappeared. The initial account of Wade’s disappea...

This episode originally aired on December 5, 2022. Since then, there have been significant developments in Aidan Spear’s case. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for an update. On January 24, 2022, 21-year-old Aidan Spear had plans to meet with her mother, Jessica, at 11 AM. About 20 minutes before they were due to meet, Jessica received a message from Aidan stating that she had to say goodbye t...

May 26, 2026, started like any ordinary day for 53-year-old John Kapaun. He got up that morning, packed a lunch for his daughter, Alyssa, spent some time playing guitar, and later played a game with his son, Jacob. Around 2:00 p.m., John left the Burnsville, Minnesota, home he shared with his children for his daily walk. John was known to walk long distances and usually followed the same route to...

On May 13, 2020, 21-year-old Lillian Payne was spending time with her brother and his girlfriend when they encountered a man at a Flying J truck stop in York County, South Carolina. Lilly had met him once or twice before and knew him as Ray Atkinson. The group decided to continue hanging out, with Lilly riding with Ray while her brother and his girlfriend followed in their own vehicle. Lilly’s bro...

This episode first aired on November 2, 2017. In February 2016, 19-year-old Morgan Bauer left Aberdeen, South Dakota, with plans to begin a new life in Atlanta. She’d arranged to stay with people she met on Craigslist, but within weeks of arriving, Morgan stopped contacting her friends and family and vanished without a trace. Her case was soon overshadowed by damaging internet rumors that called h...

This episode originally aired on January 26, 2026. Since this episode first aired, there have been significant developments in Amy’s case. Stay tuned after the original episode for more information. 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...

In Part 4 of Junaliza Chappell’s story, we focused on Ashley and the weight she has carried since her mother disappeared. As Ashley grew older, memories from her early childhood began to connect with records, conversations, and details shared by the people who had been searching for Juna for years. Those discoveries were painful. They helped Ashley better understand her mother’s fear, but they als...

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been untangling the disappearance of Junaliza Chappell, a young mother who was trying to leave her husband, Timothy Chappell, and start over in California with her 3-year-old daughter, Ashley. Juna had a plan. Ashley was already in California with people Juna trusted. Juna had completed job training in Florida and was supposed to return to Atlanta, get her car, a...

In Parts 1 and 2 of Junaliza Chappell’s story, we followed the days leading up to her disappearance and the chaotic search that followed. By February of 2007, Juna had decided to leave her husband, Timothy, and start over in California with her 3-year-old daughter, Ashley. Ashley was already there with Juna’s friends, and after Juna finished job training in Florida, the plan was for her to fly bac...

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Junaliza Chappell’s story. By February of 2007, Juna was preparing to leave her husband, Timothy, and start over in California with her 3-year-old daughter, Ashley. Juna had carefully crafted her exit plan. Ashley was already in California, staying with Juna’s trusted friends, Frank and Grace. Juna had moved some of her belongings into a storage unit there. She had a...

In February of 2007, 27-year-old Junaliza Chappell was preparing to leave Georgia and begin a new life in California with her 3-year-old daughter, Ashley. Juna had accepted a new job, traveled to Florida for training, placed some of her belongings in storage, and arranged for Ashley to stay with trusted friends on the West Coast while she completed the final steps of her move. Juna planned to fly...

This episode originally aired on September 30, 2024. On June 24, 2024, 21-year-old Zyanya Valora stayed up late after her parents went to bed. In the early morning hours of June 25, around 2:30 AM, she is believed to have left their home in Ojai, California. Her family suspects she was barefoot and wearing a tank top and shorts. Later that morning, Zyanya's parents assumed she was simply sleeping...

On December 19, 2025, 31-year-old Corey Bryant disappeared from the Bemidji, Minnesota area. In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Corey’s life had become increasingly unstable. Loved ones noticed that he seemed withdrawn and fearful of the people around him. Corey reportedly hinted that things had become “weird” where he was staying and suggested he no longer felt safe there. Concern esca...

After 24-year-old Brianna Vibert disappeared in the early morning hours of July 15, 2017, investigators were tasked with trying to piece together a timeline from scattered surveillance footage, witness statements, and conflicting accounts from the people who had been around her that night. But as the days turned into weeks, and then weeks turned into years, the case only became more complicated. T...

Just after midnight on July 15, 2017, 24-year-old Brianna Vibert walked into a Marathon gas station near her home in Flint Township, Michigan. She was visibly upset and had a cut on her arm. The clerk working that night recognized Brianna because she often came into the store. Brianna told him that she had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend and was looking for a ride. A short time later, a man...

This episode originally aired on March 10, 2019. On July 1, 2018, 28-year-old Kevin Graves vanished while attending the Electric Forest Music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan. Kevin had traveled to the festival with his girlfriend and friends, but during the weekend, he disappeared after reportedly walking away from the group while agitated and distressed. When Kevin failed to return home,...