And Then They Were Gone

Never get into a car with a stranger. That’s something everyone’s parent has told them at one point or another. But when 11-year-old Trudy Appleby got into a car on the morning of August 21, 1996, she wasn’t with a stranger. Trudy’s family believes that she was with someone she knew. Someone with whom she felt safe. But Trudy wasn’t safe, and she was never seen again after that day.  Over the year...

This episode was originally released on September 1, 2021. We're re-releasing it this week so you can catch up before listening to our update episode. When Dennis Appleby came home during his lunch break and didn't see his 11-year-old daughter Trudy, he wasn't initially worried. It was the last days of summer and he assumed she was outside or over at a friend's house enjoying herse...

This episode explores the mysterious disappearance of 10-year-old Beverly Rose Potts in Cleveland on August 24, 1951. Her case sparked the largest manhunt in the city's history, yet remains unsolved to this day. The podcast delves into the events of that fateful night, the extensive search efforts, the impact on her family, and the enduring legacy of her case in the community. #TrueCrime #Podc...

June 1, 1997 was Kristen Modafferi’s 18th birthday. On that day, she flew from her home in North Carolina to California to take a summer photography class at UC Berkeley. Twenty-three days later, she disappeared.   Police initially believed that she left on her own, but her family knew she would never do that. As the investigation unfolded, plenty of suspects popped up: the four male strangers she...

This episode explores the unsolved disappearance of 14-year-old Jeremy Bright, who vanished from a county fair in Myrtle Point, Oregon, in 1986. The podcast delves into the events leading up to his disappearance, the investigation that followed, the various theories surrounding his case, and the lasting impact on his family and community. Despite numerous leads and sightings, Jeremy's case rem...

On July 25, 2015, 21-year-old Diamond Bynum and her 2-year-old nephew, King Walker, vanished from Gary, Indiana. Diamond, who lived with Prader-Willi syndrome—a rare genetic disorder affecting appetite, development, and cognition—had the mental capacity of a young child and required constant supervision. That morning, Diamond and King set out for a walk from the home they shared with family member...

Eighteen-year-old Brookelyn “Brooke” Farthing had just graduated high school in Berea, Kentucky, and was looking forward to a summer of celebrations and freedom. But in the early hours of June 22, 2013, Brooke found herself in a situation that quickly turned dangerous. After attending a party with friends, Brooke ended up stranded at a house in rural Madison County. Disturbing text messages sent t...

Seventeen-year-old Kianna Galvin had just celebrated earning her GED and had plans to attend art school in Atlanta. But on May 6, 2016, she left her family’s home in South Elgin, Illinois, to visit someone in her neighborhood—and vanished without a trace. As hours turned into days, critical evidence began pointing investigators toward a dark possibility: that something terrible happened just block...

This episode originally aired on June 16, 2021 19-year-old Logan Schiendelman went for a drive early one morning. When he returned home, he told his grandmother, Ginnie, that he had an epiphany about his life. Logan had been floundering for the past year, so Ginnie hoped this meant that he was turning a corner. He had been struggling with his mixed-race identity, and his freshman year at Washingto...

On the morning of January 28, 2017, 20-year-old Elaine Park left her boyfriend’s home in Calabasas, California. Security footage captured her calmly walking to her car, but after that, Elaine was never seen again. Five days later, her car was found abandoned along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, with all of her personal items still inside. As investigators retraced Elaine’s last known steps,...

Pearl Pinson was just 15 years old when she was violently abducted from a pedestrian bridge in Vallejo, California, on the morning of May 25, 2016. Despite witnesses, immediate police response, and a quickly identified suspect, Fernando Castro, Pearl vanished without a trace. In this episode, we explore Pearl’s life, the terrifying details of her abduction, the investigation and pursuit of her abd...

This episode explores the chilling Icebox Murders case from 1965, where police discovered the dismembered bodies of Fred and Edwina Rogers in their home in Houston, Texas. Their son, Charles Rogers, became the prime suspect after he vanished without a trace. The episode delves into the details of the crime, the background of Charles, and the various theories surrounding his disappearance, leaving...

On October 4, 1988, 11-year-old Annette Sagers stood at her bus stop in rural South Carolina, with her dog by her side. The bus driver spotted her around 7:00 AM, but by the time he circled back to pick her up, she was gone. This event would be terrifying on its own, but eleven months earlier, Annett’s mother, Korrina Malinoski had also disappeared from the very same property, a sprawling 6,000-ac...

This episode explores the mysterious disappearance of three women from Springfield, Missouri, known as the Springfield Three. On June 7, 1992, Cheryl Levitt, Susie Streeter, and Stacy McCall vanished without a trace after a night of celebration. Despite extensive investigations and numerous theories, the case remains unsolved over three decades later. The podcast delves into the events leading up...

This episode explores the tragic disappearance of Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old student from Indiana University, who went missing on June 3, 2011. The podcast delves into her final hours, the subsequent investigation, and the ongoing search for answers by her family and the community. Despite numerous tips and theories, Lauren's case remains unsolved, highlighting the impact of her disappearan...

This episode originally aired in May 2021 No one in Kristine Kupka’s life was a fan of her ex-boyfriend, Rudy Persaud. But on October 24, 1998, when she told her roommate she was going to meet up with him so he could show her his new apartment, she understood why Kristine was trying to maintain a friendly relationship— Kristine was five months pregnant with their child. But what was supposed to be...

On the night of May 13, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson was driving home from a party after finishing his first year of college. Just after midnight, he called his parents. He’d driven into a ditch, he said. He wasn’t hurt—just frustrated, and he needed a ride. What followed was a 47-minute phone call—nearly an hour of confusion and missed turns. Brandon’s parents tried desperately to find him i...

A new episode of And Then They Were Gone is coming soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share today's episode of Day by Day: True Crime Stories, on the disappearance of Shapammala Buckner. Her case has clear suspects, yet interest in her case died out quickly. It's been nearly eight years since she's been seen, and the investigation seems to be going nowhere. This episode of Day by Da...

In this episode, And Then They Were Gone host Kona Gallagher sits down with Director Michael Bayer to discuss the Heather Elvis case, a missing persons investigation that remains unsolved. The conversation delves into the complexities of the case, including the impact of online harassment, the role of social media in investigations, and the ongoing struggles of the Elvis family. Bayer shares insig...

In December 2013, 20-year-old Heather Elvis was going through a transitional period in her life. After an ill-advised relationship with a married man, she had just gone on a first date, and was getting ready to start a new job. She was trying to make a fresh start and had plenty to look forward to in life. But in the early morning hours of December 18, Heather’s car was found abandoned at a remote...

At 10:45 am on June 13, 2001, 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski was seen outside his family’s home in Omaha, Nebraska, helping his younger brother bring in the trash cans. He was scheduled to work that day at a local Fazoli’s restaurant. But because his car was in the shop, Jason had arranged for a coworker to pick him up at his old high school—just eight blocks away. He told his family he was heading o...

This episode originally aired on February 2, 2022 Mary Johnson hadn’t been acting like herself for months. She and her husband were having marital problems, and she was thinking about next steps. The 39-year-old was staying with friends, only returning home to shower and pick up more clothes. On Friday, November 25, 2020, Mary started walking toward a church in Tulalip, Washington. She never arriv...

October 24, 1953 was a typical fall Friday night in La Crosse, Wisconsin. La Crosse State College was playing their homecoming game, and families and students filled the stands. Fifteen-year-old Evelyn Hartley was supposed to be at that game too, but at the last minute, she agreed to help a family friend and babysit their toddler so the parents could go to the game themselves. She brought her scho...

On August 27, 2006, two-year-old Trenton Duckett was tucked safely into bed at his home in Leesburg, Florida. But when his mother, Melinda Duckett, went to check on him, she said she found an open window, a sliced screen, and an empty bed. She immediately called 911, launching a frantic search for the missing toddler. But as investigators dug deeper, Melinda's story began to fall apart, and in...

This episode was originally released in 2022. In 2015, 19-year-old Katelin Akens was getting ready to start a new life. The teenager fell in love, and left her small Virginia town to move across the country to Arizona with her fiancee. She was living her life and making changes, but when her sister gave birth to a son that December, Katelin immediately flew home to meet her new nephew. The trip wa...