Buried Bylines

This week, we’re taking a closer look at the cases of Trey Reed, a 21-year-old Delta State University student found hanging from a tree on campus, and Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old whose body was found near Horn Island on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after he went missing during a Fourth of July outing. Trey’s death was ruled a suicide, but questions raised by his family and concerns surrounding the i...

Sometimes the cases we cover start with a Google search. Sometimes they start with a newspaper clipping. And sometimes… they start with your mother-in-law. This week on Buried Bylines, we’re covering the case of Jean Ann Henry and her young son, Taylor, after a listener suggestion from a VERY special source: Mallory’s mother-in-law. ❤️ Jean had actually been a BRIDESMAID in her wedding (which the...

This week on Buried Bylines, we’re heading to Lexington, North Carolina, for a case that came to us from a very special listener… Mallory’s mother-in-law. Jean Ann Henry was a wife, a mom, and a woman who had actually been a bridesmaid in Mallory’s mother-in-law’s wedding. Years later, Jean and her young son, Taylor, would be found dead inside their home. Jean’s second husband, Robert Henry, was c...

This one is a little late, friends. And by “a little late,” I (Megan) mean that one of your hosts has been busy living her best life as a PARTY PRINCESS and apparently forgot that podcasts require things like schedules and timely episode drops. So… please accept this belated episode as my formal apology for having a life. I promise I have learned absolutely nothing. ANYWAY. This week on Buried Byl...

This week, we’re joined by one of those people: our former coworker and a broadcast photojournalist who has spent years behind the camera capturing the stories unfolding in front of it. We’re talking about life in a television newsroom, the moments viewers don’t see, the challenges and adrenaline that come with chasing breaking news, and what it’s really like to be the person responsible for docum...

We’ve all seen them. The suspiciously cheap, definitely-not-the-real-thing versions of our favorite toys. But when it comes to those squishy little NeeDoh knockoffs, “you get what you pay for” can mean a whole lot more than a disappointing toy. In this episode, we’re talking about the potential dangers of counterfeit NeeDohs and why saving a few bucks might not be worth the risk. BUT WAIT… there’s...

In April 2013, 24-year-old Jessica Masker was struggling to get her life back on track when she disappeared from Indianapolis's east side. The single mom of two was last seen on surveillance video at a gas station near her cousin's house. Despite local news coverage and continued pleas from her family, Jessica's disappearance remains unsolved more than a decade later. In this episode, we explore t...

Summerwind has been called one of the most haunted houses in America… but how much of its terrifying reputation is rooted in fact? This week, we're heading to the shores of West Bay Lake in northern Wisconsin to unravel the history of the infamous Summerwind Mansion. From stories of ghostly apparitions and unexplained voices to claims that a family fled after a terrifying encounter in the base...

For months now, we’ve been dropping hints and waiting to finally share this case with you. Now we have the unique opportunity of sharing a story that has been trapped in the dark for three-quarters of a century: the missing persons case of two-year-old Earnest Cagle Jr. On August 27, 1950, little Earnest vanished from the backseat of his family’s car outside a tavern in Buckhart, Illinois. Despite...

One hundred episodes later, we're diving into one of Indiana's most infamous unsolved cases. On the night of November 17, 1978, four young Burger Chef employees vanished from the Speedway restaurant where they worked. Their bodies were discovered two days later in neighboring Johnson County, launching an investigation that has remained unresolved for nearly five decades. In this milestone episode,...

Before we hit triple digits, we wanted to sit down and answer your questions in a special Q&A episode! From behind-the-scenes podcast drama to our favorite cases we’ve covered so far, we’re diving into your submissions and reflecting on the wild ride to 100 episodes. We’re also talking about what’s next for the podcast, where we see the next 100 episodes going, and the stories we still can’t stop...

A retired Air Force general vanishes without a trace. A NASA scientist disappears during a hike. Multiple researchers connected to nuclear, aerospace, and classified government projects are found dead under mysterious circumstances. Now, federal investigators and Congress are looking into whether these cases are connected — or if the internet has spiraled ordinary tragedies into something far more...

In August 2011, 85-year-old Essie Mae McVey was found barely alive on the floor of her Greencastle, Indiana condo—shot in the back of the head in what investigators believe was a burglary gone wrong. But here’s the thing… nothing was taken. No forced entry. No witnesses. No murder weapon. And in a quiet community just miles from DePauw University, the case barely made headlines. In this episode, w...

In 1964, an 18-year-old girl was walking to school in Wausau, Wisconsin… and never made it. Eleanor Kaatz was attacked in broad daylight on a quiet island. Stabbed nearly 50 times and left near the river, she was somehow still alive when she was found. But two days later, she died from her injuries. The man responsible, Terry Caspersen, was caught almost immediately. What he admitted—and what inve...

This January (2026), the disappearance of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee took the internet by storm. What initially presented as a typical missing persons case began to shift as investigators uncovered more about her online connections and the events that led her to leave home suddenly in the middle of the night. FOX59 and CBS4’s Max Lewis returns to help break down the disturbing details and how this...

Speculation Station is parked in Morgantown, West Virginia, this week—where we examine the murders of two college freshmen whose case still lingers in uncertainty... despite *technically being closed. When best friends Mared Malarik and Karen Ferrell disappeared after a night out at the movies, it was initially written off as a possible runaway situation or hitchhiking gone wrong. Months later, th...

In November 2025, 22-year-old Rebecca Park disappeared from Wexford County while 38 weeks pregnant. Friends and family desperately searched for the young mother-to-be, hoping she and her unborn baby would be found safe. Weeks later, investigators made a devastating discovery in the Manistee National Forest — turning a missing persons case into a horrifying murder investigation. As detectives uncov...

In January 2003, 40-year-old Lawrence “Larry” Groves vanished from his Lakeville, Indiana home. Months later, after black flies swarmed the siding of his house and blackbirds gathered in the yard, a horrific discovery was made beneath a hidden trap door in the floor — Larry’s body, concealed in the crawl space under his home. What followed was a case filled with unanswered questions, conflicting r...

After covering a string of heavy cases, we’re diving into one that’s equal parts shocking, infuriating, and unbelievable—but very real. This episode unpacks the crimes of Mark Weinberger, a once-celebrated Indiana ENT known as “The Nose Doctor.” What appeared to be a thriving sinus surgery empire was, in reality, a massive scheme involving unnecessary and harmful surgeries, fraudulent insurance bi...

In April 1988, eight-year-old April Marie Tinsley disappeared while walking in her Fort Wayne, Indiana neighborhood — and three days later her body was found in a ditch, the victim of a brutal kidnapping, sexual assault, and strangulation. What followed would become one of Indiana’s most haunting cold cases: for more than 30 years, the killer remained at large, taunting investigators and the commu...

In August 1987, teenagers Don Henry and Kevin Ives were killed when a freight train struck them as they lay on railroad tracks near Alexander, Arkansas. Authorities initially ruled the deaths an accident, claiming the boys had fallen asleep on the tracks. But their families challenged that conclusion, leading to a second autopsy and a grand jury ruling the case a probable homicide. As the investig...

Hi everyone! Apologies for the late episode and Megan’s voice. Here is another update episode on cases we’ve previously covered. We are working on some exciting things so stay tuned! In this episode, Mallory and Megan are bringing you updates on the wrongful conviction of Crosley Green, the alleged Oregon Serial Killer, the disappearance of Brandy Wilson, the unsolved murder of Emily Pike, and the...

On a day when the world stood still, one New York City murder vanished into the blur of chaos. Just before midnight on September 11, 2001, Henryk Siwiak, a 46-year-old Polish immigrant, was shot to death while on his way to work at a Brooklyn grocery store. With the NYPD stretched beyond capacity, resources diverted, and a city in chaos, the investigation stalled almost immediately. More than two...

On December 9 1988, 29-year-old Victoria Lynn Hamby vanished from South Bend, Indiana, leaving behind more questions than clues. At the time, her four-year-old son and male companion, Dale Kaser, also disappeared, triggering a heartbreaking mystery that has lingered for decades. In this episode, we trace Victoria’s last known movements, her eventual murder, and the circumstances surrounding all th...

Happy Halloween! It’s our last spoooooky episode of the season. We’ll go back to our regular bi-weekly publishing schedule after this one. In June 1983, a 15-year-old Vatican citizen named Emanuela Orlandi left for a music lesson in Rome—and vanished without a trace. The case that followed is a mix of anonymous phone calls, alleged kidnappings, and puzzling theories ranging from terrorism to organ...