Buried Bylines

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...

In 1961, small-town Texas became the center of a media frenzy when 17-year-old Betty Williams asked her ex-boyfriend, John Mack Herring, to kill her—and he did. The shocking “Kiss and Kill” case exposed not only the dark side of teen romance but also how the press sensationalized tragedy, painting Betty as a wayward girl and her killer as a golden boy gone astray. Join us as we revisit the headlin...

Spooky season has officially begun—and this one’s straight out of a horror movie. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the Corpsewood Manor Murders: a case that’s equal parts eerie legend, satanic panic, and heartbreaking true crime. Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom built their dream castle deep in the Georgia woods—a gothic escape complete with gargoyles, stained glass, and a pink “party room...

*Disclaimer* We’re talking about politics in this episode. If you don’t want to hear it, totally get it. We’ll see you at our next episode, where we'll return to our regular content. Freedom of speech has never been simple, and in today’s climate, it’s anything but. In this episode, we look at how the First Amendment plays out in real time, from Jimmy Kimmel’s public clashes to the press’s con...

In this episode, we cover the harrowing five-year stalking ordeal of Fort Wayne mother Dawn Hillyer, whose case exposed the failures of Indiana law to protect victims. What began as a casual connection quickly spiraled into years of relentless harassment, break-ins, false police reports, and emotional devastation—while the system largely failed her. We’ll trace Dawn’s fight for safety, the long-de...

20 years later, still no justice. Between 2005 and 2009, the small town of Jennings, Louisiana, was rocked by the deaths of eight women—each with ties to one another through poverty, drugs, and sex work. Known as the “Jeff Davis 8,” or the “Jennings 8,” the cases remain unsolved and are clouded by corruption allegations, mishandled evidence, and suspicions that local law enforcement may have been...

In 1990, substitute teacher Paige Marie Renkoski, 30, vanished under chilling circumstances on Interstate 96 near Fowlerville, Michigan. What began as an ordinary day—dropping her mother at the airport and stopping at a store in Canton—ended in a mystery that remains unsolved over three decades later. Witnesses last saw Paige appearing upset and speaking with two men beside a maroon minivan. Hours...

Meet Wilma June Nissen—a resilient spirit whose life was brutally cut short in 1978 but whose story refuses to stay buried. From a childhood of unimaginable neglect to being identified decades later as a Jane Doe in rural Iowa, her daughter, Krissi Atkinson, has never stopped searching for answers. At least one person of interest remains at large, evidence waits for breakthrough DNA testing, and j...

In September 2023, 19-year-old Noah Presgrove was found dead on the side of an Oklahoma highway, his body bearing multiple blunt force injuries. Nearly two years later, his family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging he was beaten to death by friends during a party. Join us as we delve into the details of this perplexing case, exploring the events leading up to Noah's death, the subsequent...