Going West: True Crime

In May of 2005, a large group of Alabama high school students headed off to Aruba for an unofficial graduation trip. The day before they were all set to leave, an 18-year-old girl from the group went off with young men from a bar and wasn't seen again. When the rest of the students headed back home with no sight of her, an intense investigation began, with the prime suspect confessing numerous tim...

In May of 2014, two young girls lured their friend out to the woods during a game of hide-and-seek, and stabbed her 19 times, after claiming a fictional creature from the internet ordered them to do so. But once a cyclist came across the victim, clinging to life, the other girls’ plan veered off course. This is the story of Payton Leutner, also known, as the Slender Man stabbing. BONUS EPISODES Ap...

In October of 1991, an 18-year-old woman left California bound for Mexico on a bicycle, hoping to volunteer along the way. But after a sudden lack of contact with her family, loved ones started to wonder if something had happened during her solo trip. With her belongings being found in a spot near where she was last seen and a suspicious final witness on police’s radar, everyone is wondering, what...

In October of 1961, police reported to the home of a 31-year-old Massachusetts woman after a neighbor spotted blood inside her house. When police began investigating, it felt clear that she had been met with foul play. But after finding library books on murders and disappearances similar to her own, suspicions were raised, begging the question: what really happened to Joan Risch  BONUS EPISODES Ap...

In October of 2018, dismembered remains of a male body started turning up along the highway in Ohio. At the same time, a 39-year-old father from Michigan was reported missing by his family. When the disappearance and the scattered remains were found to be linked, his family had only one potential suspect in mind. But when police were forced to release them due to a lack of evidence, they fled the...

In July of 1902, a wealthy Tennessee plantation owner went on a murderous rampage in the middle of the night, killing his entire family with an ax. But what they found at his home after his death was even more horrifying. Since the tragic slaying of six innocent people that night, and dozens of others over the years, the home has been turned into one of the scariest haunted houses in America: Frig...

In October of 1953, a 15-year-old girl went missing while babysitting in her Wisconsin neighborhood. A cursory search of the home revealed blood, making it obvious that she had been met with foul play. And it didn’t take long for her to be linked to one of the country’s most prolific serial killers. But was he actually involved, or was it another local? This is the story of Evelyn Hartley. BONUS E...

In August of 2018, a 19-year-old woman went missing from her home in Arizona. As police began digging deeper into her case, it became more and more clear that she had been met with foul play. When her body was found on a remote stretch of desert weeks later, their suspicions were confirmed. But was her boyfriend behind it? Or is it possible there was another mystery man involved? This is the story...

BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-west-true-crime/id1448151398 Patreon: patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES 1. Kayelyn's Obituary:  https://www.brownfamilymortuary.com/obituaries/kayelyn-louder 2. NBC:  https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/update-missing-america-kayelyn-louder-n219596 3. Reddit:  https://www.reddit.com/r/mystery/com...

In September of 1991, a 30-year-old woman vanished from a lodge in Pennsylvania. Although she was found shortly after, badly beaten, strangled, and burned on a beach in New York, it took 30 years to identify her body. And when police did, it only deepened the mystery, because, as it turns out, her young daughter is still missing. This is the story of Christine Belusko, and her daughter Christa. BO...

In October of 2019, a 25-year-old woman who volunteered at a shelter helping victims of domestic violence was found murdered in a Staten Island park. As police dug deeper into her personal life, they learned there were multiple men in her life who seemed to want revenge against her, leading them to a shocking suspect. This is the murder of Ola Salem. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://pod...

In August of 1972, a 16-year-old girl went missing in New Jersey. Although police initially insisted she had run away, her body was found six weeks later at the top of a cliff near an abandoned quarry. Due to the disturbing and controversial scene in which her body was discovered, her death was ruled a homicide, and some suspect she was actually a ritual sacrifice for demonic activity. This is the...

In September of 2019, a 33-year-old man was found dead in his North Carolina apartment. Despite the scene suggesting a brutal attack and murder, his death was ultimately ruled a case of pneumonia. But considering his girlfriend was known for her obsessive, violent behavior, his family is pushing to have his case reopened. This is the story of Brandon Embry. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: http...

In September of 2017, a 20-year-old woman went missing after a house party in Illinois. Just three weeks earlier, she had been a victim of human trafficking in California, but was able to escape her abductors and return home safely. So does her disappearance have anything to do with this terrifying incident? Or was someone from the party involved? This is the story of Alexis Scott. BONUS EPISODES...

In September of 1987, two sisters headed to their local state fair in Oklahoma to commemorate the end of summer. But after they failed to meet their brother at the prearranged time and place, they were reported missing. When their bodies were discovered weeks later, a local’s account would begin a lengthy battle to find justice for the girls. These are the murders of Lisa Pennington and Cheryl Gen...

In September of 2022, a well-known Memphis mom, heiress, and kindergarten teacher disappeared during an early morning run. As police scrambled to find a trace of her, disturbing surveillance footage was collected showing her abduction just after 4am. But who was responsible, and why did the crime occur in the first place? This is the story of Eliza Fletcher. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: htt...

In February of 1978, a group of five men went missing in the lush wilderness of Northern California while on their way home from a college basketball game. After the snow melted in June, four of their bodies were recovered, scattered miles from their abandoned car. As for the fifth member of their group, he mysteriously vanished altogether. As their causes of death were revealed, police wondered w...

In August of 2001, a 36-year-old mom of three was found murdered in her own home in Washington. No one could understand who would kill her and why, but as police dug deeper into potential suspects, a journey entry with the desire to “kill someone and get away with it” would ultimately crack the case. This is the story of Dana Laskowski. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.co...

In August of 1987, two teenage boys were hit by a freight train in the woods of Arkansas. What was originally believed to be a tragic accident quickly evolved into a controversial case believed now to be a homicide cover up. These are the murders of Don Henry and Kevin Ives, otherwise as The Boys On The Track. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-west-tru...

In August of 2017, a 22-year-old North Dakota woman headed to a neighbor’s apartment to help with a sewing project, and never returned home. When her body was discovered in a river days later, her loved ones were horrified to learn why. This is the murder of Savanna Greywind. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-west-true-crime/id1448151398 Patreon: patre...

In February of 1995, a 14-year-old girl went missing from her Idaho basement bedroom, leaving behind a trail of blood. Despite police believing she had run away, her body surfaced two months later, proving she had been stabbed in the throat and chest. When reports came in about a man showing up to a party covered in blood on the night of her disappearance, a local was arrested. But did they get th...

In July of 2014, a 22-year-old man went missing during a massive country music concert in Ohio. As police reviewed surveillance and interviewed patrons, they didn’t find any evidence that he had left the stadium at all. But after searching the entire stadium, they didn’t find him in it either. As the mystery deepened as to what exactly happened to him, a call came in to police that would change ev...

In September of 2016, a 24-year-old woman’s body was found burning in a kiddie pool in the woods near a lake in Grapevine, Texas. She was last seen visiting a bar in search of a job, and after police reviewed the surveillance video from her visit, they saw her speaking to her killer. And as it turned out, he had a history of stalking. This is the story of Jacqueline Vandagriff. Hosted by Simplecas...

In August of 2017, a 37-year-old realtor and mother went missing the day before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. In the wake of the disaster, as the state tried to pick up the pieces, police discovered that someone in this woman’s inner circle had used the storm to cover up their crimes. This is the murder of Crystal McDowell. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/go...

In July of 2021, a boy went missing from his own neighborhood in Idaho. After over a year of active searching with no clues, an arrest was made. But as police heard from the suspect, they learned that other people in the house could have been involved. But why? And what exactly happened? This is the story of Michael Vaughan. BONUS EPISODES Apple Subscriptions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...