Going West: True Crime

In August of 2006, a 21-year-old man attended a party after relocating to Louisiana to reconnect with his biological father. Multiple reports came out from party attendants that he had been acting paranoid and then left suddenly. But the most eerie account of all came from his father, who was the last person to speak with him, and remembers his son whispering into the phone that he thought someone...

In July of 1989, an 18-year-old woman was heading home to her parents house when she was shot in her own car. Her mother, an acclaimed mystery author, launched her own investigation and spent years hunting for her daughter's killer. And finally, after many years, answers came to the case. This is the story of Kaitlyn Arquette. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1. Real Crim...

In January of 2022, a 23-year-old woman living in the Bay Area went missing after being spotted on surveillance footage at a local gas station. The next day, her car was found abandoned on a dead-end street with the keys in the ignition, but she was nowhere to be found. Throughout the investigation, police discovered numerous suspicious clues leading to one specific suspect. This is the story of A...

In the spring of 1992, a string of murders began off the I-70 freeway in the Midwest. The killer claimed at least six victims, all of whom were store clerks, but to this day, no one has ever been caught, despite numerous eyewitness accounts. This is the story of the I-70 Killer. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1. St Louis Post-Dispatch:  https://www.newspapers.com/image/...

In August of 1981, a 20-year-old woman in Ohio disappeared in broad daylight from her office. When her boss arrived to find her car still in the parking lot, and signs that she had been there that day, but no trace of her, she was reported missing. Weeks before her disappearance, she had been receiving threatening phone calls, had numerous dreams about being abducted and murdered, and was concerne...

In August of 2016, a 27-year-old woman went missing in the Spirit Lake Reservation of North Dakota after taking a drive with 3 men. After loved ones didn’t hear back from her in days, her aunt, who is a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman activist and organization owner, took the investigation into her own hands and traced down her killers. This is the story of Carla Yellowbird. https://www.sahn...

Between 1993 and 2014, five women with similar appearances and backgrounds vanished under comparably suspicious circumstances in the same small area of California. As an area that is already nicknamed “The Black Hole” for its large number of disappearances, many locals believe that there is a serial killer stalking the area. These are the stories of Jennifer Wilmer, Karen Mitchell, Christine Walte...

In 2004, a well-liked man went missing from Aurora, Colorado after dropping his girlfriend off at the airport. When police conducted a wellness check at his home 2 days later, they found him brutally and methodically murdered in his own basement, with no apparent motive and no suspect in sight. But he had recently rented his basement apartment to a stranger…so was this mystery roommate to blame fo...

On June 24th, 2000, a 15-year-old aspiring writer vanished from her home in Utah, and her mom turned to her daughter’s own stories for clues. Having been a victim of bullying, police initially believed that she ran away. But as witnesses came forward, she appeared to have a stalker who had lured her from her home on the very computer where she sat every night to write. This is the murder of Trisha...

In April of 2022, a 24-year-old went on a birthday trip to Houston, but disappeared after meeting up with a man in the middle of the night. Since then, a suspect has been named, and a warrant is out for his arrest after police found the victims blood in his car and apartment, mysterious Google searches and hardware store receipts, and horrific photos in his phone. However, this man is currently on...

In 2003, a young couple was camping in their pick-up truck in a remote part of the Arizona desert to celebrate their anniversary. But before they could return home, they were murdered in the back of the truck. With few clues left behind, could the photos on their disposable camera help piece together the truth? This is the story of Brandon Rumbaugh and Lisa Gurrieri, otherwise known as the Bumble...

In June of 1996, a 22-year-old college lacrosse player had a casual night out with friends at a bar in suburban Philadelphia. But on her way home, she disappeared. Shortly after leaving the bar, her car was found running with the driver's side door open on an Interstate, painting a violent attack. After an important tip came in from a local woman, a concrete suspect emerged, and it turns out, he h...

In August of 2010, a 30-year-old scuba enthusiast from Memphis, Tennessee headed out for a cave dive in Ponce De Leon, Florida, and never returned. After an extensive search in the waters, his body was never found, begging the question: Was this an innocent diving accident? Or something much more sinister? This is the story of Ben McDaniel. BONUS EPISODE patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES ...

In July of 1996, a 31-year-old veterinarian was found dead in his Montana home. Although he was loved deeply by his family and friends, and had a passion for helping animals, he did had some enemies, one man in particular who claimed Bryan stole his girlfriend. But was he behind the killing, or was it someone else in their tiny rural town? This is the story of Bryan Rein. BONUS EPISODE patreon.com...

In August of 2012, a Georgia woman was living on a yacht in Saint Mary’s after a violent divorce. But when someone crept up to the boat while she was sleeping one night, she was murdered and the boat was set ablaze. Before her death, she had confided in a close friend about a stalker, and her fears of what they may do to her. This is the story of Karen Barnes. BONUES EPISODES patreon.com/goingwest...

In May of 2018, a well-liked teacher was shot to death in her parent’s Pennsylvania driveway. Not only is she believed to have had a relationship with a teenage student, but she also allegedly had dirt on the local Police Department. Between a broken engagement and a young man potentially behind her murder, this case takes many unexpected turns. This is the story of Rachael DelTondo. BONUS EPISODE...

“Is this Susie’s Mom?”  “Yes it is.”  “Well I’m the guy that took her from you.” This was the type of taunting phone call received by the mother of a young girl kidnapped at their Montana campsite. The search for her abductor led the FBI to a vicious serial killer, and began the process of creating psychological profiles in order to catch predators. These are the cases of Susie Jaegar, Bernie Poel...

In July of 2012, two girls disappeared in Evansdale, Iowa while riding their bikes. Police set out looking for them right away, but despite an exhaustive search, receiving tips from locals, and finding CCTV footage of the girls, all the investigation turned up was their bikes. Five months later, both of their bodies were found, but was this the work of a serial killer, or someone else hiding right...

In the summer of 1980, a beloved 30-year-old schoolteacher, wife, and mother was murdered with an ax in her Texas home while her husband was away on a business trip. This killing and the subsequent discovery of her killer were so shocking that both Hulu and HBO Max have shows based on the case, though the belief of what really happened that fateful day remains divided. This is the story of Betty G...

In May of 2022, a 25-year-old elite bicyclist traveled to Austin, Texas for a race. But after hanging out with another cyclist and previous romantic interest of hers, she was murdered. When police sorted through the evidence at the scene, they began to believe that the girlfriend of man the victim had just hung out with was most likely behind the killing. But before they could issue a warrant for...

In 2018, a chef and instructor at the Oregon Culinary Institute was murdered in his classroom before a Saturday morning class. After investigators looked into his wife, who was a romantic suspense novelist, they caught her in multiple lies, and uncovered that she had previously written an essay titled, “How To Murder Your Husband”. This is the story of Daniel Brophy. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goi...

In July of 1989, an 18-year-old Indigenous woman in Michigan went missing after a night out with friends. Shortly after her disappearance, the local police received a disturbing call where a frantic man confessed to her murder. Years passed after the discovery of her body, and police continued to question people in and out of her circle. But it wouldn’t be until 22 years later that movement finall...

In August of 2006, an attorney in Washington DC was murdered after spending the night at a friend’s house while multiple other people were in the house. After his death, they were adamant that an intruder must have entered the home. But, as details came out about the evening and the scene of the crime, they painted an incredibly bizarre scene. This is the story of Robert Wone. BONUS EPISODES patre...

In May of 2002, a 28-year-old woman returned to her hometown in Texas to start anew. But, after spending the evening with an anonymous person, she disappeared. The next day, her Jeep was found, followed by her body floating in the Red River days later. Rumors circled the town regarding love triangles and a potential pregnancy, but who murdered her? This is the story of Jennifer Harris. BONUS EPISO...

In 2009, a 17-year-old girl headed to Myrtle Beach with some friends for a spring break trip. But when she walked off alone to meet someone after sunset, she vanished. Following 13 years of searching intensely for her and questioning numerous potential suspects, answers finally came to the case in May of 2022. This is the story of Brittanee Drexel. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE...