Going West: True Crime

In 1968, the decomposing body of a young woman was found on the side of the road in Kentucky. With the lack of DNA testing, and no indication of her identity found at the crime scene, she remained a Jane Doe for over three decades. But in the 90s, a young man became obsessed with bringing her home to her family, and he eventually did just that. This is the story of Barbara Ann Hackmann, also known...

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho Students were stabbed to death in their off-campus home by an unknown assailant. With rumors of one of the victims having a stalker, police are still attempting to get to the bottom of what happened inside the house that night. This is the story of Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, also known,...

In December of 1997, a 23-year-old woman went out to a bowling alley with friends to celebrate finals week and a recent promotion. But after a fun, seemingly uneventful evening, she disappeared without a trace along with her car. She was missing for a whole month before her body was found during the search for someone else. This is the murder of Laney Gwinner. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestp...

In December of 2003, a 38-year-old lawyer was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Pennsylvania. He had been stabbed 36 times with his own pocket knife and then drowned in a creek next to his car. Although suicide was initially speculated, it seemed clear after his autopsy that he was murdered. But the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery. This is the story of Jonathan Luna...

In November of 2013, a woman in Pennsylvania went missing from her home just a week before Thanksgiving. Years later, her remains were found on the property of someone she knew- some who idolized Dexter and aspired to be a serial killer. This is the story of Holly Grim. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1. Fox:  https://www.foxnews.com/us/holly-grim-slaying-pennsylvania-ma...

In August of 1989, a 17-year-old boy went hunting on his family’s property, but never returned. When his dad went out to search for him, he found his son dead in the woods. And although his manner of death was thought to be an accident, a stranger’s suspicious threat to the family convinced them that he had been murdered. This is the story of Norman Ladner. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodc...

In April of 2022, a 38-year-old man died in his apartment due to an apparent medical condition. Without seeing the scene of his death, his parents had him cremated, fully believing the ruling. But later, when his ex-girlfriend entered the apartment to a horrific, bloody mess, his friends and family began to doubt his cause of death. And after seeing damning security footage and audio from his neig...

In November of 1974, a 23-year-old man ran into a bar on Long Island and exclaimed to the patrons that his mother and father had been murdered, only for them to find that his entire family had been massacred in their picturesque colonial-style house. With motives ranging from a mob hit to demonic possession, this investigation took the small coastal village of Amityville for a terrifying ride. Thi...

In November of 2002, a 19-year-old woman went missing after telling her mom she was visiting a friend’s apartment in West Virginia. When her car was found the next morning aflame in a remote area, her family and police feared the worst. This is the story of Samantha Burns. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1. Find A Grave:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207758061/sam...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a masked man began snatching children from their homes in Melbourne, Australia. With crimes similar to that of a fictional boogeyman, the area was petrified with fear, and to this day, police have never identified him. This is the story of Mr. Cruel. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES 1. Real Crime:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArIl4189j...

On Halloween day in 2005, a 25-year-old photographer headed to a Wisconsin Salvage Yard and was never seen again. When her car was found a few days later on the same property, a man was arrested for her murder. But did he do it? With theories of the man being framed and other persons of interests sneaking into the story, many are left wondering if police have the right man behind bars. This is the...

In October of 1988, an 18-year-old man in Massachusetts dressed as Jason Voorhees and set off to kill a young woman. Obsessed with the horror franchise Friday the 13th, he wanted to impersonate his favorite character and commit a murder. So he did. This is the murder of Sharon Gregory, and the story of the Friday the 13th Copycat Killer. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1...

In October of 2008, a young woman threw a Halloween party along with the rest of her apartment complex with countless attendees. But three days later, her body was found in her apartment, and the scene was not only gruesome, but incredibly confusing. With multiple partygoers as potential suspects, it was unclear to police from the start who was actually behind this tragedy. This is the story of Ar...

In October of 2019, a 19-year-old college student vanished after stopping at a Chevron gas station late one night in Alabama. Shortly after she was reported missing, her blood-stained, damaged car was located in an apartment parking lot almost an hour away. But thanks to surveillance footage, an eyewitness testimony, and DNA evidence, a suspect was charged. This is the story of Aniah Blanchard. BO...

In October of 2007, a 22-year-old tennis player was supposed to meet up with a friend before heading to a party, but he never showed up. After leaving strange voicemails for his parents and telling his sister that “important” people were after him, he vanished. Even though his car and backpack were soon found, they only brought more questions than answers. This is the story of Charlie Allen Jr. BO...

In 2013, a 19-year-old Arizona college student went missing after being involved in a single-car accident. When it was discovered that she took a ride from a suspicious cab driver and her whereabouts were unknown, police began investigating her disappearance with numerous persons of interest. Months later, her remains were found in a nearby desert, and theories spread of a “Zombie Hunter” and pote...

In October of 2012, a 30-year-old woman in Illinois who was being stalked by an unknown male went missing. She had been scared in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and when her body was found in a river, police looked into numerous people in her circle until damning evidence brought her killer to justice. This is the story of Katrina Smith. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE...

In October of 2016, a 23-year-old woman in Indianapolis headed to a private party and was never seen again. Just hours before she disappeared, she sent the address of the party to her best friend in case she went missing. Months later, she would be found murdered, and thanks to surveillance footage, police came up with a theory. This is the story of Angie Barlow. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwe...

Starting back in 1997, dozens of men have been found killed under eerily similar circumstances. Almost all of them were dubbed accidents fueled by a night out drinking with friends. But when investigators started noticing a similar calling card left by each body, graffiti paint of a smiley face, they began to suspect these seemingly random deaths were connected by one or more serial killers. This...

In October of 2018, a 16-year-old girl disappeared from California after a party. Her stepmother picked her up from the side of the road after finding her running in the dark. When they got home, they went to sleep side by side for safety since she was agitated, but the next morning, she was gone. Blame began to shift within the family as inconsistencies in the story emerged, and all the family’s...

In April of 2003, a psychologist was found dead in his car from a car crash. But shortly before his death, he had received threatening letters, and the day he died, he was seen driving erratically before crashing into a tree. Though police ruled his death a suicide, his autopsy revealed unsettling details indicating that he had potentially been tortured and held captive before he crashed his car....

In August of 2022, a 22-year-old woman headed out for a late night snack with the promise that she would be right back, but she never returned. Since then, her family, police, various organizations, and locals have been scouring the area looking for evidence. And with cell phone pings and surveillance footage, they’re hoping to find answers as soon as possible. This is the story of Jolissa Fuentes...

In August of 1993, a 22-year-old college student in Illinois was found dead in her apartment, strangled and stabbed with a pair of scissors. With numerous potential suspects in the realm of possibly, one was convicted. But was he really behind it? Or was it someone else all along? This is the story of Jennifer Lockmiller. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES 1. Herald Review: ...

In August of 2017, a 22-year-old film student in Philadelphia was murdered after a night out. What started as a missing persons case quickly evolved into a murder investigation after her remains were found in a storage shed. And it was soon discovered that her killer had transported her body over 100 miles in a Lyft before disposing of her. This is the story of Jenna Burleigh. BONUS EPISODES patre...

In October of 2018, a 26-year-old postal worker went missing in Chicago after leaving her apartment to run errands. But suspicious surveillance footage and a thought-to-be fake sick call made into her work the next day have led her family and investigators to believe something sinister happened to her. This is the story of Kierra Coles. BONUS EPISODES patreon.com/goingwestpodcast CASE SOURCES  1....