Mysteries and Histories

On my platforms our interest in a case doesn't just end when the episode ends, I always keep one eye on cases I've covered in the past so I can keep you all up to date on the latest going ons and steps forward. Today we have some big updates in the cases of Opelika Baby Jane Doe, the Boy in the Box, Renee and Andrew McRae, Madeleine McCann and more!

On 1st July 2000, 8 year old Sarah Payne was playing in a corn field with her siblings when she fell over and hurt her knee. She decides to run back to her grandparents house for comfort, her older brother 13 seconds behind her. She disappears around a hedge... and then she's never seen again. 

In 2002, a group of children playing in Carryduff, Northern Ireland, came across the body of a newborn baby girl in a bin bag. Investigation quickly discovered that she had been murdered, naming her Baby Carrie. Despite extensive investigation over the years, the mother and/or the murderer have never been discovered.

In 1968, 18 year old Sheila Jean Collins put her details up on a ride share board at the ISU student union hoping that someone would be able to give her a lift home so she could see her boyfriend for the weekend. A man called offering her a ride, and she headed off to the intersection to meet him - two days later, her body would be found by the side of a remote gravel road near Nevada, Iowa.

In 1971, a man came across the body of a man on private property in Winshill, Burton upon Trent. Investigators were sure the murder would be quickly solved once they were able to find the identity of the man... only 52 years on, we still don't have his name.

The Fernald School is a dark stain on the history of Massachusetts, a school originally intended to teach physically and intellectually disabled children real-life skills that eventually turned into an experiment in eugenics. Many people speculate as to what exactly happened within those walls, but what we do know is that throughout the mid 20th century, radiation was tested on children.

Between 1976 and 1986, three Native American women would be found murdered around the name neighbourhood in Oklahoma City. To this day, there have been so viable suspects. 

9 year old Anthonette Cayedito went missing in 1986 after a knock on her door in the middle of the night. A year later a phone call came in to her local police department from a girl claiming to be Anthonette Cayedito... and her mother agreed it was her. Where is she? Can she still be found today?

In April 1974, cousins Raelene Eaton and Yvonne Waters headed to a local tavern to watch a band play, and whilst there started chatting to some men. They were last seen with these men in the car park; one minute they were there, the next they were gone. And they've never been seen again. What happened to the teenage girls? Who were these men?

In 1958, teenage lovers Pinky Redman and Mike Griffin set off on a road trip to Las Vegas to possibly elope, but they were never seen again. And they weren't the only ones to go missing. Six months later the boy of a teenage girl was found in the Arizona desert. Was this Pinky? Was this someone else entirely? What was happening in Arizona?

There aren't many silver linings when it comes to true crime, but one of the only good things we get are case updates: new suspects, identifications, steps forward in the investigations. Today we're going to be taking a look at updates in the Boy in the Box, the Somerton Man, Madeleine McCann, Tara Calico and more.

In April 1981, 14 year old Sheila Sharp headed home after a sleepover at a neighbours house to discover that the majority of her family had been brutally murdered in the night - a murder that 41 years later still remains unsolved. Despite many suspects over the years, and a recent rejuvenation in the investigation, we're still waiting for answers. Could 2023 be the year we get them?

March 18th 1937 was meant to be a normal day at New London School in East Texas, and just after 3pm children were buzzing to go home - but then disaster struck when an unknown gas leak caused an explosion that lead to the deaths of nearly 300 children and teachers. What lessons have we learned from this to ensure it never happens again? 

In July 1980, the bodies of two women would be found miles apart and neither would be identified for a long time. In the noughties, steps would be made to finally connect the Does to the same killer and one was eventually identified... but the identity of the Ventura County Jane Doe remains elusive.

True crime is inherently a depressing topic, but occasionally some good news comes out when a perpetrator gets apprehended, someone gets identified or even new evidence is found and released - today we're going to discuss all of those latest updates!

In 1910, 25 year old Dorothy Arnold went out to shop for a dress for her sister's debutante ball. And then she disappeared into thin air. 112 years on, and there has never been so much as a single clue as to what happened to Dorothy. Did she run away to start a new life? Did she die in a botched abortion? Was she abducted off the street? Maybe one day we'll find an answer. 

In September 2001, a man walking across Tower Bridge in London spotted a human body floating in the Thames, something investigators would soon discover to be just the torso of a young boy who seemingly had been victim of a ritualistic murder. Despite many leads and close calls over the years, 21 years on and Adam still doesn't have an identity, and police don't have their perpetrator.

In 1944 a fire at the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey circus in Hartford, Connecticut led to the deaths of 168 people, of which 5/6 people still remain unidentified. As well as finding these identities, investigators have battled for decades to find the true cause of the fire - was it a carelessly discarded cigarette or something more nefarious?

In 1988 in New Bedford, Massachusetts 11 women went missing over the course of just 6 months and over the coming year, 9 of their bodies would be found alongside major roads leading out of the city. Despite a number of good suspects in this case, investigators were slow to realise something was going on under their noses and therefore the case remains unsolved to this day.

In 2014 the Broaddus family bought their dream home in Westfield, New Jersey. All the preparations were made to begin some serious renovation work before they moved in when an anonymous letter arrived from someone who referred to themselves as 'The Watcher'. Thinly veiled threats were made to the family's children and this person professed to be part of a long line of people watching the house, ge...

Today we're talking a look at the Hays Code, a list of 36 'don'ts and be carefuls' for movie studios starting back in 1934 that changed the face of Hollywood forever. Ever wondered why Golden Age Hollywood films are so PG? Why even now queer people characters are hard to come by in films? Here's your answer!

On 19th September 1990, the body of a teenage girl/young woman was found by workers on the side of the I-40 in Hillsborough, North Carolina. She had been there for less than a week, and despite a couple of witnesses coming forwards enabling police to piece together her final hours, she's never been identified. Who is New Hope Jane Doe and who is responsible for her murder?

In the 1960s, a serial killer roamed the streets of West London, hunting for poor sex workers to be his next victim. Each woman would be found nude or partially nude with teeth missing and covered in paint splatters. But despite extensive investigation and many suspects over the years, the killer nicknamed Jack the Stripper has never been apprehended. 

65 years ago, the body of a young boy was found on Susquehanna Road in Philadelphia. Despite one one the biggest searches in state history, and becoming one of the most infamous Doe cases of all time, the boy has never been reunited with his identity, nor given justice for his murder. Genetic genealogy might mean we're close to answers in this case, but spreading the word is always helpful.

Police insist that in August 2014, 22 year old Jake Latiolais ended his own life by jumping over the edge of the Horace Wilkinson bridge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, however there has never been any solid evidence to support this theory - and no proper investigation was ever conducted. I've worked closely with Jake's mum, Tina, to bring his story to you today and try to spread the word.