The Vanished Podcast

Last week we brought you the first part of 18-year-old Kelsey Collins’ story. A teenager who had been through more than most in an entire lifetime disappeared in May 2009, just nine days after her 18th birthday. Kelsey was involved with bad people, really bad people, but what wasn’t known at the time was just how profoundly and long-term Kelsey had been victimized by much older predators. She was...

On the evening of May 9, 2009, just nine days after her 18th birthday, Kelsey Collins left her home in Everett, Washington, to visit a friend in Seattle, approximately 30 miles away. Kelsey was a radiant and intelligent young woman. But Kelsey was still young and naive and never returned home. The nearly fourteen years of looking for her have spanned from teenage innocence and rebellion to the dar...

In early 2003, 29-year-old Clinton Washburn called his parents, and he was angry. The whole thing ended up being a misunderstanding that they worked out during that phone call, but after that, they stopped hearing from Clint. Months later, in September of 2003, they received a typed letter allegedly from Clint. It stated that he found a rich woman to marry, he planned to take her name, and they wo...

On September 14, 1990, 10-year-old Kacey Perry disappeared while visiting with her father at his home in Portland, Oregon, after the two had a disagreement. In Part 1, we learned that it’s believed Kacey made it to a store blocks away from her father’s home, possibly to make a phone call to ask someone to pick her up. Witnesses spotted her at this location, and her belongings were later found at t...

On September 14, 1990, 10-year-old Kacey Perry was visiting with her father at his home in Portland, Oregon. That evening, the two had a disagreement during a conversation about Kacey coming to live with him full-time. Her father told Kacey to go to bed for the night, which he believed she had done. Her father went outside and chatted with a neighbor for a bit. When he returned, he found that Kace...

Six months ago, we brought you the story of 70-year-old Sandra Eckert, who had been missing for 15 months from Franklin, Wisconsin. The story was eerie, with so many haunting hallmarks we’ve heard in many stories with the same patterns of behavior. When we first shared Sandra’s story with you, we held a significant amount of information in confidence at the request of Sandra’s family and law enfor...

On September 11, 2014, 63-year-old Daniel Farrar left the assisted living facility he resided at in Westbrook, Connecticut. He had $20 on him and stated he was going to get himself some lunch. Danny often left for walks or to grab some lunch. He was one of the younger residents in the home and got bored staying inside all day. Danny was seen that day at a local store making a purchase. What was un...

On January 24, 2022, 21-year-old Aidan Spear had plans to meet with her mother, Jessica, at 11 AM. About 20 minutes before they were due to meet, Jessica received a message from Aidan stating that she had to say goodbye to someone and would be a little late. She promised to call later and that she would meet her, just not at the original time. Jessica never heard from her daughter again. At first,...

We are taking this week off to spend time with our loved ones and the reminder that we are blessed with so much. However, we never take a week off in our minds, and the families with a missing loved one are always in our hearts and thoughts. We decided to re-share an episode from a few years ago about a missing child who disappeared many decades ago, Vinyette Teague. If you have not heard her stor...

Last week, we brought you the first part of Melissa Highsmith’s story. On August 23, 1971, 21-month-old Melissa was abducted by a woman who responded to a classified ad her mother placed in the local newspaper. Or, at least, that’s the story that Melissa’s mother and roommate told police when they reported her missing. Was Melissa really abducted by this woman calling herself Ruth Johnson, or was...

On August 18, 1971, a classified ad was published for a single day in the Fort Worth, Texas newspaper, the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram." The ad read, "Babysitter wanted from 8 to 3:30 days, Spanish Gate apartments, call after 3 pm" with a phone number listed. On August 23, 1971, a woman who said her name was Ruth Johnson came to the door of Alta Highsmith, who had placed the ad, and said she was the...

Last week, we brought you the first installment in Jarrod Green's story. 20-year-old Jarrod Green disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas, in September of 1994. Jarrod seemed to be in a panic and concerned about his safety. He was emotional on a call with his girlfriend but wouldn't go into details. Jarrod also retrieved a gun from a friend. His family knew he had plans to meet someone, and then he vani...

On September 30, 1994, 20-year-old Jarrod Green disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas. Jarrod had indicated to his family that he had plans to meet with someone that night. During a phone call with his girlfriend, Jarrod was clearly upset but wouldn't tell her what was wrong. Jarrod had previously given a gun to a friend and retrieved the gun, saying he needed it for protection. Jarrod never made it h...

Last week, we brought you the first part of Allison Whiddon’s story, which started with another woman with the same name being mistaken for the missing Allison. She joined Allison’s family in their search for Allison, which included looking at numerous possible suspects, knocking on doors, excavating land, and speaking to witnesses to yield information. Then, there was an alleged confession that d...

Around April 19, 2016, 44-year-old Kelly "Allison" Whiddon disappeared from Panama City Beach, Florida. Allison was in the middle of breaking up with the man she had been dating. This man had a history of violence and threats he promised to make good on. The two got into an altercation in a restaurant, and her boyfriend claimed he never saw her again, changed his story later, and subsequently refu...

In December 2015, 42-year-old Brandon Helms was temporarily living with a friend in Lakeland, Georgia. Brandon and his wife had recently separated, and Brandon was navigating this new territory. Brandon wanted to make his marriage work. He loved his wife and adored their daughters. On December 14th, Brandon’s wife called his parents to ask if they had seen or heard from him, but they had not. Bran...

Sometime between May 16 and May 25, 2020, 53-year-old Dawn Blankenheim vanished from Chico, California. No isolated event or indication foreshadowed her disappearance, but like every missing person, Dawn didn't just disappear. There is always more to the story. Dawn had been in the hospital in mid-May and was picked up by a friend after she was discharged. They were spotted at a local bar together...

21-year-old Megan Foglesong disappeared from Alden, Kansas, around the end of November 2015. When we first covered Megan’s story in 2016, nearly everyone pointed to Megan’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, David Madden. Megan attempted to leave him in the past and told others around Thanksgiving of 2015 that she was leaving him again. Several days later, Megan sent a message to a friend indicating t...

In early June of 2021, 47-year-old Jamie Valdez and his wife, Anna, had just moved to Booneville, Arkansas, from Texas. Their relationship was on the rocks, and Jamie’s wife said that Jamie left their home on June 9, 2021. An old coworker claims that she saw Jamie 30 miles north of Booneville in Ozark several days later, and the coworker invited him over for dinner with her family. She said he pla...

On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara was a bright young woman with plans for her future. She was saving for her first apartment that she planned to rent when she turned 16 in the fall. Barb’s dreams came to a screeching halt on that chilly spring evening when she seemingly disappeared into the night. Piecing together even the most basic cl...

On April 11, 1981, a 15-year-old girl named Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara's mother, Louise, called around to her friends to see if they had seen her, but no one said they had. Louise reported her daughter missing to the Williston Police Department and sent any tips she heard their way. The weeks and months passed with no sign of Barbara, and her case went ice col...

Three years ago, we brought you the story of Lillianna Pagano, who had been abducted by her mother, Jillanne, when Lillianna was an infant. A few days before airing our story on Lillianna, we received word that she had been found alive and was reunited with her father, Tyler, a completely unexpected surprise. While this was the ending we hope for in every story, Tyler and Lillianna still had a rou...

16-year-old Toby Anderson had found himself in some trouble during his teen years. Toby’s life wasn’t easy, and he began to act out. Toby was sent to a juvenile facility in Northern California and was shifted around between different family members. Then, he just disappeared, and everyone seemed to believe Toby had run away. Since Toby had been in trouble, running away didn’t seem far-fetched. Tob...

In the early morning hours of August 29, 2014, a call came in about a person seen sitting on the railing of the I-10 bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Police responded and found an abandoned truck belonging to 22-year-old Jake Latiolais. The truck was running, and Jake's phone was inside, but no sign of Jake. The 911 callers remain unknown, or at least, police...

On March 26, 2020, 45-year-old Eugene Prins planned a short road trip with a friend to drop off a wood splitter. They started out in Woonsocket, South Dakota, and drove about 25 miles east to the tiny town of Fedora. After that, Eugene and his friend were spotted at a bar in Forestburg, which was along their route home. The last confirmed sighting of Eugene was at the bar. The truck they were in w...