Disappearances

In December 2016, a man called 911 after spotting an abandoned car on a bridge. 19-year-old Sarah Stern usually drove the vehicle—but now, she was missing. Did she leave voluntarily? Or was she the victim of a terrible crime? If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In September 1999, 36-year-old Girly Chew Hossencofft was supposed to report to work at a local Bank of America branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Due to recent threats made by her husband, Girly’s co-workers were worried. When a colleague went to her house to check on her, she was gone. And she was never seen again.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was May of 1996 when college freshman Kristin Smart went to a party and never returned to her dorm. More than 20 years later, a stranger started a podcast that ignited interest in the case and brought a killer to justice.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was 1957 when the body of an unidentified, malnourished boy was found in a bassinet box In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For decades, police and community members worked to find his identity and killer. In 2021, they finally got an answer to one of these questions.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, or learn more about Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Around 40% of missing persons in the US are people of color, the vast majority of them Black. In this special episode, Sarah welcomes sisters-in-law Natalie Wilson and Derrica Wilson of the Black and Missing Foundation to discuss why this percentage is likely even higher. They talk about several current cases, unpacking the many policies and procedures that their organization advocates to change. Plus, the numerous ways that people can help.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, or learn more about Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maternity homes were advertised as safe havens for unwed expectant mothers. But the truth was very different. Many young women were sent to these homes involuntarily and were forced into giving up their babies for adoption.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, or learn more about Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the past 50 years, 18 women and girls — primarily Indigenous — have gone missing along the Highway of Tears. Some believe the actual number is more than double that. Today we focus on Delphine Nikal, Cecilia Nikal, and Ramona Wilson — three Indigenous women who disappeared near the same stretch of highway just a few years apart.If you’d like to learn more about the cases covered in this episode, or learn more about Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month, head to www.spotify.com/disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In August 2017, she was asked to house-sit for her parents in Atlanta and to take care of their ailing cat. She did for a few days. But then suddenly, Jenna Van Gelderen was gone. After searching her apartment, her parents believed she was the victim of something sinister. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In June of 1969, six-year-old Dennis Martin got lost in the Great Smoky Mountains while playing with his brother and cousins. At the time, there was no official protocol in place for how to search for lost hikers, especially kids. Even though it turned into a massive search and rescue mission, one park ranger is racked with regret over a hunch they didn’t follow.If you’d like to take action on the climate or learn more about the topics covered in “Dark Green: Earth Crimes and Conspiracies,” visit www.spotify.com/darkgreenresources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a June evening in 2011, Indiana University student Lauren Spierer went out for a night of drinking with friends. When the bar closed, Lauren needed help walking home. But even though she was surrounded by people she knew, nobody escorted her home safely. She was never seen again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices