Not Adding Up

Michael Chambers was a pillar of his community. A retired firefighter, serving for over 30 years, a local deacon, and a handyman who loved fixing anything for anyone. Michael seemed like he had it all, a loving wife, a large family, and even a designated space (his workshop) to pursue one of his biggest passions, cars. So when Michael vanished from his workshop in March 2017, everyone who knew him was left dumbfounded. Confusion would only grow as police would come forward with a narrative that Michael staged his disappearance and committed suicide by jumping from a 5-foot-tall bridge. Police would give this recollection of the tragedy around the same time Michaels's wife was cashing in his $750,000 life insurance policy. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfSaufNHVwjjShv-TZ_DCr2r553m5HzP1D3u2jNzG_U/edit?usp=sharing

Alexis Ware was last seen by her ex-boyfriend after meeting him at a 7/11 in Anderson County, SC, on January 30th, 2022. She was meeting him there to drop off her two children and follow him to his mother's house; however, when the pair approached a red light after pulling out, she would go around him and make a right on red, never to be seen again. Alexis shared some unsettling information with her mother while visiting the previous weekend. By February 1st, her mother reported her missing to the Anderson County Police, and the very next day, they made a confusing discovery. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p5PVY2nQAzo88EDBLIya0uEY7F1wdXn4qoyjufR7ijA/edit?usp=sharing

Gary Grany Jr would have been in school on the average Thursday; however, on Jan 12th, 1984; his school held teacher conferences. This would give him a day to play with his friends and do other activities seven-year-olds typically do. When his mother asked him at breakfast what he planned to do with the day, he told her that he had an appointment that afternoon. While she thought this was just an innocent cover for playing with his girlfriend, when Gary neglected to return home that evening, the seemingly innocent appointment turned into something much more sinister. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AP-_wJWC53hZsCbd93ivkIKqxXOYh0z-Ill8t_0v91g/edit?usp=sharing

Mark Himebaugh was walking home from school just like any other November weekday. He lived with his mother, Maureen, and his older brother in Del Haven, New Jersey. However, on a fateful Monday in November of 1991, his attention was captivated by a brush fire taking place not far from his home. When he got his mother's permission to go get a closer look, she would have no idea this would be the last time she would see her child. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oM6AnDE47EHHiTlBWiKn9bYwx72nINkY0DXu902P-j0/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode, I tell the stories of 4 missing women, Racheal Elizabeth Garden, Elizabeth Lamotte, Shirly Ann McBride, and Tammy Belanger. While some speculate they may have a connection to Terry or Laureen, I would have to agree with the authorities and say they are not related. However, the cases of these young girls are no less important, and all take place in NH in the period discussed in Part 1. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wYhtGTVCFHvzv3dBHFSc_C0BL9p068OHqJoLrZF0AfA/edit?usp=sharing

What started as researching a singular disappearance led me down a rabbit hole of cases all revolving around New Hampshire somehow. We will begin with the case of Laureen Rahn, a 14-year-old who vanished from her Manchester, New Hampshire apartment in 1980. Next, we will discuss Denise Ann Daneault, 25, who disappeared just a few months later in the same area. Both of these cases remain unsolved, but there is some reason to believe they may be connected to the disappearance of Denise Beaudin. Beaudin would also vanish from the area but not until about a year and a half after Laureen's disappearance. Her case is set apart because she was last seen with her boyfriend, Bob Evans. This Bob Evans character will lead us to discuss the case of two more women, Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and Eunsoon Jun, both of whom he had a relationship.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zEqgm9ERoGHOQcpSHzhKqc3vM8r3ynm4dFYHEFODDI8/edit?usp=sharing

In June 1992, Suzanne "Suzie" Streeter and Stacy McCall celebrated graduating from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri. Their celebrations were short; however, the pair would vanish from Streeter's house in the early morning hours the day after graduation. Not only are the two teenage girls missing, but Suzie's 47-year-old mother, Sherill Levitt, when they neglect to show up for their plans the next day, their friends do a wellness check. After finding all of their belongings inside, their fears escalate. Nothing seemed out of place; nothing was missing except for the three women who had been inside the night before. Over 30 years later, this case still haunts Springfield as an unsolved mystery.

In November 2018, Florida native Carla Stefaniak decided to take a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate her 36th birthday. The majority of her trip would go as planned, and she would enjoy the tropical vacation spot for a little under a week. That is until November 27th, when her sister-in-law, who had taken the trip with her, had to return home as they had different airline tickets. While we can trace Carla's whereabouts to around 9 PM that evening, following this, none of her friends or family heard from her. The next day was not only her birthday but the day she was supposed to travel home. When she would remain silent all day and not depart from the plane she was supposed to board, her friends' and family's worries escalated. It is not for a couple of days that a grisly discovery was made, and while someone has been punished for what took place on the evening of November 27th, 2018, almost all of the evidence points to the fact that they did not work alone.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_T8JPZ5qrDXjLtulkMK_HMnhyEQbg4pusleiXtO9MTk/edit?usp=sharing

Jessica Masker was last seen at a gas station in East Washington, Indianapolis, on April 15th, 2013. Shortly before vanishing, Jessica would make a concerning phone call to her brother asking for a ride; when he told her he could not as he was already on his way to work, he suggested calling their mom. However, this is not what she did; she would call her boyfriend and arrange a pickup spot. However, she would never arrive at this location and has never been seen since.   Almost eight years later, Kirsten Brueggeman vanished from a location just 10 minutes away from Jessica's last known place. Kirsten left a bar parking lot on food in the middle of the night after arguing with her friends. While detectives were able to briefly trace her steps following her leaving the parking lot, the CCTV camera that was capturing her malfunctioned while she was walking through its view, leaving us to wonder was this a technical malfunction or something more sinister?  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CyCyrET9WbAaugCwWx3ZLJpY3FDCxwfX1s7wuqkNTbU/edit?usp=sharing

In 2005 Natalee Holloway visited Aruba along with over 100 of her classmates. Less than a week after graduating, Natalee disappeared outside a bar and nightclub in Aruba. Almost immediately, authorities zero in on their prime suspect, a local teen known to harass tourists, Joran van der Sloot. Unfortunately, despite having everything shy of hard evidence, Joran was not arrested. It wasn't until he had another encounter with a woman, Stephany Flores Ramirez, precisely five years following his encounter with Natalee, that he was put behind bars for an extended period of time. Over 17 years later, Natalee's case remains a mystery. However, the likely perpetrator, Joran, is serving time for a separate crime.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11BLjia2fXKTb7_rADESSWtVu5qsmqQ58fcEnioE98NI/edit?usp=sharing

In March of 1998, Amy Lynn Bradley would set sail on the Rhapsody of the Seas from Puerto Rico with her parents, Ron and Iva, and brother Brad. Unfortunately, the fun-in-the-sun vacation only lasted a few days before Amy mysteriously vanished from the family's cabin in the early morning of March 24th, 1998. Despite the family begging the cruise staff not to dock, the ship docked less than 2 hours after Amy vanished, allowing anyone who took her to escape into Curacao. While the local authorities were eventually involved, nothing led the family to Amy. The cruise staff went above and beyond to be of no help and were downright suspicious in their actions.  In the years following Amy's disappearance, there have been numerous sightings of her; the most troubling one was a digital rather than psychical sighting. In 2005 an investigation specialist found a photograph advertising sex workers in the Caribbean; the photo was labeled "Jas" but strongly resembled Amy. This, along with the multiple sightings, leads the family to fear Amy may have been sold into a sex trafficking ring. The truth remains a mystery.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_qkeTK8XrIpPwcMaKqMx_m5SqM9_gjC6tyD7OaJZNZ0/edit?usp=sharing

 On April 11th, 2001, 20-year-old Branson Perry vanished from his front yard after spending the day cleaning up his house for his father. He would tell his friend that helped him that day that he was going to put some jumper cables away in their shed and run out for a minute and that he would return shortly. Over 20 years later, there has been no sign of Branson beyond the jumper cables mysteriously appearing in front of the shed a few weeks following his disappearance. While his family was confident he would not just run away, they were baffled at what would have happened to their loved one.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ztSYCYuyWSKSx4gwO-Ge3rzmIYd-Am-GGMm0LU_AwHQ/edit?usp=sharing

  Pravin Varughese was in his sophomore year at Southern Illinois University and enrolled in the criminal justice program. Pravin planned a typical night on the town on the evening of February 12th, 2014; however, the popular college student mysteriously disappeared around midnight. Less than a week later, his remains were found in the woods; the original autopsy ruled no foul play; however, the family points to evidence that says otherwise. It is known that Pravin got a ride from a stranger that evening, and this stranger was the last person to see him alive. The stranger admits the two got into a fight but insists he played no part in Pravin's death. Over four years following Pravin's death, a conviction is made, and a perpetrator is named, however briefly. Unfortunately, a judge soon threw out the ruling due to confusing terminology used with the jury, and the case is waiting to be re-tried.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1La1zfvS-tp25KHUpUAC4dkJPcCSPHkh8dtYzHRygZyk/edit?usp=sharing

Jennifer Kesse was a successful young businesswoman making a life for herself in Orlando, Florida. After what appeared to be a typical morning of getting ready for her job on January 24th, 2006, Jennifer would vanish before getting to work. It would be a few days before her vehicle would be found, but it left clues for her family or investigators. Even after police could obtain CCTV of the individual parking Jennifer's car and walking away in broad daylight, they were no closer to finding Jennifer. While numerous persons of interest have emerged over the years, no arrests have been made. The Kesse family has continuously pursued answers for what happened to their daughter, sister, and loved one.  Sources https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J_c6fIphRH6B456x6i3f5B51jHq7pxg6wuN7tcHI9KA/edit?usp=sharing

Justin joined the military at 18 in 1990 and was stationed at Ford Ord in Monterey, California. Justin had aspirations to join an elite combat squad known as the Rangers. While he was initially performing well in the program, he would be removed following a shoplifting incident. While he was adjusting to his new placement, he would meet his girlfriend, Iolanda. Iolanda would notice some strange behavior early on in the relationship, and as the relationship continued, the behavior grew stranger. Justin would leave Iolanda, and his family, in the dark about a large part of his life. Whatever it was Justin was involved with, it seemed to be dangerous, and on June 12th, 1993, Justin would seemingly drop off the face of the earth. https://docs.google.com/document/d/17iisowAw8CBCJbrBb0y7NB4v4UAPwj1kpLMfmGhr-7E/edit?usp=sharing

Robert Wykel was a retired sheet metal worker living in Burien, Washington. Our case begins in February of 1996 when Wykel doesn't return from a routine trip to purchase a vintage vehicle, which he fixed up and sold for profit to supplement income. Wykel has many friends in the area, so his disappearance does not go unnoticed; even his daughter, hundreds of miles away in Illinois, begins to worry when she doesn't hear from her father. Their worries escalated in March when they were notified Roberts's vehicle had been impounded with no sign of Robert anywhere. Detectives would work for the next 15 years to find out what happened to Robert and who was responsible.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-V6BIHtmHj3vxRlqIqXd2sr6BMJW4Nq2W0mAt4WHYro/edit?usp=sharing

Brandon Swanson had just finished his first year at Minnesota West Community and Technical College; as most college kids do, he went to a few house parties to celebrate. Unfortunately, in the early morning hours of May 14th, 2008, he got his car stuck in a ditch while making his way home from Canby, MN, to Marshall, MN. He would call his parents, who came to the described destination. When they got there, however, Brandon and his car were nowhere to be seen. Frustrated, Brandon told his parents he would walk to Lynd; he believed he could see lights coming from the town in the distance. He would stay on the phone with his father while he made his way towards the town, that is, until around the 47-minute mark of the call. Then, Brandon would suddenly yell, "oh shit" before the line went dead. This is the last time anyone has spoken to or seen Brandon Swanson.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1znDlxUyXV-eqaagOjvKKOTl93kIcLA2inmhOyT1FKHE/edit?usp=sharing

 Lindsay Buziak was a hard-working 24-year-old realtor, the youngest at her company, working in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She would impress all those around her with her work ethic and charisma. In late January 2008, the opportunity of a lifetime fell into Lindsay's lap, and while she felt uneasy about taking it, she couldn't pass it up. Her intuition, however, served her well as this opportunity proved far good to be true. Then, in a series of events that remain a mystery, Lindsay was brutally murdered. The crime had been committed, and the scene was cleaned in under 15 minutes, indicating whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.  Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KgHetG_lRhK3JsTahZjh-HYo_aU1qi1Yx3N7R0nLd2M/edit?usp=sharing

Mitrice was a recent college graduate who lived with her great-grandmother in LA while working two jobs. She aspired to obtain a doctorate in child psychology and work with children in the foster system. Unfortunately, she did not get the opportunity to pursue these goals. Amid a seeming mental episode, Mitrice was arrested by the LA Sheriff's Department in September 2009. She was released with no cell phone, no wallet, and over 20 miles from her vehicle a little after midnight. While there was a sighting of Mitrice just a few hours after her release, it would be months before a more gruesome discovery would be made. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12SOAk97Q7hlkhiVI9XVKvjHTuev-SeHm6evE7TFaTJc/edit?usp=sharing

Brian Shaffer was in his second year of medical school when he went missing from a bar in Columbus, Ohio. The Ugly Tuna Saloona was full of customers in the early morning hours of April 1st, 2006; however, Brian disappeared without a trace after being caught entering the bar at 1:57 AM. He would leave behind absolutely nothing to indicate where he was going or what could have possibly happened, and over 15 years later, he remains missing. Sources:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/17WGAXfpdPEiv67v_RlSOL9qPapSCEmF-qOEXzxNhB4w/edit?usp=sharing