Unresolved

"Serial killers in the past have often been found to have started with animal torture."In October 2017, the mutilated body of a cat was found in a rural area outside of Olympia, Washington. At the time, people tried to explain it away. Maybe it was a car. Maybe coyotes. Nobody wanted to consider the alternative.But as winter turned into 2018, more fragments turned up. Severed limbs in a field outside of Lacey, a suburb outside of Olympia. Another partial body a week later. No witnesses, no clear pattern, just grisly remains. Maybe it was scavengers, some insisted. But the unease had started...Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

“... to date, there are no confirmed reports of any clowns actually abducting, harming, or killing kids… There just aren’t. There are zero.”Do you remember when there were a bunch of clown sightings a few years back? It seemed like every week brought new reports of creepy clowns lurking at the edge of woods, roaming neighborhoods, and leering from parking lots. They waved at startled onlookers, chased kids with knives, or whispered from the tree line... at least, that's what people said.People flooded 911 lines with calls about these boogeymen in big shoes, yet concrete evidence was scarce. It was a bizarre social media-fueled hysteria that spread across dozens of states and even overseas, equal parts absurd and unsettling...Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanAdditional research & writing by Ira RaiLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

There has been an update in the GirlsDoPorn story (episode #156 from 2020). In June 2025, Michael James Pratt pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges. This follows guilty pleas from the rest of the conspirators linked to the site that was shut down by federal authorities in 2019...If you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

There has been an update in the University of Idaho murder case (episode #226 from 2022). Following his admission of guilt, Bryan Kohberger has been sentenced to four life sentences for the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalvez, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin...If you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

“On this day we should only remember his many victims and all of their families... As far as Hansen is concerned, this world is better without him.” In August 2014, 75-year-old Robert Hansen took his last breath at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. The notorious serial killer spent his final decades alive incarcerated, first in Pennsylvania and then in Alaska, saying little of importance to anyone. But even now, more than a decade after his death, questions remain. Not only of the victims Hansen confessed to killing, such as Eklutna Annie, but those he refused to accept responsibility for... Part four of fourResearch, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanAdditional writing by Amelia WhiteLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"You can't r*** a prostitute, can you?"In the Fall of 1983, Robert Hansen was arrested after the daring escape of 17-year-old Cindy Paulson. With Paulson’s testimony and an FBI profile pointing squarely at Hansen, Alaska State Troopers obtained a warrant and uncovered damning evidence in Hansen’s home. There, they found a hunting rifle linked to multiple murders, jewelry and other belongings from several victims, as well as a haunting map leading them to more than a dozen bodies. In the weeks and months that followed, authorities would begin to dig into Robert Hansen's backstory, uncovering not just prior incidents in his youth that had essentially brushed off, but a long history of hatred against women...Part three of fourResearch, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

There has been an update in the University of Idaho murder case (episode #226 from 2022). In July 2025, Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalvez, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. While final sentencing won't take place until later this month, he is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars...Researched, written, hosted, and produced by Micheal WhelanIf you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

There has been an update in the story of Crystal Rogers (episode #8 from 2016 as well as episode #88 from 2019). In July 2025, ten years after she went missing, three men were convicted of conspiring to kill Crystal Rogers. One of the men convicted was none other than Brooks Houck, Crystal's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and father of her youngest child...Researched, written, hosted, and produced by Micheal WhelanAdditional research and writing by Amelia WhiteIf you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"Guys, I've got a map here... with a lot of X's."Just after 5:00 AM on 13 June 1983, police in Anchorage, Alaska arrive at a seedy motor inn on Gambell Street. Inside room 110 is a young girl huddled on the bed, barefoot, shivering, and still wearing a pair of handcuffs. Her name is Cindy Paulson, and minutes earlier she had made a run for her life.Through Cindy's extraordinary account, police link her case to a local resident, Robert Hansen. Hansen, a local baker and avid hunter, was well-known and liked by almost all who knew him, including members of the Anchorage P.D. Investigators bring him in for questioning but are ultimately forced to let him go. However, Cindy's report quickly ends up on the desk of Alaska State Trooper Glenn Flothe, who - along with some others - had been investigating the mysterious deaths of local sex workers and dancers...Part two of fourResearch, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProduceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"Workers and drug dealers and dancers came and went, many with few ties to the state and no one to notice if they went missing..."In the early 1980s, a quiet pattern had begun to form: women were disappearing in the region surrounding Anchorage. Many had come to Alaska in order to escape their problems or to otherwise have a fresh start in the "Last Frontier." But amidst a transient population, these women's disappearances were shrugged off, presumed to have simply gotten lost in the shuffle.Following the discovery of a few bodies, however, investigators with the Anchorage Police Department and Alaska State Troopers started to make connections between victims. Despite being separated by time and distance, these young women had seemingly been hunted by a serial killer with ritualistic tendencies...Part one of fourResearch, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb."In November 1971, a man in a suit boarded a flight from Portland to Seattle, calmly handed a note to a flight attendant, and claimed he had a bomb. He demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck on standby. Hours later, somewhere over the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, he opened the rear stairway of the plane and vanished into the night.Was it a fatal leap, the perfect getaway, or the birth of a new identity? Fifty years later, no one knows who Dan Cooper really was, what became of him, or if he ever touched the ground alive. But the theories haven't stopped... and neither has the obsession.Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanAdditional research & writing by Amelia White and Ira RaiLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"I don't believe in any nonsense... but I'll keep an open mind. Out here, who knows?"In July of 1970, an Athena RTV rocket was launched from Green River, Utah. Containing the radioactive element cobalt-57, the rocket was supposed to arc harmlessly down in White Sands, New Mexico. But instead it went rogue, streaking south over the Mexican border to a desolate area near the Durango-Chihuahua state line.This location, known by many as the "Zone of Silence," has long held a reputation for the unexplained. Dating back to the 1800s, local homesteaders have claimed to witness "hot pebbles" tumbling from the sky. Planes have crashed here, meteorites fall with surprising regularity, and walkie-talkies reportedly malfunction within this sprawling desert. "Mexico's Bermuda Triangle," some have come to call it...Research by Ira RaiWriting by Amelia WhiteHosting and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"We have no idea how many other victims are out there, past and present."In April 2013, relatives of 53-year-old Laura Howard began to grow concerned. She wasn't responding to any phone calls, and the tone of her text messages changed. It felt as if someone else was texting with her phone. She'd even failed to pick up her son from the airport and wasn't responding to any of her neighbors' knocks at the door. Her curtains were drawn and her vehicle was missing.Police, having briefly dropped by Laura's home in April, returned again in early May. Entering inside, they were shocked at what they found: Laura's decomposing body covered with towels in her bathtub, the air conditioner set to its lowest setting. The house had been carefully staged to avoid detection for as long as possible. Missing from the scene, though, was Laura's new housemate, an enigmatic man calling himself "Simon Storm"...Research and writing by Ira RaiHosting, production, and additional writing by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"I believe it was a very personal, deliberate thing."On 16 November 1987, the three-member Dardeen family returned to their rural home in Ina, Illinois after a weekend away. As Thanksgiving approached, 30-year-old Elaine, 29-year-old Keith, and 3-year-old Peter spent two days visiting with Elaine's family in nearby Albion. Elaine, nearing the end of her second pregnancy, expected to give birth to a baby girl named Casey in the near-future.Days later, though, Keith was a complete no-show for work. A usually punctual and responsible man, Keith's absence was noted by his coworkers and supervisors, who began trying to get in contact with Keith and his family. This led police to the young family's home that Wednesday evening, November 18th, where they discovered a crime scene beyond this small town's comprehension...Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"There's absolutely no information in the signal."For decades now, an odd and mysterious audio signal has operated on the shortwave spectrum. Since the late 1970s, a strange pulsating sound has repeated at 4625 kilohertz. There is never a formal introduction. There are no hosts or music. Only on occasion will a voice step in, and when it does, it reads off some words and names in a monotonous Russian accent before disappearing once more.No country or agency has ever attempted to claim or explain the signal. Rumors persist about its purpose: everything from a "dead hand" nuclear deterrent controlled by the Russian government to a channel marker acting as a placeholder. However, after more than four decades, the signal's meaning remains unknown to the world at large...Research & writing by Amelia WhiteHosting, production, and writing by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"I have no doubt they died of an experiment with psychic forces for which they were ill-prepared and which turned out to be fatal."By the end of 1967, the official investigation into the Lead Masks Case was brought to a close. The final police report listed the cause of death for both Miguel José Viana and Manoel Pereira da Cruz as undetermined.There was no evidence of foul play. No external injuries. No signs of trauma. The bodies had not been robbed, nor had they been bound or restrained. No crime, as defined by Brazilian law, had seemingly taken place... Part 2/2Research & writing by Amelia WhiteHosting, production, and writing by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

“16:30 be at the specified location. 18:30 ingest capsules, after effect protect metals await signal mask.”On 20 August 1966, a teenager was flying a kite on Vintém Hill, a rural location outside of Niterói, Brazil. He wasn't looking for anything unusual that Saturday afternoon, but partway up the hill, he discovered what looked like two mannequins. He'd rush home and tell his mother, who immediately alerted police.Hours later, authorities arrived at the scene and documented what they found: two men laying side by side on the grass, arms and legs outstretched. There was no sign of violence or a struggle of any kind. But the other objects found at the scene - including a pair of strange, homemade lead masks worn by the two men - have led to a litany of unanswered questions in the decades since...Research & writing by Amelia WhiteHosting, production, and writing by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

There has been an update in the story of Susan & Jeffrey Klungness (episode #241 from 2023). This week, authorities in Pierce County announced that they were closing the case, having discovered remains belonging to Jeffrey Klungness back in October 2017...Researched, written, hosted, and produced by Micheal WhelanIf you would like to support this podcast and others, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"... they don't say whether she's still alive or where she is or what her name is. They don't tell you anything but that she was a middle-aged woman who was inspired by God and God spoke to her, so she started speaking God's word."In September 2021, a mysterious Reddit account surfaced, claiming to be the long-lost leader of a controversial religious movement. The user, /u/yang_xiangbin, posted about an abusive marriage, exile, and an unexpected role in the rise of a group known as the Church of Almighty God - aka "Eastern Lightning" - an organization the Chinese government has labeled a dangerous cult.Was this an elaborate hoax, or had one of the most elusive figures in modern religious history just reappeared online?Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.

"OFFICER SHOT. WHITE CHEVY VAN. NO PLATE."In the early morning hours of 27 October 2006, Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office told dispatchers that he was pulling over a white Chevy van off of rural Highway 16. Seven minutes later, his radio "keyed," a common sign of distress. After failing to respond to calls on his radio and cell phone, dispatchers sent out other deputies to Mitchell's last known location with lights and sirens.Arriving just minutes later, officers found Deputy Mitchell laying on the ground near his vehicle, bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the head. As they'd soon learn, he'd been shot with his own weapon during a "significant struggle" with an unknown person...Research, writing, hosting, and production by Micheal WhelanLearn more about this podcast at http://unresolved.meIf you would like to support this podcast, consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpod to become a Patron or ProducerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unresolved--3266604/support.