The Vanished Podcast

In early March of 2020, 35-year-old Michael Green left his home in Winnfield, Louisiana. It wasn’t unusual for Michael to come and go, and a few days without hearing from him didn’t immediately raise concern. But as the days stretched on, his absence began to feel heavier. Michael was usually in touch, or at least visible somewhere around town. This time, he wasn’t.Michael's sister sent him messages, but Michael didn’t respond. That alone was unsettling. In mid-March, she sent him a message on Facebook Messenger, saying their mother was worried and asking him to get in touch. She could see that Michael’s account was active, a small sign that he was still out there. Then, that too was gone. Deactivated, it vanished just like Michael himself had.Michael's family reported him missing to the Winnfield Police Department, and horrifying rumors about what happened to him quickly spread around town. Nearly six years later, the question of what happened to Michael Green remains unanswered.If you have any information a

Joan Bernal's episodes originally aired in October 2020. In December of 1988, Joan Bernal, her husband, and their children had plans to leave their home in Joliet, Illinois, and head to Texas to visit her husband’s family for the holidays. Things didn’t go as planned, and they weren’t able to bring Joan’s children from a previous marriage due to custody issues. According to Joan’s husband, Gil, they decided to make the trip anyway. He later told investigators that Joan became upset during the drive and that he dropped her off near a bus stop in McAlester, Oklahoma, and gave her cash so she could return to Illinois. The plan, he said, was for Joan to pick up her other children and then fly to Texas to meet them. Joan Bernal has never been seen or heard from again.Over the years, this case has been marked by conflicting accounts, unanswered questions, and lingering uncertainty about what truly happened to Joan. Investigators and Joan’s loved ones have wrestled with whether she could still be alive, whether foul

Joan Bernal's episodes originally aired in October 2020. In December of 1988, Joan Bernal, her husband, and their children had plans to leave their home in Joliet, Illinois, and head to Texas to visit her husband’s family for the holidays. Things didn’t go as planned, and they weren’t able to bring Joan’s children from a previous marriage due to custody issues. According to Joan’s husband, Gil, they decided to make the trip anyway. He later told investigators that Joan became upset during the drive and that he dropped her off near a bus stop in McAlester, Oklahoma, and gave her cash so she could return to Illinois. The plan, he said, was for Joan to pick up her other children and then fly to Texas to meet them. Joan Bernal has never been seen or heard from again.Over the years, this case has been marked by conflicting accounts, unanswered questions, and lingering uncertainty about what truly happened to Joan. Investigators and Joan’s loved ones have wrestled with whether she could still be alive, whether foul

On June 13, 2016, 44-year-old Amy McHale said goodbye to her mother and left her home in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nothing about that moment suggested it would be the last time her family would see her, but it was.In the early morning hours of June 14, Amy called her daughter, Amanda, and left a voicemail. When Amanda listened to the message later that morning, it didn’t raise any immediate alarm bells, but when she tried to call her mother back, it went straight to voicemail. In the message, Amy said she was staying at her ex-husband’s house, something she did from time to time. At first, no one was overly concerned. Amy was an adult who had her own routines, and everyone assumed she would resurface, as she always had before. As hours turned into days with no word, concern for Amy began to grow. Amy’s ex-husband told family members that she had been at his home when he went to bed on the night of June 13, but when he woke up the next morning, Amy was gone. From that point forward, there were no confi

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving 2025, the family and friends of 59-year-old Daniel Davis began to grow increasingly concerned. Dan was known as deeply reliable. His coworkers couldn’t even remember him missing a single day of work in decades. Much of Dan’s life revolved around his job at 115 Bourbon Street, a well-known music venue in Merrionette Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb just outside the city of Chicago.They soon learned that Dan had been involved in a car accident late on the night of Monday, November 24. After the crash, Dan was dropped off at his workplace, where he walked inside and briefly greeted the two remaining coworkers. In the early morning hours of November 25, Dan was seen walking away from 115 Bourbon Street.Once Dan's loved ones learned about the accident, questions immediately followed. Where was he, and why wasn’t he answering calls or text messages? Had Dan sought medical attention afterward? As hours passed without contact, it became clear that something was wrong. Dan was

On January 12, 2025, 50-year-old Robert Maguire, known to those closest to him as Bobby, said goodbye to his father and boarded a bus in Wilmington, Delaware. His destination was Scranton, Pennsylvania. Those cities are only about 2 to 3 hours apart, but the route the bus Bobby boarded included a stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, where he was expected to transfer to a second bus bound for Scranton. On the other end of the trip, Bobby’s cousin was waiting for a call to let him know he had arrived and was ready to be picked up. That call never came.At first, the silence did not raise an immediate alarm. Bobby’s cousin assumed he had decided not to make the trip. His family in Delaware believed he had arrived safely. As more time passed with no word from Bobby, those assumptions fell away, and the family realized something was wrong. What makes Bobby’s disappearance especially difficult is the uncertainty of where it occurred. Somewhere between Wilmington, New York City, and Scranton, Bob

On the afternoon of January 8, 2023, deputies from the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a trespassing call in Dow, Illinois. A landowner reported seeing two men riding across his fields: one on a four-wheeler and the other driving a blue Buick. When deputies caught up with one of the men, he explained that he was searching for his girlfriend, 39-year-old Kaila Vincent Vatole, who had left their residence earlier that day. He said he didn’t know which direction she had gone, but he was worried about her and told deputies she might be suicidal.Given the seriousness of the situation, a search for Kaila began immediately. Deputies arrived on scene shortly after 2 p.m., and, with daylight already fading in the winter months, a helicopter was requested to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall. Several other agencies were called in to assist with the search efforts. Deputies went door to door, asking neighbors if anyone had seen Kaila, but no one had. It was as if she had simply vanished

Kay-Alana Turner’s episodes first aired in November 2023. On March 9, 2023, 27-year-old Kay-Alana Turner left a friend’s home in Silsbee, Texas, and began driving toward Austin, about four hours away, apparently to visit a friend. In the days leading up to March 9, Kay-Alana had not been sleeping well and did not seem quite like herself. In the early morning hours of March 10, witnesses in Hockley and Tomball, Texas, interacted with Kay-Alana after she asked if she could sleep in their driveways. By that time, her phone had died.Around 6 a.m., a homeowner in the Holly Creek Estates subdivision in Tomball noticed Kay-Alana’s car parked in their driveway, with Kay-Alana asleep inside. The homeowner contacted someone from the homeowner’s association and nearby neighbors. As several people gathered around the vehicle and attempted to wake her, Kay-Alana became frightened. When she tried to leave, her car was blocked. An officer from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office then broke the driver's side window of her veh

Kay-Alana Turner’s episodes first aired in November 2023. On March 8, 2023, 27-year-old Kay-Alana Turner stayed overnight at a friend’s home in Silsbee, Texas. Her friend noticed that Kay-Alana hadn’t been sleeping well and that something appeared to be troubling her. The following morning, Kay-Alana was believed to be asleep when her friend left for work, but as the day wore on, attempts to contact her raised concern. When Kay-Alana was briefly reached by phone, something didn’t seem right, and no one knew where she was. Loved ones later learned that Kay-Alana had planned to drive to Austin, about four hours away. Her loved ones began searching for her, but by the next morning, troubling reports about her behavior began to surface. These were accounts her family and friends felt were completely out of character. What was clear was that Kay-Alana was missing, and they needed to find her.On April 19, 2024, after more than a year of searching, Kay-Alana Turner’s remains were found by Texas Equusearch in Montgom

This episode originally aired on October 28, 2019. On July 6, 2019, 25-year-old Chance Englebert spent the day golfing with family in Gering, Nebraska. He later left with his wife, Baylee, and their infant son to stop by Baylee’s grandparents’ house. According to Baylee, it was in her grandparents’ driveway around 7:30 p.m. that Chance got out of the car and walked away. He was captured on surveillance video walking in Terrytown and was never seen again. On October 10, 2025, more than six years after Chance Englebert disappeared, his remains were discovered below a steep cliff in a remote area of Scotts Bluff National Monument. The location was approximately three to five miles from where he was last seen on surveillance video in Terrytown, though some route-based estimates of the distance he would have traveled on foot place it closer to eight miles. Authorities say evidence at the scene was consistent with a fall of up to several hundred feet, and multiple forensic specialists concluded his death was a

In Part 1 of this series, we explored Troy Galloway’s life and the events surrounding his January 13, 2016, disappearance from Sonora, California. We walked through the confusion of those early days, eyewitness accounts of a disturbance near Crystal Falls Lake, and the later phone data that appeared to place Troy’s phone in that same area. Those elements combined to form the backbone of the investigation and ultimately led to the extensive search of the lake, an effort that, despite its scale, uncovered no trace of Troy.In Part 2, we shifted our focus to Troy’s relationships and the people who knew him best after his move to Sonora. We heard from the Brainstormers, the friends and loved ones who traveled to Sonora themselves, spoke with neighbors, and worked to piece together what Troy’s life looked like in the months before he vanished.This week, in Part 3, we are going to take a deeper look at the other lines of investigation that have been pursued over the past decade, where the case stands today, and the

Last week, we walked through the timeline of Troy Galloway’s disappearance and the events that unfolded in the days leading up to January 13, 2016. We learned how, after years of building a life and a steady support network in Santa Cruz, California, Troy moved to Sonora with his wife, placing hours of distance between himself and the people who had always been his safety net. Troy was a devoted father to his young son, but the distance made it difficult to maintain that same level of involvement in his life after the move.On January 15, 2016, Troy’s mother, Nancy, received a message from his wife telling her that Troy had disappeared two days earlier. Nancy was confused and alarmed by what she was hearing. His wife said Troy had run out of the house, underdressed for the cold, and never returned. After that exchange, Troy was finally reported missing, but a miscommunication between local agencies delayed getting the case to the appropriate investigators and beginning the search for Troy.Over time, pieces of

January 13, 2016, was a chilly winter day in Sonora, California. That day, thirty-four-year-old Troy Galloway was reportedly at home with his wife and young daughter when the couple had a disagreement. According to his wife, Troy ran out of the house and into the cold, snowy yard wearing only a t-shirt, jeans, and shoes. Troy never returned, and no one has seen or heard from him since. A couple of days later, Troy’s mother, Nancy, who was back home a few hours away in Santa Cruz, received a text from Troy’s wife saying that he was missing. Nancy was both shocked and frustrated that she hadn’t been notified sooner. At that point, Troy still had not been reported missing, and once he was, a jurisdictional mix-up further delayed search efforts.Since Troy was not reported missing right away, it took time to connect his disappearance to a commotion that neighbors said they heard the night he vanished. The neighbors were concerned enough to report it to law enforcement that evening. However, learning that informati

This episode first aired on August 14, 2023. In Part 1 of Dorothy Goroshko’s story, you heard about her life from her sons, John and Rick. Their childhood was difficult even before Dorothy disappeared and grew even more complicated afterward. Despite Dorothy’s faults, Rick is determined to find her, and John believes he deserves answers. They lost their mother at a critical time in their lives and were left to wonder whether she had chosen to abandon them or if something tragic had happened. Neither possibility brought any comfort. After she went missing, the boys also had to take on adult responsibilities, working to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.On June 4, 1975, Dorothy left home to meet friends for drinks at The Penalty Box in Boston, Massachusetts. Her group of friends frequently spent time at that bar near North Station. They recalled that Dorothy stayed with them throughout the evening and remained until closing. They said their goodbyes, and no one knew where she went next. There w

This episode first aired on August 7, 2023. On June 4, 1975, Dorothy Goroshko went out for drinks with friends in Boston, Massachusetts. Her three sons, ages 21, 14, and 12, were at home and went to bed that night unaware that anything was wrong. The next morning, Dorothy still hadn’t returned. The younger boys got themselves off to school, assuming she had stayed with a friend and would be back later. When the evening came and she still wasn’t home, the brothers didn’t know what to think. They kept waiting, hoping for word from their mother. After several days had passed with no sign of Dorothy, one of her sons went to the police to report her missing. Forty-eight years later, the Goroshko brothers are still searching for answers about what happened that night in 1975.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dorothy Goroshko, please contact the Boston Police Department Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. If you wish to remain anonymous, call 1-800-494-TIPS or text “TIP” to 27463.If you have any

It was Christmas Day 2017 when 35-year-old David Horn Jr. vanished from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. At the time, Dave was living alone just around the corner in Trainer. That evening, the Philadelphia Eagles were set to play the Raiders. Dave had been born and raised in the Philadelphia area and was a devoted Eagles fan. Spending a holiday night at a neighborhood pub to watch the game would not have been unusual for him. What was unusual was that as other fans were filing in to settle down for the Christmas night game, Dave walked out of the bar. No one ever saw or heard from him again.Dave had plans to leave for a trip to Las Vegas right after the holiday, so when he went quiet, friends and family assumed he was already there. But in early January, Dave’s father went to check on him and found an unsettling scene. Dave’s truck was still parked outside. Inside, the lights and TV were on, and his belongings appeared untouched. Even the plane tickets for his upcoming trip were sitting out in plain view. Then his

Last week, you learned about Heather Caras’ life, her disappearance, and the trail of confusion that followed. On January 24, 2025, Heather had planned to take her younger son on a special outing after a minor disagreement the night before. According to him, that morning, Heather said she was going outside to start her vehicle, but she never returned. After waiting for some time, he walked to school to tell someone that something was wrong.What followed was a series of strange events. Instead of involving social services, local residents were called in to look after Heather’s children, a decision that struck her friends as deeply concerning. When photos of Heather’s home began circulating, they showed some rooms inside her home in disarray. Her friends weren’t sure whether Heather had made the mess herself, searching for something, or whether someone else had ransacked the house.The next day, one of Heather’s neighbors found her truck parked at Beaver Bay, miles west of her Linton, North Dakota home. The scen

On the morning of January 24, 2025, 39-year-old Heather Caras disappeared from her home in Linton, North Dakota. When she stepped outside, her two teenage sons were still at home. One of her sons later recalled that Heather said she was going to start her vehicle, but she never came back. This was out of character for Heather, who was known to be a devoted and protective mother, given that both of her boys have special needs. When she didn’t return, one of the boys walked to school to sound the alarm that something was wrong. The next day, Heather’s truck was found at Beaver Bay, about fifteen miles west of Linton. The scene there was strange: a set of footprints leading away from the vehicle, then abruptly ending, and a pair of shoes neatly placed in the snow.In the days that followed, few clues emerged. Then came a statement from law enforcement claiming that Heather had “left her family and the area willingly with the assistance of an unknown acquaintance and was not known to be in any danger.” To tho

This episode first aired on November 7, 2022. Last week, we shared the first part of Jarrod Green’s story. In September 1994, 20-year-old Jarrod disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas. In the days leading up to his disappearance, he seemed increasingly anxious and worried about his safety. During a call with his girlfriend, he was emotional but wouldn’t say what was wrong. Around the same time, he retrieved a gun from a friend, telling them he needed it for protection. Jarrod told his family he had plans to meet someone that night, but he never returned home. His car was found days later in a store parking lot in Searcy.In this episode, we will explore the people in Jarrod’s circle before he went missing and the possible roles they may have played in his disappearance.If you want to get involved, please join Shannon's group, Justice for Jarrod, on Facebook. If you have any information regarding Jarrod Green’s disappearance, please contact the Searcy Police Department at (501) 268-3531.If you have a missi

This episode first aired on October 31, 2022. On September 30, 1994, 20-year-old Jarrod Green disappeared from Searcy, Arkansas. That night, he told his family he had plans to meet someone. During a phone call with his girlfriend, he sounded upset but refused to explain what was wrong. Earlier that week, Jarrod had retrieved a gun he had previously loaned to a friend, saying he needed it for protection. He never made it home and was never seen or heard from again.A few days later, Jarrod’s car was found abandoned in the parking lot of a local store. The doors were unlocked, the windows were rolled down, and the keys were on the floor. His disappearance quickly went cold. His family heard little from law enforcement and felt as though the case had been forgotten.Over time, disturbing stories began to circulate. Less than a year later, another person connected to Jarrod vanished. Another reportedly took his own life after confessing to being involved in Jarrod’s death. Years later, a group of new detectives dec