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📍 Seattle, Washington | April 1991 🎙️ Chapter 68 | The Final Trace of Christopher Case Seven days. That's how long Christopher Case reportedly believed he had left to live. After a disturbing encounter with a woman in San Francisco, the 35-year-old music executive became convinced that someone had placed a deadly curse on him. What followed was a terrifying week of unexplained experiences, desperate phone calls, and an increasingly frantic attempt to protect himself from something he believed was coming. On April 18, 1991, Christopher was found dead inside his Seattle apartment. Candles had burned down. Crosses were scattered throughout the rooms. Lines of salt marked the boundaries of his home. There were no signs of forced entry. And the circumstances surrounding his final days would leave behind a chilling question. Can fear become so powerful that it kills? Or was something else happening to Christopher Case? This October, The Final Trace explores one of the strangest deaths of 1991, where the line between the supernatural and the explainable becomes frighteningly thin. Not all secrets stay buried. 🕯️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 **Kansas City, Missouri | 1935 🟠 OFF THE RECORD 018 • PATREON EXCLUSIVE He checked into a hotel under a name that wasn't his. Days later, a hotel employee discovered a horrifying scene inside Room 1046. A young man, brutally injured. A room filled with unanswered questions. And a mysterious visitor no one could quite explain. The man would eventually be identified as Artemus Ogletree, but discovering his real name was only the beginning of the mystery. Who was he hiding from? Why had he checked into the hotel under an assumed identity? And what really happened behind the locked door of Room 1046? This October, we're opening one of Kansas City's most haunting unsolved mysteries. 🔎 **The Final Trace of Artemus Ogletree** — available exclusively on Patreon & Off The Record *Not all secrets stay buried.* 🕯️

📍 Denver, Colorado | October 17, 1941 🎙️ Chapter 67 | The Final Trace of Philip Peters: The Denver Ghost House When 73-year-old Philip Peters was found brutally murdered inside his Denver home, investigators were left with more questions than answers. There were no signs of forced entry. No clear motive. And no suspect. But Philip's death was only the beginning. In the months that followed, his grieving wife, Helen, began experiencing strange things inside their home. Footsteps echoed through empty rooms. Objects disappeared. Unexplained noises filled the night. Soon, neighbors were whispering about a haunting, and the house earned a chilling nickname: The Ghost House of Denver. But was Philip Peters refusing to leave the home he loved? Or was something far more sinister lurking within its walls? Not all secrets stay buried. 🕯️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 New Orleans, Louisiana | 1918–1919 🎙️ Chapter 66 | The Final Trace of the Axeman of New Orleans For more than a year, someone was slipping into New Orleans homes in the dead of night. The attacks were brutal. The weapon was often found nearby. And whoever was responsible seemed to disappear as quietly as they came. Then a letter arrived. The writer claimed to be the Axeman — and warned that at 12:15 a.m., he would walk the streets of New Orleans again. But this time, he offered the city a way out. Any home where a jazz band was playing would be spared. So when the night came, New Orleans did something extraordinary. The lights stayed on.The music started.And an entire city played for its life. But somewhere beyond the music, one question remained: Was the Axeman listening? 🎧 Chapter 66 is streaming now. Not all secrets stay buried. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Martinsville, Indiana | September 12, 1977 🎙️ Chapter 65 | The Final Trace of Ann HarmeierTwenty-year-old Indiana University student Ann Harmeier was driving back to Bloomington for a morning class when her Pontiac overheated along State Road 37. Hours later, her mother found the car still sitting along the highway—locked, abandoned, and with its battery drained from the emergency flashers. Ann was nowhere to be found. For 36 days, her face appeared on thousands of posters, bumper stickers, and billboards as a massive search spread across Indiana. Then, a farmer harvesting his cornfield made a devastating discovery. But finding Ann only created a new mystery. A blond man. A Volkswagen Beetle. A witness placed near the scene. And more than one convicted killer whose name would eventually become tangled in Ann’s case. Nearly fifty years later, investigators still have the evidence—and Ann’s family is still fighting for answers. Someone knows what happened after Ann’s car broke down that morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Baltimore, Maryland → Lancaster County, Pennsylvania | December 3–4, 2003 🎙️ Chapter 64 | The Final Trace of Jonathan Luna At 11:38 p.m., federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna left his Baltimore office without his cell phone or the glasses he needed to drive. By dawn, his Honda was sitting above a creek nearly 90 miles away—and Jonathan was dead. Investigators could retrace much of his strange overnight journey through toll records, an ATM withdrawal, and a late-night gas stop. But the evidence only created more questions. $36,000 had vanished. Jonathan had 36 wounds. His own knife was found closed. And two groups of investigators would look at the same death—and come away with very different explanations. More than twenty years later, Jonathan Luna’s final drive can still be traced. What happened along the way cannot. 🎧 Chapter 64 is streaming now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 West Islip, New York | June 18, 2010 🟠 OFF THE RECORD 017 • PATREON EXCLUSIVE Twenty-five-year-old Michael Taus told his family he was heading out on a blind date with a woman he'd met online. Then Michael disappeared. So did his dog, Romeo. Six days later, Michael's Jetta surfaced nearly thirty miles from home — with the engine still running. Sixteen years later, we still don't know who Michael planned to meet that night… or whether that date had anything to do with his disappearance at all. This week, we're following the few traces Michael left behind — and talking through the theories that still don't quite fit.

📍 Lower Manhattan, New York | September 10, 2001 🎙️ Chapter 63 | The Final Trace of Sneha Anne Philip On the evening of September 10th, 2001, 31-year-old physician Dr. Sneha Anne Philip was captured on surveillance shopping at a department store just blocks from her apartment. It would be the last confirmed trace of her. Hours later, the world changed. In the chaos of September 11th, Sneha’s disappearance became tangled with one of the darkest days in American history. A mysterious figure caught on surveillance. Shopping bags that were never found. Thirteen missing hours. And two very different possibilities for when—and how—Sneha vanished. A court would eventually decide what happened to her. But more than twenty-five years later, one question remains: Where did Sneha go after 7:18 p.m.? This is The Final Trace of Sneha Anne Philip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Bloomington, Indiana | June 3, 2011 🎙️ Chapter 62 | The Final Trace of Lauren Spierer For hours, Lauren Spierer’s movements through Bloomington can be pieced together almost minute by minute. Until suddenly… they can’t. In the early morning hours of June 3, 2011, the 20-year-old Indiana University student vanished. Her phone and shoes were left behind. Her apartment was only a few blocks away. And according to the last person known to be with her, Lauren walked into the darkness around 4:30 a.m. She has never been seen again. Fifteen years later, we retrace Lauren’s final night, the people who were with her, the conflicting accounts, the searches, the theories, and newer reporting that raises an unsettling question about the timeline itself: SOURCES AND OTHER READINGS: Shawn Cohen — College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight (2024)Sourcebooks – College Girl, Missing That’s the book we used for the newer reporting in the episode, including Cohen’s investigation of Lauren’s final hours. It was published by Sourcebooks on May 28, 2024. Deep-Dive Feature: To read the definitive, comprehensive breakdown of the night she vanished and the local impact, see the longform investigation The Lauren Spierer Mystery, Unraveled by Indianapolis Monthly. [1] Official Case Website: To submit information, review the interactive timeline, or support the family's ongoing mission, visit the Find Lauren Official Website. [1] Family Social Updates: Read direct statements from Lauren's parents, Robert and Charlene Spierer, on the Lauren Spierer Family Updates Page. Local Journalism: Review the local reporting on the timeline and recent tip volume published via WRTV Indianapolis. [1] The Baseline Timeline: Review the standard timeline, including her movements through Kilroy's, Smallwood Plaza, and 11th & College Avenue, on Wikipedia's Lauren Spierer Case Profile. Local Reporting Chronology: You can track the local investigative path and community response through the WTHR News Archives and follow the search developments detailed by the Fox 59 Case Investigation Guide. Franklin Crawford's Passing: To double-check the exact location and natural causes ruling regarding the death of "Road Dog" near the dumpster on June 6, 2011, you can reference the local context in the B Square Bulletin Archive. Shawn Cohen's Private Investigator Insights: For an overview of the private files, the suspicious 4:00 a.m. phone calls targeting cars, and why there is zero independent evidence she left the complex, check out the summary page for his New York Times bestseller, College Girl, Missing, at Goodreads. The Mike Beth Reality & Complete Fact Check: To verify the exact details regarding Mike Beth writing his paper during the all-nighter, the $120,000 to $250,000 reward jumps, and the Franklin "Road Dog" Crawford timeline, you can review the extensive longform article on Indianapolis Monthly. The Fake Balcony & Architectural Verification: To verify how journalist Shawn Cohen debunked Jay Rosenbaum’s "balcony sighting" by proving it was just a narrow, decorative architectural ledge blocked by trees, check out the case review on Fox 59 News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Bethesda, Maryland | March 11, 2011 🎙️ Chapter 61 | The Final Trace of Jayna Murray On a Friday night in one of Bethesda’s busiest shopping districts, two coworkers returned to the Lululemon store where they worked. By morning, 30-year-old Jayna Murray was dead. Her coworker was found bound, bleeding, and alive—with a terrifying story of what had happened behind those locked doors. Police began searching for two violent men believed to be responsible. But inside the blood-soaked store, the evidence was beginning to tell a very different story. What happened that night would become one of the most shocking crimes in Bethesda history—and expose a truth no one saw coming. Not all secrets stay buried. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Haverfordwest, Wales 🟠 OFF THE RECORD 016 • EXCLUSIVE For most of their lives, June and Jennifer Gibbons existed in a world that seemed to belong only to them. They barely spoke to anyone else. They moved in eerie synchronization. They shared a private way of communicating no one seemed able to understand. But beneath their silence was something darker — a bond filled with love, resentment, obsession… and eventually, a belief that only one of them could ever truly be free. Then, shortly before everything changed, Jennifer quietly told a journalist: “I’m going to die. We’ve decided.” Ten days later, she was dead. This week on Off the Record, we’re stepping just outside true crime and into one of the strangest stories we’ve ever told. The Silent Twins. 🎧 Quick audio note: McKenzie’s audio is a little off in this one — we didn’t catch it until after recording. Eek. 😬 She’s still totally understandable, but forgive us for the occasional wonkiness!

📍 Spencer, Indiana | July 17, 1996 🎙️ Chapter 60 | The Final Trace of Bryan Haltom Just after midnight, 18-year-old Bryan Haltom was driving his red Trans Am through the quiet streets of Spencer, Indiana, when an encounter with another car followed him onto U.S. 231. Minutes later, Bryan was dead. The other driver vanished into the night. What initially appeared to be a senseless act of road rage would soon raise questions that have lingered for three decades. A disputed timeline, strange rumors, and the possibility that Bryan's encounter with a stranger wasn't random at all. Thirty years later, no one has been arrested. And someone may still know.. Who killed Bryan Haltom? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 San Jose, California | October 2019🎙️ Chapter 14 Revisited | Mysterious Death: Erin Valenti We’ve told Erin Valenti’s story before. But we’ve never told it like this. After first covering Erin’s strange and unsettling final days, we went back—reexamining the timeline, digging deeper into the medical findings, and exploring new information and theories we never touched the first time around. Erin’s death was officially ruled natural. But the mystery of what she was experiencing in those final hours has never really gone away. “It’s all a game.”“It’s a thought experiment.”“We’re in the Matrix.” Was Erin experiencing a sudden medical crisis? What was happening inside her mind—and could her haunting final words tell us more than we realized the first time? This is Erin Valenti... revisited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're doing something a little different! Introducing you to one of our favorite podcast! We're handing The Final Trace feed over to our friends Cam and Jen from Our True Crime Podcast for a special feed swap! In this episode, they take us back to March 26, 1990, and the murder of Elizabeth Mackintosh: a case we had never heard before, and one we think you're going to want to hear. If you're new to Our True Crime Podcast, consider this your introduction. Cam and Jen have been telling true crime stories together for years, and there's a reason their listeners keep coming back. We love their storytelling, their chemistry, and most importantly, the people behind the microphones. So settle in, meet our friends, and join Our True Crime Podcast for the story of Elizabeth Mackintosh. And when you're finished, go give Cam and Jen a follow. because we're pretty sure this won't be the last episode of theirs you 'll want to listen to. Visit: Our True Crime Spotify for more! We'll be back next week with a brand-new chapter of The Final Trace. Until then… tell your dog I said hi. 🐾 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📍 Bass Strait, Australia | October 21, 1978 🎙️ Chapter 59 | The Final Trace of Frederick Valentich 🔎 Mysterious Disappearance Twenty-year-old pilot Frederick Valentich took off from Melbourne for what should have been a routine flight to King Island. Less than an hour later, he contacted Melbourne Flight Service with a strange question: Was there any known traffic below 5,000 feet? There wasn’t. But Frederick could see something in the sky with him. For the next several minutes, an air traffic controller listened as the pilot described what was happening outside his cockpit. Then the transmission ended. No confirmed wreckage was recovered. No body was found. And nearly fifty years later, theories range from a tragic aviation accident to a carefully planned disappearance—and something far more difficult to explain. This week on The Final Trace, we follow Frederick’s final flight, hear the haunting words he transmitted that night, and examine the evidence behind one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries. What happened to Frederick Valentich? 🎙️ VOICE CAST: Frederick Valentich — Dean Boese, Family Plot PodcastVoice portrayal for Frederick’s final radio transmissions.Listen to Family Plot on Apple Podcasts Melbourne Flight Service / Steve Robey — Trose (Mckenzie's oldest son!)Voice portrayal for the air traffic controller during Frederick’s final radio exchange. A huge thank you to Dean and Trose for lending their voices and helping us recreate Frederick Valentich’s final communications. Production Note: The radio communications featured in this episode are dramatic recreations based on the documented transcript of Frederick Valentich’s final exchange with Melbourne Flight Service. They are not the original recording. 📻 Final Radio Transmission Transcript of Frederick Valentich’s Final Communications with Melbourne Air Traffic Control — UFO Research Australia (PDF) 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING ABC History Listen – Last Light: The Valentich Mystery ABC History Listen – Last Light: The Valentich Disappearance (2023 edition) Flight Safety Australia – Leaving This World ABC News Australia – Frederick Valentich Disappearance ABC Radio National – Aviation Mystery Department of Transport Case Files / ATC Recording Archive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices