The Vanished Podcast

On April 20, 1971, 39-year-old Joseph Rulli, also known as Joe Lupo, mysteriously disappeared from Closter, New Jersey. That day, Joe was hosting a party when he stepped out briefly for an errand but never returned, prompting his wife to report him missing. Days later, Joe's car was discovered in Jersey City, riddled with bullet holes and stained with blood. Initially, investigators assumed Joe had been murdered. However, ...

In September 2007, 38-year-old Cynthia Robison left Stockton, California, in the company of a truck driver. The two traveled to Florida, and it’s documented that they were there in early to mid-October. On October 15, Cynthia called her mother, Carolyn, from Connecticut, sounding frantic. She claimed to have witnessed the truck driver shoot someone. Before Carolyn could fully understand what was happening, Cynthia abruptly...

Last week, we brought you Part 1 of Nicholas Marion’s story, and you learned about his life growing up in the Orlando, Florida, area and his eventual move to British Columbia after marrying a woman from there. After relocating, the distance between Nick and his loved ones in the U.S. seemed to widen. In retrospect, Nick appeared increasingly isolated and dependent on his wife.

Months before his disappearance, Nick's mother ...

On the morning of June 30, 2024, at around 6:30 AM, 38-year-old Nicholas Marion left a property he was staying at in Youbou, British Columbia, to go for a walk. However, Nick never returned, and his phone was left behind, making it impossible to contact him. Nick, along with his wife Dory, had traveled to Youbou, a peaceful community nestled along the shores of Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, for a music festival. What ...

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Charissa Caster’s story. You learned that in July 2024, Charissa vanished without a trace. Her belongings were discovered along a roadside in Edmonds, Washington, prompting law enforcement to notify her family. Days later, her car was found abandoned approximately 50 miles away in Sequim, Washington. Surveillance footage later surfaced, showing her picking flowers in the area; this was the la...

In late July 2024, 32-year-old Charissa Caster vanished under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a trail of unsettling clues. Her disappearance came to light when her belongings were found scattered along a roadway in Edmonds, Washington. Shortly after, her car was discovered abandoned near Sequim, WA, roughly 50 miles away. The last confirmed sighting of Charissa was captured on video, showing her picking flowers in...

At just 16 years old, Toby Anderson found himself tangled in a web of trouble. His teenage years were marked by hardship, pushing him to act out in ways that strained his relationships. Sent to a juvenile facility in Northern California, Toby was shuffled between different family members, struggling to find stability. Then, without warning, he vanished. Everyone assumed he had run away, a plausible scenario given his troub...

It was Easter Sunday in 2013 when Shannon Merry's family last heard from her. During a phone call with her mother, who was in North Carolina while Shannon was in Ronkonkoma, New York, they had a disagreement, and the conversation ended on a sour note. After the call, Shannon's mother did not hear from her again and assumed that her daughter was upset. As time passed, Shannon's friends also noticed her absence; she stopped ...

In February of 1981, Roberta Michels-Hopkins, a 29-year-old mother of two, disappeared from Camden, New Jersey, without a trace. The story goes that she left her home, heading out to buy a pack of cigarettes, and never returned. Roberta's sister said she received a phone call from the man Roberta was in a relationship with, asking if she had seen or heard from Roberta. This phone call prompted her sister to try to report R...

In early August 2012, 33-year-old Tamala “Nikki” Wells vanished from her Detroit, Michigan, home under mysterious circumstances, leaving her family in a state of confusion and despair. The last person to see Tamala, her boyfriend, claims she drove off from their home on the evening of August 6th in a white 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix, but after that, she disappeared without a trace.

The following morning, Tamala’s mother, Donna...

On August 20, 2023, 39-year-old Jeremy Lawrence visited his girlfriend and newborn daughter at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota. After spending time with them, he left the hospital around 5:30 PM, planning to ride his ATV roughly 70 miles to his parents' home in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. About an hour later, around 6:30 PM, he was seen on surveillance footage. After 7 PM, his mother, Debbie, began to worry. S...

In late June 2024, Darrel Johnson traveled from Phoenix to a remote state park in northeastern New Mexico with 33 other campers. They were celebrating the birthday of a woman’s daughter, who some described as Darrel’s girlfriend while others referred to her simply as a friend. Reports indicate that Darrel arrived at the campground around 11 AM on June 28 and spent the rest of the day there. It has been suggested that an ar...

On June 28, 2024, Darrel Johnson left his home in Phoenix, Arizona, and traveled to Conchas Lake State Park in New Mexico to join a group of over 30 people camping there for a birthday celebration. The group arrived and settled into their campsite. According to those camping with him, Darrel was last seen around 11 PM that night.

However, a fellow camper, who was not part of Darrel's group, reported seeing him after midnigh...

In early August 2022, 24-year-old Andi Wagner mysteriously vanished from Evansville, Indiana. On August 6th, she briefly visited her grandparents' house before heading out. Andi's destination was unknown. Later, she was with a man she knew. He claimed Andi left his home either late on the evening of the 6th or in the early morning hours of the 7th. Oddly, evidence showed that the phone Andi was using continued to ping at t...

In April 2019, Katherine Hammontre Sundquist embarked on a hike with friends and her beloved dog, Tootsie, in a national park near San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. Their destination was a picturesque waterfall. Before the hike, Katherine had injured her foot, and not long after beginning the trek, she informed her friends that her foot was hurting. She decided to stay back at the first set of pools with Tootsie while t...

Yesterday, we shared the first part of Isaac Seidel's story, providing insight into his life and the events leading up to his disappearance. You learned that Isaac vanished along with his bike, phone, and backpack, leaving behind everything else at his home. Isaac hadn't mentioned to anyone that he had plans to go anywhere. In fact, it appeared that Isaac was simply going about his usual Sunday routine. He had chicken thaw...

Isaac Seidel, a 36-year-old man from Blain, Pennsylvania, disappeared on September 12, 2021. His loved ones grew concerned when Isaac missed several days of work, prompting them to visit his home. There, they discovered a chilling scene: Isaac, who lived alone, was gone, but his bicycle, backpack, and phone were missing. Everything else seemed untouched, including chicken thawing in the sink, suggesting he had planned to r...

On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton vanished without a trace from Williston, North Dakota. A bright and ambitious young woman, Barbara had big dreams for her future. She was saving money for her first apartment, which she planned to rent when she turned 16 that fall. But those dreams were abruptly shattered on that chilly spring evening when Barbara disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

To this day, piecing togeth...

On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton vanished without a trace from Williston, North Dakota. Her mother, Louise, immediately began contacting Barbara’s friends, hoping to learn to find her. When no one had seen her, Louise reported her daughter missing to the Williston Police Department and passed along any tips she received. However, as the weeks and months passed, there was no sign of Barbara, and the case went c...