The Missing Files: Unsolved crimes, families & the search for truth

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the complex and chilling history of the Boston Strangler case. For true crime enthusiasts and those interested in forensic justice, we explore how Albert DeSalvo confessed to thirteen murders between 1962 and 1964, yet was never convicted for them during his lifetime. This narrative goes beyond the sensational headlines to examine the institutional failures, jurisdic...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the enduring enigma of the Somerton Man, one of Australia’s most famous unsolved mysteries. Found dead on a beach in Adelaide in December 1948, the unidentified man was dressed impeccably, with no identification but a cryptic scrap of Persian text reading 'tamám shud'—meaning 'it is over.' This narrative explores the chilling details of his discovery, the...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun investigates the enduring mystery of the Sodder Children, five siblings who vanished in a house fire on Christmas morning in 1945. This true crime deep dive explores whether Martin, Martha, Maurice, Alice, and Francis died in the inferno or escaped to start new lives elsewhere. For listeners fascinated by unsolved mysteries, historical disappearances, and the intersection of ...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the enduring mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance on July 2, 1937. This true crime deep dive moves beyond sensationalist conspiracy theories to examine the factual timeline of her final flight around the globe. We explore the technical challenges of navigating a Lockheed Electra 10E to the tiny Howland Island in the Pacific, the last radio transmissions re...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun provides a comprehensive and cinematic reconstruction of the night John Lennon was assassinated on December 8, 1980. This true crime deep-dive explores the final hours of the legendary Beatle, detailing his return to The Dakota in New York City alongside Yoko Ono after a recording session. We examine the chilling premeditation of Mark David Chapman, a 25-year-old fan who wait...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun investigates the chilling case of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, one of Cleveland’s most notorious unsolved true crime mysteries. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the story explores how an impoverished slum known as Kingsbury Run became a hunting ground for a systematic killer who targeted the city's most vulnerable drifters and wo...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the unsolved murder of Christopher Wallace, known to the world as the Notorious B.I.G., on the streets of Los Angeles in March 1997. This true crime deep dive explores the tense atmosphere of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud, detailing the events leading up to the drive-by shooting that cut short the life of one of rap’s most influential figures. We exami...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun investigates the horrific Wineville Chicken Coop Massacre, one of America’s earliest documented serial killer cases involving child victims. Set in early 20th-century California, the story follows Gordon Stewart Northcott, a predator who used his rural poultry farm as a trap for young boys. This true crime deep dive explores how fourteen-year-old Sanford Clark survived ...

In this chilling episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the Hinterkaifeck Murders, one of Germany’s most disturbing unsolved true crime cases from March 1922. Set on an isolated farmstead in Bavaria, the story begins with eerie premonitions: mysterious footprints in the snow that lead to the house but never leave it, a newspaper found without explanation, and unsettling noises coming from the attic. This na...

This episode of The Missing Files, hosted by Sally Calhoun, examines the final days and fatal shootout of John Dillinger at Chicago’s Biograph Theater on July 22, 1934. It is designed for true crime enthusiasts, history buffs, and those interested in the evolution of American law enforcement during the Great Depression. The narrative moves beyond the sensationalized 'Robin Hood' myth to explore the psychological and societal ...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun examines the final days of Kurt Cobain, moving beyond conspiracy theories to explore the medical and psychological realities that led to his death on April 5, 1994. This deep dive into true crime and music history focuses on the tangible evidence: chronic stomach pain, heroin dependency, bipolar disorder, and a family history of suicide. We analyze the timeline from his Rome ...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun explores the haunting Beaumont Children case, one of Australia's most infamous unsolved mysteries. On January 26, 1966, nine-year-old Jane, five-year-old Arnna, and four-year-old Grant disappeared after walking alone to Glenelg Beach in Adelaide. This narrative dissects the timeline of their disappearance, the initial panic that gripped the nation, and the chilling witness ac...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun explores the chilling true crime case of Belle Gunness, often cited as one of America’s first female serial killers. This narrative dissects how a Norwegian immigrant named Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth used deception, insurance fraud, and gaslighting to orchestrate the disappearances of at least fourteen people between 1884 and 1908. Listeners will learn how Gunness op...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dissects the harrowing 1932 kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., the twenty-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh. This true crime deep dive explores how a homemade ladder found at the scene became a deadly signature, leading to one of the most famous criminal investigations in American history. The narrative moves beyond the headlines to examin...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun dismantles one of psychology’s most enduring myths: the story of Kitty Genovese. For decades, students were taught that thirty-seven witnesses watched a woman die in Queens without calling for help, creating the foundation for the 'bystander effect.' This episode reveals that the truth is far more complicated, human, and tragic than the headline suggested. We explore ho...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun examines the harrowing abduction and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., a crime that captivated the world in 1932 and fundamentally altered American justice. The story begins on March 1st at Highfields, the New Jersey home of Colonel Charles Lindbergh, where their twenty-month-old son is taken from his crib under the cover of night. A handwritten ransom note demanding ...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun examines the harrowing case of the Moors Murders, focusing on the crimes of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the enduring mystery surrounding Keith Bennett. This true crime deep dive explores how two perpetrators exploited the isolation of Saddleworth Moor between 1963 and 1965 to murder five children, leaving behind a legacy of trauma that continues to affect families decades ...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun presents a comprehensive and respectful examination of the Laci Peterson murder case, titled 'The Silence of San Francisco Bay.' This true crime deep dive explores the tragic events surrounding the disappearance of eight-months-pregnant Laci Denise Peterson on Christmas Eve 2002, and the subsequent discovery of her remains in San Francisco Bay. For listeners interested in uns...

In this episode of The Missing Files, host Sally Calhoun explores the tragic and enduring mystery surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe on August 5, 1962, at her Brentwood home on Fifth Helena Drive. This narrative goes beyond the headline to examine the clinical findings of probable suicide due to barbiturate overdose, while critically analyzing the decades of conspiracy theories that have surrounded her death. Listeners interes...