The Missing Journal: Cold cases, evidence & unanswered questions

On June 11, 1962, three men—Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin—executed the most famous escape in history from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, leaving behind only crude dummy heads and a raft made of raincoats. This episode of The Missing Journal dissects the meticulous planning, the chilling execution, and the enduring mystery of their disappearance into the freezing waters of San Francisco Bay. If you a...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the chilling case of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., widely known as the Golden State Killer. This true crime deep dive explores how a former police officer used his badge and intimate knowledge of law enforcement procedures to evade capture for over two decades while committing a spree of burglaries, rapes, and murders across California. Listeners will learn about the te...

This episode of The Missing Journal explores the pivotal historical moment known as the Sarajevo Assassination of 1914, examining how a single wrong turn by Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s driver led to the deaths of the heir presumptive and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. Hosted by Alison Best, this true crime and history deep-dive is for listeners interested in the origins of World War I, the complexities of Balkan polit...

The Somerton Man mystery remains one of the most enduring cold cases in true crime history, and this episode dissects the chilling details surrounding the unidentified man found dead on an Australian beach in 1948. Host Alison Best guides listeners through the initial discovery at Somerton Park, Adelaide, where police found a well-dressed man with no identification, only a half-smoked cigarette and a cryptic note reading 'Tamám shu...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the chilling abduction of Charles Lindbergh Jr. in March 1932, widely known as the Crime of the Century. This deep dive into true crime history explores the physical evidence left behind at Highfields in East Amwell, New Jersey, including the ransom note with its distinct grammatical errors and the unique wooden ladder used by the kidnapper. Listeners will learn how ...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dismantles the viral conspiracy theory claiming that Bill Wyman, the legendary Rolling Stones bassist, was murdered. This deep-dive investigation into a cold case myth reveals that no such crime exists in police records or credible news archives. Instead, the narrative explores the resilience and complex life of William George Perks, tracing his journey from surviving the Bli...

The Hinterkaifeck murders remain one of the most chilling and unsolved mysteries in true crime history. In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the terrifying timeline of March 1922, where a family of six on an isolated Bavarian farmstead was brutally killed by an unknown intruder who then lived with their corpses for three days. This deep dive explores the forensic evidence, the psychological horror of th...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best examines the enduring mystery of Madeleine McCann, a case that began on May 3rd, 2007, when three-year-old Madeleine vanished from her bed in the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. This deep dive explores the initial search, the critical evidence of an open window, and the intense media scrutiny that transformed the parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, from grieving vict...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the harrowing 1932 kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., the infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh. This true crime deep dive explores the pivotal moments from the abduction at Highfields in East Amwell, New Jersey, to the tragic discovery of the child’s body months later. We examine the chilling ransom note, its poor grammar and unique symbols, which...

This episode of The Missing Journal investigates the Beaumont Children disappearance, one of Australia’s most haunting unsolved cold cases from January 25, 1966. Host Alison Best reconstructs the final hours of Jane (9), Arnna (7), and Grant (4) on Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, exploring how a routine summer day turned into a national tragedy that shattered the illusion of safety for families across the country. This true crime ...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dismantles the viral hoax claiming that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has been murdered. This true crime and mystery analysis explores the psychology behind celebrity death rumors, examining why false narratives spread so rapidly in the digital age and how misinformation can create a 'phantom pain' in the collective consciousness of fans worldwide. Listeners will learn ...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best delves into the chilling history of the Zodiac Killer, one of America’s most infamous and unsolved cold cases. This narrative explores the timeline of terror that began in December 1968 with the murders of Betty Lou Jensen and David Arthur Faraday at Lake Herman Road, and escalated through the summer of 1969 with attacks at Blue Rock Springs Park and Lake Berryessa. We ...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the harrowing details of the Lindbergh kidnapping case, widely known as the 'Crime of the Century.' Set against the backdrop of March 1932 in Hopewell, New Jersey, we explore how a homemade ladder left outside the Lindbergh home became the central clue in the abduction of twenty-month-old Charles Jr. This narrative goes beyond the headlines to examine the forensic ev...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects one of Britain’s most enduring cold cases: the discovery of a woman’s skeleton in a hollow wych elm tree in Hagley Wood, Worcestershire, on April 18th, 1943. Four local boys, initially searching for bird nests during wartime, stumbled upon human remains and, fearing trouble for trespassing, replaced the skull before eventually reporting it to the police. ...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best dissects the haunting complexity of the Boston Strangler case, exploring how a name became legend before the truth was ever confirmed. This narrative goes beyond the sensational headlines to examine the fractured law enforcement response in Greater Boston between 1962 and 1964, where jurisdictional gaps allowed a phantom killer to strike thirteen single women with terrifying ...

This episode of The Missing Journal explores the harrowing true crime case of the West Memphis Three, a miscarriage of justice that cost three teenagers eighteen years of their lives. Host Alison Best dissects the 1993 murders of eight-year-olds Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers in Arkansas, examining how fear, prejudice, and procedural failures led to the wrongful conviction of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Je...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best delves into the tragic and enduring mystery of Elizabeth Short, known to history as the Black Dahlia. This true crime deep-dive moves beyond the sensationalized headlines of January 1947 Los Angeles to reconstruct the life of a young woman whose promise was cut short by brutal violence. For listeners interested in cold cases, historical justice failures, and the human stories...

Step into the tense, cinematic atmosphere of The Missing Journal as host Alison Best dissects one of Britain’s most audacious crimes: the 1963 Great Train Robbery. This episode explores the meticulous planning behind the heist at Bridego Railway Bridge in Buckinghamshire, where fifteen men halted a mail train carrying millions in cash. If you are fascinated by true crime history, criminal psychology, and the intricate details...

In this episode of The Missing Journal, host Alison Best delves into the harrowing and enduring mystery of the Sodder Children, five siblings who vanished in a suspicious fire on Christmas morning in 1945 in Fayetteville, West Virginia. This true crime deep dive explores the chilling details of how Maurice, Martha, Jennie, Francis, and Louis disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only ash and a family’s decades-long figh...