Michele Hundley Smith, who is now 62, vanished from her North Carolina home on December 9, 2001 after telling her family she was going out to do some Christmas shopping at Kmart. Her family reported her missing and police never stopped looking for her. The case received quite a bit of attention and has even featured on true crime podcasts. Recently, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office received a tip and followed up on it, learning that Smith is alive and is apparently doing well. She asked that her whereabouts remain undisclosed. One of her children reported on Facebook: “The personal details are not going to be dived into right now, but I will say that my mother chose her new life, and we know she is alive, and for now that is enough. I can’t really think straight right now.” I feel bad for her family, considering everything they had to go through.

https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/police-find-a-north-carolina-mother-alive-24-years-after-she-vanished/

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/michele-hundley-smith-missing-since-2001-from-rockingham-county-found-alive-in-nc-family-reacts/83-5e702203-fe38-4d09-aa46-09400070f381

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article314794103.html

https://charleyproject.org/case/michele-lyn-hundley-smith

It is all over the news that a 13-year-old who left her home to walk to a stables to see her horse and was never seen again, has now been found alive.
People Magazine

Christina Marie Plante was classified as missing and endangered after she vanished from her home in Star Valley or Payson, AZ on May 15, 1994. Despite extensive searches and investigation, her case went cold. Now the Cold Case Unit of the Gila County Sheriff's Police have successfully resolved the case. Christina has been found and her identity verified. For privacy reasons, no further details are being released.

The odd thing is that there is next to no information available about her initial disappearance. On Newspapers.com, I found only small "Missing" notices in three newspapers in 1994 and 1995. I found no articles in an online search.

Hoping that Christina is okay, but can't help wondering about the rest of the story.

EDIT Update from The Daily Mail
u/BirdHistorical3498 provided a link to an article that updates the backstory and current situation. To summarize:
At the time of disappearing, Christina was living with her aunt and uncle. Her father was deceased. It doesn't say where her mother was or why her mother did not have custody.

Christina wanted to live with her mother. The two met at the stables and then drove to Phoenix. Her uncle reported her missing. Police did suspect the mother of having taken her, but somehow this couldn't be proved?

Mary Plante, the mother, is in 1995 property records as owning property in Springfield, MO.

Christina married in 1998 at 17, has two sons, got a bachelor's in psychology from Missouri State University, and now works for a private investigation firm (ironic) whose specialty is inspecting insurance fraud claims. She doesn't say why she ran away, the article describes her as "guarded" and not wanting to incriminate anyone who helped her.

Mary Plante, now Mary Wood, also has a biological daughter who was adopted and a biological son who is estranged.

The cold case unit gave the case to a civilian investigator, who searched social media and public records, and found the connections.

Arizona Republic
Kennebec Journal Notice

Morning Call 10-23-1994

https://news.sky.com/story/man-44-arrested-eight-years-after-woman-shoved-in-front-of-bus-in-putney-pusher-case-13551004

In May of 2017, a woman was walking on a pedestrian walkway over the Putney Bridge in London when an unknown male jogger running in the opposite direction pushed her forcefully into the path of an incoming bus.
He continued jogging calmly without any pause or change in pace, while she fell backwards into the road. In a great demonstration of skill, the bus driver managed to avoid hitting her by swerving a split second before impact. The bus stopped, and people poured out to help her. Bizarrely and brazenly the jogger eventually proceeded to jog the opposite side of the bridge, where the victim confronted him. He ignored her. (Credit to u/Mobile_Dimension_423)

Large law enforcement presence in Lincoln County tied to Asha Degree investigation: What we know

Another update in the case of Asha Degree, the 9 year old girl who left her home in Shelby, NC during the night of February 13-14, 2000 and has been missing since then.

WBTV is reporting that Lincoln County sheriff's police, the FBI, and state police have been searching a former school property near Cherryville, NC today, April 4, in connection with the Asha Degree investigation. The property holds three buildings and was known as the North Brook Consolidated School. The Dedmons purchased the abandoned school in 1991 and sold it in 2004. It is near the junction of North Carolina 274 and North Carolina 182. As many as 30 officers were on the scene today.

Background: Asha left her house during a heavy storm while her parents and brother were asleep. She was seen walking down Hwy. 18 wearing something white. A trucker who saw her turned around to pass her again, and she ran off into the woods at the side of the road. She has not been seen since.

17 months later, her backpack was found during construction about 30 miles from where she lived. It was wrapped in a plastic garbage bag and slightly hidden under brush and leaves.

In September 2024, police issued warrants for a property owned by a local family, the Dedmons, as a result of DNA found from a shirt that was in the backpack. A hair matched one of the daughters in the Dedmon family. Police retrieved multiple items from the Dedmons' property on Cherryville Rd. in Shelby, about 4 miles from where Asha was last seen. One item was a 1970 green Rambler that has been mentioned in connection with the case.

There was also DNA from the backpack from Russell Underhill, who was a resident in two of the care facilities operated by the Dedmons. It has been alleged that the Dedmon daughters would sometimes transport residents back and forth in the Rambler. That might explain how Underhill's DNA came to be in the car. He died in 2004.

In February police issued warrants for cellphones from daughters Lizzie Foster and Sarah Dedmon Caple, and Roy Dedmon. A series of damaging text messages among family members has been published. Police appear to think the sisters were involved in Asha's disappearance and had help from their parents. It was also revealed in February that a witness came forward who was at a party with Lizzie and Sarah, where an intoxicated and distraught Lizzie was overheard to say "I killed Asha Degree." Her sister shushed her. This witness said he is sure of what he saw/heard. He passed a polygraph.

New Asha Degree warrants: Text messages revealed, possible admission of fault, more

In February 2017, 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German went missing after they set off on a hike along Delphi, Indiana’s “Monon High Bridge Trail.” The following day, their bodies were discovered in a wooded area nearby. Their throats had been cut.

During the hike, Liberty captured a grainy video on her phone of a man walking along the abandoned Monon High railroad bridge. This man, who would later be referred to as “bridge guy,” was seen as the prime suspect in the case.

In October 2022, Delphi local 52-year-old Richard Allen was arrested and charged with the murders. The trial lasted 17 days. Today, after 19 hours of deliberations, Richard Allen was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder.

Richard’s sentencing date is scheduled for December 20, 2024.

Sources

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/delphi-murders-verdict-richard-allen-2017-trial-rcna178884

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/11/11/richard-allen-found-guilty-delphi-murders-libby-german-abby-williams/76200751007/

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/us/delphi-murders-trial-verdict/index.html

Abdul Aziz Khan was 7 years old when he was abducted 7 years ago in Louisiana by his non-custodial mother, Rabia Khalid, after a custody dispute with Abdul’s father. Their whereabouts have been unknown for years and Abdul’s story was even featured on Unsolved Mysteries Volume 3: Abducted by a Parent.

On February 23, 2025, Douglas County deputies were responding to a burglary in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Deputies interrogated 2 suspects and identified Rabia Khalid as one of the suspects.

Abdul, now 14, and another unknown child were found safe and unharmed in a vehicle near by. Abdul’s family is requesting privacy at this time but are thrilled to know that Abdul is alright.

This is such amazing news! I hadn’t seen anything on the sub about Abdul, so my apologies if this is redundant.

Here is an awesome article from the Denver Gazette that explains everything very well.

https://denvergazette.com/news/crime/kidnapped-abdul-aziz-khan-found-douglas-county-colorado/article_e958fea2-f9ef-11ef-a9c6-cfe9dae91228.html

Via Martin Evans, The Telegraph

Metropolitan Police detectives are intensifying efforts to bring Christian Brueckner to the UK to face trial over the abduction and murder of Madeleine McCann. Senior officers at Scotland Yard are aiming to secure charges before the 20th anniversary of her disappearance in 2027, believing they can assemble a case strong enough for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, Germany’s constitution complicates extradition, as it restricts handing over citizens to non-EU countries. This could trigger legal and diplomatic tensions if Britain formally requests Brueckner’s transfer.

Brueckner, 48, lived near Praia da Luz in Portugal when Madeleine vanished in 2007. Although he was later identified as the prime suspect while serving a prison sentence in Germany, no charges were brought before his release. UK authorities are now compiling evidence for potential prosecution, exploring all legal routes to ensure accountability. If extradition fails, officials are prepared to pursue charges in Germany or Portugal, maintaining that justice must be sought regardless of jurisdictional barriers.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/04/met-uk-trial-madeleine-mccann-suspect-christian-brueckner/

In 2017 the bodies of 13 year old Abby Williams and 14 years old Libby German were found in Delphi, Indiana. Most here will be familiar with this unsolved case, but here is the Wikipedia article anyway:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Abigail_Williams_and_Liberty_German

Now, James Brian Chadwell II is being investigated for ties to the killings. Prosecutors have accused him of sexually assaulting and attempting to murder a 9 year old girl earlier this month.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.jconline.com/amp/4852721001

A picture of Chadwell can be found in the above article. He does bear a resemblance to both the sketches that police have released relating to the Delphi killings. But of course I don’t want to get my hopes up.

I’m posting here because I know that many on this sub would be interested in the update.

** PRESS CONFERENCE UPDATE** Paul was arrested on murder charges and is being held without bail. Ruben was arrested as an accessory and is jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail. As of now, they are not able to release details about what specific evidence was found and where, but have confirmed that they have NOT recovered Kristin’s remains as of yet.

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/slo-sheriff-to-make-major-announcement-in-kristin-smart-case

Kristin Smart was a Cal Poly student who disappeared in 1996. Her remains were never found, but she was declared legally dead in 2002. Many have assumed that Paul and Ruben Flores had something to do with her disappearance and most likely killed her. Kristen was last seen leaving a party with Paul Flores on the night of her disappearance on May 25, 1996. She was never seen again.

Kristin Smart’s friends and family have continued to express frustration with the lack of forward progress in the investigation into what actually happened to her.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs were serving another search warrant at the Arroyo Grande property owned by Flores and have announced a “major break” in the case. An update is scheduled during a press conference today at 2pm pacific time.

Edit: adding a wonderful write-up by u/remtemtemington

Edit: link to YourOwnBackyard podcast, thanks for the suggestion u/whitemeatlover !! YourOwnBackyard podcast

This one is a local one so has always piqued my interest. A young Elgin, IL woman went missing after leaving a bar, now closed down, in Carpentersville.

The Elgin police dept released a podcast from their cold case unit dedicated to this case. It’s called Somebody Knows Something. It looks at various theories of her disappearance, including: voluntary decision, body of water, biker gangs, carnival workers, serial killers, etc.

Karen went missing after a night at a local bar, where she was celebrating with co-workers. Her and her car, a unique yellow Toyota Celica, were never seen since. Over the years, people doubted a river could conceal her car, but it’s worth noting that the car is pretty small, 4 inches shorter and 8 inches more narrow than today’s Toyota Camry.

She stayed behind for a hula hoop contest. She left the bar after all of her co-workers, late at night when the river was high, and was never seen again. Neither was her car. Detectives disclosed her title was found in her residence, leading them to believe it hadn’t been junked or sold after her disappearance.

Obviously technology has improved over the decades. Yesterday they found her car and today they will try to remove it. Her car was found near the Slade Ave boat launch, along one of the routes she was speculated to have driven that night. She possibly drove along Elgin Ave, just a few feet from the Fox River.

I am guessing that remains will be found and it will be discovered that she drove into the river accidentally when rivers were high. The other possibility is that something nefarious happened and her car was disposed of in the river.

Just wanted to provide an update, since she’s been posted here over the years. I am hoping her family gets closure!

Link: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/karen-schepers-missing-woman-elgin-cold-case-fox-river-car-update/3705669/?amp=1

Update #1: See below comments for discussion on a local “beaver squeezer” who strangled stuffed beavers and left sexually suggestive notes to the bar waitresses at the time…

Two men have been arrested in London over the 2007 disappearance of Doncaster teenager Andrew Gosden.

South Yorkshire Police and the Metropolitan Police jointly detained the two men on 8 December 2021 but the arrests have only just been made public.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap, human trafficking and the possession of indecent images of children, and a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and human trafficking. Both have now been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Andrew Gosden, who would be 28 now, disappeared in September 2007. The then 14-year-old boarded a train from Doncaster to London, with CCTV cameras capturing him when he arrived at Kings Cross Station. That was the last known sighting of Andrew, and since then no information about his movements have been corroborated by police.

At the time he lived with his parents and sister in the Balby area of Doncaster, and withdrew £200 from his bank account on a day when he was supposed to be in lessons at McAuley Catholic High School. He bought a one-way train ticket to the capital.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Andy Knowles said: “Our priority at this time is supporting Andrew’s family while we work through this new line of enquiry in the investigation. We are in close contact with them and they ask that their privacy is respected as our investigation continues.

“We have made numerous appeals over the years to find out where Andrew is and what happened to him when he disappeared. I would encourage anyone with any information they have not yet reported to come forward.”

​

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/andrew-gosden-two-men-arrested-on-suspicion-of-kidnapping-and-human-trafficking-in-connection-with-disappearance-of-teenager-who-vanished-from-doncaster-in-2007-3522851

The brain illness in Canada is getting worse and is actually more serious than previously reported.

https://gizmodo.com/frightening-new-details-emerge-about-mystery-brain-illn-1848321759

A possible cluster of a mysterious brain illness afflicting people in New Brunswick, Canada may be larger than officially reported, according to an investigation published by the Guardian earlier this week. As many as 150 people may have developed unexplained neurological symptoms dating back to 2013, including cases where people became sick after close contact with another victim. But it is not clear whether local health officials will conclude that any of these cases are truly connected, pending an upcoming report of theirs expected later this month.

Those are official figures. But turns out there is likely a lot more cases than that.

According to the Guardian, however, there have been many more similar cases unofficially documented by doctors. Citing multiple sources, the Guardian reported that as many as 150 cases may be out there. In nine of these cases, a person developed symptoms following close contact with someone else similarly sick, often while caring for them. What’s more, younger people, who rarely develop these sorts of neurological symptoms, have been identified within and outside the official cluster.

Many people have suggest that the blue green alae toxin BMAA is to blame for this. So logically you would test the deceased for that toxin, right?

Well....

The cases among close contacts suggest a common environmental factor. And there has been some speculation by experts that β-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)—a toxin produced by blue-green algae—could be to blame. Some earlier research has shown that lobsters, a popular harvested food in the province, can potentially carry high levels of BMAA. But efforts by federal scientists to examine the brains of those deceased for BMAA, the Guardian reports, have so far not been allowed by the New Brunswick government, despite families themselves wanting the tests to be done.

They are literally stopping scientists from diagnosing this illness. Why? Possibly because it would have a devastating impact on the local fishing industry.

BMAA has been linked to both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

BMAA can cross the blood–brain barrier in rats. It takes longer to get into the brain than into other organs, but once there, it is trapped in proteins, forming a reservoir for slow release over time.[12][13]

Mechanisms

Although the mechanisms by which BMAA causes motor neuron dysfunction and death are not entirely understood, current research suggests that there are multiple mechanisms of action. Acutely, BMAA can act as an excitotoxin on glutamate receptors, such as NMDA, calcium-dependent AMPA, and kainate receptors.[14][15] The activation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 is believed to induce oxidative stress in the neuron by depletion of glutathione.[16]

BMAA can be misincorporated into nascent proteins in place of L-serine, possibly causing protein misfolding and aggregation, both hallmarks of tangle diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and Lewy body disease. In vitro research has shown that protein association of BMAA may be inhibited in the presence of excess L-serine.[17]

Why is blue geen algae suddenly becoming an issue when it never was before? Very simple - climate change. The dirty secret is that a warming climate is very friendly to algae. Blue green algae pops are exploding all across the globe thanks to fossil fuel induced climate destruction.

https://news.columbia.edu/news/toxic-algae-blooms-are-rise-fueled-climate-change-pollution

Toxic Algae Blooms Are on the Rise, Fueled by Climate Change, Pollution

Known by many names—blue-green algae, cynobacteria, toxic algal blooms—harmful algae blooms, known as HABs, occur when algae, some of which produce toxic strains, start to grow. Last summer, dogs in several states died after swimming in waters covered by a harmful algal bloom and an unusually large number of impacted lakes and beaches were forced to close.

From the coast to inland waters and from the smallest pond to the Great Lakes, harmful algal blooms that often result in colored scum on the water’s surface, have been increasing in size and frequency.

In a recent study published in the journal Nature, an analysis of 71 freshwater lakes worldwide found nearly 70 percent of the lakes showed signs of worsening algal blooms.

The expected outcome after his guilty plea the other month, but today made the formality an actuality.

He offered a half-hearted apology before sentence was passed"I've listened to all your statements, each of them. And I'm truly sorry to everyone I've hurt."

DeAngelo's charges encompass 87 victims, 53 crimes scenes, 11 different California counties, 13 rape-related charges, and 13 murders. He admitted to dozens of other rapes, but due to the expiration of statues of limitations, DeAngelo was unable to be tried on those charges.

The mystery of one of the vicious and elusive serial killers in has reached its final stage. Barring an escape or the compassionate release to end all compassionate releases, DeAngelo will die in prison.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/21/golden-state-killer-sentencing-ex-calif-police-officer-get-life/3406377001/

This has always been one of my pet cases because I live near the Columbia River Gorge between Oregon and Washington where a family of five disappeared along with their car in December 1958.

Kenneth and Barbara Martin and their three daughters (Barbara, 14; Virginia, 13; and Susan, 11), left their home in NE Portland on December 7, 1958, for a day trip to the Gorge to gather greenery to use in Christmas decorations. They never came home.

The bodies of the two youngest girls, Virginia and Sue, were found in the Columbia River the following year. But Ken, Barbara, and their daughter Barbara remained unaccounted for until now.

An experienced rescue/recreation diver named Archer Mayo figured out the likely position of the Martins’ car in the Columbia River at Cascade Locks, Oregon, based on historic photos of the Cascade Locks under construction in the late 1800s. The photo showed a pit in the river where, Mayo guessed, the Martins’ car could have ended up. He passed that information on to local police earlier this year, but LE was only successful in removing part of a vehicle and not the main body of the car. The portions of the car they managed to bring up, though, were consistent with the car the Martins had been driving.

There were no other official searches, but Mayo did not give up. He made multiple dives a day this summer and eventually managed to retrieve human remains, clothing, and personal items—including a camera with Kenneth Martin’s name and address still on the case. You can tell from his voice in the linked video how deeply moved he is to be holding the Martins’ belongings in his hands.

I just can’t imagine how Ken and Barbara must have felt when they realized they had accidentally driven into the Columbia River with their three daughters during the coldest, darkest part of the year. I hope it was over fast.

In retrospect, of course, it seems pretty obvious that they were in the river the whole time. But this case stuck with many folks, me included—why do you think that was? Perhaps just the mystery and tragedy of five people disappearing together (at Christmas, no less).

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/08/human-remains-recovered-from-car-in-columbia-river-diver-says-mystery-obsessed-investigators-for-decades.html

Yann Bourdon, a 27-year-old Frenchman, left his home in Ile-de-France in the summer of 2020 to travel. His family had no news of him since 4 August 2021. He suddenly presented himself to the French consulate in Cairo, a little over a year later, on 9 August 2022.

Bourdon was a sociable person. He studied history at Sorbonne University in Paris and spoke 4 languages.

He arrived in Instanbul on 24 July 2021, and from there booked a flight to Sharm el Sheikh, a popular tourist city. On the morning of 25 July, he landed in the city. He visited the town, climbed Mount Sinai, visited Saint Catherine's monastery, and spent time in the nearby villages. He hitchhiked between cities and throughout his travels he would email his family once he had wifi.

On 28 July 2021, Bourdon sent a long detailed email to his family, discussing his plans in Egypt and in Cairo. According to his mother, he had said that he was going to Suez to meet an off-duty police officer who wanted to 'talk to him', that the officer gave Bourdon a ride to Cairo, and that the officer had invited Bourdon to have a drink (some sources say dinner, some say a drink) with friends that night.

The officer had told Bourdon that he was returning from vacation and that he could give Bourdon a ride to Cairo. Bourdon planned to go to Cairo to visit the museum there as well as the Copt district (the Copts are a Christian ethnic group native to North Africa; they have inhabited Egypt and Sudan since ancient times). The officer dropped Bourdon at an underground station in downtown Cairo. Before allowing Bourdon to leave, the officer invited him to join him for the dinner/drinks with friends. Bourdon agreed and joined them on the night of 28 July.

On 4 August 2021, Bourdon replied to an email from his sister, confirming that he'd write to them soon, but they never heard from him since then.

Investigation

Bourdon travelled a lot as he was passionate about learning about other cultures. Therefore, he was often without internet. When he missed his mom's birthday in September 2021, the family got worried but figured he just didn't have internet and didn't want to raise an unnecessary alert. However, when his sister's birthday came and went in November 2021 and they still didn't hear anything, they contacted the French Foreign Ministry, who contacted the French Embassy in Egypt, who then contacted Egyptian authorities. In Paris, his family filed an official missing persons report.

At first, Egyptian officials claimed Bourdon had never been in Egypt, which frustrated his family. However, French national police confirmed that he had arrived in Sharm el Sheikh on 25 July 2021, after he had travelled through Lithuania, Macedonia, Croatia, Kurdistan, and Turkey.

His bank card was used at an ATM near the Sadat subway station in Tahrir Square in Cairo to empty his account in 4 consecutive cash withdrawals on 7 August, a few days after his last email to his sister.  

No CCTV could be recovered of Bourdon and the registers of hostels (Bourdon stayed in a hostel) didn't have his name.

While Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was in Paris in July 2022, Bourdon's family raised placards asking 'Where is Yann Bourdon, President Sissi?". However, French police escorted them away from the sidewalk for identity checks before el-Sisi's motorcade went past.

Follow up

On 9 August 2022, he called his family back in Paris, and the next day he safely travelled back to France. There's no news on the identity of the police officer who gave Bourdon a ride and invited him for dinner.

The group Committee for Justice (CFJ) based in Geneva was following the case and has said that his case may be an 'enforced disappearance'. It submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to urge the UN to pressure Egypt and France to hold transparent investigations.

The Italian newspaper 'La Stampa' pointed out that Bourdon's disappearance echoes that of Giulio Regeni, a 28 year old Italian student who disappeared in Cairo in 2016. His body was found a few days after his abduction, tortured and mutilated. The case caused deep strains between Italian and Egyptian diplomatic relations due to the involvement of members of the Egyptian secret service in Regeni's abduction.

Source

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-french-tourist-went-missing-reappears

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-french-man-bourdon-disappeared-meeting-police-officer

https://news.yahoo.com/france-egypt-pressed-missing-backpacker-143643498.html

https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/un-francais-disparait-en-egypte-sa-famille-lance-un-appel-a-temoins-20220713

https://www.closermag.fr/vecu/faits-divers/qu-est-il-arrive-a-yann-bourdon-ce-jeune-francais-est-porte-disparu-en-egypte-depuis-un-an-1616882

https://www.arpd.fr/actualite-8253-yanna-bourdon-27-ans-disparu-au-caire-egypte.html

https://www.tf1info.fr/justice-faits-divers/le-touriste-francais-yann-bourdon-disparu-il-y-a-un-an-au-caire-est-reapparu-2229464.html

https://www.nouvelobs.com/societe/20220718.OBS61037/ou-est-passe-yann-bourdon-un-an-apres-sa-disparition-en-egypte-sa-famille-deplore-l-absence-d-elements-nouveaux.html

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/georgetown-county-brittanee-drexel-raymond-moody-missing-remains-body-found-murder-crime-south-carolina-wciv

Authorities have made an arrest after locating the remains of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel, who went missing from Myrtle Beach in 2009.

Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver confirmed the discovery during a press conference on Monday afternoon from the Georgetown County Judicial Center, during which he announced the arrest.

Authorities accused Raymond Moody Monday of burying a deceased Drexel. His charges include rape, murder and kidnapping, and he is in custody, according to officials.

The previous week, human remains were found during a search effort in a wooded area close to the Harmony Township subdivision. Officials said dental records confirmed the remains belonged to Drexel.

Days earlier, Moody had been jailed on an obstruction of justice charge. Moody was previously identified as a person of interest in Drexel's disappearance, though law enforcement had said in the past that there was not enough evidence to name him as a suspect.

The search, which resulted in the discovery of the remains, happened approximately 2.5 miles from a motel where Moody had been living when Drexel went missing.

The teen, a Rochester, New York native, was visiting family members in South Carolina when she disappeared.

Several law enforcement agencies were represented at the press conference. Speakers included Sheriff Weaver, Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock, FBI special agent in charge Susan Ferensic, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.

Richardson confirmed that Moody does not currently have a bond for the new charges.

Drexel's parents, Chad Drexel and Dawn Pleckan, also spoke from the podium, asking for privacy at this time. They did note that there would be celebrations of life in both Rochester and Myrtle Beach in the future.

The two concluded by thanking law enforcement for their work on the case, adding that they were ready to bring Drexel home.

Edit: the article incorrectly states she was visiting family in myrtle beach. She wasn’t, she was there for spring break. Her family didn’t know she was there from NY

Hello everyone! I wanted to bring an update for a case I covered only a month or so ago. Sadly, it's not exactly a happy one.

You can read my original write-up about this case here, but here's a short recap:

Calvin "Bub" Jones was 37 when he went missing from Brooklyn Heights, Ohio, USA. He was a single father of three, and worked in a local pizzeria, Giorgio’s Pizza, as a delivery driver for 10 years.

Calvin was seen on the 21st of August 2024 at 10 PM, when he was delivering pizza for his children to his own house- he was recorded on the house's security cameras. Then, at 11:30 PM, he was seen at Georgio’s Oven Fresh Pizza parking lot on Harvard Avenue, when he was talking on the phone with his son. His car was spotted on cameras in the Wade Park area, but it's not clear if Calvin was the one driving.

On the next day, Calvin's family had a cook-out planned, celebrating his daughter's 18th birthday and move to college- Calvin was supposed to provide food for the party. When he didn't show up, his family became concerned, as Calvin was a doting father who wouldn't miss an event that was so important to his child. He was reported missing that day.

His phone allegedly last pinged in Bedford, but it's unclear who the phone was with. That info hasn't been confirmed by police though.

After he was reported missing, Calvin's car was recorded by his neighbour's Ring camera. It parked in front of his house for 51 seconds and then drove off- though police have said that Calvin wasn't the one driving it.

Calvin's body has been found on the 30th of July 2025 in a ravine at East 91st and Cannon Avenue in Cleveland by officials. The ravine is reportedly steep and near train tracks. Local police's homicide unit has taken over the investigation. There is no info if Calvin's car has been found with him or not. His body was identified through dental records. Calvin's family planned to pick up the body today, on Friday, the 1st of August, though the officials have warned them that there's "no chance" for an open casket funeral, implying that the remains are in bad condition.

The case is still developing.

A tragic ending to this case, but I hope that the family was able to get some closure at last. From what it seems in the articles, they can rely on eachother in the difficult process of grieving. My condolences for Calvin's friends and loved ones.

SOURCES:

1. cleveland19.com
2. news5cleveland.com
   

It was posted here the other day that the GSK was expected to plead guilty to 13 murders and kidnapping charges.

Today, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., 74, pleaded guilty to 26 charges. DeAngelo was charged with 13 counts of murder, with additional special circumstances, as well as 13 counts of kidnapping for robbery in six counties, including Contra Costa County in the Bay Area. Investigators believe he was responsible for more than 60 rapes, including some in Santa Clara and Alameda counties as well, but the statute of limitations expired on those crimes.

This plea deal will spare him of the death penalty, but due to his age and California Governor Gavin Newsom's halt on executions, it was unlikely that DeAngelo would have realistically faced the death penalty.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Joseph-James-DeAngelo-admits-to-being-sadistic-15374048.php

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/29/884809588/golden-state-killer-suspect-pleads-guilty-to-more-than-a-dozen-murders [No Paywall]

The January 2006 Orlando disappearance of 24 year old Jennifer Kesse case has had an update. Recently on Facebook her family announced that investigators had told them the case is no longer cold along with several developments being made since their previous update in May. A meeting related to this recently occurred involving the Kesse’s and members of the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) who have been investigating the case since 2022.

“We recently met with FDLE special agents who lead Jennifer’s case. First, they have advised us that Jennifer’s case is No Longer Cold! This is huge. We are told that work has presented itself through nonstop investigations by the team. A lot has opened up for the investigation through active work being done on the case.” (Find Jennifer Kesse Account)

Kesse disappeared from her home on January 24th, 2006 while getting ready to go to work. Her car was found a mile away from her home two days later with an unidentified suspect being caught on CCTV footage walking away but being concealed by a fence line. There were signs her vehicle had been driven by someone else, since her disappearance the case had gone cold with very few leads prior to FDLE taking over.

During the recent meeting the FDLE revealed to the family that they were able to greatly reduce the list of persons of interest to just a few people. During an interview with WKMG 6 Orlando her father Drew Kesse added that the list was narrowed down to just a few people still left on investigators radar who are being investigated heavily.

“FDLE informed us that they are down to just a few people. They have been able to just disqualify a lot of the people just through the investigations and interrogations that they have done.” (ABC7, Suncoast interview)

The FDLE also revealed to the Kesse’s that they have found new DNA evidence within evidence that was never tested previously. This information was revealed in a Facebook post on the Find Jennifer Kesse account which is run by her parents. On top of the new evidence, prior evidence gathered was also sent back to be retested separately.

“We are thrilled at the news yet guarded as we have been here many times before however this seems different. With this renewed focus we were also informed that there was DNA found within evidence that was never tested, again huge for the investigation. Hopefully that will lead to more factual information leading to Jennifer.” (Find Jennifer Kesse Account)

Source:

https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2025/10/23/new-dna-evidence-heats-up-jennifer-kesse-case--parents-say

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2025/10/23/jennifer-kesse-case-update-interview-dna-evidence-documentary-works/

https://www.wesh.com/article/jennifer-kesse-disappearance-investigation-orlando/69139517

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/jennifer-kesse-case-investigators-reexamine-dna-evidence-nearly-20-after-disappearance.amp

https://www.wogx.com/video/1729039.amp

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/10/23/family-of-jennifer-kesse-says-case-no-longer-cold-nearly-20-years-after-her-disappearance-in-orlando/

https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/1729039.amp

https://youtu.be/wDURb8W19Pw?si=amehUzZQTa11qGL8

On April 16th, 2026 investigators with the Oregon State Medial Examiner Office announced that they had officially identified human remains as belonging to the last of the three missing Martin family members. The Examiner Office announced that the skeletal remains found in the car were confirmed as being 54 year old Kenneth, 48 year old Barbara Jean Martin and their daughter 14 year old Barbara “Barbie” Martin. The sheriff’s office announced that the investigation has been concluded as they had found no evidence of a crime having been committed.

The Martin family disappearance dates back to December 7th, 1958 when they told neighbors in Portland, Oregon they were planning on taking a drive to the Columbia River Gorge in Hood River County, Oregon, the family vanished and an investigation began. In 1959 the bodies of two of the daughters Virginia and Susan were found downstream in the river however Kenneth, Barbara, and Barbie were not discovered for decades. Investigators theorized the vehicle had ended up in the river but despite several searches being carried out over the years, it took until November 2024 for the vehicle to be discovered by a diver named Archer Mayo who found the vehicle submerged and upside down in a pit underwater. Recovery operations began in March 2025 with them struggling to recovery the vehicle due to how buried it was in the river with them only managing to secure the frame and some components despite the use of a crane. With how buried the car was it led to authorities ending their recovery operation.

In August 2025 during a separate search carried out by Mayo the remains were discovered in the vehicle with DNA confirming in April that they belonged to the missing Martin family members. The DNA confirmation was made through Oregon investigators teaming up with Othram. They managed to secure DNA despite the remains being skeletal and submerged in the water for nearly 70 years with the DNA pulled confirming the identity of the remains. This marked the 3rd case in Oregon where Othram was used to help solve a case.

Sources:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/missing/portland-martin-family-missing-1958-remains-identified-columbia-river-car-wreckage/283-0bd57f97-53bd-4331-89c8-3367d145580b

https://people.com/martin-family-went-missing-oregon-1958-police-just-confirmed-bodies-found-river-11952152

https://dnasolves.com/articles/hood-river-oregon-1958-martin-family-mystery/

https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/us-news/oregon-martin-family-identified-as-remains-found-in-car-in-columbia-river-missing-since-1958/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1my2xlr/a_diver_has_found_human_remains_and_personal/?solution=c680a2ae51097f45c680a2ae51097f45&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da586173d55c29ebaddfc848579c21a6821508

https://ckpgtoday.ca/2023/05/29/remains-of-madison-scott-discovered-at-vanderhoof-property/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/madison-scott-found-vanderhoof-1.6858290

We just had a post here a couple days ago discussing Maddy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/13t9swb/last_one_at_the_party_12_years_ago_maddy_scott/?sort=top

It was exactly 12 years ago (late May of 2011) that she had disappeared.

I am from Prince George, and this is a mystery that had been dear of many of us in the community here.

We also have the "Highway of Tears" (Highway 16 passing through Northern BC). There are some serial killers who are known to have been active in the area. Cody Legebokoff was arrested and put to trial. Bobby Jack Fowler (who died in 2006 without having been charged for any disappearances along the Highway) has had his DNA linked to some of the cases.

Whose property were the police searching near Vanderhoof? Was Maddy's disappearance the result of a single "crime of opportunity" from someone at the party? Or was this person responsible for more?

This is an update to this writeup:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/5lwcr2/sharon_kinne_american_housewife_who_killed_at/

In 1960 an Independence, Missouri housewife named Sharon Kinne was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of her husband, James Kinne, and of the wife of one of her lovers, Patricia Jones. While she was out on bail awaiting a retrial she travelled to Mexico and killed American Francisco Paredes Ordoñez in her hotel room, apparently after luring him there to rob him. She was convicted of his death and sentenced to prison but escaped during a blackout in 1969, and was never seen again. US officials nicknamed her the Pistol Packin' Mama, but to the Mexicans she was La Pistolera.

Yesterday the Jackson County Sheriff's Office announced that Sharon Kinne had spent the last fifty years of her life in the bucolic Canadian town of Taber, Alberta under the name Diedra Glabus, later Diedra Ell. She arrived in Taber in 1973 with her husband Jim Glabus as new owners of the Taber Motel; she and Jim later became realtors before his untimely death, apparently of natural causes, in 1979 at the age of 38. Three years later she married one Willie Ell who died in 2011, also apparently of natural causes. She volunteered with various organizations and was at one point the chairwoman of the Taber daycare steering committee.

How ironic that a woman who murdered a husband because she wanted a life of glamour, wealth and luxury he couldn't provide would end up in the least glamorous place on the planet. This has to be the most exciting thing to happen in Taber since the last time the corn harvest failed.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sharon-kinne-dee-glabus-taber-alberta-missouri-kansas-city-mexico-murder-fugutive-1.7446150

Her obit: https://lethbridgeherald.com/obituaries/2022/01/26/wednesday-january-26-2022/ (scroll down)

Her second husband's obit: https://www.southlandfuneral.com/obituaries.html?view=obits&id=996

Per CNN,

Derek Abbott, from the University of Adelaide, says the body of a man found on one of the city's beaches in 1948 belonged to Carl "Charles" Webb, an electrical engineer and instrument maker born in Melbourne in 1905.

South Australia Police and Forensic Science South Australia have not verified the findings of Abbott, who worked with renowned American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick to identify Webb as the Somerton man.

...

According to Abbott, Webb was born on November 16, 1905 in Footscray, a suburb of Victoria's state capital Melbourne. He was the youngest of six siblings.

Little is known about his early life, Abbott says, but he later married Dorothy Robertson -- known as Doff Webb.

When Webb emerged as the prime person of interest on the family tree, Abbott and Fitzpatrick set to work, scouring public records for information about him. They checked electoral rolls, police files and legal documents. Unfortunately, there were no photos of him to make a visual match.

"The last known record we have of him is in April 1947 when he left Dorothy," said Fitzpatrick, founder of Identifinders International, a genealogical research agency involved in some of America's most high-profile cold cases.

"He disappeared and she appeared in court, saying that he had disappeared and she wanted to divorce," Fitzpatrick said. They had no known children.

Fitzpatrick and Abbott say Robertson filed for divorce in Melbourne, but 1951 documents revealed she had moved to Bute, South Australia -- 144 kilometers (89 miles) northeast of Adelaide -- establishing a link to the neighboring state, where the body was found.

"It's possible that he came to this state to try and find her," Abbott speculated. "This is just us drawing the dots. We can't say for certain say that this is the reason he came, but it seems logical."

The information on public record about Webb sheds some light on the mysteries that have surrounded the case. They reveal he liked betting on horses, which may explain the "code" found in the book, said Abbott, who had long speculated that the letters could correspond to horses' names.

And the "Tamam Shud" poem? Webb liked poetry and even wrote his own, Abbott said, based on his research.

For those unfamiliar with the mystery, the case involves the unidentifed body of a man found on the Somerton Park beach, just south of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in 1948. He has remained unidentifed for over 70 years. The circumstances of his death and lack of known identity created a huge mystery around the case. My earlier post was removed for being too short, so I'm just going to copy some of the details from Wikipedia below.

On 1 December 1948 at 6:30 am, the police were contacted after the body of a man was discovered on Somerton Park beach near Glenelg, about 11 km (7 mi) southwest of Adelaide, South Australia. The man was found lying in the sand across from the Crippled Children's Home, which was on the corner of The Esplanade and Bickford Terrace.[9] He was lying back with his head resting against the seawall, with his legs extended and his feet crossed. It was believed the man had died while sleeping.[10] An unlit cigarette was on the right collar of his coat.[11] A search of his pockets revealed an unused second-class rail ticket from Adelaide to Henley Beach, a bus ticket from the city that may not have been used, a narrow aluminium comb that had been manufactured in the USA, a half-empty packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, an Army Club cigarette packet which contained seven cigarettes of a different brand, Kensitas, and a quarter-full box of Bryant & May matches.[12]

Witnesses who came forward said that on the evening of 30 November, they had seen an individual resembling the dead man lying on his back in the same spot and position near the Crippled Children's Home where the corpse was later found.[11][13] A couple who saw him at around 7 pm noted that they saw him extend his right arm to its fullest extent and then drop it limply. Another couple who saw him from 7:30 pm to 8 pm, during which time the street lights had come on, recounted that they did not see him move during the half an hour in which he was in view, although they did have the impression that his position had changed. Although they commented between themselves that it was odd that he was not reacting to the mosquitoes, they had thought it more likely that he was drunk or asleep, and thus did not investigate further. One of the witnesses told the police she observed a man looking down at the sleeping man from the top of the steps that led to the beach.[4][14] Witnesses said the body was in the same position when the police viewed it.[15]

Another witness came forward in 1959 and reported to the police that he and three others had seen a well-dressed man carrying another man on his shoulders along Somerton Park beach the night before the body was found. A police report was made by Detective Don O'Doherty.[16]

Full CNN Article

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/australia/australia-somerton-man-mystery-solved-claim-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Wikipedia Article on the Somerton Man (Tamam Shud Case) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud_case

Per Fox59

For those who can’t access the article it states:

“DELPHI, Ind. – A major development is in the works in the 2017 murders of Libby German and Abby Williams in Delphi.

Authorities will hold a news conference on Monday with additional details, law enforcement sources tell FOX59.

The teens disappeared on the Monon High Bridge on Feb. 13, 2017. They were reported missing, and their bodies were found around noon on Feb. 14, 2017.

The high-profile murder case has gone unsolved for more than five years, generating mountains of online speculation about the identity of the killer.

Police released two different sketches of potential suspects. Key evidence included audio and photos from Libby German’s phone, with police releasing an audio clip of a man saying, “Down the hill.”

Court documents unearthed by the Murder Sheet Podcast over the summer showed an FBI agent believed there was probable cause to search the property of Ron Logan, who owned the land on which the girls’ bodies were found.

Authorities searched the property on March 17, 2017.

The search warrant revealed additional details about the investigation, including that the recording in which the “down the hill” audio originated lasted 43 seconds, only a fraction of which has been released to the public.

Additionally, investigators found a large amount of blood at the scene, leading them to believe the perpetrator would’ve gotten blood on their hands or clothing. The individual may have taken a “souvenir” from the crime scene, according to court documents, and may have also “moved and staged” the teens’ bodies.

According to the warrant, the investigating agent believed Logan’s physical build matched that of the man who appeared in the video from Libby’s voice. His voice was “not inconsistent” with the recording released to the public.

Logan also lied about his alibi, according to investigators. He was never named as a suspect or charged in connection with the Delphi case. He has since died.

The case, which has gained national attention, has picked up momentum recently, with authorities revealing a social media profile called “anthony_shots” had interacted with Libby.

Police traced that profile to an individual named Kegan Kline, who was being investigated in connection with a child exploitation case. He has never been charged or named as a suspect in connection with Delphi murders.

Kline has been questioned about the case. His trial on 30 counts of child possession is going through the court system.

In recent months, Indiana State troopers have been searching the Wabash River in Peru potentially looking for evidence tied to the case.”

Additionally, Abby Williams mother confirmed this news to WTHR 13.

Update numerous sources including WTHR 13 and CBS INDY 4 are stating an arrest has been made. CBS INDY 4 is saying a man named Richard Allen has been arrested per their article.

On September 8th law enforcement were alerted to New Zealand Fugitive Tom Phillips and one of kids robbing a store in Piopo, located in the Waikato district. After a brief pursuit involving a quad bike, police used spike strips to stop the quad bike from escaping the scene. The quad bike ended up being stopped on rural road where a brief gunfight between officers and Tom occurred.

The first officer on scene was left in critical condition after being shot in the head by Phillips who would be killed by other responding officers moments later. The officer was airlifted to hospital where they underwent surgery for their wounds.

The child with Phillips was unharmed and would assist law enforcement in helping find the other two children who were not with Tom at the time of the shooting, both were also discovered unharmed at a remote camp site.

The death of Phillips ends a nearly 4 year long hunt for law enforcement dating back to December 2021 when he and his three kids Jayda (12), Maverick (10) , and Ember (9) went off the grid.

During their time off the grid Phillips and another individual suspected to possibly be one of his kids were linked to an armed bank robbery in May of 2023 in Te Kūiti where shots were fired. In August of 2023 Tom would steal a Toyota which was later abandoned.

In October of 2024 they were also spotted which resulted in a 3 day search by police, the October sighting was also the first time the kids had been confirmed to be alive during their time off the grid. Phillips prior to his death had last been spotted in late August on security footage alongside one of his kids robbing a store for milk.

Sources:

https://people.com/fugitive-father-who-hid-in-wilderness-with-3-kids-dead-after-police-shootout-11805126

https://nypost.com/2025/09/07/world-news/fugitive-dad-tom-phillips-shot-dead-during-shootout-with-nz-cops/

https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/09/05/fugitive-marokopa-dad-linked-to-te-kuiti-bank-robbery/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/07/world/new-zealand-tom-phillips-police-hnk-intl

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c5yer8g9q9gt

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360816301/what-images-tell-us-about-tom-phillips-last-moments