And Then They Were Gone

On November 21, 2022, 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari boarded her school bus and went to school as usual. That afternoon, the bus dropped her off near her Cornelius, North Carolina home. But the next day, the bus went to school without Madalina, and no one at her school has seen her since. The most chilling part of her disappearance? Madalina’s family never reported her missing.

Both Madalina’s mother, Diana, and her step-father, Christopher Palmiter, were arrested. Now, over a year and a half after Madalina was last seen, they’re both out, but many questions remain. This week, we’ll be going over what has happened in the case since our original episode in 2023, and we’ll discuss who the police have just named as their main suspect in Madalina’s disappearance.

Anyone with information on Madalina’s whereabouts is asked to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can call North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-896-7867.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Submit a case
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is a re-release of our April 2023 episode on Madalina Cojocari. You can listen to our June 2024 update here.

Imagine the abject fear a parent would experience after their 11-year-old child has been missing for over three weeks. No one has heard from her, no one has seen her. You’d be climbing the walls, right? Begging investigators and the public to help you find her? That’s what usually happens, but not in the case of Madalina Cojocari. 

Madalina went to school as normal on November 21, 2022, but she didn’t show up the next day. Or the day after that. Eventually, on December 12, a school resource officer from Bailey Middle School attempted a home visit and left a truancy packet. It wouldn’t be until December 15, over three weeks since her daughter was last seen, that her mother, Diana Cojocari admitted to school officials that she didn’t know where her daughter was.

The Cornelius, North Carolina community has been frantically trying to find the missing little girl, while her parents sit in jail. Months have gone by, but no one is answering the question: where is Madalina Cojocari?

Anyone with information about Madalina Cojocari is asked to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773, or the FBI at 1-800-Call FBI.

Cualquier persona que tenga información sobre Madalina Cojocari debe llamar al Departamento de Policía de Cornelius al 704-892-7773, o al FBI al 1-800-Call FBI.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Submit a case
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After 26 years of marriage, Bonnie Lee Schultz was ready to spread her wings. After being a stay-at-home mom to her two children, Josh and Gretchen, she was working part-time and had just started a second job. She was meeting new people and finding new opportunities. In 1997, Bonnie decided that a more drastic life change was in order: she wanted a divorce.

Bonnie’s husband, Rick Schultz, didn’t want to end the marriage, and on July 3, 1997, Bonnie went out with some friends to clear her head. The Indianapolis, Indiana mom was never seen again. At first, Bonnie’s disappearance was thought to be an accident, but when no signs of the 45 year old or her car were found, they began to suspect foul play. Suspicion immediately went to her husband, but could a different man hold the answers to what happened to Bonnie Schultz that night?

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Bonnie Schultz, please contact Detective Kistner with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6160.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When Mattie Mitchell was watching her great-grandchildren at their Wichita, Kansas home, she decided to lie down and go to sleep with them. After all, what could be safer than keeping the little ones close? But when Mattie woke up at around 3 am on September 5, 2001, her four-year-old great-grandaughter, Jaquilla Scales was gone. Mattie wasn’t sure what had happened, just that Jaquilla had disappeared while she and Jaquilla’s two-year-old brother Marcus peacefully slept.

An intense search was launched, but Wichita Police weren’t able to find the little girl. If she had wandered off, surely she would have been found. Now, for over 20 years, Jaquilla’s family has been searching for answers, and begging the world not to forget the boisterous little girl who vanished in the middle of the night.

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Jaquilla Scales, you’re asked to contact WPD investigators at 316-268-4379 or email the Cold Case Unit at [email protected]. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can send a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 316-267-2111 or downloading the free P3 mobile app.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

July 30, 1985 was a hot summer day in Toronto, Ontario, and 8-year-old Nicole Morin planned on spending it at the pool with her friends. The little girl donned her bathing suit, grabbed her beach towel, and said goodbye to her mother, Jeanette. It was around 11 am when Nicole left her penthouse apartment and headed to the elevator to meet her friend in the lobby. But Nicole never arrived.

Once Jeanette realized that her daughter was missing and called the police, the search for Nicole quickly became the largest investigation in Toronto’s history up to that point. A tremendous amount of time, money, and effort was put into finding Nicole Morin, but no trace of her was found. Was this simply a crime of opportunity, or was Nicole’s disappearance related to a much larger issue in Toronto in the 80s?

Anyone with information on Nicole Morin’s disappearance is asked to contact police at 416-808-2205 or via email at [email protected].

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A 15-year-old boy finishes his nightly chores and goes to bed. But the next morning when his mother tries to wake him up for school, he’s gone. That’s what happened in the early morning hours of February 26, 2024, when Sebastian Rogers seemingly disappeared from his Hendersonville, Tennessee home. What at first seemed to be a teenager walking off in the middle of the night has turned into a much more complex case involving multiple searches, possible sightings, internet sleuthing, and a lot of mudslinging.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A troubled marriage leads to divorce and a bitter custody battle, with two young children caught in the middle. In 2011 Julia Birukova and her two children, 4-year-old Maile and 2-year-old Sky were living in an apartment in Redmond, Washington. On November 6, 2011, Julia and her children were up early. Sky was sick, and she needed to take him to the hospital. She bundled the children into her brother’s car that she was borrowing, and headed to the Overlake Medical Center. But they never arrived.

According to Julia, the car ran out of gas on the way. She left Sky strapped in his car seat as she and Maile went to go get help, but when she returned, her son was gone. Sky’s father, Solomon Metalwala was immediately suspicious of his estranged wife’s story, as were Bellevue Police. However, it’s been over a decade since Sky was last seen, and there have been no arrests in his case, or answers as to what happened to the little boy on that November morning.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No new episode this week, so in celebration of the release of The Tortured Poet's Department, Taylor Swift's new album, and the song, "Florida," we're re-releasing the episode on Richard Hoagland, the Indianapolis family man who walked away from his wife and kids in 1993 and decided to re-invent himself in-- you guessed it-- Florida.

---

Richard Hoagland was a successful family man who lived with his wife and two sons in a suburb outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. On February 10, 1993, he called his wife from work and told her he was sick and heading to the emergency room. He never came home again. For over 23 years, his wife Linda and their two sons wondered about his fate. But in 2016, a bizarre story emerged that proved Richard Hoagland wasn’t who they or anyone else thought he was.

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 17, 2022, 19-year-old Kadin Black had dinner with the family he was staying with, the Foust Family. Their son, Ethan, was one of Kadin’s best friends, and the family had taken him in after Kadin had a fight with his father.

Though Kadin wasn’t living at his father’s house, he had plans the next day to go over and exercise his dogs. But Kadin never showed up. When Kadin’s father, Maurice, couldn’t get in touch with him, he called the Fousts. The father, Chris Foust, said that Kadin was probably still asleep. By Tuesday, the teenager was still gone.

The months that followed brought an investigation with frustratingly few clues. Did Kadin decide to vanish without a trace? Or was his disappearance at the hands of someone else?

GoFundMe for a private investigator in Kadin Black's case

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

2022 was a rough year for Kadin Black. The popular high school athlete had moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland with his mother, but had recently moved back to his father’s house in Pennsylvania so that he could be closer to his friends. The move, however, came with its own set of challenges. Fights at school led to him being expelled, and a fight with his father led to an arrest, a psychiatric hold, and needing to find a new place to live. Thankfully, the family of one of his childhood friends, the Fousts, agreed to take him in.

The arrangement seemed to work out for everyone, and the Foust family, especially the father, Chris, helped Kadin get back on track. But then in December 2022, Kadin mysteriously vanished. It took several days for his parents to find out that their son was missing, and when they did, there were questions surrounding when he was last seen.

In modern missing persons cases, there are usually plenty of theories to be found on social media, and Kadin’s case is certainly no exception. Did the young man leave on his own to avoid his upcoming trial? Did he harm himself? Did the Foust family, who graciously took him in, actually have something to do with his disappearance? We’ll be talking about all of this and more, as we dig into the story of Kadin Black.

GoFundMe for a private investigator in Kadin Black's case

Buy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came Home
Find us everywhere
Get episodes early and ad-free on Patreon
Merch store
For a full list of our sources, please visit our blog

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/and-then-they-were-gone--5360779/support.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BreezeMeds and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.breezemeds.com
* Check out Quince and use my code ATTWG for a great deal: https://www.quince.com


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/and-then-they-were-gone3159/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy