Jason Cortez left Virginia to assist a friend with photography in Los Angeles, and was fatally shot during a hike at Ernest E Debs Regional Park, prompting a call for justice in the face of seemingly motiveless violence.

19: Jason Cortez: Los Angeles, CA

The Last Trip is a true crime podcast exclusively investigating missing and murdered victims that were living their best lives… on vacation.
Jaimie Beebe, co-host of the popular True Crime podcast “Strictly Stalking”, brings together the two things she’s most passionate about: True Crime & Travel.  Through her own solo travels around the world she has a unique perspective on staying alive in paradise.  Join Jaimie as she recreates someone’s last days in paradise on The Last Trip.

News

True crime

In 1989, Sandra Valentine was a successful 30 year old woman living in New York, when she decided to travel the world for a year.  

But 8 months into her trip, on March 28th, she mysteriously vanished in Sri Lanka.  These were the days before cell phone tracking and cameras on every corner, so there were no clues left behind, until months later when her diary was found giving her family insight into her last days.

But still, 35 years later, Sandra Valentine is still missing. 

Listen as we dive into Sri Lanka, the case of Sandra Valentine, and how to stay alive on vacation.



Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/



And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast



Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, PNW Haunts & Homicides

https://www.pnwhauntsandhomicides.com/



Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter



Sources:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-29-mn-169-story.html



https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/06/world/in-sri-lanka-grim-mystery-of-a-missing-american.html



https://sandinisp11.wordpress.com/2022/04/20/sandra-valentine-%E0%B7%83%E0%B7%90%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%A9%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%8F-%E0%B7%80%E0%B7%90%E0%B6%BD%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%A7%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A/



https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47263356/sandra-a_-valentine



https://ksiazki.wp.pl/fascynuje-mnie-znikanie-bez-sladu-6145958508603009a



https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/166780369/



https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/sri-lanka-travel-advisory.html



https://www.nathab.com/know-before-you-go/asia-the-pacific/sri-lanka/cultural-dos-and-donts/


30: Sandra Valentine: Sri Lanka

Alex Humphrey, a 29-year-old from England, disappeared on August 13, 2009, while visiting Boquete, Panama.

He embarked on a solo backpacking adventure through Central America, eager to explore the sights and immerse himself in the local culture.

However, just one day after checking into his hostel, he vanished without a trace. Unfortunately, Alex is not the only traveler to mysteriously disappear in the small town of Boquete.

What became of Alex Humphrey?

Listen as we dive into Panama, the case of Alex Humphrey, and how to stay alive on vacation.



Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/



And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast



Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Scream Queer Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scream-queer-podcast/id1654663138



Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter



Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/126108175597



https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/03/alex-humphrey-missing-panama



https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/alex-humphrey-stockport-missing-panama-7342930?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3kLZ--lheLX2ivNMRdKl1ig7JXlliwph-rUwr-LE9zlvO4G_vJCV2YScE_aem_Abz7E4r6GfKoUPxB5fzQpKVhjUQA03gavdhLHMrpIp2I9LqtqKZQTTY6a8viQirC1w0ndXRpOvQl6muRmxAv_WOm



https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-12305180



https://www.lbt.global/post/alex-humphrey



https://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=80989



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/6988554/Desperately-seeking-Alex.html



https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/132662/Fears-for-Briton-missing-in-Panama



https://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/t7780-alex-humphrey-panama



https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajo_Boquete



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8295599.stm



https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/03/alex-humphrey-missing-panama



https://wyldejourneys.com/7-amazing-things-to-do-in-boquete-panama-the-ultimate-travel-guide/



https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/familys-pain-at-christmas-937719



https://travelladies.app/safety/panama/boquete



https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/panama#:~:text=Pay%20attention%20to%20your%20personal,levels%20apply%20in%20some%20areas.

29: Alex Humphrey: Boquete, Panama

Chong Sum Yee, known to everyone as Angie, was 22 years old when she left home on a solo trip from Malaysia to Thailand on May 29, 2023.

It was her first time traveling abroad alone, and she didn't inform anyone about her plans. Her family only discovered she was gone through a Facebook post.

What happens next has more twists and turns than most Hollywood movies, and Angie has not been seen in person since.

Listen as we dive into Thailand, the case of Angie Chong, and how to stay alive on vacation.



Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/



And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast



Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Residue: A True Crime Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/residue-a-true-crime-podcast/id1717440815



Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter



Sources:

https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/5384882



https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2587046/missing-malaysian-woman-tracked-to-myanmar-border



https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2585344/family-fears-for-malaysian-woman-missing-in-chiang-rai



https://says.com/my/news/missing-malaysian-angie-chong-sum-yee-thailand-claims-safe-videos-suspicious



https://www.sinchew.com.my/?p=4733547



https://www.sinchew.com.my/news/20230611/nation/4743988



https://youtu.be/pK22pYLzc-M?si=Trnrh-2dRvFK88vv



https://says.com/my/news/family-thai-cops-looking-for-missing-22-year-old-malaysian-in-chiang-rai



 https://youtu.be/t7p9XGQMzzY?si=LsVNNiBe7TtU6Cty



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak8SbLkKjNE



https://coconuts.co/kl/features/missing-malaysian-mystery-unraveling-the-events-of-angie-chong-sum-yees-disappearance-in-thailand/



https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/06/918663/mother-missing-beautician-has-fb-insta-accounts-hacked-several-times



https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2023/06/08/the-casinos-land-malay-chinese-woman-disappears-in-myanmar/#google_vignette



https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/11/rm10k-ransom-for-safe-return-of-missing-beautician-in-thailand/



https://selangorjournal.my/2023/06/mother-of-missing-malaysian-in-thailand-does-not-believe-fb-videos-of-her-safety/



https://www.todayonline.com/world/malaysian-woman-missing-thailand-2189661



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Myanmar#:~:text=Victims%20are%20lured%20by%20the,borders%20such%20as%20Shwe%20Kokko.



https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/chiang-rai-crackdown-reveals-human-trafficking-and-drug-abuse-in-mae-sai-lounges#google_vignette



https://www.adb.org/news/features/human-trafficking-continues-haunt-asia



https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-trafficking-in-persons-report/#:~:text=HUMAN%20TRAFFICKING%20DEFINED,within%20this%20definition.



https://www.usaid.gov/asia-regional/peace-and-security



https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/11/myanmars-criminal-zones-growing-threat-global-security#:~:text=By%20one%20account%2C%20as%20many,and%20were%20even%20reverberating%20globally.

28: "Angie" Chong Sum Yee: Mae Sai, Thailand

Mariska Mast was 23 years old when she left the Netherlands on a backpacking adventure through Central America.  Her journey led her to the picturesque island of Roatan, Honduras, where she decided to pursue a PADI Scuba Diving course. 

It was there that she crossed paths with a scuba instructor, with whom she spent the night before her scheduled departure for Costa Rica.

Tragically, the following morning, she was dead.  The circumstances surrounding her death remain shrouded in mystery, compounded by botched autopsies.

Without sufficient evidence, the question of whether Mariskka met her end through foul play or a tragic accident remains unanswered.

Adding to intrigue, the scuba instructor she spent the night with hastily left the island, while his female roommate faced accusations of Mariska's murder, only to be later acquitted.

Listen as we dive into Roatan, the case of Mariska Mast, and how to stay alive on vacation.



Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/



And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast



Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Crime Salad

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-salad/id1457141569



Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter



Sources:

https://mariskamast.blogspot.com/



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jisoo_Han



https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/181544/Vader-Mariska-Mast-maakte-reconstructie-van-moord-op-zijn-dochter



https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/dutch-backpacker-infatuated-with-perth-man-friend-ng-ya-200605



https://docplayer.nl/53356804-Bewijslast-januari-2016-inderdaad-een-last-volgens-herbert-mast-vader-van-mariska.html



https://web.archive.org/web/20110726064736/http:/www.freejisoo.org/old/



https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/diver-faces-new-murder-arrest-bid-ng-ya-200072



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jisoo_Han#Death_of_Mariska_Mast



https://web.archive.org/web/20081201171446/http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s080826.html



https://web.archive.org/web/20170312065844/http://www.bayislandsvoice.com/issue-v7-10.htm



https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/sad-news-on-roatan.250329/page-3



https://www.islandhouseroatan.com/about-west-bay-beach.htm



https://madisonsfootsteps.com/is-roatan-safe/


27: Mariska Mast: Roatan, Honduras

Leta Cordes, 49, disappeared from St. Maarten on January 11th, 2008. Originally from Orange County, California, Leta and her husband had recently built a vacation home on the island. 

They had just enjoyed their first Christmas holiday with friends when Leta left her house after dinner and drinks to gamble at the nearby resort... but she never returned.

There are very few physical clues in this case, but someone out there holds the truth about Leta's fate. Many of her friends believe it was her husband, and authorities have named him as suspect number one, but what if it wasn't him?

What unfolded that night, leading to Leta Cordes's mysterious disappearance?

Listen as we dive into St Maarten, the case of Leta Cordes, and how to stay alive on vacation.



Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/



And join our Patreon for ad free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast



Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, The Missing Found

https://www.themissingfound.com/



Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter



Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna30625972



https://thecinemaholic.com/frank-cordes-where-is-leta-cordess-husband-now/



https://thecinemaholic.com/leta-cordes-found-or-missing-is-she-dead-or-alive/



https://www.jludwick.com/Notes/St_Maarten_08/Disappearance.html



https://www.facebook.com/groups/71360591704/posts/10157829104561705/



https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6050072&page;=1



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/was-it-murder-in-paradise/



https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/4895-massive-search-for-leta-lynn-cordes-on-french-side-of-island-friends-of-cordes-want-to-give-her-proper-burial-said-investigators-are-acting-smartly



https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-23-me-missing23-story.html



https://missionviejo.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/mvs-missing-leta-cordes-mother-dies/



https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/4114-the-search-for-leta-lynn-cordes-continues-media-after-the-husband-cordes-blast-police-a-prosecutors.html



https://www.mysittivacations.com/blog/solo-female-travel-sint-maarten


19: Jason Cortez: Los Angeles, CA

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