Last Seen Alive

When a Missouri honor student decides to follow in her father's footsteps by joining the Army after highschool, she's soon deployed to Iraq, where her life ends under unthinkable circumstances. After receiving contradictory information regarding his daughter's death, her father—a doctor of behavioral psychology—attempts to piece together what really happened in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you have any information about the death of LaVena Johnson, please call report your tip to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. You can submit a tip online at: https://www.cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip/

Also, in light of the subjects we've discussed in this episode, there are two resources we want to make sure you're aware of: The National Sexual Assault Hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673, and the Suicide and Crisis Hotline, which can be reached by dialing 988. Both of these resources are available 24/7—you're never alone. So please, if you're struggling with trauma related to sexual assault, or suicidal thoughts—give them a call.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/07/17/unsolved-suspicious-death-lavena-johnson/

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When a young Little Rock, Arkansas woman discloses that she's been the victim of a terrible crime, she disappears shortly thereafter. Several years later, the discovery of her hidden remains amplifies the unanswered questions her loved ones have been left to struggle with in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything about the death of Ebby Steppach, please call the Little Rock Police Department at 501-371-4829.

And if you found this episode to be of special interest, you may want to check out our episode on the unsolved homicide of Julie Ferguson.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/07/03/unsolved-homicide-ebby-steppach/

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When a small-town Colorado man vanished in the middle of his work day, no trace of him was found until his vehicle was pulled from a local river six weeks later. Certain that foul play was involved, investigators worked for years to determine who might've wanted to harm a well-liked family-man. A suspect is finally charged with first degree murder in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2024/10/28/solved-disappearance-of-dale-williams/

Support LSA and the DNA Doe Project by getting a shirt or hoodie on our store:

https://last-seen-alive.printify.me/products

And if you found this episode to be of special interest, consider listening to our episode on the disappearance of another family man who has yet to be found, Mike Hearon.

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When a hard-working Florida woman vanishes from behind the counter of her nightshift job at a convenience store, a massive search is launched. A series of chillingly similar disappearances suggests the possibility of a serial predator preying upon female cashiers in the Sunshine State in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Deborah Poe, please contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office at 407-254-7000.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/06/05/unsolved-disappearance-deborah-poe/

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When a young coastal North Carolina mother is brutally murdered in her own home, investigators determine that her killer was likely a man who had responded to a classified sale ad she'd placed in a local paper. Investigators continue to pursue a killer who's managed to evade law enforcement for decades in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything about the murder of Beverly Jaye Potter-Mintz, please contact the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office at 910-253-2777

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/05/22/unsolved-homicide-beverly-jaye-potter-mintz/

If you're interested in hearing about more cases like Jaye's, you may want to check out our episode on the homicide of young Michigan mom Cathy Swartz (which originally aired in February of 2022), and the recent update episode on her case. Cathy and Jaye's cases aren't related, but they share many similarities, and Cathy's case is an excellent example of how cases like these can be solved decades after the fact.

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When an Ohio man goes missing during his shift at a secretive nuclear weapons factory, his remains turn up in an unlikely location, shocking his family, co-workers and community. The untimely death of a devoted father is steeped in mystery—and radioactivity—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you have any information about the death of Dave Bocks, please contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at 513-825-1500.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/05/08/unsolved-suspicious-death-dave-bocks/

And if you found this episode particularly intriguing, we recommend that you listen to our episode on the unsolved disappearance of Dale Kerstetter, if you haven't already. The two cases aren't related, but they share a lot of similarities.

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After 35 years, investigators arrested 53-year-old Robert Odell Waters of Beaufort, South Carolina in relation to the brutal 1988 murder of young mother Cathy Swartz. Waters was charged with Open Murder, and taken into custody. Waters was identified as a suspect through the use of familial DNA, cutting-edge DNA technology and the expertise of scientists at Othram Labs. The Three Rivers Police Department, Michigan State Police and Western Michigan State University's Cold Case Program all worked hard to ID Cathy's alleged murderer and bring him to justice.

This breaking update episode is a follow-up to our original episode on Cathy's (then-unsolved) case, which aired in February of 2022.

Additional update: suspect Robert Odell Waters was found deceased in his jail cell at Beaufort County Detention Center on May 6th, 2023, one week after his arrest.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here: https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/05/04/breaking-update-arrest-made-in-the-1988-murder-of-cathy-swartz/

You can help solve a cold case like Cathy's! Check out DNAsolves.com, where you can contribute to fund testing for a cold case of your choosing.

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When a girl vanishes from California's Bay Area while walking home from school, it quickly becomes apparent that she was likely abducted. Investigators explore a series of potential suspects, each stranger than the last, in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything at all about the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff, please call the Dublin Police Department at 925-833-6670, or the FBI's San Francisco Field Office at 415-553-7400. If you'd prefer to submit a tip online, you can do so at tips.fbi.gov.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/04/24/unsolved-disappearance-ilene-misheloff/

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When an exotic bird aviary is found mysteriously abandoned in South Florida, investigators launch a search for its devoted owners, who never would've willingly left their animals. Detectives navigate the secretive world of exotic birdkeeping and uncover a host of suspicious characters and circumstances in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything at all about the disappearances of Lila Buerattan and Moses Lall, please call the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at 561-688-3000.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/04/10/unsolved-double-disappearance-lila-buerattan-and-moses-lall/

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When a Colorado teen struggles with the effects of a past family tragedy, local authorities demand that he attend a residential treatment facility for troubled youth, where things take a turn for the worse. After a desperate phone call from her son, his mother prepares to intervene—only for him to immediately disappear. A mother seeks answers that have been withheld for more than 30 years in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Robert "Bobby" Pillsen-Rahier, please call the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/03/27/unsolved-disappearance-robert-pillsen-rahier/

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