Persons Unknown

Thursday March 18th 1965 was a dismal day in the town of Tyrone, Pennsylvannia.
Shortly after midday, six year old Kathy Shea left her home for the short walk to her elementary school. Although spring was just around the corner, slushy snow lined the streets as the Kindergartner hurried along on her way. Several people saw Kathy enroute but she never made it to her lessons that afternoon. A bloodhound tracked Kathy's scent to a spot within eyesight of the school. The only conclusion was that the little girl had been abducted by person or persons unknown. Since that day there has been no sign of Kathy.

Sources for the episode can be found here

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

For seven years Crispin Dye had been the manager of Australian rock band AC/DC. He was a talented song writer and musician in his own right and during the early 1990s released his first solo album. Shortly before Christmas 1993 Crispin, aged 41, travelled to his mother's home in Sydney to spend the festive period with her. On the night of the 22nd December Crispin went out with friends to celebrate the success of his album. In the early hours of the following morning, after separating from his friends, Crispin was found lying face down on the pavement. He had sustained a head injury and was in cardiac arrest. Two days later Crispin passed away in hospital. Some suspected that Crispin had been the victim of a LGBTIQ hate crime but the NSW police were not so sure. The investigation has been dogged with criticism over the years but several persons of interest have surfaced, including a previously unknown individual in 2023 after a DNA breakthrough.

Sources for the episode can be found here

Promos

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

It was a normal Friday morning in November 1994 and 11 year old Nayantara Ali left her home in Forest Gate, East London, to walk to school. It should have taken less than 15 minutes but Nayantara never arrived. Family members reported her missing later that day and for three weeks there was no hint of what had happened to the confident and playful young girl. Worst fears were realised when Nayantara was found murdered just a stone's throw from her front door and in a spot already searched by police.

Sources for the episode can be found here

Promos

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Tara Calico disappeared while riding her bicycle near the town of Belen, New Mexico, in September 1988. The 19 year old fitness enthusiast would go out every morning to complete a 35 mile round trip along the NM 47 highway taking in the vast open spaces of Valencia County. On the morning of September 20th she left her home as usual but never returned. Several witnesses saw Tara riding on the highway that morning listening to a personal stereo; unbeknownest to her, she was being followed by an old Ford truck. Over the ensuing decades the investigation has seen numerous leads come and go, culminating in a significant announcement by law enforcement in the summer of 2023.


Sources for the episode can be found here

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

On a Spring day in 1991 the body of Tuula Lukkarinen was found in woods near the disused Hausjarvi gravel pits in Southern Finland. The 28 year old had gone missing the previous day after leaving the mental hospital where she was temporarily staying. It was a brutal slaying, with the killer displaying disturbing and sadistic tendencies. Two years later 40 year old Maarit Haantie disappeared in the same area during a night out with friends. She has never been seen since and the Finnish police believe she was murdered. Two earlier attacks on women have also been linked to these cases and investigators believe there is a connection, with one perpetrator being responsible for all the crimes. Over the past three decades, the small towns and forests of southern Finland have been the backdrop to the search for, a rarity in Finnish criminal history, a serial killer.

If you have information about the Hausjarvi murders you can email the Finnish Police at [email protected]

Sources for the episode can be found here

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

The body of Joan Maschek was found by her landlord on the evening of July 13th 1976. The 48 year old divorcee had been bludgeoned to death with a flat instrument inside her bedsit on Douglas Road, Nottingham. Police investigating the seemingly motiveless killing soon discovered that Joan herself was equally enigmatic. She was an eccentric character whom neighbours said had visitors at all times of the day and night. Nevertheless, they could find few individuals who knew Joan well, and those who did were not keen on making themselves known. The investigation would go on to focus on two separate men who police believed could hold vital information, but it was well over a decade later that the case suddenly moved in a new direction.


Sources for the episode can be found here

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

It was early winter 1970 in the city of Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. On the evening of Friday May 15th, 18 year old Olive Walker wrapped up warm and set out on foot to her sister's house across town, to babysit her nieces and nephews. Around an hour later Olive was spotted near the Odeon cinema in the centre of Rotorua, only ten minutes from her destination. This was the last time Olive was seen alive.  A short time later multiple witnesses reported hearing screams from a nearby residential area. Within hours a group of teenagers discovered Olive's body in a highway rest area just out of town. The killer was long gone but had left some vital clues to their identity.
 
Sources for the episode can be found here

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Patricia "Lee" Parsons worked as a masseuse at a sauna in Camden town London. Lee also obtained a significant income as a high end escort. The 42 year old reportedly had hundreds of clients, many of whom were high status individuals from the worlds of politics and show business. On the evening of Saturday June 23rd 1990 Lee failed to show up at a private event being held at the restaurant she owned jointly with her boyfriend. The following day Lee's body was found inside her car in a farmer's field 45 minutes from her home. Lee had been shot three times with a crossbow and the killing had all the hallmarks of a professional hit. Thus transpired an investigation that delved into the criminal underworld of London, as police searched for a motive for this most callous execution.

Sources for the episode can be found here

Promos

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Twice widowed Mabel Harper spent the evening of August 12th 1943 at her sister's house in the Maindy area of Cardiff. Time slipped by quickly and at 10.50pm Mabel left hurriedly hoping to catch the last bus home. Unfortunately the 53 year old missed the bus by minutes, forcing her to walk the 40 minute journey alone. As she made her way alongside the highway it was particularly dark, a blackout was in full effect due to the threat of air raids from Nazi bombers. Mabel never made it to her destination. Her naked and bound body was found the next morning on a grass verge next to the road. Her injuries were catastrophic and displayed a sickening propensity for violence. The police were at a dead end until some extraordinary information fell into their hands, blowing the case wide open.

Sources for the episode can be found here

Promos

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

August 15th 1945 was a joyous occasion in Australia's history. It was the day peace was declared and six long years of war ended. As the owners of a radio set, the Eastwell family were some of the first people to hear the happy news in the small rural town of Gol Gol, located on the NSW/Victoria border. For 8 year old Valerie Eastwell the momentous events in the Pacific signalled a day off school and she was tasked with going out into the community to spread the good tidings. There were several sightings of Valerie during the morning and conflicting reports regarding when she was last seen. When Valerie failed to show up for her evening meal her parents became worried and contacted the police. Valerie has not been seen since and the investigation has flitted between different theories to explain her mysterious disappearance. The case is now the oldest missing persons case in the country. 

Support the show

Follow  Persons Unknown:  Instagram and Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Website with Transcripts:
https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/