In the first installment of our three-part series on the Madeleine McCann case we revisit the heartbreaking disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. We explore the eerie parallels with the JonBenét Ramsey case, the parents' routine checks on their sleeping children while dining nearby at the tapas bar, the immediate chaos that compromised the crime scene, and the rapid shift from global sympathy to intense scrutiny and blame directed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

The episode examines early theories, the role of cadaver and blood dogs, the intense media frenzy, and the lingering questions that keep this case alive nearly two decades later—setting the stage for deeper dives into theories and media coverage in parts two and three.

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In the final episode of our three-part series on the JonBenét Ramsey case, we reflect on our emotional journey, share our final conclusions based on the available evidence, and look at the media's role in the case. We unpack how early police leaks, media sensationalism, and confirmation bias shaped public perception. Disturbingly, the media played a role in objectifying a six-year-old girl, vilifying her parents, and fueling decades of misinformation. A powerful cautionary tale about narrative manipulation, cognitive traps, and the human cost of rushed judgment—this wrap-up challenges listeners to question what we think we know and how we came to know it. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In the second part of our three-part series on the JonBenét Ramsey case, we delve into the theories that have kept the case alive for nearly 30 years. Was it a vengeful intruder targeting John Ramsey, was it a tragic accident covered up in panic, or did the murderer have sexual motives? We unpack the conflicting evidence—the three-page ransom "essay" written on Patsy Ramsey's notepad, the crime scene with its sadistic elements like the garrote, and the unknown male DNA that exonerated the Ramseys but remains unidentified—while exploring psychological angles, family dynamics, and the enduring fascination with the case. As Boulder police continue retesting evidence with advanced DNA technology and conducting fresh interviews, we reflect on why no theory fully satisfies, why the case feels so personal, and the heartbreaking toll on survivors like Burke Ramsey. We probe the human cost of an unsolved tragedy and the questions that still haunt us. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

On the morning after Christmas 1996, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey vanished from her family's lavish Boulder home—only for her parents to discover a bizarre, three-page ransom note demanding $118,000 and threatening her life. Hours later, her body was found in the basement, beaten, strangled, and bound in a scene that launched one of America's most enduring mysteries. We dive into the haunting details of this case: the infamous ransom letter written on the family's own notepad, the botched police response that contaminated the crime scene, and the swirling theories. With fresh DNA testing and interviews advancing the investigation nearly 30 years later, part one of this three-part series explores the media frenzy, the cultural obsession, and the endless questions that still grip the public. Perfect for true crime fans, this episode unpacks why this tragedy remains unsolved—and why it refuses to fade away. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In January 2007, 21-year-old Channon Christian and 23-year-old Christopher Newsom were carjacked at gunpoint after sharing a kiss in a Knoxville apartment building parking lot. What began as a robbery quickly turned into 24 hours of unimaginable physical and sexual assault and eventually murder at the hands of five strangers. Eighteen years later, this remains one of the most sadistic crimes in modern American history. In our final episode of the fall season we tell Christopher and Channon's story. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Secret Passage Podcast will return after the holidays.

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

Five-year-old Kinsleigh Welty spent the last months of her life locked in a feces-covered closet, starved to 21 pounds by the mother who called her a demon. Despite repeated removals for abuse and neglect, Indiana DCS kept handing her back due to policies that prioritize family reunification. Text messages between her mother and grandmother reveal chilling cruelty and apathy. We unpack the massive failures that led to this preventable death. Listener discretion strongly advised.

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In this episode we examine the tragic hot-car death of 2-year-old Parker Scholtes in Marana, Arizona, on July 9, 2024. Her father, Christopher, a stay-at-home dad struggling with alcohol addiction, left Parker in a parked SUV for three hours while he drank beer, watched porn, and played video games—leading to her fatal heatstroke at an internal temperature of 108.9 °F. We explore the role of addiction, the distraction of explicit content, the family's response, and Christopher's suicide days before sentencing. Ultimately, this is a cautionary story about the lethal dangers of alcohol, inattention, and the false sense of security that "it can't happen to us".

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In this week's episode, we dive into the disturbing case of Jesse Mack Butler, an 18-year-old Oklahoma high school baseball player convicted of raping and strangling two teenage girls he had been in relationships with, nearly killing one. Butler received a light sentence with no jail time after he was given youthful offender status. The victims, victims' families, and the commmunity are outraged. We explore why the lenient outcome sparked outrage and what it reveals about prosecuting rape. Listener discretion advised.

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

In this week's Halloween episode we discuss Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. We love this movie! We look at this masterpiece through the lenses of the Gothic, addiction, narcissism, and intergenerational trauma.

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver

This week we discuss female pedophiles examining the cases of teachers Christina Formella, 30, accused of abusing her 14-year-old student and Mary Kay Letourneau, who groomed 12-year-old Vili Fualaau, bore his children, and married him post-prison. We look at cultural biases that result in lighter sentences for female perpetrators and the underreporting of abuse of male victims. We question arrested development, impulsivity, and the emotional motivations behind these crimes. Like, subscribe, and follow us. Here's how:

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Secret Passage Podcast is hosted by Dana Vespoli and Shannon Rogers

Producer: Tim Rogers

Editor: Mitch Silver