The Dark Oak

By Just Us Gals Productions

Attention all shiver-seekers! The Dark Oak is a weekly thrill and chill inducing mystery podcast. Every Wednesday, Stefanie and Cynthia will present to you a true tale of the supernatural, the macabre... more

· True Crime

4.6

5454 ratings

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FAQs about The Dark Oak:

How many episodes does The Dark Oak have?

The podcast currently has 142 episodes available.

The Dark Oak episodes:

July 30, 2025 Episode 117: Christina Whittaker (Part 1 of 2)
In 2009, 21-year-old Christina Whittaker, a new mother from Hannibal, Missouri, disappeared after a night out with friends on November 13. She was last seen after being escorted out of Rookie’s Sports Bar around 11:45 p.m. for disruptive behavior, having been previously banned from the establishment. Witnesses reported her being heavily intoxicated, and after failing to secure a ride home from two other nearby bars, River City Billiards and Sportsman’s Bar, she was last seen leaving the latter, upset after a heated phone call. Her cell phone was found the next morning near Sportsman’s Bar by Danny Baker, a registered sex offender, raising suspicions due to his questionable connection to Christina and the timing of the discovery. No significant evidence was recovered from the phone.
Christina’s mother, Cindy Young, has been vocal about the case, believing her daughter may have been kidnapped and trafficked to Peoria, Illinois, a theory fueled by rumors involving Darcy “Bookie” Morris, a known criminal with a violent history, including a 2014 murder conviction. Some speculate Morris may have abducted Christina, possibly disposing of her body at a hog farm, though he denies involvement, claiming he was in Peoria for his daughter’s birth. Cindy insists Christina is alive in Peoria, possibly brainwashed and living among the homeless, though reported sightings remain unconfirmed. The Hannibal Police Department has conducted over 200 interviews but found no evidence of foul play, and no surveillance footage or solid leads have emerged.
A 2021 documentary, *Relentless*, explored the case, introducing new perspectives and theories, including Morris’s potential involvement and the questionable circumstances around Baker, who died before being fully interviewed. The documentary, discussed in a follow-up episode, challenges initial assumptions about the case. Despite extensive searches, including in areas known for crime, no trace of Christina has been found, and the police have largely stepped back, leaving the case unresolved.

Sources:
What happened to Christina Whittaker? (n.d.). Criminal. https://vocal.media/criminal/what-happened-to-christina-whittaker
Tempesta, E. (2021, August 2). Fascinating docuseries lays bare disappearance of Missouri mother. Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9832853/Fascinating-docuseries-lays-bare-disappearance-Mississippi-mother.html
Synovacantrell, V. a. P. B. (2025, March 8). Difficult conversations around the disturbing case of Christina Whittaker. Synova Ink. https://synovaink.com/2024/10/16/difficult-conversations-around-the-disturbing-case-of-christina-whittaker/
Glen Ledbetter - Sippell, M. (2023, January 31). Relentless: What That Last Lead in Christina Whittaker's Case Tells Us. MovieMaker. https://www.moviemaker.com/relentless-finale-what-that-final-lead-in-the-christina-whittaker-case-tells-us/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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1h 13min
July 23, 2025 Episode 116: Where is Phoenix Coldon?
Phoenix Coldon, a 23-year-old African American woman, disappeared on December 18, 2011, after driving away from her parents’ home in Spanish Lake, Missouri. Her 1998 black Chevy Blazer was found abandoned two weeks later in East St. Louis, Illinois, but she was never located. Phoenix, an only child, was homeschooled, talented in fencing and piano, and attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She moved back home in 2011 after living independently, a likely challenging transition. Investigations revealed a secret boyfriend, a second phone, and her unenrollment from college, unknown to her parents. A selfie video showed her struggling emotionally, wanting to “start over.” Theories include abduction, homicide, sex trafficking, voluntary disappearance, or suicide. Despite media coverage, her case remains unsolved.

Sources:
Margaritoff, M. (2024, October 10). Phoenix Coldon’s Disappearance: The Disturbing full story. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/phoenix-coldon
Podcast, J. H.-. M. F. (2024, November 17). Phoenix Coldon: To start a new life or a perfectly staged decade long mystery| Case 26. Medium. https://medium.com/@themissingfound/phoenix-coldon-to-start-a-new-life-or-perfectly-staged-decade-long-mystery-case-26-dc46499e88fc
Watch The Disappearance of Phoenix Coldon, Season 1 | Prime Video. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-Phoenix-Coldon-Season/dp/B07K3SP4C2
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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1h 27min
July 16, 2025 Episode 115: The Mandela Effect
The Mandela Effect, named by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome in 2010, refers to collective false memories where groups misremember events or details, like Nelson Mandela dying in the 1980s (he died in 2013). Psychological studies, such as Loftus and Palmer’s 1974 experiments, demonstrate how language can distort memories, while Broome suggests alternate realities or timeline shifts as causes, though these lack scientific support. Examples include misremembering the Berenstain Bears as “Berenstein,” Monopoly’s Rich Uncle Pennybags with a monocle, or Darth Vader saying “Luke, I am your father” instead of “No, I am your father.” Historical cases involve myths like Columbus discovering the Americas first or Vikings wearing horned helmets. The International Mandela Effect Conference (IMEC) explores quantum theory connections, but psychological factors like memory fallibility and social influence are more accepted. While the phenomenon sparks curiosity about human memory, it can also foster distrust in reality, fuel conspiracies, and highlight cognitive fragility, potentially undermining shared historical truths.

Sources:
International Mandela Effect Conference | quantum physics | 322 E Main St, Branford, CT 06405, USA. (n.d.). IMEC Events Page. https://www.imec.world/
https://www.youtube.com/live/YQQpUVzqTl8?si=jJv1NMIB_7XNXoW0
Jenkins, C., & Vincent, S. (2025, January 14). 55 Mandela effect examples that’ll make you question everything. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g28438966/mandela-effect-examples/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
1h 12min
July 09, 2025 Episode 114: The Challenger Tragedy
In an effort to reinvigorate interest in the Space program, NASA launched the "Teacher in Space" program, in 1984. The beautiful, brilliant and charismatic high school social studies teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was selected out of 11,000 applicants and the country fell in love with the teacher and the space program once again.
Tragically, a well-documented problem with the O-rings on the shuttle's solid rocket booster was compromised during the low temperature launch and one of NASA's biggest tragedies occurred, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts on board. In today's episode we discuss little known facts about the disaster and ask the question, what is the cost of advancement?
Sources:
How legendary physicist Richard Feynman helped crack the case on the Challenger disaster. (2021, June 9). Literary Hub. https://lithub.com/how-legendary-physicist-richard-feynman-helped-crack-the-case-on-the-challenger-disaster/
Pruitt, S. (2025, May 28). 5 things you may not know about the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-challenger-shuttle-disaster
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2009, January 14). Challenger disaster | Summary, Date, Cause, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Challenger-disaster
The Challenger: The Final Flight. (2018). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12930534/fullcredits/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
1h 17min
July 02, 2025 Episode 113: Cindy James - The Unknown Event
After separating from her husband of 15 years, Cindy James, a nurse in Vancouver, Canada, was brutally stalked and harassed. Despite nearly seven years of reported incidents of harassment, threatening calls, physical and sexual assaults, and other forms of abuse, police concluded that her claims were likely fabricated, possibly to gain attention or due to mental health issues. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent an estimated $1-1.5 million investigating Cindy's claims, making it one of the longest and most expensive investigations in British Columbia history.

Sources:
Neal Hall, Torment, The Vancouver Sun, December 30, 1990 Page 6
Brian Driscoll, Two Views of Same Tragedy, Edmonton Journal, February 24, 1991, page 28
Cindy James: Part 1- The Night Stalker. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5R6W6KXRE

Cindy James- Part 2: Under Siege. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_1YIe9Z51k
Unsolved Mysteries. (2021, December 8). Cindy James - Unsolved Mysteries. https://unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
1h 30min
June 25, 2025 Rerun: The Unsolved Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
Who killed Athalia Ponsell Lindsley? The logical suspect was a man who had previously threatened her life. A man, that, conveniently, borrowed a machete from the county and never returned it. A man that had been called out by name by the only eyewitness to the murder. A man who lived in the house with a blood trail leading from the crime scene to its front door. Was this simply circumstantial evidence? You tell us.
Sources:
Randall, E. (2016). Murder in St. Augustine: The mysterious death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley. Arcadia Publishing.

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

...more
1h 19min
June 18, 2025 Episode 112: Brandon Swanson
On May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson vanished near Canby, Minnesota, after his car got stuck in a ditch on a rural field road. Earlier that night, he had been celebrating the end of his college semester, consuming alcohol at two parties but not appearing heavily intoxicated. Intending to drive home to Marshall, a familiar 30-mile route, Brandon inexplicably took backroads and ended up far from where he thought he was, mistakenly believing he was near Lynd. At 1:54 AM, he called his parents for help, describing his location inaccurately. During a 47-minute phone call with his father, he decided to walk toward lights he assumed were from Lynd, mentioning a field and running water before shouting an expletive and the call cutting off. Search dogs later traced his scent from his car, along rural roads, to the Yellow Medicine River, across it, through an abandoned farm, and to another road, where the trail stopped. Despite extensive searches involving volunteers, air surveillance, and river excavations, no trace of Brandon or his belongings has been found. Theories include drowning in the river, succumbing to hypothermia, falling into a well, or being picked up by a vehicle, with the latter gaining traction due to the scent trail ending at a road and the lack of physical evidence. Landowner restrictions have complicated searches, and Brandon’s Law, passed in 2009, now ensures immediate missing persons investigations. His disorientation is attributed to fatigue, mild intoxication, unfamiliar roads, and distraction, but his fate remains a mystery.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
4:30 The Boca Raton Mall Murders
1:39:00 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

https://youtu.be/ylKQGI0PGj4?si=7LPu_1FExL3aItIk
User:Jeff Hasse/Missing Person Case Study -- Brandon Swanson - Wikiversity. (n.d.). https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Jeff_Hasse/Missing_Person_Case_Study_--_Brandon_Swanson
Mystique. (2022, January 4). Brandon Swanson vanished while on a call with his parents; Where did he go? Medium. https://medium.com/@the-mystique/brandon-swanson-vanished-while-on-a-call-with-his-parents-where-did-he-go-dd13bc9e4421

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
1h 45min
June 11, 2025 Episode 111: The Boca Raton Mall Murders
The Town Center at Boca Raton should conjure up images of luxury designers and expensive restaurants but unfortunately for those local to the high-end mall, it is a string of abductions and brutal murders that remains in the forefront of many minds. When women and their children began getting abducted from the mall in 2007, locals to Boca Raton and around the country began asking, is anyone safe?
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
7:54 The Boca Raton Mall Murders
56:33 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

Sources:
Nancy & Joey Bochicchio | Boca Raton, FL. (n.d.). https://www.myboca.us/214/Nancy-Joey-Bochicchio
Glass, A. (2025, March 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/still-no-arrests-18-years-after-boca-raton-mall-abduction-murder
Bente, K. (2024, August 7). Still Unsolved: 17 years since Jane Doe abduction and Boca Raton Town Center Mall murders. WPEC. https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-i-team/still-unsolved-17-years-since-jane-doe-abduction-and-boca-raton-town-center-mall-murders-south-florida-news-true-crime-august-6-2024
Markowitz, M. (2025, February 2). Luxury Florida mall’s string of murders and kidnapping have one thing in common: retired FBI agent. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/luxury-florida-mall-linked-string-murders-kidnapping-have-one-thing-common-retired-fbi-agent
Glass, A., & Ostroff, J. (2024, May 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/crime/the-missing-piece
Criminology. (2025, June 3). The Boca Raton Mall murders [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlaOGe4YOvg

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
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1h 1min
June 04, 2025 Episode 110: The Strange Disappearance of Mother and Daughter - Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers
Korrina Malinoski, 26, disappeared from South Carolina’s Mount Holly Plantation on November 21, 1987, after arguing with her abusive husband, Stephen. Her car was found locked on the property, but she was never located. On October 4, 1988, her daughter, Annette Sagers, 11, vanished from a nearby bus shelter, leaving a note claiming she left with her mother, though its authenticity is debated. Stephen, with a history of abuse and abandoning families, is the main suspect, but no evidence confirms his involvement. Despite extensive searches, including a 2019 effort narrowing the search area and investigating a suspicious carpet, Korrina and Annette remain missing, with theories pointing to murder by Stephen, unrelated foul play, or a voluntary departure. The case is unsolved, and Korrina’s sons continue seeking answers.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
5:00 Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers
56:20 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

Sources:
From Victim to Monster: Cary Stayner – the Yosemite Killer. (2024, May 1). https://www.truecriminelle.com/cary-stayner-the-yosemite-killer/
Annette Sagers & Korrina Malinoski — unresolved. (n.d.). Unresolved. https://unresolved.me/annette-sagers-korrina-malinoski

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
1h 2min
May 31, 2025 Episode 109: Reincarnation - The Shanti Devi Story
Shanti Devi’s reincarnation case, one of the most compelling and well-documented in modern studies, unfolded in 1920s and 1930s India, a period of cultural revival and anti-colonial resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. Born in Delhi on December 11, 1926, Shanti began claiming at age four to be Lugdi Devi, a woman from Mathura who died in 1925 after childbirth, about a year before Shanti’s birth. She provided precise details about Mathura, her husband Kedar Nath Chaubey, their son, and her past life, using Mathura’s dialect and terms unfamiliar to her Delhi family. Her school principal verified Kedar’s existence, and a surprise visit from Kedar and his family saw Shanti correctly identify them, emotionally reconnecting with her former husband and son. Intrigued, Gandhi commissioned an investigation in 1935, during which Shanti led researchers to Lugdi’s Mathura home, noted town changes, and located an empty coffer where she claimed to have hidden money (Kedar admitted removing it). The 1936 commission report concluded Shanti was Lugdi’s reincarnation, finding no rational explanation for her knowledge. Shanti later described her death and afterlife experiences, lived a quiet spiritual life, and passed away in 1987. Her case, extensively studied and covered by media, remains a cornerstone in reincarnation research.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
5:45 Shanti Devi
48:00 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation

Sources:
Hartzman, M. (2024, April 29). Shanti Devi, the girl who claimed she was reincarnated. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanti-devi

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep
...more
52min

FAQs about The Dark Oak:

How many episodes does The Dark Oak have?

The podcast currently has 142 episodes available.

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