The Dark Oak

By Just Us Gals ProductionsTrue Crime

The Dark Oak episodes

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
1 hr 1 min
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
1 hr 2 min
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
52 min
May 28, 2025 Episode 108: The Disappearance of Ben McDaniel
30-year-old Ben McDaniel had been through a lot by the time he reached the age of 30; He had lost his brother, his business and his home. In 2010, Ben was in the middle of a year-long sabbatical when he went scuba diving in a dangerous underwater cave late one afternoon and was never heard from again. It was assumed that Ben had run into trouble and drowned in the cave, but despite numerous searches, Ben's body has never been found.
Did Ben really drown in Vortex Spring? Did he stage his own death so he could run away and start a new life, or was his death the result of foul play?

Sources:
Caterina, D. (2025, May 27). The Deeper You Go. . . - Dellantonio Caterina - medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@dellantonio.caterina/the-deeper-you-go-e5c2c94e85f7
Lovethesepicture. (2012, June 29). Adrenaline Junkies Cave Diving Vortex Spring [Pics, Videos]. lovethesepicture.com. https://lovethesepicture.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/adrenaline-junkies-cave-diving-vortex-spring-37-pics-5-videos/
Battison, J. (2024, September 12). Haunting theory about what happened to diver who jumped into Vortex Spring water and never came back. LADbible. https://www.ladbible.com/community/ben-mcdaniel-vortex-spring-missing-diver-133757-20240912

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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
1 hr 17 min
May 24, 2025 Episode 107: The Murder of Penny Bell
On June 6, 1991, Penny Bell, a 43-year-old businesswoman and mother of two, was brutally stabbed over 50 times in her Jaguar in the busy Gurnell Leisure Center parking lot in Greenford, London, in a frenzied attack that left no witnesses despite the public setting. Penny, a happy and successful director at a recruitment agency, lived in an affluent Buckinghamshire neighborhood with her husband, Alistair, and their children, Matthew and Lauren. That morning, she left home for an unspecified 9:50 a.m. appointment, mentioning it to builders renovating her home, but no record of it was found. Three days prior, she withdrew £8,500 from a joint account, an unusual act possibly linked to her murder. Witnesses reported seeing a man enter a blue Jaguar, a slow-moving Jaguar with hazard lights, and Penny mouthing “Help me” with a passenger, but no one intervened. The investigation, which interviewed over 8,000 people, was hampered by compromised forensic evidence and no clear motive, though the attack’s savagery suggested Penny knew her killer. Suspects like Alistair, a former neighbor, John Richmond, and serial killer Robert Napper were cleared. In 2021, Penny’s daughter, Lauren, who was nine at the time and has no memories of her mother, renewed efforts with a £20,000 reward and media campaigns, believing the killer was motivated by personal rage. The case remains unsolved, leaving Lauren to honor her mother’s vibrant legacy by naming her daughter Penny.

Sources:
McMahon, J., & McMahon, J. (2024, August 9). The Inside Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Cold Case Murder. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-inside-story-of-britains-most-notorious-cold-case-murder/

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
2:25 Penny Bell
53:09 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation

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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
57 min
May 21, 2025 Episode 106: The Disappearance of Shane Fell
On June 10, 2011, 36-year-old Shane Fell vanished after a car accident in Marrero, Louisiana. After a night at a bar watching his brother Brett’s pool tournament, Shane, who had some beer but wasn’t visibly drunk, took a backroad home, possibly avoiding DUI checkpoints. He crashed his car on River Road, told Brett he was fine, and exited through the window. By the time Brett arrived, Shane was missing. Police found minor blood traces, a fastened seatbelt, and later one of Shane’s shoes nearby. Extensive searches—using helicopters, dogs, and river scans—yielded nothing, nor did his phone, wallet, or keys turn up. A couple reported Shane declined their help at the scene. Despite family-led efforts, including a reward and billboard, and unverified sightings of Shane possibly homeless, the case stalled. Theories range from amnesia to a river accident, but no evidence confirms his fate, leaving the mystery unsolved.

Sources:
Baxter, J. (2023, June 2). Man vanished from scene of accident: Where is Shane Fell? Medium.

https://medium.com/@jennbaxter_69070/man-vanished-from-scene-of-accident-where-is-shane-fell-102d8bab2f9a

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qXUhYwZlWfWIvVV6IUl68?si=9r6vGYDKTNyp5y6I4Gz4tw

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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
1 hr 19 min
May 16, 2025 Episode 105: The Yuba County Five
Described as "America's Dyatlov Pass Incident," the disappearance of five young men has baffled the world for decades. When their vehicle is found abandoned on a rough mountain road, authorities are suddenly filled with more questions than answers. Why did the group of men drive the wrong direction from home and end up on the side of a mountain? Why did they leave the safety of the vehicle to head out, presumably on foot, completely unprepared and underdressed, into the snow? Where did they go? When signs of the men start being discovered, the questions only intensify.
Here we are, over 40 years later, still asking.....what happened to the Yuba County Five?
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
10:15 The Yuba County Five
57:28 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation

Sources:
Gorney, C. (2023, December 21). 5 “Boys” who never come back. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/
Yuba County five. (2023, July 17). Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yuba-county-five/id1609249707

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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

1 hr 3 min
May 14, 2025 Episode 104: Emanuela Orlandi - The Vatican Girl Disappearance
When 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi failed to come home after her music lesson on a hot summer day in Rome, her family immediately knew something was wrong. Fear grew to absolute dread when a man known only as "The American" claimed to have abducted Emanuela and threatened to kill her unless a captive terrorist was released in exchange for the girl. When the deadline for release came and went and Emanuela's body was not found, investigators had a renewed sense of hope that perhaps the teenager was still alive. The dark theories that have surrounded Emanuela's vanishing in the more than forty years since she went missing have many people wondering if all is as it seems in Rome. Could the ones meant to help be the very ones responsible for her disappearance?

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
05:15 Emanuela Orlandi
01:08:10 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation
Sources:
Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi. (2017). https://www.netflix.com/title/81117191

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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

1 hr 12 min
May 10, 2025 Episode 103: The Sleeping Girl of Turville
Ellen Sadler, born in 1859 in Turville, England, became known as the "Sleeping Girl" after falling into a mysterious nine-year sleep starting March 17, 1871, at age 11. Living in poverty with her mother Ann and stepfather Thomas Frewen, Ellen exhibited a melancholic, dreamy demeanor and had health issues, including headaches and glandular swellings. After a brief stint as a nursemaid, terminated due to inattention and drowsiness, she was diagnosed with possible spinal disease and an abscess. Discharged as incurable from Reading Hospital, she returned home, experienced seizures, and fell into a deep, unresponsive state.

For nine years, Ellen remained in the same position—on her left side, hands under her head, knees drawn up—visited by doctors, journalists, and curious onlookers. Her mother fed her minimal amounts of port wine, sugar, and milk through teapots, raising questions about starvation survival. Despite scrutiny, including a government investigation in 1875, no hoax was proven, and Ann’s care was deemed devoted. Ellen awoke in late 1880, shortly after her mother’s death, showing childlike behavior and no memory of the period. She later lived a normal life, marrying and having five children, and died in 1946 at 86.

The case remains unexplained. Possible medical explanations include an extreme form of narcolepsy, a coma from brain infection, or a psychological response to stress from her stepfather’s behavior. Skeptics questioned the lack of bedsores and minimal sustenance, but no evidence confirmed a hoax. The story, widely reported in newspapers like The Times, puzzled contemporaries and remains a medical mystery.

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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
1 hr
May 07, 2025 Episode 102: Amber Hagerman and The Amber Alert System
Amber Hagerman is a 9-year-old little girl whose legacy has helped change the lives of thousands of people in the last three decades. Unfortunately, Amber Hagerman’s story has a tragic ending, but out of the tragedy a new system was born that would ultimately help save the lives of thousands of children all over the world. Every January 13 is AMBER Alert Awareness Day where the nation remembers the little girl who was abducted and murdered in in January of 1996. Her story inspired the creation of the nation-wide system, known as the Amber Alert, that allows law enforcement to quickly alert the public to child abductions.
Though Amber's case remains unsolved and her killer has never seen justice, we can hold onto the hope that through scientific advancements in DNA research we may one day find the person responsible for taking her life.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
01:10 Amber Hagerman
45:20 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation

Sources:
Frequently asked Questions | AMBER Alert. (n.d.). AMBER Alert. https://amberalert.ojp.gov/about/faqs#faq3
Staff, U. (2024, April 15). 5 stories of kidnapped children who were rescued. Upworthy. https://www.upworthy.com/5-incredible-stories-of-missing-kids-that-were-rescued-in-nick-of-time-rp3

Still searching for Amber’s killer. (n.d.). National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2021/still-searching-for-ambers-killer

Amber Alert | Highland Beach, FL. (n.d.). https://highlandbeach.us/230/Amber-Alert

DeLong, W. (2023, May 25). Amber Hagerman, the 9-Year-Old whose murder inspired AMBER alerts. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/amber-hagerman

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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
50 min

About The Dark Oak

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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…