In the summer of 1988, Annie Hearin — a 72-year-old philanthropist and beloved wife of a Mississippi millionaire — vanished from her home without a sound.

Her purse was still in the hallway.

Her shoes and glasses, untouched.

And by the front door… a typewritten ransom note,

full of spelling errors and veiled threats.

But this wasn’t a demand for money.

It was a demand for justice.

The names of twelve men were listed in the letter — all of them connected to a bitter business feud with Annie’s husband. The FBI would spend years unraveling what happened that day… and who might’ve held the grudge long enough to strike back.

Was it revenge?

A solo operation?

Or something even darker?

This is the chilling story of a Southern disappearance that was never meant to be solved the usual way —

because the person who paid the price…

was never the one being targeted.

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🔎 Sources & Further Reading

1. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki – Annie Laurie Hearin

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Annie_Hearin

2. WLBT – 3 On Your Side Investigates: The Disappearance of Annie Laurie Hearin

https://www.wlbt.com/story/35976670/3-on-your-side-investigates-cold-case-mystery-the-disappearance-of-annie-laurie-hearin/

3. Doe Network Case File #505DFMS – Annie Laurie Hearin

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/505dfms.html

4. Justia – United States v. Winn (5th Cir. 1990)

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/915/1445/228172/

5. UPI Archives – Heiress Still Missing One Year After Kidnapping (1989)

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/07/26/Heiress-still-missing-one-year-after-kidnapping/3802617428800/

6. Los Angeles Times – Robert Hearin Dies Without Learning Fate of Kidnapped Wife

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-09-mn-8472-story.html

📺 Additional/Corroborative Sources

• Reddit / TrueCrime thread – Local recollections of Annie’s case and the unresolved mystery  

• Simpson County News “30-year-old mystery” – Reflective coverage on the enduring Cold Case ()

• Deseret News – Notes on his wealth, return of ransom checks, and ongoing trial developments ()

In the summer of 1986, 18-year-old Brent Brand attended a party in Vincennes, Indiana — and never made it home.

Eight days later, his body was found face down in a drainage ditch across state lines. No visible injuries. No clear cause of death.

A Priest had the answers... But would he talk?

What followed wasn’t just an investigation… it became a witch hunt. Over 30 witnesses were named — including police officers. Brent’s mother spent the rest of her life fighting for answers she never got.This is the case that haunts a town.And the silence still speaks volumes.

🎧 Listen now

📚 Sources for “The Final Trace: Brent Brand”

1. The Advocate “Antigay Hate Is Nothing New in Indiana” https://www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/5/02/antigay-hate-nothing-new-indiana
2. J. Patrick Redmond – Some Go Hungry Fictional novel inspired by Brent Brand’s case and growing up gay in Vincennes, Indiana.
3. Indiana Court Records (Knox County archives and public filings related to the obstruction of justice charges against James Leyendecker)
4. 
   
5. Illinois & Indiana News Archives (1986–1988) Evansville Courier & Press, Vincennes Sun-Commercial, and other local outlets reporting on Brent’s death, the grand jury investigation, and Leyendecker’s legal proceedings.

He seemed to have it all - money, success a growing business. But just 2 months after finalizing a 5 million dollar life insurance policy... Rick Whitehead was murdered.

A man dead.

A fortune at stake.

And a trail of lies that would take years to unfold.

In this episode we follow the money trail, uncover what was happening behind the scenes and examine weather his death was a suicide, murder... or something far more sinister.

This is The Final Trace... of Rick Whitehead.

🔎 Sources for The Final Trace: Rick Whitehead

1. ​**Indiana Court of Appeals – Estate of Whitehead, 1999**
2. ​. 🔗 Read the court decision
3. ​**Probate Court Filings – In Re: Supervised Administration of the Estate of Richard H. Whitehead** Documents the estate’s petition and the approved $2.6M settlement with Northwestern Mutual in 1998. 🔗 View the probate filing
4. ​**Descrybe.ai Case Summary** A concise and user‑friendly recap of the lawsuit, court opinions, and final settlement. 🔗 Descrybe summary

**Los Angeles Times Feature (July 1997)**

. 🔗 Read the LA Times piece 

Michael William Negrete was 18 years old - a UCLA freshman, a talented musician, and by all accounts full of life. He played an online video game with a friend. Sent a quick email to his mom. Walked back to his dorm room down the hall and then... disappeared.

No sign of foul play. No cries for help. It was like he slipped through the cracks of reality - into thin air.

Some say he wandered off. Others believe he was taken. But in the 25 years since Michael vanished. Not a single clue has brought us closer to the truth.

This is the Final Trace... of Michael Negrete. 

📝 Sources Used in The Final Trace of Michael NegreteDaily Bruin – “Nightly Bruin: The Unsolved Disappearance of Michael Negrete” (Dec 2024)

.

📎 Link: https://dailybruin.com/2024/12/12/nightly-bruin-the-unsolved-disappearance-of-michael-negrete-25-years-later

—

📎 Link: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-16-me-51723-story.html

📎 Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/180xok5/michael_negrete_question/

Los Angeles Times (April 2001) – “Missing Adults Leave Few Traces”Reddit (r/UnresolvedMysteries)

🎙️ Disappearances. Unsolved deaths. Cases that were technically “closed”… but never felt truly answered.

The Final Trace is a weekly true crime podcast that dives into the eerie, the unresolved, and the stories that still linger.

Hosted by Hopper Dailey and McKenzie, each episode explores a case that never quite left us — told with curiosity, empathy, and just the right amount of chills.

If you like quiet mysteries, haunting details, and a human voice behind every headline — you’re in the right place.
🎧 Premieres June 24. Subscribe now, and don’t miss the stories that won’t let go.