In 1982, Patty Vaughan vanished in the mountains of West Virginia. For more than a decade, the only story anyone heard was Doug Sager’s: that he dropped her at a truck stop along I-81 and never saw her again. But inside Doug’s own family, another story began to surface. His nephew, Ralph, claimed Patty never left at all—that he saw her body in the downstairs shower.

Decades later, hikers stumbled across human remains in the wilderness near Judy Gap. Could they belong to Patty? Or was there another victim hidden in those same mountains?

This episode unravels the competing stories, the silence that lasted for thirteen years, and the chilling discovery that raised even more questions. Two stories. Two endings. Only one can be true.

At 18 years old, Patricia “Patty” Vaughan ran away from her home in Connecticut to escape abuse. She and a friend hitchhiked south, eventually ending up in rural Mathias, West Virginia, where Patty moved in with long‑haul truck driver Galen “Doug” Sager.

Not long after arriving, Patty was last seen with a black eye. Her friend left. Patty stayed. And she was never seen again.

For more than 40 years, whispers have haunted the mountains of West Virginia. Family members claim Doug killed her in his home and hid her body on his property. Investigators suspect he may be tied to multiple unsolved murders along the I‑81 corridor—but no one has ever been charged.

In this episode, The Grimes Files retraces Patty’s final days, explores chilling family confessions, and exposes a pattern of predatory behavior that went unpunished for decades.

Listen to uncover the truth—and help bring Patty home.

One week after Helen Eskew was found murdered in her home, a neighbor told police something shocking: a man had confessed. His name was known. His record was violent. His connection to Helen undeniable.

But what followed wasn’t an arrest. It wasn’t even a search warrant.

Instead, the case began to drift—despite multiple burglary reports, named suspects, and fingerprints collected from inside Helen’s trailer. As new interviews surfaced, another name entered the picture—a teenager with a quiet presence and a history of break-ins, including Helen’s.

In this episode, we examine how two suspects ended up at the center of the same crime. We trace their stories, the contradictions in their timelines, and the details investigators had right in front of them. What emerges is a case that feels less like a mystery—and more like a missed opportunity.

Two confessions. Two sets of prints. Zero charges.

Twenty-seven years later, we’re asking why.

On October 14, 1998, 12-year-old Miranda Eskew came home from school to find her mother, Helen, bludgeoned to death on the bedroom floor. There were no signs of forced entry. No one heard a scream. And the killer may have only been steps away.

In the premiere episode of The Grimes Files, we dive deep into the chilling, unsolved murder of Helen Eskew—an ordinary waitress living in a small Georgia trailer park who may have known her killer all too well. With a trail of burglaries, whispered confessions, and a hammer left at the scene, the case quickly gained traction but mysteriously faded from public view.

Who killed Helen Eskew? And why has no one been held accountable in over 25 years?

Join me as I reopen the file, break down the evidence, and speak directly with those who lived it.

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