The Last Trip

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime - a luxury island resort in the Maldives, white sand beaches, turquoise water stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
For Giedre Vaskyte, a 33 year old Canadian woman, it was a last quiet getaway before her life changed forever. 
She was eight months pregnant, and the baby’s due date was just weeks away.  In February 2021, she checked into the intercontinental Maamunagau with her husband, ready to soak in the sun and serenity.  But on a warm, peaceful afternoon, she stepped away from the pool, walked toward the ocean - and vanished.
The official story? That she drowned.
But her family says that’s impossible.  She was a strong swimmer. She knew the ocean.  And they believe something far more sinister happened. Was this truly a tragic accident in paradise?  Or is someone hiding what really happened to Giedre Vaskyte?
Listen as we dive into the Maldives, the case of Giedre Vaskyte, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrime/comments/ltzn25/canadian_citizen_giedre_vaskyte_disappeared_feb/

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/pregnant-dubai-expat-goes-missing-while-holidaying-in-maldives

https://www.sun.com.mv/65467#:~:text=Missing%20tourist%20seen%20venturing%20into%20the%20waters%2C%20presumed%20drowned,-0&text=After%20two%20weeks%20of%20intense,Atoll%20on%20February%2013.

https://timesofaddu.com/2021/02/24/family-offers-usd-100000-for-information-on-missing-pregnant-dubai-expat/

https://timesofaddu.com/2021/02/25/missing-tourist-being-kidnapped-is-highly-unlikely-police/

https://curlytales.com/pregnant-dubai-expat-goes-missing-while-holidaying-in-maldives/

https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/100-000-reward-for-information-on-whereabouts-of-dubai-resident-who-went-missing-in-the-maldives-1.1172053

https://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/murders-suspects-ordered-to-stand-trial-following-preliminary-inquiry

https://calgarysun.com/news/crime/one-time-double-murder-suspects-walk-away-from-drug-charges-due-to-court-delay

https://discover.hubpages.com/style/Can-you-get-tattoos-while-pregnant-Dont-even-consider-it

https://www.pressreader.com/uae/the-national-news/20210225/281625308024632?srsltid=AfmBOoqXN4NKj-rhwd1n2XkjzoNgyE-TXQQ7FMCyMpmAsAtriiWT36Jy

https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/guide/support-groups-charities/reward-out-for-information-on-missing-dubai-expat

https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/emigrants/del-maldyvuose-mislingai-dingusios-lietuves-artimieji-kreipesi-i-kretingos-policija-paskelbta-tarptautine-paieska-86572603

https://www.lrytas.lt/pasaulis/ivykiai/2021/02/25/news/maldyvuose-pradingo-8-menesi-nescia-lietuve-vyras-uz-informacija-zada-100-tukst-atlygi-18423331#google_vignette

Mark Kilroy was a bright, athletic college student - a pre-med major with a promising future.  Blowing off steam on a spring break getaway to the sun-drenched border town of Matamoros, Mexico. 
But somewhere between the neon-lit bars and crowded streets, Mark vanished without a trace.
At first, it looked like another spring break gone wrong - just a kid who wandered off. But what investigators would uncover over the next few weeks was darker, stranger,  and more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.
Buried in the desert was a secret ranch… A bloodstained altar… And the remains of a human sacrifice performed by a cult that believed death could make them invisible to law enforcement.
This isn’t just a story of murder. It’s a story of black magic, cartel power, and how one young man’s disappearance unraveled a ritualistic killing spree that shocked the world.
Listen as we dive into Mexico, the case of Mark Kilroy, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://texasarchive.org/2021_00012

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-14/black-magic-voodoo-and-murder-occurs-at-rancho-santa-elena

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/ut-austin-student-mark-kilroy-murdered-in-mexico

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1lbz2xz/in_1989_mark_kilroy_went_to_south_padre_for/

https://www.markkilroyfoundation.org/

https://www.talesfromtheunderworld.com/p/the-tragic-tale-of-mark-kilroy-and

https://allthatsinteresting.com/mark-kilroy

https://www.fox7austin.com/video/1425450

https://www.krgv.com/news/mark-kilroy-abduction-30-years-later/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-murder-of-mark-kilroy/vi-AA1ECMMv

https://www.ranker.com/list/satanic-cult-used-human-sacrifice-to-help-mexican-cartel/jessika-gilbert

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/03/09/matamoros-mexico-kidnapping-mark-kilroy/

It was the start of a perfect weekend in September 2009 when 61-year-old Melvin Nadel - black belt, seasoned bowhunter, and respected gym owner - set out on a hunting trip near Pecos, New Mexico.
While his friends ventured out, Mel stayed near camp. But when they returned before dark, he was gone.
His Jeep was locked. His gear untouched. Trackers followed his scent just a few hundred feet - and then it vanished.
No struggle. No blood. No clues. Just... gone.
Despite search efforts, no trace of Mel has ever been found. His disappearance remains one of New Mexico's most chilling mysteries, tied to whispers of foul play and the eerie legends of the "Pecos Triangle."
What happened to Melvin Nadel that day in the woods? And how does a man vanish without a trace?
Listen as we dive into New Mexico, the case of Melvin Nadel, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://charleyproject.org/case/melvin-nadel

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sick-sad-world/episodes/The-Disappearance-of-Mel-Nadel-edr9io

https://www.santafeghostandhistorytours.com/NEW-MEXICO-MISSING.html

https://ncmissingpersons.org/melvin-isadore-nadel/

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/mel-nadel

https://www.reddit.com/r/NotForgotten/comments/sj08xb/melvin_nadel/

https://landofentrapment.blog/the-pecos-triangle-where-people-are-swallowed-whole/

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/hunting/missing/melvin-nadel.html

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/usedtobedoe/nadel-mel-6-september-2009-t29634.html#google_vignette

In February 2013, 20 year old Crishtian Hughes flew to San Francisco to visit friends, he was excited for a weekend away. He told his mom he'd be home in a few days, but Crishtian never came back.
The night before his flight home, he left his friend's house in the middle of the night - and vanished. 
Over a decade later, his family is still waiting. Still searching.  Still asking the same chilling question: What happened in those early morning hours... and why has no one come forward?
Was it a choice? A cry for help? A random act of violence?  Or something far more sinister - part of a disturbing pattern of young men disappearing without a trace?
Listen as we dive into San Francisco, the case of Crishtian Hughes, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://wherearetheypodcast.medium.com/the-mystery-of-the-california-missing-five-where-is-crishtian-hughes-95a4ec3d00e6

https://www.facebook.com/MissingPeopleInAmerica/posts/hughes-was-last-seen-in-san-francisco-california-on-february-7-2013-three-days-e/950930157062610/

https://missingpeopleinamerica.org/missing/Crishtian-Hughes

https://uncovered.com/cases/crishtian-hughes

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122260028300026867&set=a.122131634612026867&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/crishtian.hughes

https://www.facebook.com/HelpFindShawnDickerson

https://www.facebook.com/MissingCalifornia5/

https://www.reddit.com/r/WithoutATrace/comments/tyazvx/missing_since_2013_christian_hughes_family_still/

https://disappearedblog.com/crishtian-hughes/

https://websleuths.com/threads/ca-crishtian-hughes-20-san-francisco-san-diego-7-feb-2013.201172/

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america-unsolved/missing-america-california-5-n261931

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/new-tip-re-energizes-search-for-san-diego-man/1974329/

https://lostnmissing.org/missing/crishtianhughes/

https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/family-searches-for-crishtian-hughes-socal-man-missing-in-s-f/article_0b4685db-1e5f-5780-a60e-28cb15e99149.html

https://thecertifiedroarikle.wordpress.com/2022/02/27/part-four-the-san-francisco-five-chronikle-91-crishtian-michael-hughes-case/

https://jessicaknight82.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/missing-crishtian-hughes/

In March 2000, 23-year-old Leah Roberts packed her Jeep Cherokee, grabbed her cat—and vanished.  Not without a trace, but into the vast, mist-covered wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
Inspired by Jack Kerouac, Leah set off from North Carolina on a soul-searching road trip, leaving behind a trail of personal tragedy: the sudden death of both parents and a near-fatal car crash. She carried $3,000 in cash and no clear destination—just a sense that something was waiting for her out west.
Days later, her Jeep was found wrecked at the bottom of a remote embankment near Bellingham, Washington.  Inside: her clothes, blankets, an engagement ring tucked under the floor mat.  Outside: no Leah. No blood. No footprints. No sign of struggle.
But then came the troubling clues—tampered wires, male DNA, an unidentifiable fingerprint.  Accident? Escape? Or something darker hidden in the shadows of the Cascades?
Listen as we dive into Washington, the case of Leah Roberts, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/zxz8qu/the_disappearance_of_leah_roberts/

https://www.facebook.com/BringLeahHome/

https://www.whatcomcounty.us/292/Missing-Leah-Roberts

https://charleyproject.org/case/leah-toby-roberts

https://unsolved.com/gallery/leah-roberts/

https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/140251/

https://people.com/archive/the-searcher-vol-64-no-5/

https://web.archive.org/web/20150219174012/http://foothillsgazette.com/2010/03/25/10-years-later-missing-person-case-remains-open/

https://discover.hubpages.com/politics/the-bizarre-disappearance-of-leah-roberts

https://ncmissingpersons.org/leah-roberts/

https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-to-leah-roberts-disappearance/jenn-dzikowski

https://youtu.be/SC-DKrtIK-I?si=8TlQLKLDcii_R8RI

https://alchetron.com/Disappearance-of-Leah-Roberts

https://www.legallyobscene.com/mysterious-disappearance-of-leah-roberts/

A dream vacation in Cancun. A luxury resort by the sea. A second chance at love.... that ended in murder.
Monica Beresford-Redman was vibrant, successful, and the heart of L.A.'s salsa scene. When she vanished from the Moon Palace Resort, paradise quickly turned into a nightmare.
Her body was discovered strangled and hidden near the hotel - and the spotlight turned to her reality TV producer husband.
Was it a crime of passion, a desperate escape, or something far more sinister? This is the story of deadly secrets hidden in paradise.
Listen as we dive into Cancun, the case of Monica Beresford-Redman, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/beresford-redman-cancun-murder-tv-producer/2419136/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/documents-detail-beresford-redman-death-mexico/story?id=12815694

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-survivor-producer-who-killed-wife-mexico-back-california-after-n1052306

https://www.dailynews.com/tag/beresford-redman/

https://people.com/crime/survivor-producer-bruce-beresford-redman-released-from-prison-killed-wife-cancun/

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/monica-beresford-redman-found-dead/2/

https://6abc.com/archive/8536046/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7453793/Survivor-producer-jailed-wifes-death-spotted-release.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/survivor/comments/2yyrpf/former_survivor_producer_bruce_beresfordredman/

https://abc7ny.com/survivor-producer-bruce-beresford-redman-mexico-monica-burgos/556560/

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bruce-beresford-redman-survivor-producer-murder-1203331825/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bruce-beresford-redman-case-lifetime-827714/

In the early hours of April 21st, 2007, 22-year-old Paul Carter vanished somewhere between Portsmouth, England, and St. Malo, France.
He boarded the overnight ferry with his workmates - but by morning, Paul was gone.  No one saw him leave. No one heard a thing. The sea was calm. The alarms stayed silent.
Did he go overboard unnoticed? Some believed he walked off into the fog of St. Malo. Others are convinced something far more sinister happened that night.
To this day, Paul Carter's fate remains one of the English Channel's most haunting mysteries
Listen as we dive into The English Channel, the case of Paul Carter, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/43132134251/

https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/help-us-find/paul-carter-07-007633

https://www.change.org/p/introduce-damien-s-law-with-improved-guidelines-to-ensure-more-missing-people-are-found/u/23082899

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/riddle-brummie-who-vanished-ferry-30941228

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/heartbroken-mum-truly-believes-son-29760580

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/sixteen-year-riddle-ferry-passenger-26732651

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/please-come-home-christmas-mums-19464746

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/6922187.stm

https://www.directferries.com/brittany_ferries_bretagne.htm

We’re diving into one of the most perplexing travel mysteries in recent history — the disappearance and tragic death of Judy Smith.
In April of 1997, Judy traveled to Philadelphia with her husband, a routine trip that took a bizarre turn when she vanished without a trace. Five months later, her remains were discovered hundreds of miles away in the rugged mountains of North Carolina.
How did a loving wife and mother, last seen in a bustling East Coast city, end up dead in the Blue Ridge Mountains?  And what clues were overlooked that might still point to what really happened?
This isn’t just a story of a woman who went missing — it’s a story about trust, timing, unanswered questions, and the strange trail Judy left behind. Today, we retrace her steps, sift through the facts, and explore the haunting silence left in her wake.
Listen as we dive into Pennsylvania & North Carolina, the case of Judy Smith, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/the-strange-unsolved-case-of-judy-smith/news-story/b17a4452389568a863596acbe1c49364

https://www.reddit.com/r/WithoutATrace/comments/1fzbya1/on_april_10th_1997_50yearold_judy_smith_told_her/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/kcd8cx/judith_lois_smith/

https://missinginthecarolinas.com/2025/04/episode-134-missing-and-murdered-while-on-vacation/

https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2021/08/18/642-miles-away-what-happened-to-judy-smith/

Unsolved Mysteries, Season 12 Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/oezGE75mIAk?si=EkISUuohL_7fivLJ

https://mountainx.com/news/community-news/071812truth-trackers/

https://confusingcases.wordpress.com/2021/08/27/the-disappearance-of-judy-smith/

https://vocal.media/criminal/the-mysterious-murder-of-judy-smith

https://youtu.be/nBdQ-V8_mhU?si=vGYedwmvRUOypytv

https://lostnfoundblogs.com/f/judy-smith-traveling-or-troubled

https://websleuths.com/threads/pa-judy-smith-50-philadelphia-10-april-1997.75121/page-28

https://crimeimmemorial.com/2022/07/24/judy-smith/

https://www.grunge.com/730353/the-mysterious-death-of-judy-smith-explained/

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/the-strange-unsolved-case-of-judy-smith/news-story/b17a4452389568a863596acbe1c49364

https://strangeco.blogspot.com/2019/01/judy-smiths-final-destination-bizarre.html

He was young, ambitious, and heir to one of the most powerful families in American history.  But Michael Rockefeller wasn’t chasing money, politics, or prestige. 
He was chasing meaning… Art. Culture. A sense of connection that no trust fund could buy.
In 1961, the 23 year old Harvard graduate vanished off the coast of what is now Indonesia - just moments after saying he thought he could make it to shore. He was never seen again.
Officially? They say he drowned. 
But in the decades since, a darker theory has emerged - one that leads you deep into the swamps of New Guinea, into a culture misunderstood, and into the unsettling possibility…. That Micahel didn't die in the water.  He made it to land.
And what happened next has haunted the Rockefeller legacy - and captivated the world - for over 60 years.
Listen as we dive into New Guinea, the case of Michael Rockefeller, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Missing Magnolias
https://www.missingmagnolias.com/
 
Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Harvest-Cannibals-Colonialism-Rockefellers/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7it599iek

https://www.michiganpublic.org/2014-03-15/a-tragic-disappearance-mostly-solved-in-savage-harvest

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2014/10/28/michael-rockefeller-savage-harvest

https://nypost.com/2025/06/03/entertainment/the-mets-new-wing-honors-michael-rockefeller-who-may-have-been-killd-by-cannibals/

https://people.com/michael-c-rockefeller-1961-disappearance-mystery-remains-met-renovates-wing-exclusive-11748183

https://pacificaffairs.ubc.ca/book-reviews/savage-harvest-a-tale-of-cannibals-colonialism-and-michael-rockefellers-tragic-quest-for-primitive-art-by-carl-hoffman/

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/21c6xa/i_spent_two_years_proving_that_michael/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/What-Really-Happened-to-Michael-Rockefeller-180949813/

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a64768051/michael-rockefeller-disappearance-metropolitan-museum/

https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/michael-rockefeller.htm

https://allthatsinteresting.com/michael-rockefeller

https://www.wusf.org/2014-03-18/cannibals-and-colonialism-solving-the-mystery-of-michael-rockefeller

A road trip gone wrong.  A young mother driving alone.  A motel room untouched — and a rental car abandoned, hazard lights still blinking on a desolate Pennsylvania highway.
In April 1994, 23-year-old Karen Denise Wells left Oklahoma for New Jersey.  She never arrived.  Somewhere between a late-night fast food stop and her motel, Karen disappeared — leaving behind a trail of unsettling clues, mysterious mileage on her car, and a string of unanswered questions.
No struggle. No goodbye. Just a mystery that feels less like someone vanished… and more like someone was erased.
This is the baffling case of Karen Denise Wells.
Listen as we dive into Pennsylvania, the case of Karen Denise Wells, and how to stay alive on vacation.

Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]

We're on YouTube with full video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcast

Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/

And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast

Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, A Trial By Podcast
https://www.atrialbypodcast.com/
 
Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter

Sources:
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/karen-denise-wells

https://charleyproject.org/case/karen-denise-wells

https://ashmysteries.com/2024/12/06/the-missing-karen-denise-wells/

https://fcfreepresspa.com/unsolved-mystery-from-93-the-disappearance-of-karen-denise-wells/

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/crime/cold-cases/carlisle-pennsylvania-cold-case-oklahoma-karen-wells/521-c62a7b14-35c2-4526-8a6d-0dae8e9f0a06

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/13k7sy2/after_getting_lost_on_a_road_trip_a_single_mother/

https://local21news.com/news/unsolved-in-pa/unsolved-in-pa-the-case-of-karen-wells

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/a0qyac/karen_denise_wells_puzzling_road_trip_that_ends/

https://uncovered.com/cases/karen-wells

https://int-missing.fandom.com/wiki/Denise_Wells

https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP5386

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?id=100044256828143&story_fbid=1214714540013762&utm