February 11, 2004. Lake Township, Pennsylvania. After returning home from work, 22-year old Phylicia Thomas goes missing and her boyfriend’s best friend, Steven Allen Martin, soon becomes a person of interest. Two-and-a-half years earlier, an 18-year old friend of Phylicia’s named Jennifer Barziloski had also disappeared and since Steve was the last known person to see Jennifer alive, there is speculation that the cases are connected. Over the years, rumours circulate that Phylicia may have been murdered at a party, but while Jennifer’s skull is found in a wooded area in 2010, there are no conclusive answers about how she died and Phylicia remains a missing person. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore two unsolved cases involving young women who went missing under suspicious circumstances from the same area.

Additional Reading:

https://charleyproject.org/case/phylicia-albina-thomas

https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/04/25/woman-vanishes-while-investigating-dead-friends-disappearance/

https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866402/man-linked-to-missing-women-found-hanged-in-jail-steven-martin-was-a-person-of-interest-in-the-disappearances-of-phylicia-thomas-jennifer-barziloski-police-say

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/crime/2010/04/12/skull-found-in-luzerne-co/51641470007/

https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866877/family-and-friends-recall-jennifer-barziloski

https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/689665/family-believes-phylicia-thomas-remains-are-on-hunlock-township-property

https://www.timesleader.com/archive/866689/mother-of-missing-woman-wants-authorities-to-search-property

https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/692490/phylicia-thomas-vigil-tonight-as-family-has-new-leads-for-missing-woman

https://www.pahomepage.com/news/renewed-hope-in-18-year-old-cold-case-of-phylicia-thomas/

https://www.pahomepage.com/news/i-team/property-search-gives-missing-girls-family-renewed-hope/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/429553259/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/529928532/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/537498320/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/408007869/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/408007933

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508494203/

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“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the True Crime Podcast Festival, taking place at the Denver Marriott Westminster in Colorado on July 12-14, 2024. To get a 15 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAIL”, by visiting https://truecrimepodcastfestival.com.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.