Unsolved Mysteries Rewind

On Christmas Eve 1945 in Fayetteville, West Virginia, a fire destroyed the Sodder family home. Parents George and Jennie escaped with four of their children, but five others: Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie, 8; and Betty, 5 vanished without a trace. No remains were ever found, despite official claims the fire consumed them completely. Suspicious details piled up: a cut phone line, a missing ladder found far from the house, trucks that mysteriously wouldn’t start, and prior threats tied to George’s anti-Mussolini views. The family believed the children were kidnapped, possibly by the Sicilian Mafia, and spent decades seeking answers with a roadside billboard offering a reward.

This cold case still haunts true-crime fans.

In this episode of Unsolved Mysteries Rewind, Diana guest hosts with Mark to dig into one of America’s most baffling disappearances. Enjoy the show and subscribe if you enjoy it!

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

In this episode of Unsolved Mysteries Rewind I am joined by Diana and we revisit the tragic 1968 death of 18-year-old Leroy Drieth. After leaving a party at his fiancée’s home in Mead, Colorado, his car crashed into a tree. Initially ruled a suicide by the coroner based on hearsay, the case unraveled decades later when his sister Vickie pushed for answers. A 1993 exhumation revealed shocking knife wounds to his neck, pointing to foul play possibly tied to a racially motivated dispute over his interracial relationship.

Enjoy this deep dive into a haunting cold case – Subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend who loves unsettling true crime stories—then listen with the lights low.

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

Vanished at sea. In 1998, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship near Curaçao, stepping out of her cabin in the early morning hours and seemingly into thin air. Friends and family reported later sightings in tourist areas and even red-light districts, adding a chilling layer of possible trafficking and captivity to this already haunting mystery. On this episode of Unsolved Mysteries Rewind, Mark welcomes Suzann as they do a deep, eerie dive into Amy’s last known movements, the strange delays in the ship’s search, and the disturbing theories that still linger. Was Amy taken, silenced, or swallowed by something far more sinister at sea? Subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend who loves unsettling true crime stories—then listen with the lights low.

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

On this episode of Unsolved Mysteries Rewind, Mark welcomed Diana to discuss the heartbreaking 1988 abduction and murder of 7-year-old Jaclyn Dowaliby from her Midlothian, Illinois home. What began as a missing child case quickly spiraled into a controversial prosecution of her parents, ending in David Dowaliby’s wrongful conviction and later exoneration.

They break down the flawed eyewitness testimony, the collapsed evidence, and why this case remains officially unsolved nearly 38 years later. A tragic story of a bubbly little girl, a rush to judgment, and a family forever changed.

Settle in, grab your favorite drink, and enjoy this deep dive with Mark and Diana. You won’t want to miss it.

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

The tragic murder of 16-year-old Joyce McLain shocked the small town of East Millinocket, Maine, in August 1980. A popular honors student, cheerleader, saxophonist, and aspiring soccer player, Joyce vanished during a routine evening jog near Schenck High School. Her partially clothed body was discovered two days later in a wooded area behind the soccer fields—beaten to death with blunt force trauma, hands bound with a blue cloth, and a telephone insulator likely the murder weapon. No sexual assault occurred, and heavy thunderstorms washed away potential evidence, leaving no fingerprints or usable DNA.

The case haunted the community for nearly 38 years, featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1989, spurring tips but no immediate resolution. Philip Scott Fournier, then 19, emerged as the perpetrator through multiple confessions—to family, a pastor, coworkers, and notably a janitor in 1989—revealing non-public details like the weapon and Joyce’s condition. Despite claims of unreliability due to a brain injury from a nearby truck crash (hours after the murder), he was convicted in a 2018 bench trial and sentenced to 45 years. Appeals failed, and he remains incarcerated.

In this episode of the Unsolved Mysteries Rewind Podcast, hosts Mark and Catharine delve into the chilling details, the long road to justice, and the hope it brings to other cold cases. Tune in for their thoughtful recap—you can look forward to more gripping revisits in the future!

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

I’m absolutely thrilled to have my amazing co-host from Love, Lies and Alibis, Hannah, joining me for this chilling dive into one of the most haunting cases from the classic Unsolved Mysteries series.

Check out our other podcast here https://www.loveliesandalibis.com Be warned that it is a little darker than the stuff on this podcast

In June 1988, 23-year-old Philip Innes Fraser—a bright, adventurous young man from Anchorage, Alaska, and the son of two prominent doctors—set out on a solo road trip south to start pre-med studies at Evergreen State College in Washington. Driving his packed black 1983 VW Jetta, Philip was full of promise. After surrendering his handguns at the Canadian border, he stopped at a remote café in the Yukon.

That’s where everything went tragically wrong.

At the Forty Mile Flats Café, witnesses saw Philip reluctantly pick up a nervous, clean-cut hitchhiker in his early 20s. It was an act of kindness on a lonely highway that would cost him his life.

Hours later, that same hitchhiker was spotted driving Philip’s Jetta alone—boldly impersonating him. He shared intimate details of Philip’s life, family, and plans with strangers, even spending the night at a kind couple’s home while they fixed his car.

Then, Philip’s burned-out Jetta was found abandoned in Prince George, British Columbia.

Weeks later, Philip’s body was discovered in a remote gravel pit—shot multiple times. The killer had vanished, taking Philip’s wallet, passport, and identity.

Featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, this case of stolen identity and cold-blooded murder on Canada’s desolate highways still grips us today. Despite composites, leads, and speculation about serial killers, the hitchhiker has never been identified.

Nearly 38 years later, Philip’s murder remains unsolved. Join Hannah and me as we rewind this heartbreaking mystery—who was the man who stole more than a ride?

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

Join Amy and Mark as they break down this chilling case: Was payback the motive for the murder of a detective’s 7-year-old son? On January 12, 1984, young Gary Grant Jr. enjoyed a rare midweek holiday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He lived with his mother, May, after his parents’ separation. That morning, Gary mentioned having a secret appointment later in the day, but when he failed to return home by 4:00 PM, his mother grew worried. Despite his father’s frantic search, Gary’s body was discovered two days later in a vacant lot, just two blocks from home. He had been beaten to death with a heavy pipe, likely the murder weapon, found nearby. The initial investigation focused on Carl Mason, nicknamed “Boo,” a 12-year-old with a low IQ who was close friends with Gary. After hours of questioning, Boo signed a confession, though he continued to insist on his innocence. Despite his confession being ruled inadmissible and Boo being cleared of charges, no other suspect was ever identified.

Two years later, the case took a sinister turn when a cryptic message appeared on the side of an Atlantic City patrol car: “Gary Grant’s dead. I am living. Another will die on January 12th if all goes right.” This message, found just days before the second anniversary of Gary’s murder, suggested a connection to the crime. Weeks later, another chilling message was scratched into a sidewalk: “Gary Grant Jr. lives. I still killed him. Son of a pig officer. Payback is a M.F.” These messages led to speculation that Gary’s murder was an act of retribution for an arrest made by his father, but the case remains unsolved. Gary’s family continues to hope for justice, longing for the day when the person responsible will be brought to account. Join Amy and Mark as they delve deeper into this haunting case, exploring the theories and uncovering the details that still leave so many questions unanswered.

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

During the holiday season of 1981, Rhonda Hinson, a recent high school graduate and clerical worker, attended her first company Christmas party. After leaving the party around midnight, Rhonda began her 10-mile drive home. At 1:00 AM, her mother, Judy Hinson, awoke with a premonition that something terrible had happened to her daughter. Rhonda’s car was found just half a mile from her home, with the driver’s door open and Rhonda lying dead nearby. She had been killed by a single bullet from a high-powered rifle, which had penetrated her car and struck her heart. Initially considered a random act of violence, the investigation later suggested that Rhonda may have been targeted by someone she knew.

In the weeks leading up to her death, Rhonda exhibited uncharacteristic behavior, such as asking her father to accompany her on trips and expressing concerns about dating a married man. Witnesses reported seeing suspicious activity on the night of her murder, including a blue Chevrolet with two white males and a dark blue Trans-Am near the crime scene. One witness, under hypnosis, recalled more details about the vehicles and a potential suspect. Despite the passage of time, Rhonda’s mother maintains her room exactly as it was, cherishing memories of her daughter. A $20,000 reward is still being offered for information leading to the resolution of the case.

Mark and Amy break down the Unsolved Mysteries segment and dive into the entire story. 

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

On October 13, 1982, in Morro Bay, California, the decomposed body of 43-year-old Dian Harlin was found in a stand of trees next to a beach, strangled with a leash belonging to one of her dogs. Her eccentric 47-year-old husband, Hugh Harlin, had failed to report her missing for eleven days, and given the couple’s turbulent relationship, Hugh became a potential suspect. Four years later, Hugh vanished without a trace, with his abandoned pick-up truck found by the side of the highway. Investigators were unable to determine if Hugh’s disappearance was connected to Dian’s murder, and both cases remain unsolved. On May 3, 1992, in Polk County, Florida, after attending a rodeo, 31-year-old Larry Costine and his 26-year-old girlfriend, Melissa Jo Sermons, returned to Larry’s mobile home. Larry’s nude body was later discovered inside the trailer, having been shot four times, while Jo had gone missing. Initially, investigators suspected Jo had killed Larry and fled, but two decades later, law enforcement announced they believed Jo was also a victim, murdered by the same person who shot Larry. Despite Jo’s ex-boyfriend being the prime suspect, there was insufficient evidence to charge him, and Jo was never found.

Mark and Amy break down the Unsolved Mysteries segment and dive into the entire story. 

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g

On September 13, 1992, Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz left work at Logan Airport to pick up food and did not return.  The next day her car was found in Revere and her body was found in the trunk of her car. She had been beaten and stabbed to death.  The case is currently, unsolved.

Mark and Amy break down the Unsolved Mysteries segment and dive into the entire story. 

Thank you to Mat Graham from Artificial Fear for allowing us to use his amazing cover of the Unsolved Mysteries Theme Song! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQNyGGSIl_ZbEDq-teZDWQ

And thank you to Ryan Hughes from Planet H for lending us his spot-on “Stack Voice” and working with us to have such a cool intro and outro! Check out his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrlNAFRMlWQN1rhWboZh2g