Vanished

You know what’s really wild? I recorded the intro for this episode six times - and not because I kept flubbing the wording. But because that’s how many times this case has changed directions on us since we started our investigation. In the short time we’ve been working on this case, I’ve learned facts, heard some amazing stories, which you’ll all get to hear soon, and continually been in awe of just how misunderstood this man has become. 

Jesse James was a lot of things. Much more than an outlaw, as you’ll hear later. Tonight, we’re joined by a world class guest list from all over the James case to help us dissect his story, one of the most incredible stories we’ve ever heard. If Vanished ever had a campfire episode, tonight would be it.

As you’ll soon discover, Jesse James was a lot of things. In fact, Jesse James, was a lot of people. Thomas Howard. John D. Howard. William Campbell. And even a self proclaimed Englishman named Charles Lawson. You’ll also learn that Jesse was so good at staging vanishing acts and assuming identities that he’d be able to live full on lives with everyone around him never suspecting a thing. Tonight we’re gonna do two things. One, we’re gonna tear down a legend, and second, we’re going to ask you to answer a single question, really. Did Jesse James stage one final vanishing act? One that enabled him to live another 70 years?  

Exit Jesse James. Enter J. Frank Dalton. 

Welcome back to Vanished This is our conclusion on the outlaw Jesse James.

Old West Showdown: Two Authors Wrangle over the Truth about the Mythic Old West by Bill Markley & Kellen Cutsforth @ Amazon 

Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape by Mark Lee Gardner @ Amazon

Jesse James and the Lost Templar Treasure: Secret Diaries, Coded Maps, and the Knights of the Golden Circle by Daniel Duke @ Amazon

The Mysterious Life and Faked Death of Jesse James: Based on Family Records, Forensic Evidence, and His Personal Journals by Daniel Duke & Teresa F. Duke @ Amazon

Otterville Train Robbery by James Gang Recalled - Boonville Advertiser December 15th 1939

The Lawrence Massacre @ Wikipedia 

A legend shrouded in mystery: Former forensic anthropologist recounts the 2000 exhumation of Jesse James' grave @ Hood County News 

DNA Solves Jesse James Mystery @ Your DNA Guide 

Some of the stories we cover for this show take a toll. You get into something, and you think it’s for a little while, and you end up being swallowed by your fascination and taken down rabbit holes you never thought you’d be in. Over the years, we’ve received a ton of requests for us to cover one story in particular. Ever since we took that pit stop in 1865 to visit the story of John Wilkes Booth, the fever has been burning. Our next story is a monster with so many twists and turns, that theory and fact seem to have become transparent. What a fun place to begin.

It's important to us to convey the history of our subjects in a way that allows our audience a deeper understanding of their historical significance. Perhaps no other case will convey that better than our next subject. We’re about to explore the life, legacy, infamy and history of perhaps the biggest outlaw in all of history. 

This is the story of what happened (or didn’t) on April 3rd, 1882 in St. Joseph, Missouri and how a figure clouded in polarization could become even more polarizing after his death, when in 1951, another man arrives on the scene in Granbury Texas, far from where he made his name, claiming to be the real Jesse James. What happens when theory casts a shadow on history?

He’s known by many names. Icon. Outlaw. Legend. Robinhood. Murderer. But who was Jesse James, really? And could his story have lasted far longer than history officially records? 

Oh, and one more thing. If Jesse James was ever in Granbury, maybe he ran into a certain other figure that we’ve discussed extensively on this show. You’d be surprised at what you uncover when you follow the evidence, wherever it leads. 

Welcome back to Vanished and our multi part series on the outlaw Jesse James. 

Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James’ mother @ History 

Quantrill’s Bones @ American Heritage 

On July 5th 2020, we walked away from the Amelia Earhart case as a team. After over a year of recording and almost two years in production, we ended what I thought was the final conversation we’d have on this show regarding Amelia Earhart. 

Well, you know how that goes…..

2 weeks ago, on January 26th, a very intriguing sonar image of what appears to be an aircraft 16,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific was revealed by Tony Romeo and Deep Sea Vision - a team that had been searching in that area for any remnants they could find of the holy grail of aviation. Sometimes, when you’re searching for a needle in the biggest haystack on the face of the earth, you produce a miracle. 

Tonight, for one night only, we return to our audience and re-open the case that we left over 4 years ago. 

Suddenly, it’s the summer of 2019 again. And Jen Taylor hasn't missed a step. 

This is a line I never thought I’d say again. Welcome back to Vanished. This is Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan.

Is This Amelia Earhart’s Long-Lost Plane? @ The Wall Street Journal

Tantalizing Theories About the Earhart Disappearance @ History

It’s December 5th, 1872. The waters of the Atlantic are cold and desolate. Unforgiving. 

A British brigantine, the Dei Gratia sits about 400 miles east of the Azores when crew members spot a ship that seems to just be bobbing on the endless waves -  lifeless in an ocean that seems to never end.   

The Captain of the Dei Gratia, David Morehouse was surprised when he discovered that the ship his men were seeing, was none other than the Mary Celeste - a brigantine that left New York City eight days earlier bound for Genoa, Italy. Surely, they should have made it by now, he thought. Something must be wrong. 

Under the order of Captain Morehouse, the Dei Gratia changes course in an attempt to investigate the seemingly abandoned ship. 

Upon arrival at the Celeste, Morehouse sends a search party that includes first mate Oliver Deveau and second mate John Wright to board the brigantine and begin a search. Among the many strange things that the De Gratia crew discovered upon boarding the ship, was that her vessels were set, her cargo intact, but her crew of ten, including Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, and their two-year- old daughter was nowhere to be found. Below deck, the ship’s charts and maps were a mess, but present. It’s only lifeboat was missing, and one of it’s two pumps had been strangely disassembled. There was over a 6 month supply of both food and water, but no one aboard the ship to consume it. 

The absence of life aboard the Celeste immediately fueled rumors and speculation, that still send shivers down the spines of some of modern day’s most seasoned nautical investigators.

Again, under orders of Captain Morehouse, the crew of the Dei Gratia took control of the abandoned ship and sailed it 800 miles to Gibraltar where a British court convened a salvage hearing to determine if the spoils of the Mary Celeste would be divided up amongst the crew of the Dei Gratia under maritime salvage insurance law. 

The case wouldn’t be so cut and dry though, as the attorney general in charge of the inquiry, Frederick Solly - Flood, suspected that foul play may have played a part in the mysterious vanishing of the ship’s crew. That is where tonight’s story begins. 

Welcome back to Vanished. This is the Mary Celeste. 

What Happened to the Mary Celeste? @ History

The Incredible and Chilling Story of the Mary Celeste @ Modeler's Central

It’s January 5th 1941, the skies are gray and filled with water, ready at any minute to pour down to the Earth below. Amy Johnson, whom many people referred to as the British Amelia Earhart, is soaring through the air, her eyes fixed on the horizon, her heart beating with excitement and trepidation. Little does she know that she’s about to live the final moments of her life. 

Up to this point, the flight has been uneventful, but as Johnson approaches the Thames Estuary, she begins to encounter poor weather conditions. This is, as they say, where story ends and theory begins.

The exact cause of the accident that led to Johnson's death is still unclear. But in recent years, an alternate explanation to what history says happened that day has been offered. And it’s one that calls to a more tragic ending to one of aviation’s biggest icon’s. A woman’s name you’ve likely never heard of….until now. 

Welcome back to Vanished. This is Amy Johnson.

The ongoing mystery of Hull pilot Amy Johnson who died 81 years ago today @ Hull Daily Mail 

Amy Johnson: Death of pioneering aviator 'may have been covered up' @ Independent 

Welcome back to a very different part 4 than we thought we’d have. I guess that’s how it goes in these cases right? When you follow the evidence, wherever it leads, sometimes what it uncovers, or doesn’t may surprise you. 

Trial by Jury is now behind us, and if you’re listening to this, hopefully you’ve made your own conclusions about what was presented during that part of the series. Does it compel you? Are you convinced? Maybe we were able to present enough of a case to make you want to consider the fact that the man known as the Zodiac, wasn’t one man at all. 

At any rate, we’re leaving San Francisco - off to other cases. But we couldn’t leave without giving you our final thoughts on what we took from trial, and discussing the toll that we deal with in creating this show for you, our audience.

It’s not without its risk, and as you’ll soon discover, it’s not without fallout. This is the epilogue for our series on the man known only as Zodiac. 

Despite countless investigations and numerous suspects over the years, the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains a mystery to this day. But what would it take to try this case in modern times? In order to build a strong case, new looks at Zodiac would need to start with a deep dive back into the original evidence, including potential DNA samples, fingerprints, and any other forensic evidence that might have been overlooked in the past - and that’s what we’re trying to do here. 

In recent years, one suspect has started to attract the attention of a few modern day investigators, and that attention is beginning to shift the focus back to a man that holds a very interesting position in the case as we’ve come to know it. 

Tonight, we’re going to unpack a story that might be a little head scratching at first, but as you’ll hear, the theory we’re about to put forth, has roots that run very deep into Zodiac mythology. In fact, it has a lot to do with a suspect that, if you’re familiar at all with this case, you’ll know. But there's a twist to this story - one that plays right into the Zodiac’s potential motives by playing directly to the ego that seemed to be at the center for every decision he ever made.

When we started our look at this case, I really didn’t know where it would take us. After hearing what you’ll hear tonight, I’m more convinced than ever that we have identified the Zodiac killer. Or maybe I should say Zodiac killers.

Welcome back to Vanished. This is a trial by jury for Don Cheney and Arthur Leigh Allen. 

His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen - on YouTube 

Sighting In on The Zodiac Killer: Unmasking America's Most Puzzling Unsolved Murders by Drew Beeson 

Don Cheney Speaks @ Zodiackiller.com 

You ever heard the phrase slippery slope? Well, we’re all on one right now. This is what it’s like. An overload of information coming at you in rapid succession. Maybe that’ll be a looming theme over this season. So, in the interest and perhaps celebration of speed, Jen and I have decided to hold our thoughts on the case for a discussion that will come at the end of our series in a format we’ve only done once before on this show.

Zodiac has been hiding behind a mask and a moniker for far too long - using them as way to inflict power over the victims he choose to bring unspeakable harm to.  Now it's time that we take back that power. Welcome back to Vanished and our multi part series on the man known as Zodiac.

Sighting In on The Zodiac Killer: Unmasking America's Most Puzzling Unsolved Murders by Drew Beeson @ Amazon

The upscale neighborhood of Presidio Heights; in the north side of San Francisco - is a whole world unto itself. You can get anywhere in the city 30 minutes from here. Walking distance to Golden Gate Park with stunning views of the bay. Today, it’s known as one of the safest neighborhoods in Northern California. 

In downtown San Francisco, the sounds of the sirens fill the neighborhoods. In the late 1960’s, the city was a beacon of peace, light, and freedom to love anyway you wanted. 

What a time to live. 

In 1967, RollingStone was created among the inspiration of music that dominated radio, and every corner of the city. As important as that was, the city served as ground zero for civil rights battles, anti war demonstrations and the rise of the black power movement. 

The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by brothers Charles and Michael De Young. And it’s a massive part of our next story. But we’ll talk about that later. 

The 60’s weren’t all love and light though. One story made things really dark. A story that loomed over the country and the world like a storm that just wouldn't stop coming. A still unidentified man, relentlessly stalked the San Francisco bay area, striking abject terror into the hearts of it’s citizens for years to come. When all was said and done, our next subject claimed the lives of five victims and has been reportedly credited with up to 32 more, all the while, taunting newspapers, and the media with his crimes. 

Sound familiar? 

We’ve covered a lot of bad people on this show. Serial killers, hijackers, pirates, and assassins. But only one of them is known world wide by a symbol and single name that still fascinates and horrifies everyone that’s ever investigated him. 

Welcome back to Vanished, and our multi part investigation into the man known only as Zodiac.

SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 

"60 Year Old Cold Case Remains Unsolved - The Murder of Ray Davis" 

The dive into this case has been unmeasurable. What I thought was a case that wouldn't interest me at all, has now become an obsession.

Funny how that works out.

As we wind down our investigation into the vanishing of Judge Joe Crater, we thought it would be beneficial to bring in an expert on the case to educate us all on what researching Crater is like, and how it changes you as a person.

Tonight, as we end our series, we’re joined by Stephen Riegel, Author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York to help us dissect August 6th, 1930, as well as Crater’s mindset, actions, and perhaps the reasons behind those actions. 

No matter what you think about what happened on August the 6th, I think we can all agree that Judge Joe Crater, should go down in history as one of the most influential disappearance cases of all time.

For now, let’s wrap things up. This is part three of our series on Judge Crater.

Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York by Stephen J. Riegel 

The Perplexing Disappearance of Judge Joseph F. Crater @ Buzzfeed's YouTube

Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age by Debby Applegate