Persons Unknown

This week's episode is a little different. John guests on the excellent podcast Scottish Murders to examine the 1990 unresolved murder of Ann Heron. This is part two. You can listen to part one by visiting the Scottish Murders podcast at Home - Scottish Murders or wherever you listen to your podcasts. In part two we continue the story of Ann Heron’s murder with an arrest made in November 2005. This person was later released due to insufficient evidence. Despite various leads and multiple suspects, including Christopher Halliwell, sadly the case remains open. Durham Police and Ann’s family continue to seek information, hoping to solve a mystery that has persisted for decades. The case’s complexity is underscored by conflicting theories, a lack of definitive forensic evidence, and the emotional toll on the families involved. The search for justice continues, with the hope that new advances in forensic science will finally provide the answers needed to close the chapter on Ann Heron’s murder. Sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

On a September afternoon in 1962, 7 year old Diana Moon Yoli took her younger sibling Mark to the local park. The 2 and a half year old loved to play on the slide and Diana always took great care of her little brother. The playground was less than two blocks from their family home which was situated close to Camp Lejeune, a Marine base just outside Jacksonville, North Carolina. An hour later the children's mother Marilyn went out to look for them but they were gone. A few leads materialised early on but they led nowhere and Marilyn never saw Diana or Mark again. It was thirty years later that the local sheriff received a phone call from someone claiming to know what had happened to the missing siblings. Sources for the episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Patricia Simpson moved to Cardiff, South Wales in 1961 looking for a fresh start. Originally from Cheshire in the north west of England, the teenager had experienced a difficult start to life. On the evening of Friday November 1st 1963 Patricia was seen leaving her home in the Adamsdown area of the city with her flatmate Mary. Twenty four hours later her strangled body was found ten miles away at the bottom of an abandoned mine. Despite several leads the case went cold. Then in the late 1990s South Wales police received a tip off which saw the investigation kick back into life and detectives travel halfway across the world chasing a new lead. Sources for this episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

In April 1981, 22 year old old student Caroline Harris-Reed went to stay with a friend in South London. Her friend was nervous about being alone in her new flat and Caroline thought the short visit would be a good opportunity to look for a summer job. On the evening of the 8th the pair were in the flat waiting for a mutual friend to join them when a violent intruder burst in, threatening the young women at knifepoint. After a harrowing two hour ordeal Caroline was left dead and the intruder fled into the night. He has yet to be brought to justice. Sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Early in the morning of November 1st 1986 the body of 15 year old Chaim Weiss was found in his dorm room at Long Beach Yeshiva. He had been bludgeoned to death with a heavy, bladed weapon in a frenzied attack. The bright and gifted teenager had been at the Torah High School for two and a half years and on the surface it seemed he didn't have an enemy in the world. Police said they were keeping an open mind but attention was soon focused on the staff of the school and Chaim's fellow students. Four decades on there remain many questions concerning the unexplained incidents and events that surround this brutal killing. Sources for the episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

This is part 2 of Betty Shanks (Unsolved Murder). If you haven't done so already, please make sure you listen to part 1 first. In Part 2 the many theories and persons of interest surrounding this cold case will be explored. Sources for the epsiode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

At 9.32 on the evening of Friday September 19th 1952, Betty Shanks stepped off the tram at the Grange terminus, in the Brisbane suburb of Wilston. The 22 year old had spent the evening with some colleagues attending a lecture at a local technical college. She was a couple of minutes walk from her parents home as she headed down Thomas Street. Betty never arrived and her severely beaten body was found half naked in the back yard of a house not far from the tram terminus. It was described at the time as the foulest crime ever to have claimed the life of an Australian. Information poured in concerning several suspicious men seen in the area at the time, including a well-spoken man in a brown suit and a "moon faced" man seen jumping the fence near the crime scene. Numerous theories have developed over the years and several books on the case have been written. This two part episode will examine all aspects of one of Queensland's oldest open murder investigations. Part two will follow on February 19th. Sources for the episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

The scheduled episode is delayed. It will be coming out towards the end of the week. Sorry for keeping you waiting and thank you for your patience. John Support the showFollow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Tuesday July 30th 1985 was a hot day in Toronto, Canada. 8 year old Nicole Morin made plans to go swimming with a friend in one of the outside pools at the apartment complex where she lived. Nicole said goodbye to her mother at 11am, stepped into the hallway of the penthouse and vanished. The friend waited in the lobby for Nicole to come down in the elevator but she never arrived. There are numerous theories and persons of interest in the case but four decades on investigators are still trying to find Nicole. Sources for the episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

On the evening of Tuesday December 9th 1975, Hugh Watson enjoyed a pint and a game of dominoes at the Pen-y-Bryn Hotel bar in Llanrwst, North Wales. At 9.30pm the 77 year old grabbed his two walking sticks and set out back to his makeshift home in a stable on a nearby farm. Many people saw the well-known figure of Hugh walking the short distance through the small market town that night. Later two patrolling police officers noticed smoke billowing from a barn situated next to Hugh's stable. Firefighters were called and after they had put out the flames they discovered the charred body of Hugh Watson. He had been stabbed multiple times before being set alight while still alive. It appeared to be a senseless and motiveless murder. One theory was that it had been carried out by a passing stranger, while others believed the answers to this horrific mystery lay within the small rural community. Sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

In 1985 two 16 year olds from the same high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania vanished within eight months of each other. Allen Briscoe Jr and Christine Green have not been seen or heard from since. Sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

The New Years holiday is a celebration of new beginnings. With that in mind, we know this collaboration will introduce you to several amazing new true-crime podcasts that will quickly become your newest true-crime binges as we enter 2024 because, let’s face it, we know that’s exactly what you needed! With tons of episodes each, investigative curiosity, and a focus on advocacy, these podcasts will live up to the theme of our collaboration (“New Year, New Binge”) because you’ll soon find yourself falling in love with the podcasters included in these episodes. So, sit back, grab your detective caps, and let’s get this party started! Be sure to follow all of the podcasts you enjoyed so you never miss a new episode. Podcasts are listed below in the order in which you will be introduced to them: Crimelines https://linktr.ee/crimelines Sirens: A Southern True Crime Podcast https://bit.ly/TheSirensNetwork Private Dicks Podcast https://linktr.ee/privatedicks Morning Cup of Murder www.morningcupofmurder.com Persons Unknown https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com Fresh Hell Podcast https://freshhellpodcast.com/ Stories With Sapphire www.storieswithsapphire.com Travel and True Crime https://linktr.ee/twistedtraveltruecrimepodcas Excuse Me, That’s Illegal www.linktr.ee/excusemethatsillegal.pod A Nefarious Nightmare www.linktr.ee/anefariousnightmarepodcast The Trail Went Cold https://www.trailwentcold.com Coffee and Cases Podcast https://linktr.ee/coffeeandcases True Crime Creepers https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeCreepers Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

The New Years holiday is a celebration of new beginnings. With that in mind, we know this collaboration will introduce you to several amazing new true-crime podcasts that will quickly become your newest true-crime binges as we enter 2024 because, let’s face it, we know that’s exactly what you needed! With tons of episodes each, investigative curiosity, and a focus on advocacy, these podcasts will live up to the theme of our collaboration (“New Year, New Binge”) because you’ll soon find yourself falling in love with the podcasters included in these episodes. So, sit back, grab your detective caps, and let’s get this party started! Be sure to follow all of the podcasts you enjoyed so you never miss a new episode. Podcasts are listed below in the order in which you will be introduced to them: Crimelines https://linktr.ee/crimelines Sirens: A Southern True Crime Podcast https://bit.ly/TheSirensNetwork Private Dicks Podcast https://linktr.ee/privatedicks Morning Cup of Murder www.morningcupofmurder.com Persons Unknown https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com Fresh Hell Podcast https://freshhellpodcast.com/ Stories With Sapphire www.storieswithsapphire.com Travel and True Crime https://linktr.ee/twistedtraveltruecrimepodcas Excuse Me, That’s Illegal www.linktr.ee/excusemethatsillegal.pod A Nefarious Nightmare www.linktr.ee/anefariousnightmarepodcast The Trail Went Cold https://www.trailwentcold.com Coffee and Cases Podcast https://linktr.ee/coffeeandcases True Crime Creepers https://linktr.ee/TrueCrimeCreepers Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

In mid 1995 Italian law student Victoria Cafasso decided to defer her studies and take some time out. The 20 year old travelled to Tasmania, Australia, staying with a distant relative while she thought through her options. She arrived in Beaumaris, a small seaside town on the north east coast of the island state, on October 6th. Five days later Victoria took a short walk to the local beach to do a spot of sunbathing. Just a few hours later her body was found on the shoreline. Victoria had been the victim of a frenzied attack and had suffered multiple stab wounds. Over the years there have been several persons of interest and in 2023 there has been a new development in the case. All sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

It was nearly 2am on Sunday November 15th 1970 when 18 year old college freshman Robin Graham ran out of petrol on Hollywood freeway, California. A couple of highway patrol officers pulled up to assist her and directed Robin to the nearest emergency phone, from where she called her parents' home. They had not yet returned from an evening out so Robin left a message with her sister that she needed picking up. Over the next thirty minutes or so highway patrol officers passed by a few times to check on Robin. On one pass they noticed a man aged in his mid-twenties standing by the open bonnet of Robin's car. They assumed the man was a family member who had come to help. At approximately 2.30am, Robin's father arrived to collect her. He found the car locked and no sign of his daughter. Robin has not been seen since that night, more than fifty years ago. All sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Part 2 of the episode Kyllikki Saari (Unsolved Murder). If you haven't already, please go back and listen to part 1 before continuing. See show notes in Part 1 for episode desription. All sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

*PART 1 of Kyllikki Saari (Unsolved Murder). Part 2 will be released Friday Nov 17th, 5:00am GMT. Though it was 10pm it was still light as 17 year old Kyllikki Saari and her friend Maiju started their cycle home. It was Sunday May 17th 1953 and the pair had just attended a church youth event near the rural town of Isojoki, in southwest Finland. At a crossroads on a lonely forest road the friends separated - Kyllikki still had 6km to pedal before she would reach home. The teen never made it out of the woods, leaving a grieving town and a whole host of suspects. With a complex and detailed narrative and over half a dozen persons of interest, Kyllikki’s case is one of the most challenging I have covered. All sources for the episode can be found here Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Sandy Drummond was a down to earth, bright and likeable former British soldier. The 33 year old worked at a paper mill and shared an isolated cottage with his brother just outside St Andrews in Fife, eastern Scotland. In the spring of 1991 Sandy’s relaxed demeanour suddenly altered and a cloud of sadness seemed to descend on him. A few months later Sandy abruptly resigned from his job and a few days later he was found dead, laying face down on a farm track close to his home. With no sign of violence it was believed Sandy had died of natural causes. The post mortem showed this theory could not have been further from the truth. All sources can be found here Message from John: Hi, it's John here. I wanted to put this message in the podcast but I'm currently on holiday in Cornwall and the WIFI isnt great, so I wasnt able to upload it. As I'm away the episode is slightly shorter than normal, but rest assured I have not skimped on my research. This is a case I've been sitting on for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to share. I also wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you for listening and for your kind reviews. A big thank you to those who support the podcast. As an independent podcaster who works on the podcast in my free time this means so much. I really appreciate it. Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Segametsi Mogomotsi lived in the village of Mochudi, just outside the capital city of Gabarone in Botswana. On a Saturday in November 1994 the 14 year old disappeared while selling oranges to raise funds for an upcoming church excursion. Less than 24 hours later her dismembered body was found a short distance from her home. It appeared Segametsi had been been the victim of a ritual murder. This horrific crime was a catalyst for widespread protests across the country as many felt those in power were attempting to cover up the truth. Sign the petition for Segametsi at Change.org! All sources for the epiosode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/

Dr Danuta Kaczmarska was loved and respected by her patients. In January 1986 the 52 year old was found brutally murdered at her home in Hall Green, Birmingham, in what looked like a frenzied but premeditated attack. The community and police were baffled. Then sensational and often judgemental stories began to surface that the kind, amiable doctor was leading a double life. It is suspected that Danuta knew her killer. All sources for the episode can be found here Promos Support the Show. Follow Persons Unknown: Instagram and Facebook Email: personsunknownpod@gmail.com Website with Transcripts: https://personsunknown.buzzsprout.com/