The Dark Divide

It's been twenty-four years since Jason Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001 while walking a short distance from his home to meet a co-worker a few blocks away. Throughout that time, theories continue to pile up but nothing seems to change the stagnancy of the case. Despite the unanswered questions and the years that have slipped by, Jason’s case is far from forgotten, and his family continues searching for the closure they so desperately need. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning in Waukesha, Wisconsin on May 31, 2014 when a cyclist came upon Payton Leutner laying near a bike path in a park. The 12-year-old girl had been stabbed multiple times and left for dead, but after extensive life-saving measures, would miraculously survive the vicious attack. Authorities were forced to confront their fundamental assumptions when she told them that her own friends, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, had been the ones to carry out the heinous act. Both girls believed that the fictional character Slender Man would harm their families, but killing Payton would dissuade him in their favor. Reshaping motive into a dilemma of insanity and delusion, they were found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental health institution. But the story was far from over, creating a bigger conversation about mental health in the legal system and the true definition of justice. How far does guilt go, how do we heal as a community and is closure a tangible thing or just a feeling? Support the show & get bonus episodes on PATREON _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com Cylinder Four/Two, The Dark Glow of the Mountains & There Are Many Different Kinds of Love by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to ABC's 20/20 "Out of the Woods", The Independent, Slenderman by Kathleen Hale, HBO's Beware the Slenderman & CBS News for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

It was a perfect day for a hike on September 25th, 1981 when Thelma Pauline Melton ventured out into the woods of the Great Smoky Mountain with two friends. Walking ahead of them at one point, Thelma sped up out of sight around a hilly bend, slipping out of sight. A few minutes later, they reached the same spot, expecting to see her, but Thelma wasn't there. Despite extensive search and rescue efforts, no trace of Thelma was found. She had simply vanished. For decades, family and friends lived with unanswered questions, haunted by the mystery of how someone could just disappear so completely, without a trace. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was 7:32 PM on August 10th, 2018 when security warnings notified all employees at the Seattle-Tacoma airport to immediately halt activity until further instruction. At first, nobody knew that a Bombardier Q400 plane had just executed an unauthorized take off from the runway but soon, locals would notice the 76-passenger aircraft flying unusually low to the ground. Behind the yoke was 28-year-old Richard Russell, a Horizon Air service agent. After repeated attempts, air traffic control was able to reach him, and what followed would be a conversation that so many would never forget. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

In 2018, 23-year-old April Carpenter of Wabaseemoong Nation went missing after failing to arrive at her sister's home as planned. Despite the sense of urgency her family felt, authorities did not suspect foul play. The public was not alerted of her disappearance until three weeks later, when it was officially treated as a missing persons case. Soon after, her body was discovered in the Red River in Winnipeg. Seven years later, her loved ones and community still await answers, convinced that the truth about what happened to April remains untold. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It's been over four years since 26-year-old Kirsten Brueggeman was last seen on surveillance video, walking in an Eastside area of Indianapolis, Indiana. After a night with friends ended in arguments, Kirstin was alone with no indication as to where she was heading. When she didn't show up for work the next day, her parents reported her missing to the police. There has been no sign of her since, with many believing that the answer to her disappearance could be found in a video glitch containing more than an hour of lost time. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was just after midnight on May 19th, 1991 when Wendy McKee stood beside the Central Expressway in Dallas, Texas to hitch a ride. When Bill Robert Cathey pulled up, he seemed harmless enough, and willing to take her anywhere she wanted. No stranger to a troubled past, when Bill revealed that he was a police officer, Wendy was hoping that she would be in and out of the county jail by the next day. All this supposed cop had on her was the assumption that she had bought drugs inside the apartment building where he had taken her. Sitting in the passenger seat, Wendy was unaware that her entire life was about to change in a way she could have never seen coming. Because this isn't an arrest. It's a capture. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

Mary Kreiser has been missing since October 1987, when she failed to show up to her daughter's house for Thanksgiving dinner. After being reported to the RCMP, further investigation would discover that the 49-year-old mother of five was last seen at a Petro Canada gas station over an hour away from her home the previous month. A proud member of Bigstone Cree Nation, it was completely unlike her to be out of touch and even though the RCMP has never officially named a suspect in the case, her family has a strong feeling that they know exactly who was involved in Mary's disappearance. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

When 19-year-old Phyllis Jepleting of Nakuru, Kenya failed to get in touch with family during Christmas break while away at university, they immediately knew something was wrong. As authorities worked out a timeline for her last known whereabouts, suspicion would fall upon her boyfriend, Ezra, who had been the last person to see Phyllis alive. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

48-year-old Trina Hunt would seemingly vanish from her Port Moody home on January 18th, 2021. When her husband Iian returned home from work that day, he reported the suspicious disappearance. For weeks, police rescue crews and hundreds of volunteers would search the area for the missing woman, with no sight or sign of her. Finally, the investigation would switch to a homicide case when her body was discovered in Hope, two months later. Trina's murderer still has not been brought to justice, but the details of her last known whereabouts and the strange story that Iian Hunt told authorities would have the court of public opinion already sure of who was guilty. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

Tim Bliefnick made headlines back home in Quincy, Illinois after sharing a funny answer during an appearance on Family Feud in 2020. But this wouldn't be the last time that his name and face would be on national television. Just two years later, Rebecca and Tim Bliefnick would file for divorce. By 2023, Becky Bliefneck would be murdered and Tim would become the main suspect in the case. The once innocent game show moment would become evidence in the court of public opinion, causing everyone to wonder if there was more truth to this harmless joke that now seemed haunting. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was August 2006 when Leicester police were called to the home of Jason Moore after a 999 call reported there had been a brutal stabbing. Upon arrival, they discovered a scene reminiscent of something straight out of horror film: two men covered in blood, with one of them wearing a five-bladed glove just like the fictional antagonist, Freddy Krueger. The community would be held in suspension at such a horrifying example of imitation. How much blame does art carry when it comes to imitation in life, and when does obsession become insanity? Listen to the full episode on PATREON

In December 2006, Kelly Morrisseau of Sagkeeng First Nation was a pregnant mother of three when a passerby discovered her near death in Gatineau Park. It had been 15 years since the Morrisseau family experienced a similar tragedy, when her aunt Kelly had been kidnapped and murdered. Through the cruelty of a nightmare they had all been through before, leads and details would surface, but once again, any sense of closure or justice quickly slipped through their fingers. How could this be happening again? Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was the middle of July 1991 when nineteen-year-old Glenda Morrisseau of Sagkeeng First Nation went missing right from her own doorstep. Weeks would go by with no sign of her, until her body was discovered in a scrapyard near her home, displaying a ruthless scene of brutality and violence. After 33 years, the Morrisseau family still holds tight to the hope that Glenda's killer will be found and justice will finally be served. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

The morning of July 12, 1976 started out the same as any other easygoing summer day at California State Fullerton. The sunrise had barely finished when gunshots rang out, piercing the quiet of the campus library. Within five minutes, the worst mass murder in Orange County would be committed by Edward Charles Allaway. Skeptics would doubt his claims of delusional vengeance, leading to vital conversations of sanity and justice. Why had Edward planned to kill so many people he barely knew, and how much does the why even matter? Listen to the full episode on Patreon

At just 24-years-old, Andy Cash was carrying a chip on his shoulder the size of a mountain and his destructive behaviors had landed him in a strange tension with the rest of his family. But between his unpredictable outbursts and drunken bouts of rage were small moments of promise that kept everyone hoping for a new normal. Nobody ever suspected that there were more sinister urges, even darker than the worst parts of himself he had already exposed. And on a calm night in September 2022, Andy would walk into his family home in Tallaght, Dublin where his younger siblings slept peacefully. Hungry for blood with a twisted vendetta, he would carry out the most unimaginable act while sparing no remorse. Only to walk out leaving his family, the town and the entire country at a loss for words or understanding. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

By all appearances, Karen Gunn had it all: a perfect family, a gorgeous home and a prominent career in the veterinary space. So when she decided to file for divorce from her husband in 2011, many were surprised at how little you truly know about the private lives of other people. His temper and controlling ways had become both impossible and dangerous to tolerate. But Graham Gunn was unraveling quickly, in ways that nobody saw coming. And as he watched his family slip through his fingers, he refused to lose one thing: total control. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

It was no neighborhood secret that Martha and Jeffrey Freeman were dealing with martial issues for over a year. It had been months since Martha's vehicle sat parked next to his in their driveway. But eventually with a promise of reconciliation, she would finally return. Unfortunately, even in the midst of repair, Jeffrey was unaware of three major things: One, Martha didn't actually want to fix their marriage. Two, Martha was cheating on him. And three, the two men were living under the same roof. Listen to the full episode on PATREON _______________________________________

It's been fourteen years since Amber Guiboche of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation was last seen in downtown Winnipeg after spending time with family. After turning 20 just days before, Amber had her sights set on a new chapter in life and would not have vanished willingly. Eventually the investigation would reveal information regarding Amber's last known whereabouts, including a police sketch and vehicle information. Still, there remains a lack of closure and no answers about where Amber is or what happened to her. Listen to the full episode on PATREON

By 20 years old, Hollie Gazzard had figured out what she wanted to do in life and was already busy mastering her craft. Working as a hair stylist in Gloucester, she had her sights set on big dreams and wide open skies, planning to blend her career with a love of travel and see the world. But right as she was due to leave England and set sail, she would meet Asher Maslin, falling head over heels for the tough bad boy. By all appearances, Hollie seemed to be happier than ever in this new relationship. But behind the curtain was a truth she felt was too shameful and sinister to admit. And it would culminate into a traumatic and unbelievable ending that nobody saw coming. Only in hindsight does the map make sense, with all roads leading to tragedy. Listen to the full episode on PATREON