The Vanished Podcast

On the afternoon of September 19, 1993, 28 year old Salvador Ramirez, or Sal as was known to loved ones, attended a family gathering at his brothers home in Yonkers, New York after dropping his mother off at JFK Airport. After the gathering, he played some soccer and then left to drive to Elmsford, New York, where he was to collect his two-year-old daughter from his estranged wife's home. A friend saw him driving in that direction but Sal was never seen again. In Part 1, you heard about the disappearance of 28-year-old Sal Ramirez. In Part 2, we are going to take a look at what has happened in the years since his disappearance and where the case stands today.If you have any information regarding Sal’s disappearance, please contact the Yonkers Police Department at 914-377-7731.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Mar 201936min

On the afternoon of September 19, 1993, 28 year old Salvador Ramirez, or Sal as was known to loved ones, attended a family gathering at his brothers home in Yonkers, New York after dropping his mother off at JFK Airport. After the gathering, he played some soccer and then left to drive to Elmsford, New York, where he was to collect his two-year-old daughter from his estranged wife's home. A friend saw him driving in that direction but Sal was never seen again. That was over twenty-five years ago. He has long been described as a man who lived for his baby daughter, had no reason to disappear and showed no signs of mental distress.If you have any information regarding Sal’s disappearance, please contact the Yonkers Police Department at 914-377-7731.The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Mar 201939min

On February 17, 2009, 22 year old Laura Nimbach went missing. According to reports, Laura’s last interaction was with a police officer in St. Petersburg, FL. Laura allegedly told the officer that she had been at a domestic violence shelter the previous day, but had left for unknown reasons. Laura was in the midst of leaving a highly abusive relationship and was currently without a permanent place to stay. She had been bouncing around from friends homes to shelters. After this interaction Laura Nimbach told the officer she would make her way to another shelter, but after they parted ways Laura was never seen or heard from again. In the days following her disappearance, Laura was due to make an appearance in court to testify against her abuser, but she never showed up.If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Laura Nimbach please call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office 727-582-6333You can follow Laura's case on social media at What happened to Laura Nimbach.This episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Erika Gwynn. To find more of Erika's work, please check out her podcast at https://www.apexandabyss.com.This episode was sponsored by:Article- Article is offering my listeners $50 off their first purchase of $100 or more! To claim, visit Article.com/MIA and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Flamingo- Get the Flamingo shave set, a $22 value, for just $16 plus FREE SHIPPING when you visit ShopFlamingo.com/VANISHED.Brooklinen - Visit Brooklinen.com and use promo code MIA for $20 off AND free shipping.You can find episodes of The Vanished, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month,go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code “WONDERY”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Feb 20191h

On July 4, 2017, while Americans all over the United States were celebrating Independence Day with barbecues, fireworks, and quality family time, 9-year-old Kayla Unbehaun was spending time visiting her mother in Wheaton, Illinois. The following day, her father, Ryan Iskerka, left work and went to pick up his daughter, Kayla. However, when he arrived at Kayla’s mother’s residence, Kayla and her mother, Heather, were nowhere to be found. Heather’s father and uncle told Ryan that Heather had taken Kayla camping in Wisconsin but Ryan knew that something wasn’t right and immediately called police. In the 18 months that have passed since that day, Kayla and Heather have not been seen or heard from. Heather Unbehaun currently has an active warrant for felony kidnapping.Link to more information on sovereign citizens: https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2010/april/sovereigncitizens_041310/domestic-terrorism-the-sovereign-citizen-movementIf you have any information about Kayla’s disappearance, please call the South Elgin Police Department at 847-741-2151.You can follow Kayla's case on social media at Bring Kayla Home.2023 UPDATE: On May 13, 2023, Kayla Unbehaun was found in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Kayla’s mother, Heather Unbehaun, was arrested and is being held in the Buncombe County Jail pending extradition to Illinois. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Feb 20191h 15min

On October 2, 1976, a farmer and his young granddaughter were riding a tractor through the fields of Seneca, Illinois. The farmer saw what he thought to be a deer laying in a ditch and wanted to show his granddaughter. As he approached, he found a young woman, nude, her head covered in a plastic bag and a sweater. The farmer drove back home and notified authorities. Soon after, the Grundy County Sheriff’s officers arrived and found a young black woman dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities tried to identify the woman but no one came forward. They were unable to match her to any missing persons reports. Six weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, she was buried in an unmarked grave in a local cemetery. 43 years later, she remains unidentified. On this episode of The Vanished, we are taking a look at the other side of missing persons cases; the unidentified.Jane Doe's case was re-opened last year. Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson and Chief Coroner John Callahan join us to speak about their mission to give Jane Doe her name back. This episode also includes an interview with Cook County Detective Sergeant Jason Moran who is assisting with Jane Doe's case and also working to identify the remaining unidentified victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Finally, we spoke to Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick from the DNA Doe Project about what they are doing to help solve cold cases just like Jane Doe's.If you have any information about Jane Doe’s identity or her murder, please contact Grundy County Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson at 815-941-3359 or email him at bjohnson@grundyco.org.You can follow Jane Doe’s story on Facebook at facebook.com/grundycountycoldcase.UPDATE: In June 2024, it was announced that Jane Doe had been identified as JoAnn “Vickie” Smith from Ohio. Vickie’s murder remains unsolved.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Feb 20191h 21min

On May 27, 1999, 42-year-old Dale Williams, a body shop owner in Nucla, CO, got a phone call from a stranded motorist asking for assistance. Dale, being a well-liked and helpful individual, agreed to come to the aid of this stranded person. Though, this was not something he typically did in his line of work. A friend of Dale's was visiting his shop when the call came in and thought it was a woman based on the conversation.On his way to the motorist, Dale stopped and spoke to a friend of his at a local gas station and he indicated to them what he was up to while he was out and about that day, but he never told them exactly who he was going help. This interaction is the last confirmed time anyone saw or spoke to Dale Williams.Later, Dale’s wife called to see where her husband was. It was not unusual for Dale to lose track of time when he was focused on his work, but by the next morning and seeing no sign of Dale anywhere, his wife decided to report him missing.Dale’s pick-up truck was found later that year in July of 1999. It was submerged in a swimming hole but there was no sign of Dale anywhere. Almost 20 years later, Dale is still missing and his case remains unsolved.This episode features one of Dale’s daughter’s, Tonee, and his brother, Dick.If you have any information about Dale's disappearance, please call the CBI Grand Junction office at 970-248-7500.You can follow Dale's case on Facebook at Missing: Dale Williams.This episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Erika Gwynn. To find more of Erika's work, please check out her podcast at https://www.apexandabyss.com.This episode was sponsored by:Robinhood- Robinhood is giving listeners a FREE stock like Apple, Ford or Sprint to help build your portfolio! Sign up at Vanished.robinhood.com.Ritual- Visit Ritual.com/Vanished to try their Essential for Women vitamins.Sleep Number- Come in during the Ultimate Sleep Number event and save 50% on a Sleep Number 360 Limited Edition smart bed. You’ll only find Sleep Number at one of their 575 Sleep Number stores nationwide. Visitsleepnumber.com/VANISH find the one nearest you.You can find episodes of The Vanished, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month,go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code “WONDERY”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Feb 201950min

On August 30, 2017, 23-year-old Terasi Niholimbele left the home that he shared with his wife and young daughter and a friend dropped him off at a residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He has not been seen or heard from since. In the 16 months since Terasi has disappeared, his family has struggled to find answers. In Part 1, we discussed the story of Terasi’s family’s journey to the United States to escape war and genocide in their home country. Terasi and his family came to the United States as refugees in 1998, when Terasi was only four years old. He quickly adapted to life in the US, but continued to struggle with some of the challenges faced by those who have been through such traumatic situations.If you have any information about Terasi’s disappearance, please contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-534-2121.You can follow Terasi’s case on Facebook at “Bring Terasi Home.” This episode was sponsored by:Ritual- Visit Ritual.com/Vanished to try their Essential for Women vitamins.Man Crates - To get 14% off when you spend $100 or more, visit ManCrates.com/VANISHED.Handy - To get your first 3-hour cleaning for $39, visit handy.com/vanished and use promo code VANISHED during checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Jan 201936min

On August 30, 2017, 23-year-old Terasi Niholimbele left the home that he shared with his wife and young daughter and a friend dropped him off at a residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He has not been seen or heard from since. In the 16 months since Terasi has disappeared, his family has struggled to find answers. If you have any information about Terasi’s disappearance, please contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-534-2121.You can follow Terasi’s case on Facebook at “Bring Terasi Home.” This episode was sponsored by:Lending Club- Go to LendingClub.com/Vanished to check your rate in minutes and borrow up to $40,000.Flamingo - Get the Flamingo shave set, a $22 value, for just $16 plus FREE SHIPPING when you visit ShopFlamingo.com/VANISHED.Quip- If you go to Getquip.com/vanished right now, you'll get your first refill pack FREE with a QUIP electric toothbrush.Brooklinen - Visit Brooklinen.com and use promo code MIA for $20 off AND free shipping.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Jan 201942min