Melissa Highsmith Part 1: The Woman with White Gloves

Melissa Highsmith Part 1: The Woman with White Gloves

On August 18, 1971, a classified ad was published for a single day in the Fort Worth, Texas newspaper, the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram." The ad read, "Babysitter wanted from 8 to 3:30 days, Spanish Gate apartments, call after 3 pm" with a phone number listed. On August 23, 1971, a woman who said her name was Ruth Johnson came to the door of Alta Highsmith, who had placed the ad, and said she was there to pick up Alta's 21-month-old daughter, Melissa Highsmith. Alta's roommate gave the baby to the woman named Ruth, who promised to return her that afternoon. Melissa Highsmith has never been seen again. The story of Melissa's abduction is a tale we will unfold for you with exclusive interviews, new information, and questions that seem as though they should be easy to answer.

UPDATE: In September, the Highsmith family contacted us about covering Melissa Highsmith’s story. We interviewed multiple family members for a two-episode series. We were already aware of possible DNA connections when the episodes aired, but we held that information in confidence at the family’s request. When the Highsmith family notified us of the DNA matches found on a commercial DNA testing website in late October, we connected them with a family member of another missing person we covered this year, Lisa Jo Schiele. You may remember her from the Barb Cotton series. Lisa Jo Schiele is a clinical laboratory scientist and amateur genealogist. We felt that Lisa’s expertise in the area could possibly assist the Highsmith family in finding Melissa. We also notified law enforcement before the episodes aired that one family member had impersonated law enforcement by their own admission to us and that we had a professional due diligence to notify law enforcement in the event this family member attempted to contact any of the then-unknown DNA matches.

Days after our series aired, the news broke that the family believed they had located Melissa. We are always very grateful and happy to learn that a missing person has been found alive and safe, so we were thrilled to see the news that Lisa Jo Schiele had helped the Highsmith family find a woman they believe to be Melissa. The Fort Worth Police Department released the following statement: “The Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) is overjoyed to hear about how the Highsmith’s use of 23andme led them to Melissa. The Fort Worth Police Department will be conducting official DNA testing to confirm Melissa’s identity, and the department will provide an update once the official results have come in. The FWPD Major Case Unit will be working with the Highsmith family to continue the investigation into Melissa’s disappearance. Even though the criminal statute of limitations expired 20 years after Melissa’s 18th birthday, the Fort Worth Police Department is committed to completing this investigation to uncover all of the available information concerning Melissa’s abduction that occurred 51 years ago.” We hope this decades-old cold case will be solved and look forward to what the police investigation reveals about the many questions that remain unanswered. We will wait for confirmation from law enforcement before commenting any further. We will always uphold the confidence of the families who entrust us with information, just as we did in Melissa’s case. We thank you all for continuing to share your treasured and much-loved missing family members with us. We are eternally grateful.

In May of 2023, the Fort Worth Police Department announced that DNA testing confirmed Melissa's identity. Despite the fact that the statute of limitations has expired, they asked that anyone with information please come forward.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Joshua Simiskey Part 1: The Journey

Joshua Simiskey Part 1: The Journey

In the late summer of 2019, 41-year-old Joshua Simiskey left his father's home in Tacoma, Washington, and headed for Port Angeles, about 2 hours away. Josh stayed there for several weeks and told his family he planned to go on a spiritual journey. Josh met a woman during his time in Port Angeles, and things got weird. The last known communication from Josh was a voicemail that he left for his father on October 6, saying that he had given away his car and other possessions. The woman he had recently met in Port Angeles had a handwritten note, allegedly penned by Josh, saying he was giving everything to her. Was this indeed what Josh wanted, or had something more sinister happened?As Josh's family rushed to find him, things became more bizarre. Josh Simiskey seemed to disappear and reappear multiple times with sightings that seemed credible, but was that Josh that people were seeing around town or a case of mistaken identity?Join us as we work to untangle this mystery. Could Josh still be out there on his spiritual journey? Does he simply not want to be found? Or was Josh the victim of manipulation and foul play? If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Joshua Simiskey, please contact the Clallam County Sheriff's Department at (360) 417-2262.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Okt 20231h 6min

Nguyet Thu “Wiki” Phung

Nguyet Thu “Wiki” Phung

On May 9, 1991, a police officer from the Lynnwood, Washington Police Department responded to a call about a missing person. The call came from Thanh Phung, and he told police that his 19-year-old daughter, Nguyet Thu Phung, or Wiki as most people called her, did not come home from work that day. He said that her boyfriend had picked her up early that morning and that by 11 AM, her employer had called Wiki’s mother to ask if everything was okay after Wiki hadn’t shown up for work. The events of May 9 would unfold to reveal more information about what may have happened to Wiki that day and lead to only a handful of ominous conclusions.If you have any information about the disappearance of Wiki Phung, please call the Lynnwood Police Department at 425-670-5600.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Okt 20231h 12min

Virginia Erickson

Virginia Erickson

October 21, 1973, was a Sunday. Typically, 32-year-old Virginia Erickson would attend church on Sundays, where she played the piano. But on that particular Sunday, Virginia and her husband, David, were going hunting instead. Virginia and David's nephew picked up their six children that morning from their home in Sweet Home, Oregon, and brought them to church. When the children returned, their mother was gone. David never reported his wife missing. Virginia had previously maintained consistent contact with her family in Washington, but they also stopped hearing from her. Disturbing information would later surface about what was happening inside the Erickson home, information that could be the motive behind Virginia Erickson's disappearance.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Virginia Erickson, please contact the Linn County Sheriff's Office at (541) 967-3950.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Okt 20231h 13min

Brian Vargo

Brian Vargo

Sometime in March 1976, 20-year-old Brian Vargo vanished from Austin, Texas. He had unenrolled from all of his classes at the University of Texas at Austin at the end of February, just a few weeks prior to his disappearance. He indicated in his application to unenroll that he intended to return to classes in the summer quarter of 1976. However, Brian seemingly vanished into thin air and has not been seen or heard from since. His story is one of soul-searching and a young man who seemed to be looking for an independent identity as an adult, finding his own way in life. Whether or not he ever achieved that goal and what happened to him remains a mystery.If you have any information about Brian’s disappearance, please call the Austin Police Department at 512-974-5210.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Sep 20231h 24min

Casi Pogue Part 2: Best of Friends

Casi Pogue Part 2: Best of Friends

Last week, we brought you the first installment of Casi Pogue’s story. You learned about Casi’s life, struggles, and how she disappeared after leaving a hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, on July 5, 2020. Casi was spotted exiting the facility that evening and speaking to someone in a van. She even entered the van for a few minutes but then got out and left the area alone on foot. Who was that man in the vehicle? You heard last week that the police were never able to identify him. But Casi’s family told us that after she disappeared, their suspicions began to shift elsewhere, to someone close to Casi.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Casi Pogue, please contact the Greenville Police Department at (864) 271-5333. If you want to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 864-23-CRIME (864-232-7463).If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Sep 20231h 6min

Casi Pogue Part 1: Destination Unknown

Casi Pogue Part 1: Destination Unknown

It was the July 4th holiday weekend of 2020 when 40-year-old Casi Pogue found herself in the emergency room at Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina. She had been there not just once but twice throughout the weekend. The second time, Casi was taken by EMS after neighbors found her acting disoriented. On the evening of July 5th, Casi left the hospital. Casi was spotted on surveillance video walking away from the facility. She spoke briefly to a man inside a van in the parking lot, even getting inside the vehicle before exiting and walking away alone. After she walked out of view of the hospital cameras, Casi Pogue was never seen or heard from again. More than three years later, what happened to Casi remains a mystery.If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Casi Pogue, please contact the Greenville Police Department at (864) 271-5333. If you want to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 864-23-CRIME (864-232-7463).This episode was sponsored by:Audible- Visit Audible.com/MIA or text MIA to 500-500 to try Audible free for 30 days.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Sep 20231h 13min

Replay Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - Reasonable Doubt

Replay Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - Reasonable Doubt

This episode originally aired on June 15, 2021. Over the last two weeks, we’ve continued to tell you the story of the disappearances of Angela Mack and her son, Mikey. Yesterday, you heard an expert fire investigator discuss the plausibility of the theory that Angie and Mikey were burned in Clarence Krusen’s home furnace. Was it possible that their bodies were completely destroyed, leaving no physical evidence to be recovered? Today we’re bringing you the final episode in this series. We’re going to take a look at all of the other characters and moving parts in this story. In the end, we’ll leave you with a question: did Clarence Krusen kill Angela and Mikey and burn their bodies as investigators say he did? Or is there a possibility something else happened, that there is truth in many of the persistent rumors in Salem, Arkansas? Could this case have an entirely different ending and remains anything but solved?Listen ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/thevanishedIf you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form: http://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/case-submission/.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Sep 20231h 16min

Replay Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - The Furnace

Replay Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - The Furnace

This episode originally aired on June 14, 2021. Today, we’re taking a look at another aspect of the developments in this case, the furnace that law enforcement alleges Clarence Krusen used to dispose of Angie and Mikey. Is this theory even possible?Support us by supporting our sponsors!Listen ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/thevanishedIf you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form: http://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/case-submission/.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

7 Sep 202341min

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