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

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

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.

15 Juni 20211h 16min

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

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

Last week, we brought you two new episodes on the incredible developments in the case of Angela Mack and Thomas “Mikey” Rettew. If you haven’t listened to the original episode or the first two updates, listen to those first, they will bring you up to speed. 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.

14 Juni 202141min

Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - The Dead Man

Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - The Dead Man

In early April, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office announced that they had solved and closed the 2002 disappearances of 20-year-old Angela Mack and her son, Thomas “Mikey” Rettew. Our last episode explored the dramatic turn of events in Angela and Mikey’s mysterious disappearances since we originally aired their story in March. Today, we’re continuing our dive into this incredible, still developing story. "The Dead Man" explores who Clarence Krusen was, his criminal history, and many attempts to adopt children from struggling parents.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.

8 Juni 20211h 9min

Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - House of Cards

Case Continued: Angela Mack and Thomas "Mikey" Rettew - House of Cards

Three months ago, we brought you the story of the disappearance of Angela Mack and her son Thomas "Mikey" Rettew from a small town in northwest Arkansas. No one knew who had seen Angela and Mikey last or under what circumstances. Our records requests with law enforcement were ignored, and our efforts to conduct an in-depth interview with the investigator were denied. Then, in a bizarre plot twist that seemed almost stranger than fiction, the investigating agency announced that the disappearances had been solved and the case closed almost exactly one month after we aired the original episode. But is the case closed and the mystery solved? We'll let you decide.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 Juni 20211h 8min

Case Update: Chris Turner

Case Update: Chris Turner

23-year-old Chris Turner disappeared from Las Vegas, Nevada, in early August of 2016. We first covered Chris Turner’s case on July 5, 2017. Shortly after we aired his story, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department closed his case, stating that he had been seen alive. We brought you an update about Chris on September 1, 2017, to discuss the developments. Unfortunately, it took two years to get the case reopened. After his family submitted their DNA, they got a shocking phone call. They learned there was no possible way Chris could have been seen alive during the summer of 2017.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.

31 Maj 20211h 25min

Amanda Grazewski

Amanda Grazewski

23-year-old Amanda Grazewski disappeared from an apartment in Derry, New Hampshire, in the early morning hours of March 17, 2020. Amanda was spending the night there along with a few other people. The others reported that they went to bed, and by the time they awoke the following morning, Amanda was gone. Strangely, all of her belongings were still there, including her bags with clothes, cell phone, and purse. Using Amanda’s phone, they contacted one of Amanda’s friends, who went to social media to see if anyone had seen or heard from Amanda. More than 14 months later, they are still searching for Amanda.If you have any information about the disappearance of Amanda Grazewski, please contact the Derry Police Department (603) 432-6111.UPDATE: On March 20, 2025, human skeletal remains were discovered near the Hoodkroft Country Club golf course. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later positively identified the remains as those of Amanda Grazewski. The investigation into the cause and manner of Ms. Grazewski’s death, conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office in collaboration with the Derry Police Department, remains ongoing.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.

24 Maj 202158min

Donna Gibson

Donna Gibson

On the evening of February 24, 1995, 32-year-old Donna Gibson was at home in Louisa, Virginia, with her husband and four young children. She was sick that evening with a respiratory infection and chose to sleep on the couch. Early the next morning, her daughter thought she saw Donna asleep and went quietly back to bed, but just several hours later, she had vanished. There was no evidence of a struggle and no sign of a break-in. However, Donna didn’t disappear without a trace, and all paths pointed her family to one person in the search for her more than 26 years later.If you have any information about the disappearance of Donna Gibson, please call the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office at 540-967-1234.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.

17 Maj 202153min

Harry Milligan

Harry Milligan

On Saturday, June 30, 1984, 21-year-old Harry Milligan finished his job painting a house and met some friends at a bar called Waterworks in Albia, Iowa. The bar was just over a ten-minute drive from his home in nearby Avery, Iowa. We don’t know for sure what transpired inside the bar that night. There have been stories that Harry won a large sum of money in a card game, but this can’t be substantiated. Harry’s friends reported that later they grabbed a six-pack to go and rode around cruising. The group returned to where they had parked their cars and went their separate ways. His friends said they saw Harry drive off in the direction of his home.The following morning, Harry’s mom was worried that he hadn’t returned home. She began calling around, but no one had seen or heard from Harry. Later, after searching the roads between Albia and Avery, his mom called the police to report Harry missing. There have been many rumors about what happened to Harry, but more than 36 years later, they are still searching for Harry.If you have any information about the disappearance of Harry Milligan, please contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 641-932-7815You can follow developments in Harry’s case on social media at Harry Dennis Milligan :: Still Missing .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.

10 Maj 20211h 21min

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