Box in the Basement

Arlene, Leah, Bree

"Box in the Basement" is a compelling new podcast created by Arlene, a woman whose life was forever changed by a family tragedy. The unsolved murder of her Uncle Leon Laurales serves as the catalyst for this investigative series. Disturbed by the lackluster investigation and the mystery that still surrounds his case, Arlene dives deep into the details of her uncle's story, uncovering the many problems that plagued the investigation. Her journey doesn't stop there, as she expands her focus to other unsolved cases in Central Texas. Each episode of "Box in the Basement" promises to shed light on the overlooked and forgotten mysteries in her local community, hoping to find answers and justice for those who have been silenced.

  1. The Stranger, the Job Offer, and the Family That Never Returned: More Mysteries on the Highway of Tears

    12/11/2025

    The Stranger, the Job Offer, and the Family That Never Returned: More Mysteries on the Highway of Tears

    Send us a text For more than five decades, a remote stretch of road in British Columbia has been the epicenter of one of Canada’s darkest crises. The Highway of Tears is home to dozens of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and families — many cases mishandled, ignored, or never fully investigated. In this episode, Arlene and Leah uncover: The disappearance of the Jack Family, the tragic story of Alberta Williams, RCMP misconduct and systemic failures, & how racism, isolation, and lack of resources compounded a national tragedy.  🔗 Show Notes: Sources & Further Reading Stories of the Victims Behind Canada’s Highway of Tears Cold Case Files: Highway of Tears – Prince George A Mother Still Searching for Answers: Shelley’s 37-Year Mystery History of Residential Schools in Canada The Jack Family Disappearance: 35 Years Without Answers Police Renew Search for the Missing Jack Family Stranger Offering “Odd Jobs” May Be Key in Jack Family Case “Smoke on the Asphalt”: An Indigenous Family’s Fight for Justice CBC’s Missing & Murdered – Episode Transcript The Unsolved Murder of Alberta Williams Police Abuse Allegations in Prince George RCMP Province Orders Investigation Into RCMP Misconduct Archived News Report: Early Clues & Coverage Supreme Court Case: Landmark Decision Tied to Investigation SCC News Note: Updates Related to the Case Convicted Murderer of Two Indigenous Women Denied Parole Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe Follow us on Facebook & Instagram Donate to Seasons of Justice Listen to Darkcast Network Shows Join Uncovered.com Donate to Project Cold Case

    32 min
  2. The Shocking Truth Behind 40 Missing Women: What’s Really Happening on Canada’s Highway of Tears?

    11/20/2025

    The Shocking Truth Behind 40 Missing Women: What’s Really Happening on Canada’s Highway of Tears?

    Send us a text The Highway of Tears is ground zero in one of Canada’s darkest ongoing tragedies. For more than 50 years, dozens of people – mostly Indigenous women and girls – have been murdered or gone missing along Highway 16 and its connecting routes in northern British Columbia. Despite RCMP task forces and national attention, these cases have been plagued by racism, mismanagement, jurisdictional confusion, and a chronic lack of funding and manpower. In this episode of Box in the Basement, Arlene and Leah open the first boxes from the early years of the Highway of Tears – the late 1960s through the 1970s. They explore how a remote stretch of road with no public transit, limited cell coverage, deep poverty, and systemic indifference became a hunting ground for serial predators and a graveyard of unanswered questions. Show Notes:  Finding Closure Fifty Years After a Murder Gloria Lee Levina Moody (1969): A Case Never Truly Closed Micheline Paré: A Young Hitchhiker’s Unsolved Murder A Case Never Opened: Tracey Clifton Listening to Indigenous Women’s Stories A Teen Disappears Months After Giving Birth: Helen Claire Frost (1970) Searching for a Birth Mother Missing Since 1970 The Mysterious Disappearance of Helen Claire Frost Jean Virginia Sampare: Vanished at 18 Along Highway 16 MMIW Profile: Jean Virginia Sampare The Teen Who Vanished While Pregnant with Twins: Velma Marie Duncan (1972) “Highway of Tears” Murder Solved With Improbable DNA Sample Oldest DNA Match in Interpol History Links U.S. Serial Killer to Highway of Tears Victim In Memory – Official Highway of Tears Victims The Road That Swallows Souls: Investigating the Highway of Tears Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe Follow us on Facebook & Instagram Donate to Seasons of Justice Listen to Darkcast Network Shows Join Uncovered.com Donate to Project Cold Case

    49 min
  3. Vanished Without a Trace: The Unsolved Mysteries of Margaret Chauncy & Lisa Chandler

    09/25/2025

    Vanished Without a Trace: The Unsolved Mysteries of Margaret Chauncy & Lisa Chandler

    Send us a text In 1987, 24-year-old Margaret Chauncy left her shift at St. Michael’s Hospital in Texarkana and asked a coworker to follow her home, fearing she was being stalked by a man in a black car. She pulled into her apartment complex in her red Pontiac Fiero—and vanished. Nearly 38 years later, Margaret’s case remains unsolved. Two decades later, in 2007, 44-year-old Lisa Chandler spoke with her mother about her divorce and plans to see a doctor. The next day, her car sat in her driveway, her purse and ID were on the kitchen table, and her loyal dog guarded the yard—but Lisa was gone. Despite extensive searches, her trail ended five miles south of Wolfe City. Join Arlene & Leah as they investigate.  Show Notes – Margaret Jane Chauncy The Disappearance of Margaret Jane ChauncyFBI ViCAP: Margaret Jane Chauncy – Texarkana, TexasSearch for Missing Woman Yields Car in LakeTexas Police Reignite Search in Decades-Old Missing Person CaseVanished: Margaret Jane ChauncyHelp Police Solve This Cold CaseDoe Network Case File: Margaret Jane Chauncy  Show Notes – Lisa Lee Chandler The Disappearance of Lisa Lee Chandler11 Years Later: Texas Mother Still MissingWithout a Trace: The Lisa Lee Chandler CaseSheriff’s Office Reopens Cold Case of Lisa ChandlerCold Case: Wolfe City Woman’s Disappearance Still a MysteryVideo Feature: Cold Case – Lisa Lee ChandlerDisappeared Blog: Lisa ChandlerHunt County Missing Persons – Lisa ChandlerNew Appeal on 15th Anniversary of Lisa Chandler’s DisappearanSupport Box in the Basement & Our Causes Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe Follow us on Facebook & Instagram Donate to Seasons of Justice Listen to Darkcast Network Shows Join Uncovered.com Donate to Project Cold Case

    34 min
4.5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

"Box in the Basement" is a compelling new podcast created by Arlene, a woman whose life was forever changed by a family tragedy. The unsolved murder of her Uncle Leon Laurales serves as the catalyst for this investigative series. Disturbed by the lackluster investigation and the mystery that still surrounds his case, Arlene dives deep into the details of her uncle's story, uncovering the many problems that plagued the investigation. Her journey doesn't stop there, as she expands her focus to other unsolved cases in Central Texas. Each episode of "Box in the Basement" promises to shed light on the overlooked and forgotten mysteries in her local community, hoping to find answers and justice for those who have been silenced.

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