49 episodes

“The past is filled with incredible mysteries; the clues to solving them all around; hidden in plain sight. But these stories begin with some of the most famous vanishings in history."

Join attorney Jennifer Taylor and investigator Chris Williamson as they re-open some of the biggest disappearance cases in all of history.

Chasing clues, witnesses and new information Jennifer and Chris will take you on the ride of a lifetime and uncover new evidence in some of the biggest historical cold cases ever; some of which the world won't be ready to believe.

"Vanished" is a ChrisEvan Films production, and part of the Straight Up Strange podcast network.

Vanished Vanished

    • History
    • 4.2 • 136 Ratings

“The past is filled with incredible mysteries; the clues to solving them all around; hidden in plain sight. But these stories begin with some of the most famous vanishings in history."

Join attorney Jennifer Taylor and investigator Chris Williamson as they re-open some of the biggest disappearance cases in all of history.

Chasing clues, witnesses and new information Jennifer and Chris will take you on the ride of a lifetime and uncover new evidence in some of the biggest historical cold cases ever; some of which the world won't be ready to believe.

"Vanished" is a ChrisEvan Films production, and part of the Straight Up Strange podcast network.

    Vanished: Amy Johnson "Skyfall"

    Vanished: Amy Johnson "Skyfall"

    It’s January 5th 1941, the skies are gray and filled with water, ready at any minute to pour down to the Earth below. Amy Johnson, whom many people referred to as the British Amelia Earhart, is soaring through the air, her eyes fixed on the horizon, her heart beating with excitement and trepidation. Little does she know that she’s about to live the final moments of her life. 

    Up to this point, the flight has been uneventful, but as Johnson approaches the Thames Estuary, she begins to encounter poor weather conditions. This is, as they say, where story ends and theory begins.

    The exact cause of the accident that led to Johnson's death is still unclear. But in recent years, an alternate explanation to what history says happened that day has been offered. And it’s one that calls to a more tragic ending to one of aviation’s biggest icon’s. A woman’s name you’ve likely never heard of….until now. 

    Welcome back to Vanished. This is Amy Johnson.

    LINKS



    Our Website 
    Vanished on Twitter 
    Vanished on Instagram 
    Vanished on TikTok

    Vanished on Facebook 
    Vanished Facebook Discussion Group

    Opening Theme by Krale Memoirs of the Forgotten 

    SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 



    Mysterious demise of pioneering aviator Amy @ London News Online 


    The Distinguished Career Of Pioneering British Aviator Amy Johnson @ Simple Flying


    The ongoing mystery of Hull pilot Amy Johnson who died 81 years ago today @ Hull Daily Mail 


    Amy Johnson: Death of pioneering aviator 'may have been covered up' @ Independent 

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Vanished: Zodiac "Epilogue"

    Vanished: Zodiac "Epilogue"

    Welcome back to a very different part 4 than we thought we’d have. I guess that’s how it goes in these cases right? When you follow the evidence, wherever it leads, sometimes what it uncovers, or doesn’t may surprise you. 

    Trial by Jury is now behind us, and if you’re listening to this, hopefully you’ve made your own conclusions about what was presented during that part of the series. Does it compel you? Are you convinced? Maybe we were able to present enough of a case to make you want to consider the fact that the man known as the Zodiac, wasn’t one man at all. 

    At any rate, we’re leaving San Francisco - off to other cases. But we couldn’t leave without giving you our final thoughts on what we took from trial, and discussing the toll that we deal with in creating this show for you, our audience.

    It’s not without its risk, and as you’ll soon discover, it’s not without fallout. This is the epilogue for our series on the man known only as Zodiac. 

    • 28 min
    Vanished: Zodiac "Trial by Jury"

    Vanished: Zodiac "Trial by Jury"

    Despite countless investigations and numerous suspects over the years, the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains a mystery to this day. But what would it take to try this case in modern times? In order to build a strong case, new looks at Zodiac would need to start with a deep dive back into the original evidence, including potential DNA samples, fingerprints, and any other forensic evidence that might have been overlooked in the past - and that’s what we’re trying to do here. 

    In recent years, one suspect has started to attract the attention of a few modern day investigators, and that attention is beginning to shift the focus back to a man that holds a very interesting position in the case as we’ve come to know it. 

    Tonight, we’re going to unpack a story that might be a little head scratching at first, but as you’ll hear, the theory we’re about to put forth, has roots that run very deep into Zodiac mythology. In fact, it has a lot to do with a suspect that, if you’re familiar at all with this case, you’ll know. But there's a twist to this story - one that plays right into the Zodiac’s potential motives by playing directly to the ego that seemed to be at the center for every decision he ever made.

    When we started our look at this case, I really didn’t know where it would take us. After hearing what you’ll hear tonight, I’m more convinced than ever that we have identified the Zodiac killer. Or maybe I should say Zodiac killers.

    Welcome back to Vanished. This is a trial by jury for Don Cheney and Arthur Leigh Allen. 

    LINKS



    Our Website 
    Vanished on Twitter 
    Vanished on Instagram 
    Vanished on TikTok

    Vanished on Facebook 
    Vanished Facebook Discussion Group 
    Defense Diaries' Official Website 
    Defense Diaries on Twitter 
    Defense Diaries on TikTok 
    Sarah Cailean's Official Website 
    Sarah Cailean on Twitter 
    Sarah Cailean on Facebook 
    Drew Beeson's Official Website 
    Drew Beeson on Twitter 

    SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING



    His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen - on YouTube 

    Sighting In on The Zodiac Killer: Unmasking America's Most Puzzling Unsolved Murders by Drew Beeson 


    Don Cheney Speaks @ Zodiackiller.com 

    • 3 hr 6 min
    Vanished: Zodiac “Many Undiscovered Victims”

    Vanished: Zodiac “Many Undiscovered Victims”

    You ever heard the phrase slippery slope? Well, we’re all on one right now. This is what it’s like. An overload of information coming at you in rapid succession. Maybe that’ll be a looming theme over this season. So, in the interest and perhaps celebration of speed, Jen and I have decided to hold our thoughts on the case for a discussion that will come at the end of our series in a format we’ve only done once before on this show.

    Zodiac has been hiding behind a mask and a moniker for far too long - using them as way to inflict power over the victims he choose to bring unspeakable harm to.  Now it's time that we take back that power. Welcome back to Vanished and our multi part series on the man known as Zodiac.

    LINKS



    Our Website 
    Vanished on Twitter 
    Vanished on Instagram 
    Vanished on TikTok

    Vanished on Facebook 
    Vanished Facebook Discussion Group 
    Raven Rollins and Mandy McNeely appear courtesy of the Sirens Network 
    Sirens on Twitter 
    Sirens on Facebook 
    Sirens on Instagram 
    Sirens on TikTok 
    Ross Geraci's Planet X Filmworks @ YouTube

    Zodiac Ciphers Official Website 
    Zodiac Speaking Podcast @ Apple Podcasts

    Special Appearance by Adam Ballinger of GraveYard Tales


    SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING



    Nine Zodiac Killer Suspects And The Disturbing Stories Behind Them @ATI


    The Zodiac Ciphers: What Cryptologists Know @ History


    Has The Zodiac Killer Mystery Been Solved (Again)? @LosAngeles Magazine


    Sighting In on The Zodiac Killer: Unmasking America's Most Puzzling Unsolved Murders by Drew Beeson @ Amazon

    Drew Beeson's DrewTube Page 

    • 2 hr 56 min
    Vanished: Zodiac "Sick of Living, Unwilling to Die"

    Vanished: Zodiac "Sick of Living, Unwilling to Die"

    The upscale neighborhood of Presidio Heights; in the north side of San Francisco - is a whole world unto itself. You can get anywhere in the city 30 minutes from here. Walking distance to Golden Gate Park with stunning views of the bay. Today, it’s known as one of the safest neighborhoods in Northern California. 

    In downtown San Francisco, the sounds of the sirens fill the neighborhoods. In the late 1960’s, the city was a beacon of peace, light, and freedom to love anyway you wanted. 

    What a time to live. 

    In 1967, RollingStone was created among the inspiration of music that dominated radio, and every corner of the city. As important as that was, the city served as ground zero for civil rights battles, anti war demonstrations and the rise of the black power movement. 

    The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by brothers Charles and Michael De Young. And it’s a massive part of our next story. But we’ll talk about that later. 

    The 60’s weren’t all love and light though. One story made things really dark. A story that loomed over the country and the world like a storm that just wouldn't stop coming. A still unidentified man, relentlessly stalked the San Francisco bay area, striking abject terror into the hearts of it’s citizens for years to come. When all was said and done, our next subject claimed the lives of five victims and has been reportedly credited with up to 32 more, all the while, taunting newspapers, and the media with his crimes. 

    Sound familiar? 

    We’ve covered a lot of bad people on this show. Serial killers, hijackers, pirates, and assassins. But only one of them is known world wide by a symbol and single name that still fascinates and horrifies everyone that’s ever investigated him. 

    Welcome back to Vanished, and our multi part investigation into the man known only as Zodiac.

    LINKS



    Our Website 
    Vanished on Twitter 
    Vanished on Instagram 
    Vanished on TikTok

    Vanished on Facebook 
    Vanished Facebook Discussion Group 
    Raven Rollins and Mandy McNeely appear courtesy of the Sirens Network 
    Sirens on Twitter 
    Sirens on Facebook 
    Sirens on Instagram 
    Sirens on TikTok 
    Michael Cole's Website for Zodiac Revisited

    Kristi Hawthorne appears courtesy of the Oceanside Historical Society  
    Kristi Hawthorne's Blog 



    SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 



    "60 Year Old Cold Case Remains Unsolved - The Murder of Ray Davis" 
    "How Mathematicians Cracked the Zodiac Killer’s Cipher"
    Richard Grinell's Website Zodiac Ciphers

    • 2 hr 57 min
    Vanished: Judge Crater "Good Time Joe"

    Vanished: Judge Crater "Good Time Joe"

    The dive into this case has been unmeasurable. What I thought was a case that wouldn't interest me at all, has now become an obsession.

    Funny how that works out.

    As we wind down our investigation into the vanishing of Judge Joe Crater, we thought it would be beneficial to bring in an expert on the case to educate us all on what researching Crater is like, and how it changes you as a person.

    Tonight, as we end our series, we’re joined by Stephen Riegel, Author of Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York to help us dissect August 6th, 1930, as well as Crater’s mindset, actions, and perhaps the reasons behind those actions. 

    No matter what you think about what happened on August the 6th, I think we can all agree that Judge Joe Crater, should go down in history as one of the most influential disappearance cases of all time.

    For now, let’s wrap things up. This is part three of our series on Judge Crater.

    Links



    Our Website

    Vanished on Twitter 
    Vanished on Instagram 
    Vanished on Facebook 
    Vanished Facebook Discussion Group 
    Vanished on TikTok

    Jennifer Taylor on Twitter 
    Chris Williamson on Twitter 
    Music by Dane Gerous Schmidt

    Opening Theme Lost by Tony Ann 

    Show Notes & Further Reading



    Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York by Stephen J. Riegel 


    The Perplexing Disappearance of Judge Joseph F. Crater @ Buzzfeed's YouTube

    Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age by Debby Applegate 

    • 55 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
136 Ratings

136 Ratings

pelirojo1 ,

Amelia was good!

I enjoyed learning a lot about Amelia that I didn’t know. Chris and Jen couldn’t keep their left leaning politics out of the John Wilkes Booth, how is there any comparison to today? I guess they forgot the left are the violent and racists ones. Listen to Amelia and then move on!

PhilKDick ,

Genius Show

Very much enjoyed the teams work on Jack & JW Booth, DB Cooper topics were very well down, and now the ultimate rabbit hole THE ZODIAC!

linadio ,

Stuff you should know

Tell me that’s not Josh from stuff you should know

Top Podcasts In History

Slate Podcasts
Wondery
WNYC Studios
Goalhanger Podcasts
Wondery
Sarah Marshall

You Might Also Like

Wondery
Crawlspace Media & Glassbox Media
Club 41 Studios
Trembling Leaf Media
ID
Crawlspace Media & Glassbox Media