Without a Trace

In 1961, a young man from one of America’s most prominent families journeyed deep into Dutch New Guinea, drawn by the allure of tribal art and untouched culture. But after his boat overturned, he swam toward what he thought was safety—and vanished. Official reports listed drowning as the cause of death. But whispers and scattered clues suggest a truth far murkier, a tale woven with secrets that still haunt the edge of history.

In July 2013, a police chase led three friends deep into the woods of rural Oklahoma—but only one made it out. The other two vanished after a series of desperate calls for help, never to be seen again. As days turned into years, the tiny town of just over a thousand was consumed by quiet murmurs—of corruption, fear, and a possible cover-up. The mystery of what happened that night still hangs heavy, as the search for truth remains clouded by unanswered questions and dark local secrets.

In January 1993, a respected lawyer from Amarillo, Texas vanished without a trace. Known for his devotion to family and his role as a pillar of the community, his disappearance stunned everyone who knew him. Years later, his body surfaced 1,600 miles away in Washington State—discovered not by traditional police work, but through an online search by a persistent detective using Google. The identification closed one chapter but opened an even darker one: what led him to Washington, and how did he fall victim to a fatal hit-and-run?

In November 2002, a 20-year-old college student left a party at his secluded Minnesota campus and vanished without a trace. Authorities initially suspected he had accidentally drowned in a nearby lake, but an exhaustive search turned up nothing. As the investigation deepened, suspicions of foul play emerged—especially in light of unsettling allegations involving members of the university and revealing discoveries on the student’s computer.

On a hot, sunny Saturday morning, three young women wearing bathing suits left their belongings on a packed Lake Michigan beach and climbed aboard a motorboat. That was the last anyone ever saw of them. As panic grew, theories swirled: a secret medical procedure gone wrong, entanglement with organized crime. Decades later, the lake remains calm - but the silence surrounding that day is anything but.

A man with years of experience travelling made a total of seven expeditions between 1906 and 1924. Dubbed one of the world’s greatest explorers, his last letter brimmed with confidence. ‘You need have no fear of failure’, he told his wife. Then, just as the lost city seemed within reach, he vanished.

On December 13th, 2020, a 21-year-old college student headed home for the holiday break. But he never made it home, and what happened next remains a mystery. Just after midnight, on what was now December 14th, his car was found wrecked on a desolate gravel road. His belongings—and the clothes he had been wearing—were scattered along the road, but he himself was nowhere to be found.

Five people went missing between 1945 and 1950 from the area that is now known as the Bennington Triangle. There seems to be nothing in common among those who vanished. The Bennington Triangle has long been known for strange events, including UFO activity, bigfoot sightings and strange lights and sounds. With no clues as to what happened to the five people who disappeared decades ago, many theories have arisen, involving paranormal activity, the work of aliens or some other supernatural force.

On December 15, 2017, the bodies of a seventy-five-year-old billionaire and his wife, age seventy, were discovered near the indoor swimming pool of their mansion. The crime scene was unusual; the bodies were next to each other in what was described as a horrifying scene, with black belts around their necks suspending them from the pool’s safety railing, holding them both in awkward seated positions on the floor.

A twenty-five year old heiress stood talking to a friend outside a bookshop. A moment later she vanished, never to be seen again. As one newspaper remarked, “she disappeared from one of the busiest streets on earth, at the sunniest hour with thousands within sight and reach,” leading the world to wonder, how? Her disappearance remains unsolved and is now named New York’s oldest cold case.

On May 15th, 2025, a seventeen-year-old vanished while on her way to the airport. The investigation has revealed concerning living conditions, a possible fall out with family and unidentified human remains. Police stress that the investigation is ongoing and key evidence that would help piece together the events leading up to her suspected murder is still missing.

On July 6th, 1983, a young beauty queen vanished from Cocoa Beach, Florida after she became convinced someone was out to kill her - claiming she had seen something she shouldn’t have while at a party. Authorities have been left stumped as to what happened though two serial killers have been linked to her disappearance. To this day, no suspect has officially been named and she remains missing.

On March 23, 1998, a 23-year-old recent graduate vanished while on a cruise celebrating her accomplishments with her family. Theories began soaring ranging from being murdered on the cruise ship to being kidnapped by the crew members to be sold into the illegal human trafficking industry in the Caribbean. Despite all the theories, there have been little leads to help authorities locate her.

On December 20, 2002, a well-behaved and dedicated teenager arrived at his shift at work and was never seen again. The investigation led to a close-knit community pointing fingers at one another. Detectives uncovered many secrets including drug dealing, owed money, and a bloody produce cooler. More than two decades later, and the case is still unsolved.

A nine-year-old girl suddenly vanished during the early morning hours of April 6, 1986. Investigators were left wondering what happened to her that evening as the details from important testimonies continued to change. Family members were suspected of arranging her disappearance, but they took all their secrets to the grave with them.

A 21-year-old was looking forward to starting a new chapter in life when she mysteriously disappeared after leaving work. She was last seen driving her 2011 black Chevrolet Cruze, the vehicle later being found abandoned in a hospital parking lot. The investigation into the young woman’s disappearance provided heartbreaking clues, leading to the arrest of her ex-boyfriend.

A mother of two was abducted as she went for a routine jog on November 2nd, 2016. Authorities and family members searched for her for weeks with her husband pleading for her return saying, “I just want her back”. It felt like a miracle when she was found on Thanksgiving Day. But what came next was a story so improbable that authorities had a hard time believing it.

During the early morning hours of December 4th, 2022, a 27-year-old disappeared after spending the evening visiting several downtown bars. She was last seen with a former law enforcement officer who is alleged to have lost his job in law enforcement after harassing and abusing suspects. While he is considered a person of interest in the case, police have no evidence to prove what happened to her on that fateful evening.

Don’t mess with the Mafia. That warning deterred the parents of a missing 30-year-old woman from investigating the disappearance of their daughter. Her husband was immediately suspected of having been involved, not only because of his bizarre and changing stories about what happened but because of the history of domestic violence in their marriage. Over 40 years have passed but nothing has brought investigators closer to knowing what happened.

In November of 2023, a 35-year old stormed out of his house after a heated argument with his husband. Over the next 16 months, massive searches were conducted and accusations spread across social media. But no real leads emerged … until March of 2025 when a body was located just a few blocks away from his home.

In May of 2024, a loving mother of four vanished without a trace. No one seemed to be able to account for her whereabouts - even after her truck was found abandoned in a deserted location. The public quickly turned their attention to her husband after learning about ongoing domestic violence in their relationship. Her case is now being investigated as a homicide, though no remains have been located.

In December of 2015, a bright 18-year-old was excited for her future in cosmetology, she just needed one thing to make her dream come true - her high school diploma that was back at her mom’s house. She planned a quick trip to spend time with loved ones and obtain her diploma. Everything seemed normal until it came time for her to fly back home. She missed her flight and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. The last person to see her alive is believed to hold the answers but he refuses to cooperate with police.

On February 4th, 2017, a mother and daughter went missing under suspicious circumstances. Both went missing from their home on the same day, but at different times. The circumstances of that day remain unclear and despite eight years of efforts, police are no closer to solving their disappearances.

An Arizona rancher found a crashed vehicle in a desert ravine near Buckeye in June 2021. Inside the crashed car, officials found the driver's wallet, phone and keys, yet no trace of the driver has been found. Officials determined that the car belonged to a 24-year-old geologist who worked at a nearby job site. It made sense why he was in the area, but what didn't make sense was why he had seemingly sped up and crashed into a random ravine. Law enforcement initially ruled out foul play, but the lack of a body after the crash left many questions, especially from the missing man's father.

On May 24, 2019, a Connecticut mother of five, went missing after returning home from dropping her children off at school. Her home quickly became a crime scene after her blood was found splattered throughout. Her estranged husband and his girlfriend were arrested on several charges related to her disappearance. And while for some, the case seems solved, her whereabouts remain unknown.

“Go no farther. There is nothing in this cave worth dying for”. Those were the words printed on the sign at the entrance of an underwater cave in Vortex Spring. Despite this warning, many divers fail to heed these words, including Ben McDaniel. On August 18, 2010, Ben ventured into the cave only to never surface again. His disappearance has left many confused as even the most experienced divers could not recover Ben’s body.

A 14-year-old boy with perfect attendance and excellent grades, decided to skip school and take an hour and a half train ride to the capital. His reason for traveling that day, and his subsequent fate, were never established. While police and family remain hopeful he is alive, there are no clues to help solve his disappearance.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed into the World Trade Center, a 35-year-old mother of four vanished from their rural home in upstate New York. In 2005, police charged her husband with her murder. He proceeded to be tried four times over the next 11 years, in two counties, with five judges from four different counties presiding and three appellate courts hearing the case. He was ultimately found innocent, something he had maintained over the years. With no other leads to turn to, police are no closer to solving her missing persons case.

During the early morning hours of June 30, 2002, a text was received from a 21-year-old Indigenous woman who was last seen getting into a vehicle with a young man she met earlier that evening. The text read, “come get me, they won’t let me leave”. Unfortunately, she was never found. Rumors swirled that she was killed by a group of people in a snuff film. The person that gave her a ride that fateful night has not provided answers and no one has been charged in relation to her disappearance.

A serious scandal involving the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency resulted in the disappearance of the longest held US civilian in US history. Presumed to have been arrested by Iranian officials, the agent’s whereabouts remain a mystery, due to the lack of cooperation from both the United States and Iranian governments.

A woman was abducted from Orlando, Florida on January 26, 2006. There are no signs of her whereabouts and only a grainy surveillance photo of an unidentifiable person of interest. After the police department botched the investigation, her family sued the Orlando Police Department to obtain the records of her case. Now, the family and their private investigator are the only ones investigating her disappearance.

It’s been over a decade since 70-year-old Stephanie Stewart vanished while working alone at a fire lookout tower in the forest of Alberta. Evidence points to foul play, but investigators remain baffled as to who climbed the tower to get her and why. In 2010, a couple was murdered just miles away. Are these cases connected or is Stephanie’s disappearance just as mysterious as it seems?

On November 8, 2024, a 30-year-old landed at LAX with plans to catch a connecting flight to New York City for the trip of a lifetime. However, she missed her connecting flight and her family began receiving bizarre and concerning texts from her. After a month of intense searches for her, all that remains is unanswered questions.

On August 31, 1975 a young boy disappeared while camping with his family. Thousands of community members quickly gathered to search more than 2000 acres for any sight of him. The search for him would later be named the most extensive woods search in the history of Maine. All that the thousands of volunteer searchers ever found were unanswered questions.

In the small town of Larrimah, feuds were growing between the 12 residents. Following a years-long feud between two neighbors, a man and his dog went missing from the remote outback of Australia. Despite a years-long police investigation, a documentary, and countless news articles, their disappearances remain a mystery that has so far yielded no concrete truths.

In the small town of Larrimah, feuds were growing between the 12 residents. Following a years-long feud between two neighbors, a man and his dog went missing from the remote outback of Australia. Despite a years-long police investigation, a documentary, and countless news articles, their disappearances remain a mystery that has so far yielded no concrete truths.

On October 6th, 2024, a woman is seen returning home from a party with her husband. Neighbors then see a physical altercation ensue between the couple before hearing the husband leave in his truck for approximately an hour. Following this, the wife is not heard from or seen again. Law enforcement presume her to be dead and are working hard to solve her disappearance, despite the lack of cooperation received from her husband.

The Dupont family seemed to have it all, a nice house, four beautiful children and good jobs. However, that all changed one night in 2011 when the entire family seemingly disappeared. Family and friends started receiving odd letters informing of their absence. The case grew strange after the mother, children and family dogs were found buried in the backyard. The father’s whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

On November 25, 2010, three brothers headed to their father’s house to spend Thanksgiving with him. The next morning, their mother reported them missing after they failed to return home. Their father had continued telling lie after lie about his sons’ whereabouts. The children have never been found and police were unsuccessful in proving their theory that the father killed his sons and disposed of their bodies.

Cindy Song: A 21-year-old apparently vanished, leaving detectives with nothing to go on but hunches and theories. The best lead in the case so far is that she was kidnapped by two career criminals who mistook her for a sex worker and murdered her. However, this theory has yet to be proven and her whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.Marvin Clark: An Oregonian man mysteriously vanished while en route to visit his daughter over the Halloween weekend in 1926. An accidental discovery made decades later only proved to add another layer of mystery to what’s become one of the oldest unsolved missing person cases in the United States.

On April 17, 2016, a 30-year-old left her home with an unknown man, leaving her husband, boyfriend and four children behind. Friends and family weren’t concerned until she failed to show up to work. Her disappearance was reported nearly a week later. Eight years later, she remains missing and her case remains unsolved.

Two men go missing under similar circumstances in Naples, Florida. Both men were last seen being arrested by a Collier County Sheriff’s Department deputy for driving without a license. Neither made it to the jail, with the deputy claiming to have changed his mind about both arrests and dropping the men off at Circle K convenience stores instead. Collier County Sheriff’s Office has classified both men as missing and endangered citing that both men were last seen in the company of a now-fired CCSO deputy.

In August 2013, a 19-year-old boy was just getting started in life when he began acting incredibly strange. After having an argument with his girlfriend about his alcohol and video game addiction and drug abuse, he took an unexpected trip down the I-5 to visit his parents in Southern California. However, the 6-hour drive quickly turned into a frustrating 24 hour journey when he never arrived at his family’s home. Police found his car driven off an embankment, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

On July 24, 2024, a 28-year-old mysteriously disappeared after telling several friends he was going to walk 55 miles to a different town. He seemed to have changed his mind, with witnesses seeing him head into town, rather than away from it. However, friends and family haven’t seen or heard from him since.

On September 4, 2024, a 31-year-old went on his daily walk around his neighborhood but didn't return home. The disappearance quickly gathered the attention of internet sleuths, eager to solve the case. It has been two weeks since anyone has heard from or seen him, leaving a family desperate for answers.

Today's episode discusses two interesting cases. Both cases involve a homicide of a mother and a kidnapping of their infant child. Every file holds a mystery, every story deserves to be heard, these are the stories of Sylena and Allyson Dalton and Shauna and Zaylee Fryar. On July 27, 1998, 10-week-old Allyson Dalton was napping with her mother, Sylena Dalton when someone entered their home, killed Sylena and took off with Allyson. Sylena’s murder remains unsolved, Allyson has yet to be found, and the case remains unsolved. On the evening of May 1, 2011, three-month-old Zaylee Fryar vanished under suspicious circumstances with her mother, Shauna Fryar from their home. Six days later, Shauna's body was found dumped in the Cumberland River, 40 miles from their home. The search for Zaylee was unsuccessful and authorities felt their chances of finding her were slim.

On February 10, 2008, Maura Murray, a 21-year-old nursing student left university after lying to professors about a death in the family. She takes off in the middle of a snowstorm and police are unable to locate her after finding her vehicle crashed along a snowbank. Twenty years later there have been no breaks in the case, leading authorities to wonder what happened to her. This is Maura Murray's story.

On September 12, 2014, three-year-old William Tyrrell disappeared while playing with his sister at their foster grandmother's house. Despite a decade-long investigation involving more than one thousand leads, hundreds of persons of interest and dozens of searches, no trace of the boy has been found. This is William Tyrrell's story.