The Unsolved Murders of the Dardeen Family: A Crime That Still Haunts Southern Illinois On November 18, 1987, the quiet farming community of Ina, Illinois became the scene of one of the most horrific family murders in American history. What investigators discovered inside a modest trailer home—and at a second crime scene just miles away—would…

The Mysterious Disappearance of Brandon Swanson On the morning of May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson called his parents after his car became stuck in a ditch along a rural Minnesota road. What followed was a 47-minute phone call that has become one of the most haunting mysteries in modern true crime. During that call,…

The Disappearance of Patricia Viola: A Missing Persons Mystery Still Unsolved On February 13, 2001, Patricia “Pat” Viola seemingly vanished without a trace from her home in Bogota, New Jersey. More than two decades later, investigators still don’t know what happened to the devoted wife and mother of two. Despite extensive searches, countless leads, and…

The Fox Hollow Farm Murders: The Double Life of Herb Baumeister To the outside world, Herb Baumeister appeared to be living the American dream. He was a husband, a father of three, and the successful owner of a growing chain of thrift stores in Indiana. He lived with his family on a beautiful 18-acre estate…

The Murder of Oakey “Al” Kite In May 2004, 53-year-old Oakey “Al” Kite Jr. was searching for a new tenant to rent the basement apartment of his Aurora, Colorado townhouse. What seemed like a normal decision quickly turned into one of the most disturbing unsolved murders in Colorado history. After placing an ad in the…

L Angela Hammond: The Missouri Abduction That Remains Unsolved In April 1991, 20-year-old Angela “Angie” Hammond vanished from a grocery store parking lot in Clinton, Missouri, while talking to her fiancé on a payphone. More than three decades later, her disappearance remains one of Missouri’s most haunting unsolved cases. On this episode of Forensic Tales,…

The Murder of Michelle O’Keefe: Convicted Without Evidence In February 2000, 18-year-old Michelle O’Keefe was just beginning her adult life. A college student from Hanford, California, Michelle dreamed of becoming an actress and had already started traveling to Los Angeles for small opportunities in the entertainment industry. On February 22, 2000, Michelle and a friend…

The Murder of Stacy Stites In the early morning hours of April 23, 1996, 19-year-old Stacy Stites vanished while driving to work in Bastrop, Texas. Hours later, her body was discovered along a rural roadside. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a belt. Almost immediately, investigators began searching for her killer. Eventually, DNA…

The Disappearance of Lauren Spierer In the early morning hours of June 3, 2011, 20-year-old Indiana University student Lauren Spierer vanished after a night out with friends in downtown Bloomington, Indiana. Despite surveillance footage, witness statements, and a detailed timeline of her final hours, Lauren has never been found. Lauren Spierer grew up in Scarsdale,…

The Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott: The Stalker Who Wouldn’t Stop Calling In 1980, a quiet young mother living in Orange County, California began receiving disturbing phone calls from a man who claimed he was watching her. At first the calls seemed harmless — awkward flirtation from someone who refused to give his name. But…