Trace Evidence

Twenty-seven year old Jodi Huisentruit was living out her dream, being a television news anchor for KIMT in Mason City, Iowa. She'd always wanted to be on television, and her interest in broadcast journalism had brought her to her first role as the main anchor of a news network. Everything seemed to be coming together. On June 27th, 1995, Jodi was meant to arrive at the studio at 3am. When 4am came, and she hadn't showed up, her assistant called her apartment and awoke a sleeping Jodi. She apologized for her tardiness and said she'd be to the studio in twenty minutes. She never arrived. Shortly after 7am, an officer arrived at her apartment for a welfare check. Jodi didn't answer the door, and when he approached her car, he found a disturbing scene. Items scattered all around the vehicle, drag marks nearby. It was immediately clear that he was staring at a crime scene. Over the course of the next twenty-three years, the case has spiraled through moments of brilliant attention, and complete disregard. Througho

For the One Year Anniversary Episode of Trace Evidence: On September 10th, 2000, Leah Hackett put her eight year old son, Zachary Bernhardt, to sleep in her bed at 11pm. Over the course of the next five hours, she watched television, chatted online and went for a walk and swim. After taking a shower, she discovered that Zachary was no longer in her bed, and he was missing. A frantic 911 call led to the Clearwater Police Department responding with multiple units and within hours a massive grid search was being executed, but Zachary was nowhere to be found. Over the years, Leah has become the subject of a great deal of speculation. A local pedophile would take credit for the crime, and then later deny it, and a yet unidentified man would abduct another child from the same apartment complex. A year after Zachary's disappearance, a photo was discovered near Boulder, Coloardo, some 1800 miles away, depicting a young, blond haired boy bound at his wrists and ankles with duct tape. The similarity to Zachary was diff

August 11th, 2009 was a hot and humid day in the North Georgia town of Blairsville. Thirty-eight year old Kristi Cornwell was visiting with her parents that summer as she had recently embarked on major changes in her life. She’d left her career as a probation officer, and was pursuing a new journey into the medical field. She had gotten divorced a few months earlier, but in recent times, had begun dating a new man with whom she hoped she might develop a future. Due to a lower back injury sustained during a fall, Kristi had taken to late evening walks. They eased her pain and, in the evening, the hot and sticky weather wasn’t nearly as intense. Her mother didn’t like her walking so late, but Kristi assured her she could take care of herself, and besides, they were in Blairsville, a picturesque southern town with less than a thousand residents. They’d live there all their lives, and Kristi, if nothing else, always felt safe there. That night, with her phone in her pocket and an earbud in, she spoke to her new b

Bryce Laspisa was the average American college student. He was bright, charming and liked to have fun at every possible time. During the Summer of 2013, he stayed at home with his parents, eagerly anticipating his return to Sierra College, in Rocklin, California. Within two weeks of his return, in August of 2013, Bryce's friends and girlfriend were growing concerned about his drinking and odd behavior. Over the course of a three day period Bryce would give away valuable items, break up with his girlfriend and embark on a mysterious drive into desolate area of California. On the night of August 29th, after sitting in Buttonwillow for nearly thirteen hours, he began his drive home to Laguna Niguel where his worried parents waited. Just after 2am, Bryce called home to say he was going to stop and rest. Just three hours later, his SUV would be found flipped on its side and Bryce was nowhere to be found. Nearly five years later and the circumstances surrounding Bryce's disappearance continue to confuse and confoun

Twenty-Five year old Tiffany Daniels was a talented artist living in Pensacola, Florida in August of 2013. Saddened by her boyfriend moving out of state, and overwhelmed with financial difficulties, Tiffany was struggling to find her way. Her worries seemed as though they might be ending as a friend's father rented a room from her home, making her more financially secure and while her boyfriends exist was difficult, she was excited to visit him in Austin and to see the culture which thrives there. On August 12th, 2013, Tiffany told her supervisor that she needed to leave early and may need the rest of the week off. Tiffany exited work at 4:43pm and was never seen again. Over a week later, her vehicle was found abandoned in a parking lot on Santa Rosa island, not far from her home. In the five years since she vanished, there have been many theories and alleged sightings, though nothing can be confirmed. What happened to Tiffany Daniels? Did she choose to run away from her problem? Was she overwhelmed to the po

Twenty-three year old Lily Aramburo was on top of the world. She'd overcome her addictions, transformed her life and given birth to a son who she loved beyond compare. She'd recently moved in with an old friend, Christen, after each shared their true feelings and they were building a life together, but in early 2007, it would all begin to fall apart. Christen was still using, and before long, Lily fell back into the powerful grip of addiction. After several disputes, Child Services removed her son from her custody, and Lily was sent to rehab. She later failed a drug test and was ejected from the rehab center, losing her chance to win custody back. On June 1st, 2007, Lily and Christen had two friends over to their condo. At 2am, on June 2nd, Lily is alleged to have walked out of the condo wearing only a night gown and carrying bungee cords with her. She left behind her cell phone, wallet and personal items. Christen didn't report her missing for days, and when he did, he claimed that she may be suicidal. Inves

On October 23rd, 1981, seventeen year old Kurt Sova had plans to go to a local carnival. Plans changed when he ran into a close friend who invited him to a party at a duplex nearby. The party was filled with locals and people who had driven in from Detroit, and Kurt began drinking heavily. When he began feeling ill, his friend took him outside for some fresh air. The night had gotten cold, and Kurt's friend went into the duplex to retrieve their jackets. When he returned moments later, Kurt was nowhere to be found. For the next five days, friends and family, along with authorities, searched for Kurt, but could find no signs of him. During the search, several bizarre incidents took place. A homeless man told a store manager that Kurt would be found dead and that no one would know what had happened to him. A friend of Kurt's claims to have seen him walking along the side of a road, not far from his own home. The owner of the duplex alleged there had been no party, and that she'd never even heard of Kurt. Sadly,

I recently conducted a series of Q&A videos in which I answered listener questions. This is the audio from these sessions. If you want to see the videos, visit the Trace Evidence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPFbLcFipff2OVJC2KdARbwhttps://www.trace-evidence.comhttps://www.patreon.com/traceevidence

Twenty-one year old Elisa Lam decided to take a break from college. She wanted to take a trip, out of Canada and down into the United States to see California. Her trip involved stops in San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz. Embarking on her trip in January of 2013, Elisa visited San Diego and then went to Los Angeles where she had booked a three day stay in the notorious Cecil Hotel, at that time known as the Stay on Main Street. She shared a room with two roommates, but was moved after reports of 'odd behavior.' Having maintained contact with her family every day, they grew worried when on January 31st, she failed to call and they couldn't reach her. Elisa was reported missing, and a fervent search began. When no trace of Elisa could be found, police released surveillance footage from an elevator at the Cecil showing Elisa behaving erratically. The video sparked a wide array of theories, and a heated debate about whether Elisa was hiding from someone, or perhaps, on drugs. Nearly three weeks after she vani

Forty-two year old Sonia Varaschin was a pediatric nurse living in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. A hard working woman with a zest for life and a love of adventure, she had a lovely personality and was often found dancing whenever she had the time. In August of 2010, Sonia vanished from her home and her blood stained car was found abandoned not far away. Investigators found a grisly scene inside her townhouse and a desperate search was launched to find her before it was too late. Sadly, one week after she disappeared, Sonia's remains were recovered from a remote area on the outskirts of town. The nurse had been murdered in a violent fashion, though police have never revealed her cause of death. Her family was devastated and for nearly eight years they have fought to find justice for Sonia. Police believe Sonia fell victim to someone she knew and are in possession of the culprit's DNA. Some believe that Sonia did not know her killer, and was victimized at random, possibly by a serial killer. Join host Steven Pa

On December 2nd, 2016, twenty-eight year old Danielle Stislicki made dinner plans with her best friend. She left her office building, located in Southfield, Michigan, at 5pm, and sent a text saying that she was going to be stopping at her apartment, and would meet for dinner around 6pm. Danielle never arrived. Within 24 hours, friends, family and police were conducting exhaustive searches for Danielle. Her Jeep was found parked just feet away from her apartment door. Her wallet and ID were found inside, but her cell phone and keys were missing. Investigators began to believe that Danielle was not the one who parked there, and foul play was suspected. Over the next year, their investigation would lead them all across the state of Michigan while witnesses would name a suspect - a man who worked as a security guard in the building where Danielle worked and who was seen talking to her the night she vanished. A man who would later be convicted of an attempted sexual assault which took place just four months before

Nineteen year old Suzanne Lyall was an accomplished poet and computer whiz attending the State University of New York at Albany. Majoring in computer science, she was cutting the path for a bright future full of joy and love. Along with her boyfriend, Richard, she was setting her goals high and looking to achieve all of her dreams. On March 2nd, 1998, Suzanne took an important mid-term and then reported to her job for her 4pm shift. She seemed a little more relaxed this day and was focused on getting her work done. She had another mid-term the next day. She left the Crossgates Mall at 9:20pm, boarding a bus to drop her off on campus at 9:45. A witness saw Suzanne exiting the bus that night, but she was never seen again. Over the next twenty years, investigators have struggled to solve her bizarre disappearance with little evidence and even less witnesses. Everyone in her life would become a suspect with many zeroing in on her long time boyfriend, Richard Condon. In the wake of her disappearance, her broken fa

Thirty-four year old Danielle Imbo was going through a divorce and raising her eighteen month old son. Through her best friend, Christine, she reconnected with her high school crush, Christine's older brother, thirty-five year old, single father Richard Petrone. The two clicked instantly. Their relationship was going well when Danielle's ex-husband began attempting to rekindle their romance. Unsure of what to do, Danielle decided it was more important for her to be single and provide a life for her son, and so she told both men that she needed space and time to work on herself. Five weeks later, on February 19th, 2005, Richard reached out to Danielle asking if she'd like to come out for a drink and see some bands perform. Needing a night out, Danielle agreed and the two headed down to South Street, in Philadelphia, where they met up with Richard's friends Anthony and Michelle. After a the music ended, they decided to call it an early night. Both were picking up their kids the next day and didn't want to be to

Fourteen year old Dana Bradley has gone to a friends house after school on December 14th, 1981 in St. John's, Newfoundland. She couldn't stay for too long, as it was her mother's birthday that night and she needed to get home. She planned to walk to a nearby bus stop and arrive home by 5:30pm. When 5:30 came and went, and Dana hadn't returned home, her mother and stepfather became concerned and began making calls. When they could find no sign of Dana, they reported her missing. Search efforts for Dana came up empty, though two witnesses came forward and reported seeing Dana hitchhiking the day before and ultimately getting in to a sedan, either a Dodge or a Plymouth, with extensive body damage and rust. Four days later, Dana's body was discovered in a remote, wooded location known as Maddox Cove. For the next thirty-six years, the search for Dana's murderer would lead investigators through thousands of interviews, hundreds of suspects and nearly one thousand vehicle searches. One man would come forward and co

In the summer of 2013, twenty year old Heather Elvis had an affair with Sidney Moorer, a much older married man she met through her job. When Sidney's wife, Tammy, found out, the relationship was severed and Heather became the subject of threats and insults. By December, Heather was moving on with her life and hoping to leave Sidney and Tammy in the past. She went out on a date and was excited for her future. In the early morning hours of December 18th, Heather mysteriously vanished. Her car was found abandoned at a remote boat landing not far from the Moorer's home. Over the next few weeks, Police investigated the possibility that Sidney and Tammy may have been involved in Heather's disappearance. The two were charged with murder, as well as indecent exposure, kidnapping and obstruction of justice. Most of the charges were dropped before going to trial, leaving the Elvis family wondering why. The Moorer's pointed the finger at Heather's father, accusing him of murdering his own daughter. The Elvis family fel

Thirty year old Steven Koecher was born into a large family, to two loving parents in November of 1979. A quiet child who enjoyed laughing, sports and music, Steven was raised up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His faith was strong, and as he grew into an adult, he became even more devout. Between his large family, his church and his community, Steven was surrounded by the love and support of a great many people who thought extremely highly of him. In the winter of 2009, Steven went on a series of strange road trips which he never told anyone about. Then, one morning, he got into his car and drove out to a quiet neighborhood, where he parked his car and walked away from it, never to be seen again. His family was floored by his disappearance, and investigators were perplexed about the highly mysterious nature of it. Over the years, countless searches were conducted and there was even an attempt to link Steven's disappearance to that of a woman who had vanished just a week prior. Left with l

Joel Lovelien took his fiancee to a Halloween party at the Broken Drum bar and grill in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday, October 27th, 2007. The party was big, and a bus pulled up pouring out 40 to 50 twenty-somethings making it even busier. Joel took a call outside, and when he returned, explained to his fiancee that he was going to check on someone he saw outside who may have been left behind. Moments later, a woman came in screaming to call 911 and Joel's fiancee made the grisly discovery of Joel's beaten body. He was rushed to the hospital, but died as a result of his wounds. The investigation began, but it contained a sordid cast of characters like you'd find in a bad comic book. Identities were unknown, but Police were looking for men dressed as a cowboy, hunter, lion, construction worker, gangsta rapper and a clown. When all was said and done, the Lion - a man named Travis Stay was arrested and tried for the murder, but ultimately, was found not guilty. While many believe Stay was the perpetrator

In October of 2010, twenty-four year old, single mother of two, Unique Harris was having a movie marathon sleepover with her sons and young cousin. After putting the children to bed, sometime between 10pm and 9am, Unique vanished from her apartment. When the children awoke the next morning they were scared because Unique was gone. Her family wasn't overly concerned until they discovered her glasses had been left behind, glasses which Unique couldn't go anywhere without. Days after her disappearance, Unique's mother Valencia told a reporter that in the weeks leading up to her vanishing, Unique witnessed a murder in the parking lot across from her apartment complex. This statement has fueled rampant rumors that Unique was murdered by the same person, though this has never been proven and even the murder is debated. In a case full of contradictory evidence and strange details, the mystery has only deepened over the years. Her family remains devastated by her loss and hopes one day to answer the question of where

Thirty-five year old wife and mother of two, Teresa Lynn Butler spent the evening of January 24th, 2006 with her sister-in-law. She went home that night to put her two and four year old sons to bed, received a call at approximately 10pm and seemingly vanished into thin air. When her husband, Dale, arrived home the next morning, he found his wife missing and his young sons fending for themselves. Items were missing from the home, and Teresa's jeep which was still parked in the driveway was missing its stereo. Investigators found the entire case perplexing as there were no signs of forced entry, nor any signs of a struggle. In the home, authorities would later find foreign DNA, though they have never confirmed where or in what form. A key was also found broken off in one of the homes door locks, and the light bulb on the front porch had been unscrewed. During the course of the investigation, no trace of Teresa was ever found and there were two cryptic, early morning phone calls made from her cell phone to indiv

Sneha Anne Philip was a thirty-one year old medical student in the final year of her residency. The year prior, she had married her med-school sweetheart and the two were now living in an apartment in Battery Park City. While on the surface, everything seemed to be moving along smoothly, a dark shadow of rumor and legal trouble was beginning to veil her life. Sneha was removed from her previous residency program under accusations of being late and alcohol related issues. She filed a police report alleged sexual assault by one of her co-workers, though the District Attorney would later charge Sneha with filing a false report. In the midst of the chaos, Sneha was alleged to have been engaging in extramarital affairs and her struggle with alcohol resulted in her suspension from her new residency. On the morning of September 10th, 2001, Sneha plead not guilty after refusing to recant her statement and have all charges dropped. That afternoon she spoke to her mother for several hours, and was last seen on surveill