Floodlights

INTERVIEW: Darlene Gomez Oct 28, 2024

42-year-old Melissa Montoya endured years of abuse at the hands of her partner. But in 2001, she vanished during a night out with friends in Dulce, New Mexico. In this episode, we interview Darlene Gomez, a relative, friend and lawyer who is fighting to find out what happened to Melissa -- and many other Indigenous people who are missing on Tribal lands.

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message.

CONNECT WITH FLOODLIGHTS!

You can follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater

You can follow On Native Ground @onnativegroundmedia

You can follow Blue Thistle Media @bluethistlepodcasts

For a full list of episode sources, please reach out to bluethistlemedia@gmail.com.

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UNSOLVED MURDER: Barbara Jean McNeil (Hoopa) Oct 20, 2024

Ask anyone in Hoopa, California, about Hoopa Tribal member Barbara Jean McNeil and they'll tell you the same thing: She was the sweetest woman. So, what exactly happened on the night she was beaten to death? What drove a person to murder her in such a violent way? And is the person responsible still walking around Hoopa to this day?

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message.

CONNECT WITH FLOODLIGHTS!

You can follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater

You can follow On Native Ground @onnativegroundmedia

You can follow Blue Thistle Media @bluethistlepodcasts

For a full list of episode sources, please reach out to bluethistlemedia@gmail.com.

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MISSING: Emmilee Risling (Hoopa) Oct 14, 2024

In October 2021, Hoopa Tribe member, Emmilee Risling, vanished from an isolated part of the Yurok Reservation in Northern California. But her story is not just about being a missing person, it’s about an entire system that failed to protect her when she needed help.

What you should also know is that Emmilee is the cousin of our Floodlights producer, Jack Kohler. When we describe this podcast as a personal project, we mean it. Jack, like many Native Americans, knows at least one missing or murdered relative. This crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people is real – and too often it’s up to Native people to fight the good fight alone.

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message.

CONNECT WITH FLOODLIGHTS!

You can follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater

You can follow On Native Ground @onnativegroundmedia

You can follow Blue Thistle Media @bluethistlepodcasts

For a full list of episode sources, please reach out to bluethistlemedia@gmail.com.

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SUSPICIOUS DEATH: Interview with Emma Lee Sanders on Trey Allen Glass Oct 08, 2024

In December 2023, Trey Allen Glass, a member of the United Keetoowah Bandin Oklahoma, leaves his family home with two friends. This is the last time anyone in his family will see him alive. For months, no one sees or hears from Trey but, in April 2024, a former police chief discovers Trey in a well on his property after briefly interacting with Trey on the last night his family sees him.

Today, Trey's cousin, Emma Lee Sanders, sits down with us for an interview. Emma walks us through the timeline of Trey's case and why, all these months later, she and her family still have concerns about the outcome of Trey's open case.

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message.

CONNECT WITH FLOODLIGHTS!

You can follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater

You can follow On Native Ground @onnativegroundmedia

You can follow Blue Thistle Media @bluethistlepodcasts

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INTERVIEW: Former police officer, Mark Pooley Sep 30, 2024

Former police officer, Mark Pooley, found his life changed forever when a serious illness stopped him in his tracks. Now, he's finding missing people through revolutionary technology.

Listen to how Mark is leading the way for not just Native families with missing loved ones, but non-Natives who are going through the same trauma.

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message.

CONNECT WITH FLOODLIGHTS!

You can follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater

You can follow On Native Ground @onnativegroundmedia

You can follow Blue Thistle Media @bluethistlepodcasts

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UNSOLVED MURDER: Terri Lynn McCloskey (Yurok) Sep 23, 2024

This episode was originally released on 07/08/2024. We're re-releasing it today in the hopes that someone, somewhere, knows information about Terri Lynn McCloskey's unsolved murder.

When 26 year-old Yurok Tribal Member Terri Lynn goes missing, no one could understand why anyone would have wanted to hurt this bright young woman. But nearly 40 years later, many questions remain. Where is the police file on Terri Lynn? Who allegedly confessed to her killing? And what do 17 nearby murders possibly have to do with Terri Lynn's case?

Episode sources:

Frater, Laura. "Who Killed Terri Lynn McCloskey?" Two Rivers Tribune, March 2023.

Frater, Laura. Interview with Allen McCloskey Senior, February 2023.

Frater, Laura. Interview with Allen McCloskey Junior, February 2023.

Unknown journalist. "Unsolved." Redding Record Searchlight archives, August 13th, 1989.

Unknown journalist. "Bones Identified as Those of Missing Hoopa Woman." Two Rivers Tribune archives, unknown date.

https://kobi5.com/news/yurok-tribe-investigator-rescues-woman-from-potential-human-trafficking-223415/

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/americas-greatest-detective-finalist-detective-julia-oliveira/

Do you have a story you'd like to see covered on Floodlights? Follow us on Instagram @floodlightspod and send us a message. We'll get back to you.

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MYSTERIOUS DEATHS: Trey Allen Glass, Cole Brings Plenty & Noah Presgrove Sep 16, 2024

What exactly happened to Trey Allen Glass, Cole Brings Plenty and Noah Presgrove? In this episode, we take you through the mysterious deaths of three young men which remain shrouded in mystery, from a well in rural Oklahoma, to a dark empty road on the Chickasaw Nation. Trey, Cole and Noah were all at the beginning of adulthood before they died. Today, we ask our listeners this question: Who knows what happened to each man? And why aren't they coming forward?

If you'd like to get to know the team behind Floodlights and share cases you'd like to see covered, you can follow and direct message us on any of the following Instagram accounts:

@floodlightspod
@lauraelizabethfrater
@onnativegroundmedia

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MISSING AND MURDERED: The Highway of Tears Sep 09, 2024

On Canada's Highway 16, a long, desolate stretch of road is dubbed The Highway of Tears. Dozens of women, many of whom are Indigenous, have gone missing or turned up dead on this highway. Today, we walk you through some of the road's most tragic cases and how the First Nations surrounding the highway are doing their part to protect vulnerable women.

You can follow the show on Instagram @floodlightspod.

Link to E-Pana site: E-PANA

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xz63Vppw3gE

https://www.thenorthernview.com/news/prince-rupert-ranks-in-top-20-of-magazines-canadas-most-dangerous-places-list-5970333

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/highway-of-tears-bus-year-one-1.4517211

https://tearstohopesociety.com/signs/jill-stuchenko/

https://tearstohopesociety.com/signs/natasha-montgomery/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cody-legebokoff-sentenced-to-life-on-4-counts-of-1st-degree-murder-1.2768118

https://indianz.com/News/2011/10/17/murder-charge-laid-over-2010-d.asp

https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/serial-killer-highway-tears/

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/what-is-bc-highway-of-tears#:~:text=It's%20known%20as%20the%20Highway,murdered%20Indigenous%20women%20and%20girls.

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INTERVIEW: Faith Hedgepeth (UNSOLVED MURDER) Sep 02, 2024

In 2012, Faith Hedgepeth (Haliwa Saponi) was murdered in her off campus apartment in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. At the time, she was a promising student at UNC. In 2021, almost a decade after Faith's death, Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares was arrested and charged with her murder. But in 2024, he is still awaiting trial.

In this interview episode, Consuela Richardson, Faith's cousin, discusses who Faith was as a person, as well as why Olivares might have been charged with her murder.

You can listen to our case episode on Faith's story by searching "Faith" in our feed.

Follow the show on Instagram @floodlightspod.

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UPDATE: Terri Lynn McCloskey (UNSOLVED MURDER) Aug 29, 2024

In our first ever update episode, we discuss where Terri Lynn McCloskey (Yurok) may have headed shortly before her death. Thanks to members of law enforcement tuning in to Floodlights and providing thoughtful insights to our team, we offer some potential clarity on this unsolved murder.

If you haven't listened to Terri Lynn's story yet, please search "Terri Lynn" in our feed -- her case is our first ever episode. Terri Lynn was in her 20s when she died and her family are still waiting for justice to be served. Please share her episode AND this update episode across your social media. You never know who might hear it.

You can follow the show on Instagram @floodlightspod.

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MISSING: Nick Vigil and Virgil Bussell Jr. (Hoopa Tribe) Aug 27, 2024

On two rural roads on the Yurok Reservation, two trucks belonging to two missing men are found within weeks of each other as the Covid 19 pandemic unfolds. This episode covers the cases of Nick Vigil and Virgil Bussell Jr. (Hoopa Tribe), both of whom remain missing. So, what happened to these two men? And what is the link, if any, between their cases?

You can follow the show @floodlightspod.

Episode sources:

Interviews with Debbie Frisiello (2022 and 2024) by Laura Frater (phone)

Interview with Investigator Destry Henderson (HCSO) (2022) by Laura Frater (phone)

Interview with Alicia Aduelo (2022) by Laura Frater (text)

Interview with Frank Surber (2023) by Laura Frater (in person)

https://kymkemp.com/2024/02/25/vigilance-a-mothers-four-year-search-for-her-missing-son-she-offers-a-25000-reward-to-find-her-only-child/

https://kymkemp.com/2020/04/29/fortuna-man-missing-since-february-police-seek-publics-assistance/

https://coldcasemendocino.wordpress.com/tag/hoopa/

https://kiem-tv.com/2020/03/26/fortuna-man-still-missing-2/

https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/virgil-owen-bussell-jr

https://humboldtgov.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2621&ARC=3957

https://kymkemp.com/2020/04/11/weitchpec-man-still-missing-family-received-a-ransom-note-and-tracker-found-possible-evidence-indicating-foul-play/

https://krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/eureka-local-news/missing-native-man-still

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Listen Now: Floodlights Aug 21, 2024

From the creator of The Vanishing Point, Floodlights is a weekly true crime show covering major crimes impacting Tribal nations. From the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, to scandals and conspiracies created by an unfair legal system, Floodlights investigates the stories America needs to hear now. Hosted by investigative journalist, Laura Frater.

Follow Laura @lauraelizabethfrater.

Follow Floodlights at @floodlightspod.

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INTERVIEW: Journalist Allie Hostler (Hoopa Tribe) Aug 19, 2024

What's it like to cover, as a journalist, your own missing family members, friends, and neighbors? This week we talk with Allie Hostler, editor of the Two Rivers Tribune, a local newspaper in the Hoopa Valley on the Hoopa Reservation. Hoopa is home to many Tribal Nations including the Hoopa, Karuk and Yurok Tribes. Allie shares her “day in the life” as a newspaper editor, what it’s like reporting on missing people in her own community, and the jurisdictional challenges that the Hoopa Tribal police face today.

Find out more about the missing people cases mentioned in this episode (all these cases will be covered in the coming months on Floodlights):

Emmilee Risling

Sumi Juan

Andrea "Chick" White

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MISSING: Khadijah Britton (Round Valley Tribe) Aug 12, 2024

On February 8th, 2018, Khadijah Britton (Round Valley Tribe) was forced into a car at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend, Negie Fallis, on the Covelo Reservation in California. In this week's episode, former police officer Trent James, who worked Khadijah's case, explains what led up to her disappearance and what he believes happened to Khadijah after her kidnapping.

Anyone with information regarding Khadijah's case is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at (707)234-2100 or the FBI San Francisco Division at (415) 553-7400. Tips can be anonymous. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

You can follow Floodlights on Instagram @floodlightspod.

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MISSING AND MURDERED: Angela (Hoopa), Michael and Mary (Tulalip) Aug 05, 2024

Angela McConnell (Hoopa) and her boyfriend, Michael Bingham Jr., were found dead on a road near his family's property in Northern California. Years later, the case has been put through multiple detectives -- and a private investigator -- with no answers and only cryptic suggestions as to who is responsible. Meanwhile, in the state of Washington, Mary Johnson (Tulalip) remains missing after she walked down Fire Trail Road on the way to a friend's house. Before she vanished, she made a "desperate sounding" call to an unknown woman.

Today, all the families tied up in these cases are asking the same thing: who is responsible?

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MISSING: Daniel Robinson (Part I) Jul 29, 2024

On June 23rd, 2021, geologist Daniel Robinson left his job site in Buckeye, Arizona - an area within one to two hours of multiple Indian reservations. Since then, there have been no confirmed sightings of Daniel. In this week's episode of Floodlights, we interview David Robinson, Daniel's father, who walks us through Daniel's case. From questions about when and where Daniel's car was located to the mystery surrounding an unknown person who entered Daniel's apartment after he went missing, David tells us what we need to know to keep Daniel's case alive.

In the coming weeks, we'll be uploading Part II of Daniel's episode which will further investigate his case.

You can follow Floodlights on Instagram @floodlightspod.

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SCANDAL: The Crisis of Missing People on Tribal Lands Jul 22, 2024

In October 2021, 33 year-old Emmilee Risling spent a few nights at the home of an acquaintance at the "End of the Road" on the Yurok Reservation. After she supposedly left, Emmilee was never seen or heard from again. In this episode, we interview Judge Victorio Shaw, a cousin of Emmilee, who explains how federal and state law contributed not only to the MMIP crisis, but the challenges associated with finding Emmilee.

You can follow Floodlights on Instagram @floodlightspod.

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UNSOLVED MURDER: Faith Hedgepeth (Haliwa Saponi) Jul 16, 2024

When UNC Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth is murdered in her off campus apartment, the UNC community is shocked -- especially since it's been just four short years since their student body president, Eve Carson, was also murdered near her off campus home. But in 2024, Faith's alleged killer remains in jail nearly three years after his arrest. In this episode, we take a deep dive into Faith's story and speak with Faith's father, Roland Hedgepeth, about why he believes Faith's case remains open.

You can follow the show @floodlightspod.

Episode sources:

Frater, Laura. Interview with Roland Hedgepeth. March 2024.

https://www.wral.com/news/local/page/2596473/

https://www.rentable.co/durham-nc/hawthorne-at-the-view

https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/family-slain-unc-student-faith-hedgepeth-desperate-answers-nearly-eight-n1187001

https://www.haliwa-saponi.org/

https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/crime-tracker/cold-case-files/cold-case-files-the-cold-case-that-got-solved-nine-years-later/#:~:text=DURHAM%2C%20N.C.%20(WNCT)%20%E2%80%94,second%20decade%20of%20her%20life.

https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/10/on-last-night-an-uncertain-timeline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsTrd5p4VCk

https://abcnews.go.com/US/murdered-unc-students-final-moments-police-happened-faith/story?id=42281581

https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/crime-tracker/cold-case-files/cold-case-files-the-cold-case-that-got-solved-nine-years-later/#:~:text=Faith's%20body%20was%20bloody%20and,other%20places%20in%20the%20apartment.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eOXY0LgH3yY&pp=ygUTS2FyZW5hIHJvc2FyaW8gY2FsbA%3D%3D

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/08/who-is-amanda-knox-interview

https://www.wral.com/news/local/page/2596473/

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article10051073.html

https://www.wral.com/story/here-s-why-it-s-taking-lawyers-so-long-to-prosecute-the-suspect-in-2012-of-unc-chapel-hill-student-faith-hedgepeth/20821516/

https://www.wral.com/video/family-friends-defend-man-charged-with-murder-of-faith-hedgepeth/19880441/

https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/murdered-faith-hedgepeth/

https://heavy.com/news/miguel-enrique-salguero-olivares/

https://www.wral.com/story/private-investigator-who-worked-on-hedgepeth-case-believes-more-arrests-charges-possible/19894974/

https://americanindiancenter.unc.edu/our-initiatives/student-engagement/aic-scholastic-awards/

https://justiceforfaith.com/

Landry, Alyssa (September 9, 2015). "Three Years Later: Still No Answers for Murdered Native Student's Family". Indian Country Media Network. Retrieved September 4, 2017.

Lopez, Ed; Valiente, Alexa (September 22, 2016). "Murdered UNC Student's Final Moments: What Police Say Happened to Faith Hedgepeth". ABC News. Retrieved September 4, 2017.

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SPECIAL EPISODE: How Floodlights Came To Be Jul 09, 2024

When Emmilee Risling (Hoopa) and Andrea "Chick" White (Hoopa) went missing, no one could predict that it would bring together two people from opposite sides of the world. In this bonus episode to celebrate the launch of Floodlights, we explain how this new weekly true crime podcast came to be.

You can follow the show @floodlightspod.

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UNSOLVED MURDER: Terri Lynn McCloskey (Yurok) Jul 09, 2024

When 26 year-old Yurok Tribal Member Terri Lynn McCloskey goes missing, no one could understand why anyone would have wanted to hurt this bright young woman. But nearly 40 years later, many questions remain. Where is the police file on Terri Lynn? Who allegedly confessed to her killing? And what do 17 nearby murders possibly have to do with Terri Lynn's case?

You can follow the show @floodlightspod.

Episode sources:

Frater, Laura. "Who Killed Terri Lynn McCloskey?" Two Rivers Tribune, March 2023.

Frater, Laura. Interview with Allen McCloskey Senior, February 2023.

Frater, Laura. Interview with Allen McCloskey Junior, February 2023.

Unknown journalist. "Unsolved." Redding Record Searchlight archives, August 13th, 1989.

Unknown journalist. "Bones Identified as Those of Missing Hoopa Woman." Two Rivers Tribune archives, unknown date.

https://kobi5.com/news/yurok-tribe-investigator-rescues-woman-from-potential-human-trafficking-223415/

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/americas-greatest-detective-finalist-detective-julia-oliveira/

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Official Trailer: Floodlights May 19, 2024

From the creator of The Vanishing Point comes a weekly true crime podcast covering major crimes impacting Tribal nations. From the MMIP crisis and beyond, investigative journalist, Laura Frater, investigates the stories that America needs to hear now. Coming June 17th.

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