The Trail Went Cold

Latest Episodes:

The Trail Went Cold - Minisode 28 - Michael and Chucky Palmer Sep 20, 2017

Show notes

June 4, 1999. Wasilla, Alaska. While spending the night at a friend’s house, 15-year old Michael Palmer slips out to attend a graduation party. While biking home with friends, Michael vanishes without a trace, but his bicycle and sneakers are soon discovered at separate locations. In April 2010, Michael’s older brother, Chucky, disappears while riding a snow machine in the Talkeetna Mountains. Even though his snow machine is recovered, Chucky himself is never found. This week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold” is one of the most tragic stories we’ve ever covered, as two brothers from the same family go missing under mysterious circumstances over a decade apart.

Thanks to HelloFresh for supporting our podcast. Go to www.HelloFresh.com and use the code cold30 to get $30 off your first week of deliveries.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/michael-timothy-palmer

http://charleyproject.org/case/charles-edwin-palmer-v

http://www.akfatal.net/Palmer%2006-04-97.htm

http://www.frontiersman.com/news/youth-still-missing-after-seven-years/article_4778a9bd-9231-5e38-bf8a-d2aa21a7fba1.html

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/last-brother/2010/04/16/

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 42 - Su Taraskiewicz Sep 13, 2017

Show notes

September 13, 1992. Boston, Massachusetts. While working as the ramp supervisor for Northwest Airlines at Logan International Airport, 27-year old Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz leaves in the middle of her shift to purchase food for her crew. She never returns and is not reported missing by her co-workers before she is found murdered inside the trunk of her car the following morning. One year later, Su’s mother finds her diary and is shocked to read that Su was the victim of non-stop sexual harassment at her workplace. In addition, some of her harassers would be indicted in a credit card theft ring. Could any of these revelations have played a role in Su’s death? Our latest episode of “The Trail Went Cold” has been released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Su Taraskiewicz’s unsolved murder. Special thanks to listener Casey James for providing the opening narration for today’s episode. At her request, we will also briefly discuss the unsolved murder of Donna Hart, which took place on August 8, 1968 in Dolgeville, New York.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/su-taraskiewicz/

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/cold_case_murder_of_susan_tara.html

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/14/mother-susan-taraskiewicz-still-seeking-justice-for-daughter-murdered/AJz9ePz8O0ozcxSGlmUR9J/story.html

http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/13/mother_holds_hope_she_can_help_solve_daughters_killing/

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-1st-circuit/1010974.html

Thanks to Winc for supporting our podcast. Get $22 and free shipping on your first order of wine at http://trywinc.com/cold.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Minisode 27 - Permon Gilbert Sep 06, 2017

Show notes

May 22, 1982. Hamersville, Ohio. 46-year old appliance repairman Permon Gilbert leaves his family’s home to perform some service calls. He never returns and his nude body is found in a ditch the following day. Investigators fail to turn up any strong leads, but numerous theories surround Permon’s murder. Was his death connected to drug trafficking? Was he killed because of his brother’s recent testimony in an organized crime case? Or could his murder have been the result of a secret affair gone wrong? We explore each of these possibilities on our newest minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/permon-gilbert/

http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/year-old-murder-case-investigated/article_7fe31cc0-93ef-5368-a534-ffeb277f87d6.html

http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/murder-case-getting-fresh-attention/article_f073c630-0f73-53cd-b489-0e8fc016c46e.html

Thanks to HelloFresh for supporting our podcast. Go to www.HelloFresh.com and use the code cold30 to get $30 off your first week of deliveries.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 41 - Mary Agnes Moroney Aug 30, 2017

Show notes

May 15, 1930. Chicago, Illinois. After a newspaper ad seeks assistance for the poverty-stricken family of two-year old Mary Agnes Moroney, a woman calling herself Julia Otis shows up at their home to help. She offers to take Mary Agnes shopping to buy her new clothes, but they never return. 22 years later, a woman named Mary McClelland comes forward after suspecting she might be Mary Agnes and experts conclude that she is probably the missing child. However, after Mary McClelland passes away in 2005, DNA testing shows no genetic connection between her and the Moroney family. So what happened to the real Mary Agnes Moroney? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” features the oldest cold case we’ve ever covered, which has gone from solved to unsolved again over the course of several decades.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Agnes_Moroney

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/moroney_mary.html

LIFE Magazine (Sep. 22, 1952)

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Minisode 26 - Elaine Johnson Aug 23, 2017

Show notes

November 30, 1990. Parma, Ohio. 41-year old Elaine Johnson vanishes without explanation from her apartment complex. She leaves behind her car and wallet, along with clothes in the laundry room dryer, and is officially reported missing three days later. A series of strange cryptic notes are found in Elaine’s apartment, leading to much speculation about her mental state at the time she went missing. However, suspicion also mounts against Elaine’s boyfriend, who changes his story about the last time he saw her. Did Elaine Johnson disappear voluntarily or did she meet with foul play? We explore each possible scenario on this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”.

Special thanks to Elaine’s daughter, Jodi, whose Facebook page, “Missing Person Elaine Benich Johnson”, is the source for much of the information on this minisode.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/elaine-johnson

https://www.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/2011/11/parma_police_seeking_informati.html

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 40 - William L. Toomey Aug 16, 2017

Show notes

December 4, 1982. Boise, Idaho. A stranger enters the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and takes his own life by swallowing a cyanide capsule. He carries a suicide note signed “William L. Toomey”, but this turns out to be a false name and the man is never identified. Years later, investigators explore a theory that Toomey’s suicide might be connected to the murders of two Catholic priests, Father Patrick Ryan and Father Benjamin Carrier. To further complicate matters, a suspect was arrested for Father Ryan’s murder only weeks before Toomey’s death, even though the evidence strongly suggested he was innocent of the crime. Who was the mysterious “William L. Toomey” and what compelled him to take his own life? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” is a very deep rabbit hole which explores multiple cold cases involving the Catholic Church and the possibility that they are related.

Additional Reading:

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/William_L._Toomey

https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2005-06-17/275319/

http://podles.org/case-studies/Rev-Patrick-Ryan-Case-Study-page1.htm

http://kyma.dgt.me/father-benjamin-j-carriers-murder-remains-unsolved/

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Minisode 25 - Angela Hammond Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

April 4, 1991. Clinton, Missouri. While driving home, 20-year old Angela Hammond stops at a phone booth to call her fiancee, Rob Shafer, and describes a suspicious-looking man in a pickup truck in the parking lot. Rob suddenly hears Angela scream and drives into town to check on her. He passes by a pick-up truck and sees Angela struggling with an unidentified man, but after attempting a pursuit, the transmission on Rob’s truck gives out and this is the last anyone ever sees of Angela. But who was Angela Hammond’s kidnapper and could this person have been responsible for other unsolved crimes which took place in the area during this time period? On this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we chronicle one of the most terrifying unsolved abductions you’ll ever hear about.

Additional Reading:

http://www.unsolved.com/gallery/angela-hammond

http://charleyproject.org/case/angela-marie-hammond

“Missing or Murdered in Missouri: Unsolved and Solved Cases” by Barbara Kemm-Highton

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 39 - Latricia White, Dub Wackerhagen, and Chance Wackerhagen Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

December 27, 1993. Lockhart, Texas. The body of 38-year old Latricia White is discovered in her bed after having been shot six times. Latricia’s live-in boyfriend, Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen, has vanished from their home, alongside his nine-year son, Chance. Three days later, Dub’s abandoned pick-up truck is discovered, containing many of his personal items and blood which does not belong to Latricia. Since Dub was known for having a volatile temper, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder and a warrant is issued for his arrest. However, over two decades later, the authorities announce that new evidence suggests Latricia, Dub and Chance were all victims of foul play. But who could have been responsible? Today’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” examines a baffling unsolved case which was voted on by our listeners in a Facebook poll.

Also, please check out the Charley Project profile pages for Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen and Chance Wackerhagen for more information.

Additional Reading:

http://unsolved.com/gallery/chance-wackerhagen/

http://archive.caller.com/news/local/crime/dps-looking-for-suspects-in-1993-murder-missing-persons-case-involving-kingsville-boy-33386e34-526b–380185871.html

http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Investigators-reopen-1993-Texas-murder-disappearance-case-379961121.html

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Minisode 24 - The Truth Fellowship Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

July 13, 2007. Nannup, Australia. 27-year old Chantelle McDougall lives with her six-year old daughter, Leela, Leela’s 45-year old father, Simon Kadwell, and their 40-year old friend, Tony Popic. Chantelle tells her parents that they are all taking a trip to Brazil together, but the group never returns and no paper trail can be found to suggest they left the country. It turns out that Simon Kadwell has been living under a stolen identity for years and is the leader of a doomsday cult called The Truth Fellowship. Did Simon convince his family to disappear with him in order to prepare for an impending apocalypse… or could something far more sinister have happened? This week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold” chronicles the story of a bizarre cult and four people who seemingly vanished into thin air.

Additional Reading:

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/baffling-mystery-of-a-cult-and-a-wa-family-who-vanished-10-years-ago/news-story/a941ec7b534905e59c7ec6f6b2997e36

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/fate-of-australian-doomsday-internet-cult-family-from-nannup-western-australia-remains-mystery/news-story/838f1baa6a6d069e3033df8b57ce88ee

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-13/police-say-new-lead-on-disappearance-of-family/4884546

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 38 - Mary Shotwell Little Jul 19, 2017

Show notes

October 14, 1965. Atlanta, Georgia. After having dinner with a friend, 25-year old bank secretary Mary Shotwell Little vanishes without explanation. The following day, her abandoned vehicle is discovered with traces of blood and Mary’s neatly folded undergarments inside. Mary’s gasoline card is also used at two separate service stations in North Carolina by a woman matching her description and two unidentified male companions. The case would contain a number of bizarre developments, including an odd kidnapping story from a prison inmate, allegations of a scandal at Mary’s workplace, and the subsequent unsolved murder of the woman who took over Mary’s job. Was Mary Shotwell Little abducted and murdered… or could she have actually staged her own disappearance? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” is undoubtedly one of the strangest, most convoluted missing persons cases we’ve ever covered.

This episode also contains a promo for “The Fall Line”, a new investigative true crime podcast on the disappearances of Jeannette and Dannette Milbrook.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/mary-shotwell-little

http://www.buckhead.net/history/mystery/msl_a.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1102670/posts

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9204080.html

http://maryshotwelllittle.blogspot.ca/2010/06/mary-shotwell-little-and-diane-shields.html

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.