The Vanished Podcast

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Replay: Alexandria "Ali" Lowitzer Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

On the afternoon of April 26th, 2010, 16-year-old Alexandria Joy Lowitzer, or Ali as she was known, got off of her school bus across from her home in Spring, Texas. Ali, a sophomore at Spring High School, wanted to walk up to her new workplace, The Burger Barn. She had a paycheck to collect and she told her mom she might be able to pick up a shift that afternoon. Her mom, Jo Ann, was reluctant because Ali had only been working there a few weeks and she hadn’t walked there before. Ali pleaded with her mom until she gave in.

Two boys got off the bus with Ali and noticed she lagged behind, not walking as she usually would towards her home, but going the opposite way, out of the neighbourhood in the direction of the Burger Barn.

Ali didn't make it to The Burger Barn and was never seen or heard from again.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Ali Lowitzer, please contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office 713-221-6000.

The episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Anna Priestland.

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Diana Avera Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

In the spring of 1982, 22-year-old Diana Avera was sent to Searcy Hospital, a mental health facility in southern Alabama. Diana was arrested for disorderly conduct in Foley, Alabama, where she lived. The details of her arrest are unknown because we only truly know what happened after her arrest. Diana had several mental health diagnoses, and the decision was made to send her to the mental health facility. Just three months later, around the beginning of August 1982, Diana allegedly escaped from the hospital and was never seen again. But is that really what happened 40 years ago in a case shrouded in secrets, abusive hospital practices, and unanswered questions?

If you have any information about Diana’s disappearance, please call the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at 251-574-8720.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Dorothy Goroshko Part 2: Mary Jane Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Dorothy Goroshko's story. You learned about Dorothy's life from her sons, John and Rick. Rick and John's lives were never easy, not before their mother disappeared and not after. Despite Dorothy's faults, Rick wants to find her, and John believes he deserves an answer. They lost their mother at a critical time in their lives. Rick and John were still kids, left to wonder if their mother had simply chosen to abandon them or if something terrible had happened to her. Neither outcome made them feel any better about any of it. The boys also had to work to maintain a roof over their heads and put food on the table.

On June 4, 1975, Dorothy Goroshko left home to meet friends for drinks at The Penalty Box in Boston, MA. Dorothy's group of friends were known to frequent that bar in North Station. Dorothy's friends recalled that she was with them that evening, and they stayed until closing. They said their goodbyes, and no one was sure where Dorothy headed next. There were rumors about after-hours clubs in the area, but no one could confirm that she had been at any of those establishments that night. Could Dorothy have headed home and gotten into an accident? Could she have gone home with someone she met that night? Or could she have gone to meet someone afterward? In recent years, one person has told a story about seeing Dorothy late that night.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dorothy Goroshko, please contact the Boston Police Department Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. If you want to remain anonymous, please call 1-800-494-TIPS or text "TIP" to 27463.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Dorothy Goroshko Part 1: The Monster Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

On June 4, 1975, Dorothy Goroshko went out to have drinks with some girlfriends in Boston, MA. Her three sons, ages 21, 14, and 12, were at home that evening and went to bed that night, not thinking anything was amiss. The following morning, Dorothy wasn't there. The younger two boys got themselves off to school and figured that their mother must have spent the night with a friend and she would be back by the time the school day was over. They were shocked that their mother still hadn't returned that evening. The boys weren't sure what to do, so they kept waiting. After a few days without word from their mother, Dorothy's son went to the police station to report her missing. Forty-eight years later, Dorothy's sons are still searching for answers.

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Case Continued: Ruth Egnoski - Open Secrets Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Last month, we shared Ruth Egnoski’s story with you. It was a complicated story to piece together from newspaper archives and what people could remember so many decades later. It felt as though there were many holes in the story that we may never get to fill in due to the passage of time. We couldn’t even nail down what year Ruth vanished.

We had submitted several record requests to the Delavan Police Department. Unfortunately, at the time that episode was produced, we had not heard anything. We decided to go forward with production because sometimes we never hear back, despite open records laws requiring a response within a specified period of time.

Less than a month after our episode aired, we were shocked to receive a large police file from the Delavan Police Department. The information in this file fills in many gaps in the story and answers many questions we had a month ago. What we learned while reading those files was shocking.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Ruth Egnoski, please call the Delavan Police Department at 262-728-6311.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Angelina Morales Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

On January 27, 2022, 23-year-old Angelina Morales got a pizza and went to her great aunt's house in Santa Ana, California, to share a meal with her. No one quite knows what happened after this, but others reported seeing Angelina around Santa Ana in early February. Then, Angelina's friends and family realized that no one could find her. Angelina has never been seen again, and what happened to her remains a dark mystery woven from cautionary tales, risk-taking, and shady characters who seem to want to forget Angie altogether.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Angelina Morales, please call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714-245-8665.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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James Lewis Part 2: The Airport Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Last week, we brought you the first part of James Lewis' story. Jim Lewis was a decorated veteran who had recently retired after serving in the United States Army for 25 years. Jim and his wife Patsy purchased a home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was supposed to be their forever home, after moving all over the US and the world for many years. They were putting their roots down finally, and Patsy was able to start hanging those pictures on the walls. But it didn't even last a year because, in October of 1982, Jim pulled out of the driveway headed to a job interview in Vero Beach, Florida, and never came home. The police were convinced that Jim had willingly abandoned his family, and they weren't interested in investigating. His family did what they could on their own, but that wasn't bringing them any solid answers. Then, Jim's car was found months later at the local airport in Fayetteville. It had been parked there since October 6, 1982, three days after Jim left, supposedly to drive to Florida. None of it seemed to make sense to his family. He always cared for them and wouldn't have left them this way. Over the years, some tidbits of clues have been revealed that could point to an outcome that no one ever saw coming.

If you have any information about the disappearance of James Lewis, please contact the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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James Lewis Part 1: The Hero Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

On October 3, 1982, 42-year-old James Lewis left his home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Jim told his family he planned to drive to Vero Beach, FL, for a job interview. Jim was a decorated veteran who had recently retired from the Army. He was a skilled pilot looking for something to do in the next phase of his life post-retirement. He was interviewing for a position ferrying airplanes from a dealer in Florida to buyers. After Jim left, his family never heard from him again, something that was very unusual for Jim. Months later, in January of 1983, Jim’s wife received a call from a local airport, stating that his car had been parked there since early October, just days after her husband had vanished. Had Jim actually driven to Florida? Had he taken a flight somewhere? Why was his car at the airport? These questions have haunted his family for more than 40 years.

If you have any information about the disappearance of James Lewis, please contact the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Replay: Christopher Abeyta Part 2 Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

Christopher Abeyta was just seven months old when he disappeared from his crib in his Colorado Springs, CO, home on July 15, 1986. For over 30 years, his family has continued to search and fight for justice. In recent years, a person of interest was identified. In Part 2, you will hear about the legal battle between this person of interest and the Abeyta family. We will also discuss some other recent developments in the case.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Christopher Abeyta, please call 1-800-The-Lost or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

You can follow Christopher's case at findchristopher.com or https://www.facebook.com/findchristopher/.

NCMEC video mentioned in the episode: Christopher Abeyta - A shocking disappearance

Inside Edition video mentioned in the episode: Recovery of Missing Children

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

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Replay: Christopher Abeyta Part 1 Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

Christopher Abeyta was just seven months old when he disappeared from his crib on July 15, 1986. His family lived in a quiet neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and were in the habit of leaving their doors unlocked. No one heard anyone come in and take Christopher that night, but by morning, he was gone. Panic immediately set in when no one could find the baby. They ran downstairs to find the front door left open. The investigation focused on the family for a long time, but in recent years, a person of interest has been identified. Even though detectives focused so much on the family, that didn't stop the Abeyta family from searching independently. One of Christopher's sisters, Denise, joined me for this episode.

In this first part of the story, we discuss the first 23 years of the search for Christopher.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Christopher Abeyta, please call 1-800-THE-LOST or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

You can follow Christopher's case at findchristopher.com or https://www.facebook.com/findchristopher/.

If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form.

Follow The Vanished on social media at:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.