Still Unknown: An Unsolved True Crime Podcast

In this special episode of Still Unknown, I am talking with Jax Miller, author of "Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls", which is available from all major booksellers today! The book is the story of missing teenage best friends from Oklahoma, Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible.  Jax will be taking part in a virtual event on the day this episode releases, July 28 at 7 P.M. Central Time. Register to attend the event here: https://www.magiccitybooks.com/event/virtual-event-jax-miller/ Buy "Hell in the Heartland" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1984806300/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jessica Easterly Durning had finally had enough abuse from her husband Justin and was ready to leave him. On August 12, 2019, she talked with her friend Maria, and made plans for Maria to come get her the following day. When Maria didn't hear from Jessica the following day, she assumed that Jessica had changed her mind. However, she suddenly was unable to get a hold of her friend. The day after that, Justin sent a message to Maria from Jessica's Facebook account asking if she had heard from Jessica, that he had not seen her since noon that day. While Justin was apprehensive to contact police to report his wife missing, Maria immediately took action herself, contacting police as well as Jessica's family. The following week, on August 22, Jessica's body was discovered just 2 and a half blocks from her home, badly decomposed. While she had suffered great bodily injury, the coroner to this day has her death listed as undetermined. What happened to Jessica Easterly? Did Justin murder her in a rage after finding out she intended to leave him? And why haven't authorities been taking Jessica's case seriously? Jessica's and Maria's texts read by Alison from the "Joey & Alison: Mental Health Warriors" podcast. A huge thank you to Jessica's sisters Audrey and Amanda and her friends Maria and Jen for being a primary source of information for this episode! Visit justice4jessica.org for all the information on Jessica's case and sign up for the mailing list to follow along with any new developments. Visit Audrey's Twitter page https://twitter.com/AudreyA07679092.

For 20 year old Vanessa Guillen, it had been a dream of hers to join the US Army and proudly serve her country. A native of Houston, Texas, Vanessa joined the army after graduating from high school, and was stationed at Fort Hood, nearly 200 miles from home. Around the beginning of April of this year however, Vanessa's mother began to notice a change in her daughter's behavior when she would speak with her. The normally happy and outgoing Vanessa had suddenly become withdrawn and wasn't herself. When asked what was wrong, Vanessa confided in her mother that one of her sergeants had been sexually harassing her. When her mother tried to get a name for the sergeant so she could call in a complaint, Vanessa wouldn't reveal it out of fear that she would get in trouble, and she just promised her mother that she would take care of it herself. On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 22, Vanessa Guillen would disappear with nothing more than the clothes on her back. Her family has been searching for her ever since with the added help of a congresswoman and even a few celebrities. But two months later, no trace of Vanessa has been found, and now foul play is suspected. Sources for this episode: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/foul-play-suspected-in-case-of-missing-fort-hood-soldier-vanessa-guillen/2020/06/26/e2fc4e9e-b659-11ea-a8da-693df3d7674a_story.html https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-06-24/texas-official-army-suspects-foul-play-in-disappearance https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/us/vanessa-guillen-missing-soldier-reward-baby-bash-trnd/index.html https://medium.com/fearless-she-wrote/where-is-vanessa-guillen-71e2da121f82 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/unidentified-remains-found-near-area-where-soldiers-remains-discovered-sources-say/ar-BB162ZMg?ocid=se http://findvanessaguillen.com/ Audrey Moran & Jonathan Reynoso UPDATE: https://kesq.com/news/2020/06/27/arrests-made-in-case-of-missing-couple-audrey-moran-and-jonathon-reynoso/?fbclid=IwAR2bWGt1QxKUrfnvwmnjt6umVOANWy3ZvSCjzyQBtsntqzZ60Uot3NSNsbQ Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stillunknownpodcast/?multi_permalinks=2953201048125757¬if_id=1593350525518200¬if_t=group_activity&ref=notif Visit reapersbrew.com and get 10% of any first purchase with the coupon code "unknownpod".

Mitrice Richardson was a beautiful 24 year old woman who had just graduated from Cal State, Fullerton with a Bachelor's degree in psychology and a 4.0 gpa, with plans to become a child psychologist. She was also beginning to exhibit odd behavior and wasn't herself. On the evening of September 16, 2009, Mitrice was driving in Malibu, California, which was 40 miles from her home in Los Angeles, when she made a spur of the moment decision to stop at a restaurant for dinner, a decision which would have a lasting impact on Mitrice and her loved ones. After acting odd all throughout dinner and then attempting to leave the restaurant without paying, the police are called and Mitrice is arrested and taken into custody. When her mother calls the following morning with plans to come pick up Mitrice, she's distressed to learn that Mitrice had been released several hours prior in the dead of night. Her car had been impounded, and she had no phone, no money, no way of getting home, and was in an area she was completely unfamiliar with. Aside from a bizarre sighting later that morning, no trace of Mitrice Richardson was found for nearly a year, until on August 9, 2010, her remains were found in a canyon. Police concluded she had been in a manic state when she entered the canyon and died from exposure, but the family continues to fight for answers. How could someone in a state such as Mitrice was that night have just been allowed to leave in an area she was unfamiliar with, with no reliable way of finding her way home? And how did she truly end up where she would? 

Huge thanks to my friend Dani from the “Hear No Evil” podcast for joining me for this episode! Subscribe to her podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hear-no-evil/id1507748156 

Sources for this episode: 

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/what-happened-to-mitrice-richardson/

https://medium.com/true-crime-by-cat-leigh/woman-found-dead-after-being-released-from-jail-55e6b0fb34c1

https://www.advocate.com/news/news-features/2009/11/16/where-mitrice-richardson

https://www.foxla.com/news/10-years-after-death-of-mitrice-richardson-case-remains-cold

Petition on change.org: https://www.change.org/p/curren-price-reopen-mitrice-richardson-s-case?recruiter=1112105893&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=53375be0-a86d-11ea-ab3e-e737a6e83d3d&utm_content=fht-22619848-en-us%3Av12

26 year old Audrey Moran left her sister's home in Coachella, California on the evening of May 10, 2017 to go pick up her boyfriend, 28 year old Jonathan Reynoso in the town of Brawley and drive him to his home in Palm Desert. The following day, Audrey's family would make numerous attempts to get in touch with her, but after receiving no response, would report her missing. On the morning of May 12, her vehicle was found abandoned on the side of I-10, west of Oak Valley Parkway in Beaumont, California. The vehicle appeared to be in working order but there was no sign of Audrey or Jonathan. A full investigation was launched into the couple's disappearance and 3 main theories would emerge. The first would be speculation that the couple ran away together. The 2nd would involve another man that Audrey was believed to have had a relationship with. The 3rd would be that foul play from another source is possible. It's been 3 years since Audrey and Jonathan vanished. Their cell phones haven't been able to be tracked anywhere, there has been zero activity with their financial accounts, and no other trace of the couple has been found. 

Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stillunknownpodcast

FIND AUDREY MORAN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findaudreymoranandjonreynoso

Sources for this episode: https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2020/01/18/the-disappearances-of-audrey-moran-jonathan-reynoso/ https://thetruecrimefiles.com/audrey-moran-and-jonathan-reynoso-disappearance/ https://kesq.com/news/2020/05/10/a-sad-day-for-two-moms-during-the-3-year-anniversary-of-a-missing-coachella-valley-couple/?fbclid=IwAR08ET8CNBaA981k4aoLKXPQjbqAPrXR3VE3wkQGjyeUcGSdEzsZRsDPyOs #BlackLivesMatter Sign the petitions: https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/ https://www.runwithmaud.com/ https://www.standwithbre.com/ Where to donate: https://www.naacpldf.org/ https://www.aclu.org/ https://fairfight.com/ https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/

Don Henry and Kevin Ives were two teenage boys from Bryant, Arkansas and were the best of friends with each other. On the night of Saturday August 22, 1987, the two boys met with a group of friends hanging out in a parking lot before going back to Don's house. At just after midnight, the two boys left again to do some night hunting in an area along some train tracks behind Don's house. It was the last time the two boys would be seen alive. Just a few hours later, a train was coming down the tracks when the operator noticed two bodies laying completely still across the tracks. Despite all efforts to stop the train, it was unable to and the bodies were run over and badly mangled. The bodies turned out to be those of Kevin and Don. Their deaths were ruled to be accidental, despite strong evidence suggesting they were murdered. Deeper looks into this case would take those looking down a rabbit hole of corruption, politics and the drug trade of the 1980s. Over 30 years later, the case of what exactly happened to Don Henry and Kevin Ives in the early morning hours of August 23, 1987 are still a mystery.  "The Boys on the Track" by Mara Leveritt on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Tracks-mothers-crusade-justice-ebook/dp/B005EJAFZC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+boys+on+the+tracks&qid=1586536587&sr=8-1 Unsolved Mysteries episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQDNlx1tI&t=1971s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMg534fUujQ&t=925s Sources for this episode: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-19-mn-118-story.html https://katv.com/community/7-on-your-side/back-to-the-tracks-a-new-witness https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2vp4XpGs4&list=PLKWUUggJ90bKTvulEmFeq7TMgpCCVqP88

Don Henry and Kevin Ives were two teenage boys from Bryant, Arkansas and were the best of friends with each other. On the night of Saturday August 22, 1987, the two boys met with a group of friends hanging out in a parking lot before going back to Don's house. At just after midnight, the two boys left again to do some night hunting in an area along some train tracks behind Don's house. It was the last time the two boys would be seen alive. Just a few hours later, a train was coming down the tracks when the operator noticed two bodies laying completely still across the tracks. Despite all efforts to stop the train, it was unable to and the bodies were run over and badly mangled. The bodies turned out to be those of Kevin and Don. Their deaths were ruled to be accidental, despite strong evidence suggesting they were murdered. Deeper looks into this case would take those looking down a rabbit hole of corruption, politics and the drug trade of the 1980s. Over 30 years later, the case of what exactly happened to Don Henry and Kevin Ives in the early morning hours of August 23, 1987 are still a mystery. Sources for this episode: "The Boys on the Tracks" by Mara Leveritt: https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Tracks-mothers-crusade-justice-ebook/dp/B005EJAFZC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+boys+on+the+tracks&qid=1586536587&sr=8-1 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-19-mn-118-story.html https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2018/08/28/fahmy-malak-former-medical-examiner-dies-in-florida

Kristi Krebs was described as a cheerful and upbeat young woman with aspirations to become a chef. On April 30, 1990, she was driving around aimlessly for hours while daydreaming when she became lost on a country road and her car eventually became stuck in the mud. This incident would lead to Kristi having a psychotic break for which she was hospitalized. Her state would eventually improve however with the help of medication and therapy, and she went back to living her life as she had before. For the next 3 years, all seemed to be well with Kristi until August 9, 1993, when a very similar incident occurred where Kristi again became stuck in the mud on a country road after driving around aimlessly. This time, she would walk away and disappear. Multiple sightings have been reported since, but nearly 27 years later, Kristi Krebs still has not been found. Sources for this episode: https://www.advocate-news.com/2019/05/09/where-is-kristi-krebs/  https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Kristi_Krebs https://unsolved.com/gallery/kristi-krebs/ http://charleyproject.org/case/kristi-suzanne-krebs https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2306102-181/fort-bragg-parents-use-technology  https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=53441147&itype=cmsid https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/e36xpm/the_mysterious_disappearance_of_kristi_suzanne/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Polly_Klaas 

22 year old Jane Boroski was driving home from the county fair in Keene, New Hampshire late on the night of August 6, 1988, when she stopped for a soda at a machine outside of a closed convenience store. She was 7 months pregnant and it was a hot summer night. She got a soda from the machine, went back to her car, and sat there for a moment to have the drink. She gave little thought to a Jeep Wagoner that had pulled into the parking lot and parked right next to her. She however noticed when the man driving the vehicle walked around the back of her car and right up to her window. He asked her if the payphone was working, and then immediately opened her door, reached in and grabbed her and dragged her out of her car and held a knife to her. At a certain point, Jane attempts to break free and run away from her attacker, but he catches up to her, takes her to the ground, and stabs and slashes at her multiple times. He stops after a while, and gets up and goes back to his vehicle and drives away, leaving Jane for dead. Jane struggles to make her way back to her car, but manages to do so, and drives off to a friend's house down the road to get help. She makes it to her friend’s house, who calls 911, and despite the vicious attack, Jane, and her unborn child, both survive the ordeal. Jane doesn't realize it, but she is a potential survivor of the Connecticut River Valley Killer, who is believed to have murdered at least 7 other women over the previous decade. And to this day, the killer's identity is still unknown. References for this episode: https://www.reformer.com/stories/a-cold-case-heats-up,263125 https://www.reformer.com/stories/stabbing-victim-ids-attacker-years-later,260393 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_River_Valley_Killer The Shadow of Death on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Death-Connecticut-Valley-Killer-ebook/dp/B07D7PYHKK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+shadow+of+death&qid=1578329377&sr=8-1 Follow the podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/stillunknownpodcast?igshid=ba7n74qe7low