UNSOLVED HOMICIDES: SARAH BOEHM AND KATHRYN MENENDEZ

When the bodies of two teenage girls missing from different states are found in the same remote location, investigators endeavor to identify and apprehend a potential serial killer. Top investigative professionals search for the final puzzle piece in a complicated hunt for the truth in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Who murdered 14-year-old Sarah Boehm and 17-year-old Kathryn Menendez? (Mandy Noell / WKBN News)

KDKA Mysteries: Law Enforcement Says There Is A Strong Person of Interest In Killing of Sarah Boehm Decades Later (CBS Pittsburgh)

The Body at Berlin Lake: Target 11 Investigates Cold Case Involving Rochester Teenager (Rick Earle / WPXI-TV)

Hidden Letter in Cold Case Released (ABC4 WTAE)

Murder Victim: Kathryn Menendez (FBI)

FBI Hoping for New Clues in Teen’s Cold Case Disappearance (WPXI News)

FBI: ‘Advanced’ Tech to Aid Search for Evidence in 1994 Murders (Dave O’Brien / Record Courier)

Alliance Cold Case Murder Victim’s Mom Remembers (Stephanie Ujhelyi / The Alliance Review)

Teens’ Bodies Found 800 Miles Apart in 1994 (Philip Rosenbaum / CNN)

Larry DeWayne Hall (Dr Mike Aamodt / Radford University Serial Killer Information Center)

If you have any information on the murders of Sarah Boehm and / or Kathy Menendez, please contact the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office at (412) 432-4000.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: ROSIE TAPIA

When a young girl is abducted from her Salt Lake City home in the dead of night and found in a nearby canal the next day, a decades-long search for the worst kind of predator begins. The hunt for a killer spans more than two decades and into the present-day in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Group Says it Has New ‘Solid’ Info on ’95 Murder of 6-Year-Old-Girl (Pat Reavy / Deseret News)

The Justice Files: $100,000 Reward Offered in Rosie Tapia Cold Case (Marcos Ortiz / ABC4 Utah)

25 Years After Rosie Tapia’s Death, Family is Still Searching for Killer (Paighten Harkens / Salt Lake Tribune)Neighbor Arrested in Murder of 6-Year-Old Sierra Newbold (Pat Reavy / KSL News)

Remembering Rosie: A Utah Family Searches for Hope and Justice in the 23-Year-Old Unsolved Murder of Rosie Tapia (McKayla Robinson / Deseret News)

New Cold Case Database Launching in Utah Hopes to Bring Closure to Victims’ Families (FOX13 News / Salt Lake City)

Will a Barbie Doll Help Catch Rosie Tapia’s Murderer? (Rosie Nguyen / ABC4 Utah)

Utah Cold Case Coalition

Rosa Maria “Rosie” Tapia (findagrave.com)

Barbie Doll Left on Grave of Six-Year-Old Rape, Murder Victim Could Shed New Light on Cold Case (Oklahoma’s News 4)

More than 22 Years After Murder of 6-Year-Old Rosie Tapia, Family Asks Public for Help (Christopher Smart / Salt Lake Tribune)

Women Describe Confrontations with Black Days After Sierra Newbold’s Murder (Pat Reavy / KSL News)

Neighbor Arrested in Murder of 6-Year-Old Sierra Newbold (Pat Reavy / KSL News)

The Justice Files: A Break? Or Just a Coincidence in Rosie Tapia Cold Case? (Marcos Ortiz / ABC4 Utah)

If you have any information regarding the abduction and murder of Rosie Tapia, please call the Salt Lake City Police at (801) 799-3000. OR, if you prefer to give a tip anonymously, you can text keyword TIPSLCPD to 274637 OR submit your tip anonymously online by visiting tipsubmit.com.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: KIMBERLY MORSE

When Rhode Island firefighters respond to a report of a blaze at an apartment building, they find themselves in the midst of a horrific crime scene when the smoke clears. Detectives theorize that a kind and adventurous woman’s murder was as personal as it was brutal in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Brutal Killer at Large (Amy Wallace / Sea Coast Online)

After One Year, Killer Remains Free (Richard Fabrizio / Sea Coast Online)

Detective to Killer: ‘When you think you got away with it–think again.’ (WPRI News)

Murdered: Kimberly Morse (Uncovered.com)

Kimberly Sue Morse Knew Her Killer (MurderSheTold.com)

If you know anything about the murder of Kimberly Morse, please contact the North Providence Police Department at 401-233-1430 OR call their anonymous tip line at 401-719-1449.

UNSOLVED SUSPICIOUS DEATHS: ARNOLD ARCHAMBEAU AND RUBY BRUGUIER

When three young South Dakotans survive a car crash, two of them walk away from the vehicle and aren’t seen again for three months, when their bodies are inexplicably discovered near the site of the crash. Question after question arises as investigators attempt to make sense of one of the most perplexing cases in South Dakota history in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier (Unsolved Mysteries / unsolved.com)

Video: Unsolved Mysteries Season 7, Episode 18 (Unsolved Mysteries via YouTube)

Area Sheriff Leaves Office After 28 Years (The Mitchell Republic)

FBI Closes Case in Strange Deaths of Lake Andes Pair (Sept. 12th, 1999 edition of the Rapid City Journal)

Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Page 13 March 5, 1993

The Effect of Body Mass on Outdoor Adult Human Decomposition (Lindsey G. Roberts et al / Journal of Forensic Science)

The Effect of Body Size on Decomposition in a Temperate Region of South Africa (A. Sutherland et al / International Forensic Science Journal)

Weather History for Lake Andes, SD (Farmer’s Almanac)

Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Page 2 April 18, 1995 (The Argus-Leader)

Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Page 2 March 20, 1993 (The Argus-Leader)

If you have any information about the deaths of Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier, please call the Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office at (605)487-7625.

BREAKING UPDATE: AMORE WIGGINS (OPELIKA’S BABY JANE DOE) IDENTIFIED, TWO CHARGED IN RELATION TO HER MURDER

January 19th, 2023 by Leah Owens

On January 19th, 2023, the Opelika Police Department announced breaking updates in the unsolved homicide of Opelika’s Baby Jane Doe–a case we covered in our December 19th, 2022 episode (Unsolved Disappearance: Andrea Knabel + Unsolved Homicide: Opelika Jane Doe). We have prepared a breaking update episode on Amore’s case, which will air on podcast platforms on January 20th, 2023. Meanwhile, here are the essentials of what we learned from today’s press conference.

Opelika’s Baby Jane Doe has been identified as Amore Wiggins, thanks to the hard work of the Opelika Police Department–especially Sgt. Alfred White–, the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Othram Labs, Astrea Labs, the Firebird Forensics Group, Coroner Bill Harris, geneologist Barbara Rae-Ventner and a variety of other professionals, law enforcement agencies and other groups.

Amore was born on January 1st, 2006, to her teenaged mother, Sherry Wiggins, of Norfolk, VA. Her father was then 32-year-old Lamar Vickerstaff Jr, a sailor in the US Navy then stationed in Norfolk. A few months after Amore was born, Lamar Vickerstaff married his fiancée–a woman named Ruth. In 2009, when Amore was a toddler, Lamar and Ruth Vickerstaff successfully pursued custody of her in a Virginia court. Her mother, Sherry, was not even granted visitation rights.

For 14 years, Sherry made steady child support payments to the Vickerstaffs, all while attempting to regain custody of the daughter she had not been allowed to see since she was deprived of custody. She had no way of knowing that her daughter had been murdered, or even that she was missing.

After being removed from her mother’s custody, Amore suffered horrific physical abuse, the evidence of which was later found written on her mostly-skeletal remains in the form of 15+ fractures (in various states of healing) to her skull, arms, legs, shoulders and ribs. In 2012, her remains were discovered near a mobile-home park in her father’s original hometown of Opelika, Alabama. She had been 4 or 5 years old at the time of her death. For more than a decade, investigators were frustrated by the fact that they didn’t know her name.

In 2022, advanced forensic DNA extraction and analysis techniques allowed investigators to finally identify Amore’s biological parents. Her mother, Sherry, has been fully cooperative with police and an asset to the investigation.

Lamar and Ruth Vickerstaff denied knowing anything about Amore’s identity or death when originally questioned by investigators. Amore’s mother, Sherry, provided investigators with legal and financial documentation that proved the Vickerstaffs had had physical and legal custody of Amore since 2009, and had also received steady child support payments during that time.

Amore’s father, Lamar Vickerstaff Jr, has been charged with felony murder in relation to Amore’s death. He has also been charged with failure to report a child missing.

Amore’s step-mother, Ruth Vickerstaff, has also been charged with failure to report a child missing.

Both of the Vickerstaffs were arrested on January 17th, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida, where they have been living since being stationed at Naval Base Mayport. At the time of the January 19th, 2023 press conference, they were both awaiting extradition to Alabama, where they will face the charges that have been leveled against them.

Opelika Police say the investigation is still active, and they need the public’s help in learning more about what Amore’s life with her father and step-mother was like. Please share Amore’s story with anyone you may know who lived in the Norfolk, Virginia or Opelika, Alabama areas at any point during or between the years of 2009-2011.

Sources used to research these updates:

The January 19th, 2023 Press Conference Given by the Opelika Police Department

If you have information regarding Amore Wiggins, Lamar Vickerstaff or Ruth Vickerstaff, You can reach the Opelika Police Department Detective Division at (334) 705-5220. Or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can call the Secret Witness Hotline at (334) 745-8665.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: MARINA BOELTER

When a young Indiana mother leaves work on New Year’s Eve, she never makes it to the celebration she planned to attend—instead, she disappears along with the final hours of the waning year. Investigators examine a variety of potential suspects—including an ex-boyfriend, an older man living a double-life, and a convicted killer next-door—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

ViCAP Missing Person: Marina Pearl Boelter–Bloomfield, Indiana (FBI.gov)

Missing: Marina Boelter (Uncovered.com)

Family of Missing Greene County Woman Desperate for Information (Laura Lane / The Herald-Times)

Disappearance of Bloomfield Teen Remains Unsolved (Tia Irish / Greene County Daily World)

Family of Missing Greene County Teen Seeking Information on her Disappearance (Laura Lane / The Herald Times)

Where is Marina Boelter? (WBIW.com)

Still a Mystery: Missing Blue Eyes (from Investigation Discovery / IMDB.com)

Prosecutor: Fatal Stabbing Was Self Defense (Ab Tonsing / The Herald-Times)

May 2rd, 1976 Edition of The Herald and Review Newspaper from Decatur, Illinois (via newspapers.com)

Mother of Missing Bloomfield Woman Not Giving Up (Laura Land / The Reporter Times)

Woman Last Seen Entering Car on New Year’s Eve (Lisa Trigg / Tribune Star)

Marina Pearl Boelter (The Charley Project)

If you have any information about the disappearance of Marina Boelter, please call the Indiana State Police at 317.232.8248 OR the Bloomfield Police Department at 812-384-4411.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: SARAH GREENHALGH

When a seasoned crime reporter’s home goes up in flames, first responders find her inside the blaze, deceased—but not from the fire. Northern Virginia authorities investigate the murder of a woman who dedicated her career to keeping the public informed on matters of law and justice in this episode of Last Seen Alive..

Sources used to research this episode:

A Sleuth in Life, an Intrigue in Death: Sarah Greenhalgh’s Murder Goes Unsolved After Five Years (Hannah Dellinger / The Faquier Times)

New details released in 2012 death of Upperville’s Sarah Greenhalgh (Evan Goodenow / The Loudon Times-Mirror)

Sarah’s Story (Crystal Brumme Kimball / Equiery.com)

John Sheldon Kearns Arrested on Probation Violation (ABC7 News)

Man Linked to Homicide Investigation Returns to Jail (Joe Beck / The Northern Virginia Daily)

First Responder Lethality on Domestic Violence Calls (Shawn Guy / GenesisShelter.org)

Almost Five Years Later, Reporter’s Death Unresolved (Evan Goodenow / The Winchester Star)

Video: Murder of Sarah Greenhalgh Goes Unsolved 5 Years Later (Piedmont Media via YouTube)

If you know anything about the murder of Sarah Greenhalgh, please contact the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 347-3300.

BREAKING UPDATE: TWO MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF CHONG MOUA YANG!

On December 22, 2022, two men were arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and felony firearm possession in relation to the Nov. 16, 2018 murder of Chong Moua Yang.

Chong–an avid, lifelong hunter–failed to return home from a trip to his favorite public land hunting spot on the day of his death. When his family went to search for him, fearing that he’d suffered some sort of medical emergency, they found two sets of footprints that led them to his body.

They found Chong lying at the foot of his tree stand, deceased from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. His hunting shotgun, hunting knife and backpack were nowhere to be seen, and had apparently been stolen.

The Bath Township Police diligently investigated Chong’s murder for four years, with the help of the FBI. Finally, on December 22, 2022, two local men–Robert Rodway (34) and Thomas Olson (34)–were arrested and charged with felony murder and felony firearm possession in relation to Chong’s murder. Investigators say that a plastic bag and hunting spray found at the scene of the crime helped lead them to Rodway and Olson.

Rodway and Olson are being held without bond, and are scheduled to attend a probable cause conference on January 5, 2023, and a preliminary hearing on January 12, 2023.

Sources used to research this update:

Two Men Charged in Cold Case Killing of Lansing Hunter in Bath Township in. 2018 (Lansing State Journal Staff / Lansing State Journal)

Two Arrested in Connection with 2018 Homicide of Hunter (Krystle Hollman / WILX10 News)

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: ANDREA KNABEL + UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: OPELIKA JANE DOE

When a Kentucky woman disappears, the missing persons search group she often volunteered with must look for one of its own. Questions and possibilities abound as the search for a beloved mother, sister, daughter and friend continues in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Also included in this episode: a request for information regarding the unsolved homicide of an unidentified young girl currently known as Opelika Jane Doe. Do you recognize this child?

Unsolved Disappearance: Andrea Knabel

Sources used to research this episode (Andrea’s Story):

Three Years Since Her Disappearance, Andrea Knable’s Family Holds Onto Hope For Answers, Closure (Darby Bean / WDRB News)

Missing: Andrea Knabel (uncovered.com)

On Her 40th Birthday, Andrea Knabel is Still Missing–And Her Family Still Wants Closure (Caray Grace / WLKY News)

‘Things Are Advancing’: Andrea Knabel’s Family Reflects on Three Years Since Her Disappearance, Provides Update on Case (Connor Steffen / WHAS11 News)

The Disappearance of Andrea Knabel (Alissa Fleck / crimescoop.org)

Bates (Ethan Samuel) vs. Commonwealth of Kentucky (via justia.com)


If you know anything about the disappearance of Andrea Knabel, please call the Louisville Metro Police Department at 502-574-7111 OR the anonymous tipline at 502-574-5673.

Unsolved Homicide: Opelika Jane Doe

Opelika’s Baby Jane Doe was 4-7 years old when she was murdered in or around 2011. Her remains were discovered in Opelika, Alabama. Investigators believe she may also have had ties to any or all of the following places: Norfolk, VA, Rockingham County, NC and Orlando, FL. Her most distinctive feature was her left eye, which appeared different than her right due to an injury that likely left her blind in that eye.

Do you recognize this child? Does she perhaps resemble the child of a friend or family member who you haven’t seen for the past decade+? Her autopsy revealed that she was badly abused throughout her short lifetime. It is very possible that she died at the hands of her guardian(s) and was never reported missing. If questioned regarding the child’s whereabouts, her guardian(s) may claim that she was adopted, or that they relinquished custody of her to another party.

Investigators in Opelika are working hard to give her her name back and diligently follow up on every tip received. Please report any possible information to the Opelika Police Department.

Sources used to research this episode (Opelika Jane Doe’s Story):

Alabama Jane Doe’s Identity Still a Mystery Despite Leads (Jasmine Williams / WSFA News)

New images: Opelika Police Department Continues to Investigate 2012 Jane Doe Cold Case (Hannah James / WRIC News)

Investigators Remain Hopeful in Identifying Opelika Baby Jane Doe One Decade After Her Discovery (Jolyn Hannah and Elizabeth White / WRBL News)

Alabama Murder Case Could Have Ties to Southeastern Virginia, Northeastern North Carolina (Amy Avery / WAVY.com)

Using Isotopes in Human Hair to Reveal Personal Characteristics for Forensic Investigations (National Institute of Justice)

Opelika Investigators Hope Sharper Images Turn Focus on “Baby Jane Doe” Killer (Elizabeth While / WRBL News)

If you recognize Opelika’s Baby Jane Doe / have any information regarding her identity or death, please call the Opelika Police Department at (334) 745-8665.

UNSOLVED QUADRUPLE-HOMICIDE: THE DARDEEN FAMILY

When an Illinois couple and their young children are murdered in an act of profound violence, investigators struggle to find anyone who might’ve wanted to harm the well-liked family. A decades-long investigation explores multiple possibilities, including the involvement of serial killers, in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Gruesome Murder of an Illinois Family Remains Unsolved as The Main Suspect is Executed (Bob Cyphers and Sara Bannoura / KMOV4 News)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri · Page 6, 11/21/1987 ed. (via newspapers.com)

13-Year Vigil of Fear Eases in Illinois Town (Flynn McRoberts / The Chicago Tribune)

Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells (Diana Fanning / St Martin’s Press)

How Serial Killer Ángel Reséndiz Used Railroads To Target, Murder His 9 Victims (Benjamin H. Smith / Oxygen.com)

‘Railroad Killer’ Executed in Texas (NBC News)

Tommy Lynn Sells (Michael Newton / The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri, Feb. 18th, 2001 · Page 15

The Coast to Coast Killer (Lisa Marie Fuqua via medium.com)

Killer Smile (John Macccormack / Dallas Observer)

If you know anything about the murders of Keith, Elaine, Peter and Casey Dardeen, please contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 618-244-8004.