UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: DEBORAH POE

When a hard-working Florida woman vanishes from behind the counter of her nightshift job at a convenience store, a massive search is launched. A series of chillingly similar disappearances suggests the possibility of a serial predator preying upon female cashiers in the Sunshine State in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

1076DFFL – Deborah Deann Poe (The Doe Network)

Unsolved Mysteries Season 4, Episode 8 (via YouTube)

Deputies Say Missing Clerk Left in Car (Orlando Sentinel)

The Orlando Sentinel, February 7th, 1990 Ed. (via newspapers.com)

Crime Update (Orlando Sentinel)

The Orlando Sentinel, March 28th, 2002 Ed. (via newspapers.com)

UNSOLVED: The 1989 Disappearance, Gruesome Murder of Darlene Messer (Katie Jeffries / First Coast News)

Tampa Tribune, May 20th, 2000 Ed. (via newspapers.com)

Ruskin Truck Driver Acquitted in Clerk’s Abduction, Slaying (Gary Sprott / The Tampa Tribune)

How Many Did He Kill? The Mystery of Convicted Killer Mark Riebe (Matt Gilligan / Investigation Discovery)

Could There Have Been Two Serial Killers? (Tom McLaughlin / Northwest Florida Daily News)

Mark Riebe: Sins of the Father (Lost n Found by Crystal Dawn / Heather Graupman)

Deborah Poe Vanished 25 Years Ago from Circle K in East Orange (Tiffany Walden / Orlando Sentinel)

If you know anything about the disappearance of Deborah Poe, please contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 407-254-7000.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: BEVERLY JAYE POTTER-MINTZ

When a young coastal North Carolina mother is brutally murdered in her own home, investigators determine that her killer was likely a man who had responded to a classified sale ad she’d placed in a local paper. Investigators continue to pursue a killer who’s managed to evade law enforcement for decades in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Family Holding Out Hope for Justice 34 Years After Brutal Murder of North Carolina Mother Jaye Potter Mintz (Andrea Cavallier / NBC News)

Cold Case: Jaye Potter-Mintz (Kacey Gaumer / WECT News 6)

New DNA Technology Used to Test Evidence in 1987 Murder (Hannah Patrick / WWAY3 News)

UNSOLVED: Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office Buys New DNA Technology to Solve Crime (Hannah Patrick / WWAY3 News)

Cold Case: Family Keeps Hope Alive Decades After Young Mother’s Murder in Leland (Matt Tomsic / Star News Online)

If you know anything about the murder of Beverly Jaye Potter-Mintz, please contact the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office at 910-253-2777.

UNSOLVED SUSPICIOUS DEATH: DAVE BOCKS

When an Ohio man goes missing during his shift at a secretive nuclear weapons factory, his remains turn up in an unlikely location, shocking his family, co-workers and community. The untimely death of a devoted father is steeped in mystery—and radioactivity—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Season 6 Episode 17 Unsolved Mysteries (Unsolved Mysteries)

Murder? Suicide? Coverup? A 1984 Mysterious Death in Butler County Remains Unsolved (Butler County News)

The Tale of Dave Bocks and the Radioactive Uranium Furnace (Lauren Dillon / historicmysteries.com)

Death, Lies and Uranium: How an Ohio Man’s Mysterious Disappearance in 1984 Still Haunts Family, Friends (Amber Hunt / Cincinnati Enquirer)

Transcript: Accused Podcast, Season 3, Chapter 6: Last Day Laid Bare (Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossman / Cincinnati Enquirer)

What Lies Beneath the Fernald Preserve (Jenny Wholfarth / Cincinnati Magazine)

Nuclear Workers Win; Their Health Still Loses (Sharon Cohen / Los Angeles Times)

If you have any information about the death of Dave Bocks, please contact the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 513-825-1500.

BREAKING UPDATE: ARREST MADE IN THE 1988 MURDER OF CATHY SWARTZ

After 35 years, investigators have arrested 53-year-old Robert Odell Waters of Beaufort, South Carolina in relation to the brutal 1988 murder of young mother Cathy Swartz. Waters was charged with Open Murder, and taken into custody. Waters was identified as a suspect through the use of familial DNA, cutting-edge DNA technology and the expertise of scientists at Othram Labs. The Three Rivers Police Department, Michigan State Police and Western Michigan State University’s Cold Case Program all worked hard to ID Cathy’s alleged murderer and bring him to justice.

For more information on how Cathy’s alleged murderer was brought to justice–and how you can help solve other cold cases–check out Last Seen Alive’s update episode on Cathy’s case, which aired on May 4th, 2023.

Additional update: suspect Robert Odell Waters was found deceased in his jail cell at Beaufort County Detention Center on May 6th, 2023, one week after his arrest.

Sources used to research this update episode:

Michigan State Police and Three Rivers Police Department Team with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1988 Murder of Cathy Swartz (DNAsolves.com / Othram Labs)

South Carolina Man Arrested in Michigan Woman’s 1988 Killing (Detroit Free Press)

Suspect Arrested in Three Decades Long Three Rivers Cold Case (Katie Sergent and Allie Jennerjahn / News Channel 3)

Arrest Made in 1988 Murder of Young Three Rivers Mothers (Byron Tollefson / WoodTV)

Man Charged in 1988 Michigan Murder Found Dead in South Carolina Jail Cell, Officials Say (Morgan Russ / Click on Detroit)

Want to help more cold cases like Cathy’s get solved? Please check out DNAsolves.com, where you can contribute monetarily, or with your DNA.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: ILENE MISHELOFF

When a girl vanishes from California’s Bay Area while walking home from school, it quickly becomes apparent that she was likely abducted. Investigators explore a series of potential suspects, each stranger than the last, in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

VIDEO: Dublin Police Chief Holmes Statement on 1989 Disappearance of Ilene Misheloff (Town of Dublin, CA via YouTube)

Dublin Girl Missing for 30 Years Without a Trace; Family Has Never Lost Hope (Angela Ruggiero / The East Bay Times)

Dublin California Crime Statistics (dublin.ca.gov)

Missing: Ilene Misheloff (uncovered.com)

Ilene Misheloff (Community United Effort)

Mother Doubts Maimed Body is Ilene Misheloff (Dan Tom / The Oakland Tribune, March 19, 1991 edition via newspapers.com)

Echoes of Past As Pair Held In Abduction / Link Sought to Killings, Abductions in East Bay (Patricia Jacobus / SF Gate)

Twice the Evil: A Comparison of Serial Killers who Killed with a Partner and Those who Killed Alone (John F. Gunn III et al. / The American Journal of Forensic Psychology)

Court Upholds Death Penalties For Duo Who Killed Pleasanton Woman (patch.com)

New Suspect Considered in Misheloff Disappearance (Larry Altman / The Independent)

Suspected Serial Killer Charged in Cold Case Murder of 9-Year-Old Girl (heavy.com)

Michaela’s Shadow (Katya Cengel / Alta)

Dublin Police Take Another Look At Ilene Misheloff Cold Case (Courtney Teague / patch.com)

The San Francisco Examiner, June 9th, 1993 Edition (Don Martinez / Larry D Hatfield / via newspapers.com)

Killer of Antioch Girl Found Dead in Cell (Bob Egelko / SF Gate)

Killer Seeks New Trial after Disclosure About Juror (Malaika Fraley / The Monterey Herald)

Thirty Years of DNA forensics: How DNA has Revolutionized Criminal Investigations (Celia Henry Arnaud / Chemical & Engineering News)

And if you know anything about the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff, please call the Dublin Police Department at 925-833-6670, or the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office at 415-553-7400. If you’d prefer to submit a tip online, you can do so at tips.fbi.gov.

UNSOLVED DOUBLE-DISAPPEARANCE: LILA BUERATTAN AND MOSES LALL

When an exotic bird aviary is found mysteriously abandoned in South Florida, investigators launch a search for its devoted owners, who never would’ve willingly left their animals. Detectives navigate the secretive world of exotic birdkeeping and uncover a host of suspicious characters and circumstances in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Photo descriptions, from top left to bottom right: portrait of Lila Buerettan, portrait of Moses Lall, Lila and Moses together, a contemporary view of the entry to the Loxahatchee property that was formerly home to the Lall family’s aviary (from Google Maps), portrait of Daljeet Hari Gobin, a map illustrating the route from Loxahatchee to where Gobin was arrested in Georgia (from Google Maps), the alligator pond searched by scuba divers.

Sources used to research this episode:

VIDEO: Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 8 Episode 2 – Full Episode, Including “Missing Bird People” Segment (Unsolved Mysteries via YouTube)

Disappeared: Season 6, Episode 14 “Birds of Prey” (Investigation Discovery / IMDB)

The Palm Beach Post, June 20, 1994 ed. (The Palm Beach Post via newspapers.com)

The Loxahatchee Horror – Could It Happen to Your Aviary? (Howard Voren / Voren’s Aviaries)

Police: Clues Elusive (Jim Di Paola / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Missing Ranch Worker Spotted, from The Palm Beach Post, July 19, 1994 ed. (Carolyn Fretz / The Palm Beach Post)

If you know anything about the disappearances of Lila Buerattan and Moses Lall-or the whereabouts of Daljeet Hari Gobin-please call the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at 561-688-3000.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: ROBERT PILLSEN-RAHIER

When a Colorado teen struggles with the effects of a past family tragedy, local authorities demand that he attend a residential treatment facility for troubled youth, where things take a turn for the worse. After a desperate phone call from her son, his mother prepares to intervene—only for him to immediately disappear. A mother seeks answers that have been withheld for more than 30 years in this episode of Last Seen Alive

Please share Bobby’s missing person poster, which includes an age-progressed photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Glare of Psychiatric-Care Review Falls on Cedar Springs Hospital / Care of Military Dependents, Retirees Examined (Genevieve Anton / The Colorado Springs Gazette, May 17th, 1992 ed.)

Colorado Springs Boy Disappears from Youth Treatment Home (Kirk Mitchell / Denver Post)

20 Years Later: Springs Mother Still Searching for Missing Son (Chiara Lotierzo / CBS11 News)

Robert Thomas Pillsen-Rahier (The Charley Project)

670DMCO – Robert Thomas Pillsen-Rahier (The Doe Network)

Teen Vanishes from Suspicious Psychiatric Facility (Cat Leigh via medium.com)

Video: “Bringing It Home” – Missing Robert Pillsen-Rahier (Dennis Crowley)

Glare of Psychiatric-Care Review Falls on Cedar Springs Hospital/ Care of Military Dependents, Retirees Examined (Genevieve Anton / Colorado Springs Gazette)

Professional Perpetrators: Sex Offenders Who Use Their Employment To Target and Sexually Abuse the Children With Whom They Work (Joe Sullivan and Anthony Beech / Child Abuse Review Journal)

Unique Considerations Regarding Juveniles Who Commit Sexual Offenses (Roger Przybylski and Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky / US Department of Justice)

Mental Disorders and Criminal Re-Referrals in Juveniles who Sexually Offended (Lisette A ‘t Hart-Kerkhoffs et al. / Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health)

Teenager’s Death on Hike Investigated (LA Times Archives)

The Troubled Teen Industry (unsilenced.org)

If you know anything about the disappearance of Robert “Bobby” Pillsen-Rahier, please call the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

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.