When a successful young Washington DC attorney stays the night at an old friend’s house after a long day at work, he’s killed shortly after arrival under extremely strange circumstances. His friends tell a shockingly unlikely story to investigators, who attempt to determine the truth in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Robert Wone was 32 years old when he was murdered in the home of his long-time college friend. Robert was a successful attorney.Pictured: a flier offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Robert’s killer. Since his death in 2006, no one has ever been charged with his murder.Pictured from left to right: Victor, Dylan and Joe, the three men chaPictured: the kitchen knife used to stab Robert three times.Pictured (center): the home where Robert was killed.
If you know anything about the death of Robert Wone, please contact the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department by calling their tipline at (202) 727-9099—you can remain anonymous if you wish. You can also text a tip to 50411.
When a Boston woman travels to Philadelphia, she’s excited to explore the city while her husband attends a work conference. After disappearing without a trace, her remains are later inexplicably found in distant North Carolina woods, with evidence of foul play—leaving investigators with a profoundly puzzling mystery in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Judy Smith was 50 years old when she disappeared from Philadelphia, where she’d planned to spend the day sightseeing. She had traveled there with her husband, who was attending a work conference.Months after she disappeared from Philadelphia, Judy’s remains were discovered more than 600 miles (965 km) away in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. How and why she came to be there is unknown.Pictured: Judy with her husband Jeff. After her disappearance, Jeff distributed 9,000 missing person posters throughout the East Coast and hired 3 private investigators. At the time of Judy’s disappearance, they’d been married for 5 months.North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest lies in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains and contains rugged terrain, as pictured. Photo by Ken Thomas.Serial killer Gary Michael Hilton (aka the “National Forest Killer”) is widely considered to be a potential suspect in Judy’s murder, although investigators have not been able to link him definitively to her case.Serial killer Gary Michael Hilton was involved in the production of “Deadly Run”, a 1995 z-list horror movie. The main character–a successful, wealthy and handsome serial killer–embodies who Hilton wished to be.
When an Atlanta woman goes for a late-night walk in a popular park, she’s killed in one of the most shockingly-violent assaults the city has ever seen. Investigators work to identify a killer whose actions reveal a truly twisted psyche in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Katie Janness was a loving dog owner. Her dogs are seen with her in most family photos.This surveillance footage still shows Katie walking toward the entrance to Piedmont Park along with her dog, Bowie. This is the last known image of her.Here, Katie is seen with her dog, Bowie, who was murdered along with her in Piedmont Park.Katie Janness was 40 years old when she was murdered in an act of profound depravity in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. She was a devoted partner to her longtime girlfriend, an animal lover, amateur musician and song writer, and professional bartender. She is missed by many who knew and loved her.Although there were no cameras inside Piedmont Park, cameras on street corners outside the park revealed a number of pedestrian bypassers who police say may have witnessed something related to Katie’s murder.
When a Colorado man advertises for a new roommate, he unwittingly attracts the attention of a profoundly sadistic murderer. Investigators attempt to identify the most difficult kind of killer to catch in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Oakey “Al” Kite was 53 years old when he was tortured and murdered in his home in Aurora, CO. His killer’s true name and whereabouts are unknown.Al’s killer left these items soaking in a sink full of bleach, which destroyed the DNA evidence he’d left when he’d touched them.Pictured: Al’s killer at an ATM shortly after the murder.Pictured: Al’s killer at an ATM shortly after he was murdered.Parabon Labs used DNA left at the crime scene to create this snapshot of Al’s killer.Al was widely known as a kind, caring and gentle person. He is mourned by many who knew him, including his girlfriend, stepdaughter and former spouse, from whom he had divorced amicably.
When a well-known mycologist disappears while on a routine mushroom-foraging trip, a search and rescue mission is launched in the Washington woodlands. After it becomes apparent that she’s nowhere to be found, investigators consider the possibility of foul play in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
When a Georgia woman attends a casual girls’ night in with other moms from her son’s football team, the last thing her family expects is for her to never come home. The party host and other guests say she must have fallen to her death while they all slept, but the physical evidence contradicts their story in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Tamla Horsford is pictured with her husband, Leander Horsford, who survived her along with their six children. Her death was a shock to them all.Tamla was well-known for enthusiastically supporting her children in all their endeavors. She even brought her own megaphone to her son’s football games.Tamla and Leander are pictured together on their wedding day. They were married for many years and raised six children together. They were looking forward to the arrival of their first grandchild whenever Tamla was killed.Pictured: the balcony that some allege Tamla fell off of, to her death. It’s unknown how or why she might have made it over the railing of her own volition. Pictured: yellow flags mark where Tamla’s body was found in a prone position. The positioning of her body was consistent with her having been unconscious or deceased already at the time of her alleged fall.Pictured: the view from the balcony to the ground below, where Tamla’s body was found.Pictured: the home Tamla was invited to for an adult sleepover. Everyone but her left alive.Pictured: the back of the home where Tamla died, including the balcony that some claim she fell from.Pictured: the staircase leading down from the balcony some claim Tamla fell from.Pictured: an investigator’s sketch of the scene where Tamla’s body was found.
If you know anything about the death of Tamla Horsford, please contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office at 770-781-2222 AND / OR the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 404-244-2600.
If you wish to write to the Forsyth County Sheriff, you may reach him via letter at:
When a North Carolina woman asks a friend for a ride to the hospital, she expects to be home in time for an appointment the next morning. Instead, she disappears and an intense investigation uncovers an array of strange possibilities—but no concrete answers—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Jamie Fraley was 22 years old when she went missing from her hometown of Gastonia, NC on April 8th, 2008. Family photo.Jamie was ill with a case of stomach flu when she went missing. An unidentified male friend or acquaintance arrived to give her a ride to the hospital, and she was never heard from again. Family photo.Jamie’s father-in-law to be was her neighbor and had given her a ride to the hospital earlier in the day. He has a history of violence against women, including murder, and is considered a suspect in Jamie’s disappearance. He is deceased.After Jamie’s disappearance, a worker found her phone on the side of the road at the intersection of New Hope Rd and Hudson Blvd, approx. 1.5 miles from Jamie’s home. It’s believed to have been thrown from a moving vehicle.Jamie is pictured with her mother in an undated childhood photo. Jamie enjoyed a close relationship with her mother, who has been pursuing justice for her daughter since 2008.Danny Hembree Jr is a convicted serial murderer who killed women in Gastonia. He targeted women who struggled with substance abuse. Although Jamie did not use drugs, her future father-in-law–Ricky Simonds Sr–did. This podcast episode explores the possibility of Hembree’s involvement, but it’s only a theory. Hembree has never been named a suspect by law enforcement.
When a kindergartener is abducted while waiting for the school bus, hundreds of searchers scour small-town North Carolina and discover that their worst fears have come true. The murder of a beloved child haunts a community and remains an ongoing investigation in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Brittany Locklear was 5 years old whenever she was abducted and murdered on January 7, 1998. An unidentified man grabbed her from where she waited at her school bus stop and sped away.Although she was both the youngest and the smallest in her kindergarten class, Brittany was known for her loving and outgoing nature.Pictured: Brittany in an undated family photo with her mother, Connie, who has been campaigning for justice in regards to her beloved daughter’s death since 1998.Pictured: the driveway that leads to the then-home of the Locklear family. Brittany was abducted while she was waiting at its end for the school bus. A neighbor / mother witnessed the abduction. Image from Google Maps.
Sources used to research Brittany’s case for this episode:
If you know anything about the murder of Brittany Locklear, please contact the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office at 910-875-5111.
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UNSOLVED DISAPPEARNCE: TONEE TURNER
Tonee Turner, a gifted artist, was 22 years old whenever she disappeared from Pittsburgh, PA on 12/30/2019.Tonee was last seen by the bus driver dropping her off at this bus stop (pictured) near her home. Image from Google Maps.On the day of her disappearance, some of Tonee’s belongings were found on the pedestrian walkway of the Homestead Grays Bridge (pictured). Image from Google Maps.The (bridge) location where Tonee’s belongings were found is >2 miles from her home. Tonee did not own a vehicle. How her belongings came to be abandoned there is unknown.Tonee is a gifted artist who taught ceramics to children at a local library. She was actively involved with her family and community, and is very missed.This mural displayed in Tonee’s neighborhood demonstrates how much she is loved and missed.
Sources used to research Tonee’s case for this episode:
If you know anything about the disappearance of Tonee Turner, please call the Pittsburgh Police Department’s Missing Persons Investigation Division at 412-232-7141.
When a Dallas man doesn’t make it home from an early-morning gym session in time to start the work day, his family immediately launches a search. A missing persons case takes a tragic turn for the worst—and the mysterious—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Alan White was 55 years old when he failed to return home from an early-morning workout on October 22, 2020. A successful accounting executive, he had a strong family life and marriage. His missing persons case tragically evolved in a homicide investigation whenever his remains were discovered.This satellite image from Google Maps shows Alan’s last known location, which was at a gas station (red marker) approximately a mile and a half from his home.This gas station surveillance footage shows Alan pumping gas just a mile and a half from his home on the morning of his disappearance. This is the last known sighting of Alan.This satellite image from Google Maps shows the circular route Alan drove on the morning of his disappearance. It’s unknown why he drove a seemingly unnecessary distance to refuel his vehicle that morning.This satellite image from Google Maps shows the place (red marker) where Alan’s vehicle was found abandoned in a remote lot in southern Dallas. Alan was not found with his vehicle.Alan smiles in an undated family photo. His homicide remains unsolved, and he is missed by his husband and family, with whom he shared close relationships.
If you have any information about the murder of Alan White, please contact the Dallas Police Department at 214-283-4818 and refer to James Alan White and / or case #188623-2020.
When a young mother is murdered in her Michigan home, the brutality of the crime is unprecedented in her small community. An enduring mystery remains unsolved despite a wealth of evidence in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
SOLVED IN 2023
After 35 years, investigators 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 on April 30th, 2023. Waters was identified as a suspect through the use of familial DNA, cutting-edge DNA technologyand 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.Cathy Swartz is pictured holding her infant daughter. In 1988, Cathy was brutally killed while home alone with her baby, who was found in her crib, unharmed. Cathy’s murder remains unsolved.This police sketch depicts an eyewitness’ account of someone seen leaving Cathy’s home on the day of her murder–possibly her killer.Jeffrey Wayne Gorton is a serial killer known to have murdered at least two Michigan women. His crimes included similar MO factors to Cathy’s murder. It is unknown whether he may have had anything to do with Cathy’s death.Pictured is the floor plan to Cathy’s townhome. Forensic evidence indicated that the fatal attack began in the kitchen, and ended in a bedroom.
Also, this collection of newspaper clippings from the South Bend Tribune and others, from around the time of Cathy’s death and the following few years:
If you know anything about the murder of Cathy Swartz, please contact the Three Rivers Police Department at 269-278-1235.
LAST SEEN ALIVE 