When a young Hawaiian woman leaves a dinner party on a torrentially rainy night, the journey turns deadly—and not because of the weather. Fear grips the Island of Oahu as police search for a killer within their own ranks in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Pictured: Lisa’s car from which she is believed to possibly have been abducted. It was found abandoned along a highway near her home. Image source: KGMB.Pictured: Lisa’s parents, who searched diligently for her after her disappearance, and were heartbroken to learn that she had been murdered. Here, they’re seen talking to news media. Both died without seeing their daughter’s murder solved. Image source: KGMB.After Lisa vanished, enormous search efforts were launched, and her family + volunteers left countless fliers on vehicles. Despite their efforts, Lisa wasn’t found until 10 days later, when her remains were located by a man walking his dog. Image source: Hawaii news now.This map depicts where Lisa was last seen alive, where her car was found abandoned, where her remains were found, and her destination. Image source: Google Maps.Lisa Au was 19-years-old when she vanished from the Hawaiian island of Oahu during a stormy night in January of 1982. Her car was found abandoned not far from her home, and her remains were found 10 days later at Tantalus Summit. Her murder remains unsolved. Image source: family photo.
Sources used to research to research this episode:
When an accomplished long distance runner hits the trails in the central Wyoming mountains and never returns, investigators are tasked with answering the question: what—or who—did this Olympic hopeful fail to outrun? Strange journals, a serial killer with a history of terrible crimes against women and other theories are explored in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Amy Wroe Bechtel was 24-years-old when she disappeared while on a run near Lander, Wyoming. Image source: family photo.At the time of Amy’s disappearance, she’d been married to her husband, Steve, for approximately a year. Both were athletes with a passion for the outdoors. Image source: family photo.Dale Wayne Eaton, a serial murderer and “itinerant stumblebum”, is a suspect in Amy’s disappearance. Image source: booking photo.Here, Amy is pictured on the cover of an edition of Runner’s World, which has published articles both on her disappearance, and the dangers of running while female. Image source: Runner’s World.Amy was a gifted athlete and Olympic hopeful who taught youth weightlifting classes, worked at a rock climbing shop and at a local grill, and was an amateur photographer. She is badly missed by her family and friends. Image source: family photo.
When a college junior and aspiring pediatrician is beaten to death in her own bed, the bright future of a beloved young woman and active member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribal community is instantly destroyed. A bitter note, a fight captured on voicemail during an accidental pocket-dial and past police reports of violence weave a story of jealousy, cruelty and lingering mystery in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Faith Hedgepeth, 19, was murdered on September 7th, 2012. Her case remains unsolved.
Faith Hedgepeth, an aspiring pediatrician, smiles in an undated holiday photo.
This note, found on Faith’s bed along with her body, is considered to be of significant evidentiary value by investigators.
A young Faith Hedgepeth (right) participates in her first pow wow. Faith was an active member of the Haliwa Saponi tribal community throughout her life.
This status–posted on the day of Faith’s murder by a man who blamed her for the end of his relationship with her friend, Karena, has drawn considerable attention from investigators and the public alike. The poster–Eriq Jones–had allegedly made threats to kill Faith just prior to her death.
This DNA snapshot poster, produced by Parabon Nanolabs, depicts the genetic profile the lab developed from DNA left at the scene of Faith’s murder.
Faith (right) is pictured with her friend, Karena. Karena left the apartment door unlocked while Faith was sleeping inside and later returned to find her murdered.
When a young couple sets off for a weekend away, disappointment awaits at their destination, where a morticians’ convention has the hotel fully booked. A last-minute vacancy proves to be more deadly than lucky, resulting in a double ax murder with an incredible array of possible suspects in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Rose Burkert was 22-years-old when she was murdered in September of 1980. She was the mother of a 2-year-old daughter, and a nursing student. Image source: family photo.Roger Atkinson was 32-years-old when he was murdered in September of 1980. He was a father, husband and professional telephone line installer / repairman. Image source: family photo.Pictured: the Iowa motel room in which Rose and Roger’s lives were ended by (an) ax-wielding assailant(s). Image source: police photo.This diagram of the crime scene illustrates the positions that Rose and Roger’s bodies were found in, as well as other details noted by investigators. Image source: Greg Good / Cedar Rapids Gazette.Charles Ray Hatcher was a serial killer to whom Roger Atkinson was related (through marriage). He has been considered as a person of interest in Roger and Rose’s case, but their murders do not align with Hatcher’s usual MO. Image source: police booking photo.An unusual clue was found at the scene of Rose and Roger’s double-murder in the form of a tube of toothpaste that had been emptied into the bathtub. This unusual act possibly links the murders to another that had happened weeks before, in different hotel. Image source: police photo / Iowa County Sheriff’s Office.
10/4/2023 UPDATE: Tremendous progress has finally been made on this case. Following the testing of long-neglected evidence, the real suspects in the murder of Father Patrick Ryan have been identified. Thanks to this development and the hard work of the Texas Innocence Project, James Harry Reyos has finally been declared legally innocent, after serving decades in prison and on probation for a crime he never committed. An update episode on these long-awaited developments is forthcoming.
When a brutally murdered John Doe turns out to be a Catholic priest leading a double life, blame falls upon a young man who was in a different state at the time of the murder. A wrongful conviction, mysterious pattern of priestly killings and an anonymous suicide at the confessional paint a twisted picture in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
James Harry Reyos was convicted of the murder of Father Patrick Ryan despite documented proof that he was in another state when the murder occured.
James Harry Reyos–still a wrongfully convicted murderer–pictured after he was released from prison early for good behavior.
James Harry Reyos sits in his small room in Austin, TX after his release from prison. He was confined to the room during nights and weekends, and monitored with an ankle monitor.
Father Patrick Ryan was murdered in an Odessa, TX motel room he’d checked into under a false name.
A timeline of Father Ryan’s murder and James’s whereabouts shows that it would’ve been physically impossible for James to commit the crime.
When an elderly World War II veteran and his loyal dog embark on a cross-country road trip, all goes smoothly until they reach The Big Lonely: a remote stretch of highway in the northern Nevada desert suspected to be a hunting ground for serial killers. The unexplained disappearance of man and dog launch an enormous search that yields nothing but mystery in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Patrick Carnes was 86-years-old when he went missing from the Nevada desert in 2011. Neither he nor his dog, who disappeared with him, have been seen since. Image source: family photo.Patrick’s beloved dog, Lucky, went missing along with him. Like his owner, Lucky has not been seen since. April 13th, 2011. Image source: family photo.As a young man, Patrick served in the US Navy Air Corps during WWII. Image source: US Navy. Patrick’s last known interaction with another person was with a Nevada state trooper who pulled him over for a moving violation. Here, Patrick’s Subaru is seen in a dashcam footage still. Image source: police dashcam still.Do you recognize the logo on this truck? Patrick was following this truck around the time of his disappearance. Image source: police dashcam still.Judith Casida went missing from the same place as Patrick, under the same circumstances, in 2006. Her vehicle was found abandoned at that exact same spot at Exit 205 where Patrick’s was later found. Image source: family photo.Pictured: Patrick’s abandoned vehicle, as it was found, just off of Exit 205. Image source: police photo.Pictured: Exit 205 on I-80 in Nevada’s Pumpernickel Valley. The desolate exit features desert roads to nowhere. Image source: Google Maps.This satellite view shows the remoteness of Nevada’s undeveloped Pumpernickel Valley. This is the area Patrick and Luck inexplicably vanished from. Image source: Google Maps.
If you know anything about the disappearance of Patrick Carnes, please contact Secret Witness of Northern Nevada via their website or at 775-322-4900–you may remain anonymous if you wish. OR contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 775-623-6419.
When a young soldier leaves the Army to work as a physics lab security specialist with a top-secret clearance, civilian life turns out to be more dangerous than anything she faced in uniform. After a series of strange events culminates in her being brutally gunned down, the mystery of her death spawns theories of conspiracy and serial killing in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Kanika Powell was a veteran of the US Army. After completing her service, she went on to work for the military in a civilian role. Image source: US Army.After completing her military service, Kanika Powell worked as a security analyst at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, which develops top secret projects for the DOD and other federal entities. Image source: JHUAPL.Kanika Powell was 28-years-old when she was killed on her own doorstep in August of 2008. She was an intelligent, responsible and successful woman who took thoughtful steps to ensure her own safety. Nonetheless, a seemingly obsessive killer eventually took her life. Image source: family photo.Jason Scott is a serial killer who was active in the PG County area during the years 2008 and 2009. He had a degree in computer science and exploited the database access granted to him by his employer (a package delivery service provider) to identify and target single women in their homes. Although it’s not known whether he was responsible for Kanika’s murder, it’s a distinct possibility. Image source: LE mugshot.Kanika Powell lived alone at Deerfield Run Apartments. Prior to her murder, she equipped her unit with a security system, alerted management to her safety concerns, and spoke with both local and federal law enforcement. Her likely killer attempted to gain access to her apartment on three difference occasions before finally gunning her down in broad daylight on her doorstep as she returned from running errands. Image source: Google Maps.
If you know anything about the death of Kanika Powell, call the Prince George’s County Police Department at 301-352-1200. Or, if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, call the PG County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or go to pgcrimesolvers.com to submit your tip.
When the friendliest resident of San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood suddenly disappears, the entire neighborhood is suspicious. His neighbors’ worst fears are confirmed when a privately-hired crime scene clean-up crew arrives at his home, prompting investigators to discover something horrific inside a hidden room in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Brian Egg was a long-time resident of SoMa, known for his friendliness and generosity. He could often be found watering the neighborhood plants, including ones he’d gifted to his neighbors. Image source: family photo.Pictured: Brian Egg’s home, located in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood. Image source: Google Maps.
If you know anything about the death of Brian Egg, call San Francisco PD’s anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444 -OR- send a text to TIP411—just make sure you begin your message with “SFPD”.
6/20/2024 UPDATE: This case has been solved. An update episode is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
When a geologist and a wilderness guide go camping in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the last thing anyone expects is for the experienced outdoorswomen to fail to return. Their brutal double-homicide rocks Shenandoah National Park and sparks a decades-long FBI investigation in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were 24 and 26 years old, respectively, when they were murdered in May of 1996. Both were experienced outdoorswomen. Image source: family photo.Julie Williams. Image source: family photo.Lollie Winans. Image source: family photo.Julie and Lollie were accompanied by their golden retriever, Taj, during their camping trip. Taj survived and was later found wandering the park. Image source: Julie and Lollie’s camera.Lollie Winans (left) and Julie Williams (right) frequently embarked upon outdoor adventures together. Image source: family photo.Walter Leo Jackson Sr has been identified by the FBI and Julie and Lollie’s killer. He died in 2018 while serving a prison sentence related to abduction charges. Image source: law enforcement photo.
When an Alaskan fishing vessel is found abandoned and aflame the morning after a storm, it quickly becomes apparent that its crew encountered something much darker than the wrath of the sea. Investigators sift through ash in search of fragments of the murdered crew, uncovering pieces of Alaska’s worst unsolved mass murder in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
The Investor–a top-of-the-line fishing seiner owned and skippered by Mark Coulthurst–was found flaming by another fisherman. Investigators found the remains of numerous victims aboard. Mark and Irene Coulthurst were happily married with two young children and a third on the way at the time of their murders. Image source: family photo / Laurie Hart.The Coulthursts’ young children, John and Kimberly, were killed along with the adults aboard The Investor. Image source: family photo.Jerome Keown and Dean Moon were two of the Investor’s crew members. They, along with everyone else on board The Investor, were murdered. Image source: family photos.Chris Heyman was one of The Investor’s crew members. He, along with everyone else on board The Investor, was murdered. Image source: family photo.Pictured: Kimberly and John Coulthurst, along with their cousin, Mike Stewart,, who was a member of The Investor’s crew. All were murdered. Image source: family photo / Laurie Hart.These suspect sketches depict a man (and presumed killer) seen speeding away from the flaming Investor on its skiff boat. Image source: law enforcement via The Fisherman’s Journal.Numerous fisherman identified John Kenneth Peel (pictured) as the man depicted in the suspect sketch. He had once worked for Mark Coulthurst, but had been fired. Peel was eventually charged with the murders, but never convicted. Image source: family photo.Investigators determined that fire had been deliberately set to The Investor in order to conceal evidence. The victims aboard had been fatally shot prior to the fire.
If you have any information on the deaths of the victims who died aboard The Investor, please contact the Alaska Department of Public Safety at 907-269-5511.
LAST SEEN ALIVE 