UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: MARGARET CARABETTA

When a Tucson, Arizona teen vanishes from her home while her mom is at work, evidence suggests that she was abducted. Her body is located on the outskirts of town the following morning, prompting a homicide investigation that remains open decades later in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

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This was the last drive of 15-year-old Margaret Carabetta’s life. Her case is still unsolved. #truecrime #truecrimetok #tucson #arizona

♬ Ambient-style emotional piano – MoppySound

Sources used to research this episode:

Crime Stoppers (Arizona Daily Star)

Murdered Women Were Killed at Home (Arizona Daily Star via newspapers.com)

Margaret Carabetta’s Murder is ‘That 1% that Haunts You’ (Arizona Daily Star via newspapers.com)

Rape Suspect Linked to Killing (The Arizona Republic May 28, 1982 ed. via newspapers.com)

The Tucson Citizen, Saturday, October 30th, 1982 Ed., Page 4 (The Tucson Citizen via newspapers.com)

The Arizona Daily Star, Saturday, May 15th, 1982 Ed., Page 39 (The Arizona Daily Star via newspapers.com)

The Arizona Daily Star, Thursday, May 27th, 1982 Ed., Page 15 (The Arizona Daily Star via newspapers.com)

The Arizona Daily Star, Sunday, June 6th, 1982, Page 2 (The Arizona Daily Star via newspapers.com)

If you know anything about the murder of Margaret Carabetta, please call the Tucson Police Department at 520-791-4444, or, click here to access the online tip form.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: LOUK PHIANGDAE

When a young boy disappears from his bedroom during a stormy night in coastal Washington state, all signs suggest that he climbed out the window. Despite immediate and thorough searches, he remains inexplicably missing without a trace years later in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Mystery of Missing Raymond Boy Still Lingers 28 Years Later (Eric Trent / The Chronicle)

Immigrants Fill Up Local Labor Pool (Chris McGann / The Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Special Guerrilla Unit Veterans, Who Fought a ‘Secret War’ During Vietnam, Honored in CT (Maricarmen Cajahuaringa / Connecticut Public Radio)

Loukthayoth Yoshi Phiangdae (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

The Olympian Sunday, March 10th, 1996 Edition, Page 20 (via Newspapers.com)

Episode 97 Loukthayoth “Luke” Phiangdae (Missing Persons Podcast)

Hypothermia (National Park Service)

If you know anything about the disappearance of Louk Phiangdae, please contact the Washington State Police Missing Persons Unit at 1-800-543-5678.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: MELANIE JAMES

When a young New Mexico woman decides to enroll in college and turn over a new leaf in life, her family is excited for her fresh start. Excitement quickly turns to heartbreak when she vanishes unexpectedly in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Is There Hope for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women? (Rachel Monroe / The New Yorker)

“10 Years Has Been a Long Time,” Farmington, New Mexico Family, Authorities Seek Info About 2014 Disappearance of Melanie James (Veronica Fulton / NBC News)

‘We’re Waiting Here’: New Update in Melanie James Case (Breana Albizu / KOAT News)

Dateline: Missing in America Podcast Covers the April 2014 Disappearance of Melanie James in Farmington, New Mexico (Dateline / NBC News)

Why Family Believes Indigenous New Mexico Woman Is Still Alive 10 Years After Disappearance (Jax Miller / Oxygen)

If you have any information on the disappearance of Melanie James, please contact the Farmington Police Department’s tip line at 1-505-599-1068.

UNSOLVED CASES FEATURING MISSING / MURDERED CHILDREN

When it comes to unsolved cases, nothing is more haunting than the unsolved disappearance or death of a child. Each of these little-known cases are in critical need of tips from the public, so join us as we explore the stories of multiple young victims in this special multi-case episode of Last Seen Alive.

Cases covered in this episode include:

  • The unsolved 1998 suspicious death of 17-year-old Danny Violette, whose remains were found abandoned in an Ohio cornfield.
  • The unsolved 2000 triple-disappearance of 1-year-old Sidney Smith, newborn Monique Smith and their 20-year-old mother, Jennifer Lancaster, all of whom vanished from Kansas without a trace.
  • The unsolved 2014 disappearance of 7-year-old Julia Potter, who was allegedly abducted from Washington by her own non-custodial father and is believed to now be living off grid with him.
  • The unsolved 2021 disappearance of 16-year-old Kit Nelson-Mora, who vanished shortly after reuniting with their birth parent, who had a history of child abuse.

Sources used to research Danny Violette’s segment of this episode:

Teen’s Death Still ‘In Air’ (News Journal Staff / The News Journal via Newspapers.com)

Cold Case Needs Solved (Angela LaRosa / Sandusky Register)

Daniel Patrick “Danny” Violette Jr (findagrave.com)

Unsolved Homicide: Daniel Violette (Ohio Attorney General’s Office)

Case Review: Danny Violette (Culpable Podcast)

Justice for Danny Violette Fundraiser (GoFundMe.com)

If you have any information about the death of Danny Violette, please contact the Huron County Sheriff’s Office at 419-668-6912, or fill out this online tip form.

Sources used to research Sidney Smith’s, Monique Smith’s and Jennifer Lancaster’s segment of this episode:

Missing Person / NamUS #MP382: Jennifer Dawn Lancaster (NamUs)

After Daughter and Babies Disappeared 23 Years Ago, Vicki Lancaster Still Doesn’t Know What Happened (Tim Hrenchir / Topeka Capital Journal)

KBI Says These 40 People Remain Unaccounted for After Going Missing from Shawnee County (Tim Hrenchir / Topeka Capital Journal)

If you know anything about the disappearance or whereabouts of Jennifer Lancaster, Sidney Smith and / or Monique Smith, please contact the call the Topeka police criminal investigation bureau at 785-368-9400. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, call the Shawnee County Crimestoppers at 785-234-0007 OR access their online tip form at www.p3tips.com/128.

Sources used to research Julia Potter’s segment of this episode:

Seattle Police Searching for Abducted Child Last Seen in 2014 (KIRO 7 News)

Seattle Dad ‘Made A Bad Decision’ & Vanished With His Daughter (Investigation Discovery)

Seattle Police Asking for Public’s Help in Finding 7-Year-Old Julia Potter, Who Was Abducted by Her Dad (Fox13 Seattle)

Seattle Police Looking for Girl Possibly Abducted 7 Years Ago, Suspect Possibly Seen in Olympia (KOMO News)

New Information Could Help Return a Seattle Child Abducted by Her Biological Father in 2014 (Fox13 Seattle)

If you know anything about the disappearance of Julia Potter and / or the whereabouts of Julie or Jason Potter, please contact the Seattle Police Department at 206-625-5011. If you know whether either of them are right now, please call 911. If you wish to submit a tip anonymously, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Sources used to research Kit Nelson-Mora’s segment of this episode:

Washington State AG’s Office Joins Forces with Local Police to Intensify Search for Missing Indigenous Teen (Kelsey Turner / OPB.com)

Washington State Police Delayed Investigation on Missing Teen for More Than a Year (Kelsey Turner / OPB.com)

Kit Mora, Who Disappeared in 2022, Would Have Graduated This Year. Reward for Info is $10K (Tammy Ayer / Yakima Herald-Republic)

Family Searching for Missing Indigenous, Non-Binary Teen That Has Been Missing for Almost Two Years (PJ Randhawa / King 5 News)

Why Did it Take Police Over a Year to Investigate a Missing Child Case? (Libby Denkmann & Sarah Leibovits / KUOW News)


AG Ferguson, Rep. Lekanoff Legislation Creating MMIWP Cold Case Unit Signed Into Law (Washington State Office of the Attorney General)

If you know anything about the disappearance or whereabouts of Kit Nelson-Mora, please contact the Omak Police Department at 509-826-0383, or the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Cold Case Unit at 844-770-7900.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: JEFF ROWLAND

When a beloved elementary school teacher is found dead in Maryland just off the Appalachian Trail, news of his murder is met with disbelief. Despite investigators’ efforts, a puzzling case goes cold in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

@lastseenalivepodcast

This is Keep Tryst Rd in Sandy Hook, Maryland (just outside of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia). The road is rural, beautiful and part of it runs congruent with the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal (which briefly intersect). It’s also where someone took 43-year-old Jeff Rowland’s life in 2002. Jeff was a beloved elementary school teacher and community member in nearby Charles Town, West Virginia. His case remains unsolved, and tips should be reported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. #truecrime #truecrimetok #unsolved #appalachia

♬ stellar – .diedlonely & énouement

Sources used to research this episode:

Dead Body Discovered; Suspect Still at Large (Susan C. Nicol / The Frederick News-Post)

Police Release Identity of Slain Man (The Frederick News-Post)

Jeffrey Lewis “Jeff” Rowland (Find-a-Grave)

John Allen Dailey Jr. (Find-a-Grave)

The Unsolved Murder of Jeffrey Rowland: Parts 1 and 2 (Joseph C. Topping Special to The Journal and SadEndings.blog)

The Baltimore Sun, Nov. 18 2002 Ed. • Page B2 (Baltimore Sun via Newspapers.com)

Interested in helping fund the release of investigative records related to Jeff’s case? Check out the GoFundMe writer Joseph C. Topping has created:

Unveiling the Truth: The Jeff Rowland Story (Joseph C. Topping via GoFundMe)

If you have any information on the murder of Jeff Rowland, please contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 240-313-2100.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: DANA GATES

When a Pennsylvania couple is brutally attacked in the dead of night, their rural farmhouse becomes a crime scene. Investigators search for the person responsible for the death of one victim—and the near-death of another—in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

10 Years Later, Murder Mystery Still Torments Bedford County Residents (Kathy Mellott / Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette • Page 20, Feb. 19th, 2003 (via Newspapers.com)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette • Page 44, March 8th, 2003 (via Newspapers.com)

Records Reveal Murder Suspect (Kathy Mellott / Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)

Murder Suspects Probed in Separate Killing (Washington Times)

At Odds Over Autopsy: Officials Split on Whether Report Should be Made Public (Bernie Hornick / The Tribune-Democrat)

The Johnstown Tribune Publishing Company v. Ross, 2005 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania via FindLaw)

PA Judge Seals Autopsy Report in Unsolved Murder (The Legal Intelligencer)

Ocean City Marks 20 Years Since Infamous Sifrit Slayings (Mallory Panuska / OC Today)

ERIKA E. SIFRIT, Petitioner, v. RANDALL S. NERO, et al., Respondents (United States District Court for the District of Maryland via CaseText.com)

Sifrit Denied Parole 20 Years After Brutal OC Slaying (Shawn Soper / MD Coast Dispatch)

Man on Trial in Resort Slayings (The Baltimore Sun)

If you have any information on the murder of Dana Gates, please call the Pennsylvania State Police tipline at 1-800-472-8477, or click here to use the online tip form. You may remain anonymous if you wish.

SOLVED: HOMICIDE OF TAMMY ALDRIDGE

When a North Carolina college student went for a run while visiting home during a break, she was waylaid by a cruel killer who held her hostage and ultimately took her life. After decades of waiting, her killer is finally named in this breaking case update episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Cold Case: Suspect Identified in 1979 Killing of North Carolina Woman Who Disappeared While Jogging (Carrie Hodgin and Joshua Davis / WXII12 News)

Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Announces Suspect in 45-Year-Old Murder Case (Joseph Navin / Elon News Network)

45-Year-Old Murder Cold Case Solved; Murderer Died Four Years Ago (Tomas Murawski / AlamanceNews.com)

Body in Whiteford Township Exhumed for DNA in Unsolved North Carolina Slaying (The Toledo Blade)

Tammy Aldridge Murder Case Reopened in Alamance County (Carter Coyle / Fox8 News)

The Herald Sun, November 8, 1985 Edition, Page 1 (The Herald Sun via Newspapapers.com)

The Herald Sun, November 8, 1985 Edition, Page 3 (The Herald Sun via Newspapers.com)

The Herald Sun, November 14th, 1985 Edition, Page 3 (The Herald Sun via Newspapers.com)

The News and Record, July 10, 1985 Edition, Page 20 (The News and Record via Newspapers.com)

The Burlington Times News, August 5, 2012 Edition, Page2 (The Burlington Times News via NewspaperArchive.com)

UNSOLVED SUSPICIOUS DEATH: JENNIFER KAIRIS

When a Florida college student is found dead in her dorm under highly suspicious circumstances, her death is ruled a homicide—at first. Disappearing evidence, medical examiners at odds and disgraced public officials all combine to undermine an investigation in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

“Highly Unusual” Death of a Vivacious Florida College Student Becomes a Years-Long Mystery (Grace Jidoun / Oxygen)

Three Pathologists Dispute Ruling of Accidental Death (Tampa Bay Times)

Police Didn’t Query Man Who Found Rollins Teen (Orlando Sentinel)

State News Medical Examiner: Student Died from Alcohol and Drugs (The Ledger)

Homicide Ruled Out in ’98 Rollins Dorm Death (Orlando Sentinel)

3 Will Help FDLE Study Rollins Student’s Death (Henry Pierson Curtis / Orlando Sentinel)

Orange Pathologist Resigns in Dispute (Orlando Sentinel)

Florida Jail Pays Prisoner’s Family $2.5 Million in Methadone Withdrawal Death (Prison Legal News)

Officer Fired After Allegations Surface (Marci Hait / Seacoast Online)

Bupropion Abuse and Overdose (Nathan Stall, MD, et al. / Canadian Medical Association Journal)

Propranolol Abuse: A Case Report on the Harmful Consequence of Over-the-Counter Medications (Vigneshvar Chandrasekaran et al. / Indian Journal of Psychiatric Medicine)

Seizures and Irreversible Cardiogenic Shock Following Propranolol Poisoning: Report of 2 Cases and Literature Review (Ali Sharifpour et al. / Clinical Medicine Insights)

Differentiation Between Antemortem Bruises And Postmortem Discoloration: The Effectiveness of Macroscopic Examination compared to Photographic, Spectrophotometric, Microscopic & Immunohistochemical Studies (Mahdouh Zaki via ResearchGate)

If you know anything about the death of Jennifer Kairis, please call the Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477, or click here to report a tip via their website.

SOLVED: DOUBLE-HOMICIDE OF JULIE WILLIAMS AND LOLLIE WINANS

When a geologist and a wilderness guide went camping in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the last thing anyone expected was for the experienced outdoorswomen to fail to return. Their brutal double-homicide rocked Shenandoah National Park and sparked a decades-long FBI investigation that has finally concluded. Julie and Lollie’s killer is finally named in this breaking case update episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

FBI Richmond Identifies Suspect in 1996 Shenandoah National Park Double Murder (FBI.gov)

FBI Solves 1996 Shenandoah Park Murders: Serial Rapist Killed Women Campers (Newsweek)

OH Man Charged with Rape, Victim Speaks Out (14 News WFIE Evansville)

DNA Evidence Helps Solve Killings of 2 Women in Shenandoah National Park Nearly 30 Years Later (CNN via News Channel 3)

A Murder In The Woods: The Mystery Behind Shenandoah National Park’s Last Homicide (BlueRidgeOutdoors.com)

After Rice: New Questions in Park Murders (The Hook)

Case of 1996 Slayings of Shenandoah Hikers Not Cold to FBI (NBC Washington)

Rice Agrees to Reduced Charge (fredericksburg.com)

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: CION CARROLL

When a teen disappears from a rural Virginia farming town in the fall of 2022, his remains are soon found in a clandestine woodland grave, buried beneath layers of lye and cement. Other deaths quickly follow, deepening a community’s grief and complicating an already-troubled investigation in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Sources used to research this episode:

Found Dead in a Shallow Grave, the Murder of Virginia Teen Cion Carroll Remains Unsolved (Jon Burkett / WTVR News)

‘I Will Get Justice’: Family Searching for Answers One Year After Teen Found Dead in Shallow Grave (Desiree Montilla / WWBT News)

Family Seeks Justice Weeks After Missing Va. Teen Was Found Dismembered, Buried in Shallow Grave (Elaine Aradillas / People.com)

No Arrests In Case Of Missing Virginia Teen Found Dismembered In Shallow Grave (Jax Miller / Oxygen)

State Police Appeal For Information Months After Virginia Teen Found In ‘Clandestine Grave’ (Jax Miller / Oxygen)

Video: Mysterious Deaths Leave Dark Cloud Over One Small Virginia Town (WTVR CBS6 via YouTube)

Area Native Leads Kenbridge Police Force (Roger Watson / Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch)

Making a Change: Town of Kenbridge Police Chief Resigns (Crystal Vandegrift / Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch)

Virginia State Police Release Information on Busy Lane Shooting (Brian Carlton / Kenbridge Victoria Dispatch)

Kenyale D’Angelo Lee (The Charley Project)

If you know anything about the murder of Cion Carroll—or about any of the other cases discussed in this episode—please call the Virginia State Police at 434-352-3478.


If you’d like to help ease the financial burden Cion’s family has incurred as a result of his death, a GoFundMe fundraising effort is available here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/cion-carroll