When a young Little Rock, Arkansas woman discloses that she’s been the victim of a terrible crime, she disappears shortly thereafter. Several years later, the discovery of her hidden remains amplifies the unanswered questions her loved ones have been left to struggle with in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
Ebby Steppach was 18-years-old when she went missing from Little Rock, Arkansas on October 25th, 2015. Her remains were located two-and-a-half years later. Her homicide remains unsolved. Photo source: family photo.Ebby’s vehicle was found abandoned in Chalamont Park. Two-and-a-half years later, her remains were located in a drainage pipe approximately 60 feet (18 meters) from where her car had been found. Investigators did not originally search the drainage pipe. The medical examiner determined that her death was a homicide.Ebby was in her senior year of high school at the time of her murder. She aspired to become a cosmetologist and real estate agent. Because of her murderer(s)’ actions, she never got the chance to live out these aspirations. She is missed by her parents, grandparents, siblings, extended family members and friends.
When a small-town Colorado man vanishes in the middle of his work day, no trace of him is found until his vehicle is pulled from a local river six weeks later. Virtually certain that foul play was involved, investigators attempt to determine who might’ve wanted to harm a well-liked family-man in this episode of Last Seen Alive.
OCTOBER 2024 UPDATE: Investigators have charged a man with First Degree Murder in relation to the 1999 disappearance of Colorado family man Dale Williams. The suspect is now 68-year-old Dan Bishop, who was the estranged husband of a woman who Dale and his wife had aided in escaping an unhealthy marriage. Investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office say that a cousin of Bishop’s aided him in the murder but cannot be charged for his alleged role in the crime because he’s deceased.
Dale Williams was last seen alive on May 27th, 1999 in Nucla, Colorado. He owned an auto body shop and was on his way to assist a stranded motorist when he vanished.Six weeks after Dale’s disappearance, the truck he’d been driving when he’d vanished was found submerged in the confluence of the Delores and San Miguel Rivers (pictured). Dale was a devoted father of two, and a successful small business owner. Foul play is believed to have been involved in his disappearance.
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.
Deborah Poe vanished from her nightshift job at an Orlando, Florida convenience story on February 4th, 1990. She has never been found.Deborah was 26-years-old when she went missing from Orlando, Florida. She was hard-working, determined and beloved by her family and friends.Despite extensive search efforts, investigators have never been able to locate Deborah or her remains.Deborah grew up in Virginia, and had moved to Orlando, Florida with a close friend just months before her disappearance. Prior to vanishing, she had been working hard on building a life for herself in the Sunshine State.This sketch depicts “Megadeath Guy”, a young man who was seen in the abandoned convenience store after Deborah’s disappearance. Investigators believe he may have witnessed something meaningful, but have been unable to locate him.Deborah is fondly remembered and badly missed by friends and family, who have kept her memory alive for more than 30 years.
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.
Beverly “Jaye” Potter-Mintz was 23-years-old when she was murdered inside her Leland, North Carolina home. She was a loving mother of two sons, one of whom was present during the attack. Her killer is believed to be an unidentified man who responded to a classified sale ad she had posted. Source: family photo.This newspaper clipping from 1989 shows the ad that Jaye’s killer is believed to have responded to. This stillframe from a 1989 WECT News segment was taken from outside Jaye’s home in Leland, NC. Despite the fact that her home was located on a well-traveled road and construction was occurring in the neighborhood, no one (other than her young son) recalled seeing her killer.Jaye had very close bonds with her family members, who were devastated by her death. Here, Jaye (bottom right) is pictured with her sister and parents. She was also close with her cousins, niece and–of course–her own two children. She is still missed by many members of her family. Source: family photo.Jaye is remembered as a particularly kind woman who worked hard to provide for her sons, who were 4 and 2-years-old at the time of her death. Her killer–who remains unidentified–robbed her children of a loving parent, and has yet to be held responsible for this crime.
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.
Dave Bocks was 39-years-old when he died under mysterious circumstances at his place of work on June 18th, 1984. Source: family photo.Dave Bocks was a devoted father to his three children. At the time of his death, he was looking forward to a family vacation he was planning. Source: family photo.Pictured: the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center, a nuclear weapons component manufacturing facility. Dave Bocks worked there as a safety inspector, and died mysteriously on the job.When Dave was nowhere to be found at the end of his June 18th shift, his friend and carpooling partner was forced to leave without him and left him this note. Source: Unsolved Mysteries.This June of 1984 newspaper clipping discusses the early stages of the investigation into Dave’s death. Decades later, the questions that puzzled investigators remain unanswered.The frame of Dave’s glasses was found in the same industrial furnace where his bone fragments were located. Dave always wore his glasses, and was legally blind in one eye without them. Source: family photo.Pictured: the industrial furnace inside of which Dave’s remains were located. It was kept at a constant 1,350 degrees. How Dave’s body came to be in the furnace is unknown. Source: the Cincinnati Enquirer.
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 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 was 19-years-old when she was murdered in her Three Rivers, Michigan apartment in 1988. Her case remained unsolved for 35 years.
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.
Ilene Misheloff was 13 years old when she disappeared from Dublin, California on January 30th, 1989. Source: family photo.This age-progressed image depicts how Ilene (born 1975) might appear at age 43. Image source: NCMEC.In the wake of Ilene’s disappearance, her photo was printed on milk cartons that were distributed around the country. This photo from The Mercury News shows some of those cartons raising awareness of Ilene’s case from store shelves.Ilene Misheloff was an 8th grade student, and disappeared while walking home from Wells Middle School in Dublin, California. Source: family photo.Ilene was passionate about ice skating, which she had been practicing since age 4. She aspired to one day coach ice skating, and to become a pediatrician. Source: family photo.A missing persons poster from the FBI featuring information about Ilene’s disappearance.This map depicts the route from Wells Middle School to Ilene’s home on Alegre Drive. Ilene was last seen by a classmate about halfway through her walk home on January 30th, 1989. She is believed to have been abducted from Maps Memorial Park, which she routinely took a shortcut through when walking home from school.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Robert “Bobby” Pillsen-Rahier was 15 years old when he disappeared from the Cheyanne Mesa Adolescent Treatment Facility under suspicious circumstances in 1990. He is still missing. Family photo.Bobby (right) is pictured with his (step)father, Gerald. Gerald was a loving and involved parent, and his traumatic death deeply affected Bobby. Family photo.Bobby (right) is pictured with his mother, Jean, and little brother. Jean, a loving parent, actively sought answers regarding Bobby’s disappearance for more than 30 years before passing away in 2022. Family photo.This modern map shows the location in Colorado Springs that Bobby disappeared from in 1990. The Cheyanne Mesa Adolescent Treatment facility is now defunct.
Please share Bobby’s missing person poster, which includes an age-progressed photo.
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.
Sarah Boehm was 14-years-old when she disappeared from her home town of Rochester, Pennsylvania in 1994. Her remains were later found in Portage County, Ohio. Investigators suspect she was murdered by the same person who killed Kathy Menendez. Image source: family photo.Rochester, PA (the town Sarah disappeared from) is approximately a 1 hr 15 min drive from Portage County, Ohio (where Sarah’s remains were found, not far from Kathy’s). Source: Google Maps.Kathy Menendez was 17-years-old when she went missing from her home town in Portage County, Ohio in 1994. Her remains were found days later in a remote location in the same county. It was clear she had been murdered. Sarah’s remains were later found not far from where Kathy’s had been. Image source: family photo.A photo copy of the outside of the envelope Sarah’s family found beneath her pillow in the days following her disappearance. It contained a 2-page letter.A photocopy of Page 1 of the letter found beneath Sarah’s pillow.A photocopy of Page 2 of the letter found beneath Sarah’s pillow.10 months prior to her disappearance, Sarah reported an attempted abduction. This 1993 newspaper clipping shows a police composite image depicting her would-be abductor.Sarah’s remains were located 4 months after her disappearance, but were not identified until years later. When the connection was finally made, it was headline news. Contrastingly, Kathy’s remains were identified shortly after they were located.An officer’s sketch depicts the scene where Sarah’s remains were found. By the time of discovery, they were largely skeletal. Source: Portage County Sheriff’s Office.Larry DeWayne Hall is a serial killer who murdered women and girls in a variety of states. He traveled frequently to various historic sites and reenactment events related to the American Civil War. These travels almost certainly took him through Kathy and Sarah’s home towns. It’s unknown if he killed Kathy and / or Sarah, but there are similarities between their deaths and Hall’s known crimes.This map shows the most popular route of travel from Wabash, Indiana (hometown of serial killer Larry DeWayne Hall) and the state of Pennsylvania / the popular historic site of Gettysburg. Hall likely traveled through both Portage County, Ohio (Kathy’s hometown) and Rochester Township, Pennsylvania (Sarah’s hometown) during drives from Indiana to Pennsylvania. Source: Google Maps.
LAST SEEN ALIVE 