The Trail Went Cold

The Trail Went Cold - Bonus Episode - A Nightmare Before Halloween (Part 1)

…1 campfire…
…1 dark forest…
…31 bone-chilling stories…
…Will YOU survive the night?
This Halloween season, enter the woods for a unique and truly epic podcast experience! Around the campfire Shane Waters will introduce 31 crime podcast hosts, including Robin Warder of “The Trail Went Cold”. Each host brings a new, nerve-wracking true story to the circle. It’s an extra special, two part, five-hour, Halloween event, but before hitting play you might want to ask yourself…can you really handle this much murder and mayhem? So, pull up to the fire and brace yourself for “A Nightmare Before Halloween”
…but be warned…
…bad things happen in these woods….
Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance:
Part 1 Episode:
– Foul Play: Crime Series
– Murder She Told
– Crime Salad
– Crimelines
– Frightful
– Reverie True Crime
– Rotten to the Core
– The Trail Went Cold
– Once Upon A Crime
– Criminology
– The Peripheral & Generation Why
– Live, Laugh, Larceny
– The Hidden Staircase
– True Crime Cases with Lanie & It’s Haunted…What Now?
– Obscura: A True Crime Podcast & Disaster

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 300 - The Bennington Triangle

November 12, 1945. Bennington County, Vermont. While on a hunting trip on Glastenbury Mountain, 74-year old Middie Rivers splits off from his son-in-law, but he is never heard from again and an extensive search effort fails to find him. Over the next five years, four other individuals – 18-year old Paula Jean Welden, 68-year old James Tedford, eight-year old Paul Jepson and 53-year old Frieda Langer – all vanish within the same general area and most of the victims are never found. This leads to speculation that the cases might be connected or that something supernatural is involved in their disappearances, so the area becomes known as “The Bennington Triangle”. On this month’s final Halloween-themed episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be exploring five cases which all supposedly took place within a geographical area which is believed to be cursed.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Triangle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Jean_Welden
https://charleyproject.org/case/paula-jean-welden
“Clueless in New England: The Unsolved Disappearances of Paula Welden, Connie Smith and Katherine Hull” by Michael C. Dooling
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/vt-student-body-found-1946-disappeararance-article-1.2603927
https://www.reformer.com/opinion/roberta-stone-looking-back-on-unexplained-disappearances/article_31bd0790-1a58-11ec-87d8-87b0e6965523.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/21652594/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/546066440/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/546028821/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/546028370/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/546025551/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/545381347/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/54749815/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 299 - Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?

April 18, 1943. Hagley, England. A group of teenage boys discover an unidentified female skeleton inside a hollow wych elm tree near Wychbury Hill. It is determined that the victim was killed at least 18 months before she was found and her likely cause of death was suffocation. Over the next several decades, mysterious graffiti messages pop in numerous locations which are variations of the phrase: “Who put Bella in the wych elm?” While there are several theories surrounding the victim’s death, including possible connections to espionage and witchcraft, she cannot be identified and the circumstances of how she was killed remain unknown. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore one of the most famous mysteries from World War II and attempt to answer the question: “Who put Bella in the wych elm?”.
Special thanks to our sponsor, Avast.com!
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_put_Bella_in_the_Wych_Elm%3F
“Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? – Volume 1: The Crime Scene Revisited” by Alex Merrill
“Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? – Volume 2: A Crime Shrouded in Mystery” by Alex Merrill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/418441.stm
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/preformmystery-murder-and-half-a-century-of-suspenseppreform-745330.html
https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/16048176.image-of-hagley-wood-murder-victim-bella-revealed-for-first-time/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.html
http://www.josefjakobs.info/2017/12/clara-bauerle-declassified.html
http://www.josefjakobs.info/2016/09/clara-bauerle-is-finally-laid-to-rest.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/783645374/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 298 - John Harden

March 22, 1975. Clermont, Florida. After climbing out of the shower, 32-year old John Harden looks out the window and notices that his pick-up truck is on fire. When John runs outside to extinguish the flames, he is ambushed by a fatal shotgun blast to the chest and an extensive investigation fails to turn up any strong suspects or a motive for the crime. Over the next several years, multiple people move into John’s former residence and report unexplained paranormal events. This causes suspicion that the house might be haunted by John’s ghost because he never received justice for his murder, but the authorities are unable to solve the case. Join us for this month’s first Halloween-themed episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as we explore a baffling cold case which has often been associated with paranormal activity.
Additional Reading:
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/John_Harden
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Harden_House
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-09-20-9109200534-story.html
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-xpm-1991-11-01-9111010555-story.html
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-xpm-1992-10-30-9210300508-story.html
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2007-02-08-lbriefs08-11-story.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/226707089/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/226707099
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 297 - Leon Laureles

May 10, 1996. Brown County, Texas. A burning car belonging to 30-year old Leon Laureles is found next to a remote road. Leon’s body is lying near the vehicle and he has been shot though the back of the head, execution-style. One hour earlier, Leon had left his residence to drive to work for his shift at a supermarket, but even though his co-workers recalled seeing his car in the parking lot, Leon never entered the store. Since Leon was gay, there is speculation that his murder might have been a hate crime or he was killed because he saw something he wasn’t supposed to, but there are no conclusive answers about what happened. At the request of the victim’s aunt, Arlene Harbison, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” will explore the tragic and senseless murder of Leon Laureles, which has gone unsolved for over 26 years.
If you have information about this case, please contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at (325) 646-5510 or the Heart of Texas Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Leon Laureles GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorial
Special thanks to our sponsor, Avast.com!
Additional Reading:
https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/1996-murder-investigation-of-brownwood-native-remains-unsolved/
https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/crime/2021/05/10/brownwood-leon-laureles-cold-case-murder-remains-unsolved/6699908002/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/788740838
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/766487712
“The Fall Line” podcast episode
“Gone Cold” podcast episode (Part 1) (Part 2)
“Crawlspace” podcast episode
“The Murder in My Family” podcast episode
“Texas Wine & True Crime” podcast episode
“I Said God Damn!” podcast episode
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 296 - Morgan Nick

June 9, 1995. Alma, Arkansas. While attending a Little League baseball game with her mother, six-year old Morgan Nick goes off to play with some other kids before she vanishes without a trace. Morgan’s friends claim that she was spoken to by an unidentified man standing next to a red pick-up truck, so it is suspected that this man might have abducted her. Over two decades later, a deceased sex offender named Billy Jack Lincks is publicly named as a person of interest, but he has not been conclusively connected to the case and Morgan has still not been found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be exploring a tragic missing children’s case which has gone unsolved for over 27 years. In addition, we will also discuss the unsolved 2001 disappearance of three-month-old Jacqueline Vasquez, who was abducted from a swap meet in Avondale, Arizona. Special thanks to listener Chardonnay Brown for narrating the opening of this episode.
If you have any information on the disappearance of Morgan Nick, please contact the FBI, the Arkansas State Police at (501) 618-8000 or the Alma Police Department at (479) 632-3333. If you have any information about the disappearance of Jacqueline Vasquez, please contact the Avondale Police Department at (623) 333-7001.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Morgan_Nick
http://unsolved.com/gallery/morgan-nick/
http://charleyproject.org/case/morgan-chauntel-nick
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/18/grace.coldcase.morgan.nick/index.html
https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/timeline-a-look-back-into-twists-and-turns-in-morgan-nick-case/527-868e90a9-2431-46b2-96be-afccd41145b3
http://5newsonline.com/2017/12/19/no-evidence-found-in-spiro-relating-to-morgan-nick-case/
https://www.4029tv.com/article/billy-jack-lincks-morgan-nick/38199571#
https://www.4029tv.com/article/court-records-reveal-more-information-about-person-of-interest-in-morgan-nick-case/38216081
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2021/11/30/missing-arkansas-girl-morgan-nick-case-may-have-tennessee-ties/6372777001/
https://www.kark.com/news/working4you/dna-in-1995-attempted-abduction-case-could-give-answers-to-morgan-nick-kidnapping/
https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/crime/morgan-nick-disappearance-billy-jack-lincks/91-c18c30fc-b670-4409-925f-f4cfce532a52
http://www.morgannick.com
https://www.stillmissingmorgan.com
https://unsolved.com/gallery/jacqueline-castaneda/
http://charleyproject.org/case/jacqueline-vasquez
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Jacqueline_Vasquez
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 295 - Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

May 26, 1986. Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories. After returning home from a trip, the sister of 15-year old Mary Ann Birmingham enters their residence and discovers that Mary Ann has been stabbed to death. Months later, a local resident named Jopey Atsiqtaq pops up on the radar as a potential suspect after he is charged with the similar stabbing deaths of two other victims. Even though Atsiqtaq is initially charged with killing Mary Ann, he denies any involvement and since the evidence is deemed insufficient for him to stand trial, the crime is never solved. Mary Ann Birmingham’s murder is just the first case we’ll be covering on this week’s special episode of “The Trail Went Cold” about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls from Northern Canada. In total, we’ll be exploring nine unsolved cold cases involving Indigenous female victims which took place in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The nine victims are 15-year old Ann Birmingham, 38-year old Tabitha Kalluk, 46-year old Della “Jochebed” Ootoova, 18-year old Leona Brule, 15-year old Charlene Catholique, 24-year old Mary Rose Keadjuk, 17-year old Mariella Lennie, 39-year old Dorothy Abel and 22-year old Angela Meyer.
If you have information about the murder of Mary Ann Birmingham, please contact the Iqaluit detachment of the RCMP at (867) 979-0123. If you have information about any of the other featured cases from the Northwest Territories, please contact their RCMP’s Historical Case Unit at (867) 669-1111. If you have information about any of the featured cases from Nunavut, please contact the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The Trail Went Cold has made donations to the following organizations in support of Indigenous women’s and girls’ issues in Canada.
The Native Women’s Association of Canada: https://nwac.ca
Amnesty International’s No More Stolen Sisters program: https://www.amnesty.ca/what-we-do/no-more-stolen-sisters/
Additional Reading:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mary-ann-birmingham-anniversary-mmiw-1.4131421
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674after_30_years_iqaluit_girls_murder_still_unsolved/
https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20180314_MMIWG_Montreal_Public_Vol_65_-Birmingham.pdf
https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/tabitha-niaqutiaq-kalluk
https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/della-ootoova
https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20180221_MMIWG_Rankin_Inlet_Public_Vol_47a_Nashook.pdf
https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/leona-mae-brule
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/476716020/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/475559912/
https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/charlene-candice-catholique
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/aunt-remembers-charlene-catholique-1.5660623
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-files-what-happened-to-charlene-catholique-part-1/
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-files-what-happened-to-charlene-catholique-part-2/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mary-rose-keadjuk-remains-identified-1.4547174
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-what-happened-to-mary-rose-keadjuk/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mariella-lennie-homicide-still-unsolved-after-more-than-20-years-1.3025591
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-files-what-happened-to-mariella-lennie/
http://itstartswithus-mmiw.com/our-mother-dorothy-georgina-abel/
https://unsolvedcasefiles.ca/Files/1996/dorothy.php
https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/angela-carmen-pitseolak-meyer
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-what-happened-to-angela-meyer/
https://www.nnsl.com/news/yk-cold-case-part-2-the-search-for-angela-meyer/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mmiwg-inquiry-yellowknife-meyer-1.4500825
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/lack-of-mental-health-care-a-factor-in-missing-womans-disappearance-family/
https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/20180123_MMIWG_Yellowknife_Public_Vol_40_combined.pdf
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 294 - Roger Ellison

February 10, 1981. Cedaredge, Colorado. After showing up at Cedaredge High School, 17-year old senior Roger Ellison places his books inside his locker, but he never attends any of his classes that day and vanishes without a trace. Months later, one of Roger’s teachers comes under suspicion when he allegedly makes some bizarre statements to Roger’s mother, but no evidence links him to Roger’s disappearance. Over the years, there are number of odd developments, including a deathbed confession from a witness who claimed he saw Roger being held at gunpoint in the woods, but Roger’s body is never found and there are no answers about what happened to him. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the perplexing case of a student who somehow managed to disappear from his school.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Delta County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 874-2000
Join us on Saturday, September 17 at 8:00pm ET for an online streaming marathon where we will be watching classic segments from “Unsolved Mysteries”. You can enter our screening room by clicking on this link.
Additional Reading:
https://charleyproject.org/case/roger-john-ellison
https://findrogerellison.wordpress.com
https://www.montrosepress.com/news/despite-witnesses-trail-if-missing-cedaredge-teen-still-cold/article_c6a43b7d-23ef-5a0d-b516-3400cc839e8e.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/30/us/a-symbol-of-the-missing-thousands-durango-s-young-unknown-traveler.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140202090905/http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2014/02/01/cedaredge-high-school-student-possibly-kidnapped-gunpoint-led-woods/7915/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/538795986/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/538796042/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/538796084/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/540023753/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/535933268/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/540031025/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
 
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
 
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
 
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.
 

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 293 - Mario Amado

June 6, 1992. Rosarito, Mexico. While vacationing at a beachfront condo, 29-year old Los Angeles resident Mario Amado is arrested by the local police after an alleged altercation with his girlfriend. Shortly thereafter, Mario is found dead inside his jail cell and the police rule that his death was a suicide after he hanged himself with his own sweater. When Mario’s brother pushes for a new investigation, his death is eventually reclassified as a homicide and a police officer named Jose Antonio Verduzco Flores is charged and convicted of Mario’s murder. However, Verduzco’s conviction is soon overturned and he is released from prison and no other suspects are ever charged with the crime. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the controversial death of an American citizen in Mexico which caused diplomatic friction between the two countries.
Additional Reading:
https://unsolved.com/gallery/mario-amado/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Mario_Amado
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-12-me-34-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-21-me-5640-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-07-me-1350-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/11/14/new-scrutiny-expected-of-mexican-rights/cd40f657-aa30-424b-ae79-ebf9820303a9/
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-20-me-548-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-21-me-1889-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-03-mn-30634-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-11-mn-33803-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-14-mn-35195-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-12-me-23935-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-13-me-24244-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-14-mn-4045-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-23-me-7353-story.html
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 292 - Jennifer Fairgate

June 3, 1995. Oslo, Norway. The body of a young woman is found inside Room 2805 of the Oslo Plaza hotel and since a pistol is in her hand, she appears to be the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three days earlier, she had checked into the hotel under the name, “Jennifer Fairgate”, but the name turns out to be fake and since she has no identification in her possession, the woman remains a Jane Doe. All attempts to identify “Jennifer” are unsuccessful, but there a number of strange details to suggest she may have been a spy or an intelligence student. In fact, there is even speculation that she may have been the victim of foul play and her suicide was staged. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the mysterious story of an unidentified decent known as only “Jennifer Fairgate.”
Additional Reading:
https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/xRjoWp/mystery-at-the-oslo-plaza
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases-int/1420ufnor.html
https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Jennifer_Fairgate
https://unsolved.com/gallery/death-in-oslo/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Jennifer_Fairgate
https://screenrant.com/unsolved-mysteries-oslo-woman-murder-identity-jennifer-leaves-out/
https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/unsolved-mysteries-the-vanishing-of-camilla-steinaa-d0be8f814fab
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is now doing a weekly livestream show on Vokl every Thursday from 7:00-8:00 PM ET as part of their “True  Crime Thursday” line-up. For more information, please visit their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.