Mary Day was only 13 years old in 1981 when she disappeared from her family home in Seaside, California, but her case is one of the longest enduring, and strange missing persons cases that I’ve covered on this podcast. Not because the case went cold, but because, until 2002, it wasn’t a case at all. Former Seaside Police Chief Steve Cercone told 48 Hours, “I can’t remember a time when a child was not reported by the parents,” and yet, that’s exactly what happened to little Mary. She disappeared, and was never reported missing until her sister came forward years later to get police on the case. Which meant that without Mary’s sister’s intervention, her existence could have just been completely erased. Now, of course, suspicions turned immediately to Mary’s parents, suspecting that she had met a horrific end in 1981, but did she? Because in 2003, Mary Day came forward to reclaim her identity. But did she? What actually happened here?

The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls, a horrifying quote from the master of the macabre himself, Edgar Allan Poe. His life and tragic death have permeated the world of literature for the past two centuries, and the mystery of it all has fascinated those who like to satisfy their morbid curiosities for just as long. In 1849, Edgar Allan Poe disappeared, without a trace, for six whole days, and when he reappeared, he was in an alarming state of delirium for another few days before passing away in a Baltimore hospital. The circumstances, official cause, and official manner of Poe’s death remain elusive to this day, leaving us all with the question of what in the world could have happened to him.

This is one of the most terrifying and miraculous survival stories of all time. Victoria Cilliers, a loving mother of two and advance free falling skydiving instructor, SURVIVED a 3,000 foot plummet from an airplane after her own husband tampered with her parachute. And, this wasn't even his first attempt at killing the mother of his own children. This is a harrowing story of an abusive relationship, and a narcissistic man who thought that he was too smart to get caught, but whose manipulation and disgusting behavior would eventually catch up to him. If you or anyone you know recognize the signs of abusive relationships that are described in this episode, please reach out to one of the numbers below for help:

US Hotline Number: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

UK Hotline Number: 0808 2000 247

Most horror movies begin with a black screen reading "Based on a True Story," and while many of them are, it isn't often that the story behind the plot is more horrifying than the film itself. This, however, is one of those cases. The movie 'The Strangers' is a nightmare-inducing project that follows a young couple as they fight for their lives in a remote home, stalked by masked murderers who make every moment bone-chillingly terrifying. It's inspiration, the Keddie Cabin murders, is a story that is somehow even more horrifying, just as scary as it is tragic. On April 11th of 1981, a mother and her three children were viciously attacked in their home in the Keddie Resort in California. Three of them would be found murdered, while one of the children would remain a missing person until years after that horrific night. The identity of their killer remains a mystery to this day.

The murder of Jill Dando is one of the U.K's most infamous unsolved cases to date, and it truly shocked the entire nation when the beloved TV presenter was murdered in broad daylight. A neighbor found Jill's body on the doorstep of her own home in London, and she was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. There was almost no evidence, no witnesses, no clear motive, and no leads, and even to this day, the lack of answers in Jill's case is astounding. She was TV's Princess Diana, so widely adored and looked up to, and her death was not only brutal, but tragic, and her loss was mourned by so many across the country and the world. Today, all we can really do is theorize on what might have happened to her, and take her incredible life and accomplishments as inspiration, because she truly was one-of-a-kind.

In one of the most frustrating and emotional episodes that I've ever done, we're diving into the case of Kelsey Berreth, a beautiful mother and incredibly intelligent young woman who was taken from this world in the most senseless manner. When Kelsey's fiancé, Patrick Frazee, reconnects with an ex-girlfriend of his in 2016, it was only a matter of time before the two of them started to plan a shockingly malicious and violent crime that would result in the death of Kelsey Berreth on Thanksgiving Day of 2018. It's a case that truly embodies the age-old idea that you never truly know someone, or their intentions, even if it's someone you love.

Brandon Lawson left his home in Texas one night in 2013, heading to his parents house about three hours away. He would never make it there. In a strange series of events, Brandon called his brother asking for assistance after he ran out of gas, and shortly after, called 911, asking for help and police. When his brother and a Sheriff's Deputy convened at the scene of Brandon's truck, there was no trace of him to be seen, and answers would remain elusive until early 2022. As we wait to find out what might have befallen Brandon that night, exploring the details and possibilities in this case is haunting, and it's one that will not leave your mind anytime soon.

This is the fifth edition of coffee chats, so I wanted to switch it up a little bit, and bring you a really fascinating look into polygraph tests. What are they? How do they work? What does it ACTUALLY mean for someone to pass or fail a polygraph? All of these are good questions, and we're answering all of them in this episode. From the invention of the polygraph, to how it has set standards in US courts, to the implications that it can have in criminal cases. This was a really interesting episode to put together, so grab yourself a coffee, and let's chat!