Podcast: The Dark Oak

Episode 108: The Disappearance of Ben McDaniel

30-year-old Ben McDaniel had been through a lot by the time he reached the age of 30; He had lost his brother, his business and his home. In 2010, Ben was in the middle of a year-long sabbatical when he went scuba diving in a dangerous underwater cave late one afternoon and was never heard from again….

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Episode 107: The Murder of Penny Bell

On June 6, 1991, Penny Bell, a 43-year-old businesswoman and mother of two, was brutally stabbed over 50 times in her Jaguar in the busy Gurnell Leisure Center parking lot in Greenford, London, in a frenzied attack that left no witnesses despite the public setting. Penny, a happy and successful director at a recruitment agency,…

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Episode 106: The Disappearance of Shane Fell

On June 10, 2011, 36-year-old Shane Fell vanished after a car accident in Marrero, Louisiana. After a night at a bar watching his brother Brett’s pool tournament, Shane, who had some beer but wasn’t visibly drunk, took a backroad home, possibly avoiding DUI checkpoints. He crashed his car on River Road, told Brett he was…

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Episode 105: The Yuba County Five

Described as “America’s Dyatlov Pass Incident,” the disappearance of five young men has baffled the world for decades.  When their vehicle is found abandoned on a rough mountain road, authorities are suddenly filled with more questions than answers. Why did the group of men drive the wrong direction from home and end up on the side…

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Episode 104: Emanuela Orlandi – The Vatican Girl Disappearance

When 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi failed to come home after her music lesson on a hot summer day in Rome, her family immediately knew something was wrong. Fear grew to absolute dread when a man known only as “The American” claimed to have abducted Emanuela and threatened to kill her unless a captive terrorist was released…

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Episode 103: The Sleeping Girl of Turville

Ellen Sadler, born in 1859 in Turville, England, became known as the “Sleeping Girl” after falling into a mysterious nine-year sleep starting March 17, 1871, at age 11. Living in poverty with her mother Ann and stepfather Thomas Frewen, Ellen exhibited a melancholic, dreamy demeanor and had health issues, including headaches and glandular swellings. After…

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Episode 102: Amber Hagerman and The Amber Alert System

Amber Hagerman is a 9-year-old little girl whose legacy has helped change the lives of thousands of people in the last three decades. Unfortunately, Amber Hagerman’s story has a tragic ending, but out of the tragedy a new system was born that would ultimately help save the lives of thousands of children all over the…

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Episode 101: The Disappearance and Undetermined Death of Mitrice Richardson

Mitrice Richardson, a 24-year-old psychology graduate, disappeared on September 17, 2009, after being released from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station in Los Angeles, following her arrest for failing to pay an $89 restaurant bill and possessing a small amount of marijuana. Exhibiting erratic behavior suggestive of a mental health crisis, possibly undiagnosed bipolar disorder, Mitrice…

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Episode 100: The Redhead Murders/The Bible Belt Strangler

The Redhead Murders, spanning 1978 to 1992, involve a series of unsolved homicides of white women found along highways in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with victim counts ranging from 5 to 14. While some cases may be linked to a serial killer dubbed the “Bible Belt Strangler,” inconsistencies in victim profiles—such…

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Episode 99: Where is Sherry Lynn Marler?

When 12-year-old Sherry Lynn Marler and her stepfather Raymond went to town on June 6. 1984, they had no way of knowing the tragedy that would be awaiting them. While Raymond handled some business at the bank, Sherry walked to a gas station to buy a sod and was never seen again. With little clues,…

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