The Trail Went Cold

November 29, 1980. Duncan, British Columbia. 32-year old Granger Taylor drives away from his family’s farm in his pick-up truck, but never returns. Granger had developed an obsession with UFOs and claimed he started communicating with them and he leaves behind a note in which he states that he is going away on a 42-month interstellar voyage on an alien spacecraft. Five-and-half years later, human bones which are believed to belong to Granger and wreckage from his truck are found inside a crater on a nearby mountain. While it’s suspected that Granger travelled there and was killed in an explosion, there are no conclusive answers about what happened. For our final Halloween-themed episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be tackling a UFO-themed story about the disappearance and presumed death of Granger Taylor.
Additional Reading:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-man-who-went-to-space-and-disappeared-the-story-of-granger-taylor/
https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/features/bcs-granger-taylor-left-a-note-saying-he-was-boarding-an-alien-spaceship
https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/episodes/spaceman
https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/features/mechanic-genius-restores-a-vintage-kittyhawk-plane-in-his-backyard
https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/what-happened-to-granger-taylor-4669648
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Granger_Taylor
https://www.newspapers.com/image/508870222
https://www.newspapers.com/image/508064460/
“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 produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 12, 2014. Beaver County, Pennsylvania. A severed head belonging to an elderly woman is discovered in a rural wooded area about thirty feet from the nearest road, but the rest of her remains cannot be found. The head has rubber balls inside its eye sockets and since it has been embalmed, investigators are unable to extract any DNA to make an identification, so the victim becomes known as “The Beaver County Jane Doe”. While the authorities do not believe that foul play took place, a local resident named Jay Grabner starts displaying suspicious behaviour to indicate he might have some knowledge about the head. However, all attempts to determine the Beaver County Jane Doe’s identity and the circumstances of her death are unsuccessful. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore an incredibly bizarre mystery about the discovery of a severed head.
Join us on Saturday, October 26 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://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Beaver_County_Jane_Doe
https://unsolved.com/gallery/the-severed-head/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/15/the-strange-sad-quest-to-match-a-severed-embalmed-head-with-its-body/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bb82266a0128
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-bodies-head-specialreport/special-report-a-womans-severed-head-was-found-in-the-woods-who-is-she-idUSKBN1D21B4/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-head-idUSKBN0TX2F120151214/
https://www.goerie.com/story/news/education/2015/12/12/edinboro-university-artist-creates-new/25015300007/
https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/local/2015/12/06/mysterious-case-embalmed-head-found/989358007/
https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/12/08/increased-reward-offered-for-information-on-embalmed-head-found-in-economy-beaver-county/69708414007/
https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Beaver_County_Jane_Doe
https://www.distractify.com/p/beaver-county-severed-head
“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 produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

November 1, 1974. North Adams, Massachusetts. After leaving a dance at a local lodge, 18-year old Kim Benoit goes missing. Two weeks later, Kim’s body is discovered at the bottom of an embankment in a remote area twelve miles away and it is determined that she was the victim of strangulation. In October 1976, 17-year old Cynthia “Rocky” Krizack goes missing after leaving her home in the nearby town of Williamstown and her body is also eventually found at the bottom of a remote embankment. Since Rocky has been strangled to death and there are similarities between the two cases, investigators look into the possibility that she was killed by the same person who murdered Kim, but both crimes remain unsolved. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a pair of cold cases from the Berkshires.
If you have any information about the featured cases, please contact the Berkshire County State Police Detective Unit at (413) 499-1112. That’s (413) 499-1112. For Kim Benoit’s murder, you can also contact the North Adams Police Department at (413) 664-4944 and for Cynthia “Rocky” Krizack’s murder, you can also contact the Williamstown Police Department at (413) 458-5733.
Additional Reading:
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/author-and-former-prosecutor-links-convicted-killer-to-kim-benoit-murder/article_d942ac81-a54f-5fb4-bd9c-ea9f1a5d95bb.html
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/66509/Reward-Offered-in-Renewed-Search-for-Kim-Benoit-s-Killer.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/cold-case-reward-information-kim-benoit-death-1974/
https://www.greylockglass.com/top-left-corner-170-investigating-cold-cases-of-murder-time-can-be-your-friend/
https://www.westernmassnews.com/2022/02/22/true-crime-cynthia-krizack/
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/47000/Cold-Case-Expert-Offers-Thoughts-on-Unsolved-Local-Murders.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/544888238/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/545933562/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/545034519/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1072387675
https://www.newspapers.com/image/470976091/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/532271900/
“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” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

September 12, 1983. Wyoming, Ohio. 59-year old Dorothea Irwin is found stabbed to death inside her residence. Since she was in the midst of selling the house and said she was meeting an interested buyer, it is theorized that this person murdered her as part of an elaborate set-up. Suspicion turns towards Dorothea’s son, John “Jay” Irwin, who had previously spent time in prison for fraud and encouraged his mother to put her home up for sale. Jay eventually commits some additional fraud schemes and becomes a wanted fugitive until he is captured in 1991, but no conclusive evidence links him or anyone else to Dorothea’s murder. Who was responsible for killing Dorothea Irwin and what could their motive have been? We shall attempt to answer that question on this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”.
Additional Reading:
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dorothea_Irwin
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103324432/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103324378/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103324343/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/764445101/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103324688/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103324693/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/103325205/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/101855002/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/101855023/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/764780734/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/164897155/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/101239293/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/101040575/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/763917774/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/100898478/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/801358948/
“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” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

March 10, 2005. Foley, Missouri. 13-year old Bianca Piper is reported missing by her mother, Shannon Tanner, who claims that she dropped Bianca off on a rural road about a mile from their residence. Bianca struggled with numerous mental health issues, included attention deficit hyperactive disorder and bipolar disorder, and had just gotten into a dispute with her mother. According to Shannon, she followed the recommendation of one of Bianca’s therapists and drove her daughter down the road, so that she could walk back home alone and deal with her aggression, but Bianca never arrived. Since investigators are unable to find her, they start believing that Bianca was abducted and became the victim of foul play. Was Bianca Piper harmed by a stranger or did something else happen to her? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a missing children’s case which remained unsolved for two decades.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (636) 528-8546.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Bianca_Piper
https://charleyproject.org/case/bianca-noel-piper
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/family-marking-th-anniversary-of-missing-foley-girl-with-fading/article_ccdad198-3191-5041-a01c-75cd283629fa.html
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/you-think-about-it-every-day-13-years-since-bianca-piper-disappeared/63-527561353
https://fox2now.com/news/after-14-years-mother-has-renewed-hope-missing-daughter-could-be-found/
https://www.firstalert4.com/2023/02/07/lincoln-county-cold-case-gets-renewed-hope/
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/porchlightusa/2005-piper-bianca-noel-200https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/porchlightusa/2005-piper-bianca-noel-2005-t11840.html5-t11840.html
https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/answer-man/article202897184.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/151984830/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/151984920/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/151780322/
https://fox2now.com/news/fox-files/pimps-luring-suburban-high-school-girls-into-sex-slavery/
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/st-peters-woman-sentenced-for-running-prostitution-operation-out-of-hotel-room/article_948fbfb3-fe67-56cd-bed4-4eb5a5e7067f.html
https://fox2now.com/news/fox-files/sister-of-missing-girl-admits-trafficking-high-school-girls/
“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” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 10, 1994. Vancouver, British Columbia. 55-year old Nick Masee and his 39-year old wife, Lisa Masee, tell people they are planning to meet a potential investor about a $10 million business deal, but after Nick makes a reservation at a local restaurant, no one shows up. The following morning, Lisa makes a pair of phone calls to say that she and Nick are leaving town for a few days, but the couple is never heard from again. A pair of plastic zip ties are found near the front door of the Masee residence to suggest that a kidnapping may have taken place, but there is also speculation that Nick and Lisa disappeared voluntarily. Were the Masees actually the victims of foul play? If so, what was the motive? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a Canadian cold case involving a missing couple which has gone unsolved for 30 years. Special thanks to listener Maria Gabriella for narrating the opening of this episode.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the North Vancouver detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at (604) 985-1311
Additional Reading:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-mystery-of-a-quiet-banker-and-his-chic-wife/article4154929/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/nick-and-lisa-masee-looking-back-on-the-mysterious-disappearance-1.2738150
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/25-years-still-missing-disappearance-nick-lisa-masee-1.5231001
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495149600/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495149604/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495192622/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495192938/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495151346/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/504623040/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495192938/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/496624172/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/495901857/
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1088dmbc.html
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1225dfbc.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” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 23, 2010. London, England. After he is not heard from for a week, the nude decomposed body of 31-year old Gareth Williams, a junior analyst who had been working with MI6, is found inside a padlocked holdall bag in the bathtub of his flat. While his cause of death cannot be determined, there are differing opinions about whether Gareth could have locked himself in the bag on his own and suffocated, or if he was murdered by an unknown third party. A number of different theories are pushed forward, such as Gareth being killed by Russian agents or becoming the victim of a sex game gone wrong, but there are no conclusive answers about how he died.  Did Gareth Williams somehow manage to trap himself inside the bag and die in a tragic accident, or did something else take place? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore of the most bizarre unexplained deaths in the history of the United Kingdom.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gareth_Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/sep/06/mi6-death-gareth-williams-cctv
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-11095158
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/20/gareth-williams-spy-mi6
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12059910
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-key-unanswered-questions
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/23/spy-in-bag-death-coroners-inquest
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-death-mi6
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-coroner-never-solved
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24927078
https://www.businessinsider.com/kgb-defector-russia-killed-the-british-spy-found-in-a-duffel-bag-2015-9
https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/murder-the-likely-story-of-gareth-williams
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomwarren/secrets-of-the-spy-in-the-bag
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/gareth-williams-mi6-bag-bath-b2490768.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-68202900
“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 going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

November 6, 2021. Orlando, Florida. 22-year old Bryan “Vladek” Hasel shows up at a coffee shop he often frequents, but after police are called and Vladek is issued a trespass warning for a prior incident with a pocket knife, he walks off and vanishes without a trace. Nine days later, Vladek’s father returns from a family trip and discovers that his son is missing and has left most of his personal belongings behind in their apartment. There is speculation that Vladek may have suffered some sort of a mental health crisis and disappeared voluntarily, but no trace of him can be found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we are covering the unsolved disappearance of Bryan “Vladek” Hasel at the direct request of his family, who are doing whatever they can to spread awareness about his story and are hoping he is still alive somewhere and can be found safely.
If you have any information about Vladek’s disappearance, please contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 254-7000. His case number is 21-83864. You can also reach out to the family directly at FindBryanVladekHasel@gmail.com or visit their website about the case at findvladekhasel.wixsite.com/find-vladek.
Please visit FACTORMEALS.com/cold50 and use code cold50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active!
“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 going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

April 26, 2000. Reno, Nevada. 25-year old Star Palumbo is found wandering around through a restricted area at Reno-Tahoe International Airport and tells security that she is looking for her sister, even though she does not have one. An officer drives Star to the nearby Hilton Hotel and Casino and drops her off, but she soon vanishes without trace and her abandoned car is discovered at the airport one day later. Since Star had been displaying erratic and paranoid behaviour prior to her disappearance, investigators explore the possibility that she was on drugs or suffered some sort of mental breakdown, but even though there are a number of unconfirmed rumours about what might have happened to Star, no trace of her is ever found. 
October 28, 1991. San Francisco, California. After last being seen at a hospital, 29-year old Selena Edon inexplicably disappears and breaks off all contact with her loved ones. Two years earlier, Selena had suffered a serious brain injury in a motorcycle accident which caused memory issues and made it difficult for her to take care of herself. She eventually tells her family and friends that she is leaving town with an unidentified woman, but no one can confirm if this woman even exists and Selena is never heard from again.
On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a pair of missing persons cases that were featured on “Unsolved Mysteries” and involve young women who disappeared without leaving any evidence behind.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Star Palumbo, please contact the Reno Police Department at (775) 334-2155. If you have any information about the disappearance of Selena Edon, please contact the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-0123. 
Additional Reading:
https://unsolved.com/gallery/star-palumbo/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Palumbo
https://charleyproject.org/case/star-michelle-palumbo
https://www.newspapers.com/image/149308077
https://www.newspapers.com/image/149383924/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/150317171/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/150315406/
https://mynews4.com/on-your-side/ask-joe/ask-joe-have-any-clues-surfaced-after-womans-disappearance-20-years-ago
https://unsolved.com/gallery/selena-edon/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Selena_Edon
“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 going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.
 

October 26, 2015. Calgary, Alberta. Lee Antoni, the husband of 31-year old Amanda Antoni, returns home, from a weekend trip and discovers Amanda’s body lying in a pool of blood inside their basement. Two days earlier, a phone call between Amanda and Lee had abruptly cut off and since her broken cell phone is found on the floor, police initially believe that Amanda was attacked and her death was a homicide. However, after failing to turn up any strong suspects or forensic evidence pointing towards an outside party, investigators start to consider the possibility that Amanda actually suffered an accidental fatal fall down the stairs. Was Amanda Antoni the victim of foul play or was her death nothing more than a tragic accident? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a Canadian case that was recently featured on the “Unsolved Mysteries” reboot.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Calgary Police Service at (403) 266-1234 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
Additional Reading:
https://unsolved.com/gallery/body-in-the-basement/
https://globalnews.ca/news/2306865/family-of-amanda-antoni-desperate-for-answers-in-her-mysterious-death/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/amanda-antoni-calgary-homicide-castleridge-1.3290985
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-amanda-antoni-death-ruled-accidental-1.3895003
https://globalnews.ca/tag/amanda-antoni/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/amanda-antoni-unsolved-mysteries-netflix-calgary-police-1.7281846
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/new-unsolved-mysteries-episode-examines-death-of-calgary-woman-1.6984557
https://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/death-of-calgary-woman-featured-in-new-unsolved-mysteries-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 going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.