The Trail Went Cold

May 15, 1930. Chicago, Illinois. After a newspaper ad seeks assistance for the poverty-stricken family of two-year old Mary Agnes Moroney, a woman calling herself Julia Otis shows up at their home to help. She offers to take Mary Agnes shopping to buy her new clothes, but they never return. 22 years later, a woman named Mary McClelland comes forward after suspecting she might be Mary Agnes and experts conclude that she is probably the missing child. However, after Mary McClelland passes away in 2005, DNA testing shows no genetic connection between her and the Moroney family. So what happened to the real Mary Agnes Moroney? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” features the oldest cold case we’ve ever covered, which has gone from solved to unsolved again over the course of several decades.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Agnes_Moroney
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/moroney_mary.html
LIFE Magazine (Sep. 22, 1952)
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

November 30, 1990. Parma, Ohio. 41-year old Elaine Johnson vanishes without explanation from her apartment complex. She leaves behind her car and wallet, along with clothes in the laundry room dryer, and is officially reported missing three days later. A series of strange cryptic notes are found in Elaine’s apartment, leading to much speculation about her mental state at the time she went missing. However, suspicion also mounts against Elaine’s boyfriend, who changes his story about the last time he saw her. Did Elaine Johnson disappear voluntarily or did she meet with foul play? We explore each possible scenario on this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”.
Special thanks to Elaine’s daughter, Jodi, whose Facebook page, “Missing Person Elaine Benich Johnson”, is the source for much of the information on this minisode.
Additional Reading:
http://charleyproject.org/case/elaine-johnson
https://www.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/2011/11/parma_police_seeking_informati.html
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 4, 1982. Boise, Idaho. A stranger enters the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and takes his own life by swallowing a cyanide capsule. He carries a suicide note signed “William L. Toomey”, but this turns out to be a false name and the man is never identified. Years later, investigators explore a theory that Toomey’s suicide might be connected to the murders of two Catholic priests, Father Patrick Ryan and Father Benjamin Carrier. To further complicate matters, a suspect was arrested for Father Ryan’s murder only weeks before Toomey’s death, even though the evidence strongly suggested he was innocent of the crime. Who was the mysterious “William L. Toomey” and what compelled him to take his own life? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” is a very deep rabbit hole which explores multiple cold cases involving the Catholic Church and the possibility that they are related.
Additional Reading:
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/William_L._Toomey
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2005-06-17/275319/
http://podles.org/case-studies/Rev-Patrick-Ryan-Case-Study-page1.htm
http://kyma.dgt.me/father-benjamin-j-carriers-murder-remains-unsolved/
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

April 4, 1991. Clinton, Missouri. While driving home, 20-year old Angela Hammond stops at a phone booth to call her fiancee, Rob Shafer, and describes a suspicious-looking man in a pickup truck in the parking lot. Rob suddenly hears Angela scream and drives into town to check on her. He passes by a pick-up truck and sees Angela struggling with an unidentified man, but after attempting a pursuit, the transmission on Rob’s truck gives out and this is the last anyone ever sees of Angela. But who was Angela Hammond’s kidnapper and could this person have been responsible for other unsolved crimes which took place in the area during this time period? On this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we chronicle one of the most terrifying unsolved abductions you’ll ever hear about.
Additional Reading:
http://www.unsolved.com/gallery/angela-hammond
http://charleyproject.org/case/angela-marie-hammond
“Missing or Murdered in Missouri: Unsolved and Solved Cases” by Barbara Kemm-Highton
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

December 27, 1993. Lockhart, Texas. The body of 38-year old Latricia White is discovered in her bed after having been shot six times. Latricia’s live-in boyfriend, Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen, has vanished from their home, alongside his nine-year son, Chance. Three days later, Dub’s abandoned pick-up truck is discovered, containing many of his personal items and blood which does not belong to Latricia. Since Dub was known for having a volatile temper, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder and a warrant is issued for his arrest. However, over two decades later, the authorities announce that new evidence suggests Latricia, Dub and Chance were all victims of foul play. But who could have been responsible? Today’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” examines a baffling unsolved case which was voted on by our listeners in a Facebook poll.
Also, please check out the Charley Project profile pages for Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen and Chance Wackerhagen for more information.
Additional Reading:
http://unsolved.com/gallery/chance-wackerhagen/
http://archive.caller.com/news/local/crime/dps-looking-for-suspects-in-1993-murder-missing-persons-case-involving-kingsville-boy-33386e34-526b–380185871.html
http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Investigators-reopen-1993-Texas-murder-disappearance-case-379961121.html
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

July 13, 2007. Nannup, Australia. 27-year old Chantelle McDougall lives with her six-year old daughter, Leela, Leela’s 45-year old father, Simon Kadwell, and their 40-year old friend, Tony Popic. Chantelle tells her parents that they are all taking a trip to Brazil together, but the group never returns and no paper trail can be found to suggest they left the country. It turns out that Simon Kadwell has been living under a stolen identity for years and is the leader of a doomsday cult called The Truth Fellowship. Did Simon convince his family to disappear with him in order to prepare for an impending apocalypse… or could something far more sinister have happened? This week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold” chronicles the story of a bizarre cult and four people who seemingly vanished into thin air.
Additional Reading:
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/baffling-mystery-of-a-cult-and-a-wa-family-who-vanished-10-years-ago/news-story/a941ec7b534905e59c7ec6f6b2997e36
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/fate-of-australian-doomsday-internet-cult-family-from-nannup-western-australia-remains-mystery/news-story/838f1baa6a6d069e3033df8b57ce88ee
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-13/police-say-new-lead-on-disappearance-of-family/4884546
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

October 14, 1965. Atlanta, Georgia. After having dinner with a friend, 25-year old bank secretary Mary Shotwell Little vanishes without explanation. The following day, her abandoned vehicle is discovered with traces of blood and Mary’s neatly folded undergarments inside. Mary’s gasoline card is also used at two separate service stations in North Carolina by a woman matching her description and two unidentified male companions. The case would contain a number of bizarre developments, including an odd kidnapping story from a prison inmate, allegations of a scandal at Mary’s workplace, and the subsequent unsolved murder of the woman who took over Mary’s job. Was Mary Shotwell Little abducted and murdered… or could she have actually staged her own disappearance? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” is undoubtedly one of the strangest, most convoluted missing persons cases we’ve ever covered.
This episode also contains a promo for “The Fall Line”, a new investigative true crime podcast on the disappearances of Jeannette and Dannette Milbrook.
Additional Reading:
http://charleyproject.org/case/mary-shotwell-little
http://www.buckhead.net/history/mystery/msl_a.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1102670/posts
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9204080.html
http://maryshotwelllittle.blogspot.ca/2010/06/mary-shotwell-little-and-diane-shields.html
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

February 25, 2014. Perranporth, England. The nude body of an unidentified male is discovered after washing up on Perranporth Beach. The victim has a sock stuffed in his mouth, which has been tied in place by headphones. He is soon identified as Alan Jeal, a 64-year old loner from the town of Wadebridge. Investigators use CCTV footage to track Alan’s movements on the night before he was found and learn that he travelled to two other nearby towns before he went to Perranporth. The footage opens up a lot of perplexing questions, but no answers about how Alan wound up dead. Did Alan commit a very bizarre suicide or was he a victim of foul play? We look at both angles on this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold”.
Special thanks to Casper for supporting our podcast. In order to save $50 on a mattress, please visit http://www.casper.com/cold and enter the promo code “cold”.
Additional Reading:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-27505054
http://www.cornwalllive.com/police-reveal-information-case-wadebridge-man/story-21119561-detail/story.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-26674176
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-27678525
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

July 1, 1974. Beirut, Lebanon. Bashir Kouchacji is kidnapped by a group of unidentified men who spend the next five days interrogating and torturing him for reasons he doesn’t understand. Nine years later, after Bashir has moved to Washington, D.C. and become a successful restaurateur, he finds himself being tormented by a non-stop series of threatening phone calls from a mysterious figure known only as “L’Enfant”. The calls continue for an entire decade and take a toll on Bashir’s mental health, but even after they come to an end, there are still no answers about why they happened. Who was “L’Enfant” and were the phone calls somehow connected to Bashir’s unexplained kidnapping ordeal in Beirut? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” might be the most bizarre story we’ve ever featured, as it covers one of the relentless harassment campaigns imaginable.
Thanks to HelloFresh for supporting our podcast. Go to www.HelloFresh.com and use the code cold30 to get $30 off your first week of deliveries.
Additional Reading:
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Bashir_Kouchacji
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-19/news/vw-5724_1_phone-call
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/07/11/the-reliable-source/b457913c-d84c-4b3d-8926-15fb01be78e6/?utm_term=.cb72eb2396f0
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 24, 1990. Livingston County, Michigan. After dropping her mother off at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and spending the afternoon with a friend, 30-year old Paige Renkoski starts driving home. That evening, her abandoned vehicle is discovered with the engine running on the shoulder of Interstate 96, but Paige has vanished without a trace. Before she went missing, witnesses recalled seeing Paige speak with a man outside her vehicle at that location, but he is never identified and Paige is never found.
In addition to Paige Renkoski’s story, this week’s minisode of “The Trail Went Cold” will also be covering the recent unsolved disappearance of 28-year old Danielle Stislicki, who vanished after leaving her workplace on December 2, 2016. Her Jeep was later found parked outside her apartment in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more details about this case, please visit the website, finddani.org, and if you have any information, contact the Farmington Hills Police Department at 248-871-2610. Be sure to check out Nina Innsted’s episode about Dani’s disappearance on the “Already Gone” podcast.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Paige_Renkoski
http://charleyproject.org/case/paige-marie-renkoski
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2015/05/24/mom-hope-can-bring-little-girl-home/27845653
https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/05/31/new-search-in-the-case-of-paige-renkoski-missing-for-over-20-years/
https://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/2011/11/cadaver_dogs_find_potential_bu.html
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.