Tag: missing person

Cold Case Mystery: What Happened to Missing Teen Tracy Pickett?

Tracy Pickett vanished after a sleepover in Webb City, Missouri — and 33 years later, justice still hasn’t been served.

On the night of August 11, 1992, 14-year-old Tracy Pickett did something countless teens do — she went to a sleepover with friends. But by the next morning, Tracy had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a grieving mother and a community haunted by unanswered questions.

This unsolved disappearance remains one of Missouri’s most disturbing cold cases, with key suspects, suspicious sightings, and a chilling voicemail, but still no body — and no closure.

A Mother’s Worst Nightmare Begins

Glenda “Kay” Blaser, Tracy’s mother, never imagined she would be living every parent’s worst fear. She agreed to let her daughter spend the night with friends. But someone else showed up that night — two convicted felons. One of them, Ernest “Michael” Hensley, was dating one of the girls. He brought along a man known only as “Al.”

That “Al” was later identified as Lowell Andrew Billy, a convicted $ex offender with a dark past and a disturbing future.

The Chilling Voicemail and Tracy’s Sudden Disappearance

On August 12, 1992, Blaser received a bizarre, possibly pre-recorded voicemail:

“Tracy is on her way home to change her clothes.”

The message came twice. But Tracy never came home.

When Blaser went to the friend’s house, she found Tracy’s shoes in the closet — but no sign of her daughter. Witnesses say “Al” had given Tracy a ride home that morning in a distinctive black van with Oklahoma plates, louvers on the windows, and two sunroofs — a vehicle later tied to multiple sightings.

One witness reported hearing a girl scream, “Leave me alone!” in a nearby alley. Another saw “Al” cleaning out the van near Carthage, Missouri, around noon on the day of Tracy’s disappearance.

A Prime Suspect with a Violent History

Police eventually identified “Al” as Lowell Andrew Billy, a man with a violent record. He told investigators he dropped Tracy off in front of a pawn shop in downtown Joplin, but no witnesses or evidence support that claim.

A year later, Billy was arrested for kidnapping and $exu@l assault of another woman in Oklahoma. He served time but was later re-arrested for failing to register as a $ex offender. Despite being labeled the prime suspect in Tracy Pickett’s disappearance, insufficient evidence has kept authorities from charging him.

Renewed Investigations and Ongoing Search for Justice

In 2005, investigators drained a local mining pit, hoping to uncover evidence. In 2018, the Joplin Police Department searched several ponds linked to the other man who was at the sleepover — Ernest “Michael” Hensley, who has since passed away.

Police believe Hensley and Billy may have both been involved, but decades later, Tracy Pickett remains missing, and her case is still unsolved.

Help Bring Tracy Pickett Home

If you have any information about the disappearance of Tracy Pickett, please contact the Joplin Police Department at

(417) 623-3131.

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Shattered: Behind Every Story Is a Shattered Life

Behind every story I write is a life that’s shattered. These aren’t headlines. These are people. Those who try to twist headlines to generate more views are toying with someone’s trauma. I have raised awareness for 500 cases and helped generate leads for law enforcement. That’s my purpose and that’s what keeps me going. 

This book has the top 40 cases that I’ve highlighted on my blog throughout the years. Please enjoy the book but remember these are real people with real trauma. 

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50-Yr-Old Cold Case: Laurie Partridge Vanished On Her Way Home From School

On December 4, 1974, the 17-year-old Laurie Partridge left school because she wasn’t feeling well. She couldn’t get a ride home, so she decided to walk the two miles home, but she would vanish without a trace. 

Strangely, her concert tickets were used a few days later, but the police didn’t want to inconvenience the concert goers and wouldn’t allow the people to be stopped as they checked into the venue. When the family questioned the venue, they found Laurie’s two tickets had been used. Did Laurie’s kidnapper go to the Beach Boy’s concert with her tickets? Where is Laurie? 

Laurie was a senior in high school and already had enough credits to graduate, so when she told them she didn’t feel good and wanted to leave, they let her go. She reportedly left the Joel E. Ferris High School around 12:30 pm. She said she wanted to lay down and rest before she had to go to work that evening. She worked at the Lincoln Heights Theater.

She walked through the first neighborhood on her way home, and a witness noticed her walking by as he shoveled his driveway. Then, she would pass a rural area with fields and woods. No one noticed her walk through the second neighborhood, and police think she may have been kidnapped in the rural area between the houses. 

Laurie had two tickets to the Beach Boy’s concert on December 9, 1974. The family tried to get the police to watch for those ticket numbers at the event, but they refused to interrupt the crowd. They also refused to let the family do it. They sent two officers who spent a short time looking around for Laurie in case she showed up to the concert. She did not. Afterward, the venue verified that all the tickets had been turned in. Were the kidnappers at that concert? We will never know. 

During the 50 years since this disappearance, people have tried to tie it to Ted Bundy and other various cases. There have been a couple of witnesses and theories, but none of these tips went anywhere. This poor family has been left without answers and is in the same spot as they were on that cold December day in 1974.

At first, the police said this was a runaway, and because of that mentality, they missed the opportunity to develop the one good lead in this case. Laurie was engaged to a 20-year-old man from the area. They were going to pick out rings in a day or two. They were planning a wedding after Laurie’s graduation in the spring. She was, by all accounts, a very stable teenager with big dreams and a life waiting for her after high school. 

What can we do now? Share. That’s about it. The more we talk about these cases, the more pressure we can put on those who have information.

Check out my new Chasing Justice Episode about this case: 

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Madhouse Madison County

Chaos rules in a small Southeastern Missouri County. Madison County spans 500 square miles and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. The county seat is Fredericktown with a population of approximately 4,000 people. This rural county should be a safe place in beautiful Americana, but it hides a dark secret. Fredericktown is one of the most dangerous places to live in America. Check out this quote from neighborhoodscout.com. 

“With a crime rate of 31 per one thousand residents, Fredericktown has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes – from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 32.” 

I started researching one case sent to me by a desperate grandmother. That case led me to fifteen more. Then I realized this county has had murder, corruption, and chaos since before the Wild West days. This book will start with a lynching by a Fredericktown mob in 1844. Hold onto your seats when you read this one. You’re in for a wild, chaotic ride through rural Missouri.

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Vanished Without a Trace: The Mysterious Disappearance of Betty Alexander in Sullivan, Missouri

On April 10th, 2019, 69-year-old Betty Alexander was last seen at her apartment in Sullivan, Missouri. A Sinks Pharmacy delivery driver had checked in with her that Wednesday. But by the next morning, Betty had vanished without a trace.

She missed both her physical therapy appointment and a scheduled visit from Meals on Wheels. For Betty—a grandmother with early-stage dementia—this behavior was entirely out of character. She didn’t drive, rarely walked alone, and was known to be cautious about her routine.

The First Signs of Trouble

On Friday, April 12th, the Meals on Wheels driver found Betty’s door unlocked, but she wasn’t home. The food was left on the table, and the driver left, assuming she would return soon. Sadly, she didn’t.

That Sunday, Betty’s daughter Tonya arrived to take her mom on a planned shopping trip. She knocked, but there was no answer. The door was now locked—a strange change from Friday. Tonya used her key to enter and discovered that Betty was gone.

Her glasses, which she never left home without—not even to the mailbox—were still inside. So were her purse and apartment keys, both found tucked away in the closet. Betty also didn’t own a cell phone. Something was very wrong.

Suspicious Details Emerge

Further inspection revealed more strange clues:

  • Betty had taken her evening medication at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
  • Her Thursday morning meds were untouched.
  • Some prescription drugs were missing, while others were not.
  • Despite no signs of forced entry or a struggle, there was concern she may have been targeted for her medications.
  • Two separate K9 units searched the area with no results.

And then there’s the timeline:

  • The door was unlocked on Friday when Meals on Wheels came.
  • But it was locked again by Sunday when Tonya arrived.

Who went into Betty’s apartment during that time?

Where Is Betty Alexander?

It’s been years, and no trace of Betty Alexander has ever been found. Despite the tireless work of law enforcement and her devastated family, the trail has gone cold.

Can You Help?

If you know anything about the disappearance of Betty Alexander—even something that seems insignificant—please contact the Sullivan Police Department: (573) 468-8001

Synova’s Youtube Video:

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Shattered: Behind Every Story Is A Shattered Life

Synova has written about close to 500 cases over the years. This book includes 40 of those case files. Remember behind every story is a family that’s broken and desperately looking for answers. Every book you buy helps me raise awareness about the long-forgotten cases. Thank you in advance

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Difficult Conversations Around the Disturbing Case of Christina Whittaker

November 13, 2009: Hannibal, MO

A 21-year-old mother goes out for a night on the town. She hadn’t been out since the baby had been born and was looking for a good time. Christina Whittaker ended up having too much to drink and would be kicked out of more than one bar that evening. Was the alcohol mixing with her bipolar medication and causing problems? We may never know.

Christina was last seen leaving a bar crying, trying to get someone to help her get a ride home.  While the rumor mill fingers a local hood and claims Christina was trafficked to the town of Peoria, Illinois there’s no solid evidence to verify this. While the family clings to hope with all of the unverified sightings, not one shred of evidence has come forward to prove Christina ever left the town of Hannibal that night.

There are two pieces of tangible evidence in this case, however. Her phone and keys were found just down the road from the bar. This is also the site of what looked like a hit and run accident. There were red paint fragments on a car that looked like it had been hit. No one really investigated this, but a local Hood would later confess to a girlfriend that Christina died on the road that night and they threw her in the back of the red pickup truck they were in. Supposedly, Christina had called a local man and asked him to take her home. They flew around the corner and Christina was stumbling in the road and they hit her. 

There is so much quiet corruption and chaos in the small town that no one wants to talk about, but this just lends itself to the rumor mill. So many theories in this case have come up in the last 13 years, but after researching this case there are still only two pieces of evidence. Those two pieces point to a local Hood named Danny Baker. Unfortunately, Baker died on January 4th, 2017. Unless we can find out where they stashed her body that night, the mother will still cling to the hope every time someone sees a young redhead in Peoria Illinois. No one can blame her for this she is a grieving mother. However, sometimes it’s best to let go of the sensationalism and go back to the basics of police work. Like I always said, “When a case becomes too fantastical it’s time to step back and look at the practical.”

Someone needs to investigate this case and find the body of Christina Whittaker. Then maybe the mother can grieve properly. Check out my True Crime Tuesday video below for more information on this case. Also, check out the documentary series titled Relentless. I will put a link below to this documentary created by Christina Fontana. Whatever you do, make sure and share this story. Together we can make a difference.

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Each week Synova highlights obscure cold cases on her blog as a victim’s advocate. She never charges for her services. If you’d like to help support Synova in this worthy cause please check out the affiliate links below. By purchasing one of her books or using these links, you will be supporting Synova’s work on cold cases and will ensure her ability to continue to give a voice to the victim’s family. Thank you.

Throughout this show, Synova will reference a documentary created by Christina Fontana. Check out the Relentless Documentary on Discovery+ using this link

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Jennifer Casper-Ross: The Tragic Story of a Ballerina’s Mysterious Disappearance

Jennifer Rayleen Casper was born on April 30, 1975, and grew up in Pocatello, Idaho. She learned to love the art of dance as a child and thrived in the industry. While many little girls take dance lessons when they are young, very few are talented and dedicated enough to make a career out of it. At a young age, Jennifer achieved every little girl’s dream and became a professional ballerina.

At 19, she would be the youngest woman to ever audition for the Greg Thompson Productions. She would go on to be the youngest hired by the production company. Her career in show business had finally taken off, but sadly, eleven years later, she would disappear without a trace. What happened to this beautiful dancer? The disappearance of her starlet was devastating for Jennifer’s mother, Carla. The beautiful young woman seemed to have the world at her fingertips.

After graduating from Highland High School, Jennifer moved to Las Vegas and danced in the American Superstars show. Her dreams were coming true. Jennifer was featured on show posters, giant billboards, and commercials. Everyone loved the tall, slender brunette, and she was living her dream.

In 1995, Jennifer moved from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada, and got a job dancing for Harrah’s Hotel & Casino. The studious young woman immediately enrolled in college and began working on a major in Veterinary Medicine. Like many college students, she would eventually change her major. She had big dreams for her future and decided she wanted to find a cure for autism and cancer.

While working at Harrah’s, she meets and falls in love with a crewman named Sean Ross. They married and had a son four years later. Sadly, her career was cut short by an injury, so she began giving ballet lessons to help make a living. Life was good until then, but she continued pressing forward, battling her demons and trying to make a good life for her son. The showgirl glitz was pretty from the outside, but Jennifer was struggling with mental health issues and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. If that wasn’t enough to deal with, her marriage was also beginning to crumble.

Most people have heard the term bipolar, but few understand what it really is. Bipolar disorder is a mental health issue that can range from mild to severe. This condition can cause extreme mood swings with bouts of severe depression. Coupled with losing her dancing career, motherhood, and marital woes, this would have been quite an overwhelming load.

Jennifer was a showgirl from childhood. She was smart, talented, and beautiful. She knew this, but her identity was on the stage, and she found it hard to find herself now that her life of glitz and glamour had vanished. She always had the adoration of those around her, but now she felt hopelessly inadequate.
How do I know this, you might ask? Because I’ve been there. Mental health issues are hard to deal with, especially for a driven, successful person. Now, everything she had worked so hard for was going up in smoke. What could she do now?

In a fit of despair and drowning in debt, the beautiful ballerina took a job as an exotic dancer at the Wild Orchid Gentleman’s Club. She wasn’t happy about it but couldn’t find another option with her current mental state.

Like many women, Jennifer also suffered from postpartum depression, or so her husband claimed, and her life spiraled down from there. That’s when her drug and alcohol use began again, according to her husband. Her family vehemently disputes this, and there isn’t any official record of Jennifer having postpartum depression.

In 2005, Jennifer sought professional help with her anxieties and mental health issues. She was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and postpartum depression. It is unclear if the postpartum depression was just something Sean mentioned or if she was diagnosed with it as well. Whatever the case, Jennifer was given a high-powered concoction of medications and treatment to help her get her life back in order.

She seemed to respond well to the treatment in the following weeks. There was one problem. However, Jennifer was still unable to cope with drinking and experimenting with drugs along with her medications.
No one knows what happened between husband and wife, but the fighting came to a breaking point in the early morning hours of May 5, 2005, and Jennifer stormed out of the house. Sean says she left with a red bag full of clothes, but no one could verify this story, and no other reports mention the bag.

Jennifer walked to the Peppermill Resort, Spa & Casino, which was only a mile from her home. There, she shared a few drinks with a friend, and some witnesses recall marks on her wrists and arms. Were they from abuse, or were they self-inflicted? No one knows for sure.

Around 5 a.m., she used her friend’s cell phone to call her father in Las Vegas. She told him she wanted to come to visit. Then, around 5:30 a.m., she took a cab to the Reno Sparks Cab Company. There, she hoped to see her mother, who usually worked the graveyard shift.

Unfortunately, her mother was off that night. Witnesses say she was seen climbing a fence and walking off. No one has seen her since. Here, the story begins to get a little strange. A beautiful woman is clearly upset and out on the town alone. She has a few drinks, paid for by an unknown gentleman, and then leaves the Peppermill to go to her mother’s job.

While interviewing family members, I was made aware of one gentleman who was particularly infatuated with the tall, gracious dancer. It was never brought out in the police reports, but it would seem a man at the cab company (I won’t name him) was always asking her mother if she had ditched Sean. He wanted to marry her and probably would have if it were an option. Here’s my question. Was this man ever questioned? Did his infatuation with the dark-eyed ballerina drive him to some nefarious scheme? We may never know.

Sean Ross called in a missing persons report when Jennifer didn’t return home the following day. Those closest to Jennifer found this odd because, according to Sean’s statements, Jennifer had run off before and would be gone for a few days. These reports could never be verified, but he would choose to call in a missing persons report right away if this were true. Wouldn’t waiting and seeing if she came home first make more sense?

Initial police reports say the investigators found two blood-stained notes in the home. After testing, they confirmed that the missing woman had written them and it was her blood. Were they written under duress? Was the medication and alcohol mix causing her to lose control? Maybe, but there’s more.

The young woman with a 3.9 GPA at the University of Nevada is on the opposite side of this dark spectrum. In 2001, she was inducted into the Dean’s List and remained there every year thereafter. She majored in veterinary medicine but switched to biomedical engineering and was awarded the NASA national space-grant college and fellowship program in 2000. She was smart, passionate, and independent. Was she pulling away from Sean? Was it more than he could handle?

Some people want to insinuate that Jennifer committed suicide, but would that really be like her? No one knows for sure. Yes, she was desperate, but she only had one year left before she received the degree she had worked so hard for. Surely, things would get better then.

Was her world really crashing down, or did an unknown monster bring it down? Investigators follow the night’s events and try to piece together a timeline of Jennifer’s last known hours. They talk to the employees at the cab company and hear a bizarre tale. The intoxicated woman had shown up that morning looking for her mother. When she was told her mother had the night off, Jennifer panicked and ran off into the night. She turned so quickly that the heel of her shoe broke. She ditched her high heels and ran off barefoot, jumping a small fence and heading toward her house.

Tracking dogs were brought in to help with the investigation. They found Jennifer’s scent behind the cab company and followed her trail until she reached the road. There, the trail was lost. Did someone stop and pick up the heavily intoxicated woman? The couple’s marriage problems and financial woes were a well-known fact. Did those issues cause Jennifer to want to abandon her life and start over somewhere else? Her family doesn’t think so. She adored her son, and no one believed she would run away. So, what happened to Jennifer?

Sean Ross is given a lie detector test shortly after his wife’s disappearance and fails. A second test is scheduled because everyone knows the tests aren’t 100% reliable. Sean agrees to the second test but never shows up. As if that weren’t suspicious enough, Sean told his mother-in-law that he thought Jennifer might be in the river before Jennifer was even officially declared missing. Investigators noticed his lack of emotion during the process.

Of course, everyone grieves differently, but that wouldn’t be the end of Sean Ross’ odd behavior. Three months after his wife’s disappearance, Ross divorces Jennifer and files for sole custody of their son. Who does that? Did he think she was out there somewhere refusing to come home, or did he know more? The strange behavior continues when Sean sells the home and moves to California with their son.

According to the divorce decree, Jennifer was supposed to receive half the proceeds from the house sale. Where is that? Is it still in the courthouse?

When this case was first reported, several news outlets claimed Sean had been cleared as a suspect, but that is not the case. Dateline did a write-up about this case recently, and the investigator claims Sean and one other unnamed individual are still persons of interest. I wonder who the unidentified person is. Could it be the guy at the cab company? I have no idea. I will leave that up to you to decide. The investigator also makes sure to mention the supposed suicide notes. He said they do not believe they were definite proof of suicide because they cannot prove that Jennifer wasn’t coerced into writing them. Sadly, Jennifer’s son is now coming of age and asking questions about his mother.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Reno Police Department at (775)334-2155.

Watch Synova’s Video on this Case:

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Shattered: Behind Every Story Is A Shattered Life (Synova’s Case Files Series)

Follow the heart-rending cases Synova first wrote about on her blog in 2018. Filled with missing persons’ cases, unsolved homicides, and even serial killer cases, this book will give you a greater insight into the shattered lives behind every story. Cases Included in this book: Jayme Closs, Haley Owens, Josh Robinson, Timothy Cunningham, Carol Blades, Pam Hupp, Arthur Ream, Angela Hammond, The Springfield Three, Jennifer Harris, Danny King, Angie Yarnell, Jack Robinson, Madelin Edman, Alexis Patterson, Amber Wilde, Sandra Bertolas, Jennifer Casper-Ross, Crystal Soulier, Jody Ricard, Carmen Owens, Brandon Tyree McCullough & The I-70 Serial Killer

Each week Synova highlights obscure cold cases on her blog as a victim’s advocate. She never charges for her services. If you’d like to help support Synova in this worthy cause please check out the affiliate links below. By purchasing one of her books or using these links, you will be supporting Synova’s work on cold cases and will ensure her ability to continue to give a voice to the victim’s family. Thank you.

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The Overshadowed Child Abduction Case of Alexis Patterson

The case of Alexis Patterson was just getting the kind of publicity it needed when the nation’s attention was diverted to the abduction of Elizabeth Smart. While the power of media can help solve cases, it can also destroy others. What happened to beautiful little Alexis Patterson on the morning of 05/03/2002?

 She was a bright-eyed 1st grader walking to the Hi-Mount Public School four houses down the street from her home. It was May 3, 2002, and the child would be out of school for the summer break soon.

  Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be enjoying the upcoming summer activities. Fellow students reported seeing her in the playground before school, but she never made it to class and hasn’t been seen since. Seventeen years have passed, and sweet Alexis still hasn’t returned. Who snatched her? Where is she now? Did she actually make it to school that day?

  Alexis Patterson was walked to school by her stepdad, LaRon Bourgeois and was seen by other kids in the playground. Everyone assumed she would be in class. She had a perfect attendance record, but it would be broken on this fateful day in May. When she didn’t return home from school, her family reported her missing.

  Within 24-hours of the call, the Milwaukee P.D. set up a mobile command unit in a nearby park. It would stay there for the next five weeks, while the entire community searched for the girl. A month later Elizabeth Smart was found alive, and I’m sure the news gave Ayanna Patterson hope that her daughter would be found as well. While the news found many other missing girls, her daughter’s name was never among them.

  Three months later the authorities received a tip that she might be in the Milwaukee River near Estabrook Park. They had already checked the area but rechecked the place just in case. She wasn’t found. Many new leads poured into the case files, but not one of them lead to anything.

  In 2009, the case was sent to Milwaukee’s Cold Case Unit. Everyone hoped this would heat up the case and bring in some new information, but it remained cold. Fast forward a grueling 14 years and the authorities had been all over the country chasing leads in this case. One lead seemed promising in 2016.

  A man from Ohio called in claiming he thought his ex-wife was the missing child. She couldn’t remember anything before the age of ten, she had no photos of her childhood, she couldn’t remember how she ended up in Ohio, and she had several of the characteristics of Alexis Patterson. As usual, the police keep a few details private to help determine the truth in these cases. When this woman had a physical characteristic that wasn’t publicly known, the police made a trip to Ohio to get a DNA sample.

  While everyone in the Wisconsin community waited and hoped, the DNA test came back negative. It was not Alexis Patterson. The mother put on a brave face for the cameras and said she would never give up, but it was apparent she was struggling with the new information. She had so desperately hoped that this woman was her child, and now that hope was gone.

  Every year the community leaders show their support for this family by re-tracing the route Alexis took to school that day in 2002. The solemn assembly walks the four blocks down a shady sidewalk to the school. There they place a wreath in honor of the missing child. No one in this community has forgotten the bright-eyed baby girl.

  If you Google Alexis Patterson, you will find yearly updates on her story, but they all say the same thing. There haven’t been any new developments in this case in the last three years; at least none that the police are sharing publicly. I did find one YouTube video of Sheriff David Clark. He has been working this case from the beginning, and he made a startling confession. He doesn’t believe Alexis ever made it to school and that her mother’s now ex-husband knows what happened to the little girl. Of course, LaRon vehemently denied this from his jail cell. Yes, you read that right, LaRon Bourgeois was jailed for dealing drugs and weapons charges both before and again after the disappearance of Alexis Patterson.

  In 2009, The Milwaukee News reported that LaRon Bourgeois had failed his polygraph test. The police weren’t releasing the questions that he failed. This makes me think he failed some questions about an unrelated topic. If he had failed the questions about Alexis, I’m sure he would have been arrested. Maybe? Who knows. The sheriff still thinks he knows more than he’s saying, but they obviously don’t have enough evidence for an arrest. Meanwhile, this poor mother is trying to continue living despite not knowing the truth.

  Alexis’ biological father, Kenya Campbell was no Prince Charming either. He was reportedly in jail at the time of her disappearance. Records show he was released on the 6th, but later scrutiny showed he might have been released two days beforehand. If this is true, then maybe he could have taken the little girl. The only problem with this is where did he put her and where has she been for all of these years?

  We hear about children being abducted by family members in the news all the time. If this were the case, she would have turned up.

  In December 2013 Campbell was arrested for brutally beating his new 8- month-old baby daughter. If you have any information on this case, please contact the Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 278-4788.

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Follow me on Rumble:

Youtube has started restricting my videos because of their true crime content. This hinders my channel’s monetization, sure, but more importantly it makes it hard to get these stories the publicity they need. Please consider following me on Rumble to help avoid these issues and to raise awareness about these unsolved cases.

Follow Me

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Weekly True Crime Newsletter. You will receive exclusive content directly in your inbox. As a gift for joining you will also receive the Grim Justice e-book free.

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Shattered: Behind Every Story Is A Shattered Life (Synova’s Case Files Series)

Follow the heart-rending cases Synova first wrote about on her blog in 2018. Filled with missing persons’ cases, unsolved homicides, and even serial killer cases, this book will give you a greater insight into the shattered lives behind every story. Cases Included in this book: Jayme Closs, Haley Owens, Josh Robinson, Timothy Cunningham, Carol Blades, Pam Hupp, Arthur Ream, Angela Hammond, The Springfield Three, Jennifer Harris, Danny King, Angie Yarnell, Jack Robinson, Madelin Edman, Alexis Patterson, Amber Wilde, Sandra Bertolas, Jennifer Casper-Ross, Crystal Soulier, Jody Ricard, Carmen Owens, Brandon Tyree McCullough & The I-70 Serial Killer

Buy Book

Each week Synova highlights obscure cold cases on her blog as a victim’s advocate. She never charges for her services. If you’d like to help support Synova in this worthy cause please check out the affiliate links below. By purchasing one of her books or using these links, you will be supporting Synova’s work on cold cases and will ensure her ability to continue to give a voice to the victim’s family. Thank you.

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The Haunting Disappearance of Randy Brosius

 Photo courtesy of The Charley Project

He agreed to be the pawn in a drug sting after his mother received threatening calls over the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, drug stings don’t always turn out like they do in the movies, and Randy’s brothers watched in horror as the car sped away out of the reach of law enforcement. 49 years later and the family still doesn’t know what happened to Randy Brosius.

Randall B. Brosius, 22, had a rocky past that involved drugs, but he was getting his life together by the Christmas holiday in 1976. Christmas cheer was in the air, the shopping season was in full swing, and everything was bliss. That’s what Christmas is supposed to be, anyway. During the festivities, the Brosius family was being terrorized by an unknown blackmailer.

Randy’s mother received a demand for $500, saying that Randy was involved in a big drug deal. The blackmailer threatened to cut Randy up in pieces and send him to her if she didn’t pay. Terror-stricken, the poor mother, found the money and tried to deliver it to the dropzone in Williamstown, Pennsylvania. She had one hour to get there. Although she made it well within the allotted time, the blackmailer never arrived.

After all of this, Randall went to the police for help. He agreed to a “meet up” with the police waiting in the shadows. His brother and father were there, as well. He had nothing to fear. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, and somehow by some terrible twist of fate, Randy was taken.

The newspaper accounts make it sound so innocent. They claim Randy was last seen in a car driving away from Mace’s Fountain Blue Motel with two men. Richard Green, 31, and Kenneth H. Lenker, 25. In reality, that was the last time his family or the police ever saw him. The two men were later found in Florida and questioned, but no arrests were ever made.

What happened to Randy Brosius?

A John Doe was found in Hewett, TX, on April 3, 1978. The twenty-something male had been shot in the back of the head and dumped in a culvert. His height and weight closely match that of Randy. The clothing wasn’t a match to what Randy was last seen wearing, but we’re talking 15 months later.

The man’s flamboyant clothes are what lead investigators to call him Disco Dan. Unfortunately, the Hewett police department only had two officers, and the John Doe case went cold rather quickly.

The family wonders if this could be their long lost Randy. There’s a possibility since one of the men he was last seen with ended up in Texas. At the time of his disappearance, Randy had long shoulder-length brown hair and a mustache. He was around 5′ 7,” and his weight was approximately 140 lbs. All of these things closely match Disco Dan.

I noticed when comparing the two photos; the nose seems really similar to me. Who knows. We will have to wait for the DNA results. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, if you know anything about the disappearance of Randall Brosius or the John Doe known as Disco Dan, please call in a tip. These families need answers.

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Shattered: Behind Every Story Is A Shattered Life (Synova’s Case Files Series)

Follow the heart-rending cases Synova first wrote about on her blog in 2018. Filled with missing persons’ cases, unsolved homicides, and even serial killer cases, this book will give you a greater insight into the shattered lives behind every story. Cases Included in this book: Jayme Closs, Haley Owens, Josh Robinson, Timothy Cunningham, Carol Blades, Pam Hupp, Arthur Ream, Angela Hammond, The Springfield Three, Jennifer Harris, Danny King, Angie Yarnell, Jack Robinson, Madelin Edman, Alexis Patterson, Amber Wilde, Sandra Bertolas, Jennifer Casper-Ross, Crystal Soulier, Jody Ricard, Carmen Owens, Brandon Tyree McCullough & The I-70 Serial Killer

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Missouri Missing: Angie Yarnell Case

“Seek, and you shall find”

Marianne Asher-Chapman depends on that. She has been searching for her daughter Angie Yarnell for nearly 15 years. She carries a shovel in the trunk of her car, so she is ready to dig at a moment’s notice. Why would this poor mother still be searching after a man has confessed to killing Angie Yarnell? Why is the killer out of jail? How could our justice system fail so miserably? This is the story of a mother’s quest to find her daughter and help others who are suffering through a tragedy.
Michelle Angela “Angie” Yarnell was last seen on October 25, 2003, in the 3900 block of Ozark View Rd in Ivy Bend, Missouri. Her mother, Marianne Asher-Chapman lived an hour and a half away in Holts Summit, MO. Although they were separated by a 90 min drive the two women were more than family; they were best friends. Marianne heard from her daughter regularly and was expecting to see her beautiful baby girl that day for a birthday party. Angie’s niece was having a party at grandma Marianne’s house. The party was scheduled for 1 pm, but it was after 5 o’clock and Marianne was getting upset. This wasn’t like Angie. Something was wrong. Marianne hadn’t gotten Angie to answer her calls for a few days. She had assumed Angie was out job hunting and would call later, but now after missing a birthday party, Marianne was worried. She called her daughter’s number again, but this time she left a message that would start a bizarre chain of events. “If you don’t call back, I’m going to drive down and check on you,” was the message the worried mother left on Angie’s voicemail. She would receive a response two hours later, but it wasn’t the one she hoped for. Around 7 pm, Angie’s car pulled up in the driveway and out stepped Michael Yarnell. When Marianne asked about her daughter, he simply replied, “she’s gone.” The man walked in and sat down without saying much of anything. Finally, he told Marianne that he thought Angie had run off with another man. No one believed his story, but no one challenged him either. Marianne couldn’t believe her daughter would leave without telling her something about this new man, and to make matters even worse, Marianne was battling throat cancer at the time. Angie was helping her mother through this journey. Why would a beloved daughter leave her mother in such a state? Angie wouldn’t. That was the conclusion her family came up with. Something was terribly wrong. Marianne went the next day and filed a missing persons report expecting to find compassion and assistance but found very little. Initially, the investigators believed that the 28-yr-old was frustrated with her verbally abusive marriage and took off. No one seemed to understand the bond between mother and daughter in this case. Angie had spoken to her mother about the problems with her short marriage to Yarnell. She had been wrongly accused of infidelity by Michael when in fact Michael was having an extra-marital affair. The relationship had broken down to the point that Angie confessed to her mother that Michael was going to leave her. Marianne had this conversation with her daughter several days before Michael’s strange visit. A week after the missing person’s report was filed, Marianne received a postcard from her daughter. It was posted from Arkansas. Strangely it said Angie was traveling with some guy named Gary and when they got settled in Texas she would call. Investigators immediately took the postcard at face value and stopped looking into the case, but Marianne still had her doubts. Why didn’t her daughter call? Marianne eagerly awaits the Thanksgiving holiday. Surely her daughter would come by, but Angie didn’t show. After this, Marianne knew Angie wasn’t coming home. She wouldn’t miss the holidays with family. It was a long-standing tradition. Marianne began to examine the postcard and noticed some strange discrepancies in the handwriting. In 2008, a forensic handwriting specialist would confirm that not only did Angie not write the note but that Michael Yarnell was the author of the postcard. They sent these findings to the detectives in hopes of getting the ball rolling on Angie’s case. A few months later Michael Yarnell was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi and extradited back to the Show-Me state. He surprised everyone by confessing to killing Angie at their home in 2003. He told investigators that they were having a fight and he accidentally pushed her, and she fell off the deck hitting her head. He said that he sat with her for a while trying to figure out what to do, then he picked her up into a canoe and drove down the road to the boat ramp. He rowed out onto the Lake of the Ozarks and found a small island. He said he planned to bury her on the island. In the process of removing her body from the boat, she slipped and fell beneath the waves. He left her there, rowed back to the boat ramp, and went home. Yarnell also admitted to forging the postcard and claimed he did it just to give Marianne some peace. In the end, he was given a plea deal that no one could believe. If he would show investigators where the body was dropped in the water, then he could plead to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Even though the investigators couldn’t find Angie’s remains, they still gave her killer the plea deal. Michael Shane Yarnell pled guilty of manslaughter and was given a paltry seven years. He served only four and was released in July of 2013. To say the family was devastated doesn’t begin to describe the disbelief and the pain caused by such a sentence. It’s a slap in the face to the victim’s family for the killer to walk free. Still, no one knows where to find Angie. Marianne believes Michael is lying about her daughter’s cause of death and that’s the reason why he refuses to disclose the true location of Angie’s remains. Due to Double Jeopardy laws, Michael Yarnell won’t face another trial even if those remains are found. At this point, Marianne just wants to give her daughter a proper burial. As always, if you have any information about this case, please contact the police. This mother needs to lay her daughter to rest. In the wake of this painful journey, Marianne has co-founded Missouri Missing. Missouri Missing is a non-profit organization to help support victim’s families and to raise awareness about Missouri’s missing people. Check out their website for more information. Like and share their missing person’s flyers on Facebook and donate if you can.

If you have any information on this case, please contact Missouri Missing.

All information used to create this content is a matter of public record and can be easily found online. Any participation, or alleged involvement of any party mentioned within this site is purely speculation. As the law states an individual is Innocent until PROVEN guilty. ©2017-2024. All rights reserved.
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Dawn of the Dixie Mafia: The Lethal Criminal Empire No One Believes Exists

“The most deadly enemy you will face in the entirety of your career is the Dixie Mafia based out of Phenix City, Alabama.” – Major Cullen O’Conner to General Haggerty From their birthplace in Phenix City, Alabama to the corruption of today, the Dixie Mafia’s tentacles stretch from coast to coast throughout the south. While most of the world denies their existence, this network of freelance criminals have flown under the radar for the most part since the 1950s. Their structure is completely different than that of La Cosa Nostra so people discount them as rogue bands of individual criminals. In reality it’s one massive web of corruption, lies, and murder.

Check out Synova’s latest book called Dawn of the Dixie Mafia to find out how all of these random crimes fit together.
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Each week Synova highlights obscure cold cases on her blog as a victim’s advocate. She never charges for her services. If you’d like to help support Synova in this worthy cause please check out the affiliate links below. By purchasing one of her books or using these links, you will be supporting Synova’s work on cold cases and will ensure her ability to continue to give a voice to the victim’s family. Thank you.

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