Michael Chambers was a pillar of his community. A retired firefighter, serving for over 30 years, a local deacon, and a handyman who loved fixing anything for anyone. Michael seemed like he had it all, a loving wife, a large family, and even a designated space (his workshop) to pursue one of his biggest passions, cars. So when Michael vanished from his workshop in March 2017, everyone who knew him was left dumbfounded. Confusion would only grow as police would come forward with a narrative that Michael staged his disappearance and committed suicide by jumping from a 5-foot-tall bridge. Police would give this recollection of the tragedy around the same time Michaels's wife was cashing in his $750,000 life insurance policy.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfSaufNHVwjjShv-TZ_DCr2r553m5HzP1D3u2jNzG_U/edit?usp=sharing
Alexis Ware was last seen by her ex-boyfriend after meeting him at a 7/11 in Anderson County, SC, on January 30th, 2022. She was meeting him there to drop off her two children and follow him to his mother's house; however, when the pair approached a red light after pulling out, she would go around him and make a right on red, never to be seen again. Alexis shared some unsettling information with her mother while visiting the previous weekend. By February 1st, her mother reported her missing to the Anderson County Police, and the very next day, they made a confusing discovery.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p5PVY2nQAzo88EDBLIya0uEY7F1wdXn4qoyjufR7ijA/edit?usp=sharing
Mark Himebaugh was walking home from school just like any other November weekday. He lived with his mother, Maureen, and his older brother in Del Haven, New Jersey. However, on a fateful Monday in November of 1991, his attention was captivated by a brush fire taking place not far from his home. When he got his mother's permission to go get a closer look, she would have no idea this would be the last time she would see her child.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oM6AnDE47EHHiTlBWiKn9bYwx72nINkY0DXu902P-j0/edit?usp=sharing
In November 2018, Florida native Carla Stefaniak decided to take a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate her 36th birthday. The majority of her trip would go as planned, and she would enjoy the tropical vacation spot for a little under a week. That is until November 27th, when her sister-in-law, who had taken the trip with her, had to return home as they had different airline tickets. While we can trace Carla's whereabouts to around 9 PM that evening, following this, none of her friends or family heard from her. The next day was not only her birthday but the day she was supposed to travel home. When she would remain silent all day and not depart from the plane she was supposed to board, her friends' and family's worries escalated. It is not for a couple of days that a grisly discovery was made, and while someone has been punished for what took place on the evening of November 27th, 2018, almost all of the evidence points to the fact that they did not work alone.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_T8JPZ5qrDXjLtulkMK_HMnhyEQbg4pusleiXtO9MTk/edit?usp=sharing
Jessica Masker was last seen at a gas station in East Washington, Indianapolis, on April 15th, 2013. Shortly before vanishing, Jessica would make a concerning phone call to her brother asking for a ride; when he told her he could not as he was already on his way to work, he suggested calling their mom. However, this is not what she did; she would call her boyfriend and arrange a pickup spot. However, she would never arrive at this location and has never been seen since.
Almost eight years later, Kirsten Brueggeman vanished from a location just 10 minutes away from Jessica's last known place. Kirsten left a bar parking lot on food in the middle of the night after arguing with her friends. While detectives were able to briefly trace her steps following her leaving the parking lot, the CCTV camera that was capturing her malfunctioned while she was walking through its view, leaving us to wonder was this a technical malfunction or something more sinister?
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CyCyrET9WbAaugCwWx3ZLJpY3FDCxwfX1s7wuqkNTbU/edit?usp=sharing
On April 11th, 2001, 20-year-old Branson Perry vanished from his front yard after spending the day cleaning up his house for his father. He would tell his friend that helped him that day that he was going to put some jumper cables away in their shed and run out for a minute and that he would return shortly. Over 20 years later, there has been no sign of Branson beyond the jumper cables mysteriously appearing in front of the shed a few weeks following his disappearance. While his family was confident he would not just run away, they were baffled at what would have happened to their loved one.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ztSYCYuyWSKSx4gwO-Ge3rzmIYd-Am-GGMm0LU_AwHQ/edit?usp=sharing
Pravin Varughese was in his sophomore year at Southern Illinois University and enrolled in the criminal justice program. Pravin planned a typical night on the town on the evening of February 12th, 2014; however, the popular college student mysteriously disappeared around midnight. Less than a week later, his remains were found in the woods; the original autopsy ruled no foul play; however, the family points to evidence that says otherwise. It is known that Pravin got a ride from a stranger that evening, and this stranger was the last person to see him alive. The stranger admits the two got into a fight but insists he played no part in Pravin's death. Over four years following Pravin's death, a conviction is made, and a perpetrator is named, however briefly. Unfortunately, a judge soon threw out the ruling due to confusing terminology used with the jury, and the case is waiting to be re-tried.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1La1zfvS-tp25KHUpUAC4dkJPcCSPHkh8dtYzHRygZyk/edit?usp=sharing
Robert Wykel was a retired sheet metal worker living in Burien, Washington. Our case begins in February of 1996 when Wykel doesn't return from a routine trip to purchase a vintage vehicle, which he fixed up and sold for profit to supplement income. Wykel has many friends in the area, so his disappearance does not go unnoticed; even his daughter, hundreds of miles away in Illinois, begins to worry when she doesn't hear from her father. Their worries escalated in March when they were notified Roberts's vehicle had been impounded with no sign of Robert anywhere. Detectives would work for the next 15 years to find out what happened to Robert and who was responsible.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-V6BIHtmHj3vxRlqIqXd2sr6BMJW4Nq2W0mAt4WHYro/edit?usp=sharing
Lindsay Buziak was a hard-working 24-year-old realtor, the youngest at her company, working in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She would impress all those around her with her work ethic and charisma. In late January 2008, the opportunity of a lifetime fell into Lindsay's lap, and while she felt uneasy about taking it, she couldn't pass it up. Her intuition, however, served her well as this opportunity proved far good to be true. Then, in a series of events that remain a mystery, Lindsay was brutally murdered. The crime had been committed, and the scene was cleaned in under 15 minutes, indicating whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KgHetG_lRhK3JsTahZjh-HYo_aU1qi1Yx3N7R0nLd2M/edit?usp=sharing
Mitrice was a recent college graduate who lived with her great-grandmother in LA while working two jobs. She aspired to obtain a doctorate in child psychology and work with children in the foster system. Unfortunately, she did not get the opportunity to pursue these goals. Amid a seeming mental episode, Mitrice was arrested by the LA Sheriff's Department in September 2009. She was released with no cell phone, no wallet, and over 20 miles from her vehicle a little after midnight. While there was a sighting of Mitrice just a few hours after her release, it would be months before a more gruesome discovery would be made.
Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12SOAk97Q7hlkhiVI9XVKvjHTuev-SeHm6evE7TFaTJc/edit?usp=sharing