In 1980, a worker at Westfield High School in Thousand Oaks, California, is annoyed when he sees a mannequin on a slope near one of the school’s parking lots. The school had been experiencing vandalism in the recent months and this was yet another example of things being left at the school. But as he drew closer, he realized that what he was seeing was a pregnant woman. She’d been brutally stabbed, her body left in the dirt. Without identification on her, investigators set to work to find out who she was and who murdered her, but the answers wouldn’t come readily or easily. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our December 2024 selection is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly. a

Michelle Doherty should have had a lifetime to come into herself. Instead, the 17-year-old mother was pressured into becoming a narcotics informant to help police bust a drug ring. That one decision likely got her killed. Michelle Doherty is one of the missing women of the Texas Killing Fields, but her story is often overlooked.  This week we’re joined by Award-winning actress Christine Solomon whose work has been exhibited, showcased, and displayed to millions of viewers in Egypt, Canada, and around the world on major television networks and movie studios such as HBO Canada, The Movie Network, Rotana Group (the Arab World's largest entertainment company owned by the Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talat), Ubisoft, as well as in print, online, and other advertising media. Solomon has received a nationally-recognized Madbakh Awards for her work as an actress; she is also an important contributor for the award-winning productions in which she played a leading or critical role (HELIOPOLIS, BASRA, and BAFTA nominated RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE). The theatre trained actor appreciates the opportunity to work for positive causes. She has joined as the lead host for GMC and renowned actor Josh Duhamelʼs campaign BUILDING FOR AMERICAʼS BRAVEST and has raised over 17 million dollars. The campaign reached an impressive 110 million viewers. She is also the spokesperson for the ACNE AND ROSACEA SOCIETY OF CANADA’s Rosacea Awareness Campaign. Solomon and her work have been the subject of numerous articles in major international publications and media throughout the world, including The National Post (monthly readership 6.95 million), The Globe and Mail (17 million readership), MSN Saudi Arabia (monthly readership 982 million), Variety (monthly readership 31.6 million), and Screen India (monthly readership 53.76 million), among others. On the other side of the camera, Christine has served on the 25TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS (SAG AWARDS) TELEVISION NOMINATING COMMITTEE and has been an official juror at various prestigious film festivals across the country. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our December 2024 selection is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly.

In 1976, Iris Brown returns to her apartment and learns that her boyfriend is about to be released from Federal Prison the next day. The man who tells her this had been in prison with her boyfriend and he’s received a telegram informing him of this news. He suggests the two of them leave immediately and drive the nearly 300 miles there so they can welcome Iris’s boyfriend as he’s released. But the man is hiding a secret, he wants something else from Iris. This week we’re joined by two special guest readers. Marilyn Oliva is a medieval historian whose research focuses on medieval English religious women—anchoresses, nuns, and vowesses—and the ties these women created with their local communities. She has published on several aspects of religious life for women, including their literacy, the organization and administration of their convents, and the sacred spaces they created within their monastic and parochial enclosures. She is also the co-creator of “The Seventh Circle,” a DIY story published on Instagram about a secret society of women whose mission is to release from oblivion all the lost, forgotten, and ignored women of all the sciences and humanities across all time periods and from every geographical region.  Tom Gilroy is an interdisciplinary artist who’s work spans feature filmmaking, music, theatre, and haiku. His work has appeared at Sundance, Cannes, The Toronto Film Festival, and the Berlinale, and he has taught at Columbia and Davidson College. His work can be experienced and explained at www.tomgilroy.net. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our November 2024 selection is Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In August 1949, friends of Mimi Boomhower arrive at Mimi’s home to find that despite the lights on inside and outside her Bel Air mansion and her car in her garage, the wealthy widow is nowhere to be found. Seven days later her purse is found inside a grocery store telephone booth with a cryptic message written in pen on its side sending police into a flurry as they work to find her. This week our guest reader is Amber Dawn Fox, a working actress based in the Southeast. She travels all around the US and beyond for work. She can be seen on Peacock TV, Hulu, discovery+, Investigation Discovery, Oxygen Network, AMC, Amazon Prime, and more! Although best known for portraying Officer Bello on "The Walking Dead", Amber has gone on to star in several feature films available on many streaming sites. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our November 2024 selection is Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly.

One late afternoon in 1950, a mushroom hunter finds the body of a woman off a little used road in West Virginia. It is clear she was murdered and dumped in this remote location. Despite there being few clues to her identity, investigators get to work trying to identify her and her killer. Within the first year of discovering her body, investigators claimed to have identified her seven different times. None were correct. Now, almost 75 years later, the woman’s name and her killer are still unknown. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our November 2024 selection is Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly.

Summary “If it’s a kidnapping, I’d have a ransom note by now,” says private investigator Ernest Rizzo about the 1977 disappearance of candy heiress Helen Voorhees Brach. But despite his confidence that Helen Brach is still alive, no one has seen her. And as the days turn into months turn into years, it becomes more and more clear just how wrong Ernest Rizzo is about what happened to Helen. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our November 2024 selection is Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly.

In 1994, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office enters a property in Loxahatchee, Florida and finds a chilling sight. Hundreds of exotic birds including parrots and macaws are dead or dying inside their enclosures. While they work frantically to save the remaining birds, their focus shifts to how they got in this state. Where is their caretaker, 36 year old Lilawattie Buerettan and her 31 year old nephew Moses Lall. Did they abandon the birds, or did something more sinister happen. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our October 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. Need more women-centered true crime content? Get Aimée’s newsletter GIRLHUNT delivered to your inbox weekly.

In 1998, Suzanne Renee Richerson, a Texas A&M student at their Galveston campus, headed to work as a night clerk at a hotel and condo complex. She expects to study overnight and leave at 7am. At 6am, the security guard checks on her before he leaves, but by 6:15am, as a couple goes to check out, Suzanne is no longer at her desk.  This week we’re joined by born performer and one of Canada’s voiceover elite, Sonja Ball. Sonja has over 30 years experience and is well known for her tremendous versatility in Commercials, Animation, Narrations, Documentaries, Audiobooks, Video games, Talking Toys and more. Sonja has been nominated for ACTRA’s Best Voiceover Performance Award and has voiced principal roles in a host of award-winning animation series’ and films including: Arthur, Wimzie’s House, Madeline’s Christmas, Pinocchio 3000, Snowtime, Spookley and the Christmas Kittens, and many more, with lead or principal roles in each. Her versatility often lands her multiple roles in the same productions. She has voiced everything from gaming characters for Ubisoft, to ads for well recognized companies such as Lancôme and Vaseline. She brings her broad base of experience into play as a voiceover coach for up and coming young actors. To add to her list of credentials, Sonja is also a Montreal music scene veteran and singer/songwriter, singing the no.# 10 Billboard dance hit and number 1 England Dance Chart hit, “Can’t Live Without You” in 1986, as Suzy Q. Over the years she has performed in top venues throughout North America singing in several band scenarios opening for legends like Smokey Robinson, Glen Campbell and Charlie Bird. She has recorded theme songs and music c.d.’s related to the animation productions she has voiced, and continues to write and co-produce her own music. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our October 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

“Did you find the body?” a killer asks law enforcement 38 years after his wife went missing. When Gloria Kidder met her future husband at work, little did she know she was also meeting the man who would force her to experience an escalating pattern of violence ending only in her death. This week we’re joined by Patrisha McLean who started on her journey of activism for women’s rights upon the domestic violence arrest of her then-husband of 29 years, Don “American Pie” McLean. She is the founder and CEO of Finding Our Voices, a Maine sisterhood of survivors bringing light to domestic abuse and to each other, which can be found at FindingOurVoices.net Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our October 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1937, a young college woman, Ruth Baumgardner, says good night to her friends and heads to her dorm room. That’s the last anyone sees of her. The next day her friend finds Ruth’s car key on the dorm building staircase, but Ruth is nowhere to be found. The week we are joined by guest reader Mallory Kennedy. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mallory is a producer, writer, and the President of Margrette Bird Pictures, an independent film company. She is known for her work on the award-winning Price Is Right documentary, ‘Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much.’  She is also the author of Outslutted, Nutritional Exorcism, and the Energetic Athletics book series. Much of Mallory’s work focuses on developing your own brand of femininity, while finding the path to energetic heath, and wellness. Visit MalloryKennedy.com to find the latest news, books, and articles, as well as the upcoming release of 'Mad Mac: The Memory of Jim McMahon,' a new documentary film that explores the life, and post-NFL health challenges of the legendary Chicago Bears Quarterback. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our October 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 2000, model Lourdes Gruart disappears. Her brother says that she told him she was leaving for Europe for a modeling job and left their shared apartment. But Lourdes doesn’t have an active passport, nor has she told anyone else of her travel plans. In the 24 years since, Lourdes’s disappearance has remained a mystery. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our October 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1928, Bessie and Glen Hyde take a scow down the Colorado River in their attempt to have Bessie become the first woman documented to have gone down the river through the canyon. Their plan is to leverage their experience into a career on the lecture and vaudeville circuit. They are last seen heading down the river in mid November. This week we are joined by Musetta Vander. A native South African, Musetta's no stranger to the entertainment world. She debuted on stage at the age of 4. One of her first jobs was anchor host for an MTV-like television show in South Africa. After her arrival to the USA she became part of the very world she used to host, appearing as the 'dream girl' in more than twenty music videos for top recording artists including Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Elton John, and Chris Isaak. But it was her critically acclaimed stage performance in the original South African play Soweto's Burning, that provided her transition to the big screen.  Since then Musetta has performed in numerous feature films, including Wild Wild West , O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Cell, Breaking Point, and Kicking & Screaming to name a few.  Additionally she's added a slew of television credits ti including Stargate SG-1, Frasier, NCIS and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.   Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our September 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Known to the courts as a glamor girl, 26 year old Jean Spangler was trying to make her way in Hollywood as an actress and dancer while raising her young daughter as a single mom. And then the unthinkable happens, on the night of October 7, 1949, Jean Spangler left her home telling her family she would be doing a bit part at one of the studios. She was never seen again. This week our guest reader is Sara Tomko. Sara is a Film and Television actress based in LA and CEO of In The Pocket Productions. She is most notably known as Series Regular, Asta Twelvetrees, in the hit show Resident Alien which is produced by Amblin and NBCU. Her career began in experimental theatre and musicals in Virginia and Ohio, later moving to Los Angeles to pursue Film and TV. She is an actor, producer, poet, singer and mental health advocate. Sara can be found on Instagram @saratomko19 Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our September 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Summary Known to the courts as a glamor girl, 26 year old Jean Spangler was trying to make her way in Hollywood as an actress and dancer while raising her young daughter as a single mom. And then the unthinkable happens, on the night of October 7, 1949, Jean Spangler left her home telling her family she would be doing a bit part at one of the studios. She was never seen again. This week our guest reader is Sara Tomko. Sara is a Film and Television actress based in LA and CEO of In The Pocket Productions. She is most notably known as Series Regular, Asta Twelvetrees, in the hit show Resident Alien which is produced by Amblin and NBCU. Her career began in experimental theatre and musicals in Virginia and Ohio, later moving to Los Angeles to pursue Film and TV. She is an actor, producer, poet, singer and mental health advocate. Sara can be found on Instagram @saratomko19 Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our September 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1998, an unidentified woman’s remains are found near a highway truck stop in Weatherford, Texas. It is believed that she died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but in the past 26 years no one has come forward to claim her. Today, little has been publicized about her case, making her one of the many unidentified women whose stories aren’t told. This week our guest reader is Kate Roman, a teenage actor, dancer, and singer from Toronto, Canada who's been performing on stage and screen since age 4. She is a highly skilled, technically trained dancer in 7 genres with 12 years professional level training. Credits include a leading role as Ariana on The Next Step season 9 (BBC, CBC, YTV), Netflix films 13:The Musical and Feel The Beat, Amelia Parker/The Parker Andersons, Charlotte Cardin’s Sad Girl music video, The Big Fun Crafty Show, and Gerry Dee's Kids That Are Amazing at Stuff. Musical Theatre experience includes community productions of: The Lion King (Nala) and Aladdin (Narrator). Awards include: Joey Award winner for Best Actress and Young Artist Award nomination for the short film Butterfly. In dance, Kate is the recipient of several first overall solo awards over many years, is ranked top 10 in North America (The Dance Awards Orlando and Las Vegas) and received team gold in Germany (IDO World Show Dance). Kate understands the importance of giving back by mentoring young girls in the arts and in life, to ensure a balance in both physical and mental health by promoting a positive outlook and self-care in what can be a challenging time growing up. IG: @k8roman Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our September 2024 selection is Madame Victoria by Catherine LeRoux and translated by Lazer Lederhendler. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Everyone knew Evelyn Throsby’s fifth husband wasn’t right for her. Everyone except Evelyn that is. But what they didn’t know was that he was a conman. He used his skills to isolate Evelyn from her friends and family, steal her money, and, ultimately, kill her while keeping everyone in the dark for months. Evelyn’s murder would go on to become a landmark case in what happens when prosecutors move forward with a murder trial when a victim’s body has never been located. This week we’re joined by Nadia Hatta who is best known for her recent role as ‘Mei Chen’ in the Netflix series AWAY, which has been listed in Netflix’s Top 10. She starred in Discovery Channel’s Golden Bell award-winning travel show, FUN TAIWAN, which reached over 2 billion views. Hatta can be seen recurring in the drama-mystery series HEAD ABOVE WATER. At MTV ASIA in China, she was a VJ and wrote, produced, directed, and hosted a seven-part miniseries on New York Fashion Week. Nadia has also starred in BA BI LUN MI WU as well as BABYLON FOG by acclaimed Chinese director, Lu Chuan. In 2012, she won Best Actor for A PART APART in National Film Challenge, USA. Nadia currently resides in Canada and has a BFA in Acting and Theatre from New York University’s famed Tisch program. She has also studied at Amsterdam’s International Theatre School and the Roy Hart International Arts Centre in France. While English is her native language, she speaks Mandarin with a native tongue and is fluent in French and Italian. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our August 2024 selection is the Pulitzer Prize winning nonfiction book Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Christina Rivera Garza. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

It’s 1946. Twenty-four year old Lola Celli is visiting her parents in Grandview Heights, Ohio when she decides to take a bus into Columbus to buy some nylons. But her neighbors don’t report seeing her on the morning bus nor is there any record of her making a purchase at the store she planned to visit. Is it possible that something happened to Lola in the two blocks between her parents’ home and the bus stop?  Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our August 2024 selection is the Pulitzer Prize winning nonfiction book Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Christina Rivera Garza. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

On the Fourth of July weekend in 1966, three young women head to Indiana Dunes State Park to enjoy the beach and swim in Lake Michigan. Despite the over 8000 other beach goers there that day, the women somehow vanish without a trace. They’re disappearances spawn many theories over the years, but none bring investigators closer to finding out what happened to Ann Miller, Patricia Blough, and Renee Bruhl that day. This week our guest reader is Meredith Garretson. Meredith will star in the World Premiere play BLOOD OF THE LAMB Off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in NY this fall. She is currently starring as Kate Hawthorne in the hit TV show RESIDENT ALIEN (Peacock, Netflix, Syfy, coming soon to USA). Past TV credits include: Ali MacGraw in THE OFFER (Paramount Plus), FOSSE/VERDON (FX), STARGIRL (CW), Chicago Med (NBC), NEW AMSTERDAM (NBC), PRODIGAL SON (Fox), THE GOOD FIGHT (Paramount+), ELEMENTARY (CBS). Starring in the upcoming feature film FRIENDSHIP opposite Paul Rudd (director: Andrew DeYoung).Theater credits include: Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT, Maid Marian in ROBIN HOOD (The Old Globe), Christina Mundy in DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Two River Theater), PAINT MADE FLESH (The Cell). She is a founding member of SOCIETY THEATRE COMPANY. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our August 2024 selection is the Pulitzer Prize winning nonfiction book Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Christina Rivera Garza. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

A serial killer sends investigators a series of notes, detailing his crimes. In them, he mentions a married woman who drove a white grand am. He claims he murdered her and that investigators should be able to use his clues to identify her. There’s one problem though, investigators can’t find any missing person or murder cases that match these clues. This week our guest reader is Tonya Todd. Tonya is a writer, director, actress, and activist invested in fair representation in the literary and cinematic worlds she inhabits. When not writing or filmmaking, she works as a DEI instructor, a sensitivity reader, and co-host of Femme On Podcast. She served as co-editor and contributor for the forthcoming essay collection Comics Lit, Volume 1, which highlights the value of comic books as a form of high art. Her anti-censorship series Banned Books Conversations is available on her YouTube channel and her directorial debut “Mourning Sacrifice” is slated to hit the festival circuit this year. Learn more about Tonya across social media @mstonyatodd and her website www.mstonyatodd.com. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our August 2024 selection is the Pulitzer Prize winning nonfiction book Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Christina Rivera Garza. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1990, a mushroom hunter finds the burned skeletal remains of woman in rural Arkansas. Due to the brutal treatment of these remains by her killer, she will become known as Bone Woman, and, less often, as Benton County Jane Doe. In 2022, Benton County authorities make a major announcement. Using investigative genetic genealogy, they were able to identify three unidentified individuals who had been found murdered in the county, including Benton County Jane Doe. Her name is Donna Nelton, and her story is haunting. This week our guest reader is Devyn Dalton, a Canadian born actor, dancer and stunt woman extraordinaire. A few of Ms.Dalton’s well known credits include, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes, The BFG, Hypnotic, DC Legends of Tomorrow, Two Sentence Horror Story, Fairly Odd Christmas, Beyblade Burst, My Little Pony, Peter Pan and Wendy and The Last of Us. Upcoming projects include Brothers, playing the role of Samuel alongside Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Brendan Fraser, Marisa Tomei, and Glenn Close, as well as in Grand Death Lotto directed by Paul Feig, and The Electric State, cast as the lead motion capture role of Cosmo and acting alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Christ Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Billy Bob Thornton and Stanley Tucci.  Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our July 2024 selection is the novel The God of the Wood by Liz Moore. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

It’s June 1989 and Kansas is rocked by a series of attacks on young women. Twenty-four year old Terri Maness was found murdered in her townhouse and eleven days later 24 year old Joan Butler goes missing from her apartment. Just days after that, two roommates, Theresa Brown and Christine Rusch are abducted as well. These abductions spur a manhunt across several states and investigators search for their kidnapper in the hopes these three women can be found alive. This week our guest reader is Jackie Lee McLean, a visual and musical artist based in New York State. She has previously released 3 albums with her band Roan Yellowthorn, and is currently working on the release of her first self titled album, All mine now. Jackie is also the feature of an upcoming documentary of the same name, about her life and journey as a musician. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our July 2024 selection is the novel The God of the Wood by Liz Moore. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Summary In June 1989, Terri Maness is found murdered in her townhouse in Wichita Kansas. Over a week later and 200 miles away, Joan Butler doesn’t show up for work worrying her family and co-workers, but when they go to her apartment, she’s nowhere to be found. Initially, there’s nothing to connect these two cases, but within a week, investigators realize that they could be dealing with a serial killer. This week our guest reader is Jackie Lee McLean, a visual and musical artist based in New York State. She has previously released 3 albums with her band Roan Yellowthorn, and is currently working on the release of her first self titled album, All mine now. Jackie is also the feature of an upcoming documentary of the same name, about her life and journey as a musician. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our July 2024 selection is the novel The God of the Wood by Liz Moore. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1979 the body of a woman was found on or under a porch in North Camden, New Jersey. Years later, her skull is found in another residence. Despite this shocking find, little information is known about her. This week we try to shine light on her story and the factors that have worked against her identification.  This week our guest reader is Shay Mack, an actress, director, and acting coach based in Atlanta, Ga. She received a BA in theatre from Spelman College. Her training has involved numerous classes and workshops with Atlanta and L.A. coaches. Shay is a recurring actress in DC Comics "Doom Patrol" she can also be seen in Ozark, Tell Me Your Secrets, and more. Although Shay has directed numerous theatrical productions over the years, she made her film and television directorial debut directing the multi award winning short The Virtual Baby Sitter, as well as the upcoming season one series Welcome to the Forties. She also coaches and self tapes actors from all over the world with her company, Audition With Shay Mack LLC. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our July 2024 selection is the novel The God of the Wood by Liz Moore. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Though Dr. Sneha Philip, who lived just blocks from the World Trade Center, is last seen on September 10th, she is added to the list of 9/11 victims. That is until the NYPD starts investigating her personal history and this investigation leads to her removal. Over the years her family fights for her to be recognized as one of the victims and, in 2008, she finally is. Despite this, what one judge calls rank speculation about her, and her disappearance, continues. This week our guest reader is Sakina Jaffrey. Sakina can currently be seen on the Showtime series Billions and the TNT Drama Snowpiercer. She can also be seen on Apple's limited series Defending Jacob. She was a series regular on the NBC series Timeless. Sakina starred as White House Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez in the Netflix series House of Cards, recurred on Little Voice, the Apple series, Lost in Space for Netflix, American Gods for Starz, and on Homeland for Showtime. Recent films include Red Sparrow, directed by Francis Lawrence, Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories and Equalizer 2, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Greatest hits include her role as 'Nilma,' Kate Hudson's bat-wielding neighbor, in Garry Marshall's Raising Helen. Among her dozens of films, she has had the privilege of working with Jonathan Demme, James Ivory, Sidney Lumet and Frank Oz. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our June 2024 selection is the memoir Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story by Kristine S. Ervin. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

New York City, September 10th, 2001. The day before the attacks on the World Trade Center is a day when most New York City residents are going about their regular business. The same was true for Dr. Sneha Philip who left her Battery Park apartment that evening to run some errands. It wasn’t unusual for her to spend the night out in the city, but when she doesn’t return home by the next day, her family knows something is wrong. The problem? With all eyes on the terrorist attacks, can they get anyone to listen? This week our guest reader is Sakina Jaffrey. Sakina can currently be seen on the Showtime series Billions and the TNT Drama Snowpiercer. She can also be seen on Apple's limited series Defending Jacob. She was a series regular on the NBC series Timeless. Sakina starred as White House Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez in the Netflix series House of Cards, recurred on Little Voice, the Apple series, Lost in Space for Netflix, American Gods for Starz, and on Homeland for Showtime. Recent films include Red Sparrow, directed by Francis Lawrence, Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories and Equalizer 2, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Greatest hits include her role as 'Nilma,' Kate Hudson's bat-wielding neighbor, in Garry Marshall's Raising Helen. Among her dozens of films, she has had the privilege of working with Jonathan Demme, James Ivory, Sidney Lumet and Frank Oz. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our June 2024 selection is the memoir Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story by Kristine S. Ervin. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In December 1990, a woman accidentally drowned in the Passaic River in New Jersey. Despite these tragic circumstances, her story garners little media attention. She becomes one of the tens of thousands of individuals who are currently unidentified in the United States. Researchers call these tens of thousands of unidentified our “silent mass disaster.” This week our guest reader is award-winning actor Crystal Balint. Crystal has appeared on many renowned productions over the span of her career, working alongside some of North America's finest talent with notable credits including CW's The 100 and Supergirl, Disney's Mech-X4, and dramatic series such as ABC’s The Good Doctor and FOX's Prison Break. In 2019, Crystal’s leading role as Iris Bearden in Britbox’s spin-off series The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco won her a Best Actress Leo Award. Crystal also appeared as a series regular on both of writer/director Mike Flanagan's critically acclaimed Netflix original series, Midnight Mass (2020) and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023). She can be most recently seen as a heavily recurring character on the CBC series Allegiance. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our June 2024 selection is the memoir Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story by Kristine S. Ervin. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

On March 22, 2011, employees at Dr. Promila Mehta-Paul’s medical office arrive and get ready for another busy day of patients and appointments. There’s one problem? The Doctor never arrives. Always reliable and communicative, they know it’s unlikely that she wouldn’t have called if something came up and soon they, along with Promila’s family and friends, are flooding the local police offices with calls wondering where she is, but when police check her home, it’s clear she hadn’t been there for several days.  This week our guest reader is Mouzam Makkar. Mouzam is an actor, writer and filmmaker. She was last seen recurring as Commander Nouri on Paramount+’s “Seal Team” and in the series regular role of Jennifer McDuffie on Ava DuVernay’s “Naomi” for The CW. She also voices two characters on the recently released, space action RPG Xbox game, Starfield. Mouzam has also been a series regular in ABC’s “The Fix”, and NBC’s “Champions”, created by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy. She has recurred on shows like “Law & Order: SVU”, “NCIS”, “The Exorcist”, “The Vampire Diaries”, and “Chicago Fire” with guest star roles in “American Horror Story”, and “Bones”, to name a few. Mouzam is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and the Improv and Sketch Writing programs at The Second City in Chicago. During the strike she wrote, produced and starred in the short film, “Maggie’s Not Okay”, which is currently in post-production. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our June 2024 selection is the memoir Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story by Kristine S. Ervin. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

At 3:30am, a 13-year-old Deanna Merryfield shows up at her uncle’s trailer and wakes her twin who is sleeping inside. The two talk for just a moment before Deanna, startled by her uncle waking up, bolts. This is the last confirmed time she was seen alive. Since 1990, the year she disappeared, until now, there are a few clues that she might be out there somewhere: a collect call, a police computer search, a sighting, but are any of those proof she’s still out there?  This week our guest reader is Alison Arngrim, the actor, comedian, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated. Alison is best known to viewers world-wide for her portrayal of the incredibly nasty “Nellie Oleson” on the much loved, long running hit television series "Little House On The Prairie.”. Her one woman show “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch”, which started at Club Fez in New York in 2002, has now become a world-wide phenomenon. As a stand-up comedian, Alison has headlined at nightclubs and theaters worldwide. She is currently starring in two comedy series pilots: “Life Interrupted” and “C.P.R. – Child Performers Resurrection Talent Agency.” Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our May 2024 selection is the fiction book Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1952, a man comes across the burned body of a woman in Cottonwood Gulch, just outside of Black Hawk, Colorado. He returns to this site several times before reporting what he found to the sheriff’s office, a fact that will immediately cloud his actions in suspicion. Without any identifying information, she becomes known as Maria to some, or more often as the Pyre Case for the way she was murdered. It’s been 72 years since she was murdered, and there are questions if she will ever be identified. You see, her remains are missing. This week our guest reader is Dedee Pfeiffer. Dedee landed her first movie role in John Landis' film Into the Night. She went on to star in the horror cult classic comedy Vamp, in the film Red Surf, and made numerous other appearances in films such as Falling Down, and Tune in Tomorrow. Dedee played numerous roles on multiple television shows for the past 40 years such as her role as a series regular on Cybil as Cybil Shepherd's daughter Rachel. Pfeiffer and the rest of the cast were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. Pfeiffer went on to star in the series For Your Love and guest starred in iconic shows such as Simon and Simon, Murder She Wrote, Ellen, Seinfeld, Friends, two CSI series, ER, and Supernatural to mention a few. Dedee won awards and nominations as an actor and producer on her short films, The Tub and Laredo. She also appeared in the award-winning film L.A., I Hate You. Pfeiffer took a 10-year break from Hollywood to earn her Master of Social Work degree from UCLA, and returned to acting as a series regular on the ABC drama Big Sky for the past 3 years. She is a proud single parent who has raised her two boys and is grateful to be recovering out loud in the hopes to help reduce the social stigma and shame that still surrounds those suffering with their disease of addiction. This is where her podcast “Down with Dedee” comes in. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our May 2024 selection is the fiction book Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Perhaps you’ve seen the photo before. A young woman with her hands bound, tape over her mouth, laying in the back of a van with a similarly bound little boy. This photo has, for better or worse, become synonymous with the case of Tara Calico, a 19 year old young woman who disappeared while riding her bicycle in New Mexico in 1988. But beyond that photo, many don’t know much about Tara or her disappearance. And this year, she’ll have been missing for 36 years, almost twice as long as she was alive. This week our guest reader is Lauren Robertson, an LA based actress / comedian who received her training from Chicago establishments like iO Theatre and Second City (Conservatory program), where she then went on to write and perform in shows around Chicago and LA. TV credits include "Modern Family", "Baskets", and "Sorry For Your Loss". She has been in several national commercials including McDonald's, Pepsi, and NY Life Insurance. She is a published author at "Darling Media" and has written, produced, and starred in web content in conjunction with Funny Or Die and Hello Giggles. Her favorite mention in the press is: "Especially good...even inside all of that blue spandex" - Chicago Tribune. Follow her on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our May 2024 selection is the fiction book Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1977, a young female hitchhiker catches a ride from a man who offers to bring her to her home. Within an hour, the man murders her and leaves her body to be found by a group of blackberry pickers a few days later. She has no identification on her. Though it’s not long before they pinpoint him as the murderer, but he doesn’t know her name. Investigators spend years trying to identify her, eventually giving her the name Precious Jane Doe in the hopes that it will help people remember her. In another case solved by investigative genetic genealogy, we highlight the case of Lisa Roberts, formerly known as Precious Jane Doe. This week our guest reader Heather Morris who is best known for her comedic breakout role as Brittany S. Pierce on FOX’s hit series, Glee. She is currently recurring as Judy in the CBS hit comedy So Help Me Todd and is executive producer and writer on the dark comedy Podcast The Bystanders available on all podcast platforms. Morris has appeared in numerous indie films including the upcoming comedy Cora Bora starring Meg Stalter and Manny Jacinto and voiced the role of Katie the Mammoth in the Multimillion dollar franchise Ice Age: Continental Drift. Aside from a successful career as an actress, Heather is an incredibly established dancer who began her career with Beyonce and currently travels the country teaching for HEAT Dance Convention Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our May 2024 selection is the fiction book Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1968, the body of a young woman was found in rural Pennsylvania. She’d been shot to death. Months later, another young woman is found just a few miles away. Their only connection? They wore the same leather sandals. It will take nearly fifty years and an online database dedicated to missing and unidentified persons to identify who they are. But even with this development in their case, their murders are still unsolved. This week our guest reader is Kelsey Wang is a Chinese-American actress who can be seen on television, film, and theatre. She is a graduate of Duke University and Yale School of Drama’s Summer Conservatory. Her television credits include Magnum PI, The Young and the Restless, and Netflix’s Daredevil. Her theater credits include the U.S. Premiere of Chimerica at the Studio Theater in Washington, D.C. and Pan Asian Repertory Theater's production's Off-Broadway production of A Dream of Red Pavilions. You can follow her on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and untwidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our April 2024 selection is the nonfiction book Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In August 1993, a man walks into a police station and gives a statement about the disappearance of 16-year-old Sequoya Vargas. In it, he details the brutal assault and murder of the teenager, placing blame for these on his two friends. This statement of what happened to Sequoya will be just one of many that’s given over the years by the three men. They’ll be full of contradictions and blame, but one thing will be certain, Sequoya didn’t survive her encounter with these men. This week our guest reader Tonantzín Carmelo, the award winning actress, voice artist, and choreographer playing lead and supporting roles for film, television, video games, theater and more. Her credits include a series regular as Paara on NBC’s La Brea, Touching Ground in the BBC Mini series The English, Kendra Daniels in the original video game Dead Space, and Shayla Stonefeather in the independent film Imprint. In addition, she has guest starred on a number of TV shows including The Rookie, Animal Kingdom, Undone, American Dad and Spirit Rangers. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our April 2024 selection is the nonfiction book Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. In this episode we highlight Where’s Sequoya? by Dove Johnson, Sequoya’s sister. It’s available on Amazon. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1993, 16-year-old Sequoya Vargas hitchhikes with a friend to her friend’s home. Later that evening, the man who gave them a ride asks her to go to his cousin’s house to watch movies. She never returns home. Despite this being out of character for her, the police brush aside her mother’s pleas to search for her daughter, sending her family and friends on their own quest to find out what happened to Sequoya that night. This week our guest reader Tonantzín Carmelo, the award winning actress, voice artist, and choreographer playing lead and supporting roles for film, television, video games, theater and more. Her credits include a series regular as Paara on NBC’s La Brea, Touching Ground in the BBC Mini series The English, Kendra Daniels in the original video game Dead Space, and Shayla Stonefeather in the independent film Imprint. In addition, she has guest starred on a number of TV shows including The Rookie, Animal Kingdom, Undone, American Dad and Spirit Rangers. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our April 2024 selection is the nonfiction book Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. In this episode we highlight Where’s Sequoya? by Dove Johnson, Sequoya’s sister. It’s available on Amazon. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Detective Lorie Howard was once told that the only way the case of the unidentified woman she was working on would be by the grace of god. This gave her the name Grace Doe and she was known by this for years until she was finally identified as Shauna Garber. A few weeks ago, investigators made public new information, filling in gaps in Shauna’s story including an update to her name and revealing what happened to her the night she was murdered.  This week we’re joined by actress Teryl Rothery. Four-time Leo-nominated Rothery is best known and loved for her portrayal of Dr. Janet Fraiser on Showtime’s “Stargate: SG-1” and her starring role opposite Andie MacDowell in the Hallmark Channel Original Series “Cedar Cove.” Rothery can most recently be seen recurring in Amazon’s “Upload.” and Netflix’s “Virgin River.” You can find Teryl on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our April 2024 selection is the nonfiction book Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Tot Tran Harriman survived the Vietnam War. She witnessed history when she was evacuated on the last boat out of Saigon before it fell. She lived through being held in a refugee camp in Pennsylvania along with 20,000 other refugees. And made a life for herself in Maine, raising three children, starting new businesses, and helping other refugees. But in 2001, she also became one of America’s missing women.  This week our guest reader is actor, writer, and producer Porter Duong whose work showcases stories within the Asian narrative and diaspora. She is a first generation Vietnamese-American, born to refugees of the Vietnam War and the proud daughter of her mother, a gifted singer who found her way to freedom as one of the many "boat people." Her first lead role in the independent film, Touch, garnered a Best Actress and Audience Choice Award. A groundbreaking story of the dynamics of an immigrant family and their identity in America while navigating the afterlife of war. It opened in Vietnam to rave reviews, despite concerns regarding the complicated relationship with the Communist government. She has had significant roles on Emmy award winning shows such as NBC’s This is Us and HBO’s Silicon Valley. Her nonprofit work through The Chimaera Project aims to support and fund women and nonbinary filmmakers. Porter is currently working to publish a collection of poems and short essays woven by love and grief, dedicated to her late mother. You can find Porter on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our April 2024 selection is the nonfiction book Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

On a hot summer’s day in 1992, 63-year-old Bessie Kutnak goes to look for her missing cattle near her home in Cameron, Texas. Witnesses say she seemed disoriented and was seen asking for directions before she disappeared. When family members realized she was missing, a full-scale search of her began, but no trace of her was ever found. This week our guest reader is actress Catherine Mary Stewart. Perhaps the most recognizable title on Catherine’s resume is the classic comedy, Weekend at Bernie’s where she starred as the lead, Gwen. She has also starred in Days of Our Lives as Kayla Brady, in The Last Starfighter, and Mischief. She has also starred in the television mini-series Hollywood Wives, New Amsterdam, Limitless, and White Collar along with many roles on Hallmark, Lifetime and in independent movies.   Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our March 2024 selection is the novel The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

On July 11, 2007, a 31-year-old Carma Purpura was last seen getting into the cab of a truck driver at a rest stop near Indianapolis. The next day, he’s arrested in Nashville under suspicion he’s involved in the murder of another woman. Inside his cab, investigators find Carma’s phone and credit card and so much of Carma’s blood detectives are certain Carma is no longer alive. Four years later, a skull along with some other remains are found in Kentucky. With few clues to go on, she becomes one of the state’s unidentified women. Even though it takes five more years to identify her as Carma, it brings some amount of resolution to her case. This week our guest reader is comic Jann Karam whose numerous TV credits–stand up performances and series acting roles–include repeat appearances on both The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman, HBO’s legendary 13th Annual Young Comedians’ Show, How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life), Comics Unleashed, The Arsenio Hall Show, Norm, Mad About You, Politically Incorrect, Dr. Katz, and many others. She was a regular sketch player in the last incarnation of The Carol Burnett Show and, in the now classic Seinfeld episode “The Switch.” Her latest claim to fame—bantering with comedy genius Larry David during her two co-starring roles on both season 11 and 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm She’s released three successful comedy albums—Live at the Blue Loon and Same Guy, DifferentShirt, most recently, Live at the Wren Theater, and taped her own documentary special, Beyond the Set. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our March 2024 selection is the novel The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

On Valentine’s Day in 1991, a young woman is seen hitchhiking along US 1 in the Florida Keys. The next morning, a pair of windsurfers find her body in a densely wooded area. She’d been beaten to death before being strangled with her own bikini top. For years this young woman was known only as Valentine Doe, named for the last day she was seen alive. But investigators never give up on her case, utilizing new tactics and techniques to identify her. This week our guest reader is Patricia Rae, a dynamic Latin American actress and producer born and raised in New York City, currently based in LA. She starred in John Polson’s cult classic “Swimfan” and starred in a major supporting role in the Academy Award nominated film, “Maria Full of Grace”. She also recurred on “All Rise” on OWN for three seasons as Judge Delgado. Her long list of television credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, Blue Bloods, The Mentalist, and Chuck. She is currently co-hosting podcast “Believe This” on Spotify with Chris Crimy, from the Scientology survivors podcast “Come Get Sum”. Patricia also produces the cooking segments “Cooking With Patty” that can be viewed on instagram and her youtube channel @cookinguppatty. You can also find her on X and Facebook. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our March 2024 selection is the novel The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 2001, the Green River Killer was finally caught, ending one of the most horrific eras in the Pacific Northwest and ending a decades long investigation dedicated to identifying this mnan. Convicted of 49 murders, this man confessed to even more, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. It would take over twenty more years to identify three of his young victims with the most recent being identified in 2024. This week our guest reader is actress and creative Tabitha Brownstone who is originally from Los Angeles. As an actress Tabitha’s credits include Kaljillionaire, Domino, The Middle, and The Real O’Neals, to name a few. As a creative, Tabitha wrote and produced her own live comedy show, having sold out five consecutive shows during the Fringe Festival, later touring abroad in Europe and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She also co-created and starred in Fickle, a series that was acquired by two streaming services. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok. You can also find her podcast “Overthinking It With Liz and Tabitha” here.  Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our March 2024 selection is the novel The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

When he spoke of what happened to his daughter Shelley, Ed Sikes said, “It was a crash course in good and evil.” In 1986, when Shelley was 19, she was working as a waitress at a popular restaurant in Galveston. The night she disappeared, she left work and headed to her boyfriend’s house, but Shelley never made it there. Based on eyewitness accounts and, eventually, the confessions of her killers, investigators were able to piece together a pretty detailed account of what happened that night. The one thing they don’t know? Where Shelley is now. This week our guest reader is actress Gus Birney. Gus can currently be seen in her second season starring opposite Courteney Cox in the Starz series SHINING VALE, for which she received a Saturn Award nomination. This past year she also made her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated revival of THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW. She can currently be seen returning to the BAM stage in the New York premiere of OUR CLASS. Her other television credits include Apple TV’s Dickinson, Spike TV’s The Mist, and on Insatiable, Blue Bloods, Bull, Jessica Jones, Instinct, Law & Order: SVU, and Chicago Med. You can follow Gus on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our February 2024 selection is the true crime book The Hunt for Brianna Maitland by Greg Overacker. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

McDonald County, Missouri. In 1990, a woman and her husband find the remains of a woman near an abandoned house. She’s been bound, her hands and legs tied behind her back. With no identification on her, and no one coming forward to claim her, she becomes one of America’s unidentified women and is given the name Grace Doe, because it will be only through the Grace of God that her identity will be returned to her. And, for over thirty years, that’s true. Until one day, science, and a determined detective, give her her name back. This week we’re joined by actress Teryl Rothery. Four-time Leo-nominated Rothery is best known and loved for her portrayal of Dr. Janet Fraiser on Showtime’s “Stargate: SG-1” and her starring role opposite Andie MacDowell in the Hallmark Channel Original Series “Cedar Cove.” Rothery can most recently be seen recurring in Amazon’s “Upload.” and Netflix’s “Virgin River.” You can find Teryl on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our February 2024 selection is the true crime book The Hunt for Brianna Maitland by Greg Overacker. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Cleveland, 1934. A man collecting firewood along the shores of Lake Erie is startled to find the partial remains of a woman. Though investigators are able to determine that she was brutally murdered, they are unable to identify the woman, naming her the Lady of the Lake instead. What they didn’t know yet was that the next four years the Cleveland area would be terrorized by a man they called the Cleveland Torso Murderer or the Butcher of Kingsbury Run who left a wake of sadistic murders behind. Even now, 90 years later, he, along with many of the victims, have never been identified. This week our guest reader is Dee Wallace who played the role of Mary in E.T., The Extraterrestrial, as well as in 10, The Howling, Cujo, and The Frighteners. With over 250 film credits to her name, Dee is one of the most prolific actresses in Hollywood. She has five series and hundreds of commercials under her belt and has just concluded her 560th segment of her live radio show, Conscious Creation. As a writer, Dee is the author of six books on the art of self-creation. Her latest release is BORN: Giving Birth to a New You (Briton Publishing). You can find Dee on Instagram and Facebook. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our February 2024 selection is the true crime book The Hunt for Brianna Maitland by Greg Overacker. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In 1969, 21-year-old Linda Peogeot and her daughter, Lori Mae, leave a department store with all the supplies they need to celebrate the little girl’s third birthday party happening the next day. And there, in the parking lot, they’re abducted by a man in broad daylight with witnesses just feet away. This abduction spurs a nationwide manhunt as investigators race to get Linda and Lori Mae back to safety.  Liz Moore is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Long Bright River, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick and one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2019, as well as the acclaimed novels Heft and The Unseen World. A winner of the 2014-2015 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia. You can follow Liz on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our February 2024 selection is the true crime book The Hunt for Brianna Maitland by Greg Overacker. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

In southern Texas, there’s a strip of highway that runs between Houston and Galveston. From the 1970s until today, it’s a place where many women and girls have gone missing or were murdered. Most of these crimes are unsolved and this area has become known as the Texas Killing Fields. But nestled along Interstate 45 in League City, Texas, is a 25 acre field where this name originated. There, between 1984 and 1991, the bodies of four young women were found in this field. Two were identified immediately, but two more spent 30 years known only as Jane and Janet Doe until one day, that changed. This week we’re joined by actor Briana Evigan who has been on a quest to give a voice to the voiceless, shine a light on darkness and create a positive impact. She co-founded MoveMe Studio, a woman-led production company creating inspiring media that compels action. Briana has a successful career in film, TV, music, and dance. Her first foray into Hollywood was everyone’s favorite dance film Step Up 2: The Streets and the reinstalment Step Up 5: All In. Her TV career includes starring in From Dusk Till Dawn, Trooper, and Longmire. To follow Briana’s incredible advocacy work, follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our January 2024 selection is the thriller Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Dorothy Arnold, a young socialite, vanished without a trace in 1910. Born into wealth and privilege, Dorothy's life seemed idyllic, but her family didn’t support her aspirations to become a writer nor her budding romance with a man named George Griscom Jr., both of which she kept hidden from her family. With her disappearance, a tangled web of theories emerges, including rumors of elopement, a clandestine abortion, and even suspicions of sex trafficking. This week we’re joined by Sharon Lawrence who was recently a series regular role in the Paramount + series Joe Pickett. Previously she starred in On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Home Before Dark , Rebel , Criminal Minds, Shameless, The Ranch, and Sugar. Sharon continues to be recognized from her multiple Emmy nominated and SAG Award-winning portrayal of Ada Sylvia Costas Sipowitz in NYPD Blue and as Izzy's Mom on Grey’s Anatomy. Her 5th EMMY nomination came in 2021 as Lead Actress in a digital series The Gaze. Sharon is the Second Vice President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.  You can find Sharon on Instagram. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our January 2024 selection is the thriller Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

When 30-year-old Pah Pow leaves her apartment, the only witness is her young son who says she left with a man he recognized but whose name he didn’t know. Her family thought she was with family, her family thought she was with friends. This mistake meant nearly a week passed before anyone realized Pah was missing. An immigrant from Thailand, Pah lived with her husband and children in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She has been missing since April 2016. This week, we’re joined by Rainbow Dickerson, the proud daughter of a brave Thai mother who came to the United States during the first small wave of Thai immigrants in the 1960’s. Rainbow is also of Rappahannock and Caucasian descent and is honored to lend her voice to this project. She became a TIFF Rising Star for her work in the feature, BEANS, for which she also received other awards and nominations. She can be seen next in Netflix’s live-action, Avatar: The Last Airbender, premiering February 22nd, 2024. Other selected screen credits include Gone, Chicago Fire, and Banshee. In addition, Rainbow has performed on Broadway and at many of the country’s top theatres, recently closing an Off-Broadway run of Manahatta at The Public Theatre in NYC. Other favorites include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, American Players Theatre, and Native Voices. Rainbow currently resides on unceded Tongva/Gabrieleno territory, also known as Los Angeles, CA. Represented by Liberman Zerman Management. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our January 2024 selection is the thriller Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon.

Keiosha Felix is just fifteen years old when she disappears from Duson, Louisiana. Out on a weekend pass from a facility for pregnant and parenting teens, she’s set to visit her paternal aunt on the weekend of April 28-29th, 2012. On April 30th, she’s reported missing. Her paternal aunt and cousin said she left the night before with someone they didn’t see. Later, her cousin will say that she heard from Keiosha after April 30th which is used as evidence that she is a runaway, having left her aunt’s home with the intention of not coming back. Very little information is available about the last time Keiosha was seen, but her young child is moved to state care and she stays labeled a runaway for nearly two months. Her maternal aunts, though, know she wouldn’t have left on her own without her child whom she loved dearly. One aunt maintains that Keiosha didn’t like going to her paternal aunt’s because of her paternal aunt’s boyfriend. By summer, Keiosha is relabeled as a missing person and swiftly following this four individuals including her paternal aunt, her aunt’s boyfriend, her cousin, and the boyfriend’s brother are arrested. Despite this, upheaval in the Duson police department leaves the lead investigator on suspension with pay, the police chief lodging accusation after accusation after his own employee while rumors swirl about his own connection to Keiosha’s paternal relatives, and the case floundering as one by one those arrested are let go. Keiosha’s case becomes less about a young kid missing from home and more about the ensuing drama. Still, her story is a stark reminder of how we treat stories of young Black girls and teen moms. Keiosha deserves to have her story told, and her family deserves answers. People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode: Keiosha Felix (unsolved missing persons case) Michaela “Mickey” Shunick (solved missing persons case and solved murder case) Lisa Pate (solved missing persons case and solved murder case) Danielle Thibodeaux (unsolved case)

“Got married. Leaving town. Will not be back. Don’t worry. Babe.” That’s what the telegram read that Beverly Sharpman’s parents received the night of September 11, 1947. But, according to her mother, there was one problem: Beverly wasn’t seeing anyone at the time. This, and the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance send one mother on a decades long quest to find her daughter. This week, we’re joined by American voice actress Susan Bennett. Susan, a former backup singer for Roy Oribson, is best known as the female American voice Apple’s Siri personal assistant since the service was introduced on the iPhone 4S and remained the voice of Siri until the iOS 7 update. You can find Susan on Instagram and Facebook. Join us on Patreon! Your support helps us continue to shine light on America’s missing and unidentified women. Flashlight level members also get access to additional content like Behind the Poem, a weekly conversation about the episode’s featured poem, and our monthly true crime/mystery book club. Our January ‘24 selection is the true crime book The Hunt for Brianna Maitland by Gregory Overacker. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. To buy Aimee’s book, Doe, it’s available now with University of Akron Press, at Bookshop.org, and Amazon. To see Vanessa’s latest film projects, check out Birdy & Bean Films. Show Notes “Got married. Leaving town. Will not be back. Don’t worry. Babe.” That’s what the telegram read that Beverly Sharpman’s parents received the night of September 11, 1947.  Just the evening before, on September 10, seventeen-year-old Beverly had told her mother that she wanted to confide something to her. By the time her mother returned with cups of tea for them both, Beverly had evidently reconsidered and went to bed without revealing her secret. The next day, Beverly Sharpman went to her high school to register for classes and, once back home, snuck out of the house with just a small suitcase in tow. The telegram she sent her parents was dispatched from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station not far from her home in Philadelphia. Her mother believed that the telegram had to be sent by someone else because, as far as her parents and friends knew, Beverly wasn’t dating anyone. And, Beverly’s message contained one clue, it said that she “got married,” but investigators were unable to find a marriage certificate in her name. Soon, though, evidence began to stack up that Beverly actually had chosen to leave her family. She had withdrawn money from her account in advance and quit her job, telling co-workers that she planned to go to Chicago. It’s also believed that she bought a train ticket to Chicago on the day she disappeared. Still, her mother spent the rest of her life looking for Beverly and so, like many missing person’s cases, Beverly’s story is as much a family’s story and how this disappearance fundamentally changed all of their lives. People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode: Beverly Sharpman (unsolved missing person case)