On this episode of Echoes of Elsewhere we dive in to another segment of Beyond the Abandoned to tell the story of Cati Blauvelt, a 22-year-old from Simpsonville, South Carolina, who vanished on October 24, 2016. After midnight on October 26, her friends searched an abandoned farmhouse in the woods and found her body concealed in the basement; she had been stabbed. Suspicion quickly focused on her husband, Army recruiter John Blauvelt, amid a volatile marriage and allegations of domestic violence, he then fled the state with 17-year-old Hannah Thompson. A cross-country manhunt followed, with surveillance and vehicle evidence, Hannah’s later statements that John admitted killing Katie, and years of John living under an alias in Oregon until his 2022 arrest.

For more details and sources used for this episode visit the links below:

911 CALL | Audio Source

NEWS RELEASE | Hannah Thompson

48 HOURS | most extensive coverage on this case

Domestic Violence Support:

RESOURCES IN EACH STATE

TALK TO SOMEONE

Contact Courtney:

urbexechoes@gmail.com

POD SITES + SOCIALS

Host Courtney Autumn introduces writer and urban explorer Stev Hull-Allen, recommended by Blake Pfeil of All American Ruins, for a conversation about why people are drawn to abandoned places beyond photography. Stev recalls first exploring Medfield State Hospital at 13 and discusses the mental health, identity, authenticity, and “elasticity of time” he experiences in ruins, often exploring alone because it feels most authentic and calming. Courtney and Stev connect these pull factors to hardship, moving frequently in childhood, and later-life realizations about ADHD and autism, while reflecting on shared humanity and ordinary traces of lived lives. They critique social media’s clout-driven “urbex,” argue gatekeeping can be conservation, and describe how Steph met and now collaborates with Blake. Steph shares favorite sites, bucket-list interests abroad, music associations, and his Substack, A Field Guide to Briar and Bone, plus an upcoming All American Ruins episode on August 6.

STEV HULL-ALLEN SUBSTACK

STEV'S INSTAGRAM

BLAKE PFEIL'S ALL AMERICAN RUINS PODCAST

ECHOES SITE + SOCIALS

Some abandoned places leave behind more than empty buildings.

For years, Carolina Springs Academy promised desperate families hope—a place where struggling teenagers could find discipline, healing, and a second chance. But behind those promises, many former students describe a vastly different reality.

In this special documentary episode of Echoes of Elsewhere, Courtney explores the history of Carolina Springs Academy, its ties to the troubled teen industry and WWASP, survivor testimony, lawsuits, investigations, repeated rebrandings, and the lasting impact these programs have had on countless families.

This episode also examines the broader conversation surrounding institutional accountability, modern-day programs like Trails Carolina and Asheville Academy, and why these stories continue to matter today.

At its heart, this isn't simply the story of an abandoned school.

It's the story of abandoned youth.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse, institutional abuse, physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse allegations, suicide, animal neglect, death, trauma, and mental health that may be distressing to some listeners.

WWASP SURVIVOR PAGE

UNSILENCED

PARIS HILTON - PROVO CANYON SCHOOL

KATHERINE KUBLER - THE PROGRAM - NETFLIX

TREY BINDER YOUTUBE - PROGRAM STORIES

TRAILS CAROLINA + ASHEVILLE ACADEMY INFO