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  • She Scratched a Seven-Word Map - How Jean Escaped

    She Scratched a Seven-Word Map - How Jean Escaped
    2026/07/28
    She Scratched a Seven-Word Map - How Jean Escaped

    A woman held without a phone scratched seven words into gray metal with a paperclip - a map, a name, and a schedule that led police to her kidnapper. Jean Marshall, 52, left behind exact times and locations that solved a case trained investigators had struggled with for four days; how did she create something so precise from captivity?

    In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Jean's routine Thursday visits to Maplewood Residence through the discovery that broke the case, and we follow the clues that pointed to one man and one storage unit - how did those seven words become the key to her rescue?

    Person: Jean Marshall
    Age: 52
    Location: Harwick, Indiana
    Suspect: Edward Hayes
    Facility: Overland self-storage

    - Jean lived on Corfield Drive for 18 years and visited her sister at Maplewood every Thursday around 4:00-4:30 PM.
    - Edward Hayes kept an 11-month log in a spiral notebook documenting Jean’s Thursday arrival times and parking habits.
    - Hayes leased a 4,200-square-foot unit in the Pembrook Industrial Corridor for 31 months and drove a white Ford Transit van.
    - Jean’s phone last pinged a cell tower in the Pembrook Industrial Corridor at 8:44 AM on April 11, 2019; Hayes’s van was recorded at 8:51 AM.
    - A neighbor’s dashcam showed Jean’s silver Subaru Forester unmoved since Wednesday, indicating she did not drive to Maplewood that Thursday.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • Placed Shoe, Wrong Man: How Ross Barrett Survived 60 Hours Captive

    Placed Shoe, Wrong Man: How Ross Barrett Survived 60 Hours Captive
    2026/07/27
    Placed Shoe, Wrong Man: How Ross Barrett Survived 60 Hours Captive

    A dry men's dress shoe sat upright on a wet culvert at 6:22 AM on March 9, 2014 - described to police as "placed" - yet the man it pointed to vanished with his keys in the ignition and his phone missing; how did a routine walk end with Ross Barrett zip-tied in a locked room sixty hours later? What single misplaced object led investigators from a park bench to footprints in his own backyard and, ultimately, the truth?

    In this episode, the story follows the timeline from the discovery of the shoe through the first days of the investigation, tracing Ross Barrett's exact morning routine, the forensic clues that expanded the search, and the small details that closed the gap between appearance and reality - could a contractor's unchanged padlock combination be the clue that breaks the case?

    Person: Ross Barrett
    Date: March 9, 2014
    Age: 46
    Vehicle: 2003 beige Dodge minivan
    Padlock combination: 4-7-1-2

    - Shoe found upright on culvert at 6:22 AM after rain stopped at 5:45 AM
    - Ross's cell phone went dark at approximately 6:04 AM
    - Ross woke every weekday at 5:30 AM and had completed the same four-mile loop for six years
    - Van found at 5:55 AM in usual parking spot with wallet under driver's seat and keys in ignition
    - Ross was held captive for sixty hours before being found zip-tied in a locked room

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分
  • The Ketchup Note: How a Dog's Collar Ended an 11-Day Nightmare

    The Ketchup Note: How a Dog's Collar Ended an 11-Day Nightmare
    2026/07/26
    The Ketchup Note: How a Dog's Collar Ended an 11-Day Nightmare

    A meter reader followed a pacing dog to a vacant property and found a folded paper towel threaded through the collar with letters pressed in dried ketchup - a message that became State's Exhibit Seven and led to a man freed after eleven days locked in a basement. How did a routine volunteer’s Tuesday schedule, a found ketchup packet, and a border collie named Hatch combine to unspool a plan that hid a corpse for two years?

    In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the abandoned gray Ford Ranger on Barlow Creek Road to the discovery on Elton Spur Road, detailing the people, locations, and small objects that intersected to end Dean Fleming’s captivity and expose another man’s death - could a single note and a dog really turn the tide?

    Person: Dean Fleming
    Person: Rachel Hill
    Location: Elton Spur Road property
    Event: Dean held in basement for eleven days
    Evidence: State's Exhibit Seven (ketchup-written note)

    - Dean Fleming left the food shelf at 9:12 PM on February 11 and did not arrive home.
    - A deputy logged a gray Ford Ranger parked on Barlow Creek Road at 10:40 PM that same night with hazard lights on.
    - Dean was missing for two days before his brother Clint filed a missing-persons report on February 13.
    - The Elton Spur Road property had a reinforced exterior-access basement and a single small egress window noted in an animal control report the previous June.
    - Hatch, a three-year-old border collie mix, was brought to the basement on Day Nightmare and had a folded paper towel with ketchup-lettering on his collar that became State's Exhibit Seven.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • She Had Four Seconds: The Nail, The Note, The Escape

    She Had Four Seconds: The Nail, The Note, The Escape
    2026/07/25
    She Had Four Seconds: The Nail, The Note, The Escape

    A woman vanished between two steps on a mall level while her car, purse, phone and sealed prescription sat untouched in slot 3-F-the only clue left was a coral acrylic nail and a handwritten note reading "JOHN TOOK ME." Who left that message, why was the phone number linked to the hospital, and how did a nurse with four seconds to act use them to survive?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from Darlene Cooper's 6:21 PM pharmacy visit to the 6:39 PM elevator footage and the discovery at 9:42 AM the next morning, tracing the actions and evidence that connect a parking structure, a shopping cart, a single nail, and a block-lettered message. What did investigators find in the blind spot by pillar 3-G that explains the note and the number?

    Person: Darlene Cooper
    Date: January 7 (evening) and January 8-9 (investigation timeline)
    Location: Meridian Commons level three, parking slot 3-F and area near pillar at slot 3-G
    Event: Camera capture at 6:39 PM showing two steps; discovery of coral acrylic nail and receipt with note at 9:42 AM next morning
    Case: Note reading "JOHN TOOK ME" with phone number matching Claremont City Medical Center internal exchange

    - Darlene filled a prescription at 6:21 PM before driving to the mall for a 6:45 PM nail appointment.
    - Elevator camera at 6:39 PM shows Darlene stepping off and taking two steps toward the salon before footage ends at a pillar.
    - Her silver Camry remained in slot 3-F overnight with purse on passenger seat and phone locked at 17% in the cupholder.
    - At 9:42 AM on January 9, Jason Becker found a shopping cart near pillar 3-G with a coral acrylic nail standing upright on the basket rim.
    - The note pinned to the cart read "JOHN TOOK ME" in block letters and the phone number’s prefix matched an internal directory range at Claremont City Medical Center.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分
  • Found in Frost: The Watch That Shouldn't Be There

    Found in Frost: The Watch That Shouldn't Be There
    2026/07/25
    Found in Frost: The Watch That Shouldn't Be There

    Cold stillness held a clue: a man's watch lay face-up in the roots of a pine with frost undisturbed and no footprints, scratched with the characters "TC3." Who left a cheap military-green watch on the Marie Sullivan Trail before dawn, and how could it have been placed without any trace?

    In this episode, we follow the discovery and early search for a missing man and the small, precise details that begin to unravel his disappearance. The story traces the watch found on December 9, the missing person report for Todd Collins, and the search efforts that started the day after he vanished - but who knew about the unlocked door?

    Person: Todd Collins
    Date: December 6-9
    Location: Marie Sullivan Trail / Clemson Avenue apartment
    Status: Missing (search initiated)
    Discoverer: Diane Trost

    - Diane Trost found the watch just after 7:00 AM on December 9.
    - The watch case had three characters scratched: TC3.
    - Frost around the watch had been forming since before 10:00 PM the previous night with no footprints or drag marks.
    - Todd Collins was last seen between 3:00 and 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 6; his phone, keys, wallet ($14) and car remained at home.
    - Forty-three people assembled at the trailhead by 7:00 AM on the morning of December 7 for the first search.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    23 分
  • He Left a Receipt in a Boot - How Roger Survived a Kidnapper

    He Left a Receipt in a Boot - How Roger Survived a Kidnapper
    2026/07/25
    He Left a Receipt in a Boot - How Roger Survived a Kidnapper

    A single tan work boot stood upright in river mud with a dry toll receipt folded inside, and the handwriting matched the missing man's grocery list - a deliberate breadcrumb that pointed to a white Ford Transit van and a tollbooth two hundred and twelve miles from his last confirmed stop. Who could have forced a flooring installer into a van yet allowed him to leave the one clue that would start a search for his life?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from Roger Bennett's last confirmed interaction at a supply depot through the discovery of the boot and receipt two days later, tracing the small, precise details that made his message readable to strangers and investigators alike. How did Roger get that receipt into a boot and into the river bank where Dennis Sawyer would find it?

    Person: Roger Bennett
    Date: November 7-9, 2017
    Location: Kellerton Pike toll, Interstate 68 and Caulfield River bank, Mercer County, West Virginia
    Vehicle: white Ford Transit van, partial plate VNR
    Item found: tan work boot with folded dry toll receipt stating "He sleeps at six"

    - Roger Bennett was 38 years old and worked as a flooring installer for Piedmont Surface Solutions.
    - His last confirmed presence was returning a floor sander at the supply depot after 4:10 PM on November 7, 2017.
    - At 4:57 PM on November 7 his cellphone pinged a tower less than one mile from his apartment near Dellview Lane and Route 119.
    - A white Ford Transit van with a partial plate reading VNR passed the Kellerton Pike toll at 7:22 PM on November 7, heading east into Maryland.
    - On the morning of November 9, Dennis Sawyer found a tan boot in the Caulfield River bank with a dry toll receipt inside reading the Kellerton Pike toll date/time and handwritten "He sleeps at six."

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    24 分
  • She Wrote Her Captivity: A Wildflower Margin Saved Her Life

    She Wrote Her Captivity: A Wildflower Margin Saved Her Life
    2026/07/25
    She Wrote Her Captivity: A Wildflower Margin Saved Her Life

    A county surveyor found a dry library paperback wedged in a hollow oak after three days of rain, its margins filled with dates, measurements, a truck color and a name written over 153 days - could a library book be the only record of five months of a disappearance? What did Susan Richardson hide in a field guide to Ohio wildflowers that turned a routine missing-person call into a puzzle with a single, handwritten timeline?

    In this episode, we present the facts as found at the scene and in the margins of the book: the timeline of Susan Richardson’s last routine morning, the discovery of the annotated field guide, and the details that made Detective George O'Connor treat the case as something other than an ordinary disappearance. How did a woman’s organized habits and a narrow-margin decision at the library become the evidence that might explain where she went?

    Person: Susan Richardson
    Date: October 17, 2018 (last seen)
    Location: Crestwood Township, Delphi County, Ohio
    Finder: Ronald Collins, county surveyor
    Investigator: Detective George O'Connor

    - The book A Field Guide to Ohio Wildflowers was checked out by Susan on October 3, 2018 at 2:17 p.m.
    - The surveyor found the paperback dry and upright in a split oak at 7:15 a.m, on a Thursday in March 2019.
    - The margins of the book contained pencil entries spanning 153 days with dates, measurements, a name and a truck color.
    - Susan had lived alone on Fieldcroft Road for seven years and had been a registered library borrower for eleven years with no late returns.
    - On October 17, 2018 Susan’s orange driveway flag did not go up; her daughter called police at 12:45 p.m., and officers found warm coffee, a purse on the counter and a pen resting in a spiral notebook.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • He Left a Shoe on the Tank Lid - His SOS Message

    He Left a Shoe on the Tank Lid - His SOS Message
    2026/07/25
    He Left a Shoe on the Tank Lid - His SOS Message

    A single New Balance sneaker, centered on a septic tank lid at 7:40 a.m. on September 10, 2019, with four knots tied into its right lace pointing toward the house - could that be a deliberate SOS? The shoe was found by a septic service driver who knew the property; the only person it could have belonged to had been missing for six days. How did a reliable 26-year-old billing coordinator become the focus of a plan that had been running for over a year?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from the last phone ping at 9:17 p.m. to the discovery of the shoe, laying out the small routines that defined Gregory Watson’s life and the odd deviations that signaled something else was at work. What pattern of appearances, absences, and one new choir visitor points to how Gregory was drawn away the night he disappeared?

    Person: Gregory Watson
    Date: September 10, 2019
    Location: Calloway Street, Minter's Crossing
    Status: Missing (last confirmed phone ping September 4, 2019 at 9:17 p.m.)
    Observer: Denise Olson (septic service driver)

    - The sneaker was placed centered on the septic tank lid with the toe pointing south.
    - Four separate knots were tied into the right shoe lace, stacked one on top of another.
    - The shoe was found at 7:40 a.m, on September 10, 2019.
    - Gregory Watson’s last phone signal registered near the east tower at 9:17 p.m, on September 4, 2019.
    - Gregory had perfect choir attendance for 14 months and a new visitor named Gordon had been attending rehearsals for two months.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分