The Vanished Podcast

Last week, we shared the first installment of Goldie Thornsberry’s story. You learned that she disappeared from Fayetteville, Arkansas, in early 1996. Goldie was reported missing after her bank noticed strange activity on her checking account. When the investigation began, officers went to Goldie’s apartment and were greeted by one of her daughters, who said Goldie wasn’t home; she was traveling to visit family members. This story shifted with time about where exactly Goldie planned to go and whom she was traveling to visit. Investigators contacted relatives who said they hadn’t seen or heard from Goldie.  Goldie’s daughter and son-in-law were later charged with forgery after investigators determined they were using her checks. They became the main suspects in Goldie’s disappearance. Still, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t find Goldie or any hard evidence to prove what happened to her.  In 2010, there was a remarkable development in the case after one of Goldie’s former neighbors saw a news story about a Jane Doe who was found inside of a well in Little Rock in 2000 and thought it was Goldie. After a DNA comparison came back indicating it was, in fact, Goldie, they could finally move forward with the case. While there was a mountain of circumstantial evidence against Goldie's daughter and son-in-law, would it be enough for a conviction? If you have any information about the murder of Goldie Thornsberry, please call the Fayetteville Police Department at 479-587-3555. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the summer of 2000, two development consultants were surveying land on Cantrell Road in Little Rock, Arkansas, when they noticed a drainage area and decided to investigate its source. Venturing a short distance into the woods, they stumbled upon a well. One of the workers thought he saw something at the bottom and prodded it with a stick. As the object shifted, it became evident that it was a human skull. That's when they decided it was time to call the Little Rock Police Department. Human remains were retrieved from the well, and it was later confirmed that the victim was a woman. Unable to match Jane Doe to any missing persons reports in the area, her case quickly went ice cold. Ten years later, the police department had a clay recreation made of what Jane Doe may have looked like, hoping that a visual representation of the woman might trigger someone's memory. One evening in Little Rock, a man who had lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the 90s saw the clay bust on the news and was struck by its resemblance to his former neighbor, Goldie Thornsberry, who had disappeared in 1996. He contacted the authorities, and that tip took a cold case that some had hoped time had forgotten off the shelf and thrust it back into the spotlight. If you have any information about the murder of Goldie Thornsberry, please call the Fayetteville Police Department at 479-587-3555. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On June 24, 2024, 21-year-old Zyanya Valora stayed up late after her parents went to bed. In the early morning hours of June 25, around 2:30 AM, she is believed to have left their home in Ojai, California. Her family suspects she was barefoot and wearing a tank top and shorts. Later that morning, Zyanya's parents assumed she was simply sleeping in, as young people often do. However, around 11 AM, her mother, Damaris, discovered that her daughter was not in her room or anywhere inside their home. Concerned, Damaris called her husband at work and began searching the neighborhood. After failing to find Zyanya, Damaris reported her daughter missing. An extensive search was conducted for Zyanya, who has Autism and is considered at-risk. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office, along with other agencies, dedicated five days to searching the area. Unfortunately, despite these extensive efforts, no trace of Zyanya Valora has been found. If you have any information about Zyanya Valora's disappearance, please contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Office at (805) 654-9511. You can follow the search efforts for Zyanya at Find Zyanya Valora.  If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the afternoon of June 24, 2023, 41-year-old Lawrence Hammett was transferred from Montrose Regional Health to Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colorado. Approximately two hours later, a staff member attempted to call Lawrence back, but he was gone. No one knew that Lawrence had been transferred to a hospital roughly two and a half hours away, and they began to notice that they stopped seeing him around town.  Weeks passed without word, and Lawrence's loved ones began comparing notes. No one had heard from him. They searched around Montrose, but there was no trace of Lawrence there. Eventually, Lawrence's sister contacted the Montrose Police Department to file a missing persons report, and they told her that he had been in the hospital and was transferred to Durango.  This news moved their search more than 100 miles away, and by that time, the camera footage from June 24 was long gone. They didn't have any clues to point them in the direction that Lawrence may have gone or if he had left with someone. More than a year later, Lawrence's loved ones are still picking up the pieces, searching for any information that could help bring the puzzle of what happened to him into focus.  If you have any information about Lawrence Hammett's disappearance, please call the Durango Police Department at 970-375-4700. If you are in the area and want to help, Lawrence's loved ones are planning a search party in Durango on Oct 5, 2024. You can find more information on the Bring Lawrence Home Facebook page. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We first shared the story of Eric Franks’ disappearance in October 2021. While his case is still unsolved, we have significant new information to share with you nearly three years after our original episodes aired, which could potentially shed light on this mystery.  In March 2011, 38-year-old Eric Franks disappeared from Saginaw, Michigan. In 2010, Eric learned he had a teenage daughter, so he traveled to the Saginaw area to connect with her. Eric went radio silent in early March, but then his family began receiving emails from Eric periodically. They went along with this for a time, as they had no reason to question that Eric was sending the emails. Still, something was off about the whole thing, and later, they decided to report Eric missing. Over the last 13 years, a bizarre string of events has unfolded, unraveling disturbing clues about what may have happened and who may be responsible for Eric’s disappearance. If you have any information about the disappearance of Eric Franks, please call the Michigan State Police at 989-495-5555. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.