From the Dark Side: Podcast

July 26 2009. When a minivan barrels down the wrong side of New York's Taconic State Parkway, crashing head-on into an SUV and killing eight people, the nation is stunned. The driver, 36-year-old Diane Schuler, is described by those who knew her as a devoted mother, a responsible professional, and the last person anyone would expect to be behind such a deadly mistake. But when toxicology results are released, a far more troubling picture begins to emerge. 

June 18 2023. Despite numerous warnings about its safety, OceanGate's submersible, the Titan, plunged 12,500 feet beneath the surface to explore the Titanic wreckage. Then, communication was lost. What followed was an intense international search for the crew onboard including OceanGate's controversial CEO, Stockton Rush. 

June 10th 2008. When 62-year-old Colorado real estate developer Alan Helmick is found shot to death in his home, investigators are left searching for answers. As police dig deeper, they uncover a recent attempt on his life that was dismissed by Alan himself and suspicion soon turns to someone close to him. 

May 12th 2004. What was supposed to be a nice family vacation turned into a nightmare. While in Aruba, the Devries family met a nice father and son at the hotel and the two families became friends for a couple days. 14-year old Max Devries set off on a jet ski with one of them and never returned. Aruba police were quick to rule his death accidental, but the man's actions and statements allude to something more sinister. 

April 9th 2018. A 27-year old Mom and her 1-year old son were found deceased in a park in Laredo Texas. Suspicion fell on someone who blended in effortlessly. 

July 24th 1989. Rescue helicopters scanned the rugged terrain of Mount Asahidake in Japan's Daisetsuzan National Park, searching for two missing hikers. They were found quickly thanks to a massive SOS sign made from birch trees. But when questioned, the hikers insisted they hadn't built it. In this episode, we discuss one of Japan's most perplexing wilderness mysteries.

January 30th 2002. Tragedy struck a quiet Alabama neighborhood when an elderly couple was found murdered in their home. Just weeks later, a father and son were kidnapped from their home, with one victim buried alive. In this episode, we discuss the story behind these shocking attacks and how justice was ultimately served.

June 21st 2012. 25-year old Ashley Biggs was in the middle of a messy custody battle over her 6-year old daughter. She took a late night pizza order while working her shift as a Dominos delivery driver. Ashley was lured to a dark location only to be ambushed and murdered in a vicious attack. What seemed like a routine delivery turned out to be a deadly trap. 

June 8 2007. A quiet Friday turns deadly when 48-year-old car insurance salesman Bob Eidman is shot and killed in his office in St. Charles, Missouri in the middle of his workday. Bob was known as friendly, but as detectives dig deeper, they uncover secrets that show a more complicated picture. One person quickly emerges as the prime suspect… but is the case really that simple? Who wanted Bob Eidman dead?

June 21st 2020. 14-year old Noah Donohoe set out on his bike to meet up with some friends. He never returned home and was quickly reported missing. He was found dead six days later. Noah was captured on surveillance on 22 cameras over a period of less than 30 minutes leading to his death. However, this footage provided more questions than answers. 

July 16 2011. 43-year old Roberto Ayala was the trusted foreman of Moores Farm in Colusa, California. While inspecting the electric panel box that controlled the irrigation pumps in the rice fields, a powerful blast killed Roberto instantly. Was it a tragic industrial accident or something far more sinister? 

February 20 2016. 45-year old Jason Dalton was a seemingly normal, married Dad and insurance adjuster. Recently, he took a side job as an Uber driver as a way to earn extra cash. One night during his shift behind the wheel, he decided to reign terror over the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan leaving several dead in his 8-hour rampage. 

November 18th 1987. 18-year old Tanya Van Cuylenborg and her boyfriend, 20-year old Jay Cook set out on an overnight road trip from British Columbia to Seattle. After failing to return home, their families worst fears became a reality. The young couple had been brutally murdered. For more than 30 years their killer remained a mystery, eluding police at every turn. Until DNA evidence left behind in 1987 would finally prove who their killer was. 

August 9th  2013. 26-year old Brandon Lawson runs out of gas in the middle of the night while on a desolate highway in Coke County, Texas. He places a distressing call to 911 that has been widely analyzed by the true crime community. What exactly was happening to Brandon at that moment has become a decade long mystery. 

August 3rd 2013. 17-year old Alexis Murphy is excited to get some items needed for her upcoming senior portraits. She stopped into the local gas station during her travels and had a brief encounter with a stranger who held the door for her. When she fails to come home by her curfew, she is reported missing. A clue would surface pointing right to this stranger. 

July 8th 2014. After a week-long holiday with friends in Bulgaria, 28-year-old Lars Mittank arrived at Varna Airport to head home. But what started as a routine trip quickly turned strange. Lars began exhibiting erratic behavior before suddenly sprinting out of the airport. He scaled a barbed wire fence and disappeared into a nearby sunflower field, never to be seen again. His disappearance has since earned him the title of “the most famous missing man on YouTube.”

November 22 2018. A young Colorado mom goes missing on Thanksgiving after picking up some last minute items at the grocery store. It would take 10 days until she is reported missing. Suspicion quickly falls on her fiancé and his ex-girlfriend. What was uncovered was truly horrific. 

January 16th 2004. 34-year-old Michelle Nyce was discovered deceased in her car which was still running. Investigators realized this wasn't just a typical car accident. In the snow, a single set of footprints led away from the vehicle, hinting at something more sinister. What seemed like a tragic crash soon unraveled a chilling mystery.

November 6th 2011, Scott Davis found what seemed like the perfect opportunity on Craigslist: a job in Caldwell, Ohio offering $300 a week to live and work on a farm, complete with free housing and utilities. Eager to secure the position, Scott responded to the ad and a week later received a response. He arranged to meet the employer for breakfast at Shoney's. But what began as a promising encounter soon spiraled into a nightmare. Scott found himself fighting for his life in a twist he never saw coming.

May 2002. 30-year old Bison Dele walked away from the NBA and the 36 million dollars remaining on his contract to embrace a life of adventure. He set off to sail around the world on his boat, taking his girlfriend, his brother and an experienced sea captain with him. But when the trip took a mysterious and deadly turn, only one of the four returned.

May 14th 2015. Firefighters respond to a large mansion on fire in Washington DC. Inside was a horrifying scene. Three family members and their housekeeper were found dead, victims of a brutal hostage situation. Investigators launched a desperate manhunt to catch their killer.

November 9th 2002. It was a chilly fall night when 20-year old Joshua Guimond walked out of a college party without a word. His friends thought he'd stepped out for a moment to use the restroom, but he never returned. More than two decades have passed since that night and Josh's disappearance remains a mystery. In the absence of answers, countless theories have arisen.

June 30th 2016. A beloved co-owner of a legendary New York pizza shop was fatally shot outside of his home. Was this a calculated mafia hit? Could the motive be tied to a feud over a stolen sauce recipe? Or was it something else entirely? 

December 7th 1973. 22-year old Lester Eubanks was convicted of murdering 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in Mansfield, Ohio. He confessed and was sentenced to the death penalty, but later commuted to life in prison. Lester was allowed to go Christmas shopping unsupervised as part of a prison good behavior program. He never returned. Lester remains one of the U.S. Marshals' most wanted fugitives. SOURCES  ▫️https://www.newspapers.com/image/294688759/?match=1&terms=mary%20ellen%20deener ▫️https://unsolved.com/gallery/death-row-fugitive/ ▫️https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2017/03/17/cold-case-killer-has-been-run-43-years-65-case/99212326/ ▫️https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/2021/03/29/lester-eubanks-fugitive-47-years-now-being-sought-los-angeles/7044314002/ ▫️https://allthatsinteresting.com/lester-eubanks ▫️https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/id-shows/on-tv0/in-pursuit-with-john-walsh/articles/top-15-most-wanted-fugitive-lester-eubanks-on-the-run-since-1973 ▫️https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/lester-eubanks-murder-fugitive-escape-us-marshal-most-wanted-781501/ ▫️https://abc6onyourside.com/amp/news/local/child-killer-escaped-1973-columbus-featured-fox-america-most-wanted-3-29-2021

June 22 1991. 70-year-old Dorothy Donovan is found brutally murdered in her farm home in Harrington, Delaware. Suspicion immediately falls on her son. But his story is as bizarre as it is compelling, leading investigators to a dead end. For years, the case remains shrouded in mystery. Until a breakthrough in 2005 finally uncovers the truth.

August 15th 2009. 28-year-old Playboy model Jasmine Fiore married reality TV star Ryan Jenkins just two days after meeting him. Their brief union ended in tragedy when Jasmine was found brutally murdered, uncovering a shocking and gruesome crime that captivated the nation.

April 8th 1980. Charles and Catherine Romer, an elderly couple, vanished without a trace while traveling from their winter home in Florida to their summer home in New York. They were last seen in Brunswick, Georgia, but despite extensive searches, no evidence of their whereabouts has ever been uncovered.

January 11th 1999. A 30-year old mother who was 8 months pregnant was found murdered in her bedroom closet. The scene appeared to be a robbery gone wrong. Her husband David claims he was at the park with their three year old son. The prosecutor believes he staged the scene so he could happily live the rest of his life with his mistress, Heather. 

Major developments have unfolded over the past three days, as Erik and Lyle, who have spent 35 years in prison, could be released within the next month. Let's review the press conferences and key events that have taken place since Friday.

In the 1990s, dozens of men went missing after frequenting gay bars in the Indianapolis area. Their disappearances were linked to a serial killer no one would have suspected. 

October 31st 1957. The streets had quieted and all the trick-or-treaters had come and gone. Peter and Betty Fabiano were settling in for the night. As they prepared for bed at 11:00 pm, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. Assuming it was one last child making a final round, Peter walked to the door, candy bowl in hand. But when he opened the door, he wasn't greeted by a child in a costume. Instead, death was waiting on the other side.

June 29th 2017. 33-year old Makeva Jenkins was a devoted wife, mother, entrepreneur, and was deeply involved in her community and church. Her promising life was cut short when a masked intruder entered her home. While her husband, Euri, openly expressed his grief and heartache, authorities suspected there was more beneath the surface.

November 18th 1928. Newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde embarked on a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, aiming to set a speed record on the Colorado River. Two months later, their boat is located hundreds of miles away with no sign of them anywhere. Their mysterious disappearance has sparked countless rumors and theories, keeping the case alive for the last 100 years. 

March 2nd 1879. Julia Thomas, a 54-year-old widow living in London, was eager to present herself as more affluent than she truly was. To maintain this facade, she hired a live-in maid, 30-year old Kate Webster, However, after only a month, Julia fires her for not cleaning well and spending too much time at the pub. This termination leads to an event that would ultimately get Kate sent to the gallows. 

November 12 2016. 26-year old Joey Comunale spends the night partying in an upscale district of East Manhattan. He separates from his friend group to head to a luxury apartment with a new group of friends and is never seen alive again. 

April 26th 2005. Raven Abaroa returns home at 11 pm from a soccer game to a devastating scene. His 25-year old wife Janet is deceased in her bedroom. Was this caused by a random intruder or is the truth lurking much closer to home? A single overlooked clue will surface years later. 

September 1st 1974. Richard and Belinda Cowden set off with their children for a Labor Day weekend camping trip. By the end of the second day, their campsite lies eerily abandoned. The family of four vanished without a trace. It will be months before the chilling truth of what happened comes to light.

August 22 2005. Stacey Castor calls police and tells them her husband David locked himself in their bedroom and won't come out. After breaking down the door, they find David deceased. His death was quickly thought to be a suicide by ingesting antifreeze. Forensics will prove otherwise and this death unlocked a tangled web of deceit. 


May 28th 2022. 19-year old Utah farmer Dylan Rounds tells his grandmother on the phone he was moving his grain truck into the shed before a storm. No one heard from him again. His disappearance turns to a murder investigation after evidence is linked to a 58-year old man who was squatting in a camper near his farm. 

October 1st 2018. Scattered, dismembered body parts were found on an Ohio highway. 39-year old David Carter had been reported missing a few days earlier by his family. Once a connection was made between the two, all evidence pointed to someone close to him that is described as “obsessive and controlling”.

March 29th 2019. 21-year old Samantha Josephson was out partying at bars with her friends to celebrate her upcoming graduation from University of South Carolina. At 2:00 am, she called an Uber, but mistakenly got in the wrong car and met a tragic fate. 

April 15th 1990. 46-year old Dennis DePue goes to his ex-wife's house for visitation with the kids. A violent encounter ensues and Dennis tells the kids he is taking Marilyn to the hospital. She is never seen again. Dennis is the real life inspiration for the iconic car chase and abandoned schoolhouse scene in the film Jeepers Creepers.

April 28th 2021. 45-year old Amy Carlson was found mummified in a home and adorned with Christmas lights and makeup. Her followers rejoiced she had finally shed her physical vessel and ascended to the fifth dimension. Today we're talking about the bizarre “Love Has Won” cult and the death of their leader, Mother God.

Oct 5th 2006. 28-year old Zack Bowen and 30-year old Addie Hall were both bartenders in New Orleans. They were published in national news as symbols of resilience and hope in the Hurricane Katrina tragedy one year prior. But they had a toxic relationship that took a sinister turn one day. This case became one of the city's most gruesome.

Hey everyone. I just wanted to quickly check in with you all and let you know I will not be airing any new episodes for the next few weeks. I'm taking a short break but plan to return sometime in the beginning of July. When I return, I'll have new episodes every Monday morning as usual. I feel you guys deserve an explanation for my absence. It's quite normal circumstances. I just need a break and I have an upcoming vacation anyway. So I thought it's a good time to step back for a moment. Again, I'll have new episodes sometime in the beginning of July. We got more mysterious twists and unexplained disappearances and I can't wait to share them with you all. I hope you're all having an amazing summer and I'll see you all again soon. Take care and much love to you all. ~ Sheri --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fromthedarkside/support

December 8th 2004. Concert attendees heard multiple loud bangs. A guitar emitted shrieking feedback that seemed to linger forever as the bands guitarist collapsed on stage. 25-year-old Nathan Gale, a deranged fan, had stormed the stage and fatally shot Damageplans' lead guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott. Navigating through gunfire, chaos ensued as fans rushed onstage to shelter Dimebag, while three others were killed and a drum tech was taken hostage.

May 26th 1828, 16-year old Kaspar Hauser emerges from the woods and wanders nervously through the town square of Nuremberg, Germany carrying a note in his pocket. He claims he spent his entire life in a dark cell. Some believe he was once a child of royalty who was stolen at birth. While others believe he's a con man.

January 24th 1984. After dropping his younger brother off at school, 19-year old Tim Molnar doesn't show up for an important class and is never seen again. 12 years later, a major break in the case would come from 1200 miles away. ▫️https://web.archive.org/web/20030813065429/http://www.unsolved.com:80/UD238-Molnar.html ▫️https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-tim-molnar-disap/46508283/ ▫️https://www.reddit.com/r/MorbidPodcast/s/JUgcH1s5JS ▫️https://books.google.com/books/about/101_Wisconsin_Unsolved_Mysteries.html?id=j9RTJEGSoWIC ▫️https://www.coldcaseworld.com/tim-molnar ▫️https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1901&dat=19881229&id=vgwqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fNMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2754,4160932/ ▫️https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-180562.html ⬜️ “Feral Angel Waltz" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ⬜️ Hello. I'm Sheri and I discuss disappearances, true crime cases and other strange stuff without all the banter. Please subscribe! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fromthedarkside/support

March 29th 2000. 21-year-old Rachel Siani was paying her way through college by dancing at Divas International in Levittown, PA. She was last seen with a customer who was a regular. Her killer unknowingly left a major clue leading right to him.

April 5th 2008. Cheryl Williams Frady was a 44-year old loving Mom of three. Recently divorced, she was adjusting to being single and navigating her new journey of independence. Cheryls life was taken from her leaving her family in shock, disbelief and with more questions than answers.

July 20th 2020. 18-year old rising high school senior Grant Solomon had a rocky relationship with his Dad. He met his Dad alone for the first time in two years at a baseball training facility. Within minutes of meeting him, Grant died in a freak accident after his truck allegedly malfunctioned and rolled backwards. The only witness was his Dad who had been accused of horrific crimes that Grant planned to confront him about.