The podcast discusses three cold cases that were solved due to the efforts of individuals on the internet.
Case 1: In 1995, a car accident in Virginia resulted in the death of two people. The driver was identified as Maikel Eric Javier, but the passenger remained unknown. The only clues were a Grateful Dead t-shirt, a tattoo, and a note. The case went cold for 20 years until a dedicated internet user, Gray Metal, created a post summarizing the case. Another user, Steve, recognized the passenger as possibly being a former colleague named Jason. Further investigation led to the identification of the passenger as Jason Callahan.
Case 2: In 1997, a 40-year-old man, William, disappeared after leaving a nightclub. His car was found, but he was not. The case went cold for 22 years until a neighbor used Google Earth to discover a car submerged in a pond. The police were notified, and the car was found to be William's, with his remains inside. It is believed that William accidentally drove into the pond and drowned.
Case 3: In 1974, a 17-year-old girl, Linda Pagano, went missing after an argument with her stepfather. Her brother reported her missing, but the police did not investigate thoroughly. A year later, a skeleton was found near a river, but it was not identified as Linda. The case went cold until a woman named Christina Skate discovered the skeleton's remains while researching her family history. She opened a thread on Reddit, and a forensic artist created a recreation of the victim's face. The police were notified, and a DNA test was conducted, which confirmed that the remains were indeed Linda's. It is believed that her stepfather killed her during the argument and disposed of her body.
The podcast highlights the importance of internet sleuths in solving cold cases and bringing closure to families.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. A car accident occurred in Virginia, killing the driver, Maikel Eric Javier, and his passenger.
2. The passenger was not a friend of Maikel's and was not identified.
3. The passenger had no identification on him, but was wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt and had a small star tattoo on his left arm.
4. The passenger also had a few coins, a lighter, a note, and two tickets to a Grateful Dead concert.
5. The note said "Jayson, I'm sorry, we have to go, we'll see each other, call me at this number Caroline from Carolina".
6. The case was known as "Grateful Doe" and was not solved for 20 years.
7. In 2012, a user named Gray Metal created a post summarizing the case and its updates.
8. Another user, Steve, recognized the passenger as a possible Jason and provided photos.
9. The photos were shared, and Jason's mother, Margaret Evans, recognized him.
10. A DNA test confirmed that the passenger was Jason Callahan.
11. Jason's mother had not reported him missing because she thought he had left to live his life and didn't want to be found.
12. Jason's body was identified 20 years after his death.
And here are the key facts from the second case:
13. A man named William disappeared in November 1997 after leaving a nightclub.
14. He was supposed to drive home, but his car was found 22 years later in a pond near his home.
15. William's body was found in the car, and it is believed that he accidentally drove into the pond and drowned.
16. The car was not visible from the ground, but was discovered using Google Earth.
17. William's disappearance was not thoroughly investigated at the time.
And here are the key facts from the third case:
18. A teenage girl named Linda Marie Pagano disappeared in 1974 after arguing with her stepfather.
19. Her brother reported her missing, but the police did not investigate thoroughly.
20. A year later, a skeleton was found near a river, but it was not identified as Linda.
21. The remains were buried in a cemetery without a name.
22. A woman named Christina Skate discovered the case while researching her family history and opened a thread on Reddit.
23. A DNA test was performed on the remains, and they were identified as Linda Pagano.
24. It is believed that Linda's stepfather killed her during an argument and disposed of her body.