The Vanished Podcast

By: Wondery
  • Summary

  • The Vanished is a true crime podcast that explores the stories of those who have gone missing. The Vanished goes beyond conventional news reports to take a deep dive into the story of a different missing person each week. Host Marissa Jones brings you exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement and experts. What will The Vanished uncover next?

    Listen to The Vanished on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/ now.

    © All rights reserved.
    Show more Show less
activate_WEBCRO358_DT_T2
Episodes
  • Case Update: Eric Franks - Plausible Deniability
    Sep 16 2024

    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.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Patricia Jane Wagner
    Sep 9 2024

    On the night of October 20, 1972, 26-year-old Patricia Wagner left her Jersey City apartment for a coffee date with her new boyfriend, Dennis. Her mother, Marie, agreed to watch Patty's two young sons, Kenny and Michael, for a few hours. Before leaving, Patty's oldest son, Kenny, begged her not to go. He was overcome by a bad feeling about his mother going out that night, but he didn't know why. Patty reassured her young son that she would return later and headed out of her apartment for her date. That was the last known sighting of Patricia Wagner. Patty never came home, and her family never heard from her again. Although Patty's mother quickly jumped into action to report her daughter missing, Patty's case went ice cold. Decades later, a younger family member became determined to do what she could to find her long-lost cousin.

    If you have any information about the disappearance of Patricia Jane Wagner, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000.

    You can follow the efforts to find Patty on social media at "Where Is Patricia Jane Wagner?" Be sure to follow Madison's page and Facebook group, "AVoice4TheLost."

    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.

    Show more Show less
    56 mins
  • Andy Puglisi: Open Investigation
    Sep 2 2024

    In the early days of the show, I came across a website called haveyouseenandy.com. The website focused on the case of Andy Puglisi, a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from a pool in Lawrence, MA, in August 1976. Andy's friend, Melanie Perkins McLaughlin, created and maintained the website. Melanie had previously directed an HBO documentary about Andy's case, which won an Emmy in 2008 for Outstanding Investigative Journalism.

    When I contacted Melanie to inquire about featuring Andy on the show, I was surprised that she responded and agreed, given my limited experience in podcasting at the time. After Andy's original episode aired, Melanie and I stayed in touch, and she even provided her expertise when we covered similar cases from that era.

    Through her research, Melanie discovered that there were more missing and murdered children with stories similar to Andy's. This realization led her to shift her focus from Andy's individual case to a broader perspective, uncovering shocking new information along the way. Melanie always expressed a desire to continue telling Andy's story after realizing that this story was more extensive than just one boy disappearing from a pool in 1976.

    Melanie often discussed a project she was working on during our conversations. This project that she was chipping away at, a podcast called Open Investigation, is set to be released starting September 3. Melanie joined us again this week to discuss the developments in Andy's case and tell us about her podcast. The trailer is available today, and the first episode will be released tomorrow. You can subscribe to Open Investigation now wherever you listen to podcasts.

    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.

    Show more Show less
    47 mins

What listeners say about The Vanished Podcast

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    23
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent True Crime Podcast

I love true crime and The Vanished is one of my absolute favorite programs to listen to. I appreciate the dedication to facts, truth, accountability and follow through! I honestly have come to understand that there are a lot of awful, sloppy, uncaring police departments. No wonder there are so many unsolved crimes in the US. I love programs that hold agencies accountable and tell the story as it is without any BS politics being involved!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I’m a picky listener; this is a fantastic podcast.

My taste regarding podcasts and true crime content creators can be temperamental but I absolutely love this podcast. The narration is perfectly balanced and well-paced. The information is always relevant and pertinent, her voice is soothing and her tone is respectful. I appreciate how she gives the victim’s family and friends the time and space to speak about their lost loved ones. Good job!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stands out from the rest

I listen to true crime podcasts to help me fall asleep. They're interesting enough that I don't get stuck in my thoughts but not so fascinating that they keep me awake waiting for the next bit. I heard a sample of "The Vanished" and thought it would do nicely. But I was wrong --- this one got moved to 'Daytime Only' because it is mesmerizing. The research is impressive, the delivery professional and the interviews with family members put this on a whole other plane. It's become my favorite podcast-- and I never sleep through it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

I love this podcast because they do great research and actually include the families in the process. Kudos to you for doing ethical work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This one will stick with you...

Wow! Just wow! How utterly heartbreaking. This family's strength is immeasurable. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. As a mother I pray to never know this pain. Karma is an unruly being with no discrimination and she/they (ex-husband included) will certainly get what's coming to them, God willing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A crime that appears to be easily solved.

Such a heartbreaking tale. you would think they should have a trail, I mean, it was broad daylight. there were people all around this baby on the porch. nobody saw anything? no suspects? no person of interest? COME ON!!! This sounds far fetched, doesn't it?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too many interviews, just tell the story

I think the producers of this show mean well, but they're lazy. Do the interviews with the relatives and friends and then write the narrative and facts around those interviews. I feel like with Isaac Seidel's disappearance, I can't even find out the circumstances of his disappearance because it's mired in the endless interviews that take up the entire podcast. Hopefully a better podcast team that can actually do the missing persons justice, like "Where are The?", takes up his story. Drop the interviews - there shouldn't even be a Patreon group for this podcast since they don't do much work except play back what others say.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful