And Then They Were Gone

In the early morning hours of December 10, 1999, an 18-year-old UCLA freshman finished playing a computer game in his dorm room, stepped into the hallway to high-five the friend he'd been playing against, and walked back toward his own room. When his roommate woke up the next morning, Michael Negrete was gone.Bloodhounds traced his scent to a bus stop a few blocks away, but then the trail just stopped. Michael hadn’t been in trouble; he hadn’t been depressed; he hadn’t been running with a bad crowd. There were absolutely no red flags in his life, and nothing that would lead anyone to believe he wouldn’t finish his first semester of college and go home with everyone else. In over 26 years there's been no body, no arrest, no confirmed sighting, and not a single dollar taken out of his bank account. Police have never named a suspect, and they have never found Michael.If you have any information about the disappearance of Michael Negrete, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500, and reference case number 0199003533. You can also contact the UCLA Police Department at (310) 825-1491.Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sometime in the pre-dawn hours of October 13, 2018, a 16-year-old girl walked out of her family's home in Chalfont, California and into the dark. It was a cold morning, but she wasn't wearing a jacket. She didn’t take her glasses, and she left her phone and money behind. She left everything.The last person to see her inside the house was her stepmother, who says she watched Karlie Gusé lying in bed at 5:48 in the morning. But less than two hours later, Karlie was gone. This is a case that has torn a family in half because some of the people who loved Karlie most do not believe the story they've been told about that night.If you have any information about the disappearance of Karlie Gusé, please contact the Mono County Sheriff's Office at (760) 932-7549, option 7, or the FBI. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On May 15, 2026, news broke that Gretchen Fleming's remains had been positively identified. That same day, it was also announced that Preston Pierce had been arrested on charges related to her murder. This story is developing, so this week we have a mini update on the charges and what is happening next on the case. What follows is our original episode on Gretchen Fleming from February 23, 2024.After dealing with a breakup and the sudden loss of her mother, Gretchen Fleming found herself back in her hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia. She was staying with family as she tried to get herself back together and figure out her next move. On December 3, 2022, Gretchen told her family that she wasn’t going to be home that night, and she headed out to a local bar. After going to a second bar with a friend, Gretchen walked out and was never seen again. Did the friend, who later turned in Gretchen’s purse and cell phone know something about her disappearance, or was it the man she was seen leaving the last bar with who had something to hide? For over a year, the small town of Parkersburg has been abuzz with theories of what happened that night, and continue to hold out hope that someday soon, they will find out who really knows what happened to Gretchen Fleming.Anyone with information regarding Gretchen Fleming’s disappearanc is asked to call lead Detective James Zimmerman at 304-424-1072 or the Police Department at 304-424-8444.Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On the night of February 7, 2018, 23-year-old Khadijah Britton was at a friend's house in Covelo, California. Just eight days earlier, she had escaped from her boyfriend's home after he assaulted her, causing serious injuries. Khadijah reported the attack to police, but she was scared of what he would do to her if she followed through. That night, he showed up with a gun. Witnesses reported that she was forced into the back of a black Mercedes sedan, and Khadijah Britton was never seen again. Her alleged abductor, Negie Fallis IV, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and kidnapping. Those charges were dropped. Everybody in that community knows what happened to Khadijah Britton. The sheriff knows. The FBI knows. Her family knows. And the man they believe is responsible has walked free, over and over again, for eight years.If you have any information about Khadijah's disappearance, please contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at 707-463-4411 or the FBI San Francisco Division at 415-553-7400. You can also submit tips anonymously online through the MCSO's anonymous tip line at wetip.com. A combined reward of up to $120,000 is available for information leading to Khadijah's location or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. The Help Find Khadijah Britton Facebook group is still active and maintained by her family.Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In 2015, 19-year-old Kately Akens was visiting her family in Spotsylvania, Virginia and celebrating her new nephew. On December 5, she was supposed to board a flight back home to her fiancee in Arizona, but she never made it to the airport. A suspect quickly emerged in her case, but police were never able to find enough evidence to make an arrest. Then, in April 2026, 10 years after she failed to board that plane, The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office announced that they had arrested Katelin’s ex-stepfather, James Branton. Though Katelin was named as a victim, the arrest wasn’t related to her disappearance. Despite this, authorities and Katelin’s loved ones hope that they’re one step closer to finally getting the answers they’ve been searching for.If you have any information on Katelin Akens’s whereabouts, please contact the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office at 540-582-7115.Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On the morning of October 14, 2003, 23-year-old Felipe Santos was heading to work at a concrete and masonry company in North Naples, Florida. He was riding with two of his brothers when his white Ford Tempo collided with another car on Immokalee Road. It was a minor fender-bender, and no one was hurt. What happened next would depend on who you ask. But after that morning, Felipe was never seen again. Three months later, on January 12, 2004, 27-year-old Terrance Williams kissed his mother goodbye, handed her some gas money, and said, "I'll see you later, momma." He drove his white Cadillac toward North Naples where he was pulled over by a police officer. Terrance was also never seen again.These two men didn’t know each other. They never met, but their disappearances have been entwined for over two decades, and many people believe that they went missing because they both encountered the same man. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Late in the evening of September 13, 2010, 19-year-old Samantha Clarke was dressed in her pajamas and watching TV with her younger brother in their Orange, Virginia home. But after receiving a call, she told her brother she was going out and would be back in the morning. Samantha left her home, and has never been seen again.Police had few clues to work with, but did zero in on a person of interest almost immediately. However, a lack of evidence made the case go cold. Then, 3 years later, another teenager disappeared just miles away, and police were certain the two crimes were connected. Everything seemed to be falling into place, but now, over 14 years since she was last seen, answers in Samantha’s case remain elusive. A break in her case seems just over the horizon– the question is, who will deliver it?Anyone with more information on Samantha Clarke’s disappearance is asked to contact the Orange Police Department at (540) 672-1491.Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeFor a full list of our sources, please visit our blogAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Disappearing is something “all boys do at the age of 16.” That’s what police told Valerie Nettles when she discovered her 16-year-old son, Damien, hadn’t come home the night before. The teenager had been at a party with friends on November 2, 1996, but missed his midnight curfew, and couldn’t be found the next day. The Nettles family was frantic, but police treated Damien as a runaway. This early misstep, one that we see so often in missing persons cases, meant that potential witnesses were missed, evidence was lost, and now, nearly thirty years on, no concrete answers have ever come in Damien’s disappearance. The Nettles family, however, hasn’t given up, and they’re hopeful that someone out there is still willing to do the right thing.If you have any information about Damien Nettles, you can contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary by calling 101 and asking for the Major Investigation Team and referencing Operation Ridgewood. You can provide information anonymously through Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111. Missing Damien BlogMissing People UKAlex Roberts Music Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fiona Pender was seven months pregnant and ready for her baby. On August 22, 1996, she went shopping for baby clothes with her mother and brother. It was a period of joy and nesting for the 25-year-old hairdresser and part-time model. According to her partner, John Thompson, Fiona was asleep the next morning when he left for work. He kissed her goodbye, left their flat on Church Street in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, and never saw her again. When friends and family couldn’t reach Fiona that day or the next, they panicked. There was no reason for Fiona to be out of touch with them. By the time she was reported missing, her loved ones feared the worst. Now, nearly 30 years later, there has still been no trace of Fiona or her child, but that doesn’t mean that Gardai or her family have given up. If you have any information about the disappearance and murder of Fiona Pender, please contact Tullamore Garda Station at 057 932 7600, or contact the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“I’m going to be there one day, Mom.” That’s what Joe Pichler told his mom as a child when they were watching The Academy Awards together. While many kids have said something like that, Joe actively worked to make his dreams come true. A role in a local commercial led to gigs in TV and movies, and his star was on the rise. After returning to his hometown of Bremerton, Washington to finish high school, Joe was making plans to return to Hollywood and pick up where he left off. But in the early morning hours of January 5, 2006, he made a phone call to his friend, and then vanished. When his car was found days later, police said the evidence pointed to suicide. But that didn’t sit right with his family. For twenty years, the Pichler family has been saying that there’s more to the story of Joe’s disappearance, and that there are people out there who know more than they’re saying.If you have any information about Joe Pichler’s disappearance, please contact the Bremerton Police Department at 1-360-308-5400. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 13, 2009, Steven Koecher disappeared after parking his car in an upscale neighborhood in Henderson, Nevada. Steven had no known associates in Henderson, so no one knew why the 30-year-old drove there that day. Was he there for a meeting? A job? No one in the neighborhood admitted to knowing him, or to having plans to meet with a young man that day.As the investigation went on, bank records revealed a series of bizarre road trips that Steven had taken in the days leading up to his disappearance; trips that he had told no one he had been taking. Over the years, as family, police, private investigators, and internet sleuths continued to dig, more questions have come up, but none led to the answer everyone has been searching for: where is Steven Koecher?If you have any information on Steven’s disappearance, please contact the Henderson Police Department at (702) 267-4750. You can also submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When 19-year-old Brittney Wood disappeared on May 30 2012, from Mobile, Alabama, it looked at first like so many stories we’ve heard before: a young woman vanished, and her family launched a desperate search, but there was no trace of her. But almost immediately, it became clear that this case was different. Because Brittney’s disappearance wasn’t the only police investigation into her family. In fact, months before Brittney vanished, detectives had already begun to uncover something far more disturbing than anyone could have imagined.As her family’s secrets began to come to the surface, detectives had to ask: did Brittney Wood pay the price for what her family didn’t want anyone to know?If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Brittney Wood, please contact the Mobile Police Department at (251) 208-1700 or submit an anonymous tip. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On March 29, 1989, a young mother met some new friends to go shopping. She had planned on leaving her children with her sister-in-law for the afternoon, but when they arrived, the women told her that she should bring her six-week-old baby, Andre, along. Monique Rivera agreed, and went back inside to get her youngest son. That was the last time Monique and Andre were seen alive. While the ensuing investigation uncovered devastating answers, so many more questions remain: who were the two women who came to Monique’s Brookln, New York apartment that day? Was what happened related to other abductions of black children in New York City that year? And most importantly, where is Andre Bryant? If you have any information on the disappearance of Andre Bryant, please contact the New York City Police Department at (212) 694-7781. Subscribe to Day by Day: True Crime StoriesBuy the ebook! - And Then They Were Gone: True Stories of Those Who Went Missing and Never Came HomeSubmit a caseFind us everywhereGet episodes early and ad-free on PatreonMerch storeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy