176. Backwoods Horror: Why Do People Keep Disappearing in Nome, Alaska?

176. Backwoods Horror: Why Do People Keep Disappearing in Nome, Alaska?

May 13, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 176

About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious disappearances and suspicious deaths in Nome, Alaska, focusing on the case of Sonya Ivanoff.

Go to https://kachava.com and use code HSP for 15% off your first order. To find out how you can get involved and provide advocacy and support, visit the website for the Data for Indigenous Justice organization at www.dataforindigenousjustice.org and click on “Resources” in the top left menu. In 2003, 19-year-old Sonya Ivanoff was walking home from a friend's house in Nome, Alaska when a witness saw her get into a vehicle marked 'Nome Police Department.' Her body was found the next day. But Sonya's murder is just one piece of a much larger pattern. Since 1960, at least 25 people have gone missing or died under suspicious circumstances in this isolated town of fewer than 4,000 people, and the community has been fighting for answers that local authorities seem determined not to give. Show Notes: https://www.heartstartspounding.com/episodes/nomealaska Subscribe on ⁠ Patreon⁠ to become a member of our Rogue Detecting Society and enjoy ad-free listening, monthly bonus content, merch discounts and more. Members of our High Council on Patreon also have access to our weekly after-show, Footnotes, where I share my case file with our producer, Matt. You can also enjoy many of these same…

People in this episode

Host: Heart Starts Pounding

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Kachava

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Data for Indigenous Justice

Places: Nome, Alaska, Alaska

More episodes of Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries podcast page.