Where is Ja’Niyah McMichael?

Where is Ja’Niyah McMichael?

From Seriously Mysterious - Missing Persons, Unsolved Murders & Historical True Crime by John Lordan - Respectful True Crime Content Creator, Advocate and Host

April 7, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the mysterious disappearance of 13-year-old Ja'Niyah McMichael and the ongoing investigation into her case.

In August 2024, 13-year-old Ja'Niyah McMichael was reported missing from her home in Gary, Indiana , but as investigators dug deeper, chilling discrepancies emerged. Is her mother telling the truth? Now, with the FBI involved and a $30,000 reward on the table, the investigation has shifted toward suspected foul play, as her father asks us for help. Ja'Niyah McMichael's father has been in contact with me for months. He's trying to get some funding together for his continued efforts (including getting to NamUs for DNA testing). Please consider contributing at his official GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/e972ad71a YouTube Searchlight episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdw8a0rhMVc Thank you to the FBI, the City of Gary, NCMEC, The Charley Project, Indiana State Police, ABC7 Chicago, FOX 32 Chicago, CBS News Chicago, WGN-TV, NBC Chicago, People.com, Reddit, the Chicago Tribune, Antonio Rodgers and Wikipedia for information contributing to today’s case. This episode was written by Kira McQueen, edited by John Lordan, and produced by LordanArts. Do you have any comments, or a case you’d like to suggest? You’ll find a comment form and case submission link at LordanArts.com . This is…

People in this episode

Host: John Lordan

Topics covered

  • missing persons
  • unsolved cases
  • true crime
  • investigation
  • foul play
  • community support

Keywords

  • Ja'Niyah McMichael
  • missing person
  • Gary Indiana
  • FBI investigation
  • true crime
  • unsolved murder
  • community support
  • GoFundMe
  • DNA testing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FBI, City of Gary, NCMEC, The Charley Project, Indiana State Police, ABC7 Chicago, FOX 32 Chicago, CBS News Chicago, WGN-TV, NBC Chicago

More episodes of Seriously Mysterious - Missing Persons, Unsolved Murders & Historical True Crime

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Seriously Mysterious - Missing Persons, Unsolved Murders & Historical True Crime podcast page.