The Dark Divide

It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning in Waukesha, Wisconsin on May 31, 2014 when a cyclist came upon Payton Leutner laying near a bike path in a park. The 12-year-old girl had been stabbed multiple times and left for dead, but after extensive life-saving measures, would miraculously survive the vicious attack. Authorities were forced to confront their fundamental assumptions when she told them that her own friends, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, had been the ones to carry out the heinous act. Both girls believed that the fictional character Slender Man would harm their families, but killing Payton would dissuade him in their favor. Reshaping motive into a dilemma of insanity and delusion, they were found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental health institution. But the story was far from over, creating a bigger conversation about mental health in the legal system and the true definition of justice. How far does guilt go, how do we heal as a community and is closure a tangible thing or just a feeling? Support the show & get bonus episodes on PATREON _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comCylinder Four/Two, The Dark Glow of the Mountains & There Are Many Different Kinds of Love by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to ABC's 20/20 "Out of the Woods", The Independent, Slenderman by Kathleen Hale, HBO's Beware the Slenderman & CBS News for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

Philip Markoff appeared to have it all: a shiny academic record, a beautiful fiancé and a successful medical career in the making. But beneath the exterior of his perfect life was a hidden thirst for power, a greedy sense of entitlement and a financial debt that left him feeling desperate. Using Craigslist to meet women and steal his way back to freedom, Philip would eventually end up with blood on his hands. And while the Boston Homicide Unit was solving the murder of Julissa Brisman as fast as technology could go, Philip was already looking for his next victim with no plans to stop. Would they figure out who this young man on the security footage was in time, before he killed again? Join PATREON for bonus episodes & early listening! _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comThere Are Many Different Kinds of Love, Cylinder Four & Two by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to The Patriot Ledger, Boston Herald, 48 Hours: Classified for Murder, Vanity Fair: Killer@Craigslist, Murder Made Me Famous S3E1 & Associated Press for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

At the time she went missing, Taylor Wright's life was complicated and messy. Just recently divorced, the rumor on the street was that she had skipped town with a load of her ex-husband's cash. The nation would soon be captivated by this alleged mother on the run, and as the days passed the focus of suspicion would instead fix itself onto her best friend, Ashley McArthur. In between all the lies, a story of greed and betrayal would slowly emerge. After weeks of investigation, hours of interrogation and plenty of good old-fashioned detective work, authorities would still only have one question remaining: what really happened to Taylor Wright? Join PATREON for exclusive bonus episodes! _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comCylinder Four & There Are Many Different Kinds of Love by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to Pensacola News Journal, North Escambia News, & CourtTV for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, girls, 2 spirit, and gender diverse people in Canada. So today, I'm bringing you three exclusive episodes from Patreon of MMIW women in Canada that deserve more attention. If you'd like to support the show, JOIN PATREON for more bonus episodes like these: ABIGAIL ANDREWS - 01:00 Thirteen years ago, Abigail Andrews vanished without a trace from Fort St. John, British Columbia. The details of her disappearance prove how uncharacteristic it was for her to not return home. It's clear that there was foul play involved, but authorities have been tight-lipped and the case seemingly gets colder by the year. What happened to Abigail and when will justice finally be served? ELAINE ALOOK - 15:38 It's been nineteen years since 35-year-old Elaine Frieda Alook was reported to be last seen just outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Her last known whereabouts immediately made her disappearance extremely suspicious to her friends and family. Elaine's image would begin an online movement between artists, activists and politicians alike. Bringing attention to a haunting history of a nation's missing and murdered indigenous women, a collective trauma still palpable throughout generations and a list of questions waiting to be answered. CAITLIN POTTS - 28:52 On February 22, 2016 Caitlin Potts would be seen for the last time on a glimpse of security footage. It was as if the 27-year-old walked into the Orchard Park Mall in Enderby, British Columbia and vanished into thin air. But, of course, Caitlin left the mall somehow that day. Seven years later, authorities seem no closer to figuring out what happened to Caitlin than they did that day. Is Caitlin's disappearance connected to other cases involving missing women in the Okanagan area, or is the person who hurt Caitlin much closer to home? Support the show: JOIN PATREON & get exclusive bonus episodes _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com *A special thanks to Enderby RCMP, CBC, Penticton Western News, The Edmonton Journal, The Toronto Star, Taken S4E07, Taken S3E13, Energetic City, & Missing People Canada for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

Newlyweds of no more than a week, Jordan Graham and Cody Johnson should've been living out the ultimate summer of love in July 2013. But an afternoon hike in the best nature Montana has to offer, would have only one of them returning home. For some it's a dream, and for others, falling in love is the deadliest thing you could ever do. Get early listening & bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comCylinder Four & Two by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to True Crime Daily, ABC News, The National Post, Hungry Horse News, Daily Mail, New York Daily & The Flathead Beacon for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

October 2nd, 1999 was a perfect day to be on The Big South Trail. As it continues along the Poudre River, you can catch scenic canyon vistas along it's climb and descent, and experience the best of what Northern Colorado has to offer. But Allyn Atadero would face every father's worst nightmare when his three year old son, Jaryd, would go missing during a hike. The majestic beauty of the land would show it's teeth through the unpredictable depths of nature. No answer would be simple. To this day, there are still significant questions and multiple theories. What happened to Jaryd on that mountain and exactly which animal are to we fear? "Maybe there is a beast...maybe it's only us." Support the show & get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces & Ambiment by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comThere Are Many Different Kinds of Love, I Am a Man Who Will Fight For Your Honor, Cylinder Two & Four by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to Missing: When the Son Sets by Allyn Atadero & The Coloradoan for information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

In the summer of 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott would disappear into the California night without a trace. There is nothing more chilling than an unsolved case where a person seemingly vanishes into thin air. Intertwine that with a self-proclaimed killer committed to haunting the aftermath and you have the stuff nightmares are made of. But how do you solve a crime that wasn't even a crime while it was happening? Do all secrets fray with time? Let us set each detail out like a giant puzzle on a dining room table, in the hopes that a whole image emerges as we examine all the ways it may fit together. Support the show & get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.comCylinder Two & Four by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com_______________________________________ *A special thanks to The Santa Ana Orange County Register, Crimeblogger1983 via Blogspot, and The Los Angeles Times for providing amazing information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

On the eve of her 22nd birthday, a British tourist named Grace Millane would go missing during a backpacking trip in Auckland, New Zealand. Soon after alerting the public for leads in finding her, authorities would begin investigating it as a homicide, resulting in an arrest within days of her disappearance. But for two years, name suppression would wrap the case in a thick sense of confusion, bewilderment and even resentment among the nation. What had happened to Grace and who was responsible? Support the show & get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces & The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to We Can't Consent To This UK, The Journal of Criminal Law, News Hub NZ, The New Zealand Herald, Stuff News and Radio New Zealand for providing amazing information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!

Both the US and Canada would be shaken by the senseless murder of Andrew Bagby in 2001. We like to believe that cases with evidence as straight-forward and clear cut as this begin and end simply in the legal system with the necessary consequences delivered to the perpetrator. However, this case is one of the most convoluted and confusing, covered with injustice and senseless tragedy. It would remain in headlines for nearly a decade, sparking challenge and change for not only the lives involved, but also the legal system itself. It's a remarkable story of how we cannot control what happens to us, but we can choose to decide how it will shape us, finding a purpose for our pain and creating our own hope in the darkest hours. Support the show & get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces, Almost in F Tranquility, Brethren Arise, Mesmerize, Long Note Four & Cryptic Sorrow Atlantean Twilight by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com I Don't See the Branches I See the Trees, Take off & Shoot a Zero, Undercover Vampire Police, The Dark Glow of the Mountains & Chance Luck Errors in Nature Fate by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ *A special thanks to "Dance with the Devil" by David Bagby & Dear Zachary by Kurt Kuenne for providing amazing information that allowed this episode to be possible. If you, or anyone you know, is struggling, with suicide and depression, please contact suicidepreventionlifeline.org for the support you deserve. Thank you for listening!

On June 8th, 2017 Randy Stair (also known as Andrew Blaze) would arrive for night shift at The Weis Market and kill 3 co-workers before committing suicide. The headlines about the shooting would die down quickly, in much less time than had even been spent on it's planning, drowned out by similar back to back events. Each time we seem to be left in the same place, asking the same questions; finding it nearly impossible to heal through the aftermath when it's almost never-ending. Where does Tunkhannock go from here? Where do we? Support the show & also get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces, Interloper, Anguish, Long Note Two, Dark Fog,Irregular & Despair and Triumph by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com The Glow of the Mountains & There's Probably No Timeby Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com Meditation 1 by Audionautix via audionautix.com _______________________________________ If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with suicide and depression, please contact suicidepreventionlifeline.org for the support you deserve. Thank you for listening!

In 1974 an American news reporter, Christine Chubbuck, was the first person to commit suicide on live television. Like any other tragic and horrifying event, in the midst of sorrow and confusion, we are all left with one question: Why? Support the show & get bonus episodes on Patreon _______________________________________ All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces, March of the Mind, Epilog Ghostpocalypse, Clean Soul Calming & Ambient by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com Prelude No. 2 by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com _______________________________________ If you, or anyone you know, is struggling, with suicide and depression, please contact suicidepreventionlifeline.org for the support you deserve. *A special thanks to "Kate Plays Christine" by Robert Greene, "Christine" by Craig Shilowich and the Washington Post article by Sally Quinn for providing amazing information that allowed this episode to be possible. Thank you for listening!