The Dark Oak

In August 1978, 15-year-old Barbara Nantais and her 17-year-old boyfriend Jim Alt were attacked while sleeping in zipped-together sleeping bags on Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego, California, after a night out with friends who remained in a nearby car. An unknown assailant severely beat Alt on the head with a rock and log from a fire pit, leaving him with life-threatening traumatic brain injuries, permanent metal plates in his skull, amnesia regarding the attack, and lifelong PTSD. Nantais was brutally murdered—she was beaten, strangled, sexually assaulted, had one breast mutilated, and her nude body was posed spread-eagle on the sand with wet sand stuffed in her mouth. The case quickly went cold despite an active investigation, as no murder weapon was recovered, the crowded beach environment hindered evidence collection, and 1970s forensic techniques (limited to basic serology and microscopy with no DNA profiling) offered little identifying power. Similarities in method to the 1984 murder of 14-year-old Claire Hough at the same beach initially raised questions of a possible serial offender, but authorities later concluded the cases were not connected. To this day, the Nantais murder remains an unsolved San Diego Police Department cold case with no identified suspects. Branch of Hope: Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation is a UK-registered charity founded in 2002 by the family of Caroline Ann Stuttle, a young British traveler who tragically lost her life while on a gap year in Australia. For more than twenty years, the organization has focused on promoting safer independent travel for young people and backpackers. It offers free educational resources, safety workshops, school presentations, and practical guides that help gap-year students and first-time adventurers prepare responsibly and stay safe on the road. While the foundation now serves primarily as a lasting information archive, its materials remain freely available and continue to support thousands of young travelers each year. Sources: Barbara Nantais | City of San Diego Official Website. (n.d.). https://www.sandiego.gov/police/news-center/cold-cases/barbara-nantais Schlesinger, R. (2024, July 7). Were the murders of California teens the work of a serial killer? CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-torrey-pines-beach-murders-blood-in-the-sand/ Sullivan, K. (2025, November 10). 2 teenagers were killed on Torrey Pines Beach 6 years apart | A&E. AETV. https://www.aetv.com/articles/2-teenagers-were-murdered-on-torrey-pines-beach-san-diego-6-years-apart Morford, M. (2022, November 17). EPISODE 59 Barbara Nantais — ABJACK Entertainment. AbJack Entertainment. https://www.abjackentertainment.com/the-murder-in-my-family/episode-59-barbara-nantais Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

In March 1928, 9-year-old Walter Collins disappeared from Los Angeles after going to the movies. His single mother, Christine Collins, reported him missing, triggering a massive LAPD search amid the department's corruption scandal and recent criticism over the brutal Marion Parker murder. Five months later, the LAPD reunited Christine with an impostor boy from Illinois claiming to be Walter to salvage their reputation. Despite obvious physical differences and confirmation from others that he wasn't her son, Captain J.J. Jones coerced her into taking him home and, when she persisted with evidence, had her involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward for about a week under "Code 12" to silence her. The boy soon confessed to being 12-year-old runaway Arthur Hutchins Jr., securing Christine's release and sparking public outrage. Meanwhile, the case linked to the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders: serial killer Gordon Stewart Northcott, aided by his mother and nephew Sanford Clark, abducted, abused, tortured, and murdered young boys on his farm. Evidence and confessions tied Walter to the victims—he was reportedly killed with an axe—though his body was never definitively found. Northcott was hanged in 1930; his mother received life. Christine sued successfully for false imprisonment (though payment was evaded) and helped inspire a 1931 law requiring due process for psychiatric commitments. She never accepted Walter's death, searching until her own in 1964. The story, dramatized in the 2008 film Changeling, exposes police corruption, institutional misogyny, and profound maternal grief. This month's Branch of Hope sponsored charity is: The Parents of Murdered Children. POMC provides ongoing emotional support, education, prevention, advocacy, and awareness for survivors of homicide victims, while working toward a world free of murder. It is the only national self-help organization specifically focused on the aftermath of murder. It emphasizes helping survivors reconstruct a "new life" after acute grief and dealing with the criminal justice system. To find more information go to pomc.org Sources: The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders – Crime Library. (n.d.). https://crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/gordon_stewart_northcott/ Abramowitz, R. (2019, March 1). THE OTHER SON - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-19-ca-changeling19-story.html Blair, E. (2008, October 24). Behind “Changeling,” a tale too strange for fiction. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2008/10/24/95935010/behind-changeling-a-tale-too-strange-for-fiction The Road Out Of Hell: Sanford Clark and The True Story of the Wineville Murders: Flacco, Anthony, Clark, Jerry, Stone, Michael: 9781402768699: Amazon.com: Books. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.com/Road-Out-Hell-Sanford-Wineville/dp/1402768699 Changeling (2008) ⭐ 7.7 | Biography, crime, drama. (2008, October 31). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/ Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

On July 2, 1966, three young women went to Indiana Dunes State Park for a day of sunbathing and swimming. Witnesses reported seeing them leave their belongings unattended around noon and enter the water together, but they were later seen boarding a boat with an unknown man. After some time, the women were seen returning to the beach, before getting on a second boat with three unknown males. Unfortunately, they were never seen again. Could there have been a deadly boating accident? An abduction? A botched abortion on the water? Theories have swarmed this case for decades and tragically we still don't know what happened to Renee Bruhl, Ann Miller and Patricia Blough. Sources: What happened to three young sunbathers who disappeared at Indiana Dunes State Park 57 years ago? (2023, February 7). NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/happened-three-young-sunbathers-disappeared-indiana-dunes-state-park-5-rcna69110 Malik, I. (2025, April 2). The Indiana Dunes Mystery: What happened to the three women who vanished in 1966? | Unsolved Mysteries Iceberg. Factual America Podcast. https://www.factualamerica.com/crime-scene-stories/the-chilling-lake-michigan-mystery-indiana-dunes-triple-disappearance-explained-unsolved-mysteries-iceberg 1966 Three Sunbathers disappear from Beach -. (2019, November 9). https://www.michiganmysteries.com/missing-persons/1966-three-sunbathers-disappear-from-beach/ 656DFIN - Ann Miller. (n.d.). https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/656dfin.html Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

When billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey were found dead in their mansion, bodies staged in a bizarre manner, police initially believed the deaths were the result of a murder/suicide. After pushback from the Sherman family Toronto police came to the conclusion that the couple had been brutally murdered. The investigation into their deaths has been extensive but the murders remain unsolved. Despite numerous leads and a $35 million reward offered by their family for information leading to an arrest, no suspects have been charged. Over the years various theories have emerged regarding the motive and potential suspects, ranging from business-related conflicts to family disputes. The couple's wealth and Barry's aggressive business practices may have created enemies, leading to speculation about possible motives for the murders. This episode supports The Branch of Hope Foundation January 2025 sponsored charity: The Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundation - A charitable organization established in 2020 by their daughter Alex Krawczyk to honor the memory and continue the philanthropic vision of Barry Sherman, the founder of Apotex, and his wife Honey, following their tragic deaths in 2017.Its primary purpose is to support charitable organizations focused on healthcare equity, human rights, scientific education and research, and Jewish community institutions, thereby furthering the couple's unfinished philanthropic aims.The foundation directs grants to initiatives that improve lives, advance medical care and accessibility (such as donations to hospitals and vision care programs), promote scientific discovery, and strengthen community organizations.By building on the Shermans' long-standing commitment to giving—evident in their prior support through entities like the Apotex Foundation—it creates a lasting legacy of impactful philanthropy. Sources:Donovan, K. (n.d.). The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman. National Geographic Books True Crime And Cocktails. (2023, September 12). Episode 141: Barry and Honey Sherman [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKpsVGrL500 Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

In February 2015, 22-year-old Asia LaRose Brown, a dedicated single mother and security guard from Greensboro, North Carolina, and her 2-year-old son Ashton were brutally murdered in a case that remains unsolved more than a decade later. On February 20, Asia bought a used 2005 Buick LaCrosse in High Point, registered it at the DMV alone, and later stopped at an AutoZone in Greensboro around 3:20 p.m. to buy car accessories; this was the last time she was seen alive on surveillance footage, appearing calm and unhurried. She and Ashton vanished that afternoon, and when she missed work shifts over the weekend, a welfare check was requested. Exactly 72 hours later, on February 23, her burned-out car was discovered in a wooded area near Thurston Avenue, less than two miles from her home. Inside the trunk, covered by a blue plastic tarp, police found the charred bodies of Asia and Ashton; the fire had been deliberately set with gasoline after they were killed. Autopsies revealed both died from multiple gunshot wounds from a .40-caliber handgun—Asia in the head and torso, and Ashton at close range—with the murders likely occurring within hours of Asia leaving the AutoZone. The car’s seller, Ashton’s father, and other persons of interest were cleared, and no evidence linked Asia to drugs or crime despite Greensboro’s opioid crisis at the time. The blue tarp, purchased at a nearby Walmart, and the removal of the license plates suggest premeditation, yet the case has yielded few solid leads despite extensive investigation involving dozens of officers, FBI profilers, and forensic experts. As of December 2025, the double homicide remains active but cold, with Asia’s family continuing to hold vigils and advocate for justice, especially for Black mothers affected by violence. A $15,000 reward is still offered for information leading to an arrest, and anyone with tips is urged to contact Greensboro Police or Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Sources: Chris Venzon (WFMY News2). (2020, March 10). Who killed 2-year-old Ashton and his mother Asia? Five years later, the Greensboro case remains unsolved. wfmynews2.com. https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/asia-brown-ashton-brown/83-31aea1d9-92fc-4277-97cc-2f24c3b019c5 Megan Allman (WFMY News 2 Digital). (2022, February 23). Who killed a Greensboro mom and her 2-year-old son? $15K reward in the 2015 cold case. wfmynews2.com. https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/greensboro-mom-asia-brown-and-son-ashton-found-dead-in-trunk-of-burned-buick-lacrosse/83-4705c25b-db8c-433e-aec0-41d7bbba35e4 Sarah Newell Williamson sarah.williamson@greensboro.com. (2016, February 27). District Attorney Jim O’Neill talks about stabbing at North Forsyth High School [Video]. Greensboro News and Record. https://greensboro.com/news/crime/police-still-seeking-clues-in-year-old-killing-of-asia/article_64ad7df0-9c60-5d0e-a2af-85a2eeb6c069.html NANCY McLAUGHLIN nancy.mclaughlin@greensboro.com. (2022, February 28). District Attorney Jim O’Neill talks about stabbing at North Forsyth High School [Video]. Greensboro News and Record. https://greensboro.com/news/who-killed-asia-and-ashton-and-why-seven-years-later-there-are-no-answers/article_9e2e3e98-9812-11ec-a7b3-dfdd999af705.html Join The Dark Oak Discussion: Patreon The Dark Oak Podcast Website Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok Youtube This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep