253 - The Disappearance of Sandra & John Jacobson

253 - The Disappearance of Sandra & John Jacobson

From Trace Evidence by Steven Pacheco

January 18, 2026 · 1h 46m

About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious disappearance of Sandra and John Jacobson in 1996 and the subsequent investigation into their case.

On Saturday, November 16, 1996, thirty-six year old Sandra Jacobson and her five year old son, John, went mysteriously missing from Bismarck, ND. After arriving late for dinner at her parents home, Sandy left to fill her gas tank and never returned. Neither she nor John have been seen again. The following morning her car was found abandoned in a parking lot adjacent to the Missouri River, which was nearly frozen over. The initial investigation found claims that Sandy might have been suffering from a mental health crisis and may have jumped into the river with her child. However, it was soon learned that Sandy had called the Bismarck Police Department hours before her disappearance. She informed them that there was a satanic cult operating on a farm not far from her home and she felt her son was in danger from them. She hung up shortly thereafter and her claims were never investigated. A new investigator, nearly a decade later, would break the case open, wondering if perhaps Sandy's disappearance might have something to do with her estranged husband and several inaccurate statements he'd previously made to detectives. Was Sandy the victim of foul play or did a loving mother, in…

People in this episode

Host: Steven Pacheco

Topics covered

  • disappearance
  • true crime
  • mental health
  • investigation
  • satanic cult
  • foul play

Keywords

  • Sandra Jacobson
  • John Jacobson
  • disappearance
  • Bismarck
  • mental health crisis
  • satanic cult
  • foul play
  • investigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bismarck Police Department

Places: Bismarck, ND

More episodes of Trace Evidence

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Trace Evidence podcast page.