Up and Vanished Weekly | VANISHED: Denise Griffin

Up and Vanished Weekly | VANISHED: Denise Griffin

From Up and Vanished by Tenderfoot TV

October 15, 2025 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the case of convicted serial killer Joel Rifkin and the potential identification of one of his unidentified victims, Denise Griffin, through forensic science.

When New York State Troopers embarked on a high speed chase on Monday June 28, 1993, they did not foresee the scene they would soon stumble upon. Inside the vehicle they discovered the decomposing body of a woman. After interrogation the driver confessed to killing multiple women, and was found guilty of nine counts of second degree murder. But authorities’ work was just beginning. Even after 30 years, two of his victims remain unidentified. Listen in as Payne and Maggie unpack the depravity of convicted serial killer Joel Rifkin, and later sit down with Laurah Norton, host of “One Strange Thing” and “The Fall Line” to discuss how forensic science may help determine if a woman named Denise Griffin may in fact be one of Rifkin’s unidentified victims. Up and Vanished Weekly is available wherever you get your podcasts.

People in this episode

Hosts: Payne, Maggie

Guest: Laurah Norton

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • serial killers
  • forensic science
  • unidentified victims
  • criminal justice

Keywords

  • Joel Rifkin
  • Denise Griffin
  • forensic science
  • serial killer
  • unidentified victims
  • true crime
  • New York State Troopers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York State Troopers, One Strange Thing, The Fall Line

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