Dead Ends

DE021: Murder, Money, and the Vanishing Count

In April 2011, a respectable family home in Nantes, France, sat silent behind closed shutters. Letters claimed the Dupont de Ligonnès family had vanished into witness protection, but beneath the terrace, police would discover something far darker. Agnès Dupont de Ligonnès and her four children were found buried under the house. Their father, Xavier, a man from an old aristocratic French family, was gone. Was this a family annihilation followed by suicide? Or did “the vanishing count” stage one of the most chilling escapes in modern true crime? In this episode of Dead Ends, we look at the murders, the strange letters, the missed police searches, Xavier’s final movements through southern France, and the question that still haunts the case: Where is Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès?   0:00 Introduction 6:24 Case Overview 7:35 Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès 10:36 The Dupont de Ligonnès Family 15:18 Financial Struggles 19:18 The Gun 20:49 The Timeline 28:58 The Letters 35:00 The Police Visit the House 37:38 The Bodies are Discovered 46:20 Tracking Xavier 49:41 The Last Confirmed Sightings of Xavier 51:39 Where is Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès? 59:18 Final Thoughts and Theories   Join the conversation in the comments Instagram: @DeadEndsPod TikTok: @DeadEndsPod Email: deadendspod2025@gmail.com [deadendspod2025@gmail.com]   #truecrimestories #coldcase #unsolvedmysteries

DE020: Lindsay Buziak: Murder at the Million Dollar Showing

In 2008, 24-year-old real estate agent Lindsay Buziak arrived at a vacant luxury home in Saanich, British Columbia, for what should have been a high-value property showing.   The buyers were a mysterious couple. The phone number was fake. The appointment felt wrong. And within minutes of entering the house, Lindsay was dead.   In this episode of Dead Ends, we look at the full case of Lindsay Buziak: who she was, how the showing was arranged, why she felt uneasy before she went, the mystery couple seen at the house, the possible drug-bust theory, the question of whether she was specifically targeted, and why the case remains unsolved nearly two decades later.   Was Lindsay the victim of a professional hit, a personal vendetta, mistaken informant retaliation, or something even closer to home?   0:00 Introduction 8:38 Case Overview 11:53 The Phone Call 15:24 The Day of the Murder 19:23 Jason Zailo Enters the House 23:11 The Killers 26:35 The Drug Theory 28:23 The Burner Phone 30:32 Thoughts and Theories   Join the conversation in the comments Instagram: @DeadEndsPod TikTok: @DeadEndsPod Email: deadendspod2025@gmail.com

DE019: The Severed Head, Pennsylvania’s Most Disturbing Unsolved Mystery?

In this episode of Dead Ends, we look into one of the strangest and most unsettling unidentified person cases in Pennsylvania. In December 2014, a severed human head was discovered in Economy Borough, western Pennsylvania. The woman had been embalmed. She had undergone post-mortem preparation. And despite forensic work, national attention, and years of investigation, she still has not been identified. Who was she? How did her remains end up there? And why did parts of the case seem to point toward funeral preparation, cadaver handling, and a world most people never think about? We break down the known facts of the Economy Borough Jane Doe case, the forensic details, the theories investigators explored, and the disturbing questions that still have no clear answer. This podcast contains discussions of death, crime, and disturbing themes. Listener discretion is advised.   0:00 Introduction 3:55 Case Overview 6:27 The Head is Discovered 16:32 Searching for Evidence 19:31 Jay Grabner, The Prime Suspect 24:30 The Illegal Cadaver Trade 31:03 Satanic Panic, Ties to Cults 39:10 Thoughts and Theories   Join the conversation in the comments — what do you think happened in this case?   Instagram: @DeadEndsPod TikTok: @DeadEndsPod Email: deadendspod2025@gmail.com

MINI006: They Just Vanished: 4 Disappearances That Make No Sense

Four people. Four vanishings. No clear answers. In this episode of Dead Ends, we look at four deeply unsettling disappearance cases that still leave huge questions behind: the Sodder Children, Brian Shaffer, Brandon Swanson, and Danny Filippidis. From children who disappeared during a house fire, to a man who walked out of a bar and was never seen again, to a student who vanished after a late-night phone call, to a skier who somehow reappeared thousands of miles away — these are cases where the trail goes cold fast. We break down the facts, the timelines, the strange details, and the theories people still argue about today.   Cases covered: 6:28 Danny Filippidis 18:38 Brandon Swanson 31:34 The Sodder Children 49:24 Brian Shaffer   This podcast contains discussions of crime, distressing events, and disturbing themes. Listener discretion is advised. Join the conversation in the comments Instagram: @DeadEndsPod TikTok: @DeadEndsPod Email: deadendspod2025@gmail.com

DE018: The Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most infamous unsolved serial killer cases in history. In this episode of Dead Ends, we break down the confirmed murders, the 408 cipher, the letters sent to the press, and the main suspects including Arthur Leigh Allen and Richard Hoffman. From Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs to Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights, this is a full deep dive into the Zodiac case, the timeline, the evidence, and the theories that still surround it today.   0:00 Introduction 10:27 Case Overview: The Zodiac Killer 15:43 First Zodiac Murder: Lake Herman Road (David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen) 21:44 Second Zodiac Murder: Blue Rock Springs (Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau) 30:30 The 408 Cipher 40:28 Third Zodiac Murder: Lake Berryessa (Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard) 50:50 Fourth Zodiac Murder: Presidio Heights (Paul Stine) 1:06:08 Suspects, Theories & Investigation 1:08:09 Richard Hoffman 1:12:06 Arthur Leigh Allen   The Zodiac Killer terrorised Northern California in the late 1960s, leaving behind murdered couples, a dead cab driver, cryptic letters, and ciphers that still fascinate investigators today. In this episode, we examine the canonical attacks, the surviving victims, the cipher sent to the press, and the suspects most often linked to the case.   Join the conversation in the comments — who do you think was the Zodiac Killer? Instagram: @DeadEndsPod TikTok: @DeadEndsPod Email: deadendspod2025@gmail.com