Southern Gone

Rhonda Smith went missing from the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, Georgia on February 27, 1984. She was 21 years old at the time of her disappearance. Rhonda was a former exotic dancer and was preparing to open her own dog grooming business. Rhonda left her house on the morning of February 27. She was going to the gym and had plans to go shopping at the Lenox Square Mall afterward. Rhonda’s fiancee, Tom Shoemaker, started to get concerned when she did not return to their home that evening. Her car was later found abandoned in the mall parking lot in the early hours of February 28. Laura Boscoe is the co-host of this episode. She is a fan of the podcast, patreon member, and has been helping with our Carrie Lawson Documentary. If you have any information about this case please call the Atlanta Police Department at 404-546-5602. Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com. Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone. Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

The disappearance of the Fort Worth Trio took place nearly 45 years ago. On December 23, 1974 three girls - Rachel Trlica (17 years old), Renee Wilson (14 years old), and Julie Moseley (9 years old) - disappeared from the Seminary South Shopping Center in Fort Worth, Texas. That morning Rachel asked her friend Renee to go to the mall with her to run some last minute holiday errands. As the teenage girls were getting ready to leave, Renee’s neighbor, 9 year old Julie Mosely, asked to tag along. The girls were supposed to return home around 4 pm. That evening, when no one had seen or heard from them, their families went to the mall. There was no sign of the girls, however the car they were driving, a 1972 Oldsmobile, was still in the mall parking lot. Several witnesses confirmed seeing the girls at the mall that day but didn’t report anything out of the ordinary. Initially, the police did not suspect any foul play and believed the trio had runaway. Dana Pioll, librarian and writer, is the co-host of this episode. She is a fan of the podcast and has been researching cases of the missing and unidentified for the past 12 years. Dana does an excellent job laying out the facts of the case and discussing multiple theories of what may have happened to these girls. Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com. Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone. Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Susan Osborne, 43 years old, and her son, Evan Chartrand, 14 years old, were last seen on May 29, 2017 in Holtville, Alabama. They were living with her second husband Air Force veteran Jerry Marshall Osborne. Susan’s family filed a missing person report on July 29, 2017, 2 months after not hearing from her. Her two dogs were found at a nearby animal shelter. Jerry told police that Susan had actually left him on May 29 and a man had picked her and her son up from the house. She returned the next day and took all of her belongings. Since the disappearance there has been no activity on Susan’s credit cards or cell phone records. Susan’s best friend Hollie Hatfield says she does not believe Jerry’s story. Her and Susan were extremely close and she had never heard anything about another man. Hollie has told investigators that she believes Jerry knows more than he is telling police. Join Kristi as she interviews Maggie Hughes, a podcast listener, patreon member, and armchair detective, who has taken a personal interest in this case. Maggie focused on this case because she is from Alabama and was surprised by the lack of media coverage. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office at 334-567-5441 (24 hour phone) or 334-567-5227 (crime tips). Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com. Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone. Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Christopher “Cole” Thomas went missing on November 25, 2016, from Benson, North Carolina. He was 22 years old at the time of his disappearance. According to investigators he was taking a road trip from Minnesota to Durham, North Carolina with two new friends - Jeremy Carpenter and Julian Valles Jr. The three men were planning on buying drugs from an acquaintance in North Carolina. After obtaining drugs the three men drove past a police car. Cole became very nervous and threw the drugs out of the car. According to Jeremy and Julian, Cole fled from his car shortly after 1 a.m. No one has seen or heard from Cole since. Join Kristi as she interviews Laura Raynor, a podcast listener and armchair detective, who has taken a personal interest in this case. Laura has such a passion for this case she went to CrimeCon in New Orleans to help raise awareness of Cole’s disappearance. You can follow the Facebook page “Find Cole Thomas” facebook.com/findcolethomas/ to stay updated on this case. Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Christopher Cole Thomas is asked to contact Benson Police at 919-894-2091. Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com. Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone. Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Jennifer Kesse went missing on January 24, 2006 from Orlando, Florida. Jennifer did not come in to work that day and missed an important meeting. This was unlike her so her work contacted her parents to let them know what was going on. Her parents, Drew and Joyce Kesse, drove to Jennifer’s apartment to check on her. Everything appeared in order at her apartment, however her car was missing. Her car was later discovered about one mile from her home. The only piece of evidence in this case is a grainy video that shows a figure dropping off Jennifer’s car where it was found. If you have any information about this case call Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) and remain anonymous or call Orlando Police at 407-246-2916. Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com. Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone. Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!