Thin Air Podcast

In today's part 2 on the disappearance of Darwin Vest, we cover all of the evidence for foul play, as found in police records and conversations with Rebecca Vest, Darwin's sister, and Annie, another member of Darwin's family. We also discuss why police have previously argued that Darwin drowned in the Snake River that night.

Darwin K. Vest was known for his brilliant insight and scientific mind. In the 80's, he conducted a famous study about Hobo Spiders which changed how the arachnid was perceived. But when Darwin went missing in the early morning hours of June 2nd, 1999, his work would forever remain unfinished. That night, Darwin had been drinking in downtown Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he lived and worked. He was with a friend named Lee Curtis at a bar called The Golden Crown. According to police reports, Lee left to find an ATM, and when he returned, Darwin was gone. Bartenders later reported that Darwin had finished half of his beer and then walked out of a northern entrance. This was the last time he was ever seen. In part one of our story, we discuss the specifics of Darwin's disappearance with a close family member and Eric Seneff, another friend who was with Darwin the night he went missing.

April 26th, 1964. Dora and Chester Fronczak are at Chicago's Michael Reese Hospital after giving birth to their first child, a son named Paul. Around 9:30 a.m., a woman - who Dora assumed was a nurse, entered the room, looked at Paul and left. 4 hours later, around 1:50 p.m., the same woman entered again, this time claiming that the baby was needed for an examination in the nursery. Dora handed Paul to her, she left, and, shortly after, both Paul and the unknown woman vanished. The trail quickly went cold, and it seemed that baby Paul was gone forever. But this was only the beginning of the mystery. To hear the full story, listen now on your favorite podcast app!

In January of 2015, 42-year-old Joann Hakes went missing from Afton, Wyoming. She had been living at the Silver Stream Lodge with her boyfriend, a man named Ronald Weerheim. On the night of January 3rd, Joann and Ronald were drinking at the bar on the property of the Silver Stream. According to Ron, Joann was drunk and making a scene, so they left. Once outside, Joann got into a truck with two men and left, never to return. But much is contested about the details of this story, including from the owner of the Silver Stream and a close family member who saw Ron that night. In addition, Joann's daughter, Laura, thinks Ronald may been the cause of her disappearance. In today's episode, we speak to Laura about Joann's life and relationships, and try to figure out what could have happened to her that night.

Around 11 a.m. on Dec. 2nd, 2011, 23-year-old Shawn Dickerson left his San Francisco house in a hurry -- his roommate and friend, Anjuli, thought he was late for work at Rolo, a men's clothing store. But rather than going to work, it appears that Shawn went for a walk around town, taking a series of photos to chronicle his day. The photos were uploaded to his Facebook page. These photos are the last trace of Shawn Dickerson. In today's episode, we speak at length with Shawn's mother, Trisha Brucker. She shares with us the details of Shawn's disappearance -- and the hopes that he may still be alive.