Buried Bylines

98. Missing & Dead U.S. Scientists: Conspiracy or Coincidence?

A retired Air Force general vanishes without a trace. A NASA scientist disappears during a hike. Multiple researchers connected to nuclear, aerospace, and classified government projects are found dead under mysterious circumstances. Now, federal investigators and Congress are looking into whether these cases are connected — or if the internet has spiraled ordinary tragedies into something far more sinister. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the growing mystery surrounding at least 10 scientists and researchers tied to sensitive U.S. programs whose deaths and disappearances have fueled conspiracy theories, national security concerns, and intense online speculation. From UFO rumors to espionage fears, we break down what’s fact, what’s rumor, and why this story has captured so much attention. Are these isolated incidents… or pieces of a much darker puzzle? SOURCES:

97. Indiana Cold Case: The Murder of Essie McVey

In August 2011, 85-year-old Essie Mae McVey was found barely alive on the floor of her Greencastle, Indiana condo—shot in the back of the head in what investigators believe was a burglary gone wrong. But here’s the thing… nothing was taken. No forced entry. No witnesses. No murder weapon. And in a quiet community just miles from DePauw University, the case barely made headlines. In this episode, we’re diving into the unsolved murder of Essie McVey—a grandmother of three children, ten grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren—whose life was taken in a matter of minutes during a narrow 76-minute window in broad daylight. SOURCES: https://www.suncommercial.com/banner_graphic/archives/article_eb0325f4-fdc6-5952-a1b4-db370f9929f2.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/126386679/?match=1&terms=essie%20mcvey https://www.suncommercial.com/banner_graphic/archives/article_6f35080f-1456-535e-9ea5-ec6bca1d0d37.html https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/greencastle-in/essie-mc-vey-4800977

96. The Murder of 18-Year-Old Eleanor Kaatz

In 1964, an 18-year-old girl was walking to school in Wausau, Wisconsin… and never made it. Eleanor Kaatz was attacked in broad daylight on a quiet island. Stabbed nearly 50 times and left near the river, she was somehow still alive when she was found. But two days later, she died from her injuries. The man responsible, Terry Caspersen, was caught almost immediately. What he admitted—and what investigators uncovered—painted the picture of a deeply disturbed young man capable of extreme violence. But what makes this case even more unsettling… is that it didn’t end with her murder. After serving years in prison, he was released—only to attack again. This is the story of a murder that shocked a community, a victim who fought to survive, and a killer whose violence didn’t stop when it should have. SOURCES: Coming soon!

95. Hailey Buzbee & the Reality of Online Grooming with Max Lewis

This January (2026), the disappearance of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee took the internet by storm. What initially presented as a typical missing persons case began to shift as investigators uncovered more about her online connections and the events that led her to leave home suddenly in the middle of the night. FOX59 and CBS4’s Max Lewis returns to help break down the disturbing details and how this case fits into a larger pattern of online risk. SOURCES: https://www.icactaskforce.org https://www.wlky.com/article/indiana-legislation-amber-alert-sytem-hailey-buzbee/70297447 https://www.wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/suspects-cellphone-reveals-new-details-in-hailey-buzbee-case/ https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/missing-in-america/hailey-buzbee-indiana-missing-teenager-endangered-rcna255287 https://www.21alivenews.com/2026/02/10/father-urges-indiana-lawmakers-pass-social-media-protections-after-daughters-murder/ https://fox59.com/news/we-just-miss-our-girl-family-hopes-missing-daughter-returns-home-safe/ https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/portrait-on-display-at-fishers-city-hall-celebrates-hailey-buzbee-fall-creek-junior-high-school-exhibit/531-9c07345e-481d-4000-8ef7-b5acff72cf9c https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/fishers-pd-missing-teen-hailey-buzbee-believed-to-be-deceased-suspect-in-custody-in-ohio https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/missing-teen-believed-dead-man-she-met-through-gaming-arrested-police/ https://www.wlwt.com/article/hailey-buzbee-missing-tyler-thomas-remains-found-hocking-hills-ohio/70237930 https://www.wlwt.com/article/fbi-releases-statement-on-hailey-buzbee-investigation/70248540 https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/federal-charges-filed-suspect-death-fishers-missing-teen-hailey-buzbee-tyler-thomas-ohio/531-5b3b86f5-0b92-48dd-adc2-2c510eeb1ba3 https://youarecurrent.com/2026/02/12/fishers-church-hosts-celebration-of-life-for-hailey-buzbee/ https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2026/02/12/community-honors-hailey-buzbee-during-celebration-of-life-in-fishers-itown-church-pink-alert/88646205007/ https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2026/02/03/hailey-buzbee-teen-remembered-as-kind-vibrant-with-passion-for-journalism-community-reacts/88491969007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z115239p115850c115850v115239d--49--b--49--&gca-ft=165&gca-ds=sophi https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/suspect-admits-to-communicating-with-missing-fishers-teen-hailey-buzbee-for-over-a-year-before-death-tyler-thomas-columbus-ohio-logan/531-8b2ed99e-5575-4ac8-bf5e-d8b336b3cc05 https://wsbt.com/news/local/new-pink-alert https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiana/comments/1qzcz2a/missing_cousin_update/ https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/columbus-man-arrested-connection-indiana-teens-death-now-faces-federal-exploitation https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/columbus-man-arrested-connection-indiana-teens-death-now-faces-federal-exploitation https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/fbi-searches-victorian-village-home-of-man-accused-in-disappearance-of-hailey-buzbee/530-96927a63-d102-41f7-9e5a-25edf8515bf7 https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/columbus-police-fbi-hocking-perry-county-fishers-indiana-search-warrant-reveals-new-details-hailey-buzbee-tyler-thomas-death-investigation https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2026/02/09/hailey-buzbee-timeline-disappearance-death-fishers-indiana-tyler-thomas/88491447007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z118439p005050n11----c11----v118439d--60--b--60--&gca-ft=204&gca-ds=sophi https://www.flannerbuchanan.com/obituaries/hailey-buzbee?fbclid=IwY2xjawP8Pm9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEejxvTuEgfgSpqBFao70Q5IDIB4PVryXlNtsCK5iQltPty0XXxN3ufTE6xJZg_aem_hOIGlxgFZlh3DQGhcFViaA https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/haileys-law-headed-to-indiana-lawmakers-what-the-proposal-would-change

94. The "Technically" Solved Murders of Mared Malarik and Karen Farrell

Speculation Station is parked in Morgantown, West Virginia, this week—where we examine the murders of two college freshmen whose case still lingers in uncertainty... despite *technically being closed. When best friends Mared Malarik and Karen Ferrell disappeared after a night out at the movies, it was initially written off as a possible runaway situation or hitchhiking gone wrong. Months later, the community was confronted with a far darker and more disturbing reality when their bodies were discovered in the woods. Strap in and let us know if YOU think they got it right in the 1970 WVU Coed Murders. SOURCES: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/west-virginia-murders-mared-malarik-karen-ferrell-rcna192293 [https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/west-virginia-murders-mared-malarik-karen-ferrell-rcna192293] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11528885/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11528885/] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/karen-ferrell-mared-malarik-murdered-west-virginia-investigators-high-tech-help-evidence/ [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/karen-ferrell-mared-malarik-murdered-west-virginia-investigators-high-tech-help-evidence/] https://wvuengage.wvu.edu/event/8512723 [https://wvuengage.wvu.edu/event/8512723] https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/investigators-examine-murders-karen-ferrell-mared-malarik [https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/investigators-examine-murders-karen-ferrell-mared-malarik] https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/10/15/the-overlooked-confession-morgantown-man-thinks-he-knows-who-killed-two-wvu-coeds-in-1970-and-hes-getting-assistance-from-the-state-police/ [https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/10/15/the-overlooked-confession-morgantown-man-thinks-he-knows-who-killed-two-wvu-coeds-in-1970-and-hes-getting-assistance-from-the-state-police/] https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/48y4rx/mystics_murder_and_missing_heads_the_1970_wvu/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/48y4rx/mystics_murder_and_missing_heads_the_1970_wvu/]  https://www.coedmurders.com/about-mared-and-karen [https://www.coedmurders.com/about-mared-and-karen]  https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/05/21/wvu-coed-murders-how-one-set-of-parents-turned-grief-into-grace/ [https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/05/21/wvu-coed-murders-how-one-set-of-parents-turned-grief-into-grace/] https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/05/15/renewed-investigation-begins-on-murdered-coeds-case-we-want-full-disclosure/ [https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/05/15/renewed-investigation-begins-on-murdered-coeds-case-we-want-full-disclosure/]  WVU Coed Murders: Who Killed Mared and Karen? [https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/wvu-coed-murders-who-killed-mared-and-karen/640493?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Knowledge&refId=39149]