A list of updates from the cases featured on the TV show Disappeared. The updates are in chronological order, so the latest updates are at the bottom. For a complete list of episodes check our our full episode guide.
Name: Amy St. Laurent
Season 1 Episode 3: “A Fateful Meeting”
Original air date: January 18, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2001
Police found Amy St. Laurent’s body on Dec. 8, 2001. Jeffrey “Russ” Gorman was sentenced to 60 years in prison for murdering St. Laurent.
Prosecutor’s sought a life sentence, but the judge ruled it wasn’t warranted given that the murder wasn’t premeditated. Under the current sentence Gorman will spend a minimum of 51 years in prison.
Name: Randy Morgenson
Season 6 Episode 8: “Radio Silence”
Original air date: January 14, 2013
Status: Found deceased in 2001
Randy’s remains were found on July 15 of 2001 by four off-duty trail members in Kings Canyon National Park. It is believed that Morgensen died due to an accidental fall.
Name: Madalyn Murray O’Hair, John Murray & Robin Murray O’Hair
Season 1 Episode 9: “The Most Hated Woman in America”
Original air date: March 1, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2001
In 2001 David Waters was found guilty of kidnapping, robbery, and murder in the O’Hair case, and was sentenced to 80 years in prison. Gary Karr was found guilty of conspiracy to commit extortion, traveling interstate to commit violent acts, money laundering and interstate transportation of stolen property charges related to the O’Hair case.
Name: Tina Marie McQuaig
Season 4 Episode 13: “The Wedding Ring”
Original air date: December 17, 2011
Status: Remains found in 2002; officially identified in 2003
On December 26, 2002 remains were found in the woods near Cecil Field; they were positively identified as Tina’s in early 2003. The Duval County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled it a homicide. Her case remains unsolved.
Name: Molly Bish
Season 3 Episode 3: “Murky Waters”
Original air date: January 17, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2003
On June 9, 2003 Molly’s body was found five miles from her family home. Her murder remains unsolved.
Name: Samantha Bonnell
Season 3 Episode 11: “A Mother’s Mission”
Original air date: March 14, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2005
Samantha was struck and killed as she ran across the Freeway 10 on September 24, 2005. She was listed as a Jane Doe for 19 months before being identified by her mother on the Doe Network website.
Name: Dana Pastori
Season 5 Episode 16: “Hard Life in the Big Easy”
Original air date: April 23, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2005
John Henry Morgan, Dana’s boyfriend, was convicted for her her murder in 2009. Dana’s mummified remains were found in a trunk in Morgan’s old apartment in 2005, 3 years after her murder.
Name: Tanya Rider
Season 2 Episode 4: “No Exit”
Original air date: October 25, 2010
Status: Found alive in 2007
Tanya was found alive after spending 8 days trapped inside her wrecked vehicle.
Name: Michele Whitaker
Season 1 Episode 4: “The Last Truck Stop”
Original air date: January 25, 2010
Status: Found alive in 2008
Michele was found alive and well in Oregon in 2008.
Name: Allison Jackon-Foy
Season 5 Episode 6: “Last Call”
Original air date: February 13, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2008
Allison’s remains, along with the remains of Nobles Rothen, were found along Carolina Beach Road in on April 26, 2008. An autopsy revealed that Allison died of multiple stab wounds. No arrests have been made in connection with their murders.
Name: Rosemary Anne Christensen
Season 1 Episode 10: “Rosemary’s Secret”
Original air date: March 8, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2008
Rosemary’s remains were found in 2008. In 2011 Robert Glenn Temple, Rosemary’s husband, was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Name: Danice Day
Season 5 Episode 5: “Daddy’s Girl”
Original air date: February 6, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2009
In June of 2009 Danice’s remains were found in an Arizona’s Lyman lake. Victor Braun, Danice’s boyfriend, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case.
Name: Morgan Harrington
Season 4 Episode 3: “Heavy Metal Mystery”
Original air date: April 18, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2010
Jesse Matthew Jr. was charged with Morgan’s murder on September 15, 2015. On March 2, 2016, he pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the chance of parole.
Name: Mitrice Richardson
Season 6 Episode 1: “Lost in the Dark”
Original air date: November 19, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2010
Mitrice’s remains were found in a rugged part of Malibu Canyon below Piuma Canyon Road on August 9, 2010, almost a year after she went missing. The cause of death is undetermined.
Name: Michelle McMullen
Season 1 Episode 8: “The Long Drive Home”
Original air date: February 22, 2010
Status: Found alive in 2011
In January of 2011 Michelle was found alive in Oakland, California.
Name: Shannan Gilbert
Season 5 Episode 14: “Footprints in the Sand”
Original air date: April 9, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2011
Shannan’s remains were found on December 13, 2011; the cause of death is undetermined. The search for Shannan led investigators to the discovery of 10 bodies that investigators attribute to the Long Island Serial Killer aka Gilgo Beach Killer.
Name: Colleen Orsborn
Season 4 Episode 9: “Spring Break Nightmare”
Original air date: November 21, 2011
Status: Remains found in 1984; officially identified in 2011
Remains were found near Orange County Lake a few days after Colleen went missing. DNA identified the remains as Colleen’s in 2011.
Authorities believe Colleen was a victim of serial killer Christopher Wilder, a man who targeted young women in Florida in the early to mid 1980s. He was killed in a shootout with police on April 13, 1984.
Name: Royal ‘Scoop’ Daniel
Season 1 Episode 13: “Royal Secrets”
Original air date: March 29, 2010
Status: Found alive in 2011
In December of 2011 Royal ‘Scoop’ Daniel was arrested in California. He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and was sentenced to twelve years in prison.
Name: Chioma Gray
Season 5 Episode 13: “Too Young For Love”
Original air date: April 2, 2012
Status: Found alive in 2011
In 2011 Chioma was reunited with her family. Andrew Tafoya pleaded guilty to felony child stealing and was sentenced to two years in jail.
Name: Kristi Cornwell
Season 2 Episode 7: “Danger at Dusk”
Original air date: November 15, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2011
Richard Cornwell, Kristi’s bother, found her charred remains using information that he received from the police. James Scott Carringer, the main suspect in the case, killed himself on April 8, 2010 during a standoff with Atlanta police.
Name: Bob Wykel
Season 6 Episode 11: “A Diamond is Forever”
Original air date: February 4, 2013
Status: Declared deceased; Myron C Wynn was charged with his murder in 2011
Myron C. Wynn was convicted of first degree murder in the death of Bob Wykel in 2011, following a previous trial that ended in a hung jury in 2010. The judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison, the minimum for first-degree murder in Washington. Bob Wykel’s remains have not been found.
Name: Amber Gerweck
Season 4 Episode 8: “Memory Lane”
Original air date: November 14, 2011
Status: Found alive in 2011
Gerweck’s car was found on April 10, 2011 in Tunnel Hill, Georgia; 600 miles away from her home in Michigan. After 3 weeks of being missing she was found alive in Joliet, Illinois. She had no memory of who she was, but was identified after photos of her were aired on television. Doctors say she had dissociative fatigue, a rare condition accompanied by amnesia and wandering.
Name: William McGrath
Season 5 Episode 17: “Missing by Design”
Original air date: April 30, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2011
Bradley Tocker was convicted of first degree murder in March of 2011, despite McGrath’s body not being found. Tocker had been employed by McGrath to help out with his interior design business.
In May of 2011 Williams’ remains were found under the home of Tocker’s mother.
Name: Paige Birgfeld
Season 1 Episode 2: “A Mother’s Secret”
Original air date: January 11, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2012
On March 6, 2012 the skeletal remains of Paige Birgfeld were found by a hiker near the Mesa County line. In November of 2014, Lester Jones, an early suspect in the case, was officially charged with her kidnapping and murder. His first trial resulted in a hung jury, but in December of 2016 he was found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Name: Jesse Capen
Season 6 Episode 3: “The Dutchman’s Curse”
Original air date: December 3, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2012
Jesse’s remains were found in the Superstition Mountains in November of 2012, about a half mile from where his Jeep & belongings were found in December 2009.
Name: Noah Pippin
Season 5 Episode 8: “A Soldier’s Story”
Original air date: February 27, 2012
Status: Found deceased in 2012
Noah’s remains were found on August 24, 2012 in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area south of Glacier National Park. The official cause of death has not been determined.
Name: Patricia Viola
Season 4 Episode 5: “Missing Valentine”
Original air date: October 24, 2011
Status: Remains found in 2002; officially identified in 2012
Remains were found on Rockaway Beach the year after Patricia disappeared; they were officially identified as Patricia’s in September of 2012. Her cause of death has not been determined.
Patricia’s case helped lead to the passing of “Patricia’s Law” in New Jersey. It states that law enforcement shall accept reports of a missing person without delay, and that DNA samples should be secured from the family after 30 days and entered into national databases.
Name: Timothy “Tim” Carney
Season 2 Episode 11: “Final Prayer”
Original air date: December 13, 2010
Status: Found alive in 2012
Timothy Carney was found alive in September of 2012, 7 years after being reported missing. He was cleared from the missing persons database, but did not want to disclose his location.
Name: Summer, Joseph, Gianni & Joseph McStay Jr.
Season 3 Episode 1: “Mystery at the Border”
Original air date: January 3, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2013
On November 13, 2013 the McStay family was found murdered in the desert near Victorville, California.
Charles Merritt, Joseph McStay’s business partner, was arrested in November of 2014 and charged with their murders. In January of 2018 a trial conference was set for February 23, and a trial is expected to start after Easter. Jury selection for the case began on October 29, 2018.
Name: John Glasgow
Season 2 Episode 9: “Unfinished Business”
Original air date: November 29, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2015
In March, 2015 John Glasgow’s remains were found at the bottom of a cliff on Petit Jean, about a mile from where his parked car was found in 2008. The manner of death is undetermined, and the case remains open.
Name: Michael “Brandyn” Fuksa
Season 2 Episode 6: “Lost Highway”
Original air date: November 8, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2015
Brandyn’s remains were found in Casper, Wyoming in May 2015. The Natrona County Coroner stated that he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Name: Brittanee Drexel
Season 2 Episode 1: “The Secret Journey”
Original air date: October 4, 2010
Status: Still missing, FBI declared her case a murder in 2016
In 2016 the FBI announced that Brittanee had been murdered, though her remains have not been found. In March of 2017 they were searching for her remains in Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Name: Sherilyn, Bobby & Madyson Jamison
Season 2 Episode 10: “Paradise Lost”
Original air date: December 6, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2016
The skeletal remains of Sherilyn, Bobby and Madyson were found in November of 2016, more than four years after they went missing. No cause of death was determined, and the case remains open.
Name: Jessica Heeringa
Season 7 Episode 1: “Somebody’s Watching”
Original air date: April 11, 2016
Status: Declared deceased in 2016
On September 20, 2016 Jeffrey Willis was charged with the kidnapping and murder of Jessica Heeringa. The trial has been set for May of 2018. Her remains have not been found.
On May 16, 2018 Jeffrey Willis was found guilty of the first-degree murder and kidnapping of Jessica Heeringa. The decision came after six days of testimony and 90 minutes of jury deliberations. Sentencing has been scheduled for Monday, June 18, 2018.
Name: Brian Histand
Season 7 Episode 5: “Off The Grid”
Original air date: May 9, 2016
Status: Found deceased in 2016
In January of 2016 Brian’s remains were found in South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona. No cause of death has been determined, but there is no evidence of foul play according to investigators.
Name: Brandy Hanna
Season 7 Episode 9: “Love Triangle”
Original air date: June 6, 2016
Status: Still missing; former boyfriend charged in connection with her disappearance in 2016
On December 12, 2016, Garland Eugene Lankford, Brandy’s former boyfriend, was charged by North Charleston Police with Obstruction of Justice in connection with the 2005 disappearance of Brandy Hanna.
Name: Lynn Messer
Season 8 Episode 1: “American Gothic”
Original air date: March 26, 2017
Status: Found deceased in 2016
On November 1, 2016 Lynn’s remains were found on the Messer farm, about a mile from her house. The cause of her death remains unknown, and there is no official word on whether or not foul play is suspected. The FBI is currently investigating the case.
Name: Tara Grinstead
Season 2 Episode 2: “The Beauty Queen Mystery”
Original air date: October 11, 2010
Status: Still missing; Ryan Alexander Duke was charged with her murder in 2017
In April of 2017 a grand jury indicted Ryan Alexander Duke in Tara’s murder. Duke is a former student at the high school where Grinstead taught. Court documents state that he was burglarizing her home, and when she caught him he strangled her and disposed of her body.
Duke’s former classmate, Bo Duke, has been charged with evidence tampering, concealing a death and hindering the apprehension of a criminal for helping to hide Tara’s body. Her remains have not been found. No trial date has been set for either defendant.
Name: Kara Elise Kopetsky
Season 2 Episode 13: “Gone at 17”
Original air date: December 27, 2010
Status: Found deceased in 2017
The FBI confirmed that human remains found on April 4, 2017 in rural Cass County are those of Kara Kopetsky. Kara was last seen on September 28, 2006, giving her ex boyfriend Kylr Yust, a ride home.
On October 5, 2017 Kylr Yust was charged with killing Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions.
On Monday June 18, 2018 Kyle Yust was arraigned in Cass County Circuit Court for the murders of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. The trial has been set for fall of 2019.
Name: Brian Barton
Season 3 Episode 4: “The Final Chord”
Original air date: January 24, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2017
Brian Barton’s remains were identified on August 1, 2017. His remains were found by volunteers doing cleanup in Federal Way. Police say an preliminary examination found no evidence of foul play in his death.
Name: Satara Stratton
Season 6 Episode 6: “City of Angels”
Original air date: December 24, 2012
Status: Found alive in 2012, died in 2017
In 2012 Satara was found safe in a Los Angeles hospital.
On February 2, 2017 Satara Stratton was found deceased. The manner of death was an overdose.
Name: Zebb Quinn
Season 5 Episode 15: “Just a Nice Guy”
Original air date: April 16, 2012
Status: Still missing; Robert Owens was charged with his murder in 2017
On July 10, 2017, a Buncombe County grand jury indicted Robert Owens with first degree murder of Zebb Quinn on Jan. 2, 2000.
Name: Jerry Michael Williams
Season 4 Episode 10: “Mystery on Lake Seminole”
Original air date: November 28, 2011
Status: Found deceased in 2017
The remains of Jerry Michael Williams were found in northern Leon County off Meridian Road in December of 2017, approximately five miles away from the home where he grew up.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Jerry Michael Williams was a victim of homicide. They declined to offer more details regarding how he may have been killed, when his body was found, or any details as to whether or not they have a suspect or person of interest.
On May 8, 2018 the widow of Jerry Michael Williams, Denise Williams, was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and accessory after the fact in his killing.
Name: David Riemens
Season 7 Episode 6: “No Stone Unturned”
Original air date: May 16, 2016
Status: Found deceased in January 2018
The remains of David Riemens were found off Taylor Road in Watertown, Tennessee in January 2018. The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is currently awaiting a full report from the state medical examiner to determine the cause of death. They did state that the case will continue to be investigated by their criminal investigation unit.
Name: Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible
Season 6 Episode 9: “Out of the Ashes”
Original air date: January 21, 2013
Status: Declared deceased; Ronnie Busick was charged with their murder in 2018
In December of 2017 an affidavit was released that stated that Warren Phillip “Phil” Welch II, David Pennington, and Ronnie Busick were involved in the disappearance of Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible.
Investigators say they murdered Danny and Kathy Freeman, set their home on fire, then kidnapped and killed Ashley & Lauria.
On April 22, 2018 authorities arrested Ronnie Dean Busick, and charged him with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of arson. The other two suspects in the case, Warren Phillip “Phil Welch II and David Pennington are both deceased.
The next hearing date, a continuation of Ronnie Dean Busick’s preliminary examination, is set for December 21, 2018.
Name: Elizabeth Salgado
Season 8 Episode 4: “On a Mission”
Original air date: April 16, 2017
Status: Found deceased in May 2018
On May 23, 2018 Provo investigators confirmed that the skeletal remains found in Hobble Creek Canyon are that of Elizabeth Salgado.
Police believe she was given a ride to the location where her remains were found, which is approximately 15 miles away from where she was last seen. A cause of death has not been determined, but her case is being investigated as a homicide.
The break in the case came on May 18, when a man discovered remains in some bushes in Hobble Creek Canyon above Springville and contacted the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Name: Terrance Williams
Season 5 Episode 3 “Crime and Punishment”
Original air date: January 23, 2012
Status: Still missing
On August 30, 2018 a wrongful death suit was filed in in Collier Circuit Court, alleging that former Collier County Sheriff’s deputy Corporal Steven Calkins is responsible for the death of Terrance Williams.
Terrance Williams was last seen in the custody of Calkins in 2004. Calkins told investigators that he picked up Williams for driving without a license, but says he ended up dropping him off at a nearby Circle K instead of arresting him. Calkins was fired during an internal investigation after becoming uncooperative and giving conflicting statements.
The suit also names Calkins as being responsible for the death of Felipe Santos, another man who went missing after last being seen in his custody in October 2003, just a few months before Terrance Williams disappeared. Calkins states that he also dropped Santos off at the Circle K rather than arresting him.
Neither of the men’s bodies has been found.
Name: Rachel Cooke
Season 4 Episode 1: “Running For Her Life”
Original air date: April 4, 2011
Status: Still missing
In April of 2018 police recovered a 1998 Pontiac Trans Am tied to three persons of interest in Rachel Cooke’s disappearance.
Preliminary tests on the car tested positive for the “possible presence of blood” on the passenger floorboard and passenger door model, according to a statement by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in September, 2018.
Additional testing is being conducted, but the full details of the results will not be released in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
This program was tops helped families…
bring it back
Season 9 starts on Sunday, April 1.
I wish they all could be found safe.
This show definitely brought a lot of attention to the Holly Cantrell missing person case out of McAlester, Oklahoma. https://www.statewidepi.com
http://www.newson6.com/story/38535086/ring-and-bullet-casing-found-during-search-for-missing-mcalester-woman