EPISODE 161: Grundy County Jane Doe

48182251_710442546005886_1639428981553889280_n.jpg

On October 2, 1976, a farmer and his young granddaughter were riding a tractor through the fields of Seneca, Illinois. The farmer saw what he thought to be a deer laying in a ditch and wanted to show his granddaughter. As he approached, he found a young woman, nude, her head covered in a plastic bag and a sweater. The farmer drove back home and notified authorities. Soon after, the Grundy County Sheriff’s officers arrived and found a young black woman dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities tried to identify the woman but no one came forward. They were unable to match her to any missing persons reports. Six weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, she was buried in an unmarked grave in a local cemetery. 43 years later, she remains unidentified. On this episode of The Vanished, we are taking a look at the other side of missing persons cases; the unidentified.

Jane Doe's case was re-opened last year. Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson and Chief Coroner John Callahan join us to speak about their mission to give Jane Doe her name back. This episode also includes an interview with Cook County Detective Sergeant Jason Moran who is assisting with Jane Doe's case and also working to identify the remaining unidentified victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Finally, we spoke to Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick from the DNA Doe Project about what they are doing to help solve cold cases just like Jane Doe's.

If you have any information about Jane Doe’s identity or her murder, please contact Grundy County Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson at 815-941-3359 or email him at bjohnson@grundyco.org.

You can follow Jane Doe’s story on Facebook at facebook.com/grundycountycoldcase.

UPDATE: In June 2024, it was announced that Jane Doe had been identified as JoAnn “Vicky” Smith from Ohio. Vicky’s murder remains unsolved.

Photo of JoAnn “Vicky” Smith

EPISODE 160: Dale Williams

On May 27, 1999, 42-year-old Dale Williams, a body shop owner in Nucla, CO, got a phone call from a stranded motorist asking for assistance. Dale, being a well-liked and helpful individual, agreed to come to the aid of this stranded person. Though, this was not something he typically did in his line of work. A friend of Dale's was visiting his shop when the call came in and thought it was a woman based on the conversation. 

On his way to the motorist, Dale stopped and spoke to a friend of his at a local gas station and he indicated to them what he was up to while he was out and about that day, but he never told them exactly who he was going help. This interaction is the last confirmed time anyone saw or spoke to Dale Williams.

Later, Dale’s wife called to see where her husband was. It was not unusual for Dale to lose track of time when he was focused on his work, but by the next morning and seeing no sign of Dale anywhere, his wife decided to report him missing.

Dale’s pick-up truck was found later that year in July of 1999. It was submerged in a swimming hole but there was no sign of Dale anywhere. Almost 20 years later, Dale is still missing and his case remains unsolved.

This episode features one of Dale’s daughter’s, Tonee, and his brother, Dick.

If you have any information about Dale's disappearance, please call the CBI Grand Junction office at 970-248-7500.

You can follow Dale's case on Facebook at Missing: Dale Williams.

This episode was co-researched and written by Marissa Jones and Erika Gwynn. To find more of Erika's work, please check out her podcast at https://www.apexandabyss.com.

Episode 159: Terasi Niholimbele Part 2

22366606_138213933466821_6979853530929220980_n.jpg

On August 30, 2017, 23-year-old Terasi Niholimbele left the home that he shared with his wife and young daughter and a friend dropped him off at a residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He has not been seen or heard from since. In the 16 months since Terasi has disappeared, his family has struggled to find answers. 

In Part 1, we discussed the story of Terasi’s family’s journey to the United States to escape war and genocide in their home country. Terasi and his family came to the United States as refugees in 1998, when Terasi was only four years old. He quickly adapted to life in the US, but continued to struggle with some of the challenges faced by those who have been through such traumatic situations.

If you have any information about Terasi’s disappearance, please contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-534-2121.

You can follow Terasi’s case on Facebook at “Bring Terasi Home.”