EPISODE 486: Larry Riegel Part 1 - Shifting Narratives

It was Christmas 2009 when 57-year-old Lawrence Riegel vanished from Yakima, Washington. Larry had plans to visit his family the day after Christmas, but he never showed up, which was completely out of character for Larry. He was known for always arriving with his famous peach pie in hand. At the time, Larry was living with his girlfriend, Ladena, who told the family that Larry had left town and headed for the coast. That explanation didn’t sit right with his loved ones. Larry didn't like traveling to the coast and would never have missed Christmas, especially without calling to let his family know.

Ladena later said that Larry returned in early January, and the two got into a physical altercation. Larry supposedly walked out and was never seen or heard from again. This new story raised even more questions. No one else has reported seeing or hearing from Larry since Christmas Day. Though Ladena's account has long been viewed with suspicion, Larry’s disappearance remains unsolved more than 15 years later.

Today, Larry's family is pushing for a renewed effort to reexamine his case, hoping to uncover new information that will lead them to Larry.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Larry Riegel, please contact the Yakima Police Department at (509) 575-6200 or the Yakima County Crime Stoppers at (800) 248-TIPS.

EPISODE 485: Nicholas Downey

In late February 2023, 37-year-old Nicholas Downey rented a car in Florida to visit his wife in Mississippi. While he made it there safely, the visit was brief, as Nick needed to return to Florida and drop off the rental car. During his drive home, he spoke to his wife one last time. After that call, he vanished without a trace.

Nick's disappearance wasn't immediately noticed until his wife tried to call him again the following morning. Her calls went unanswered. Eventually, someone did pick up, but it wasn't Nick; it was a deputy from the Liberty County Sheriff's Office. The officer explained that Nick's rental car had been found abandoned on a remote property in Liberty County, Florida, and Nick was nowhere to be found. In fact, there wasn't even a footprint left in the sand to follow. 

A K-9 tracking team was brought in to search the area but found nothing: no tracks, no personal belongings, and no signs of a struggle. Even more perplexing, the car was discovered far off any logical route Nick would have taken to return the vehicle. These circumstances have left both his loved ones and investigators searching for answers.

The case has become so puzzling that some law enforcement officials have half-jokingly suggested, though with a hint of discomfort, that the only remaining explanation might be something out of this world. The theory of alien abduction has been mentioned, not out of belief, but from sheer desperation to explain the unexplainable.

Over two years later, what happened to Nick Downey remains a haunting and unsolved mystery.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Nicholas Downey, please contact the Liberty County Sheriff's Office at (850) 643-2235.

EPISODE 484: Joseph "Joe Lupo" Rulli Part 2 - Escape or Execution?

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Joseph “Joe Lupo” Rulli’s story. You learned about his rise in the boxing world at a young age, his battle with Polio that tragically ended his career too soon, and Joe’s eventual rise within the mafia. For a while, things were looking good for Joe, but by April of 1971, a mafia turf war was raging. Several of Joe’s associates, including his partner, had been murdered. Joe was warned that he was next. He was a marked man.

In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Joe had a tense encounter at his doorstep. FBI agents, along with his older brother, Dennis, an investigator for the New Jersey State Police, offered Joe a way out: become an informant and receive protection. But Joe refused. He wasn’t a rat.

Not long after, Joe hosted a going-away dinner for one of his higher-ups. This event was supposed to mark a new chapter for him. But before the party even started, Joe stepped out for what he claimed was a quick errand, and he never returned. His wife, Cynthia, arrived at the party only to find her husband missing. A wave of panic washed over her. Cynthia had been at home when the FBI had approached Joe, offering him protection. She understood the gravity of the situation and the danger her husband was in.

In the days that followed, Cynthia reported Joe missing. His car was later found riddled with bullets and soaked in blood. It looked like a textbook mafia hit. When Joe’s brother, Dennis, arrived on the scene, he assumed he would find Joe’s body in the trunk, but all he found were Easter baskets filled with melted candy. There was no body. And the blood? It wasn’t Joe’s. It was animal blood.

This discovery turned the case on its head. It was no longer a simple mafia hit. The possibility emerged that Joe had orchestrated his own escape. Had he secretly taken the FBI’s offer to start a new life? Did a family member help him slip away undetected while everyone else partied? Or had Joe been murdered, and someone staged the scene with animal blood?

These questions have haunted Joe’s son for decades. By bringing his father’s story to light, he hopes someone with answers will finally step forward and help solve this decades-old mystery.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Joseph "Joe Lupo" Rulli, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000 ext. 2554 or email missingpinformation@njsp.gov. You can also reach out to Joe directly at lupo144@aol.com.