EPISODE 495: Aaron Cody Fortner

On February 21, 2022, 25-year-old Aaron Cody Fortner disappeared from Jackson County, North Carolina. At the time, he was staying at a property owned by his grandparents. He made a couple of phone calls to his grandparents in the early morning hours that seemed off, but they weren’t sure what to make of it at the time. 

When Aaron’s sister, Kourtney, spoke to her grandparents later that morning, they asked her if she had heard from him. She said she hadn’t, and they proceeded to tell her about the phone calls. Kourtney was concerned enough to drive out and check on her brother. 

When she arrived, things didn’t feel right. A door Aaron always kept locked for safety reasons was unlocked. Kourntey went inside, and Aaron was gone. One thing that stood out was that it was a mess. Just the day prior, their mother had visited, and everything was tidy.

That left his family to wonder what happened between the time Aaron's mother last saw him and when he disappeared. Where could he have gone, and why did it seem like something had disrupted his world overnight? His family began calling Aaron's name, searching the surrounding area, and quickly contacted law enforcement to report him missing.

More than three years have passed, and Aaron’s loved ones are still searching. Along the way, they have uncovered strange and unsettling clues, but so far, none have led them to Aaron.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Aaron Cody Fortner, please contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at (828) 586-8901 or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Western District at (828) 330-4700.

EPISODE 494: Eleanore "Ellie" Halverson

In September 2023, 45-year-old Eleanore "Ellie" Halverson and her mother, Roxanne, drove to a mental health facility in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was planning to check in for treatment. Outside the entrance, Ellie said goodbye to her mother and daughter, as neither of them were allowed to accompany her inside.

Roxanne expected she would hear from her daughter within a few days, once Ellie had settled in and was granted phone privileges. But as time passed with no word, a sense of unease set in. Then she learned that Ellie had never officially checked into the facility, and no one had seen or heard from her. Fearing the worst, Roxanne reported Ellie missing in Grand Rapids.

Then, on November 4, Ellie was spotted on surveillance footage in Northhome, MN. Ellie's family believed she was likely with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Geno. Police eventually tracked Geno down in rural Itasca County. He told investigators they had argued one night in early November, and Ellie had stormed off into the freezing Minnesota darkness. That was the last time he claimed to have seen or heard from her.

This November will mark two years since Ellie vanished. Her family is still searching, haunted by unanswered questions and desperate for the truth about what really happened that night.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Eleanor “Ellie” Halverson, please contact the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office at 218-326-3477. If you wish to remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or visit CrimeStoppersMN.org. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Fund tip program is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for confidential support 24/7.

EPISODE 493: Jonathan Hoang Part 2 - Reappearance

Last week, you learned about Jonathan Hoang, his quiet and structured life, and how he disappeared from his family’s home in Arlington, Washington, at the end of March 2025. On the evening of March 30, Jonathan asked to sleep in the downstairs guest bedroom because the sound of the treadmill was bothering him. In hindsight, a few details from that conversation were slightly unusual, but nothing raised alarm. By the next morning, everything had changed. His mother went to wake him for school and found that Jonathan was gone. His iPad and headphones were missing, but his phone and jacket, which he never left home without, were still in the house.

Search teams combed the neighborhood and nearby areas. Surveillance footage was gathered from neighbors, but Jonathan was not visible on any of the cameras. No one reported seeing him, and no physical trace of Jonathan was ever found. As time passed, his family began to believe he was not just lost, but that someone may have taken him.

Since Jonathan has autism and is considered an endangered missing person, his family expected law enforcement to treat the case with urgency. Instead, they encountered one obstacle after another. They continued searching, but much of the work fell on them and members of the community who offered support without having access to the tools or authority that law enforcement holds.

At the center of all this is a disconnect. Jonathan’s family is certain he could not have simply walked away and started a new life. He needed daily support and structure. Yet from their perspective, law enforcement seems to have built a narrative that he did exactly that.

This week, we will examine what happened after the initial searches ended, the investigation, the community response, and a recent development that has brought new hope, possible sightings of Jonathan in Kirkland, Washington.

You can follow the family’s search efforts on social media at Help Us Find Jonathan Hoang - Endangered & Missing Person.

A $100,000 reward is currently available for information. If you see Jonathan, please call 911. If you have any information about the disappearance of Jonathan Hoang, contact the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at 425‑388‑3393 or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or use the P3 Tips App to remain anonymous.