Leakey Podcasts

Two-year-old Elizabeth Ann Gill went missing from her front yard on June 13th, 1965. Decades later, her disappearance remains unsolved, but Elizabeth’s family believes she could still be alive. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Elizabeth Ann Gill. The Gill family had ten children and lived in what was thought to be a safe com…

In February 1987, a young mother named Beverly Jaye Potter-Mintz was brutally murdered inside her home. Her two-year-old son witnessed the murder, but he could only say that a man came inside and hurt his mother. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the murder of Beverly Jaye Potter-Mintz. Investigators were stumped. Beverly Jaye had no known enemie…

20-year-old Ryan Shtuka went missing in 2018 after leaving a party at a ski resort in British Columbia, Canada. Five years later, no physical evidence pinpointing his location has been found, and several unconfirmed theories about what happened to him exist.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Ryan Shtuka. It was below zero the …

26-year-old Elizabeth Salgado came from Mexico to Provo, Utah, to attend a language school. She had been in the US for less than a month when she went missing in 2015. Her remains were found three years later in a remote area, but her murder remains unsolved. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance and murder of Elizabeth Salgado. She…

Humans invest enormous amounts of time and energy into bringing up our babies. This unique investment is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. In this episode, the first in a three-part series on family relationships, researchers Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Stacy Rosenbaum, and Amy Scott explore how our species' approach to motherhood may hold t…

Leslie Ball was enjoying retirement in Australia when he went missing under mysterious circumstances in 1993. Thirty years and several inquiries later, investigators cannot make any conclusive findings about what happened to him.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Leslie Ball. Leslie's car was found at a train station, but he n…

Barbara Follett was once a famous child author. As a young adult, she fell in love and married, but the marriage was troubled. One day in December 1939, Barbara got into a fight with her husband and walked out of the house. She was never seen again, and her whereabouts after she left the house are still unknown. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss …

40-year-old Thomas Edwin Bartlett died on January 1st, 1886. He had been sick for about a month before he died, but was expected to recover. A postmortem exam found a deadly amount of chloroform in Edwin’s stomach. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss what has become known as the Pimlico poisoning. Edwin's wife Adelaide was suspected of poisoning hi…

Phoenix Coldon was a 23-year-old woman living in Spanish Lake, Missouri. She left her home on a Sunday afternoon in December 2011. A few hours later, her vehicle was found abandoned in the middle of the street in East St. Louis, Illinois, but Phoenix was nowhere to be found.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Phoenix Coldon. Sh…

How did climate change impact ancient human behavior? This is one of the questions Justin Pargeter and his team are investigating at a site called Boomplaas Cave in South Africa. This site has a unique record of human presence over the past 80,000 years or so. Importantly, the site is helping researchers piece together the story of how humans adapt…

On August 3rd, 1990, Ann Heron was viciously murdered inside her own home. There were reports of a mysterious jogger, a blue van, and a blue car speeding out of the driveway, but the case went cold. Fifteen years later, her husband was arrested for her murder, but the charges were dropped. Ann’s murder remains unsolved. Join Mike and Gibby as they …

On April 10th, 2001, Scottsdale authorities responded to a fire in the 2200 block of North 74th Place. Inside the home, they found the bodies of 38-year-old Mary Fisher and her two children, ages 13 and 10. The husband and father, Robert Fisher, was missing.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the Fisher family murders. It was quickly learned that M…

In February 2022, Ciera Breland took a road trip from Carmel, Indiana, to Georgia with her husband, baby, and dog. Later that month, her husband reported her missing and claimed that she left their home in Carmel after an argument. However, the authorities do not think that Ciera ever returned to Indiana.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disa…

On February 10th, 1990, seven people were shot inside a Las Cruces, New Mexico bowling alley. Three children and an adult were killed during the shooting. Three decades later, the crime remains unsolved and many questions linger. Was this a robbery where the perpetrators didn't want to leave witnesses, or was it meant to be something more?Join Mike…

This special episode takes you inside the world of archaeology students at Boomplaas Cave, one of South Africa’s flagship human evolution research sites. Led by Dr. Justin Pargeter, the students chronicle their field school journey through personal audio diaries, offering a candid look at the joys, thrills, and challenges of archaeological fieldwor…

Alicia Hummel went fishing by herself on June 1st, 2015. She kept her friends updated about what she was doing via Snapchats and texts. Less than an hour after her last communication, Alicia was found dead in the Missouri River. Eight years later, her murder remains unsolved. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the murder of Alicia Hummel. A few pe…

Since August 2007, at least 20 shoes containing human feet have been found along the shores of British Columbia and Washington State. This became known as the “Severed Feet Mystery.” Some remains have been identified, but others have not, and there are several cases where the cause of death is unknown.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the case kn…

On November 29th, 1981, actress Natalie Wood was found dead in the ocean off Catalina Island. Her death was declared an accident, but investigators started questioning this ruling many years later. Earlier in the evening, Natalie went to dinner with her husband, Robert Wagner, and her co-star Christopher Walken.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss t…

In April 2014, two young women from the Netherlands visited Panama for a volunteer opportunity. One day they decided to go hiking and never came back. About two months later, their remains were found deep in the wilderness. Theories about their cause of death vary from a hiking accident to murder. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the deaths of K…

In this episode, we explore the fascinating tale of the Hobbit, an unexpected fossil find that shook the world's understanding of human evolution. Join researcher Matt Tocheri as he shares how this tiny hominin revolutionized the human story and transformed his life. Links: From the Field: Matt Tocheri Homo floresiensis Can rat bones solve an islan…

On June 23rd, 1975, Shirley Finn was found dead in her car in South Perth, Western Australia. Almost 50 years later, her murder continues to intrigue people around the world. Shirley was a prominent figure in South Perth, Western Australia, because she owned a brothel. Sources often refer to her as a “brothel madam.”Join Mike and Gibby as they disc…

Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton spent Thanksgiving 2010 with their father as part of a visitation agreement between their parents, who were in the process of getting a divorce. When their mother went to pick them up the next day, they were nowhere to be found. In the 12 years since the boys disappeared, their father has given different explan…

In June 2021, Daniel Robinson drove away from a job site in Buckeye, Arizona. Nearly a month later, his car was found in a remote ravine, but Daniel Robinson has not been seen or heard from since the day of his disappearance.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Daniel Robinson. There are conflicting theories on what happened to …

32-year-old Dorothy Jane Scott went missing close to midnight on May 28th, 1980. Dorothy was last seen at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, where she had taken a coworker who needed urgent medical care. Dorothy’s car was seen speeding out of the parking lot and was found a few hours later burning in an alley in Santa Ana, but Dor…

On the morning of October 20th, 2007, Lee Cutler dropped a friend off after spending the night with a group of friends. He was then seen by an employee at a local gas station. Two days later, his car was found almost 200 miles away from home near Baraboo, Wisconsin, but Lee was nowhere to be found. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappeara…

35-year-old Brian Klecha disappeared in late December 2017. He has not been seen since and has not contacted his friends or family. Before he went missing, Brian shared a home with an ex-boyfriend and other roommates, which was described as a tumultuous living situation. However, Brian’s family and friends do not believe he left the house of his ow…

Lisa Au was last seen driving away from an apartment building on a rainy night on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Her car was found abandoned the next day, and Lisa’s body was found 10 days later. Although her death was classified as a homicide, Lisa’s cause of death is still undetermined, and no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with…

In the summer of 1985, the entire Brown family disappeared from their home in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The father James Brown, later surfaced in Georgia, claiming that someone shot him in an attempted robbery. James's wife, 27-year-old Carolyn, and his three children, 10-year-old Sheketah, 6-year-old Barry, and 2-year-old Brandon, were missing.Join…

Tammy Leakey disappeared from Verdun, a borough of Montreal, in 1981. Tammy went on an errand to a local grocery store and never returned. Her mother reported her missing, but a local man found Tammy's body in a field along the road about an hour after the report.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance and murder of Tammy Leakey. It's…

Dr. Kira Westaway is part of an international research team working to solve the mystery of Gigantopithecus, the largest ape that ever walked the earth. In this episode, we explore how this massive primate lived, why it disappeared, and what it can tell us about extinctions happening now. Learn more: Where Giants Roamed Origin Stories is a project …

On November 9th, 2002, 20-year-old Joshua Guimond left a college party and was never seen again. At first, the police thought he might have fallen into a lake on campus and drowned, but investigators began to suspect foul play when Josh wasn't found in the lake.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Joshua Guimond. Friends said th…

In March 1956, two brothers and their cousin went missing in rural Alabama after a night of drinking. Decades later, they have never been found, and no one knows for certain what happened to them, although there is suspicion that they were killed by local moonshiners. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearances of brothers Robert and Bil…

Erica Baker, a bright and vivacious third grader, disappeared in February 1999 and had vanished without a trace, leaving her family and the community reeling. The disappearance triggered a community-wide search effort, with hundreds of volunteers scouring the area for any sign of the missing girl. Despite years of investigations and searches, Erica…

In May 2000, a young Australian scientist named Rodney Marks died unexpectedly at a research base at the South Pole. His cause of death was determined to be acute methanol poisoning. Almost 23 years later, no one knows how Rodney ingested the poison or whether his death was an accident, a suicide, or a murder. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss th…

How do human bodies use energy? In this episode, Leakey Foundation grantee Dr. Herman Pontzer shares groundbreaking research that upends our understanding of metabolism, calories, and the history of our species. Origin Stories is hosted by Meredith Johnson, produced and sound designed by Ray Pang, and edited by Audrey Quinn. Support this show and t…

On August 29th, 2015 Elijah Bear Diaz was dropped off at his home in El Cajon, California by his mother. The next day, Bear was nowhere to be found, and several important items were missing from his bedroom. Seven years later, no one has seen or heard from Bear Diaz.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Elijah Bear Diaz. Diaz is …

Jack the Ripper is an infamous unidentified serial killer who killed women in Whitechapel, East London, in the late 19th century. The Whitechapel murder spree is one of the most famous unsolved cases in the world. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss this mysterious case. In part 2 of the Jack the Ripper episodes, we’ll discuss some of the more well…

Jack the Ripper is an infamous unidentified serial killer who killed women in Whitechapel, East London, in the late 19th century. The Whitechapel murder spree is one of the most famous unsolved cases in the world. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss this mysterious case. In part 1 of the Jack the Ripper episodes, we’ll discuss why this unknown kill…

In November 1987, Korrina Lynn Sagers Malinoski, a married mother of three children, went missing from her home in Mount Holly, South Carolina. Less than a year later, Korrina's daughter Annette went missing from the same location. Korrina and Annette have never been found. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the mysterious disappearances of Korrin…

2022 was another exciting year in human origins research! New fossil discoveries and ancient DNA research expanded our understanding of the past. We learned something surprising about the evolution of human speech, and new methodologies and showed promising potential to improve the future of medicine. In this episode, four Leakey Foundation scienti…

In September 2016, Keeshae Jacobs told her mother that she was going out to spend the night with a friend. Keeshae never came home and has not been seen or heard from since. Keeshae's mother Toni has spent years trying to uncover what happened to her daughter.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Keeshae Jacobs. Toni has not been…

We've been hard at work on a new season of stories about how we became human. Origin Stories returns on January 31 with monthly episodes!By The Leakey Foundation

Dorothy Forstein was a 40-year-old wife and mother living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On the night of October 18th, 1949, Dorothy went missing and was never seen again. Dorothy's daughter claimed that she saw a stranger enter their home and carry her unconscious mother out the front door. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the mysterious disapp…

In part one of the Betty Gore and Candy Montgomery episodes, we discussed how the two families met, Allan and Candy's months-long affair, and the death of Betty Gore. In this episode, we'll cover Candy's murder trial and the case's aftermath. Join Mike and Gibby for part 2 on the murder of Betty Gore and the case against Candy Montgomery. Candy's d…

On June 13th, 1980, Betty Gore was found dead inside her home in Wylie, Texas. She had been hit with an ax 41 times. Betty was killed by a woman named Candy Montgomery, who was one of Betty's friends but was having an affair with Betty's husband, Allan.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the murder of Betty Gore and the infamous case against Candy …

In mid-1994, the bodies of married couple Robin and Margaret Bain, and three of their four children, were discovered in their home in the city of Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. They had all been shot to death. The only person to survive was the Bain's family oldest son David, who police quickly focused on as one of the main suspects.Jo…

In mid-1994, the bodies of married couple Robin and Margaret Bain, and three of their four children, were discovered in their home in the city of Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. They had all been shot to death. The only person to survive was the Bain's family oldest son David, who police quickly focused on as one of the main suspects.Jo…

In 1989 two toddlers, Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker, went missing from the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers Playground in Harlem. Their case remains unsolved, and the boys have never been found. There were some other missing children that some believe could be connected with the disappearances of Christopher and Shane.Join Mike and Gibby as they…

On March 24, 1989, 14-year-old Andre Roland was found hanging from a tree with a belt around his neck. The authorities quickly ruled Andre's death a suicide, but many have questioned this ruling over the years. Andre's family has never believed that Andre took his life, and they have questioned the integrity of the police investigation.Join Mike an…

On September 20th, 1988, Tara Calico went for her daily bike ride. She never came home. Thirty-four years later, the disappearance of Tara Calico remains unsolved. Tara was 19 years old when she went missing. She was independent and bright, seemed on a positive track in life, and was loved by friends and family.Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss t…