Trace Evidence - 026 - The Disappearance of Leah Roberts

[@Geronimo2Fly]

I think if she'd been intending to commit suicide, she wouldn't have taken her cat with her. She would've asked her roommate to take care of it. Depressed people don't typically kill their pets.

[@aulain50]

Agree

[@beagledog2001]

Yes, I agree. And I worry about what happened to that poor kitten, too..

[@timmysullivan2515]

That, and why drive nearly 3,000 miles to do it? She had every intention of coming back. She left her roommate a month's worth of rent money.

[@beagledog2001]

@@timmysullivan2515 agree

[@migue4793]

Need to look at serial killers whom were active in Pacific Northwest back during that time. My guess is she was too trusting and met with foul play

[@tylergrover280]

She seemed very open about her trip. Telling guys you don't know that you are all alone, across the country, and nobody knows where you are, is not a good idea. The "second guy" during that conversation is very suspicious. Bet on him.

[@tracieday8661]

I thought about taking off by myself. I live in the Midwest and I've always loved the ocean. I'd like to move to another state and start over but because we live in such a sick world it's just too frightening. So many bad things happen to women when they're alone.

[@wendythompson6323]

Yep. There are a lot of crazy guys out there, who won't think twice about hurting a woman.

[@jhemnes1]

Usually not if they are vigilant and armed. I've traveled my whole life with no problems...you can't let fear run your life. We just Usually hear the bad stuff

[@cristinarichart1118]

I’ve done this....... best use of my life. I won’t live in fear.

[@amygray7236]

Especially in Wa. State.

[@tracieday8661]

@Man Among Heathen You may be right. I have always lived in fear.

[@sarahwatterson5706]

Maybe it’s just me but I find it very strange that two separate strangers would think it’s okay to approach a woman, sitting at a restaurant alone, and just pull up a chair to join her... two different men separately decided to sit down with her without an invitation, they had no qualms about it. And I’m not saying that men can’t be friendly to women but there’s just something about that situation at the restaurant that rubs me the wrong way.

[@margueriteczajka6708]

i thought that was odd too.

[@d3l3tes00n]

Yeah that's a bad sign.

[@beagledog2001]

Yes, I think so too. I doubt they were just "trying to cheer her up" as someone commented, because I don't think men with decent intentions would just feel comfortable sitting with a stranger somewhere... though I can see how the person who made that comment might think so and this is not a criticism of that person at all, just a difference of opinion,

[@michaeldiekmann6494]

True. Normal guys would ask or wait till she invites them, to sit down. And bugger of if she wants to be alone.

[@dandrummond9154]

I mean, nobody else thinks this is later events coloring previous events as sinister? If there was an attractive woman eating alone while looking sad, I could definitely come up with more than one reason to start talking to her that don't ivolve killing her and faking an accident. A second rando joining in does seem...unlikely, though, unless he believed the first man was a threat and he thought he was being a chaperone.

[@MyMEGAamazinglife1]

I think she went travelling with someone she just met and thought she could trust. That person was untrustworthy and killed her probably

[@onefeather2]

Agree.

[@katie2152]

Yep what happens to so many.

[@nbiagiojrSP]

I agree

[@salmonjanet]

Maybe someone she had met in that town. She talk with him about wanting to see sights, and he told her he knew a great place and so she drove them to her end.

[@USALibertarian]

The clothes tied to trees was odd.

[@AlbinoWhiteGuy]

There are so many disappearances that happen directly after a car accident, super weird.

[@davidwoermansr]

A TBI can make you wander aimlessly not knowing who you are

[@strawbearyshortcake8427]

New fear unlocked

[@antonglas7488]

My theory is Leah decided to take off on her own. On her travels she got chatting to people, met a guy who agreed to go part or the whole of the journey with her to wherever she was going. But the guy had other intentions, murdered Leah and not wanting to be caught with any of her possessions he wrecked and disposed of her vehicle and other belongings. Sadly, it`s probable Leah is dead and unlikely the preparatory and Leah will ever be found. I`m not sold on the suicide theory.

[@Messier45_Pleiades]

Videos like this are vital to spreading the word about the missing and murdered. The more people who see them, the more chance of finding a missing person or bringing a killer to justice. It only takes one person who knows something to step up and tell someone.

[@patrickhaug6857]

I am from Whatcom County. I can tell you there are plenty of people that have gone missing out there in the East County Area!. Rather it was malicious or not!. There are alot of weird people out there in that area. There are alot of people missing and not even accounted for not on any sheriffs missing person's website. One being a friends father that was an out of towner that liked to hike in that wilderness area of Whatcom County. Never to be seen or heard of from again!. Its the perfect place to make someone dissappear, and or for someone to commit suicide as well & not be found. Around the sametime there was a girl abducted from Lake Padden in the city limits of Bellingham and was found dumped off the side of Mount Baker Hwy out there. A year or two apart. The killer was caught, and the investigators can tell that the way he did it-wasnt his first time killing. He was also a suspect in other abduction style killings of young ladies around Washington State as well. But that was never proven I believe. Weird things happen out there in such a beautiful and vast wilderness space such as Whatcom County.

[@susak2178]

I'm from Durham NC and went to high school with her. This whole situation is just crazy!

[@hysterymysteryreadit1268]

What was she like?

[@patstone3259]

Meghan Morris do you have any photos of her as a child? If so, could you make a video tribute of her life? Or give them to a KZbin who could?

[@DOFTarot]

Following this comment! I have prayed for Leah ever since I found out about the case in 2011.

[@paddleduck5328]

😢

[@Lucky-nt7mg]

So basically the main suspect is living his best life in Canada now. Wow. This case really... could have been solved. Idk why police messed up so hard with the forensics etc.

[@ilikedat6996]

Yeah hes the killer for me also but it strange why his dna wasnt found at the scene.

[@shawndouglass2939]

40+ yrs ago, I had an unpaired driving charge against me here in the States and come to find out, that is a felony in Canada, anyway I was stopped at the Border and made to go back to the. States because. Of that charge, yet this guy is allowed to stay and prosper in Canada. Some strange laws there.

[@shawndouglass2939]

*Impaired😬

[@leigh231]

Tricky to say. I live in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Leah's case is an interesting one.

[@leigh231]

@@shawndouglass2939 Strange laws here in our provinces, & also, in all of your states. 🤜🤛 I truly so think that Leah went to go for what she wanted: no others, to reflect, maybe then, something happened. Otherwise, she just went, nothing happened, & she may come back to her family & us, 10 or so years from now. Either way... We are all thinking of her & her family now. That's all that matters. 💜 🐿️ 🐔----📒 🖊️--- 🌊 🏠 🐈 🕷️ 🌱 💖

[@shamusdonahue7606]

Just some random observations: 1. Jack Kerouac's birthday was March 12. Given her interest in him, that doesn't seem to be a coincidence. 2. The I-40 / I-5 route from NC to WA is 700+ miles longer than the most direct route. There must have been a reason to drive this far out of her way. 3. The Memphis to Bellingham driving leg is 2,900+ miles. That's nearly 1,000 miles/day or 15 hours/day over 3 days. Seems rather superhuman for 1 person but doable for 2 people. 4. Mt. Baker Highway wouldn't get her anywhere near the trailhead to Desolation Peak, which is off WA 20. The hike to Desolation Peak is 18+ miles from the trailhead. A rather challenging hike in late winter by a solo female but perhaps not as challenging with a male companion.

[@am2023]

Thanks for this

[@MikeJones-jj7pf]

Yeah. Whether accessing the trail via Canada or US20 and/or Ross Lake, I’m sure either way the roads are sure to be closed well past March. I live just on the east side of WA pass, grew up here. The pass always closes during the winter. Typically sometime in Late Nov and doesn’t open back up until May.

[@MikeJones-jj7pf]

I can’t speak for the Canada side because I’ve never been there. But even if there was a maintained road getting her to the trailhead, it doesn’t sound like she had the gear nor was prepared to take on a hike like that in the heart of the cascades whilst still covered in a ton of snow.

[@davidwoermansr]

I average 1200 miles a day when in my RV and 1000 when making a delivery for 1 of our buissneses

[@paddleduck5328]

Hmm

[@SeventhDayMessages]

According to the video, Leah was a friendly and outgoing type of person. Her most prized possession was her mother's engagement ring which she always wore. When her wrecked jeep was found, her mother's ring was found hid under the car mat. This would suggest that perhaps earlier, spotting and picking up a hitch hiker, she took the ring off and hid it so as to not make it prominent before picking up a complete stranger/hiker. After all, she was a thinker and knew that her hands would be clearly visible to anyone she might pick up while driving. Hiding the ring, a precaution, would make her less of a target to a stranger. Why did the witness in the mall eatery move to Canada shortly after her disappearance? What was his reason for doing so?

[@beagledog2001]

That's what I think, too, she picked up a hitchiker or perhaps had someone in her jeep (like one of the guys she met at the restaurant) and hid the ring as a safeguard.

[@truth4004]

Yeah but if she had any fear. She wouldnt have picked up the hitchhiker.

[@lighttheway5088]

@@truth4004 Maybe at one point she became afraid. It also could be that someone force the way to the car so she carefully slipped it off and hid it.

[@secretsecret179]

She looked so nice, like so many disappeared women.

[@iamglow7]

At the gas station maybe she was looking to see her pump number to pay for the gas

[@thatcat0076]

Christine B.. or probably checking on the cat.

[@kolloduke3341]

She was either looking at the cat or looking at whomever was in the car .lol

[@xxslendermomxx3026]

That’s totally possible, I do that all the time

[@luisa.barrueta1822]

@@kolloduke3341she was looking at Messi 😂

[@luisa.barrueta1822]

@@kolloduke3341she was looking at Leo Messi

[@jennifermcdonald5432]

Definitely not suicide. You don’t need cash and your clothes and possessions to off your self. Although the police may not have very diligent, they’re not totally stupid. All the same things would have occurred to them as have occurred to us. There are many ways to collect information on accidents, also on disappearances. I’m sure they have all that. Something is very wrong here! How could there be no scent trace

[@unprocessed_life]

I don't think something is wrong per say. I think the fact that her cat cage was present without the cat may mean homicide. I just wrote that it all kind of points to a runaway, and that she took just the car but she'd probably carry it in a cage for ease. I also initially thought she deliberately hide her ring in the car to run away and leave EVERYTHING behind. But the cat cage is key for me.

[@lynsirobertson3527]

@@unprocessed_life why is the cat cage it for you?? Especially when looking at a run away situation? I disagree, I dont think she was running away from everything - and if she had been, like in my mind personally, I would personally keep my jewelry on & make sure I took the cash with me if I wasnt coming back. I fully think that she was murdered by I'm not sure where

[@paulacarpenter1910]

I did a brief search after watching this video and found a comment posted about a “man’s” body being found in a mummified condition with a metal rod in the same leg as Leah’s would have been. The writer suggested that perhaps the body had been misidentified as male. The writer also suggested that the lot number of the rod had been manufactured and shipped during the approximate time Leah herself would have undergone the surgery. I was just curious if you had stumbled upon this information during your research and if so, had anything developed from this “coincidence?” Thank you so much for the work you do.

[@KellyK387]

Paula Carpenter saw that article too but think it’s not correlated to Leah I think her family would’ve looked into this or been told by the authorities about this by now ?

[@coreyfalo3939]

You can't really miss bines being male..even with a femer bone and nothing else

[@thatcat0076]

There was a college age boy that went missing under similar circumstances but i can't remember where exactly. His vehicle was found wrecked and he had been traveling from college to his folks house about a 5 hour drive but for some reason he stopped along the road before he got to his destination and called home and said he was going to rest a bit before driving the rest of the way. Someone brought him fuel and came and checked on him hours later and he was still in the same place and had been checked on by the police.then i forget how much later they found the auto but not him.

[@boowill7509]

@@thatcat0076 Bryce Laspisa.

[@boowill7509]

@@thatcat0076 Bryce Laspisa

[@AntiMasonic93]

Looking at her pictures remind me of the early 2000s. Her hairstyle is typical early 2000s.

[@judysweatman7501]

Strange the guy left the states for canada, was a mechanic or mechanically-inclined, male dna found on her clothing, the remoteness of the logging rd, etc, etc.. no leah, no kitty...

[@LazyDaisyDay88]

Never understood how "finding yourself and creating your own path" always seems to involve following the well-trodden journey of a beatnik writer... I hope there is some resolution for her brother and sister one day...its another very sad disappearance.

[@beagledog2001]

Very well said, yes, it does seem to involve that journey, and it seems to end badly so often.

[@gullwingstorm857]

Totally agree, it's also selfish to take off and leave family behind worrying.

[@whitedragoness23]

⁠@@beagledog2001I never hear about a good ending, but I suppose that doesn’t sell papers. I know a lot of people who follow the books about people who ran into the wilderness to find themselves often romanticized the idea. The book makes it seem easy and nice that if you go into that life unprepared. It will be a spiritual journey. Unfortunately it never works that way as people need a lot of care and maintenance. Even tribes in the wild group together and work together to be able to survive. It makes quite a bit of skills to survive on your own.

[@beagledog2001]

@@whitedragoness23 yes, a lot of skills are needed, not just a desire to " find yoursekf."

[@whitedragoness23]

@@beagledog2001 too often “finding yourself” is the only thing they take with them believing it will be easy. After watching these lost in the wilderness videos it’s clear it that it leads to many unfortunate outcomes

[@pulaski1]

The fact that her mother's engagement ring was hidden under her Jeep's floor mat tells me that (i) she left (it, and presumably her other possessions) deliberately (under a floor mat is a common hiding place for a key, cash, or small valuables), and (ii) that she intended to return to her vehicle. (Per this Podcast, why didn't she take the ring with her?)

[@unprocessed_life]

Yes it being concealed makes me question things. This added to my theory that she run away to begin a fresh life. She left the cat cage, which could mean she released the cat, gave it away, or it got away? idk but the hidden ring is weird.

[@kolloduke3341]

ITwasnt found under the floor mat , rather in the foot well .Still she never took it off .lol

[@ilikedat6996]

What if her killer knew the meaning of the ring to her and took it off after killing her?

[@timmysullivan2515]

@@unprocessed_life I don't think so. You need money to begin a new life, and the money was left in the car, and she left enough rent money to her roommate for a month. She had just lost both of her parents and was nearly killed in a car accident. She dropped out of college with six months to go before graduation. I think she had a manic episode and made a spontaneous trip to Washington that obviously went awry. The investigators had also said that someone with the knowledge of mechanic would have rigged the car, so Leah couldn't have done that. The car was rigged as a red herring, I think. Leah was either murdered or killed by the elements.

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

@@timmysullivan2515 Was she diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder? If anything, she might have had a psychotic break induced by acute emotional trauma. She had a history of avoiding dealing with her emotions. The problem is that humans are wired like that. When you don't deal with your emotional trauma, it manifests in other ways, negative ways. She was struggling and taking risks. The guy she met likely took advantage of this.

[@truth4004]

Don't ever expect your case to be solved out west. They're lazy AF and don't care about missing women. I won't go out west from watching true crime. No way.

[@jenniferguaman2364]

I don’t know why it took so long for them to check the Engine. This just shows how you need a set of different eyes sometimes .

[@Leone_510__]

Everything he said about the starter relay total BS. I doubt he knows that, and is just reading reports, but it is BS.

[@katzpyjamas]

While at the gas station she may have been just looking at her jeep as it had a lot of money in there and her cat and was probably unlocked,also did anyone check the purchases she made to see if she had bought for two people which would suggest the presence of a hitch hiker or companion.

[@ingridj7070]

I've been binge watching your channel all morning and still going.

[@spacekat4129]

I am a new subscriber, I absolutely love your videos!!!! Thank you for doing this, you do a great job and it's very easy to listen to your voice. I m staying up late just to finish this video. 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

[@girlmeetsreality4644]

I noticed in this podcast you stated one of the men she had met in Wa. had moved to Canada and a DNA test was done, but there was no further info on that. I wonder what happened with that??? OAN: Great podcast.

[@kcollins8227]

It wasn't a match

[@theonlydjtopcat]

Why does everyone have to come up with the most wild theories when to me this is easily explained without there being any "foul play" involved. 1. She was clearly an impulsive wanderlust who probably did not think things out clearly as she raced across the country to try to retrace Jack Kerouac's adventures as a fire watch in the North Cascades in Washington State. The fact that she only stayed at one motel during her journey tells me she was in a serious rush to fulfill this fantasy as soon as possible throwing caution to the wind. Possibly manic? Bad health news? 2. Canyon Creed road off the Mt.Baker highway is literally in the middle of nowhere. It is a shitty one lane dirt forest road that is frequently closed down due to hazardous conditions and poor upkeep. Potholes the size of garbage can lids all over. A car that goes off that road could easily not be found for a very long time. I think the joggers were just in the right place at the right time to get a better vantage point. 3. She likely just ran off the road and tumbled down the embankment. She easily could have been concussed and disorientated in the crash. The supposition by Whatcom County LE that that kind of crash would have had to have left blood in the vehicle etc is just proof positive that LE is often wrong, and can make some real head scratching statements. If Leah had been buckled in and braced for the roll over she could have escaped serious injury but still could have had her brain rocked inside her skull to make an already bad situation worse. 4. I believe she spent at least one night in the safety of the wrecked Jeep and then made an attempt to walk out on her own. If she was disoriented from the concussion she could have easily wandered off in the wrong direction further into the dense Mt. Baker National Forest and succumbed to the elements and eventually all traces of her except scattered bones would be taken care of by local predators. This happened in the beginning of spring, but it there is often still snow and ice on that road as it climbs higher in elevation. It gets down to very lethal hypothermia level temperatures at night out there. You don't find warm shelter you die it's that simple. She for sure had a backpack if she was going up into the mountains was it found in the Jeep? Water canteen? Food supplies? She may not have remembered the wad of cash in her jeans. 5. The cover missing off the starter relay so the car could accelerate without a driver is one of the stupidest things I've ever read! I may be wrong but I think I read her truck was an automatic so that theory is impossible anyway. You can do the remote wire trick with a stick shift only. Also a seven year old Jeep could have been worked on by any number of mechanics over the years who cut corners working on it. The scrapes on the door where it looked like someone tried to pry it open with a screwdriver were probably from an unsuccessful attempted break in somewhere along her three day journey out to Washington State. Noticeable rust from the bare metal may not show for awhile depending on climate. 6. Sorry, not buying any witness statements. The fact is people will lie to get noticed and attention when something like this is in the news. "Oh yeah I remember her!" She may well have been in that restaurant in Bellis Fair Mall but I highly doubt she met with a killer there. She probably talked about Kerouac amongst some drunks and that's why they remembered that part of the conversation. I really believe she was just on a solo journey to fulfill a dream of being a female Kerouac and was probably not right in the head to begin with. She would have been much wiser to take someone with her for safety reasons alone. Going solo into an unforgiving, cold, wet massive wilderness you are not familiar with was extremely foolish. Chris McCandless level foolishness!

[@charlesmaeger9962]

You've got the - real facts - down on this case. Enjoyed reading your comments.

[@wendythompson6323]

I agree that she was probably just out to experience her own journey, but was trying to figure out why she'd take her ring off. I think that was mentioned in the video.

[@rockstarofredondo]

For sure this is the female McCandless. They left for their trips from the same edge of the country too. He’s the first person I thought of when I heard what she did.

[@Calaveraqueen24]

Because we don’t know the truth

[@paddleduck5328]

Interesting

[@BananerRepublic]

Messing with the starter makes no sense. Sure you can start it, but the key would do that also. I am a mechanic, and screwing with the starter is certainly not the way to make a car accelerate on its own. There are MUCH easier ways and less complicated ways of doing this. Hell, he could have just placed something on the gas pedal, crashed the car, and then went back to retrieve whatever was holding the pedal down.... The whole starter thing is completely irrelevant to the case. Most likely done during a repair and never replaced properly

[@robmullin1128]

@Traceevidence You should look into the disappearance of 18 year old Colin Gillis from St.Lawrence County,New York which is the county just north of me. He literally just vanished without a trace.He was last seen walking along State Rte.3 and the only item found on the ground near where he was spotted walking was his Drivers License. It has perplexed law enforcement for a few years now.

[@Tramseskumbanan]

If she wanted to commit suicide, why bring her cat along?

[@ambermullenax9813]

Her case reminds me of Maura Murray. It is eerie how similar their disappearances are!

[@theurbanloner8879]

But Maura was just a typical drunk privilged white girl.

[@chormpan2104]

@@theurbanloner8879 That's not nice sir.

[@unprocessed_life]

@@theurbanloner8879 Maura was troubled, from a dysfunctional family, dated a man with problems, and had a controlling father. Leah had family tragedy and was a Kerouac obsessee. THAT said, both girls clearly needed to "get away" so that is the similarity. I believe Maura did not travel alone though.

[@theurbanloner8879]

@@unprocessed_life yes , but Leah wasn't out being a drunk or lying to her loved ones. Leah was on a journey of self discovery and the evils of the world were relentless, and followed her wherever she went. Marua was just a typical broad who suffers from manic episodes and likes to get drunk and run into things.

[@unprocessed_life]

@@theurbanloner8879 lol

[@MrMarco855]

Why not release the video?

[@Somegirl811]

Seems like a lot of people have gone missing or died in the wilderness or mountains because of Kerouac.

[@davidwoermansr]

Check out missing 411 about strange disappearances in national parks it's crazy

[@rockstarofredondo]

I was going to say, how many of these disappearances have been caused by this writer?

[@clayc8115]

35:50 she was just looking to see what pump she was on... 🤦‍♂️

[@MarioV73]

I agree, Leah was possibly looking for the pump number, checking on her cat, looking at something that got her attention occurring near her vehicle, or whatever. This could be anything, but nothing seemed alarming when viewing the video on another vlog.

[@mouthymama3474]

This happened in my hometown. Logging country in Whatcom county. It's a tiny tiny little place and nobody knows where I am from lol! I went to mount Baker high school. Leah went missing on mb hwy. We were all worried after THIS happened.

[@cr6859]

You can't get to Desolation Peak from Bellingham, Canyon Creek Rd or the Mt Baker Highway. Look like you need to take a boat on Ross Lake to get to the trail. I think the Canyon Creek Rd was an easy remote place to dump her car. Not sure why she'd be in Bellingham, unless crossing the border into Canada to get to Ross Lake/Desolation Peak Trail from the Canadian side?

[@Rowm222]

I live in Bellingham. Went to Mt. baker high school as well. This case is just so bizarre. The road where her jeep went off is just odd.... it doesn’t necessarily make sense. Endless possibilities. Many people out here could have taken her, given her wrong directions, followed her, etc...

[@southernstylegaming8580]

I feel like she left the ring under the mat as a sign that something was wrong. I'm sure she knew that everyone else knew what that ring meant to her, and by placing it there, it would tell them something was off.

[@rhiemmilia3]

Exactly my thoughts. If I was in a bad situation and had a moment to do it, I would put my wedding ring somewhere an offender wouldn’t see but police could find later.

[@brainsareus]

No country has this much vast land space, combined with such individual autonomy to explore and drive around. There is no close second. It's why it's so easy to get lost or run into trouble.

[@rajs7876]

Canada is actually more vast and less inhabited, as is Russia vast

[@rockstarofredondo]

@@rajs7876 however Canada and Russia do not have nearly as much road access and therefore freedom of movement is lower. Much of Canada and Russia are just completely disconnected from their populated and accessible parts. Alaska as well.

[@ricardobelogeneralplastro1319]

Brazil and China as well, extremely extensive road access through very vast areas. Even more so than the US, due to no focus on train rail for many decades due to cost and logistics.

[@beagledog2001]

Her story has always been a real heart breaker...loosing her parents, having that terrible accident, then adopting that little kitten that went on the road trip with her (I worried about the kitten as much as I did Leah), I feel she met her end when someone took her life, somehow...what a strange mystery...

[@jenniferashley99]

I've read all comments and some believe she ran off..but this is dark and evil where she would do that with her jeep . I don't think so - she didn't seem that way. I think she would have just continued traveling in a more peaceful way. I believe she was met with foul play - didn't they open the hood of the jeep and noticed it was tampered with? Look at that last man she was with...those are dangerous parts she was in.

[@itallia666]

🇬🇧 The thing that puzzles me is that, Leah stashed her money away in some spare pants pocket & her beloved mothers valuable engagement ring UNDER the floor mat in her jeep. Ive read that if you think your being followed or in trouble of any kind to hide your valuables in your shoe or if in a vehicle then in something like Leah did in an item of clothing or somewhere Unexpected. It makes me think, she wanted her valuables to be found & if not for her to reclaim when out of danger or if not, her family would get her money & ring. Despite the car having little evidence & no blood, which is odd As even a nose bleed would produce alot of blood. I don't think she was in the car but she hid her valuables in it so when she could she could retrieve them at at a later date. She either staged the whole thing with help or someone else did. I don't think she'd let her family go through such grief by doing this just to start a new life She could have done that anyway I think she died or was murdered Not long after her jeep was trashed. Its very sad such a lovely young woman is no longer with us. I hope if she IS still alive shes happy. Regards 🇬🇧👧

[@xxslendermomxx3026]

Maybe she put the money in her pocket and the ring under the floor mat if she was worried about getting robbed. Idk how it would have stayed there if the jeep did roll over. This case is soooooo weird 😩

[@cristinarichart1118]

Gorgeous smile on her!

[@briangray925]

Why did she hide her ring under the mat? And what are the joggers saying some clothes even tied to trees? Who's Barry? I think the crash was rigged by the mechanic killer and she is a victim of foul play. Though two guys and another vehicle could carry this off easier. RIP Leah

[@isabella-lp3nw]

Brian Gray I hide things under my mats.. and tying the clothes clda been her leaving a bread crumb trail

[@briangray925]

maybe but there's a lot of unanswered questions, doubt we'll ever know

[@jerrymarbury9365]

Why wouldnt the mat be tossed inside the jeep considering the violent wreck.maybe it was held down with velcro

[@stevebbuk]

Yes I agree Brian. I don't think she was the suicidal type but somehow lost control of a situation and left the ring as a signal to her sister.

[@kolloduke3341]

yup that bothers me the trees with clothes tied to them [ were they though , as the man dosent state that] and the ring bothers me too , she never took it off !lol

[@brainsareus]

i think it beyond silly, to conclude that the Mc Candlis book could not have been an influence in her disappearance, simply because she did not write or talk about it. Whether it was; is a different, yet fully viable question.

[@KellyK387]

She just popped in my mind a minute ago I saw her unsolved mysteries segment

[@eartheternal3565]

35:25 She was looking at Bee waiting for Mama to come back through the window of her car...

[@inmydarkesthour2278]

Wow what an unlucky family...the siblings all alone 💔

[@whitedragoness23]

That’s what I was thinking, only the line sibling is the only survivor.

[@dandrummond9154]

There are a crazy number of missing persons cases that start with a car accident.

[@diamondeyezz2760]

You should do a show on Kortne Stouffer. She disappeared from Palmyra PA, which is very close to where I live. The story is so strange and sad. It needs more attention.

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

Should he do a video on her just because she lived near you?

[@shawndouglass2939]

@@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717 yes, what's wrong with that??

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

@@shawndouglass2939 I dunno, Shawn, just seemed a little self-centered to me.

[@brenmanock]

She didn’t intend to disappear. The guy who mentioned the name Barry is very sus to me bc no contemporary men to Leah s age group are named Barry.

[@vernrogers2041]

Excellent episode! (as usual) Cheers from Calgary, Canada

[@zoehannah6278]

Poor kitty... :(((

[@destroytheliberalmachineno861]

Missing woman...and you are worried about the cat.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

@@destroytheliberalmachineno861 we could be worried about both.

[@myahollandia3552]

Idiot

[@beagledog2001]

@@destroytheliberalmachineno861 Yes, it is, just so you know, possible to be concerned about a human AND an animal, OK?

[@beagledog2001]

Yes, I worried about the cat, too, no doubt ran off after the accident and met a sad fate just like Leah

[@jocelynleagustowski9073]

She may have been checking the pump # before she paid for gas - I often forget to check before I go in and look at the pump when already inside - sometimes it’s hard to see I get that’s what she was looking at- unless it was after she paid for gas but the way he explained it it seems like it was before

[@kat2270]

Also she made sure she paid for petrol with her card, this could indicate two reasons: she wanted to leave a trail of her journey in case anything happened and she didn't want anyone who took an interest to know she had a wad of cash (or any cash for that for that matter) in her car. I also wonder about the cinema ticket. Did she really go to see that film or did her passenger? No one at the cinema remembered seeing her there. Wouldn't she have paid with her card? It might not seem much to some but it bothered me. Was it the kind of film she would have gone to see on her road adventure. Did they check the ticket for her or someone elses fingerprints?

[@lynsirobertson3527]

@@kat2270 good observation

[@ssstults999]

Where was her kitty/supplies?? Was there evidence of injury (blood) in the jeep?

[@kolloduke3341]

The kat was missing , the cat food still in the car .lol

[@beagledog2001]

@@kolloduke3341 lol??

[@tinaturtle8664]

@@kolloduke3341 Why lol?

[@goodplenty534]

Im still not sold on this theory, but nobody asks about where her cat was when she decided to stop for a movie and meal. The only thing i can come to is that she had picked someone up before she stopped in Oregon. Thats the only way i can think that she stopped at the mall for some reason and left her cat with this person, who was waiting for her outside. We know she got back into her truck after the movie because of the ticket that was placed in the box in the truck. And the foul play likely occured soon after she left as she was never recorded getting gas again despite driving over 300 miles. We also cant discount that she had met someone and traveled with them, or planned to meet them along the way.

[@MunchieTheGnome]

I really just don't see her running away on her own. Really what would she be running from? She wasn't in a troubled relationship, her parents weren't keeping her back from anything, no miserable job, and she was only 23 with her whole life ahead of her. If she wanted to leave and go off on her own, nothing was holding her back. So why stage a disappearance?

[@justiceseeker]

I hope if she was murdered, that they had the decency to care for the kitten or find a home for it. I hope if she is gone her body is found and put to rest.

[@PickassoEnt]

I get the whole on the road phenomenon and how people wanna experience that but let's tell it how it is Kerouac was a hack.

[@happydayz7857]

Pablo Pickasso well he was a stoner loner

[@colinfitz89]

To each their own; I happen to draw a lot of inspiration from him.

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

Not trying to be "sexist" here, but...while it's fairly safe for a thirty-something year old man to travel around alone on the road, it is pretty dangerous for a college girl in her early twenties to do so. In this world, men and women are different. Women, in general, are weaker and much more attractive to predators of the opposite sex. She should have gone with a friend/relative, waited until she was older, and/or taken a gun with her.

[@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717]

@Cynthia Well, people thought the 50s were much safer than today, but I think it's because there was much less media coverage of certain things back then. I've read a lot of true crime stories from the 40s and 50s...and there was a lot of this kind of stuff happening back then. Film noir didn't sprout from nothing.

[@ligayabarlow5077]

Kerouac was great. Deal with it

[@emmvold]

Maybe the guy she met (who sat by her) was likeminded but more extreme? Maybe he took advantage of her or helped her “disappear”. When she was “craning her neck” I think she was checking on the cat in the car. I do that when I leave my dog in the car.

[@Spaethon]

Perhaps they towed her jeep out there, wearing gloves, rigged the engine and let it accelerate off the road. Nothing touched inside, no DNA. Explains cash left too.

[@trtaylor29]

Love, LOVE, LOVE your content!!!

[@longshot82383]

For a killer to stumble across a girl like this it would be like hitting the jackpot...#1 she's alone in a foreign place #2 beautiful and innocent. .....I pray they catch the killer or killers sounds like the two guys at the mall knew eachother .

[@cloverstaley9581]

It happens ALOT! Its called... Crime of opportunity!

[@fabricatedreality8218]

Such a weird story.

[@lndingalle9605]

I just checked about an hour ago if you uploaded.

[@amberwallace2850]

About the gas station surveillance video... she was paying inside. If she prepaid for gas she probably looked out to the parking lot to see what pump she was at. Everyone who has ever prepaid for gas has done that at least once. That’s not suspicious at all.

[@catherinedussault4726]

Any search about a cat put for adoption at shelters in the area?

[@annettegraves716]

2 pics of this girl?

[@JamesSmith-ei5xf]

Just like the keeslyn roberts case. She just went missing from the flying j truck stop in resaca ga. And never heard from her since that night. Went missing into thin air.

[@markjohnson9495]

Snapped. Tied her clothes to the tree, released the cat, let the car go down the hill with all her money and belongings inside, and walked off into the wilderness.

[@drstrangelove9455]

The key to me is who staged the car crash and why.

[@MissMollysMumNz]

Wow, she had a big beautiful smile. Rest easy ❣️

[@sashizakura9124]

Who's to say she didn't just decide to shed all of her worldly possessions and just wander off into the wilderness, all alone? Her car clearly wasn't stolen and ransacked, as thieves would've found the money and other valuables, no problem. There's no other way she would've taken that ring off, according to accounts from the Disappeared episode (which this podcasts lifts from beat for beat and nearly word for word). For all we know, she could've decided to just walk away from it all with her kitty, and had someone she met (who knows, maybe one of those guys from the diner) take her car up to the mountains to dump it. She was clearly friendly enough to talk to anyone and made her life an open book, so why not? Just think about it: Had she been violently attacked, there's no way she would've taken that ring off. She also would likely have been robbed, which she obviously wasn't, since the money was still stashed in her pants pocket. Unless someone roofied her or knocked her out, went out of their way to remove her ring (why bother?) and pull her pants off, then toss it all into the car, it doesn't seem like an attack. True, she might've been sleeping in her car...I guess...but still. Rapists and thieves don't seem to the type to hone in on personal details like rings, and they would definitely have gotten the cash off her. I don't know...I think about Leah's case all the time, and really do wonder if she didn't just wander off one day. Maybe she caught some hippies in a van while hitchhiking with her kitten, and escaped across the border to Canada, meeting god only knows what fate. Maybe she had a psychotic break (lord knows she'd been through enough to put it within the realm of possibility) and just walked away from it all with her pet. Maybe she set the poor thing free in the process. Sadly, it seems like we may never know. I can only hope she's out there somewhere, these 20 years later, in her 40s. The kitty might be long gone by now, though some live past their 20s, so who knows? Has anyone scoured Dharma Bums for more clues?

[@nibelsteiner929]

I believe the ring to be the most valuable hint of what happened. whatever happened to her, she was in control - a suicide after all those hits she took is not too farfetched.

[@Zorazora1234]

Ohh how I wish this would be solved … I’m notorious for taking off by myself… always made sure my car was in good shape … rare would I tell my family bc they stress too much and are full of fear, my life was so hindered by my family.. had to learn to live my life and be safe … I was always paranoid about chatting with folks, definitely didn’t want to talk at gas stations…

[@whitedragoness23]

Poor Leah, she didn’t know someone had tampered with her car. Sounds like someone wanted to cause her any kind of harm. This would explain why her car went off the road when she was going about 30-40. It’s possible she climbed out of the jeep and died from exposure and her injuries. I only speculate she let her cat out hoping it would be ok on its own. If she got into the crash at night. She might not have been able to tell where to go to safety.

[@am2023]

Any updates at all???

[@carmenroffa]

I've read a body was found not far from where her car was , it says it was a male the body had the same injury and pin in the leg as Leah idk if they ever did a Dna test but it could have been her somebody said she was intersex.

[@davidwoermansr]

@@carmenroffa the pin would have a traceable serial number to identify the body

[@MarioV73]

I don't understand why SO MANY bloggers and vloggers keep noting that tampering with the engine's starter relay would make the vehicle start up and accelerate from 0 to 40mph. Ok, the plastic starter relay cover was missing, but that could have been due to numerous reasons: 1) The mechanic who worked on Leah's Jeep forgot to reinstall the cover 2) The mechanic who worked on Leah's Jeep lost the cover and sent Leah on her way without it 3) The cover had its plastic locking clips break off due to the vehicle's age and it blew off during a ride 4) The cover wasn't reinstalled properly and it blew off 5) The cover came off during the crash and fell out the engine compartment during the transport of the Jeep etc, etc.... But regardless how the relay cover vanished, tampering with the starter relay alone can't make the vehicle accelerate to high velocity, because to move a vehicle from a stand still, the throttle needs to be locked in open position and the vehicle needs to be put in gear. A relay is just an electronic switch that receives a signal from a control module (i.e. the ignition switch in a vehicle) which tells the relay to send electric current to the controlled device (i.e. the starter). That's all the starter relay does, turns on the starter motor. Also, you can't start the engine on a vehicle while in gear from a stand still, not even one with a manual transmission. If a culprit were to start and accelerate Leah's Jeep using the starter relay method, the throttle would have to be locked in the open position (no one is reporting it being so), the vehicle's transmission would initially need to be in park or neutral, and then the guy would have to enter the Jeep's cabin to put the vehicle in gear. Why do all this when he could just simply start the Jeep with the key? Starting the engine with the key would make it so much simpler and less suspicious.

[@merilupa9942]

What happened to the cat?

[@unprocessed_life]

idk but the cage was still there, so it was either killed or released. Or got away

[@gregnorris8279]

No doubt a cat-astrophy

[@beagledog2001]

I wondered, too, I feel as worried about the cat as I do Leah. Poor thing

[@BrentsTreehouse]

the killer probably released it from its carrier, and it wouldn't stand much a chance in the woods if it was an indoor pet.

[@charliekezza]

So no one even saw her leave? They tracked her EFTPOS but did they check the cameras? If she was planning on suicide, why take the cat with her, Why destroy her car and why tie her clothes up? If it was me I would make sure my pets would be ok with someone to find them asap.

[@zoehannah6278]

My thought exactly. Why would she take her cat with her? It doesn't make any sense.

[@hahaha8566]

This is crazy

[@jimtom4849]

that dirty cop who lied in my case would be perfect for this

[@cloverstaley9581]

Elaborate please!

[@skywalkercowgirl]

The cat is a big clue! Her Mother’s ring is also an interesting clue. It seems as if she put the ring there, under the mat. What if she could see that she was in danger from another person in the car. she knew her life might be in danger , so she found a way to put the ring in a hidden place. Maybe that other person took her . Then that other person staged the accident.where did she go? Kidnapped? We do not know how long it was between the car crash and when she met with foul play. Maybe that second man had a wife and they worked together to do something with with her. that second man is suspicious. His words sound like lies. Also, I wonder if she let her cat go on purpose when she realized the danger she might have been in.

[@BrentsTreehouse]

lots of sympathy for this young women, and I wish her eternal peace and rebirth in a new body and life. Being a friendly and attractive stranger in town, who liked to talk to strangers, and was perhaps naïve and trusting, I can see how this could happen. Predators are out there and will approach such targets. Sado-sexual fantasies were a likely motivator, and she was lulled into trusting someone with bad intentions. Or, a rejection of someone's advances may have angered a man and led to her being killed in the heat of the moment, and then the staged disposal of the SUV. The cat was likely let out of its cage because it was meowing and attracting attention. Given what was discovered under the hood, the killer had mechanical skills and knew the logging roads where the car was found. It's too bad they weren't able to search the second mall witnesses home. I wonder if they spoke to his friends, family, and neighbors early on when recall was still good. Was his reason for moving to Canada convincing? In a lot of cases like these, investigators have a good idea of the killer, but may feel that the evidence is not strong enough to win, so they must remain silent. Or, the actual killer may be someone completely off the radar, like Joseph DeAngelo was in the Golden State Killer investigation until DNA genealogy connected him.

[@unprocessed_life]

She had her cat with her right? I kind of think this is a runaway to start fresh case. Her ring was out of view in the car? Like she deliberately put it there. her cat was missing from the car. I know the cage? was still there, yes? hmmm. Didn't one of those men in the restaurant move to Canada soon after?

[@timmysullivan2515]

But she only left a month's worth of rent money for her roommate, and her inheritance money could have only lasted so long for her. Yes, she could have gotten a job, but she would have eventually been found her by siblings. I think the man who came up with the "Barry" person killed her.

[@AnastasiaBeaverhousinn]

Have you done a show on Maura Murray? Similar to this case.

[@ethanallen2889]

Kindra Enriquez ....That is ridiculous.

[@courtneydelduco1985]

@Kindra Enriquez her dad has already debunked the rag in the tail pipe. Its so her car wouldn't be smoking if a cop got there before she got help... But i do believe she was abducted and killed.

[@beagledog2001]

@@courtneydelduco1985 I agree

[@Laura-tp8wz]

Thank you!

[@lillz9998]

Maybe she left the ring to let them know she was there and stayed a day or so then ran out of food ? And got lost and had taken the cat with her but she would've took what she could with her and wouldn't have left the cat food ,hope they get answers

[@twinkletwinkle4129]

The car itself was enough to say she was there I think.

[@USALibertarian]

Finally someone who really did just run away.

[@timmysullivan2515]

But if that's true, then why did she leave just a month's worth of rent money for her roommate? Her inheritance money wouldn't have lasted forever, and she would've eventually had to get a job, and would've been found by her siblings. I think she wanted to take a weeks-long trip, but unfortunately encountered a psychopath with malicious intentions.

[@AntiMasonic93]

Yup, she was with foul play.

[@Sonderonyt]

Does anyone know what restaurant she went to at Bellis Fair Mall?

[@Carrigon]

I'm wondering if the guy who moved to Canada might have taken her cat with him, or anyone else who may have harmed her. Just wondering if the police ever asked if that guy in Canada moved there with a cat. Sometimes, a criminal will actually take the person's pet and keep it as their own. The motive obviously wasn't money or robbery since her money and the ring were still there. I'm not sure if she was in the accident and maybe had head trauma and possible amnesia and wondered off since they said it looked like someone stayed in the car after the accident. Or if someone may have killed her and then staged the jeep. I don't get the feeling she just decided to suicide or stage this herself. And I find it highly suspicious that one man moved to Canada. His story sounded made up, too. I hope her family gets closure one day.

[@publicmushroom67]

38:16 That's impossible.

[@Leone_510__]

It's weird that they'd consider somebody pushing it, and also think that it's life or death by jumping out. Tampering with the starter relay cant cause the truck to speed up without sitting in it. Even if it could it wouldnt be remote controlled.

[@lisafanucchi5939]

She was definitely murdered!!!

[@jhemnes1]

That intro is brutal to heat every time...just say your site and put all your many other things below. We Will donate already if we are going to.

[@wiggybis]

If she has staged her disappearence, leaving her mother's engagement ring is a clever move since everybody states that she would never leave it behind. I can't help but think that she committed suicide. What I don't understand is why she hid her note and money for her sister. Another thing, in her note, she wrote that she wasn't suicidal, but isn't it an indication that she was in denial ? She didn't seem to have cope with her grief in a "healthy" way so maybe it all came out at one moment and it was just too much for her to handle.

[@crimson9561]

I think she his the ring to keep the mechanic who killed her from stealing it.

[@crimson9561]

*hid

[@wiggybis]

Yes, it's possible too.

[@eugenia523]

I feel very sorry for her family. First her mother passed, then her father, then she picked up and left. Maybe Leah was dealing with the pain of loss in her own way, but I think it was a very selfish act on her part. What a shame.

[@PickassoEnt]

Idk man I was really depressed at points even suicidal then I was in a near fatal accident. I was in a coma for months. Once I was able to walk n talk again I felt like how she did like I was jus wasting my life b4 that. All I wanted to do was live it up. Sure there are times were I sink back into depression but im very quickly reminded I am gonna die 1 day n it could be soon anyway u never know. I know every1s different but for me after that experience anytime I'm down i jus think this life is fragile enough I dont need to rush dying its gonna happen mine as well jus have as much fun as u can while ur alive. I get what your saying but idk i feel like the fear of the unknown would stop you. What if it is jus you die n its jus blank n there is nothing after this ? For me that makes me think she pulled a into the wild n crossed paths with the wrong person. Some1 who saw her as a perfect opportunity kill. As I'm sure she was all excited n told any1 she came across that she was in this adventure.

[@whit9987]

damn your stupid sponsor ads throughout the video take me right out of whats going on. cant you just stick them all at the beginning before you start talking about the case?

[@noctusxv2341]

I don't have da 🗝 to any of this 😢

[@elenatiffi]

I know everything is possible in this case but I personally don't feel that someone was involved in her disappearance. I think that she either committed suicide or left everything behind to start a new life.. plus she was a troubled person who had been through a lot so the possibility of running away is what most likely happened.

[@myahollandia3552]

Starting a new life without a id pr money ?

[@rockstarofredondo]

This isn’t how people commit suicide. She more likely became disoriented after the accident and a head injury, walked the wrong way into the dense north woods, and succumbed to the elements after getting lost. There’s so much thick vegetation on the ground and inaccessible slopes, her body will not likely ever be found.