Vanished Into Thin Air: 5 Unsettling Disappearances

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Amelia Heheart, Broadway, Ford Escape, Hamilton
2. 3:00 – 6:00: churches, divers, drones, helicopters
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Bristol, Ohio, Charles Clark, Chevy Silverado, Shelley Markley
4. 9:00 – 12:00: bank teller, cashier, Danette Milbrook, godfather
5. 12:00 – 15:00: antique shop, briefcase, foster care, golf club
6. 15:00 – 16:38: anonymous plaques, cover up, crime junkie, Crime Junkie fan club

Notable quotes from "Vanished Into Thin Air: 5 Unsettling Disappearances"

• In October 2024, the dance world is stunned when Broadway performer Zelig Williams, known for his roles in Hamilton and MJ the Musical, disappears without a trace. Now, he's 32 years old, charismatic, and at the height of his.

  about Zelig Williams · at 0:48

• But why? The bizarre details don't stop there. A park ranger later talks to a man who claims that he was driving toward the trail head when he passed a red car. But after passing it, the car turned around and followed him to the.

  about park ranger · at 2:17

• Now, complicating all of this is the fact that Hurricane Helen had just hit before Zelig went missing, and it flooded the area. So, it made searching really difficult. But, they did go out there. They were looking for him with.

  about Hurricane Helen · at 3:21

• On December 28th, 1992, 23-year-old Steven Clark goes for a walk with his mom along the beach in this small town on England's northeast coast. They stroll the familiar two-mile path in the neighboring town of Saltburn. And when.

  about Steven Clark · at 5:09

• Shocking turn. In 2020, nearly 30 years after Steven vanishes, his elderly parents, Doris and Charles Clark, are arrested on suspicion of murdering their own son. Now, the case…

  about Charles Clark · at 6:43

• Number three, John and Shelley Markley.

  about Shelley Markley · at 7:40

• Now, police find John's red Chevy Silverado truck abandoned outside a restaurant about 20 minutes away from the house. And inside the truck, they find tarps, Shel's cell phone, and.

  about Chevy Silverado · at 8:29

• Bizarre ransom demands from a man claiming that Jon and Shel are alive but being held in Toronto. He demands $10,000 and warns that they'll be sacrificed by a cult if the…

  about Toronto · at 9:36

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Zelig Williams — Person · 2 mentions · first at 0:44
• Steven Clark — Person · 2 mentions · first at 5:05
• Amelia Heheart — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:20
  Baffling today as they were when they first occurred. But unlike the infamous disappearances of people like Amelia Heheart or Maline McCann, these five stories haven't…
• Maline McCann — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:23
  First occurred. But unlike the infamous disappearances of people like Amelia Heheart or Maline McCann, these five stories haven't dominated the headlines, but they are just as…
• park ranger — Person · 1 mention · first at 2:19
• divers — Person · 1 mention · first at 3:37
  There. They were looking for him with drones and ATVs and helicopters. But it took some time for divers to get into the river, specifically below the bridge where that naked…
• Charles Clark — Person · 1 mention · first at 6:50
• Shelley Markley — Person · 1 mention · first at 7:40
• bank teller — Person · 1 mention · first at 9:08
  Now, we know that John and Shel were alive in that truck at some point because a bank teller remember seeing John and Shel in the truck just hours before they disappear.
• Steven Durst — Person · 1 mention · first at 10:05
  Mall. Now, instead of kidnappers, they arrest a former employee of John's, Steven Durst, and Steven's teenage daughter. Now, it turns out Steven once lived with the Markley…
• Danette Milbrook — Person · 1 mention · first at 10:58
  On March 18th, 1990, 15-year-old fraternal twins Danette and Janette Milbrook leave their home in Augusta, Georgia to walk to their godfather's house for bus money. On the way, they stop by their sister's place, then a.
• godfather — Person · 1 mention · first at 11:02
  Fraternal twins Danette and Janette Milbrook leave their home in Augusta, Georgia to walk to their godfather's house for bus money. On the way, they stop by their sister's…
• cashier — Person · 1 mention · first at 11:08
  House for bus money. On the way, they stop by their sister's place, then a nearby gas station, where a cashier remembers them buying chips and soda.
• Joseph Patrick Washington — Person · 1 mention · first at 12:17
  Criminals go ignored. Around the time that the twins disappear, a local man named Joseph Patrick Washington, a suspected serial killer, mind you, is attacking women in the very…
• Trevaline's husband — Person · 1 mention · first at 14:40
  Lover, a friend? Foulplay became a real possibility when in 2011, police shocked everyone by arresting Trevaline's husband. However, after questioning, he gets released without…
• Babe Ruth — Person · 1 mention
• Doris Clark — Person · 1 mention
• John Markley — Person · 1 mention
• Steven Durst's teenage daughter — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• Broadway — Company · 1 mention · first at 0:52
  In October 2024, the dance world is stunned when Broadway performer Zelig Williams, known for his roles in Hamilton and MJ the Musical, disappears without a trace. Now, he's 32 years old, charismatic, and at the height of his.
• Hamilton — Company · 1 mention · first at 0:56
  Stunned when Broadway performer Zelig Williams, known for his roles in Hamilton and MJ the Musical, disappears without a trace. Now, he's 32 years old, charismatic, and at the…
• MJ the Musical — Company · 1 mention · first at 0:56
  Stunned when Broadway performer Zelig Williams, known for his roles in Hamilton and MJ the Musical, disappears without a trace. Now, he's 32 years old, charismatic, and at the…
• churches — Company · 1 mention · first at 4:00
  Stopped taking his medication. He'd also been fasting and was exploring new churches. But they and others also think it's very possible that he could have met someone on the…
• National Missing Persons Database — Company · 1 mention · first at 11:53
  Weeks turn into years, the case only gets more bizarre. Their names are eventually removed from the National Missing Persons Database after police wrongly claim that they've been found.
• antique shop — Company · 1 mention · first at 13:24
  Difference is her husband was out of town that day. Had been for the previous week. She opens up her antique shop as usual. Customers come and go. And around lunchtime, a…
• golf club — Company · 1 mention · first at 14:58
  Turn. Two brothers hear this strange story that leads them to search beneath the floorboards of a nearby golf club using this like tiny camera, specifically looking for…
• Crime Junkie fan club — Company · 1 mention · first at 16:20
  Hear the full stories of all these cases on Crime Junkie wherever you get your podcasts or in the Crime Junkie fan club. Don't forget to subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss our next investigation.
• Chevrolet — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• Ford Escape — Product · 1 mention · first at 1:24
  Would expect from a performer chasing his next big show. He drives off in her red Ford Escape. Less than an hour later, though, Zelig's friends in New York receive an SOS crash…
• drones — Product · 1 mention · first at 3:34
  Really difficult. But, they did go out there. They were looking for him with drones and ATVs and helicopters. But it took some time for divers to get into the river…
• helicopters — Product · 1 mention · first at 3:34
  Really difficult. But, they did go out there. They were looking for him with drones and ATVs and helicopters. But it took some time for divers to get into the river…
• Chevy Silverado — Product · 1 mention · first at 8:29
• penguin sweatshirts — Product · 1 mention · first at 9:58
  On New Year's Eve after a ransom note directs them to hide cash inside a pile of penguin sweatshirts at the local mall. Now, instead of kidnappers, they arrest a former…
• seizure medication — Product · 1 mention · first at 11:42
  Investigator on the case dismisses the girls as runaways, despite the fact that they have left behind seizure medication, personal belongings, and had no more than 20 bucks on…
• handwritten note — Product · 1 mention · first at 13:38
  Night with her the following week. Now, sometime after noon, she tapes a handwritten note to her door that reads, Back in 2 minutes. But she never comes back. Her car is there.…
• handbag — Product · 1 mention · first at 13:43
  Handwritten note to her door that reads, Back in 2 minutes. But she never comes back. Her car is there. Her handbag, her keys, even her makeup compact are left inside the shop.…
• makeup compact — Product · 1 mention · first at 13:46
  Back in 2 minutes. But she never comes back. Her car is there. Her handbag, her keys, even her makeup compact are left inside the shop. All suggesting that Trevaline truly…
• briefcase — Product · 1 mention · first at 14:10
  Seen several times with an unidentified, smartly dressed man. This guy was in a suit carrying a briefcase. the very morning she disappeared, she was spotted walking down the…
• tiny camera — Product · 1 mention · first at 15:00
  Story that leads them to search beneath the floorboards of a nearby golf club using this like tiny camera, specifically looking for Trevaline's remains. And they actually find…
• anonymous plaques — Product · 1 mention · first at 15:28
  Body was removed, fueling theories of a cover up. And then, not long after, anonymous plaques begin appearing around town, claiming that Trevaline's body was found there, but…
• ATVs — Product · 1 mention
• keys — Product · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

• SOS crash alert — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:29
  Red Ford Escape. Less than an hour later, though, Zelig's friends in New York receive an SOS crash alert from his phone, a notification that he's been in a wreck, basically.…
• Hurricane Helen — Concept · 1 mention · first at 3:23
• New Year's Eve — Concept · 1 mention · first at 9:54
  Sacrificed by a cult if the family doesn't pay up. So, police stage a sting on New Year's Eve after a ransom note directs them to hide cash inside a pile of penguin sweatshirts…
• investigative reporting — Concept · 1 mention · first at 10:38
  Or was it something else entirely? Our investigative reporting revealed a wild tangled web of family feuds and maybe that might hold the key to solving this decades old case.
• foster care — Concept · 1 mention · first at 12:03
  And at one point, their mother is even told that the girls have been placed in foster care, which makes no sense, especially since there's no paperwork or evidence to prove it.…
• cover up — Concept · 1 mention · first at 15:25
  There. Now, the brothers insist that the body was removed, fueling theories of a cover up. And then, not long after, anonymous plaques begin appearing around town, claiming…
• crime junkie — Concept · 1 mention · first at 16:01
  Now? So, those are five mysterious disappearances that you may never have heard of, unless you're a crime junkie, that is. Each one leaves families still searching for answers…

Places & events

• Saltburn — Place · 1 mention · first at 5:23
  On England's northeast coast. They stroll the familiar two-mile path in the neighboring town of Saltburn. And when they reach the pier, Steven says that he needs to use the…
• Bristol, Ohio — Place · 1 mention · first at 7:48
  On December 15th, 1995, in the small town of Bristol, Ohio, John and Shelley Markley vanish into thin air. That afternoon, their 15-year-old daughter, Ruth, comes home from school to a scene that doesn't really make sense. Coffee.
• Toronto — Place · 1 mention · first at 9:42
• local mall — Place · 1 mention · first at 9:58
  On New Year's Eve after a ransom note directs them to hide cash inside a pile of penguin sweatshirts at the local mall. Now, instead of kidnappers, they arrest a former…
• Langofflin — Place · 1 mention · first at 13:06
  In June 1990, 52-year-old Trevaline Evans vanishes from the bustling Welsh town of Langofflin in broad daylight, resulting in what police called one of the strangest cases they've ever worked.
• pier — Place · 1 mention
• Welsh — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 There are some stories that never leave you. Cases that stay open with so many unanswered questions just waiting for someone to explain what really happened. Today, I want to tell you about five disappearances that are still as baffling today as they were when they first occurred. But unlike the infamous disappearances of people like Amelia Heheart or Maline McCann, these five stories haven't dominated the headlines, but they are just as chilling. These are the stories that make you wonder how someone could seemingly vanish without a trace.

0:44 Number five, Zelig Williams. In October 2024, the dance world is stunned when Broadway performer Zelig Williams, known for his roles in Hamilton and MJ the Musical, disappears without a trace. Now, he's 32 years old, charismatic, and at the height of his career, which makes his sudden disappearance all the more baffling. On October 3rd, 2024, Zelig is at his mom's house in South Carolina. When she sees him heading out the door with head shot in hand, she assumes he's on his way to make copies, like the kind of errand you would expect from a performer chasing his next big show. He drives off in her red Ford Escape. Less than an hour later, though, Zelig's friends in New York receive an SOS crash alert from his phone, a notification that he's been in a wreck, basically. Concerned, they immediately call his mom to ask if he's okay and to see if she knows what happened. And as you'd expect, she

1:43 rushes to the area where the alert indicated the crash occurred, fearing the worst. But there is no crash, no car, no sign of Zelig. Later that day, his SUV is found abandoned at a trail head parking lot about 30 minutes from his mom's home. There's no sign of a struggle, no blood, no broken glass. But inside the car, there are some unsettling clues. His shoes are on the floorboard. His clothes are folded neatly in the driver's seat. It almost looks as if he deliberately undressed. But why? The bizarre details don't stop there. A park ranger later talks to a man who claims that he was driving toward the trail head when he passed a red car. But after passing it, the car turned around and followed him to the parking lot. According to this witness, when he parked, a man got out of the red car and started following him down the trail. This man wasn't just walking behind him. He was acting erratic,

2:41 dancing as he strips off his clothes and tosses them around until he is fully naked and dancing on a bridge railing. Now, given the red car and the location, they assume that this was Zelig. But here's the problem. At the same time that the witness claims to see Zelig, his phone is pinging 90 minutes away in another town. So, was it really him on the trail? Looking to somehow make sense of all of this, police trace the movements of his car, but the findings raise even more questions. The car appears to have been driven in loops for hours before it's left at the trail.

3:21 Now, complicating all of this is the fact that Hurricane Helen had just hit before Zelig went missing, and it flooded the area. So, it made searching really difficult. But, they did go out there. They were looking for him with drones and ATVs and helicopters. But it took some time for divers to get into the river, specifically below the bridge where that naked man was reportedly dancing. But even when divers were finally able to enter the water, they found nothing. Zelig's family believes that he may have been in a vulnerable state. They share that he had recently stopped taking his medication. He'd also been fasting and was exploring new churches. But they and others also think it's very possible that he could have met someone on the trail who meant to harm him. What makes this case even more heartbreaking is that Zelig is his mother's only surviving child. His two sisters died in a car accident years

4:18 earlier and dance was how he honored them. To this day, no trace of Zelic has been found. Not in the woods, not in the river, not in hospitals or shelters. His phone remains dark, has never been found, and his family is left with endless questions. Did Zelig walk away from his life? Was he in the middle of a mental health crisis? Or did he cross paths with someone who meant him harm? For now, all we know is that a brilliant performer, a man who brought stories to life through dance, vanished on an ordinary October day. And until he's found, Zelig Williams disappearance will remain one of the most haunting mysteries in recent years.

5:05 Number four, Steven Clark. On December 28th, 1992, 23-year-old Steven Clark goes for a walk with his mom along the beach in this small town on England's northeast coast. They stroll the familiar two-mile path in the neighboring town of Saltburn. And when they reach the pier, Steven says that he needs to use the restroom. So, they split up. Steven heads to the men's. Mom heads to the ladies. Now, when she comes back out, Steven isn't there. And at first, she like waits. Maybe he's still in the bathroom. Then, after it's been a little bit, she thinks like, "Oh, he must have gone ahead of her." And so, she starts walking back home, but he isn't on the path. And when she gets back to the house, she discovers that he isn't there either. In fact, Steven never comes home again. And it's important to note that Steven had very little on him when he vanished. No wallet, no passport, no belongings,

6:00 nothing. But Steven wasn't the type to just disappear. As a child, he'd been hit by a car. And so that left him with limited use of one arm and this distinctive limp. But he was independent. I mean, he'd recently won an award through a program that helps people with disabilities find work. And he even started seeing someone romantically. Now, in the days that followed his disappearance, a few people reported sightings. One family friend swears that he sees Steven 2 days later in a nearby town. Another woman claims that she spots him weeks later walking with an older man in glasses, but neither sighting is ever confirmed. Now, decades go by where we don't really know anything, and then the case takes a shocking turn. In 2020, nearly 30 years after Steven vanishes, his elderly parents, Doris and Charles Clark, are arrested on suspicion of murdering their own son. Now, the case against them

6:57 hinges on an anonymous letter that police received accusing the parents directly, but by the way, offering no evidence. So, in response, detectives dig up the family's backyard, but they find nothing. Months later, Doris and Charles are cleared. But the family is just left stunned and then devastated by the accusations and public suspicion. And at the end of it all, they're still no closer to finding out what happened to their son. To this day, Steven Clark's disappearance remains one of the UK's most baffling mysteries. Did he walk away on his own? Did something happen on that short walk from the pier?

7:35 Or does the truth lie with someone who's never come forward? Number three, John and Shelley Markley. On December 15th, 1995, in the small town of Bristol, Ohio, John and Shelley Markley vanish into thin air. That afternoon, their 15-year-old daughter, Ruth, comes home from school to a scene that doesn't really make sense. Coffee pot is boiled dry. Her parents clothes for a funeral that night are laid out on their bed. her mom's purse, lighter, cigarettes, things she would never leave the house without, just sit there in plain sight. But John and Shelley are gone. Even more alarming is that for the first time ever, Ruth sees that John's gun cabinet is unlocked. When the couple doesn't show up to the funeral that evening or come home that night, the family finally reports them missing.

8:29 Now, police find John's red Chevy Silverado truck abandoned outside a restaurant about 20 minutes away from the house. And inside the truck, they find tarps, Shel's cell phone, and potentially other evidence, though accounts differ as to what police actually collect from the vehicle. Even stranger, though, that same truck was spotted earlier in the day at a Walmart parking lot where John's niece, I mean, she's the one that saw it. She writes, "Hi, Uncle John." in the dirt that was caked on the side. So, someone must have moved the truck. The question is who?

9:04 Now, we know that John and Shel were alive in that truck at some point because a bank teller remember seeing John and Shel in the truck just hours before they disappear. But they say that a third person was with them. A slim, dark-haired man sits in the passenger seat as Shelley cashes a $1,000 check. And that is the last confirmed sighting of the couple. But then come the phone calls. John's brother-in-law starts receiving these bizarre ransom demands from a man claiming that Jon and Shel are alive but being held in Toronto. He demands $10,000 and warns that they'll be sacrificed by a cult if the family doesn't pay up. So, police stage a sting on New Year's Eve after a ransom note directs them to hide cash inside a pile of penguin sweatshirts at the local mall. Now, instead of kidnappers, they arrest a former employee of John's, Steven Durst, and Steven's teenage daughter. Now, it turns out Steven once

10:11 lived with the Markley, but they left on bad terms. Now, he ends up getting convicted of the extortion plot, effectively taking advantage of their disappearance, but he's never charged with anything tied to their actual disappearance. And almost 30 years later, no one seems to know what really happened to the Markleys. Were they victims of a former employees grudge? Was this a random kidnapping? Or was it something else entirely? Our investigative reporting revealed a wild tangled web of family feuds and maybe that might hold the key to solving this decades old case.

10:50 Number two, the Milbrook twins. On March 18th, 1990, 15-year-old fraternal twins Danette and Janette Milbrook leave their home in Augusta, Georgia to walk to their godfather's house for bus money. On the way, they stop by their sister's place, then a nearby gas station, where a cashier remembers them buying chips and soda. They never make it to their godfather's house. Their mom reports them missing that same night, but instead of launching a search, police tell her to just wait 24 hours. Now, when the report is finally filed and taken, the officer gets nearly everything wrong. I mean, misspelling their last name, listing the wrong birthday for them, and even writing down the wrong street address for the twins home. The first investigator on the case dismisses the girls as runaways, despite the fact that they have left behind seizure medication, personal belongings, and had no more than 20 bucks on them. As the

11:48 weeks turn into years, the case only gets more bizarre. Their names are eventually removed from the National Missing Persons Database after police wrongly claim that they've been found. And at one point, their mother is even told that the girls have been placed in foster care, which makes no sense, especially since there's no paperwork or evidence to prove it. Meanwhile, possible connections to violent criminals go ignored. Around the time that the twins disappear, a local man named Joseph Patrick Washington, a suspected serial killer, mind you, is attacking women in the very same neighborhood that the twins disappeared from. And he lived just blocks from the twins father who also had a violent past. Decades later, new investigators reopen the case. But the original files are missing and so leads quickly fizzle out. Danette and Janette's family have fought for more than 30 years to prove

12:43 that they didn't run away. And today, they remain one of the only missing twin cases in America. Their family is still searching, and someone out there knows what happened to them. Number one, Trevaline Evans. In June 1990, 52-year-old Trevaline Evans vanishes from the bustling Welsh town of Langofflin in broad daylight, resulting in what police called one of the strangest cases they've ever worked. June 16th, 1990 starts out like any regular Saturday for Trevolene. The only difference is her husband was out of town that day. Had been for the previous week. She opens up her antique shop as usual. Customers come and go. And around lunchtime, a friend drops off flowers and Trevaline makes plans for a girl's night with her the following week. Now, sometime after noon, she tapes a handwritten note to her door that reads, "Back in 2 minutes." But she never comes back. Her car is there. Her handbag, her

13:46 keys, even her makeup compact are left inside the shop. All suggesting that Trevaline truly thought she would only be gone for a moment, but she is never seen again. Now, in the days leading up to her disappearance, people around town noticed something unusual. Trevalene was seen several times with an unidentified, smartly dressed man. This guy was in a suit carrying a briefcase. I mean, the very morning she disappeared, she was spotted walking down the street with him. But despite a nationwide search, police were never able to identify this mystery man. Naturally, rumors swirl.

14:26 Was she abducted? Did she walk away from her life? Was she harmed by someone she knew? Was this mystery man, a foe, a lover, a friend? Foulplay became a real possibility when in 2011, police shocked everyone by arresting Trevaline's husband. However, after questioning, he gets released without charges. And then in 2019, the case took another bizarre turn. Two brothers hear this strange story that leads them to search beneath the floorboards of a nearby golf club using this like tiny camera, specifically looking for Trevaline's remains. And they actually find something and are even able to photograph it. Problem is, days later, police come and they search this same spot and they claim there's nothing there. Now, the brothers insist that the body was removed, fueling theories of a cover up. And then, not long after, anonymous plaques begin appearing around town, claiming that Trevaline's body was

15:32 found there, but later hidden, and that someone is denying her justice. More than 30 years later, Trevaline's fate is still a mystery. Who was the man in the suit? What happened to her after she left her shop that afternoon? And was her body really hidden just miles away for all these years? If so, where is it now? So, those are five mysterious disappearances that you may never have heard of, unless you're a crime junkie, that is. Each one leaves families still searching for answers and proves that some of the most haunting stories are the ones without endings. If you want to go deeper into these mysteries, you can hear the full stories of all these cases on Crime Junkie wherever you get your podcasts or in the Crime Junkie fan club. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss our next investigation.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Vanished Into Thin Air: 5 Unsettling Disappearances"?

In order: 0:00 Amelia Heheart, Broadway, Ford Escape, Hamilton; 3:00 churches, divers, drones, helicopters; 6:00 Bristol, Ohio, Charles Clark, Chevy Silverado, Shelley Markley; 9:00 bank teller, cashier, Danette Milbrook, godfather; 12:00 antique shop, briefcase, foster care, golf club; 15:00 anonymous plaques, cover up, crime junkie, Crime Junkie fan club.

What is mentioned in this Crime Junkie episode?

56 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Zelig Williams, Steven Clark, Amelia Heheart, Maline McCann, Broadway, Hamilton. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Vanished Into Thin Air: 5 Unsettling Disappearances"?

The episode runs 17 min; the transcript is about 2,601 words in 19 timestamped sections.

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