FROM THE VAULT: Valeri Brooks

The sleepy town of Ina, Illinois was rocked in the aftermath of one of the most heinous family homicides in American history. The Dardeen family murder was gruesome-- brutal beatings, unimaginable crimes, and mutilation. It was a crime claimed to have been the work of serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, but was his confession of the murders just a sadistic lie? If you would like to join Coffee and Cases Patreon to support the show and listen to bonus content, please go to ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January 2000, a single mother named Jodi Foster moved with her young daughter into an apartment on Parmac Road in Chico, California—unaware that the unit had a dark and unfinished past. As unexplained disturbances escalated into terrifying dreams and a child’s repeated visions of a woman called “Myliz,” Jodi would eventually uncover a chilling connection to the 1976 disappearance of Marie Elizabeth Spannhake. Decades earlier, Spannhake vanished after walking home from a flea market. Could the haunting of Apartment 14 be tied to a crime never solved—and a voice that refused to be silenced? This episode explores the intersection of memory, place, and justice in one of California’s cold cases. If you are interested in bonus content for our show or in getting some Coffee and Cases swag, please consider joining Patreon. There are various levels to fit your needs, all of which can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young mother was working the night shift at Thornton’s gas station in the small town of Versailles, Kentucky, but it was a shift from which she would never return home. Thirty-five years later, the family of Valeri Brooks is still fighting for coverage and still praying for answers. If you would like to join Coffee and Cases Patreon to support the show and listen to bonus content, please go to ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From hitchhiking all the way to Canada and back down to Mexico, to couch-surfing her way to Florida, to starting her own rock band, Kelley Brannon was the definition of a free spirit. But when this free-spirited soul left a voicemail message on her boyfriend’s cellphone that she was “getting in a car,” no one thought that over a year later she still wouldn’t be back home.  Please consider joining the Facebook group Kelley Brannon-Missing Discussion Group. Please also consider supporting Coffee and Cases by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could it really be the case that Michelle Von Emster had survived cancer and escaped a stalker, only to be the victim of a fatal shark attack? This week, Allison and Maggie delve into the theories and questions surrounding this case and why perhaps Michelle’s official cause of death deserves another look. Please consider supporting the pod by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Lynn Bradley’s case has taken on new life in recent months, thanks to a powerful documentary that unearthed never-before-heard testimony, new witness statements, and deeply unsettling details from the ship’s staff. Since its release, major news outlets have reported additional revelations, and new tips have begun to reach the Bradley family—some of which may shift long-standing theories about what really happened on March 24, 1998. In this updated episode, we revisit the timeline with fresh eyes and walk you through every new detail that has emerged. If there was ever a moment to re-examine Amy’s disappearance, it’s now. Welcome to Part 1. Please also consider supporting Coffee and Cases by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases⁠ to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Lynn Bradley’s case has taken on new life in recent months, thanks to a powerful documentary that unearthed never-before-heard testimony, new witness statements, and deeply unsettling details from the ship’s staff. Since its release, major news outlets have reported additional revelations, and new tips have begun to reach the Bradley family—some of which may shift long-standing theories about what really happened on March 24, 1998. In this updated episode, we revisit the timeline with fresh eyes and walk you through every new detail that has emerged. If there was ever a moment to re-examine Amy’s disappearance, it’s now. Welcome to Part 1. Please also consider supporting Coffee and Cases by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 17, 1968, in Scott County, Kentucky, a man stumbled upon a tarp he thought he could salvage—only to find a woman whose identity would remain a mystery for nearly three decades. Who was she? How did she come to be left alone in that field? And what details were missed that might have connected her to her family sooner? In this episode, we explore the extraordinary path that led from an unmarked grave to the truth: the woman the world knew as “Tent Girl” was Barbara Ann Hackmann. How did her case inspire a determined young man to launch one of the earliest online sleuthing movements? What did her family learn once her identity was restored? And what legacy did her case leave for thousands of other unidentified victims? Tune in to uncover the full story. Please also consider supporting Coffee and Cases by joining us over on our Patreon page! Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vacations are supposed to be carefree—a time to disconnect from stress and reconnect with loved ones. But for the Bradley family, a Caribbean cruise aboard Rhapsody of the Seas became the start of a nightmare. Just three days into their trip, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley vanished without a trace. No signs of struggle. No clear answers. How does someone disappear from a ship filled with thousands of people? And why, decades later, are there still whispers that Amy may be alive? This is the story of a young woman who set sail with her family… and never came home. Please consider supporting the pod by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often considered “The Strangest Missing Person’s Case in Europe,” this week we explore the case of Juan Pedro Martinez-- a boy who vanished under bizarre circumstances. A grandmother’s concern led to a full-scale investigation into a missing 10-year-old boy whose parents had just been involved in a deadly, and inexplicable, accident. In a case that involves corrosive acid, drug trafficking rumors, extra-terrestrial-looking strangers, and kidnapping speculations, truth is as elusive as information concerning young Juan Pedro’s fate.  Please consider supporting the pod by joining us over on our Patreon page! Are you up-to-date on all our regular content? Be a part of the C & C Fam by going to https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases to register! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices