The Mystery of the Missing DA: The Disappearance of Ray Gricar

On March 13, 2023, 24-year-old Colby Vinson received the news he had been fighting for all year. A judge officially granted him 50/50 custody of his four-year-old daughter, Preslee. But just six days later, on the very first night he brought her home, Colby was executed on his own doorstep while his little girl stood nearby. When investigators dug into the young father's life, they quickly realized this was not a random act of violence. The trail led directly to his ex, Rachiel Moore, and her former stepfather, a man with a violent past named Jason Curtis. What followed was the unraveling of a cold, calculated murder plot documented in a series of chilling text messages and funded by fifty dollars in gas money. Thank you to this week's sponsors! And right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. Text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply.  New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a freezing November night in 2015, 30-year-old nursing student Angila Wilder was stabbed 44 times inside her home in Minot, North Dakota. The brutal attack happened while her two-year-old son slept safely in the very next room. When her fiancé, Christopher Jackson, discovered the scene after returning from an overnight shift, investigators immediately began untangling a web of jealousy, obsession, and domestic violence. The evidence quickly pointed toward Angila's ex-husband, Ritchie Wilder Jr., and his new wife, Cynthia. What started as a bitter custody dispute had morphed into a calculated, years-long plot to eliminate Angila entirely. The case features one of the most chilling interrogations in true crime history, a failed prison escape, and a stunning undercover recording that finally brought the whole diabolical plan crashing down. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Start taking supplements your body can actually absorb! Go to AbsorbMore.com and enter MOMS at check out for up to 35% off your first order! Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use! Head to Quince.com/moms for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping! Message and data rates may apply. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 15, 2005, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar left his office for a routine afternoon drive through central Pennsylvania. He was 59 years old, highly respected, and just months away from a planned retirement. But Ray never returned home. Days later, his distinctive red and white Mini Cooper was found abandoned in an antique store parking lot near the Susquehanna River. The investigation quickly took a bizarre turn when a fisherman pulled Ray's county-issued laptop from the river—only to discover that the hard drive had been intentionally removed and destroyed. With no body, no financial trail, and no clear motive, investigators were left to untangle a web of possibilities. Did Ray take his own life, walk away to start over, or fall victim to someone from his long career as a prosecutor? Thank you to this week's sponsors! Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October of 2000, the bodies of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman were found inside a dumpster behind an Indianapolis Teamsters building. The discovery quickly led police to the home the couple shared with Richard Hull and Sarah Jo Pender. What started as a gruesome double murder investigation soon transformed into a sprawling legal saga filled with recanted testimonies, forged letters, and a stunning prison escape. Sarah Jo Pender was labeled the "female Charles Manson" by the prosecution and sentenced to 110 years behind bars. But as the years passed, the case against her began to crumble. With the original prosecutor publicly admitting she did not receive a fair trial and the true killer confessing to the crime, Sarah's fight for freedom continues today from the inside of an Indiana prison cell. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping during the Memorial Day Sale at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code moms.Exclusions apply.  Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was around 6:15 AM on July 31, 2022, when a resident in Strongsville, Ohio, came upon the aftermath of a horrific accident. A black Toyota Camry had crashed into the side of a large brick building at the end of Progress Drive Business Park. When officers responded, they found three young people trapped inside. Passengers Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan were tragically pronounced dead at the scene, while the 17-year-old driver, Mackenzie Shirilla, was life-flighted in critical condition. At first, investigators believed it was a tragic accident. But a closer look at the details, including the vehicle's data recorder and surveillance footage, revealed a much more sinister truth. We are revisiting this shocking case in anticipation of the new documentary "The Crash," which premieres on Netflix on May 15th. We cover the tumultuous relationship between Mackenzie and Dominic, the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, and the trial that followed. Plus, we share some recent developments in the case, including the release of jailhouse calls and the status of Mackenzie's appeals. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 7, 2021, Maya Millete took the first steps toward ending her marriage. She scheduled a consultation with a divorce attorney, planning to wait just a few more days to get through her daughter's birthday weekend before breaking the news to her husband, Larry. But that night, after returning to her Chula Vista home, Maya vanished. We look closely at the months leading up to Maya's disappearance, revealing a pattern of escalating control and manipulation by Larry. From tracking her location to making disturbing internet searches for toxic plants and even paying online spellcasters to make her dependent on him, Larry's behavior grew increasingly erratic. Now, over five years later, we examine the mountain of circumstantial evidence against him and the ongoing search for answers as Larry Millete's murder trial begins on May 11, 2026. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to Quince.com/moms for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the evening of September 10, 2001, 31-year-old physician Sneha Philip walked into her Lower Manhattan apartment building carrying shopping bags. It was the last confirmed sighting of her. By the next morning, planes struck the World Trade Center just blocks away, plunging the city into chaos and swallowing the mystery of her disappearance into the tragedy of 9/11. From the outside, Sneha and her husband Ron Lieberman seemed to have a perfect life. But in the months leading up to her vanishing, Sneha faced a suspension from her medical residency, a pending legal charge, and rumors of a secret double life. Was she a hero who ran toward the towers to help, or did something far more sinister happen the night before? Join us as we discuss the puzzling final movements, the unidentified woman she was seen shopping with, and the enduring mystery of the doctor who vanished into thin air. Thank you to this week's sponsors! To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to PakaApparel.com! Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hawthorne Hill was supposed to be a dream. An elite equestrian facility, an Olympic coach, and a student willing to do whatever it took to make it to the top. But what started as a $5,000 a month training arrangement between dressage legend Michael Barisone and rider Lauren Kanarek turned into one of the most bizarre and violent feuds in equestrian history. The fight over a prized horse named JT, the threatening Facebook posts, the SafeSport complaints, and the 911 calls were all just the buildup. On August 7, 2019, things at Hawthorne Hill came to a head in a way that nobody could have predicted. Michael shot Lauren twice in the chest at point-blank range, and the story only gets stranger from there. We cover the full case, including the trial, the insanity defense, the not guilty verdict, and where things stand today, including a recent Netflix documentary that has reignited the whole debate. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Every style. Every home. For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1945 and 1950, five people vanished without a trace in a remote, rugged stretch of southwestern Vermont. The area, later dubbed the Bennington Triangle, was once home to the booming logging town of Glastenbury, but as the town emptied out, a string of inexplicable disappearances began. From an experienced 74-year-old hunting guide to an 18-year-old college student, these cases shared one chilling detail: despite massive, military-led searches, almost no evidence was ever found. What makes these cases so baffling isn't just the unforgiving terrain or the sudden shifts in weather—it's the tight timelines and the sheer lack of clues. We discuss the five distinct cases of Middie Rivers, Paula Welden, James Tedford, Paul Jepson, and Frieda Langer. Was it the harsh environment, a string of tragic accidents, or something more sinister hiding in the woods? Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right nowIQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a cold September night in the Scottish Highlands, a 63-year-old grandfather set out on a solo cycling journey that he never returned from. Tony Parsons was an experienced endurance athlete riding 104 miles to raise money for charity after surviving prostate cancer. When he vanished without a trace along the remote A82, search teams spent years scouring the rugged terrain with no success. The truth finally surfaced three years later when a forensic pathologist named Dr. Caroline Muirhead came forward with a chilling confession from her new boyfriend, Alexander "Sandy" McKellar. The details revealed not just how Tony died, but the deliberate and cruel steps Sandy and his twin brother Robert took to ensure he would never be found. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. And right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices