E263: Amina and Belel Kandil

On December 7, 1958, the Martin family of Portland, Oregon—Kenneth, Barbara, and their three daughters—set off for a Sunday drive to gather Christmas greenery. They were never seen alive again. What began as a cheerful holiday tradition ended in one of the most baffling disappearances in Oregon history. Was it a tragic accident on the winding roads of the Columbia River Gorge? Or was something far more sinister at play—something involving suspicious sightings, ex-convicts, and a stolen gun? Decades later, new discoveries raise even more questions. What really happened to the Martins—and why did the river keep their secrets for so long?For additional information about this case, make sure to read J.B. Fisher’s book Echo of Distant Water, available HERE.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

It was just two days before Christmas in 1974 in Fort Worth, Texas, a time usually filled with holiday cheer and last-minute shopping rushes. Seventeen-year-old Rachel Trlica, 14-year-old Renee Wilson, and 9-year-old Julie Ann Moseley headed to the bustling Seminary South Shopping Center with plans to pick up gifts and be home in time for holiday parties. They parked the car, ready for an afternoon of shopping. But as the hours ticked by, the girls never returned. When worried family members arrived at the mall that evening, a chilling scene awaited them: the girls' car was found abandoned in the parking lot, but Rachel, Renee, and Julie were gone.Fifty years later, the disappearance of the Fort Worth Trio remains one of Texas's most inexplicable cold cases. How could three girls, ranging in age from a teenager to a young child, vanish without a trace from a public place on a busy day? Despite thousands of leads, extensive searches, and heartbreaking decades of waiting, the mystery endures.Check out Gone Cold Podcast episodes on the case, presented from December 2020 through January 2021.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

On the evening of September 16, 1997, six-year-old Brittney Ann Beers vanished just steps away from her Sturgis, Michigan apartment complex. Minutes earlier, neighbors had seen her chatting with a stranger. Then—nothing. Her bike was left behind, her voice gone quiet, and a haunting mystery began. Who was Brittney’s “new friend”? Why did no one see what happened next? And, more importantly, where did she go?In this week’s episode, Allison traces Brittney’s story from her complicated home life to the desperate search that followed—and the disturbing secrets that surfaced along the way. Could a stranger have taken her? Was someone closer to home responsible? And why do some believe her case may be tied to the convicted killer of another Michigan girl nearly a decade later?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

On April 9, 1947, a monstrous F5 tornado tore through Woodward, Oklahoma—obliterating homes, claiming over 100 lives, and leaving behind one of the most haunting mysteries in American history. Four-year-old Joan Gay Croft survived the storm, injured but alive—only to disappear from a hospital basement hours later, never to be seen again. Who took her? Why was she taken? And why has no trace ever been found? In this episode, we unravel the heartbreaking case of Joan Gay Croft and the theories that still haunt investigators and listeners alike. This is not just a story about a storm—it’s about what was lost in the chaos, and the enduring hope that the truth might still be found.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

On a quiet June evening in 1901, gunshots shattered the calm inside Montreal’s lavish Redpath Mansion. By night’s end, two members of one of Canada’s wealthiest families—Ada Maria Redpath, 59, and her 24-year-old son, Jocelyn Clifford Redpath—were dead. But what really happened inside the secluded estate at 1065 Sherbrooke Street? Was it a tragic accident, a desperate act, or something far more sinister? Step inside the gilded world of the Golden Square Mile to uncover a century-old mystery that still haunts Canadian history.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

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.

In September 1981, the Oklahoma State Fair promised a night of freedom and fun for two best friends, thirteen-year-olds Charlotte Kinsey and Cinda Pallett. But what began as an evening filled with rides, laughter, and the excitement of adolescence quickly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. This week, Allison explores a case that stunned a community, shook a nation, and left behind far more questions than answers.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

Labor Day weekend in 2014 was supposed to mean a short trip to Canada for Amina and Belel Kandil with their father, Ahmed, before the celebration of Amina’s 11th birthday on Monday, September 1 and the start of school on the following day. However, as the weekend came to a close, Amina and Belel’s mother--Rebecca Downey-- found that her phone calls were going unanswered. Her daughter’s birthday passed and school began but her ex-husband and her children didn’t return. In fact, they didn’t even go to Canada. And that was just the beginning of Ahmed’s plan.

A name carries history, identity, and belonging—but what happens when it's lost to time? In 1984, the quiet town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was rocked by a gruesome discovery along Interstate 65-- the discovery of a body. With no immediate clues to her identity, the woman became known only as "Bowling Green Jane Doe," her past a mystery and her voice silenced. Who was she? How did she end up there? And, more importantly, would she ever be given her name back? In this episode of Coffee and Cases, we unravel the story of a young woman whose identity was restored—but whose fate still raises more questions than answers.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

When 31-year-old Megan Drumhiller hugged her parents goodbye in January 2022, no one could have guessed it would be the last time they’d see her. She had dreams of moving, a tight-knit family who adored her, and a love for music that connected her deeply with her father. But when Megan suddenly stopped responding to messages, concern grew into fear—and that fear was justified. What happened to Megan in those final days, and who might know more than they’re saying?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