119: Ryan Chicovsky: Xiangkok, Laos

Charlie Hughes traveled to Costa Rica looking for something—sun, connection, maybe even a fresh start. But in August 2019, in the quiet town of Puerto Jiménez, he vanished without a trace.He left his belongings behind. His rental car was later found submerged in a remote river. And the man he had gone there to visit raised more questions than answers.Weeks later, remains were discovered deep in the jungle. They were Charlie’s.What happened in those final hours—who he trusted, where he went, and why he never came back—remains a mystery that still lingers in the shadows of Costa Rica’s rainforest.Listen as we dive into Costa Rica, the case of Charlie Hughes, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/tampa-man-mysteriously-disappears-in-costa-ricahttps://ticotimes.net/2019/11/15/costa-rican-authorities-find-body-of-missing-u-s-citizenhttps://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article234427247.htmlhttps://news.co.cr/native-of-florida-went-missing-in-puerto-jimenez-costa-rica/80226/https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/florida-man-missing-in-costa-rica-last-seen-with-local-gigolo/https://websleuths.com/threads/costa-rica-charlie-hughes-62-from-florida-disappeared-in-puerto-jimenez-3-aug-2019.470236/https://qcostarica.com/us-tourist-missing-in-puerto-jimenez-is-being-searched-for-by-fbi-and-oij/https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/missing-in-paradise-tampa-man-vanishes-on-vacation-in-costa-rica-fbi-now-involved-bay-area-family-heartbroken/https://www.telemundo49.com/noticias/local/exclusiva-familia-busca-a-hombre-desaparecido-en-costa-rica/67247/

On this episode of The Last Trip, we’re speaking with Carrie Mcginnis and Dale Morrision, whose family vacation to the Dominican Republic ended in tragedy.In 2011, they planned a trip to Punta Cana — a rare chance for their whole family to travel together.  They booked ten days at a beachfront resort.  Sun, warm weather, and time together as a family.At first, everything was exactly what they hoped for. Days by the pool, exploring the resort, and meeting other travelers.  Their 19 year old son, Jordan, quickly made friends — he was outgoing, well liked, and enjoying the trip.But late one night, everything changed. The resort called, there had been an accident involving Jordan.  When they arrived at the resort clinic, Carrie saw her son lying on a table, motionless.  Moments later, he was rushed into an ambulance as medics tried to revive him. But at the hospital, doctors delivered the news no parent should ever hear. Jordan Morrison was dead.Carrie and Dale talk about who Jordan was, what happened that night in Punta Cana, and the long fight they endured searching for justice.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterAnd a special thank you to Carrie & Dale McGinnis, who bravely shared their story to help others.

On August 4th, 2019, 15-year-old Nora Anne Quoirin vanished from a remote eco-resort in Malaysia.  She was on vacation with her family at The Dusun, a rainforest retreat meant for rest and quiet. But that morning, her family woke to find her gone. The window of her room was open. Nora—who had developmental disabilities and relied heavily on her parents—had disappeared into dense jungle terrain. Authorities would later say there were no signs of forced entry, and no evidence of abduction.For ten days, hundreds of searchers combed the rainforest. They called her name through thick heat and relentless brush. Helicopters circled overhead. Volunteers trekked through ravines and riverbeds.Then, more than a mile from the resort, Nora’s body was found near a stream. An autopsy concluded she likely died from prolonged stress and starvation.  Officials ruled her death a misadventure. But her family has long questioned how a vulnerable teenager could have traveled that far alone—and why certain details have never quite added up.Listen as we dive into Malaysia, the case of Nora Quoirin, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/nora-quoirinhttps://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cwdzr5dd10kthttps://www.cnn.com/2019/08/06/uk/nora-quoirin-abducted-gbr-scli-intlhttps://theweek.com/102615/what-happened-to-nora-quoirinhttps://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/parents-of-nora-quoirin-utterly-shocked-at-malaysian-documentary-that-contained-exclusive-sensitive-images/a/113557976.htmlhttps://theaseanpost.com/article/mysterious-death-nora-quoirinhttps://www.itv.com/news/topic/nora-quoirinhttps://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nora-quoirin-how-does-a-vulnerable-british-schoolgirl-just-vanish-into-thin-air-in-the-malaysian-forest_uk_5d4d30a8e4b0066eb70fbd9ahttps://news.sky.com/story/nora-quoirin-inquest-police-were-slow-to-act-on-abduction-claims-mother-claims-12129856https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/asia/nora-anne-quoirin-inquest-abduction-police-malaysia-a9686296.htmlhttps://nypost.com/2019/08/15/nora-quoirin-died-from-starvation-stress-in-malaysia-autopsy/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/nora-quoirin-funeral-held-for-gentle-and-innocent-girl-found-dead-in-malaysian-jungle-a4233316.htmlhttps://www.lbc.co.uk/article/nora-quoirin-death-not-killed-by-others-malaysia-coroner-rules-DWynzk_2/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a28684418/nora-quoirin-body-found-search/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/nora-quoirin-the-unanswered-questions-1.3988206https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7359151/Nora-Quoirin-Schoolgirl-died-intestinal-rupture-caused-starving.html

On March 3, 2011, Rachel Funari - an American woman visiting Tasmania - stepped into that landscape, and vanished.  She was 35, she was alone, and the last confirmed sighting was around 3:30 that afternoon, at a small shack beside the start of the Fluted Cape Walking Track.Then - nothing.  No phone call. No “made it back safe.” No trace of where she went next.  Days later, when friends realize they hadn’t heard from her, a major search begins - land, sea, air - focused on the trails and steep coastline of Bruny Island.Searchers comb dense brushland and cliff edges that drop hundreds of metres. Still, Rachel doesn’t turn up.Over time, her disappearance became one of Tasmania’s highest profile missing persons cases. Listen as we dive into Bruny Island, the case of Rachel Funari, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au/coronerscourt/findings/coronialfindings/f/funari,_rachel_-_2012_tascd_124https://www.police.tas.gov.au/news-events/media-releases/search-for-missing-woman-update-rachel-funari/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-04/what-happened-to-missing-person-rachel-funari/7898300https://www.griffithreview.com/contributors/rachel-funari/https://medium.com/abc-news-australia/what-happened-to-rachel-funari-a0165dff1a7ahttps://lizargall.com/2011/03/rachel-funari-in-memorium/https://rachelfunari.wordpress.com/https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-journo-s-death-not-suspicious/84ccae9d-2b24-4609-968b-88fa734b6bdbhttps://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/cliff-plunge-fears-for-missing-tourist/news-story/c6084a569be8398ec90fd0a1abeffbcehttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-03-17/police-divers-to-search-for-missing-backpacker/2653782

Twenty four year old Ryan Chicovsky was living abroad, teaching English in China and spending his free time doing what so many young travelers dream of - exploring Southeast Asia.In March 2006, he took a vacation to Laos. It was supposed to be a short getaway. Ryan was last seen leaving the Khemkong Guesthouse in Xiangkong - a remote river village in northwestern Laos. He walked out… and then - nothing.  No confirmed sightings. No messages. No explanation. Just silence in a place where help is far away and questions are hard to answer.  What happened after Ryan stepped out of that guesthouse door?Listen as we dive into Laos, the case of Ryan Chicovsky, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://ryanchicovsky.blogspot.com/https://websleuths.com/threads/laos-ryan-braben-chicovsky-25-xiangkok-13-march-2007.77720/https://www.travelfish.org/board/post/laos/16826_ryan-chicovsky--missing-in-laos-since-2006https://missingpersonscenter.org/missing-persons-directory/missing-adults/ryan-braden-chicovsky/https://www.reddit.com/r/NotForgotten/comments/rumtsz/ryan_braden_chicovsky/https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293949-i9320-k593382-Ryan_Chicovsky_Missing_Person-Laos.html

On April 22, 2010, a 23-year old American hiker, Aubrey Sacco, was last seen on a narrow mountain trail in northern Nepal’s Langtang National Park, a landscape of silent peaks, rushing rivers, and ancient forests.She was experienced, prepared, and confident - a traveler who had already spent months exploring South Asia, teaching yoga, walking markets and monasteries, making plans to return home with stories of the world’s beauty.  But on that late-spring afternoon, she didn’t arrive at her next stop, just a couple hours down the trail from where she was last seen.There was no body, no sign of a fall, no gear left behind, no distress call. Nothing. She shouldn’t have vanished.Over the years, arrests were even made - then released.  Leads appeared… then evaporated.  An earthquake in 2015 would forever alter the very valley she disappeared in, burying landscape and possibility alike. So what really happened to Aubrey Sacco - a woman on a walk through the woods, with everything to live for and so much life left unwritten?Listen as we dive into Nepal, the case of Aubrey Sacco, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.aubreysacco.com/https://www.facebook.com/groups/AubreySaccoMissinghttps://www.backpacker.com/trips/gone-girl-aubrey-saccos-disappearance-hiking-in-nepal/https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/aubrey-sacco-disappearance-remains-a-mystery/73-284993426https://www.jungleredwriters.com/2010/11/into-thin-air-aubrey-sacco-age-23is.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/06/09/colorado.missing.hiker.nepal/index.htmlhttps://websleuths.com/threads/nepal-aubrey-sacco-23-langtang-20-april-2010-arrest.104371/page-8https://www.summitdaily.com/news/dad-of-missing-nepal-hiker-finds-daughters-laptop/https://www.ibtimes.com/aubrey-sacco-update-2-suspects-arrested-2010-disappearance-missing-colorado-hiker-nepal-police-sayhttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/aubrey-sacco-missing_n_1347938https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/parents-of-missing-greeley-woman-react-after-3-arrested-in-nepal/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-joins-search-for-colo-hiker-in-nepal/https://www.dailycamera.com/2013/08/03/family-of-missing-cu-boulder-grad-aubrey-sacco-recent-arrests-not-linked-to-murder/

Today, we’re chatting with Azdean Elmounstaquim, founder of Destinations Morocco and host of the Destinations Morocco Podcast - a show with more than 100 episodes dedicated to helping travelers understand Morocco not just as a destination, but as a living, breathing place filled with stories, customs, and contradictions. Born and raised in Marrakech, with deep roots in the Berber village of Telouet, Azdean has spent his life moving between worlds - even relocating to the US, while never losing his connection to home.Let’s dive into the space where curiosity meets caution… about what travelers don’t always see coming.. And why people you meet on the road can change everything - for better or for worse.  Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterLearn more about Azdean and Destinations Morocco:Website  https://destinationsmorocco.com/LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/azdean/IG  https://www.instagram.com/destinations.morocco/YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@destinationsmorocco

Sheila was a Chicago socialite and philanthropist - wealthy, well-connected, and seemingly protected by the world she moved through.  But in August of 2014, she was found dead in Bali.Beaten. Placed inside a suitcase. Left thousands of miles from home.  And the person accused of killing her wasn’t a stranger.  It was her own daughter.What followed was a global media storm - a case that forced uncomfortable questions about money, control, mental illness, and the private dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship that outsiders could never fully see.  Because this isn’t just a story about a murder abroad. It’s about what can happen behind closed doors - even in lives that look perfect from the outside.Listen as we dive into Bali, the case of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.the-sun.com/news/14080818/sheila-von-wiese-mack-heather-murder/https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/heather-mack-sentenced-murder-conspiracy-mother-sheila-von-wiese-mack/https://abc7chicago.com/post/sheila-von-wiese-mack-feared-for-safety-in-emails-before-death/565343/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/17/heather-mack-prison-sentence-murder-mother-balihttps://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/siblings-of-mother-slain-in-bali-suitcase-murder-speak/119979/https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/heather-mack-case-sheila-von-wiese-b2480089.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68014289​​https://nypost.com/2021/10/30/suitcase-killer-heather-mack-speaks-after-bali-prison-release/https://nypost.com/2014/09/19/american-suspect-confesses-in-bali-killing/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/22/bali-suitcase-murder-troubled-family-life-chicago

On June 30th, 2005, a fishing boat called the Freedom left the San Pedro marina for an overnight trip off the coast of Southern California. When it returned, one man never came back.  Patrick McDermott - a cameraman, a father, and the former partner of Olivia Newton-John.  His car was found parked near the dock.  His wallet, passport, and keys were left behind on the boat.  But Patrick himself had vanished.The Coast Guard would later say he was likely lost at sea. Yet no body was ever recovered - and over the years, rumors of financial trouble, a possible staged disappearance, and alleged sightings in Mexico have kept this case alive.Listen as we dive into California, the case of Patrick McDermott, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://people.com/patrick-mcdermott-mystery-of-olivia-newton-john-boyfriend-lost-at-sea-11816699https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/7545751/Olivia-Newton-Johns-former-boyfriend-found.htmlhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/why-olivia-newton-johns-ex-patrick-mcdermott-and-the-stories-about-him-just-wont-die/https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/missing/olivia-newton-johns-ex-who-faked-his-own-death-found-in-mexicohttps://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7c5hje/patrick_mcdermott_ex_boyfriend_of_olivia_newton/https://www.businessinsider.com/olivia-newton-john-ex-boyfriend-reportedly-found-mexico-2017-11https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celebrity-news/olivia-newton-johns-missing-lover-found-24120/https://medium.com/@yvettenipar_19165/olivia-newton-john-is-she-really-who-you-thought-she-was-359b4e1fdd0chttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28844965https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11414209/Shock-twist-disappearance-Olivia-Newton-Johns-ex-boyfriend-Patrick-McDermott.htmlhttps://www.nickiswift.com/957163/the-disappearance-of-olivia-newton-johns-ex-patrick-mcdermott-explained/https://entertainmentnow.com/news/patrick-mcdermott-olivia-newton-john-missing-boyfriend/https://www.businessinsider.com/olivia-newton-john-ex-boyfriend-reportedly-found-mexico-2017-11

On the morning of September 21st, 2015, a young woman walked into a small roadside cafe in Northern California… and never walked back out.Asha Kreimer was 26 years old.  She was far from home, struggling, and in visible distress in the days before she vanished.  Hours earlier, she’d been released from a hospital.  Now, inside a quiet diner near the cliffs of Mendocino County, she stood up from the table, said she was going to the bathroom - and disappeared. She had no phone, no money, and no identification.  Her jacket would later be found near the edge of the coastline.  Asha herself was never seen again.What happened to Asha Kreimer?  And how does someone vanish from a cafe in broad daylight… without a trace?Listen as we dive into Northern California, the case of Asha Kreimer, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to [email protected]'re on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://www.facebook.com/missingashakreimer/https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6oj4th/asha_kreimer_went_to_the_bathroom_in_the_middle/https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/52729https://websleuths.com/threads/ca-asha-kreimer-26-point-arena-21-september-2015.300031/page-4#post-14696934https://theava.com/archives/74425#4https://kymkemp.com/2018/04/24/mother-of-missing-australian-woman-in-the-area-again-searching-for-her-daughter/https://kymkemp.com/2020/05/03/cold-case-mendocino-one-day-after-her-31st-birthday-a-long-look-at-the-odd-disappearance-of-asha-kreimer/