Crime Connections

UT's Haunted House

When we reached out to our local community for real-life ghost stories, one listener shared something unforgettable. Behind the University of Toledo sits an ordinary-looking house hiding a terrifying past: voices in the dark, shadows under doors, and an attic no one dared to enter...

Jason Jolkowski

Jason Jolkowski, 19, vanished on his short walk to meet a coworker for a ride to work in Omaha, Nebraska. He was last seen outside his home, just eight blocks from where he was headed. He never arrived… and has never been seen again.

Black Dog of Lake Erie

Today, we’re exploring the mysterious tale of the Black Dog of Lake Erie. This ghostly hound is said to appear along the shoreline or out on the water, often before storms or strange events. With glowing red eyes and a dark, shadowy form, the Black Dog has become a symbol of warning and fear for those who live near the lake. Is it just a local legend, or is there something more behind the sightings? Let’s find out.

LaQuanta Riley

LaQuanta Riley was just 18 years old when she vanished into the night on December 7, 2003, in Montgomery, Alabama. One mysterious phone call, one step out the door, and she was gone. Witnesses saw her get into a dark-colored car, then nothing. Days later, her mother received a chilling voicemail, a voice believed to be LaQuanta’s whispering, “Leave me alone.” No suspects, no answers, and no trace of the bright young woman with dreams of becoming a forensic scientist. More than two decades later, her disappearance remains a haunting mystery, one that still echoes through her family’s grief and a community desperate for the truth.

Helltown

Bonus Episode
This week, we’re taking you deep into the woods of Ohio to uncover one of the state’s most haunted legends- Helltown.

Once a quiet little village, Boston Township was forced to evacuate in 1974… but the town was never torn down. What’s left behind has become the stuff of nightmares: boarded-up houses, haunted roads, and whispers of cult activity that refuse to fade.

Whether you believe the legends or not, one thing’s certain: in Helltown, the line between history and horror is razor thin.

Tammy Lowe

In June 1987, an unidentified young woman’s body was found burning behind an auto shop in Toledo, Ohio. For decades, she remained a Jane Doe, her name, her story, forgotten.

Thanks to genetic genealogy and DNA uploaded by her cousin, she has finally been identified as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe of Taylor, Michigan. Tammy was last seen in Detroit during the height of the crack epidemic, and her case is a haunting reminder of how many lives were lost to violence, addiction, and neglect.

After nearly 40 years, Tammy has her name back. She is no longer forgotten.

Kara Nichols

In 2012, 19-year-old Kara Nichols vanished after telling friends she was headed to a modeling shoot in Denver. For nearly a decade, her disappearance remained a mystery—no answers, no closure. Then, almost ten years later, her remains were found buried on a rural property in El Paso County, Colorado. The discovery reignited the case and revealed the dark truth behind her death. In this episode, we uncover the events leading up to Kara’s disappearance, the investigation that followed, and the shocking turn that finally brought justice.

Janet Shirar

In May of 1980, 29-year-old special education teacher Janet Shirar was found dead in her Kokomo, Indiana apartment under disturbing and mysterious circumstances. With no sign of forced entry, no arrests, and no solid leads, her case remains unsolved over four decades later.

Sandra Cantu

On March 27th, 2009, 8-year-old Sandra Cantu went missing from the Orchard Estates mobile home park in Tracy, California. Surveillance footage showed her happily walking through the neighborhood just hours before she vanished. A massive search effort followed, capturing national attention. Ten days later, the search ended in tragedy when her body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase and dumped in a nearby irrigation pond. The investigation quickly intensified, and soon, a suspect emerged—someone from Sandra’s own community. The case took a dark and unexpected turn, leaving behind a devastated family and a town forever changed.

Amber Hagerman

In 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas. A witness saw her taken by a man in a black pickup truck, but despite a fast response, her body was found days later in a nearby creek. Her killer has never been caught. Amber’s case inspired the AMBER Alert system, which has helped bring thousands of missing children home.